Qin Mian and Lei Tie went out with a sickle and just so happened that the neighbors in the east came out of their yard, their eyes were on each other inadvertently.
Qin Mian was very embarrassed and admired the good temper of that family. Du Shi scolded so much every day that half the people in the village could hear her. The neighbors were the ones who suffered the most. How could he never hear a protest?
“Going out, ah.” The older man was all smiles as he spoke. He looked very gentle and there was no contempt in his eyes.
Qin Mian smilingly nodded, “Uncle[1], morning. We’re going to mow grass.”
The older man chuckled, “What uncle? Call me Eldest Uncle[2] Jiang.”
“Eldest Uncle Jiang.” Qin Mian readily followed good advice[3]. He guessed that this man’s seniority in the family or clan was high. There were many people in the countryside who were related to each other and this was how their seniorities were ranked.
“Hurry to go.” With his hands on his back, Eldest Uncle Jiang wandered in another direction.
Qin Mian followed Lei Tie all the way to the foot of the mountain and went onwards.
“Going into the mountain?” Qin Mian asked.
Lei Tie nodded.
The duo went around twists and turns in the woods as they climbed up the mountain about more than ten minutes before they stopped.
“You stay.”
Lei Tie bent to cut couch grass. He grabbed a handful of couch grass with his big palm, put the sickle in his right hand to the root of the couch grass as he pulled the couch grass towards him and easily cut off a handful before he put it down on the ground and cut the second batch.
Qin Mian found out that he only had a sickle and was willing to help but also had no tools. Then, he wanted to walk around to see if he could dig some wild vegetables or find some wild fruits.
“Don’t walk around. There are snakes.”
Qin Mian had to stand in place obediently. There was a stone not far away and he moved to sit down as he watched Lei Tie cut bundle after bundle and then moved them all into a small mound cavity that was not easy to find. Several bundles of couch grass had been stored in that small mound.
Qin Mian didn’t understand, “Put here?”
Lei Tie answered: “Build house.”
Qin Mian suddenly realized. It turned out that Lei Tie didn’t cut this couch grass for Lei Family’s use, but to build a house. It seemed that he had started to plan to separate from Lei Family.
Qin Mian said, “In the afternoon, I will cut with you.”
Lei Tie didn’t speak. Qin Mian regarded it as his consent.
When it was time to return home, Lei Tie picked only two bundles of couch grass to go back, which was considered as a task completed. The dried grass was also a burn material.
In the afternoon, Qin Mian brought cloth towels and went up the mountain with Lei Tie. When cutting grass, he wrapped his hands in cloth towels. It’s not due to his pettiness but he was young and tender which could easily be cut by the grass. In the backward ancient era, there were lack of medicine treatments and so, less injury was safer.
In the evening, they returned home. Sitting in the yard was a young and graceful teenager dressed in a clean and tidy white long gown, looking down to read a book.
Qin Mian immediately guessed who this person was: Lei Xiangzhi, the youngest son of Lei Family. Lei Xiangzhi was the only person in Lei Family who was unlike a farmer’s child aside from Lei Tie. He was also the only one who wore white clothes.
At the sound of footsteps, Lei Xiangzhi raised his head before he stood up and smiled at Qin Mian and Lei Tie, even bowing. The scholar’s temperament was completely displayed. He said in refined and courteous, “Big brother, elder sister-in-law.”
Lei Tie replied lightly, “Fifth brother.”
Qin Mian only smiled and nodded to Lei Xiangzhi, not calling out “fifth brother”. He hadn’t admitted the identity as Lei’s eldest daughter-in-law in his heart and currently he was one year younger than Lei Xiangzhi, it’s awkward to call him “fifth brother”.
When Du Shi came out of the hall with a basin, as soon as she saw Qin Mian, she unexpectedly didn’t scold him, but glanced at him lightly before she rushed into the kitchen.
Thus it could be seen that Du Shi minded herself for Lei Xiangzhi.
Sure enough, Du Shi didn’t scold anyone until dinner. At the dinner table, never mind she was inquiring about Lei Xiangzhi’s wellbeing, but she even specifically asked Zhao Shi to buy a fish from the fish farmer’s house at the top of the village when she made breakfast the next day.
These had nothing to do with Qin Mian. After eating, he went to bed. Because when he woke up, they could talk about separation and living apart.
The next day, after breakfast. Zhao Shi and Qian Shi got up to clear the tables under Du Shi’s urging. Lei Daqiang was also ready to go out to work.
Lei Tie began, “Father, sit down. I have something to say.”
Lei Daqiang sat back down and asked casually, “What’s it?”
Lei Tie said without mincing words, “I want to separate and move out.”
Everyone was stunned. Nobody expected that Lei Tie would say such a sentence so suddenly because there was no sign at all. Zhao Shi and Qian Shi, who had already held the chopsticks in their hands, turned pale at the same time. They put the plates back on the table and sat back where they once were.
Zhao Shi inwardly frowned. She didn’t want to let Lei Tie go. If Lei Tie left, the family would have less labor force and her husband would have to work more.
Qian Shi supported Lei tie to move out. It’s really awkward with the two men being together ah. In addition, because the family’s money was in Du Shi’s hands, whether Lei Tie moved out or not had no substantial impact on her interests. Du Shi quarreled with Qin Mian every day. Even for the sake of peace, she hoped Lei Tie and Qin Mian would move out. In fact, she also wanted to be move out. Just because there was no separation, the money the brothers of Lei Family usually earned as they went out to do some odd jobs or the money the women at home earned by selling embroidered handkerchiefs and knotted luozi[4] all had to be handed over to Du Shi, to the extent that she had little money in her hands and could not even usually buy some delicious snacks for Xinxin. That old hag Du Shi only had her youngest son, her only daughter and two grandsons in her eyes, and didn’t care about Xinxin at all. But she also knew that it was impossible for Lei Xiangyi to move out by his own, unless the old father was willing to separate his sons.
Lei Xiangren, Lei Xiangyi, Lei Xiangli, Lei Xiangzhi and Lei Chuntao all had different looks.
Lei Xiangren and Lei Xiangyi also wanted to separate and live apart. Who didn’t want to be in charge of their own money? Lei Xiangyi didn’t have a son. Every time he saw his mother put delicious food in the bowls of Dabao and Xiaobao, and then he saw the look in Xinxin’s eyes, he felt frustrated. If he had money, he would buy whatever his daughter wants!
Lei Xiangli and Lei Xiangzhi both knew that their parents would not agree to separate the family, but they listened quietly.
Lei Chuntao supported Lei Tie’s decision from the bottom of her heart. When Lei Tie left home, she was only five years old and she had yet an impression with the original Lei Tie. When Lei Tie came back, he was pretty good to her and also gifted her with a hairpin worth at least 4 taels. However, her mother tried various devices to take advantage of big brother and even arranged the thatched cottage opposite the pigsty, which made her feel sorry and ashamed. Even walking in the village, she felt a head lower than others. It’s a good thing if big brother could really separate and live apart. Although Du Shi loved her, she was the daughter and had no right to speak at home. She could only restrain her excitement and wait for her parents to make a statement.
Without waiting for Lei Daqiang to speak, Du Shi immediately put on a negative attitude and said coldly: “Eldest, what are you talking about? Your father and I are not dead yet.”
Note:
[1] 大叔dà shū = eldest of father’s younger brothers; uncle (term used to address a man about the age of one’s father)
[2] 大爷dà ye = father’s older brother; uncle; term of respect for older man
[3] willing to accept other people’s views
[4] Luozi is a Chinese knot which was very popular in ancient times. When wearing clothes, you need to tie cloth straps and then tie a knot. It can be worn as decoration on the waist, hair, fan, curtain etc.
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