Chapter 66: Assembling
Zhang Pandi and Jia Chunni did not have much luggage; they took a cloth bundle with two changes of clothes and left.
Zhang Zhaodi brought the mother and daughter to the village entrance and picked a spot to sit down.
“Why aren’t we leaving?” Zhang Pandi asked.
“Waiting for Yaoguang to pick us up,” Zhang Zhaodi said. “Yaoguang went to pick up little sister. When she comes back, she’ll pass by here, and we’ll go back together.”
“You wouldn’t want little sister to work with you too, would you? Little sister has to take care of brother-in-law. He can’t be left alone, so how could she manage work?”
“She can manage,” Zhang Zhaodi said. “Earlier, that was just to fool your mother-in-law and sisters-in-law. Our work is light and won’t tire her out.”
“Big aunt, what kind of work is it exactly?” Jia Chunni asked. “You said it was tiring and dirty, so I thought it was washing clothes for others.”
“It’s not washing clothes. You’ll find out when we get back.”
Zhang Zhaodi took an oiled paper bag from her bosom, opened it, and gave one scallion oil pancake each to Zhang Pandi and her daughter.
Zhang Pandi swallowed her saliva and took it: “Sister, this is white flour. How can you eat so well?”
“Can I really eat a whole pancake?” Jia Chunni held the pancake at a loss. “I’ve never eaten one before. I’ve only seen second uncle’s little brother eat one. But the pancake second uncle’s little brother ate didn’t have this much oil and wasn’t this fragrant.”
“Your big aunt gave it to you, eat it!” After saying this to Jia Chunni, Zhang Pandi said to Zhang Zhaodi, “Sister, I’m not hungry. Save it for Yaoguang.”
“You eat yours. Yaoguang has her own, and everyone has food.” Zhang Zhaodi spoke while eating her share.
Jia Chunni ate the scallion oil pancake slowly and deliberately, her eyes brimming with tears, her face full of happiness.
The girl was so skinny she was just skin and bones, her face yellow as if she had some illness.
Zhang Pandi wasn’t much better off.
The mother and daughter were reluctant to eat it up and ate very slowly. After eating half, they wrapped the remaining scallion oil pancake in oiled paper, planning to eat it when hungry later.
Zhang Zhaodi leaned there drowsily, vaguely hearing the sound of a cart. She immediately opened her eyes and stood up. She jumped up to a higher spot and saw Su Yaoguang driving the ox cart.
“Here they come, here they come.”
Zhang Pandi and Jia Chunni also craned their necks to look into the distance and saw Su Yaoguang driving the ox cart with Jiang Jing, as well as Zhang Yingdi and Wang Xiucai sitting in the ox cart.
“Get on the cart, what are you standing around for?” Zhang Zhaodi called to the mother and daughter, then walked toward the ox cart.
“Second aunt, female cousin.” Su Yaoguang greeted proactively and introduced Jiang Jing, “This is my sworn sister Jiang Jing.”
Jiang Jing also imitated Su Yaoguang and greeted Su Pandi and Jia Chunni: “Second aunt, female cousin.”
“Oh…” Zhang Pandi responded awkwardly.
Jia Chunni helped Zhang Pandi onto the ox cart, first greeted Zhang Yingdi and Wang Xiucai, then greeted Su Yaoguang and Jiang Jing: “Maternal aunt, maternal uncle, two older sisters.”
Zhang Yingdi was only in her early thirties, with a beautiful appearance and an indelible look of worry between her eyebrows. In fact, all three Zhang sisters had this indelible worry between their eyebrows.
Wang Xiucai had been plagued by chronic illness and was very weak. He nodded to Jia Chunni while coughing and greeted Zhang Pandi: “Second sister.”
The Zhang sisters reunited after many years, and everyone was deeply moved for a moment. But this was not the place to talk; they should still take the ox cart home early.
Su Yaoguang drove the cart, Jiang Jing sat beside her, and the others sat in the back of the ox cart.
Zhang Pandi said: “Big sister, with so many of us going to your house, can your house accommodate us all?”
“We’ve discussed it in advance. We’ll clear out the wood shed. Little sister and brother-in-law will have to make do and stay there for a while. Originally Yaoguang and Jiang Jing shared one room. This time we’ll add one more and have Chunni squeeze in with them. We’ll make do tonight. Later I’ll find a carpenter to make a few large beds and deliver them to our house.”
Hearing this, Su Yaoguang said: “Mom, since we’re making large beds, why not make a few cabinets too! Our family’s things are all too old and need replacing.”
Zhang Zhaodi agreed readily.
Zhang Pandi noticed that in this short time, her big sister seemed like a different person. Before, her big sister had been very frugal and would never replace anything that could still be used.
Not long ago, didn’t big sister get bullied by that local bully in the village and almost couldn’t get out? How had she changed so much in such a short time? What had happened during this period?
Regardless, Zhang Pandi smelled the long-lost scent of freedom in the air, and her body and mind felt exceptionally relaxed.
She was with her own sisters, no need to worry about beatings, scoldings, going hungry, or being locked out all night for displeasing someone, then having to make rice, wash clothes, chop wood, and fetch water the next day nearly frozen solid…
At least for these twenty days, she could live like a person.
And her Chunni could relax a bit during this time too.
“Little sister, how is brother-in-law’s health?” Zhang Pandi asked.
Holding Wang Xiucai’s hand, Zhang Yingdi said softly: “We’ve seen quite a few doctors, and they all say he can only recuperate. But earlier big sister’s sworn daughter said husband’s illness can be treated. Once treated well, he’ll be no different from a normal person and won’t have to lie in bed all day.”
“That girl surnamed Jiang said that? Even doctors can’t do anything, how dare she make such a claim?” Zhang Pandi asked Zhang Zhaodi. “Big sister, you can’t let the child talk nonsense like that. If little sister takes it seriously, what if something happens later she can’t handle?”
“That girl comes from a medical family. Due to a family mishap, she ended up here. While others learn to read at three, she started learning medical theory at three,” Zhang Zhaodi said. “Since other doctors can’t help, let her try. The worst outcome is no worse than now. Why not take a chance?”
“I didn’t dare believe such a young girl at first, but my husband has become a doctor from long illness. He’s read many medical books and knows quite a bit of medical theory. He personally tested the child and found she really has some skill, so he agreed to come with me. During this time, I’ll help big sister with work, and husband will stay here to recuperate.”
Hearing Zhang Yingdi say this, Zhang Pandi felt much relieved.
Wang Xiucai was very capable. Before he fell ill, he was a scholar everyone had high hopes for. It was thought he could pass the exam for official position, but before he could take it, he fell severely ill and never got out of bed again. The Wang family hired Zhang Yingdi with a hefty sum to marry him and care for him. The two had depended on each other for years, with deep feelings.
The ox cart entered the village.
Villagers saw Zhang Zhaodi and her daughters bringing back so many people and began speculating about what they were up to.
“I heard Aunt Li is having villagers pick flower petals today, sort them by type, keep them clean, six copper coins per back basket. Aunt Li wouldn’t collect flower petals for no reason; it must be for Zhang Zhaodi and her daughters. They make cosmetics and are most short on flower materials. Now bringing so many relatives, there must be a big order to fill.”
