Chapter 24

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Chapter 24: Concerns

     

Liu Qian continued to explain: “Mr. Wu obtained the treasure, but he was powerless and lacked the ability to protect it. In such a situation, he was like a lamb to the slaughter, unable to fight back and only able to surrender. On the other hand, Hero Wen is highly skilled in martial arts and has the ability to protect his treasure. However, this also depends on the skills of the opponent. If the opponent is stronger than Hero Wen, his possessions may be taken, but Hero Wen may not necessarily risk his life. If the opponent is weaker, they wouldn’t be able to take his belongings. Additionally, it also depends on the value of the treasure. After all, there are people beyond people, and heavens beyond heavens. If the treasure is extremely valuable, there will always be someone willing to challenge you for it.”

     

Zhang Xiaohua exclaimed excitedly: “Big Sister, that means having martial arts skills is always better than not having them. It gives you the ability to protect your belongings, and the stronger your martial arts skills, the better you can protect even more precious things.”

     

Liu Qian smiled and said: “That’s right. Xiaohua, you’re absolutely right.”

     

Then Zhang Xiaohua continued: “If I had martial arts skills, then during the last fair, Dad, Big Brother, and Second Brother wouldn’t have gotten hurt, and you wouldn’t have been bullied either, Big Sister.”

     

Upon hearing this, Liu Qian’s expression became somewhat melancholy as she said: “But mastering martial arts is not that easy, is it?”

     

Optimistically, Zhang Xiaohua said: “Don’t worry, Big Sister. I will definitely train in martial arts to protect you all.”

     

Liu Qian’s mood lifted, and she replied: “That’s great. We’ll rely on you, Great Hero Zhang, to protect us in the future.”

     

Then she added: “Sometimes, martial arts must be treated like a treasure too. You can’t reveal all your secrets to others. Keeping some secrets to save your life is also necessary.”

     

Zhang Xiaohua pondered for a moment and then said: “Big Sister, you’re really amazing. How do you know so much?”

     

Liu Qian replied: “All these things are written in books. The more you read, the more you understand. Xiaohua, you should read more in the future, and you’ll learn a lot. Besides, what’s the use of knowing a lot? In the face of absolute force, everything else is just paper.”

     

Perhaps Liu Qian didn’t care much, but she combined what she read in books with her own observations and shared them with Zhang Xiaohua. Zhang Xiaohua didn’t seem to pay much attention at the time, just listening, but these viewpoints deeply influenced him in the future.

     

As they reached the gate of Zhang’s courtyard, the sun had already set, and the last rays of twilight struggled to resist the encroaching darkness. The cold wind rose, and beyond the courtyard walls, Zhang Xiaohua guessed that their family members had already retreated indoors.

     

With a smirk in his heart, he thought that the afternoon’s task was finally complete. He said: “Big Sister, since you’ve read so many books, you should tell me more stories in the future. You should also teach my eldest brother to read and write, otherwise, you’ll run out of things to talk about.”

     

Liu Qian casually agreed: “Sure, I’ll take care of it.”

     

Then she couldn’t help but feel that her response sounded a bit awkward. This Xiaohua, he’s quite clever. However, she continued to think: “The courtyard wall is a bit too short. You can see everything happening inside from the outside. I should make it taller when I have time.” Unbeknownst to herself, she was already adopting the mindset of a housewife.

     

The small house at home was still warm and cozy. Zhang Cai, Zhang Xiaolong, and Zhang Xiaohu were sitting on the kang, chatting. Ever since Liu Qian arrived, the three of them squeezed together. Guo Sufei was already busy preparing dinner. Zhang Xiaohua carried a bucket filled with water into the courtyard and was spotted by his mother at the stove. She asked Xiaohua: “Why did you bring back the bucket from the well?”

     

Zhang Xiaohua said: “Mother, this is well water. Big Sister Liu said she brought tea leaves from home and wanted to brew them with this well water to drink.”

     

Guo Sufei replied: “What’s so good about tea leaves? They’re bitter, not as good as plain water.”

     

Zhang Xiaohua chuckled and said: “Mother, that’s because you haven’t had good tea. Do you think all teas taste like the tea from Old Guo’s house at the village entrance? Last time at Sister Liu’s house, I had very delicious tea.”

     

Liu Qian also added: “Auntie, you’ll know once you taste it.”

     

Guo Sufei heard what Liu Qian said and smiled: “Alright, since Qianqian asked, we’ll join in and see how it goes.”

     

Then, Liu Qian filled a pot with well water and placed it over the fire.

     

Upon hearing Zhang Xiaohua’s words, the three people in the inner room also got up and came out to see if there was anything they could help with.

     

Soon, the water boiled. Since the Zhang family didn’t have a teapot, Liu Qian had to put a small amount of tea leaves into the bowls used for meals and pour the boiling water over them.

     

Zhang Cai and the others looked at the freshly brewed tea, with its pale green color and faint tea fragrance wafting through the air. They couldn’t help but wonder: “Is this really tea? Why does it smell so good?”

     

Enduring the heat, everyone sipped the tea, and before long, they had finished a bowl’s worth. They all wanted more, but Liu Qian cautioned: “Drinking too much of this tea will make it difficult to sleep at night. If you still want some, let’s have a little more after dinner.”

     

Naturally, everyone listened to the expert.

     

Liu Qian also attentively brought a small bowl of tea to Grandmother, letting her have a taste.

     

Dinner remained simple as usual, with plain tea and rice. Wait, that’s not right. Today’s tea was exceptional, and the Zhang family members drank it with great enjoyment. However, except for Grandmother, Liu Qian, and Zhang Xiaohua, everyone else suffered from collective insomnia that night. Grandmother and Liu Qian didn’t drink much, and although Zhang Xiaohua drank the most, like everyone else, he counted sheep until the hour of the rat.

     

[TL_Note: 11 pm to 1 am in traditional Chinese timekeeping]

     

After that, he immediately fell asleep and was immersed in a twinkling dream world.

     

After dinner, Guo Sufei finished cleaning up the dishes and then boiled some well water to make tea for her family. She then carried a small bowl of tea to the little house where Grandmother lived.

     

As soon as she entered the room, Grandmother heard her and asked: “Is that you, Sufei?”

     

She replied: “Yes, mother, I’ve brought you a bowl of tea that Liu Qian brought.”

     

Grandmother asked: “Didn’t you drink some before dinner? Qianqian said it’s not good to drink too much of this stuff at night.”

     

Guo Sufei said: “I know, mother, I came over for something else.”

     

Grandmother was curious: “What’s the matter, why are you being so secretive?”

     

Guo Sufei said: “Mother, what do you think of Liu Qian? Why were you so straightforward with her this afternoon?”

     

Grandmother said: “Oh, Sufei, I just think Liu Qian is such a good girl. She’s skilled in housework, knowledgeable, and sensible. Xiaohua said she’s also very attractive, and her family background is good. It’s our Xiaolong isn’t up to her standards.”

     

Guo Sufei sighed and said: “Yes, mother, I see it that way too. But, I feel like she’s still quite satisfied with Xiaolong. I just haven’t found the right opportunity to ask her in detail. When you spoke so directly this afternoon, I didn’t know how to bring it up again.”

     

Grandmother said: “Qianqian’s disposition is one aspect, but we also have to consider her family’s opinion. From what Xiaohua said, they are scholars and not good at agricultural work. His uncle is also a butcher, indicating that it’s difficult for them to communicate with our farmer family. Moreover, their family is well-off, unlike ours, which is impoverished. It’s really hard to say.”

     

Guo Sufei whispered: “I just feel it’s hard to approach her family. That’s why I want Qianqian to spend more time with Xiaolong. Maybe if they develop feelings over time, it might benefit us.”

     

After a period of silence, Grandmother sighed deeply and said: “Sufei, I understand what you mean, but lately, I’ve been feeling worse and worse. Many times at night, I dream of your father coming to find me, asking me to accompany him. I feel like my time is running out. That’s why I spoke like that this afternoon. I really want to see my grandson settle down, and maybe even see us four generations living under one roof.”

     

Before she could finish her sentence, tears welled up in Guo Sufei’s eyes, and she choked up, wiping away her tears as she said: “Mother, please don’t think too much. Maybe you dreamed of Father because you miss him. Your health is fine, you will definitely see your great-grandson.”

     

Grandmother gently stroked Guo Sufei’s hair and said in a gentle tone: “Sufei, mother knows her own body. I’ve lived for so long, watched you grow up, watched you get married, have children, and then watched Xiaolong, Xiaohu, and Xiaohua grow up. I am already content. What I said this afternoon was just a passing thought. It wasn’t appropriate to bring up such matters when the girl had just arrived a few days ago. Treat her well, and who knows, maybe she’ll end up with our Xiaolong. That would be Xiaolong’s good fortune and our family’s blessing.”

     

Guo Sufei exchanged a few more words with Grandmother before getting up to leave. She picked up the now cold tea, and tasted it with her lips, finding it undrinkable. With a sense of resignation, she poured it out in the yard, then glanced back at the shadow of her mother in the dark little house. A deep sense of bitterness filled her heart, and tears uncontrollably streamed down her cheeks. She knew very well that ever since she had children, her entire being had been devoted to Zhang Cai and the few children.

     

She rarely cared or thought about her own mother. She always felt she was under her mother’s protection, relying on her. But now, upon hearing her mother’s words, she realized how much she had neglected and how little she had given her mother. It’s often only when something is lost that its true value is realized, and it’s the ordinary things around us that should be cherished the most.

     

Now, whether it’s regret or disappointment, there’s just a hollow feeling in her heart, as if something is breaking, but she can’t grasp it no matter how hard she tries.

     

Guo Sufei walked absentmindedly into the main room, where Liu Qian was doing needlework under the lamp. Seeing Guo Sufei’s unusual expression, Liu Qian quickly got up, took the empty bowl from her hands, and asked: “Auntie, is something wrong?”

     

Guo Sufei forced a smile and said: “Nothing, just feeling a bit tired.” Then, she glanced at Zhang Cai and the others’ room. Seeing that she didn’t say anything further, Liu Qian sat back down, continuing her work while keeping an eye on Guo Sufei.

     

In the small room, the men were drinking tea and planning farm work, with one of them lying down, injured. Guo Sufei didn’t say much, only instructing: “Finish up and go to bed early. Xiaohua, take good care of your grandmother tonight.”

     

Everyone responded: “Okay.” Without lifting their heads.

     

Guo Sufei didn’t pay much attention to their lack of response and simply turned to go back to her own room without doing any needlework in the main room.

     

Liu Qian became increasingly puzzled, unsure of what had happened on the other side. Since Guo Sufei didn’t say anything, she couldn’t press her for answers.

     

As the night grew late and everyone had tidied up and gone to bed, Liu Qian returned to her own room. The lamp in the little house was still lit, but Guo Sufei had already fallen asleep. Liu Qian blew out the oil lamp and lay down as well.