Chapter 43: An Ambiguous Relationship
Bai Dazhu hurried to say, "Mother, you’re wrong about that. There really are deals that good in the world. It’s just, the man who won the bag of white flour today... his appetite is truly massive! The number of steamed buns Erzhu and I ate put together wasn’t as many as he ate by himself. Tell me, how could we ever win against someone like that?"
Old Mrs. Bai glared at Bai Dazhu. "How many did you eat in total today?"
Bai Dazhu held up four fingers. "Four."
Old Mrs. Bai then turned to Bai Erzhu. "And you?"
Bai Erzhu held up two fingers. "Two..."
Old Mrs. Bai felt a pang, as if she were losing a piece of her own flesh. "So you’re telling me one hundred wen bought us just six steamed buns?"
Bai Erzhu quickly interjected, "It was all the owner’s fault! He was so devious! He made us eat dry steamed buns without giving us any water. We’d been traveling for a long time and were already thirsty, yet he insisted we eat them dry. How could we possibly eat very many?"
Old Mrs. Bai waved her hand dismissively. "Alright, alright, that’s enough. You can’t blame the man for being clever. You can only blame yourselves for being so useless. You managed to lose an eating contest. Tell me, what are you two good for?"
The work in the fields lay idle, the peanuts weren’t fully planted, and while the whole village was busy sowing, their family was fraught with idle anxiety. They had gone to the market to throw away money and come back after taking a beating. If the villagers found out, there was no telling how they would be ridiculed.
Just then, a pounding came from the door. "Mom! Grandma! Open up!"
The moment Old Mrs. Bai heard the voice, the anger on her face mostly vanished. She hurriedly said to Liu, "Xiao Feng is back! What are you standing around for? Go open the door!"
Liu rushed to open the door. Beaming, she pulled her son inside. "Oh, Xiao Feng! How was school today? Did your teacher praise your handwriting?"
Bai Xiaofeng shoved the schoolbag he was carrying into Liu’s hands, his eyes fixed on the water pitcher on the table. "I want some water, I’m dying of thirst."
Old Mrs. Bai rushed to pour a bowl of water for her precious grandson. She watched him drink it all down in one go—GLUG, GLUG, GLUG—and then said with a wide smile, "You must be exhausted. Go get some rest. In a bit, Grandma will have your mother boil you an egg to help you recover."
A small smile finally appeared on Bai Xiaofeng’s sullen face. "Grandma is the best. Oh, by the way, Grandma, I saw Third Aunt on my way home just now."
Old Mrs. Bai asked quickly, "Where did you see her?"
"Right at the village entrance. She and Hu Changlin were walking together, talking and laughing as they headed for the east end of the village."
The Bai family lived at the west end of the village, and Hu Changlin’s home was at the east end. Clearly, she had gone back with Hu Changlin.
Old Mrs. Bai shot up from her stool, her eyes landing on Dazhu and Erzhu. "Go change your clothes and wash your faces. You’re coming with me to Hu Changlin’s house."
Bai Dazhu and Bai Erzhu were confused. Bai Dazhu asked, "Mother, her hand is injured. She can’t work even if she comes back now. It would be better to let her stay at Hu Changlin’s place for a few days. We can have her come back when she’s healed. That way, our Bai family can save on a few days’ worth of food."
Liu, who was standing nearby, chimed in, "You two don’t get it. We went to Hu Changlin’s place today, and guess what? That Zhao Lan was actually working in the fields with him! She’s really grown some nerve, hasn’t she? Ignoring the chores in her own home to go work for an outsider. If she can work with just one hand, why should we let Hu Changlin’s family benefit from it?"
The moment they heard this, Bai Dazhu and Bai Erzhu jumped to their feet in agitation. "What? She actually went to work for the Hu family? Does she have no shame? A widow and a widower, getting involved with each other so improperly. It’s one thing for her to be shameless, but she can’t disgrace our Old Bai Family!"