Chapter 169: Second Brother’s Grievance
Gu Fei nodded listlessly. "Okay, Dad. Then for the next few days, you should ask around and see where they raise clams, and buy some for us to start with."
Gu Zhang stared at her. "What’s wrong with you? Why do you sound like that? You’ve caught a cold, haven’t you?"
"It’s cold here in the south, and we can’t use a heated kang bed. I said we should light a basin of charcoal in the room, but your mother just wouldn’t listen."
Mrs. Chen walked over and placed a hand on Gu Fei’s forehead. "Have you caught a cold? Is it serious? If it is, we’ll have Gu Qing call a doctor."
Gu Fei shook her head. "It’s nothing serious. I’ll probably be fine by tomorrow."
Mrs. Chen called out, "Lian’er, hurry! Light a basin of charcoal and put it next to Little Fei."
"Chunhua, quickly, go make a bowl of ginger soup for Little Fei!"
Lian’er and Li Chunhua called out their assent and quickly scurried into action.
Gu Qing came in when he heard the commotion. "Is my sister sick? Is there anything you’d like to eat? I’ll go buy it for you."
Gu Fei felt like everyone was treating her like a priceless treasure over a simple cold. She sniffled. "I’m fine. The blanket was probably just too thin, so I caught a chill."
Mrs. Chen immediately said, "That blanket won’t do. I’ll have Gu Qing go into town later and buy a new, ten-jin cotton quilt."
After breakfast, Gu Zhang went to find Liu Zhuangtou to ask if anyone nearby raised clams.
Gu Fei had taken some cold medicine and was getting drowsy. She sat by the charcoal basin, nodding off.
Mrs. Chen and Li Chunhua cooked a large pot of paste from flour. Then, they laid down a door panel and began pasting scraps of cloth onto it, one piece at a time.
Once one layer was done and had dried, they would brush on a second.
They needed to apply at least four or five layers in total.
This was how they made the thick, stiff material for shoe soles.
As Gu Fei watched, she could no longer fight the effects of the medicine. She slumped over the table and fell fast asleep.
When Mrs. Chen saw this, her heart ached. She quickly called to Lian’er, "Go get Sanlang! Have him carry Little Fei to her room so she can sleep properly."
Lian’er rolled up her sleeves. "I’ll do it."
She was already tall, and having eaten well recently, she had grown stronger. She lifted Gu Fei effortlessly and placed her on the bed.
Mrs. Chen brought the charcoal basin into the room as well.
Lian’er quickly opened the window a crack, worried that the charcoal fumes would harm Gu Fei.
As she opened the window, Lian’er noticed several black, sooty marks on the lattice. She was puzzled. ’I just wiped this yesterday. Where did all this soot come from?’
Lian’er fetched some water and wiped down the window lattice again.
That evening, Gu Zhang returned and beckoned to Gu Fei. "Little Fei, come here. Dad has something to tell you."
Just as Gu Fei started to walk over, Gu Erlang suddenly spoke up. "Dad, when you go out on business from now on, can you take me with you? I’m eighteen, and I’ll be nineteen after the New Year. I want to be involved in the family’s affairs, too."
Gu Erlang sounded aggrieved. He felt he was the least valued person in the family.
’It went without saying that the entire family doted on his younger sister. His eldest brother was the firstborn son, the one his parents relied on. Sanlang was mischievous, so he got plenty of his parents’ attention and worry. But him? He was the one neither father nor mother seemed to care for.’
Gu Zhang was taken aback for a moment, then slowly nodded. "You’re right, that was my oversight. I always think of you as being younger than you are. Alright then. From now on, you can come with me when I go out."
Gu Sanlang cried out, "Dad, what about me?"
Mrs. Chen gave him a little push. "Go on, you. You’re only sixteen. We’ll talk about it when you’re older."
Gu Sanlang cried out plaintively, "But my sister is only fourteen! I’m obviously older than she is."
Mrs. Chen poked him on the forehead. "You want to compare yourself to your sister? Your head is just for decoration! Your sister can earn Silver and she knows how to cook. What is it that you can do?"
Gu Sanlang just laughed goofily.
Gu Fei suppressed a smile. She glanced at her third brother, then said to Gu Zhang, "Dad, why don’t you let everyone listen? There’s strength in numbers. Two heads are better than one, and three are better still."