Chapter 23: Family Ties

Stone Village.

“Grandfather, eat more. If it’s not enough, let Qu Bo cook some more…”

“Old Liu, Aunt, Mother, let me serve you more rice…”

“Fu Zhi, Hou’er, you two should eat more…”

Under the candlelight, Fu He’s mouth never stopped.

While the rest of the Fu family were busy eating, Fu He herself hadn’t taken a bite. Whenever she saw someone’s bowl empty, she hurried to serve them more food, as if she couldn’t bear to see anyone not eating.

By the end of the meal, not only was Grandfather waving his hands, mouth stuffed with food, but even Fu Zi Hou burped, seeing his eldest sister still trying to serve him, hid his bowl to the side and protested that his stomach was too full.

Having eaten his fill, Fu Zi Hou shook his head at his sister’s insistence that he was still growing, refusing to let her give him more. At that moment, Fu Zi Hou understood that when affection has been repressed for too long, its sudden release can become a burden.

Inside the wooden cottage.

Fu Nian was speaking with Tao Shi, but barely touched the food in her bowl. Not only did Fu Zi Hou notice, but the others in the Fu family didn’t bother to comment.

In Stone Village, the Lei family lived in a proper courtyard; everyone had seen earlier that their conditions were far better than Fu He’s. The Fu family also knew that Fu Nian’s husband, Lei Jing, was at home. Fu Nian’s refusal to eat was likely because she planned to return home and have a better meal there.

It wasn’t really blame, for Fu Nian had married into another family, and it was natural to think of her husband’s household. Still, it felt cold—after all, she was only passing through, and who knew when they’d meet again, if ever?

Soon, as everyone was full, Fu He, knowing Grandfather’s health was poor and they’d have to travel the next day, got up to tidy Grandfather’s bed.

“You! You’ve separated from the family, you don’t need to listen to Fu He, making so much food for us. Look, your son is already walking, this house should be better!”

Grandfather pulled his son-in-law, Qu Bo, to kneel beside him, glancing at Fu He in the room. Whenever Fu He spoke, Qu Bo would do as she said. Grandfather looked around the small wooden house.

Years ago, Qu Bo and Fu He had lived near Nantun in Huaiyang County, south of Wanqiu, but with refugees everywhere and trouble following, after Qu Bo’s father died, Fu He’s husband’s family insisted on splitting up.

Grandfather had heard from Tao Shi that initially, Fu He wanted to return to the Fu family’s village, but worried Qu Bo would be looked down upon, so they moved to Stone Village where her second sister lived, and it had been two years.

“That’s right, brother-in-law. Look at this house—it’s so small. Even Grandfather feels crowded. And you always give big sister good food and clothes, and teach Chong’er to read. The money you got from splitting the family shouldn’t be spent like this!”

Fu Nian kindly advised, looking at her brother-in-law.

In Fu Nian’s eyes, her brother-in-law’s learning was useless. The world was chaotic; knowledge wouldn’t fill your belly.

“I don’t mind it being small—it’s warm!”

Grandfather frowned at Fu Nian’s words. To him, though small, the place felt warm.

“Good! As long as Grandfather is warm!”

Fu Nian pursed her lips, glanced at the house—so long as no one made trouble for her, she didn’t care.

Zhang Shi interrupted.

“Nian’er! From what you’re saying, does your husband not give you good food and clothes?”

She smiled at Fu Nian, then frowned.

“If that’s true, then Lei Jing is really too much. That won’t do. The Lei family has such a big house, so many rooms, and more fields than anyone can count. If your husband dares to treat you poorly, I’ll have to speak up for you!”

Zhang Shi spoke indignantly on Fu Nian’s behalf, then sighed.

“Now you’re carrying the Lei family’s child—how is this acceptable? Tomorrow Grandfather and I won’t leave until we speak to him properly!”

She complained.

“No need! Thank you, Aunt, but Lei Jing treats me very well. There’s no need for you to worry.”

Fu Nian’s expression changed when Zhang Shi wanted to stay, hastily smiling and refusing.

Before Fu Nian could continue, Zhang Shi shook her head.

“No, look at your father. The house isn’t big, but he’s never mistreated his family. And thinking about what you said in the yard today, I’m really angry—I must speak to the Lei family! What’s going on? Don’t they see us as people? Back when you were in the Fu family, it wasn’t like this—have they no conscience?”

Zhang Shi grew angrier with each word.

Grandfather watched, helpless.

“Enough!”

Grandfather spoke, urging Zhang Shi to calm down.

Fu Nian hadn’t thought much at first, but now, hearing Zhang Shi’s words and looking at Grandfather, she felt as if Zhang Shi’s words were directed at her—did Zhang Shi know something?

Frowning, Fu Nian looked at the others’ expressions and suddenly remembered that when the door was opened, Lei Kai had mentioned his uncle was at home.

With that realization, Fu Nian’s face cooled.

“No need, Aunt! You don’t know—now that I’m married into the Lei family, I am one of them. It’s natural to endure a little, since the Lei family hasn’t eaten much at the Fu family’s table. If you want to talk about it, their bride price was substantial—so really, there’s nothing to criticize.”

Fu Nian looked at Zhang Shi, a smile with hidden meaning.

Regardless of whether Zhang Shi knew that Lei Jing was at home, Fu Nian had no intention of entertaining this family.

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In Fu Nian’s words, she was now a member of the Lei family, no longer eating Fu family meals, and whatever she had eaten before had been offset by the bride price.

“Oh, so that’s the Lei family, is it…”

Zhang Shi heard perfectly well that Fu Nian was calling herself one of the Lei family, implying the Fu family was now on their turf and should endure some slight.

Zhang Shi was about to mock Fu Nian, when Tao Shi interrupted, and her daughter-in-law Tai Shi tugged at her sleeve.

“Nian’er, you should head back. It’s late and not safe to return so late.”

Tao Shi looked at her second daughter, who had apparently abandoned kinship, her nose tinged with sadness. She gently advised, then glanced at Fu Zi Hou, asking him to escort his second sister home.

“No need, Mother! It’s just a few steps. Mother, Grandfather, I’ll go now. When you leave tomorrow, let me know so I can see you off. Lei Kai and his father are going to Kuang City to visit the He family and propose marriage to the He family’s daughter. You’ll be travelling together, so you’ll have company. Maybe the He family will host you too!”

Fu Nian waved her hand, her expression somewhat cold, indicating she didn’t need Fu Zi Hou’s escort. At the end, she glanced at Zhang Shi with a half-smile.

Tao Shi, seeing this, thought for a moment and didn’t insist Fu Zi Hou escort her, but rose herself, eyes red, to see Fu Nian out.

“What airs…”

Zhang Shi, hearing Fu Nian’s boasting, looked towards the door, breathing angrily.

Fu Zhi knelt nearby, his honest face downcast; he never imagined Fu Nian would see the Fu family as a burden and look down on them so.

Grandfather gazed into the darkness outside, shaking his head helplessly.

“Don’t worry, Grandfather. Qu Bo will find a way.”

Qu Bo reassured Grandfather.

“You!”

Grandfather knew Qu Bo only wanted to fix up the house, never considering giving his wife, Fu He, any less.

“Zi Hou, Fu Zhi, you two should sleep early!”

Upon Tao Shi’s return, she spoke to Fu Zi Hou and Fu Zhi.

“Yes, Mother!”

Fu Zi Hou nodded. Though big sister’s house was small, apart from Grandfather and Old Liu, the others could manage.

Looking at the child in his arms, Fu Zi Hou smiled and rubbed Qu Chong’s head.

“Uncle! Mother says you know there’s gold buried in the fields and you go to look for it every year. But you haven’t found it yet! Uncle, can you take Chong’er with you next time?”

Qu Chong, though young, adored uncle Zi Hou. In his eyes, uncle was handsome and his warm eyes made him feel close.

Qu Chong remembered Mother saying that Fu Zhi was his cousin uncle, but his only real uncle was Zi Hou.

“Chong’er is so little and already wants gold?”

Fu Zi Hou laughed.

He didn’t need to ask; he knew it was probably second sister or someone from the Lei family who had mentioned it to Qu Chong.

The villagers called him a fool; second sister used to say so too. Sometimes when he returned from the fields, he’d see her looking at him with disdain.

Only big sister, whether in front of others or his nephew, always praised and defended him.

“I want to give Mother a big house—a really big house! Father says in Luoyang there are a lot of big houses, and in a place called Chang’an, there are even more. But Father says it’s hard for anyone to have a house there in their lifetime…”

Qu Chong, leaning against his uncle, spoke with innocent candor, expressing his heart’s truest wishes.

“Next time Chong’er sees uncle, uncle will tell him where the gold is and take him to see a big house, how about that?”

Fu Zi Hou hugged Qu Chong and gently rubbed his head.

“Okay!”

Qu Chong nodded obediently.

Fu He, having finished tidying the bed, came out and heard her brother and son talking. She looked at Fu Zi Hou, then at Grandfather, Mother, and Aunt, and thought of her family leaving, not knowing when she’d see them again.

Fu He, nose tinged with sadness, eyes red, tried hard not to cry, went to Grandfather’s side with Tai Shi, helping him to rest.

“Chong’er, this is from Grandmother.”

Fu Zi Hou watched as Mother took a handful of coins from her bosom and put them in Qu Chong’s arms.

Qu Bo, seeing this, was startled and pleaded for Tao Shi to take it back, saying it was too much.

“It’s not too much. Chong’er needs to learn to read.”

This was not Tao Shi speaking, but Zhang Shi.

Fu Zi Hou watched as his usually stingy aunt took out six coins and put them in Qu Chong’s arms, telling brother-in-law it was well-deserved. He was surprised.

But Zhang Shi’s next words left Fu Zi Hou at a loss.

“Chong’er, this is from your cousin grandmother. Remember to repay her when you grow up! And stay away from the Lei family—they’re not good people!”

After rising, Zhang Shi reminded young Qu Chong, mentioning the Lei family with anger in her eyes.

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“Aunt, Mother-in-law, you’re giving too much!”

Qu Bo said, troubled, and told his wife about it as soon as she came out.

Fu He hadn’t expected Mother and Aunt to give so much; she insisted they couldn’t accept it.

Fu Zi Hou watched his sister, mother, and aunt argue, ignored them, and told his nephew to keep the money and give it back to Mother the next day.

As night deepened, everyone rested, needing to travel soon.

Because they were parting, Tao Shi and Fu He spoke quietly late into the night, until Tao Shi finally went to rest.

In the quiet wooden cottage.

Fu Zi Hou, awake, saw the small hearth had gone out.

In a small room at the edge of the house, Fu He and Qu Bo were making millet cakes through the night. Qu Bo packed up a large stack of cakes, turned, and looked at his wife, who was crying as she worked. He didn’t know how to comfort her, as she was heartbroken to be parted from her family.

“Why don’t we go with Mother and Father to Qiu County? Anyway, most of the fields we bought in Stone Village have been taken by the Lei family. What’s left isn’t enough to make a living.”

Qu Bo looked around, saw it was quiet, and softly asked his wife. As long as she agreed, he would leave with her.

“Keep your voice down! Don’t let Mother hear…”

Fu He wiped her tears and glanced around. This could not be known by Mother and Zi Hou. If Mother and Zi Hou knew that second sister had used all their savings to buy land, only for most of it to be snatched by the Lei family, they would confront the Lei family.

In Stone Village, in a place belonging to the Lei family, Mother and the others would surely suffer. And if Qu Bo left, whether he got the land back or not, it made little difference; in the end, even that little bit would end up belonging to the Lei family.

“Your father passed just two years ago. You’ve always been filial, and you’re still in mourning. Look at your brothers—who’s gone to pay respects? Do you want to leave? Even if you do, I don’t. Wait until mourning is over, see what your brothers say. Those were your father’s words, that they were for you. When the mourning is over, let’s see who dares not give them to you…”

Fu He’s tear-streaked face showed rare anger and resentment as she thought of her husband’s brothers.

Qu Bo, seeing this, looked at his wife with gratitude, guilt, and tenderness.

………………………

In the depths of night, six villagers pushed open the gate to the Fu family’s small courtyard.

“The Fu family’s really gone? Hope they don’t come back!”

“Yeah! The Fu family’s close with the Zhao family. If they return and find things stolen, they’ll investigate!”

“Relax! My wife serves the Zhao family’s old lady. She heard clearly—the whole Fu family left, going somewhere… anyway, it’s far away!”

Soon, the six reached the Fu family’s gate, confirmed it was quiet, and pushed open the door.

It started when a man passed by the Fu family’s courtyard during the day. Because Zhang Shi’s voice was loud, he overheard her say that with just one cart, they couldn’t take everything.

He didn’t dare approach while they were there. Once the Fu family left, he gathered others to search the house under cover of night.

After all, news of the Fu family’s departure would soon spread, and plenty would come to search. Since he knew there were goods left, why let others take them?

“Look, the cart is inside the house!”

When they entered and closed the door, they lit torches, taking advantage of the quiet night.

Seeing the wheelbarrow inside, they were excited.

It meant they were right—the Fu family had left many things behind.

By torchlight, they searched the entire house, uncovering bedding, clothes, utensils; nothing escaped them.

Excited, one pushed open a door and found a room full of messy firewood and straw. He frowned, ready to leave.

“Wait, why is firewood piled in the house?”

Hearing his question, the others came over. Seeing the mess, they all frowned. Normally, they’d leave, but the question made them wonder.

One counted the rooms and soon realized something was off.

They knew the Fu family’s numbers—this room didn’t add up.

“Maybe the Fu family hid their unused things in here?”

“Could be! Fu Rui traded for years and made plenty. Remember when his ‘foolish’ son started school, they prepared gifts for the teacher?”

They exchanged glances, ready to act.

Soon, they cleared away the straw and firewood. Lifting the boards of the bed, they found the soil beneath freshly turned.

At that moment, they could see the excitement in each other’s eyes.

“We’ve struck it rich!”

“Wait, we don’t have tools now, and travelers will soon pass through. We should come back in two days, properly prepared, and maybe bribe the travelers.”

They looked out the window, suppressed their excitement, breathing heavily as they planned to return in two days and dig up the treasure to share.

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