I Overhear Animals' Thoughts to Feed My Family

"Grandma, Grandpa, I brought Second Aunt and Third Aunt home! Surprise!"

Zhao Wendong’s loud holler snapped the two elders out of their daze.

"Get up! Quick, get up!"

Ye Qingmei beckoned to her two daughters. Once they were on their feet, she took their hands, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face.

"It’s enough that you’re home! It’s enough! Our family is finally reunited!"

Zhao Chuanhe tried to maintain a father’s stern demeanor, but he couldn’t control his tears at all. He had to keep turning his face away to wipe his eyes before turning back to look at his daughters.

"Tiehua, how have you aged so much?" Ye Qingmei asked, her voice trembling as she looked at her youngest daughter, whom she barely recognized.

"Mom!"

Zhao Tiehua couldn’t hold it in any longer. She threw her arms around the old woman and began to wail, her cries filled with a profound sense of grievance, like a small child seeking comfort from her parents.

"Mom! I’ve been so unfilial! I almost didn’t get to see you again!"

Just as she had when Tiehua was a child, Ye Qingmei slowly patted her back.

"My dear daughter, don’t cry. Mom’s here. Don’t be afraid even if I’m too old to help you anymore. You still have Dongzi. My eldest grandson is really amazing now—he’s number one in the whole county."

After a good while, once the elders’ emotions had calmed down, Zhou Mancang and the other grandchildren came forward one by one to greet them.

Hearing the chorus of "Grandma" and "Grandpa" made Ye Qingmei and Zhao Chuanhe so happy their eyebrows practically flew off their faces. The old woman immediately took out her stash of money, wrapped in a handkerchief, and started handing it out: ten cents for everyone. After she’d made a full round, she ran out of money just as she got to Zhao Wendong, and he immediately protested.

"Grandma, I want some too!"

"There’s none for you. You aren’t short on this little bit of money."

"That won’t do. I don’t care. If the other grandsons got some, then the eldest grandson has to get some too."

Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, Ye Qingmei gave him a light smack. "Fine, fine, here you go."

Everyone laughed as they watched Zhao Wendong gleefully pocket his ten cents. Once the initial sadness of the reunion passed, affection and happiness began to fill everyone’s hearts and minds. They ushered the whole group onto the kang bed-stove, and Ye Qingmei and Zhao Chuanhe looked at one person and patted another, suddenly seeming ten years younger.

"So, Grandma, Grandpa? I told you I’d give you a surprise. How is it?"

"Heh heh, it’s wonderful, just wonderful."

The two of them nodded in satisfaction, grinning so wide their gums were showing. Even the wrinkles on their faces seemed to smooth out.

"AHEM, AHEM, AHEM."

A very deliberate cough suddenly came from the doorway. Then, Wang Jinzhi and Zhao Wenhua walked in, supporting Zhao Dahai from either side. The cough had come from Zhao Dahai. With all the commotion, there was no way they hadn’t heard what was going on. If they had continued to pretend they couldn’t hear, they might as well have given up on being relatives entirely.

"Dahai, is that you, Dahai?"

"Yes, Second Sister, Third Sister. You’re back!"

A smile appeared on Zhao Dahai’s face. In their childhood, Zhao Yinhua and Zhao Tiehua had helped care for Zhao Dahai more than anyone, and they had doted on him the most. Seeing him in his current state, they both jumped up in surprise and anxiously looked him over.

"Dahai, what happened to you?"

"Why are you like this all of a sudden? What happened to your front teeth?"

"Sigh, it’s a long story. And for this, I have Dongzi to thank."

Zhao Wendong heard him mention his name and shot him a glance without responding. Zhao Dahai grew awkward and quickly introduced Wang Jinzhi and Zhao Wenhua.

"This is your sister-in-law, and this is my son, Zhao Wenhua. Greet them."

"Second Sister, Third Sister."

After saying her hellos, Wang Jinzhi saw that her son was just standing there with his head down, not speaking. She grew annoyed and gave him a pinch, reminding him to greet his aunts.

"What did you pinch me for?!"

Zhao Wenhua was instantly displeased and yelled at his mom. He wanted to see Zhao Wendong least of all and had been actively avoiding him. This cousin of his had not only made it so that no one would play cards with him, but he also had to help with the firewood every day. He had been lying comfortably on the kang just a moment ago and was already annoyed that his parents had dragged him over to meet some relatives. Now his mom was pinching him, and he couldn’t help but throw a tantrum.

Zhao Dahai’s and Wang Jinzhi’s faces instantly turned crimson. Zhao Wendong couldn’t help but let out a snort of laughter, the mockery dialed up to the max. Zhou Mancang, his wife, and Wei Laishun exchanged glances, thinking, ’Could this Zhao Wenhua be an even bigger hotshot than Zhao Wendong?’

Zhao Yinhua and Zhao Tiehua exchanged a look, both seeing the astonishment in the other’s eyes. ’It seems Dahai’s son wasn’t raised right.’ Seeing Zhao Wenhua’s behavior, Zhao Tiehua was suddenly reminded of her own unfilial children, and her gaze toward the boy instantly filled with disgust. Zhao Yinhua, however, didn’t want her younger brother to lose face and quickly tried to smooth things over.

"He’s still just a child. It’s normal to be shy when meeting people for the first time. Come, come, Dahai and sister-in-law, hurry up and sit on the kang."

As Wang Jinzhi helped Zhao Dahai onto the kang, Zhao Wenhua turned and went back to the east room. ’It’s too crowded here with all these people,’ he thought. ’It’s way more comfortable lying on the big kang in the east room by myself.’ Seeing Zhao Wenhua leave for the next room without so much as a word, Wang Jinzhi and Zhao Dahai were utterly humiliated. Zhao Dahai, especially in front of his two older sisters, his face turned as black as the bottom of a pot as he began to curse Wang Jinzhi out.

"This is what you get for spoiling him day in and day out! Look at this good-for-nothing mess he’s become! Just keep on spoiling him!"

Wang Jinzhi was about to curse back but knew it wasn’t the right time and forced herself to hold it in. But there was no outlet for her anger. ’He’s not my child alone,’ she fumed. ’Aren’t you, Zhao Dahai, his father too? How did all the blame end up on my head?’ Although she didn’t speak, the smile was gone from her face, which was now pulled longer than a donkey’s.

The once cheerful and harmonious atmosphere had instantly become awkward with the arrival of this family of three. Zhao Wendong was growing impatient. He first looked at Wang Jinzhi.

"Auntie, were you born unable to smile? If you don’t want to smile, then go back and lie down. My Second and Third Aunts have come all this way to be here; who are you putting on that long face for?"

"And Uncle, weren’t you so injured you couldn’t get out of bed and needed someone to wait on you? How is it that you’re all better the moment my Second and Third Aunts return? You can get out of bed now? Are my aunts a panacea or some kind of miracle cure?!"

After being called out so bluntly by Zhao Wendong, Zhao Dahai and Wang Jinzhi no longer had the face to stay. They muttered a few more words and went straight back to the east room. A moment later, the sounds of a man and woman dishing out a beating, along with Zhao Wenhua’s agonized wails, drifted out.

"OW, OWW! Why are you hitting me?!"

"Just kill me! I don’t want to live anymore! WAHHH..."

Zhao Wendong stretched lazily and said to Ye Qingmei and Zhao Chuanhe, "Grandma, Grandpa, dinner’s almost ready at my place."

"Let’s go, let’s go. Time to eat."

The two elders immediately put on their shoes, got off the kang, and ushered everyone over to Zhao Wendong’s house.