Chapter 66: Gathering Together
Zhang Pandi and Jia Chunni didn’t have much luggage; they wrapped up two changes of clothes in a worn cloth bundle and left.
Zhang Zhaodi brought the mother and daughter to the village entrance and picked a spot to sit down.
"Why aren’t we moving?" Zhang Pandi asked.
"We’re waiting for Yaoguang to pick us up," Zhang Zhaodi replied. "Yaoguang went to pick up our youngest sister. She’ll pass by here on her way back, and we can head back together."
"You don’t plan on having our youngest sister follow you for work, do you? She has to care for her brother-in-law; he can’t be left alone. How could she manage work?"
"She can manage," Zhang Zhaodi said. "I was just fooling your mother-in-law and sisters-in-law earlier. Our work is light and won’t tire her out."
"Auntie, what kind of work is it?" Jia Chunni asked. "You mentioned it was both tiring and dirty, so I thought it was laundry for others."
"It’s not laundry. You’ll find out once we get back."
Zhang Zhaodi took an oiled paper package from her bosom, opened it, and handed one scallion pancake each to Zhang Pandi and her daughter.
Zhang Pandi swallowed and accepted it: "Sister, this is white flour; how come you’re eating so well?"
"Can I really have a whole pancake?" Jia Chunni held the pancake, unsure. "I’ve never had one before; I’ve only seen my second uncle’s little brother eat one, but even his didn’t have this much oil or smell this fragrant."
"Your aunt gave it to you, so eat!" Zhang Pandi told Jia Chunni and then said to Zhang Zhaodi, "Sister, I’m not hungry. I’ll save it for Yaoguang."
"You eat yours; Yaoguang has her own. Everyone has food," Zhang Zhaodi said as she ate her portion.
Jia Chunni ate her scallion pancake slowly, tears in her eyes, her face beaming with happiness.
The girl was so thin she was almost just skin and bones, and her face was ashen, as if she were unwell.
Zhang Pandi wasn’t much better off.
The mother and daughter were reluctant to eat, eating very slowly. After eating less than half, they wrapped the rest of the scallion pancake in the oiled paper, intending to eat it when they became hungry.
Zhang Zhaodi leaned there drowsily, and upon vaguely hearing the sound of a driver, immediately opened her eyes and stood up. She jumped to a higher spot and saw Su Yaoguang driving a bullock cart into view.
"They’re here, they’re here."
Zhang Pandi and Jia Chunni also craned their necks to look into the distance and saw Su Yaoguang and Jiang Jing driving the bullock cart, with Zhang Yingdi and Scholar Wang sitting in the cart.
"Get on the cart. Why are you standing there dazed?" Zhang Zhaodi called out to the mother and daughter as she walked toward the bullock cart.
"Second Aunt, Cousin," Su Yaoguang greeted them and introduced Jiang Jing, "This is my sworn sister Jiang Jing."
Jiang Jing mimicked Su Yaoguang’s greeting to Su Pandi and Jia Chunni: "Second Aunt, Cousin."
"Hey..." Zhang Pandi responded awkwardly.
Jia Chunni helped Zhang Pandi onto the bullock cart, first greeting Zhang Yingdi and Scholar Wang, then Su Yaoguang and Jiang Jing: "Aunt, Uncle, two sisters."
Zhang Yingdi was just over thirty, her appearance delicate, with an unshakable sadness in her brows. In fact, all three Zhang Family Sisters carried such persistent sorrow in their expressions.
Scholar Wang, long afflicted by illness, was extremely weak. He coughed as he nodded to Jia Chunni and then greeted Zhang Pandi: "Second Sister."
The Zhang Family sisters were deeply moved by their reunion after so many years, but this wasn’t the place for conversations—they should sit in the bullock cart and head home promptly.
Su Yaoguang drove the cart with Jiang Jing beside her, while the others sat at the back of the bullock cart.
Zhang Pandi said, "Big Sister, with so many of us going to your home, will there be enough room for us to stay?"
"We’ve discussed it beforehand. We’ll clear out the firewood room; our youngest sister and brother-in-law will have to put up with it for a while. Originally, Yaoguang and Jiang Jing shared a room, and now, adding one more, they’ll share with Chunni. Today we’ll manage for now. Later, I’ll find a carpenter to build us some big beds and have them delivered to our home."
Su Yaoguang, upon hearing this, said, "Mom, if we’re getting big beds made, let’s have a few cabinets made as well! Our family’s things are too old and need replacing."
Zhang Zhaodi readily agreed.
Zhang Pandi noticed that in such a short time, her eldest sister seemed like a different person. In the past, her eldest sister was very frugal and would never replace anything that was still usable.
Not long ago, wasn’t her eldest sister almost unable to escape harassment by the village bully? How has everything changed so much, so quickly? What exactly happened during this time?
No matter what, Zhang Pandi smelled the long-lost scent of freedom in the air, her body and mind extraordinarily relaxed.
With her sisters around, there was no need to fear beatings, scoldings, hunger, or being locked outside overnight for not meeting expectations, then nearly frozen and still having to cook meals, do laundry, chop firewood, and fetch water the next day...
At least for these twenty days, she could live like a human being.
And her Chunni could also relax a bit during this time.
"Youngest sister, how is brother-in-law’s health?" Zhang Pandi asked.
Zhang Yingdi, holding Scholar Wang’s hand, gently said, "We’ve seen many doctors, and they all said he could only be nurtured. However, just now, eldest sister’s adopted daughter said that my husband’s condition could be managed; once properly attended to, he would be just like a normal person and wouldn’t have to lie in bed all day."
"Did that Jiang girl say that? If even the doctors have no solution, how can she boast such claims?" Zhang Pandi asked Zhang Zhaodi, "Big Sister, you cannot let the child speak recklessly. If our youngest sister takes it seriously and anything happens later, she won’t be able to bear it."
"That girl comes from a medical aristocratic family. Because of her family’s misfortune, she ended up here. While others were learning to read at three, she started studying medicine at that age," Zhang Zhaodi said. "Since other doctors have no solution, why not let her try? The worst outcome is no different than it is now, so why not give it a shot?"
"I originally didn’t dare trust such a young girl, but my husband, through years of illness, became knowledgeable about medicine, reading many medical books and understanding much medical knowledge. He personally examined her and found she indeed had some skill, so he agreed to accompany me here. During this time, I’ll help my eldest sister with work, and my husband will stay here to recuperate."
Zhang Pandi felt much reassured hearing Zhang Yingdi speak this way.
Scholar Wang was a very capable person. Before he fell ill, he was a promising student admired by all. It was thought he would succeed in the imperial exams, but before he could even take the exams, he was bedbound, unable ever to leave the bed again. The Wang Family, needing someone to care for him, offered a significant dowry to have Zhang Yingdi marry him. They have relied on each other ever since, their deep affection enduring many years.
The bullock cart drove into the village.
The villagers, seeing Zhang Zhaodi and her family bringing so many people back, all speculated about their activities.
"I heard Aunt Li’s family is having villagers collect flower petals today, sorted by type, ensuring they are spotless, for six cents a basket. Aunt Li wouldn’t collect without reason; it should be for Zhang Zhaodi and her family. They’re making rouge and face powder, and they lack flower materials the most. Bringing so many relatives now, they must have a big order to fill."