After hearing this, Wu Shufen considered the girl’s situation. "I know that girl his aunt was talking about. She’s good-looking and has a fine character. The only issue is that Dashiqiao is too far from East Market. It really depends on what our third son thinks. Have you asked him about finding a partner?"
Lin Changyou took a few noisy puffs from his pipe before looking up at her. "I’ve already asked him. He said he’s not in a rush. I asked if he’d found soone while he was in the army, but he was noncommittal."
As he spoke, Lin Changyou sighed. "Ah, the children are grown up now. We can’t interfere too much."
"He only just got back. We can talk about it again after the New Year; there’s plenty of ti." Wu Shufen looked at him. "That matter of Little Lan wanting us to open a restaurant in East Market—have you discussed it with our eldest son and his wife?"
Lin Changyou smiled. "I have. Our eldest and his wife were reluctant to leave ho at first. But then they heard Guozhu say that moving to East Market would be good for Little Jun and the other kids, so they agreed. As for our second son and his wife, they said yes without a second thought."
Hearing this, Wu Shufen grew worried again. "If we all leave, what will happen to all our things at ho?"
Lin Changyou said, "We’ve already agreed we’ll go after the New Year. We can move whatever’s useful to East Market and leave the rest here. It’s not like we’re never coming back."
Wu Shufen supposed that made sense. "The shop is sold out of fernted bean curd. When our third son goes to East Market for his job, have him take so over."
Lin Changyou nodded, then pointed at the television set in the main hall. "There’s one more thing. The brigade leader ca to see . He wanted us to sell him the television that Xiangyang gave us. I refused."
Wu Shufen shook her head. "You were right to refuse. A few hundred yuan might seem like a lot of money, but that television was a gift from our son-in-law. If he found out we sold it for cash, he’d be upset."
Lin Changyou looked at his wife, pleased. "That’s what I thought, too, so I turned him down. But then the old codger suggested we take his youngest child to East Market to learn a trade from Little Lan."
Wu Shufen frowned at Lin Changyou. "I think we should pass on that. Taking a young woman like that under our wing would be a lot of trouble. You should have Guozhu send a ssage to Xiangyang and ask him to help the brigade leader buy a set."
Lin Changyou looked at Wu Shufen and lowered his voice. "I heard from the brigade leader... our Guoqiang and his youngest daughter have been writing to each other."
"What?" Wu Shufen’s eyes went wide. "Guoqiang and Jiaojiao are writing to each other? How co I didn’t know about this?"
Lin Changyou said smugly, "I only found out when the brigade leader ca to see . Seeing how thrilled he looked made happy too."
The brigade leader’s youngest daughter was good-looking and had a good head on her shoulders.
He had thought about arranging a match with the brigade leader’s family before, but the old codger had looked down on Guoqiang for his lack of education. But now, with his third son demobilized and assigned a post in the East Market People’s Ard Forces Departnt, and his son-in-law making grand gestures like gifting a television and a sewing machine, the old man was finally coming around.
Seeing his expression, Wu Shufen rolled her eyes at him. "Your son is writing letters to a young woman behind your back. What’s there to be so smug about?"
Lin Changyou’s face crinkled into a wide grin as he retorted, "We’ve raised four sons, and we don’t have to worry about any of them finding wives. Shouldn’t I be proud of that?"
Wu Shufen gave him a playful glare. "Oh, listen to you! You’re getting a big head." Having said that, she couldn’t help but laugh herself.
Lin Changyou looked at her. "How about this: we’ll write a letter to our fourth son and ask him how he feels about Jiaojiao. Then we can decide what to do."
Wu Shufen nodded. "Go turn on the television. I want to watch it too."
Lin Changyou got up cheerfully. The old couple went to the main hall together and turned on the television. After a CRACKLE and a flash of static, an image appeared on the screen.
Wu Shufen said with a laugh, "No wonder everyone, young and old, loves this thing. It’s just like watching a movie."
"That’s right! Everyone loves it. I could sit here and watch all day without moving an inch." Lin Changyou glanced toward the courtyard gate. "As soon as this television is on, it won’t be long before all the neighborhood kids show up to watch."
Wu Shufen didn’t mind the neighbors coming over to watch, but she worried about the cost. "I forgot to ask Xiangyang, does this thing use a lot of electricity?"
The village had only recently gotten electricity, and so families found the rates so expensive that they were reluctant to even turn on their lights.
Lin Changyou knew his wife was frugal by habit and reassured her, "Guozhu said it doesn’t use much power."
Wu Shufen was relieved to hear from Lin Guozhu that it didn’t use much electricity.
At dusk, Lin Guozhu’s party headed down the mountain. The three brothers were carrying several wild rabbits and a few pheasants.
Little Douzi, clutching a few pheasant feathers, charged into the courtyard ahead of Little Jun and the other children. Seeing Wu Shufen erge from the kitchen, he ran over happily. "Grandma, you’re back!"
Wu Shufen bead at her grandsons and granddaughter. "I’ve been back for a little while. There are treats in the main hall, go help yourselves."
Little Jun and the others sward toward the main hall. Little Douzi took a few steps, then turned back to ask, "Grandma, is Uncle Xiangyang back yet?"
Wu Shufen smiled warmly at him. "He’s back. Your Uncle Xiangyang ca back, and that’s why Grandma ca ho too."
Hearing that, Little Douzi ran off to play, reassured.
Wu Shufen picked up a soy sauce bottle and headed for the brigade’s supply cooperative.
Just as Lin Guozhu and his brothers reached the gate, carrying the wild rabbits and pheasants, Aunt Lin rushed over with a smile. Her eyes were fixed on the rabbits in Lin Guozhu’s hand. "Guozhu, you all caught so many pheasants and rabbits!"
Lin Guozhu glanced at her and gave a polite smile. "It might look like a lot, but with so many mouths to feed at ho, it’s barely enough for one al."
"Hurry and get inside. Mom should be back today," Lin Guodong said, stepping forward to usher Lin Guozhu into the courtyard.
Aunt Lin stood at the gate, craning her neck to peer into the courtyard. When she saw the doorway to the main hall crowded with children, she couldn’t hide the jealousy in her eyes.
Zhang Xiuqing and Zhao Xiaohui were also returning, dragging sacks of chaff. Seeing Aunt Lin standing in the gateway, Zhao Xiaohui yelled, "Make way, now! Don’t bla us if we run into you!"
Every spring and sumr, the Lin family would store large amounts of dried grass. In the winter, they would take it to the rice mill to be ground into chaff, which they mixed into their homade pig feed.
Aunt Lin shot Zhao Xiaohui a look, snorted, then turned on her heel and strutted away with her nose in the air.
Zhao Xiaohui turned to Zhang Xiuqing. "How co she didn’t cause a scene today?"
Zhang Xiuqing smiled. "Haven’t you noticed? Whenever Guoliang and the other brothers are ho, she doesn’t dare co stir up trouble."
Zhao Xiaohui thought for a mont, then looked at her and grinned. "You know, you’re right. I hadn’t even noticed until you ntioned it."
Zhang Xiuqing untied the rope on the burlap sack, and the two sisters-in-law lifted the bag of chaff and carried it into the courtyard.
Zhao Xiaohui saw the ga they had brought back. "Guodong, look at that. You can really tell who’s been a soldier. To bring back this much ga in a single afternoon!"
Lin Guodong’s face swelled with pride. "You bet. Our third brother has quick hands and sharp eyes. Before the rest of us could even react, he’d already bagged a rabbit."
Lin Guoliang and Lin Guozhu hurried over to help them carry the sack of chaff to the woodshed.
Zhao Xiaohui said to Zhang Xiuqing, "Eldest Sister-in-law, let’s skin the rabbits and make so spicy numbing rabbit."
Zhang Xiuqing looked at the pheasants and thought they were too lean. "There’s not much at on these pheasants. Let’s clean them and stew them with mushrooms."
Having made a plan, the two sisters-in-law carried the ga to the backyard and got to work.
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