This ti, however, Juhua had guessed wrong.
As it turned out, her second aunt-in-law had gotten into a tiff with her own sister-in-law at her parents’ house and returned ho on the fourth day of the New Year. She was a person who prized her comfort, so she had no desire to linger at ho and imdiately wanted to bring her son to visit his aunt. Back at her own house, she would have to help her mother-in-law with the cooking, a chore she was naturally unwilling to do. After all, her New Year’s clothes were brand new, and cooking would just get them covered in soot.
Mrs. Wang hadn’t wanted her to go bother Mrs. Yang, but then she reconsidered. She only had one daughter among her three children, so her daughter’s ho was the main place for her grandchildren to visit. The kids wanted to go play at their aunt’s house for the New Year, and it would be unreasonable to stop them. Besides, her daughter’s family was doing much better this year. They’d even slaughtered a pig and kept plenty of at, not to ntion sending ten jin to their uncles. It was a far cry from previous years, so staying for one night shouldn’t be an issue.
Mrs. Wang had initially agreed to let Mrs. Lin bring Laicai and Laishou over to pay their New Year’s respects to their aunt. However, considering Mrs. Lin’s personality, she worried that once she arrived, she’d never want to leave. So, she told Mrs. Lin to wait a day. On the fifth, when they had no more guests at ho, she would go along with her to her daughter’s house and stay for one night.
The next day, seeing no new guests, Mrs. Wang also invited her eldest daughter-in-law, Ms. Zhang, and Laixi to join them. ’In for a penny, in for a pound,’ she thought. ’Might as well have everyone go at once. It’ll save Mrs. Yang the trouble of hosting wave after wave of guests. Plus, when it’s ti to go, I can make sure Mrs. Lin leaves with us—she won’t be able to overstay her welco even if she tries.’
When the group of four adults and two children—six people in total—surged into the room with a great WHOOSH, Juhua felt as if the small thatched cottage was about to explode. Laicai was especially chaotic, darting all over the place without a mont’s rest. He had the energy of several children combined.
They weren’t strangers, after all; they were her own family. Mrs. Wang said to Mrs. Yang, "Don’t stand on ceremony. We’re all family, and being too formal is just a hassle. Let them be. Just make sure there’s food to eat, that’s all. You don’t have to wait on them hand and foot. Don’t bother serving tea, either. If soone’s thirsty, they can pour it themselves."
Ms. Zhang chuckled and said to Mrs. Yang, "This whole troop of ours must be quite a sight, showing up at your door—towing children, with the old and the young all mixed together. Enough talk, let help you with the cooking. Otherwise, you’ll work yourself to death all alone." Her voice was as loud and her manner as frank as ever.
Mrs. Yang quickly replied, "Oh, I couldn’t ask you to help. You’re a guest who’s just arrived; you don’t even know your way around my kitchen. It would just be awkward. You should rest, chat with my second sister-in-law, and keep an eye on the two little ones."
Ms. Zhang arched an eyebrow. "Listen to you. I can at least tend the fire, can’t I? Isn’t our sister-in-law watching the two kids? With this many mouths to feed, how can I just sit here? Besides, Juhua works hard all year. Now that it’s the New Year, the poor girl deserves a few days to rest and have fun."
In truth, she would rather tend the fire than be stuck making small talk with Mrs. Lin. So, she rolled up her sleeves and followed Mrs. Yang into the kitchen.
Juhua knew her peace and quiet was over. She had already put down her needlework, changed into so old clothes in her room, and was now heading for the kitchen herself. Qingmu and Laixi had vanished sowhere, leaving only Mrs. Lin in the main hall, holding her son Laishou. anwhile, Laicai was greedily stuffing his pockets with peanuts and lon seeds.
When Mrs. Lin saw Juhua on her way out, she quickly called, "Juhua, could you grab so toilet paper? I think the baby needs to poop."
Juhua felt a flash of annoyance at being called. But what could she do? She couldn’t exactly tell her aunt-in-law to go rummage through their things herself. Annoyed, she went to her mother’s room, found the rough paper, and handed it over. Just as she was turning to leave, she saw Mrs. Lin erge with Laishou. But instead of heading to the outhouse, she simply squatted down under the eaves and held the boy out to do his business.
Juhua cringed. "Second Aunt-in-law," she said, "it would be better to take him to the outhouse. It’s going to stink if he does it here."
Mrs. Lin just smiled sweetly. "It’s no problem. We can just cover it with a shovel of ash and scoop it away."
Juhua was furious. ’Don’t you dare ask to clean that up,’ she thought. But then, another thought struck her. Mrs. Lin was her elder, and a guest. If she didn’t ask Juhua to do it, would she possibly clean it up herself? ’Not a chance in hell.’
So, her face hardening, Juhua said to Mrs. Lin, "Second Aunt-in-law, it’s the New Year. If it starts to stink here, who will have any appetite for dinner? The outhouse is only a few steps away; it’s hardly any trouble. Who exactly do you plan on having clean this up?"
Mrs. Lin replied breezily, "I’ll do it!"
Juhua didn’t believe a word of it. Since she couldn’t physically drag her away, she had no choice but to turn and go to the kitchen. This aunt-in-law of hers had a special talent for driving others into a rage while remaining perfectly serene herself. ’Honestly,’ Juhua thought, ’I almost have to admire her. That’s a level of skill most people could only dream of.’
In the kitchen, Mrs. Yang and Mrs. Wang were bustling about while Ms. Zhang tended the fire. When she saw Juhua, Ms. Zhang smiled. "Why did you change your clothes to co work? Go rest. You think the three of us can’t handle one al?"
Mrs. Wang then took Juhua’s hand and gave it a squeeze. "It feels like you’ve put on a little weight," she said. "Has your appetite improved? You have to eat well to fill out."
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