Auntie Chen was really worried that they would start arguing. Although Wen Qian spoke eloquently, Gui Hua was so shameless that Auntie Chen was afraid the young one would suffer a loss.
"Why, girls and boys are all born from a woman's belly. But if there's no son, people will say you lacked virtue in your past life and couldn't give birth to a son, right? I heard aunties quarreling about this on the hillside when I was young."
Gui Hua: "..."
An old man spoke up to smooth things over: "Now, now, people say nowadays that sons and daughters are the same. Haven't you seen the slogans on the roads have changed?"
"Oh, I only remember the slogans painted on the walls from before, 'Good land left fallow for three years, good woman left childless for three births.' I just can't change my old-fashioned thinking."
Auntie Gui Hua still wanted to say something more.
Wen Qian got up and left. She'd said what she wanted to say. As for what others wanted to do, she didn't care at all. She was satisfied as long as she was happy.
After she left, Auntie Gui Hua heaved a long sigh: "This girl really has a sharp tongue. Old Couple Wen don't have such an eloquent mouth, and they even picked her up."
An old man recalled the past: "It was the New Year when they picked her up, wasn't it?"
"That's right, it was when they were visiting relatives that they picked her up by the roadside. Do you know whose child she is?"
"Of course we'd know! There are only a few families in the village. Just the one road and a few villages. Ask a few people and you'd know."
Auntie Chen was speechless about what the others said: "The old couple picked her up and raised her, so she's the old couple's child. She comes back to clean the house and burn paper during festivals every year. That's something she has to do herself. Even if she didn't enjoy blessings growing up, at least someone saw her off at the end, right?"
"That's true, that's true. At least she left without pain and illness in the end, that's a good thing."
When people got older, they saw dying without illness as a good outcome.
Auntie Gui Hua pondered when she heard this: "I wonder if she's ever thought about looking for her birth parents all these years?"
Auntie Chen: "What parents? Parents who abandoned her? Whether it's yearning for a son or having one's own daughter, if you can feed and raise a child with a bowl of rice, why not do it?"
"People like that lack virtue. The old couple raised her for so many years and even sent her to university. I've never heard them come visit. And you want her to look for them? Ridiculous! Only someone dumb would do that."
"But blood is thicker than water. Fellow villagers tear up when they see each other. If she met her birth parents, they might reconcile on the spot. Also, girls who don't have family on their mother's side can be bullied by their in-laws."
Auntie Gui Hua continued murmuring to herself: "The match I introduced was from their village. If she marries over, they might run into each other. There would be someone to look out for her then."
"What? There's this too? Why didn't you make it clear earlier?" Auntie Chen felt that if Auntie Gui Hua had said this earlier, Wen Qian would have blasted her to death.
As expected, Auntie Gui Hua had kept this up her sleeve: "If I said it outright, it definitely wouldn't work. What if she held a grudge? That wouldn't be good."
Auntie Chen said: "So you know that! Forget about looking out for each other. It would simply be retribution, if you ask me."
"Let me tell you, young people nowadays aren't the same as our time. They make it very clear whether it's yes or no, never equivocating. If you provoke her too much, don't blame her for not respecting her elders in the future."
Auntie Gui Hua: "I was just saying it. Who cares about this gossip?"
The old man chimed in: "That's right, that's right. She's still one of our village's children. Don't make enemies at our age."
That was the end of it.
But Auntie Gui Hua didn't think the same in her heart at all. She felt this girl had a sharp tongue and the elder couple clearly hadn't taught her well. If she were their own daughter with such poor discipline, talking back to her elders, they would have squeezed her to death with one hand long ago.
Later after they left, Auntie Chen went to find Wen Qian again.
"Don't take Auntie Gui Hua's words to heart. She just likes to poke her nose into other people's business but doesn't have malicious intent. We've all talked to her."
"It's fine. Just don't call me over if she comes again next time. It's tiring every time I talk to her."
Auntie Chen laughed and agreed, then said she was going to An City in a couple days.
At this time of year, going into the city, Wen Qian guessed it must be because someone there needed care. It was likely a joyous occasion.
Auntie Chen had saved up many things at home: fragrant oils, eggs, she slaughtered two chickens. There were also some things from their home vegetable garden, a small winter melon and a pumpkin from the house that looked very sweet.
Before leaving, Auntie Chen also gave Wen Qian several pumpkins and winter melons, telling her to eat what she could and throw out what she couldn't, but to save the seeds.
Wen Qian asked when she'd be back. She said it might be a short week or as long as a month.
Not only did Auntie Chen return in a week, she also brought someone back: a young woman. Wen Qian felt she should be Auntie Chen's daughter-in-law.
Sure enough, Auntie Chen introduced: "This is my daughter-in-law. Have you two met before?"
"I don't think so."
"You're both young women and she's not much older than you. She came back early for New Year's and will often come play with you in the future."
"That sounds nice, more people make things more lively."
Although her stomach was flat, Elder Sister Fang would cradle it with her hand from time to time.
Wen Qian felt she should be pregnant but it wasn't convenient to announce it yet.
Pregnancies generally aren't made public before three months when it's safer before informing others.
Wen Qian hadn't guessed wrong.
Auntie Chen's son called to share the happy news with his mother that his wife was pregnant.
Elder Sister Fang's pregnancy wasn't going very smoothly. She had severe morning sickness that even affected work. In the end, she simply rested at home. Auntie Chen went for a few days with supplies to take care of her. Then her daughter-in-law said she might as well just go back home to the countryside.
With nothing to do cooped up at home every day, Elder Sister Fang would often go chat with Wen Qian.
On Wen Qian's recommendation, Elder Sister Fang would read some hoarding novels when she had time, and her desire to buy things increased.
Winter was coming up soon anyway, so buying some more stuff shouldn't be an issue.
Her husband's parents at home were hardworking and frugal by nature, reluctant to eat or use things and wanting to save for their children.
After Elder Sister Fang came back, the standard of living at home increased exponentially. She'd originally thought she wouldn't be able to stay long, but unexpectedly her husband's parents catered very thoughtfully to her in every way.
Whenever she wanted to go out to see Wen Qian, Auntie Chen accompanied her over, afraid that Elder Sister Fang might slip on the morning dew if walking alone.
If not for her and her husband working in An City, and their future child needing to attend school in An City, she would be very willing to live in the countryside.
The rural pace was slow and the air quality wasn't bad.
