Originally, Wang Chunhua and Dong Shan had planned to only stay at the Wang family for one night, but the next day, Li Mingwei's legs became even more sore, making it simply impossible for her to walk back, so Wang Chunhua could only keep her and stay as well.
"You can take Xiaolei and Xiaoyan back first, I'll keep an eye on my sister-in-law."
With only taking the two children, Dong Shan didn't have much of a problem, but said: "Do I really not need to stay as well? With just you two sisters going back, I won't feel assured."
"You have to go pay your respects at your uncle's home tomorrow, I can miss it but you have to take the kids."
It was arranged like this every year, they couldn't mess up the plans just because of this. Now they also couldn't find anyone to pass along the message, Dong's uncle's family had prepared food tomorrow, if no one showed up, they wouldn't know what to think.
"That's true, last autumn when harvesting, second uncle said he hadn't seen Xiaolei in a long time, I said he was in school and it wasn't easy for him to take time off."
The older generation cherished the children, it would be hard to explain not bringing them. Dong Shan reluctantly nodded: "Alright, I'll go back first, you have someone bring me a message when you come back, and I'll come get you."
Wang Dazhuang walked over, heard their conversation, and quickly said: "No need for you to come get us, after I accompany your sister-in-law back to her maiden home, I'll bring them back, I was going to bring Xiaogang and the others to visit your family for New Year's anyway."
"That works too, but you have to be back by the 6th at the latest, on the 7th my uncle's side will have people coming, I can't get into the kitchen with my cooking skills."
"Got it."
After discussing, Wang's wife made an early lunch for Dong Shan to eat, then he took the two children and left first.
Li Mingwei felt remorseful laying in bed, her legs really were sore to the point she couldn't walk, if she tried going back now, she might become crippled.
Wang Chunhua massaged her legs for her and comforted: "It's nothing, I'm happy to stay a few more days, coming back only once or twice a year, staying one night then leaving, thanks to this."
Her father had also fallen and hurt his leg, it was good she could stay and attend to him more.
"It's also thanks to you, every year things are arranged to go visit his uncle's place, I don't want to go but it's awkward to bring it up, your leg hurting like this, I can stay and he has nothing to say."
Li Mingwei smiled at her joking, teasing: "Then I'll hurt my leg every year."
"Don't you dare." Wang Chunhua stopped her: "I won't dare bring you again."
That journey yesterday had already stressed her out enough, coming once a year, she couldn't take it.
She looked at Li Mingwei, a feeling of sadness appearing on her face, hesitating for a long time but ultimately not speaking. She knew Li Mingwei wouldn't be able to stay here forever, she still had family and home, when she figured things out, sooner or later she'd go back.
Seeing her somewhat sad, Li Mingwei thought she was thinking of Wang's father, that she hadn't been able to be by his side when he was injured, so urged her: "Sis, go keep uncle and aunt company, you rarely come back, don't waste your time on me, I'll rest up and be fine."
"Then I'm going, call for Xiaogang if you need anything."
Xiaogang obediently nodded, he had been accompanying Li Mingwei this whole time: "Auntie don't worry."
After Wang Chunhua left, Xiaogang lay at the foot of Li Mingwei's bed, fawningly asking: "Auntie, is there anything you want me to do for you?"
Seeing his brown-nosing manner, Li Mingwei knew something must be up: "Go on, what do you want me to do?"
"Hehe." Xiaogang bared his teeth in a grin, happily saying: "Auntie really is clever, as expected of someone who's studied."
"Oh?"
Li Mingwei looked at him, tentatively asking: "Do you want to learn to read and write?"
Xiaogang's smile faded somewhat, he waved his hand indicating no, but the disappointment was visible on his face. He said: "Last time auntie wrote my parents' names, I want auntie to write one for me too."
When his parents brought back the paper with their names on it, Xiaogang had looked on enviously, growing up this big, he still didn't know how to write his own name.
Since Li Mingwei didn't have paper, brush and inkstone, she could only take his hand and write the three characters for Wang Xiaogang in his palm, telling him: "This is your name."
"Huh?"
Wang Xiaogang scratched his head, he hadn't remembered it at all, auntie had written too fast.
Li Mingwei also felt this method wasn't great, she had Xiaogang support her going outside, found a very flat patch of snow, and gripped his hand, using a stick to slowly write out his name stroke by stroke.
Xiaogang instantly became excited, grabbing the stick to practice next to it a few more times, but without Li Mingwei's guidance, his writing was crooked and sloppy, very ugly. He felt dissatisfied, practicing over and over.
The two's actions quickly attracted a crowd to watch. They didn't recognize Li Mingwei, saw she looked quite good and was dressed decently, and came up to ask: "Xiaogang, which relative of yours is this?"
"My auntie."
"Auntie? Your grandpa only had the one daughter Chunhua, what auntie?"
It was a small village, who had how many kids, what relatives, everything was clear. Everyone looked at the sudden appearance of Xiaogang's auntie, discussing amongst themselves.
Li Mingwei also didn't know how to explain. They certainly all knew if Chunhua had a cousin or not, if she said something they'd know she was lying.
"She's my auntie, my father's sister recognized her as a sworn sister in town."
"Oh, a sworn sister."
"This Wang Chunhua, where'd she recognize such a pretty sworn sister." A woman looked Li Mingwei up and down. Li Mingwei awkwardly bowed to them, standing stiffly in place.
"I don't know the details, aunties can go ask my aunt, she's in the yard."
While talking with them, Xiaogang kept practicing writing, after a long time still unsatisfied. He threw down the stick in irritation and complained: "Auntie, I can't write well."
Li Mingwei picked up the stick and gave it back to him, strictly saying: "Keep going, you've only written a few times, how could you write well already."
This kid really had no patience, good handwriting wouldn't happen after just one or two days, ever since she could hold a brush, if there was nothing major, she had to practice one or two pages of characters almost every day to reach her current level.
He'd barely started.
"Oh."
Under Li Mingwei's stare, Xiaogang had no choice but to continue.
"What are you drawing there?"
"My name, Wang Xiaogang, do you recognize it? My auntie just taught me."
Wang Chunhua bringing back a literate sworn sister, teaching Xiaogang to write his name at the village entrance, it spread through the village in an instant like a gust of wind.
The adults didn't care much, just watching the lively scene and gossiping. A few kids came over wanting to learn too, and Li Mingwei taught them one by one.
That entire afternoon, the idle adults of the village crowded around the snowy ground, watching a dozen or so children drawing and writing on the ground. If they didn't write well or made a mistake they'd smooth it out and start again, if they thought it looked good they'd raise their hand seeking praise, or want to learn something more.
Parents of kids who were there would also watch for fun, having Li Mingwei teach their own children's names, but the adults seemed to have thinner skin, none wanted to directly learn themselves.
"We're already this old, we won't meddle, you teach them, teach them."
"It's nothing, auntie, learning has no limits, people of any age can learn!"
"No more, no more."
They declined while backing away, simply unwilling to learn. Li Mingwei didn't insist.
