Qian Juhua’s body instantly turned cold halfway through: “What’s wrong with me giving birth to a girl?”
Tian Dazhu: “You gave birth to a girl, so in the future we’ll have to let Dabao smash the basin… Juhua, even if Dabao pushed you, just let it go, okay? It’s just… it’s just that neither of us have good luck.”
Qian Juhua felt utterly chilled: “So what you’re saying is, I shouldn’t hold Dabao accountable for pushing me. And I should even give him two yuan, is that it?”
Tian Dazhu sat down on the threshold, head lowered. If he could, he really wished he could stay like that forever — sitting on the threshold with his head hung low, never raising it again.
Qian Juhua said nothing. She held her baby daughter’s small, soft body in her arms, feeling as if the road ahead was desolate and she had no support.
After a long while, Qian Juhua got up and rummaged through the chest, pulling out a small pouch and handing over two yuan.
Tian Dazhu took the money right away and was about to get up and go deliver it to his brother and nephew.
Qian Juhua said bitterly, “From the moment you walked in, you didn’t even look at little Ya once. Tian Dazhu, why didn’t you tell me earlier that you were this kind of man? If I’d known, I would never have agreed to marry into your family and suffer like this.”
Tian Dazhu watched helplessly as his wife, staggering, walked back to the heated brick bed and lay down on her side.
He knew she was complaining that he was useless, but what could he do? It’s not like he had a son!
Tian Dazhu left. Da Ya and Er Ya watched their mother cry as she lay sideways on the bed, and their hearts ached. Da Ya’s tears fell onto little Ya’s face.
They were supposed to be one family, but the two children both knew — now, it felt like only the four of them were afloat on a piece of driftwood. The father who should have been rowing had left, and they didn’t even know where the road ahead led.
The day after Little New Year’s Eve, Wang Ying got to enjoy a feast prepared by Xu Shuang. The last bit of pork left in the house had been used to make dumplings — pork and cabbage dumplings, steaming and fragrant, each one like a little gold ingot. Dipped in vinegar, they tasted especially delicious.
The pork stew had been eaten at lunch, and for dinner, Xu Shuang had gone ahead and made a whole fish. She threw in half of all the chili peppers she could find in the house — spicy and fragrant, a whole pot of fish stew that whetted the appetite.
There was also a plate of cold shredded radish salad, a plate of fried fish chunks, and soup made from mashed yam into a light egg-white-style “fu rong” soup, topped with some goji berries — incredibly tasty.
Xu Shuang regretted, “I forgot to prepare some seafood this year. A little kelp would’ve been great — could’ve made pork rib soup with it.”
Wang Ying was already so busy using her chopsticks that she could hardly keep up. She was very satisfied with tonight’s food.
The spicy fish was so good she couldn’t stop eating. Huffing and puffing from the heat, she felt like she was swallowing fire. She couldn’t help but admire her late father-in-law — he really had been a Sichuan chef. Xu Shuang definitely didn’t hold back with the chilies.
“No worries, next year we’ll make a list and start preparing from summer onward.”
Wang Ying had recently become fond of the dried vegetables Xu Shuang made. For example, the dried potatoes — chewy and full of flavor, especially when stewed with meat, soaking up all the rich broth and becoming incredibly delicious.
There were also dried green beans. Rehydrated and stewed with pork ribs, they were absolutely divine — even better than fresh beans!
The two of them had a big meal. After eating, Wang Ying took a pack of candied taro made by Xu Shuang — she had been craving sweets so badly that Xu Shuang generously used white sugar to make her a dessert.
Wang Ying took the candied taro to visit Cheng Shufen.
When she arrived, Cheng Shufen was already getting ready for bed. When she saw it was Wang Ying, she quickly invited her in.
Cheng Yu suddenly popped out from somewhere, looking concerned: “Sister Ying, are you okay? I heard you went to help someone give birth last night?”
Wang Ying was surprised: “How did you know?”
The snow was heavy now, and both Cheng Yu and Cheng Shufen had been staying inside. Given their awkward identities, it wasn’t appropriate for them to go anywhere.
Cheng Yu seemed a bit sheepish. Cheng Shufen scolded her, “This girl’s been sneaking out a lot recently, smudging her face with soot or something. I don’t know what she’s up to.”
Cheng Yu said, “I just… I was just going out to see if I could catch a rabbit.”
As she spoke, she pulled out a dead rabbit: “Look, Sister Ying, I caught this one!”
Wang Ying was astonished — such a big, fat wild rabbit, especially in this heavy snow and mountainous area — how did Cheng Yu catch it?
Cheng Yu was very proud: “I sharpened some bamboo sticks, and when I saw something moving, I stabbed it.”
Wang Ying couldn’t help but be impressed — that worked?
Cheng Shufen scolded: “She just got lucky. A blind cat ran into a dead mouse once and now she thinks she can catch more, so she keeps running out.”
Wang Ying said, “It’s fine to catch rabbits, but don’t go deep into the mountains. The paths are unclear in this season, and what if you get stuck?”
Cheng Shufen added, “Don’t go out so much either. What if someone sees you?”
Wang Ying understood that Cheng Shufen was worried someone seeing Cheng Yu outside would bring trouble for her. So she said, “It’s actually fine. As long as she doesn’t go into crowds, it’s okay. If someone sees her, then so be it. People know how you two got here — if she goes out to catch a rabbit or something, no one will say anything.”
After all, the food Tian Youfu gave was limited. If Cheng Yu and Cheng Shufen never went out to look for food, people might start suspecting that Wang Ying had been secretly giving them good food. Besides, even adults would go stir-crazy if cooped up inside all the time. Cheng Yu was still a child — how could she never be allowed to step outside?
With Wang Ying’s explanation, Cheng Shufen was reassured. Cheng Yu was bold and had some basic skills, so it wasn’t really dangerous for her to be out and about. The only concern had been that it might make trouble for Wang Ying.
Cheng Yu shoved the rabbit at Wang Ying: “It’s for you!”
She had thought about this back when she was eating the fried fish Wang Ying gave her — she had to share some meat with Sister Ying! She never expected the day would come so soon!
Wang Ying didn’t know whether to laugh or cry: “I don’t need this… you two keep it and eat it yourselves.”
But Cheng Yu kept pushing: “You take it — I can catch more!”
It was fortunate they lived near the mountains—just that afternoon, Cheng Yu had already seen two rabbits. Her aim still needed practice, though.
Wang Ying couldn’t argue anymore and finally accepted the rabbit. After all, Cheng Shufen and Cheng Yu didn’t have seasonings at home, so cooking would be tough. Wang Ying planned to take the rabbit home, have Xu Shuang cook it, and bring some back to share.
Cheng Yu remained focused. Although the conversation had drifted for a while, she still insisted on asking, “Sister Ying, was the delivery last night smooth?”
Wang Ying replied, “It was okay.”
Cheng Yu asked enthusiastically, “Was it a baby girl or a baby boy?”
Wang Ying said, “A girl.”
Cheng Yu cheered.
Wang Ying was puzzled. “Why are you so happy that it’s a girl?”
Cheng Yu grinned with a satisfied expression. “I just feel happy whenever someone really, really wants a boy but ends up with a girl instead.”
Wang Ying raised an eyebrow. “Why’s that?”
Cheng Yu said firmly, “Because those people are all so hypocritical. They all say women hold up half the sky, but everyone wants a son. If you ask them what having a son is good for, they can’t really say. They have to raise him, marry him off, think about his job, and eventually help raise his kids too.”
“They work hard their whole life, and yet they act like they’ve lived a glorious life. Like they’re so amazing.”
“Please. People like me are the amazing ones. Like my teacher—that’s what being capable means.”
“These people can’t achieve anything themselves, so they pin their hopes on their sons, thinking the sons will be successful. How is that possible?”
“I started martial arts when I was really little, up at five every morning, training all day. If they think sons are so precious, do they make them suffer? No. And if they don’t suffer, they won’t amount to anything. So it just goes on like that, generation after generation.”
“That’s why I’m glad when their wish doesn’t come true.”
Wang Ying looked at this boldly expressive girl and said, “You’re absolutely right. But often, the environment plays a role too.”
“You know how many people in the country still farm, right? Farming needs labor, and labor is the capital of rural households. Without it, it’s hard to build any wealth. And you have to admit, in most people’s eyes, men are stronger laborers.”
“That’s why rural families all want sons.”
“Take our brigade, for example. The leader is fair, so there’s mostly just gossip or minor conflicts. But in less fair places, where power isn’t held in check, people use force to settle things.”
“In those places, it’s all about strength, not rules. If your family doesn’t have enough labor power, you’ll face injustice.”
“That’s wrong, of course, but people can’t choose where they’re born. In those environments, unfair things happen.”
“Take the family I helped last night. They wanted a boy because they didn’t want to be bullied by their relatives anymore. They wanted to escape being the bottom rung of their environment.”
When she finished, Wang Ying saw that Cheng Yu had gone silent.
After a moment, Cheng Yu spoke again. This time, the thirteen-year-old’s eyes were blazing.
“I don’t agree!”
“Sister Ying, I understand what you’re saying about the environment. It’s true, we can’t choose where we’re born, so we have to accept some things we can’t change.”
“But do we really have to accept everything?”
“This is a new society now. Even if we face unfairness, doesn’t that mean we should find other ways to fix it?”
“You said that family wanted a son to avoid being bullied by their relatives. But is that really so hard to deal with? You don’t need to tell me—I know their head of household must be a weak and fearful man. Only the weak believe that having a son will make others respect them.”
“As if that’s possible. A weak person will raise another weak person. He’s not hoping to stop the bullying—he just wants to protect his fragile ego and not be looked down on.”
“You also said our brigade leader is a good person. Under someone like that, no one would dare to bully them with force.”
“So what are they afraid of? Just gossip? Words won’t kill you.”
“Even if someone did try to use force, I don’t believe the man of the house wouldn’t stand up for his family. Grab a kitchen knife and see who dares to come near.”
“The truth is, he doesn’t have enough resolve to protect his family. He cares more about saving face. Only a cowardly, selfish man with no sense of responsibility thinks like that.”
Wang Ying was stunned. She had never expected such clarity from someone so young.
She herself had wavered over the issue in the Tian Dazhu family, thinking maybe things would be better if Qian Juhua had given birth to a son.
But Cheng Yu’s words were sharp and direct, pointing straight to the heart of the problem.
Everything wrong with the Tian Dazhu household started with Tian Dazhu himself.
Cheng Yu muttered again, “If he’s useless, he shouldn’t blame not having a son. If he wants one so badly, why doesn’t he make himself richer first? Not afraid the son would suffer? Please. He can’t do anything himself. Even if he has a son, he won’t work harder—he’ll just make his wife and daughters support the boy.”
Wang Ying sighed deeply and turned to Cheng Shufen, saying, “Cheng Yu is amazing. Don’t waste her talent. Let her study more.”
Cheng Yu’s kind of innocence wasn’t annoying—it was purposeful. Once she made up her mind, she rarely wavered. And she could take others’ opinions and fit them into her own framework, while still standing by her beliefs.
Such capability—not even many adults may possess it.
Cheng Shufen was also taken aback by Cheng Yu’s maturity and clarity of thought, frowning deeply.
She felt that Cheng Yu’s thoughts were a bit out of line, but couldn’t quite put her finger on what exactly was out of place.
The moment Wang Ying advised Cheng Yu to read more books, Cheng Yu felt a pang of regret.
Why did she speak up!
Now look—she’d have to study going forward!
She really hated studying!
Wang Ying gently patted Cheng Yu’s slightly dispirited face and said, “You’re so smart. That’s exactly why you should read more books. If intelligence isn’t guided, it can easily lead you down a wrong path.”
Wang Ying handed her the paper-wrapped bundle in her arms. “Study well, and the better you do, I’ll have your brother-in-law make you more delicious food. How does that sound?”
Cheng Yu was tempted. Hugging the bundle, she nodded.
Wang Ying, carrying the rabbit, left and, upon returning home, sighed to Xu Shuang, “Cheng Yu is truly the smartest child I’ve ever seen.”
Xu Shuang replied, “Just a while ago, you said Da Ya and Er Ya were the most well-behaved little girls you’d ever seen. And now you’re saying Cheng Yu is the smartest child you’ve ever seen.”
Wang Ying shrugged. “They really are wonderful.”
In Wang Ying’s eyes, Cheng Yu was undoubtedly lucky. Her brilliance hadn’t been buried in a male-preference household. Instead, after seeing a broader world and suffering some harsh realities, her intelligence only shone more brightly.
Da Ya and Er Ya were the same. If they could break free from the shackles of their family, they too would have very promising futures.
Xu Shuang pulled her into an embrace. “Alright.”
Looking at how fond you are of these little girls, it’s obvious you want a daughter of your own!
Once Little New Year (Xiaonian) passed, the real New Year was considered to have begun.
Wang Ying got up early the next day and tidied up the courtyard.
Not for any special reason—just that the communal stone mill in the village was limited, and there was only one.
And today happened to be tofu-making day. Some familiar families asked Old Lady Xu, and she in turn asked Wang Ying.
Wang Ying didn’t mind. She and Xu Shuang had been keeping to themselves behind closed doors for more than two months now.
The villagers coming and going weren’t a bad sort, and besides, several of them had helped with building the courtyard wall, so it would’ve been impolite to refuse.
Xu Shuang put away the unfinished fish in the kitchen and locked it up, then secured everything else in the yard. The house was also swept clean.
It wasn’t long before people began arriving with their soybeans.
Wang Ying cheerfully greeted them, set a charcoal brazier in the main room so the waiting folks could sit and warm themselves.
Wu Guihua also came. She didn’t get along with Li Chunjuan and naturally grew close to Wang Ying.
The moment she arrived, she exclaimed, “Oh my! Isn’t this the scrawny pig from before? It hasn’t even been that long, how did it get so fat!”
Her loud voice drew everyone over. They all gathered around to look.
“Totally! This pig looks like it gained at least twenty or thirty jin!”
“No way—it looks more like forty jin to me!”
“Wang Ying, how on earth did you feed it? It’s gotten so big!”
Wang Ying: …
Just splashing a handful of spring water here and there—how could it not grow fat?
Wu Guihua was envious. “Come springtime, when you turn it in, you might get several dozen jin of meat back!”
Looking at its growth and energy, the pig clearly wasn’t light. It might even be heavier than that big fat one they butchered a few days ago!
Wang Ying was all smiles, but she also had another thought in mind.
This spiritual spring water—if it could only benefit her own family, that would be fine. But if it could help the village pigs grow heavier too, wouldn’t that be great?
Then when it came time to divide pork for the New Year, she could get an extra few chunks as well.
Not many people came—five or six. Some were pushing the mill in the yard, others were sitting in the main room warming themselves by the fire.
The small group chatted endlessly, gossiping about this and that.
Wang Ying listened with great interest. Truth be told, eavesdropping on village gossip was far more entertaining than TV.
Just as one tale ended about a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law locked in battle, the topic shifted again.
Wu Guihua asked Wang Ying, “Did Qian Juhua give you any gift money?”
Wang Ying shook her head.
Wu Guihua clapped her hands. “I knew it!”
She had no respect for Tian Dazhu’s family, especially his biased mother and that troublesome sister-in-law.
“Tian Dazhu’s old lady’s been telling people outside that you didn’t do a good job—that you delivered a girl—and that’s why she didn’t pay you.”
Wang Ying honestly hadn’t even thought about money. She’d just gone over to help out; she wasn’t a professional midwife. It never occurred to her.
The only time money was mentioned was last night, regarding those two medicinal herbs, but they weren’t expensive—normally she’d only charge 30 or 50 cents.
Wu Guihua was furious on Wang Ying’s behalf. “That whole family has no sense of decency! I heard you helped reposition the fetus and even used acupuncture so she could push better. After all that effort, you brought both the mother and baby back safe and sound. How could they not pay you?”
Wang Ying said, “Maybe it just didn’t cross their mind—it’s alright.”
Wu Guihua wasn’t having it. “You can’t let them off like that. What’s right is right. Girl or boy, that’s still Tian family’s child, isn’t it? They shouldn’t discriminate like that!”
Wang Ying kept smiling. She honestly didn’t know how to handle it. Was she supposed to go knock on Qian Juhua’s door and ask for money?
Wu Guihua added, “Tian Dazhu’s a spineless one, and his mom is the type who’d rather run home to poop. That whole family’s no good.”
Just as she said this, a voice rang out: “Wang Ying? Are you home?”
Wu Guihua was caught red-handed gossiping and quickly told Wang Ying, “You go quick. Sounds like Juhua’s calling for you.”
Wang Ying was surprised—Qian Juhua had just given birth after a difficult labor. Why would she be out and about so soon?
Wang Ying went to the door and saw Qian Juhua standing there, pale-faced, holding something in her hand.
Wang Ying hurriedly tried to usher her inside, but Qian Juhua, panting heavily and needing three breaths just to say a sentence, waved her off: “No need. I just came to give you the money and some eggs. And this is Xu Shuang’s scarf—thank you.”
Wang Ying accepted the money and scarf but tried to return the eggs. “You’re still in your postpartum month. You probably don’t even have enough eggs for yourself. Take them back and eat them.”
Qian Juhua insisted, “Take them! I said some harsh things before. If it were someone else, they might’ve just watched me die and not lifted a finger. Thank you for helping me.”
Wang Ying frowned. “All for this? You’re still recovering—there’s no rush to come now. Go back home and lie down.”
Qian Juhua’s face was full of pain. “Wang Ying, do you think I can still give birth to a son?”
Wang Ying took a deep breath, looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping, and then said quietly, “This pregnancy was already very difficult. It’s unlikely you’ll be able to have another. But whether it’s a son or a daughter, if you raise them well, they’ll still be filial.”
Qian Juhua looked as though she’d just received a final verdict—her face drained of hope.
Wang Ying remembered what Cheng Yu had said the day before and added, “Strictly speaking, I shouldn’t say this, but is having a son really the most important thing in your family? You and your husband aren’t lazy. You could live a good life by yourselves. Raise your three daughters well—have one marry in, like I did with Xu Shuang. It’s not a dead end. Don’t give up like this.”
Qian Juhua was in deep pain. “But my mother-in-law and my sister-in-law…”
Wang Ying cut her off: “That’s your own grown-up business to handle. Even if you had a son, he wouldn’t be able to fight your battles for you.”
Qian Juhua knew that. She was just mentally crushed by her own thoughts.
Wang Ying gently pushed her away. “This isn’t something you should be worrying about right now. Go home and take care of your body. Talk about everything else after you finish your postpartum recovery.”
After sending Qian Juhua off, Wang Ying returned home with the money wrapped in paper. When she opened it, she was stunned—inside was six yuan.
Even in the countryside, six yuan was a generous amount.
Wang Ying was a bit dazed as she brought the money back. When Wu Guihua asked, Wang Ying only said that Qian Juhua had come to give her some money for the delivery, without mentioning the amount.
Wu Guihua sighed. “She’s just too proud—always turning her temper inward on herself. Honestly, it’s her husband who should be stepping up. If a man doesn’t act right, he needs a good beating! She should turn that temper on her husband and really give him a piece of her mind.”
Wang Ying completely agreed with what Wu Guihua said. Exactly—she should deal with Tian Dazhu.
His mother and sisters-in-law were so arrogant only because they had his support. As the head of the household, if he didn’t step up and instead let others bypass him to bully his wife, what good was he?
The day of grinding soybeans passed quickly. Wang Ying’s turn came last, and Xu Shuang made tofu and purposely left a few pieces outside to freeze into frozen tofu.
Wang Ying was already craving it. “I want hotpot!”
Xu Shuang checked their supplies. “We can do that.”
There were still plenty of chilies in the house—enough for a good meal.
But since the frozen tofu wasn’t ready yet, Wang Ying could only wait eagerly.
Finally, on the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, Wang Ying announced with excitement, “Time for hotpot!”
Xu Shuang took the frozen tofu to the kitchen and prepared various vegetables. Hotpot couldn’t be eaten in the main house, so Wang Ying helped Grandma Xu to the kitchen so the three of them could sit down for a nice meal.
Grandma Xu reminisced, “When your father was alive, he made amazing hotpot. Back then we used old cast iron pots, and the chili would be piled high.”
Xu Shuang’s version wasn’t spicy enough, even after adding all the remaining chili in the house.
Wang Ying went all out, mixing garlic with sesame oil, determined to enjoy a luxurious hotpot meal.
But just as the pot was about to boil, something happened again.
This time, it was Da Ya knocking on the door.
Unlike last time, she was wrapped in a little cotton coat and didn’t look as miserable. But she was crying as she begged Wang Ying for help.
“Big Sister Wang Ying, come quick! My mom’s been knocked unconscious!”
Wang Ying immediately put down her chopsticks. “Your mom fainted?”
Wasn’t she still in her postpartum recovery? And she got beaten?
Wang Ying grabbed the medical box and followed Da Ya out. Grandma Xu, knowing something was wrong, said, “You two go ahead. I’ll go get Youfu.”
That saved Da Ya another run—she could now just follow Wang Ying. Wang Ying walked quickly, while Xu Shuang carried the medicine box and picked up Da Ya.
As they hurried, Wang Ying asked, “What happened to your mom? Who hit her? Where did she get hit?”
Da Ya sniffled. “My grandma told my dad to hit her. He hit her on the leg, and my mom fainted.”
Wang Ying was furious and shocked. “What for?!”
Even the normally obedient and gentle Da Ya had hatred in her eyes now.
“They want to send my two little sisters away! They said they’re giving Xiao Ya to someone else and sending Er Ya to be a child bride!”
I am just a novice translator and Chinese is not my native language. I try my best to translate the chapters as accurate as possible.
If there are any mistakes then kindly comment and remind me. Your support means a lot.
