Chapter 67
As soon as Ding Aixian left, Ye Qingshan and Ye Qingfeng surrounded He Qiming, asking about his well-being. Wang Guqiu went to the kitchen to cook noodles, not forgetting to show some concern for Ye Qingzhi.
As for Ye Qingsong and Ye Qinglan, the two of them had already hit it off with the four children, whispering and talking about something.
Ye Qingzhi glanced at them and saw that several of the water bowls were chipped, but they were washed very clean. She picked one up and took two sips.
Hmm? Sweet?
“Little Zhi, I put some white sugar in it. Is it sweet enough? If not, I’ll add more,” Second Sister-in-law, Yu Xiaoyan, had been observing Ye Qingzhi. Seeing her pause for a moment, she immediately explained.
“Thank you, no need,” Ye Qingzhi said, nodding at her.
She had come back this time because she was afraid of her reputation being damaged. She was not really sad about Ye Shuiping’s death. Tomorrow morning, she would take He Qiming and the children to burn a stick of incense for Ye Shuiping, act out a scene of a filial daughter, and then go directly back to Dayangcun. She had no intention of reconciling with the Ye family.
It was clear that Ye Qingzhi did not want to talk to them. In the past, Ye Qingshan would have already started to lecture her, and Ye Qingfeng might have even gotten physical. But now, they did not dare. Their brother-in-law was a regiment commander. Dealing with them would be like dealing with little chicks.
“Little Zhi, how many days can you stay this time?” Yu Xiaoyan asked, sizing up Ye Qingzhi. Her skin was fair and tender, and her features were as beautiful as a painting. She had not expected this little sister-in-law to be so beautiful after she had grown up.
She had married into the family after Second Sister-in-law had left, so she did not know much about this little sister-in-law. If she had known she was so beautiful, she should have had her in-laws try to win her over and find her a rich widower in the town or the city. Not only could they have gotten another bride price, but they could also have gotten a lot of benefits from her.
Now, the mother and daughter were estranged. Even if Second Sister-in-law had become an official’s wife, their family would not be able to benefit at all.
“The noodles are ready. Let’s eat first. You must be starving,” Wang Guqiu said, bringing out a bowl of noodles and placing it in front of He Qiming. “Brother-in-law, you eat first. There’s more in the pot if it’s not enough.”
“Thank you,” He Qiming said, nodding at her. He moved the noodles to Ye Qingzhi. “Qingzhi, you eat first.”
Yu Xiaoyan opened her mouth, but Wang Guqiu touched her arm. “Come on, help me bring out the noodles in the kitchen.”
Yu Xiaoyan followed her into the house. “What did Big Sister-in-law mean just now?”
“Fourth Sister’s husband dotes on his wife. What were you about to say?” Wang Guqiu glanced at the living room and leaned over to whisper in Yu Xiaoyan’s ear, “Don’t talk nonsense and ruin the family’s big plans. Never mind Ma, Qingfeng won’t let you off either.”
Thinking of Ye Qingfeng, a hint of fear flashed in Yu Xiaoyan’s eyes. “I know.”
“Children, come and eat,” Wang Guqiu said. Seeing the few children come over, she asked warmly, “I still don’t know the children’s names.”
“This is Jingyan, this is Anmin, Anjie, and the youngest is Yangyang,” Ye Qingzhi said, introducing them one by one from oldest to youngest.
“Hello, Eldest Aunt,” the few children said. Seeing He Qiming and Ye Qingzhi nod, they picked up their chopsticks and started to eat.
Seeing the few children eating quietly, even the youngest, Yangyang, was eating with his own chopsticks in a proper manner, which made Ye Qingshan and the others a little stunned.
These few children were so well-behaved, not at all like country children. They were also good-looking, fair and clean, with an outstanding temperament.
“Little Zhi, Sister-in-law’s cooking is average. You’ll have to make do,” Wang Guqiu said, her gaze on He Qiming’s expression.
Ye Qingzhi looked at the noodles. She knew that the family was receiving them with the highest standards, but she was very clear that it was not because she was the fourth daughter of the Ye family, but because she was the wife of Regiment Commander He.
“It’s very delicious,” Ye Qingzhi said. Halfway through, she took out a bag of candy from her luggage. It was for the overnight stay. “We came back in a hurry.”
“Oh my, why did you bring anything back to your own home?” Yu Xiaoyan asked, a hint of disappointment in her eyes when she saw so little.
A regiment commander, and on his first visit, he only brought a bag of candy?
Ye Qingzhi didn’t care what they thought. In any case, she didn’t want to have any contact with them.
“How much did Dad’s funeral cost?” Ye Qingzhi asked directly.
According to the custom here, when an old person passed away, the son would pay for the banquet, and the miscellaneous expenses would be shared by the married daughters. Now, banquets were not allowed, and the same went for funerals. It would usually cost a few dozen yuan. A daughter would at most give five or ten yuan, depending on her wishes.
Ye Qingfeng’s eyes darted around, wanting to report a higher number, but he was stopped by Ye Qingshan next to him.
“Qinghe gave ten yuan. You can give the same as her, ten yuan,” Ye Qingshan said. He did not want to lose a big opportunity for a small gain.
Ten yuan was not much for the current Ye Qingzhi, but in the countryside, it was not a small amount.
With the original host’s one-yuan savings, she would probably have to sell some of the family’s grain to make up the amount.
But after selling the grain, she and her three children would have to go hungry. If she didn’t want her children to go hungry, then she would have to tighten her own belt.
To have been able to support two children until they graduated from university, the original host was already very amazing.
No, it was too heartbreaking to think about. Ye Qingzhi had to save it and think about it tomorrow morning. Then she would be able to cry with real emotion.
“What’s wrong?” He Qiming asked, sensing that Ye Qingzhi’s mood was a little off.
“Nothing. I was just looking at the familiar things at home and thinking of how my dad used to be,” Ye Qingzhi said. Seeing that Third Uncle and Third Aunt had come over, and that her eyes had just reddened from thinking of the original host, she of course had to make use of it.
Her acting was average. She couldn’t just cry on command. She couldn’t miss this opportunity when her eyes were full of tears.
“Little Zhi, you’re finally back. You don’t know, your dad was thinking of you before he passed,” Third Uncle said, his eyes immediately reddening when he saw Ye Qingzhi.
Ye Qingzhi was amazed in her heart. This Third Uncle was amazing. His eyes could turn red just like that, and his tears could come just like that. How come she didn’t have this ability?
“That’s right, Little Zhi. Sigh, if we had known you could arrive today, we would have delayed it for two days and let you see your uncle one last time,” Third Aunt said with a regretful sigh.
“Isn’t that the truth? I really regret it,” Ding Aixian said, moving a stool for Third Uncle and the others. She also pulled a stool and sat next to Ye Qingzhi, holding her hand, her tone intimate. “Little Zhi, I’ve already told your third uncle and third aunt. You and Qiming will stay at our own house tonight. The children can squeeze in at your third uncle’s place for a night. We’ll think of something else tomorrow.”
She would send the few little rascals away, have He Qiming squeeze into a bed with Ye Qingshan and Ye Qingfeng’s two brothers, and have Ye Qingzhi and her two sisters-in-law sleep in one bed. That way, it would be easier to talk.
Ye Qingzhi looked at Third Uncle. “Third Uncle, can you spare a few rooms? These few children are shy with strangers and can’t sleep without us.”
Ye Anjie immediately nodded and hugged Ye Qingzhi’s arm. “Mama, I don’t want to be separated from you.”
“This…” Third Uncle looked at Ding Aixian, hesitating about how to answer. His foot was kicked by Third Aunt. He followed her gaze and glanced at He Qiming, then immediately agreed, “Alright, I have many rooms over there. You can all come and sleep at my place.”
If Regiment Commander He slept at their house, wouldn’t he be indebted to them? A deputy regiment commander’s favor, why should they give it away?
If it weren’t for the fact that He Qiming was here, Ding Aixian would have already started cursing. The third son was really no good. He was actually trying to intercept?
“Third Uncle, no need. We’ll just squeeze in at my own house. It’s not like we can’t sleep,” Ding Aixian said, thinking of a storage room. She would have the fifth and sixth sons make do for a night. Anyway, it was summer. They could sleep anywhere.
“How can that be? It’s too crowded here. My place is a new house, and there are many rooms. The bedsheets and quilts have just been washed. Regiment Commander He and Little Zhi will definitely not be used to sleeping here,” Third Uncle said with a smile.
“Third Uncle…” Ye Qingshan was about to say something but was interrupted by He Qiming.
“Then we’ll have to trouble you tonight, Third Uncle and Third Aunt,” He Qiming said politely.
Because He Qiming had spoken, Ding Aixian and Ye Qingshan and the others could not stop them anymore. They could only watch as their family of six took their things and left with Third Uncle and Third Aunt.
“Regiment Commander He…”
“Third Uncle, my name is He Qiming. You can just call me Qiming,” He Qiming said, and also asked about some of the details of the fight.
In any case, Ye Shuiping was his father-in-law. The case could not be closed so vaguely. At least the culprit had to be found.
Ye Qingzhi did not understand these things. She followed Third Aunt to a room. It was very clean. You could tell that the bedsheets and quilts had also just been taken out from the cupboard.
“Third Aunt, we came back in a hurry and didn’t prepare anything. This is nougat from the Northwest. You can have a taste,” Ye Qingzhi said, giving her a bag of nougat as payment for the night’s stay.
Third Aunt happily accepted it. When she went back to her room, she was scolded by Third Uncle.
“You’re really short-sighted. I was originally trying to get a favor, but who would have thought you were so shallow,” Third Uncle said, lowering his voice, afraid that He Qiming and the others would hear.
The next morning, Ye Qingzhi’s family followed Ding Aixian to Third Grandma’s house to buy some incense. They did not dare to buy candles or paper money. This was feudal superstition. If they were reported, they would be taken for ideological education, especially since He Qiming was a party member.
Ye Shuiping’s grave was halfway up the back mountain, not very far. It was a seven or eight-minute walk.
When they arrived, there were already many people working on the side. Seeing Ye Qingzhi’s family, they knew they were here to visit the grave.
“Old Ye, Little Zhi is back. She’s brought Qiming and the children to see you. Old Ye, you died a tragic death. You didn’t even get to see your son-in-law once before you left. Sob, sob, sob,” Ding Aixian said, covering her mouth and crying.
A cold glint flashed in Ye Qingzhi’s eyes. What did she mean by “didn’t even get to see your son-in-law once”? Was she trying to say they were unfilial?
She let out a loud cry, interrupting Ding Aixian’s cries. “Dad! Why did you just leave like this? Your daughter didn’t even get to see you one last time. You died a wrongful death!”
He Qiming held the crying and unsteady Ye Qingzhi and said heavily, “Dad, I’m sorry. Last time, because I had to go on a mission, I only had one day and could only pick up Qingzhi and the children. I was originally planning to come back for the New Year and bring the children to pay their respects to you, but fate had other plans.”
He had not deliberately not come to the Ye family to visit. It was because he had to go on a mission and had no time.
Since He Qiming had said so, Ding Aixian and Ye Qingshan naturally did not dare to make an issue of it.
Ye Qingzhi felt that the act was almost over. The main thing was that she could not act anymore. In any case, it was enough that the villagers knew she had come to visit the grave.
Her body went limp, and she leaned against He Qiming’s arms. “Qiming, I’m dizzy.”
“Qingzhi, Qingzhi?” He Qiming immediately held Ye Qingzhi. He felt his hand being squeezed, and his worried heart lessened a lot. A hint of a smile flashed in his eyes. “Ma, Big Brother, Second Brother, ever since she found out about Dad’s accident, Qingzhi has not been able to eat or sleep well. And she has been on the road for several days. Her body is already not very good. I’m really worried. I have to take her to the hospital to see.”
Saying that, He Qiming turned and carried Ye Qingzhi on his back, calling the children and hurrying down the mountain.
“You don’t have to carry me,” she said. Ye Qingzhi felt it was a bit exaggerated.
“I like to carry you,” He Qiming said, turning his head.
“What’s wrong with Qingzhi?” Second Aunt, who was on the side of the road, asked curiously when she saw He Qiming carrying Ye Qingzhi.
He Qiming repeated what he had said before. No, he would say it to every villager who asked.
By the time they reached the village entrance, Li Gang was already waiting for them.
“What’s wrong with Sister-in-law? Is she alright?” Li Gang asked, running over.
“It’s fine. Wife, you and the children wait here. I’ll go and get the luggage,” He Qiming said gently.
After walking a few steps, he ran into Second Uncle and Granduncle, who were rushing over. He Qiming said bluntly, “I will definitely take care of my father-in-law’s matter.”
Second Uncle and Granduncle exchanged a look and turned to leave. This sentence was enough.
Ding Aixian and the others chased them to the village entrance. Seeing that Ye Qingzhi was already in the car, Wang Guqiu quickly pulled the ugly-faced Ding Aixian and walked over herself.
“Little Zhi, it’s rare for you to come back, and with the situation at home like this, won’t you stay and keep Ma company for a few more days? Who knows when you’ll be back next time?”
“Eldest Aunt, my ma doesn’t want to stay with Grandma. She’s not feeling well. My dad said he’s taking her to the hospital. Why are you stopping them?” He Jingyan asked, blocking the car door.
“Ma has been crying every day since she found out about Grandpa’s accident. She hasn’t been eating or sleeping well, and she’s lost a lot of weight,” Ye Anmin continued.
“That’s right. Mama is not feeling well. She’s going to the hospital now. Why is Eldest Aunt stopping her?” Ye Anjie asked, tilting his head with a curious look.
Wang Guqiu was speechless. She had originally wanted to play the emotional card and have Ye Qingzhi stay for two more days. But with what these few children had said, it had become her who was being unreasonable.
Ye Qingzhi got out of the car with a haggard expression and stuffed twenty yuan into Ding Aixian’s pocket. “Ten yuan is for Dad’s funeral, and the other ten is my filial piety to you.”
The ten yuan for the funeral was for the original host. The other ten was for last night’s and this morning’s meal. There was no more.
“Ye Qingzhi, are you really planning to cut off ties with your parents’ family?” Ding Aixian asked, her eyes blazing with fire as she looked at Ye Qingzhi.
“We haven’t been in contact for many years. If it weren’t for Dad’s death this time, I wouldn’t have come back,” Ye Qingzhi said, leaning over to Ding Aixian’s ear. “Eight years ago, you already sold me for a bride price. I’m a member of the He family now. Don’t look for me again.”
Although this era was more biased towards sons, there was one thing: you could not ask your daughter to support you in your old age.
The Ye family had three sons! If they dared to ask Ye Qingzhi for benefits, and the He family came to their door, it would be the Ye family who was in the wrong.
“Qingzhi, why did you get out of the car?” He Qiming came back with the luggage, exchanged a few polite words with Ye Qingshan and the others, and helped Ye Qingzhi into the car. He then politely said goodbye to Ding Aixian. “Ma, Qingzhi is not feeling well. I’ll take her to the hospital first. I’m so sorry. We’ll come and see you again next time we have time.”
As for when he would have time, he didn’t know either. He would talk about it then.
Back at the new house in Dayangcun, He Qiming thanked Li Gang and arranged to have dinner together the day after tomorrow.
When they entered the house, the two of them did not rush to pack. They took the children to the old house to greet He Dali and the others first.
“This is? Oh my, Qiming and his wife are back?” Fourth Aunt was taken aback for a moment when she saw He Qiming and Ye Qingzhi, then she greeted them with a broad smile. “Qiming, Qingzhi, when did you get back?”
“Last night. Fourth Aunt, are you coming back from the private plot?” He Qiming asked, seeing her carrying a full basket of beans.
“Yes,” Fourth Aunt said, seeing that they were empty-handed, and then looking at the direction they had come from. “Did you go back to your own house first? That house hasn’t been lived in for so long. It must be full of dust. After I take the beans home, I’ll come and help you clean.”
“No need. Thank you, Fourth Aunt. We can do it ourselves,” Ye Qingzhi said, her face looking a little haggard.
Fourth Aunt thought of the reason why Ye Qingzhi had come back and sighed softly, patting her arm. “The dead cannot be brought back to life. You have to look on the bright side.”
The two villages had fought over irrigation water and had killed someone, and had also slightly injured several others. This was big news, especially since the deceased was He Qiming’s father-in-law. So this matter was being talked about a lot in Dayangcun.
Ye Qingzhi nodded, her voice choked with emotion. “Thank you, Fourth Aunt. I know.”
“Fourth Aunt, we’ll go and see my parents first. We’ll chat again later,” He Qiming said. He could already see that Ye Qingzhi was not as sad as she appeared. But she had cried several times these two days. It was too hard on her body. He couldn’t bear it.
He helped Ye Qingzhi to the old house. Li Hehua, who was collecting clothes in the yard, was very surprised when she saw them.
“Second Brother, Second Sister-in-law, when did you get back?” She quickly carried the clothes into the house, shouting as she walked, “Dad, Ma, Qigao, Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law are back.”