Chapter 16: You’re the Real Jinx
Hearing this, Old Madam Zhu spat fiercely on the ground in disgust. “Pah! A sparrow trying to wear a crown—you sure know how to dream! This girl’s surname is Su now, not Wang. Her real grandmother is standing right in front of her! You want to take her back to serve that old hag? Don’t even think about it! Now get the hell back to the Wang family! My Su family doesn’t welcome an ungrateful traitor like you!”
The commotion had drawn out the neighbors, who were now watching the spectacle. Su Yandi’s face flushed red and white under the barrage of insults, but she still tried to stand her ground. “No matter what, she came out of my belly! The blood of the Wang family flows in her veins. It’s only right and proper that she go serve her grandmother and be filial!”
“Bullshit! Filial? What kind of filial piety is that? If it weren’t for my third son bringing her back, she would have been eaten by wolves, and you wouldn’t have even blinked! For the past two or three years, you haven’t asked about her once. And now that the old hag has a broken leg—what, are her own sons and grandsons dead?! You want a daughter of my Su family to go be a free servant for you? Where in the world is there such a sweet deal?!” Old Madam Zhu slammed her cane on the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The onlookers murmured amongst themselves, nodding in agreement.
A neighbor, Grandma Zhang, yelled out in a booming voice, “We all saw what this little girl looked like when Third Brother Su brought her back, and we see what she looks like now! Those two have put their hearts into raising her to be the fine girl she is today. Where were you, her birth mother, then? Only now you remember she came out of your belly?!”
“The Wang family usually keeps their distance. Now you want to come and reap the rewards? Not a chance!”
“That’s right! We can’t let this child go back with you to suffer!”
“Why should she be a free servant for no reason?”
Zhang Guixiang stood by, munching on sunflower seeds as she watched the drama unfold.
Su Huimin hadn’t returned yet, but Yu Juanfang came out herself, holding the agreement that Su Yandi had signed and thumb-printed. “Second Sister, this is the contract you signed. It’s written here in black and white, clear as day. You gave up all custody of Tangtang. She has no connection to the Wang family, nor does she have any obligation to care for you or Wang Shijin in your old age. Tangtang’s household registration is under our third branch of the Su family. If you continue to make trouble, I’ll report this to the Brigade’s Party Committee, and we’ll see who ends up in real trouble!”
Hearing Yu Juanfang’s voice, Tangtang felt a surge of confidence, as if her backbone had been restored. Su Juesheng also took his sister’s hand. “Don’t be afraid. Your brothers will protect you!”
Tangtang nodded excitedly. “Mhm!”
Seeing that she had no leg to stand on, and with Old Madam Zhu’s fierce glare and the crowd’s condemnation, Su Yandi’s will deflated. She stomped her foot, and just as she was about to turn and leave, she saw that little white-eyed wolf Tangtang peek out from behind Yu Juanfang, her eyes full of fear and vigilance.
A fresh wave of anger surged through her. She sneered, “Fine, I don’t want this wretched girl anyway. But here’s a word of advice: all of you should stay as far away from her as possible. She’s bad news, a jinx reborn! She brings ruin to whoever is good to her!”
“Don’t believe me?”
To make her case more convincing, Su Yandi cited two examples. “The year she was born, her own father inexplicably fell and broke his leg! That summer, there was a huge flood that drowned all the crops in the fields! And that winter, the snow was two feet deep, and all the livestock in the village froze to death!”
This was no mother. Anyone who didn’t know better would think she was a mortal enemy, slandering a child’s reputation like this.
The crowd looked at each other. If it were a simple argument, they could choose a side. But they didn’t know what to make of these superstitious claims.
Zhang Guixiang suddenly felt that the sunflower seeds in her hand had lost their flavor. A chill ran down her spine, and she shivered.
“What a load of horseshit!” Old Madam Zhu roared. “If she’s a jinx, then what does that make you, her mother? You should be the first one we drown in the pond!”
Su Juesheng shouted, “Someone is spreading feudal superstition here!”
Hearing those words, Su Yandi immediately scurried away in disgrace.
And so, another half a month passed.
The Yuhuai Village Primary School had three main teachers. Teacher Tian was responsible for the lower grades. Su Huimin taught math to the upper grades and also handled physical education for the entire school. Another middle-aged female teacher, surnamed Yao, was in charge of language and music classes for all grades.
On this day, Su Huimin had just finished a math class and returned to the office. He put down his chalk and textbook, picked up his enamel mug for a sip of water, and was about to head to the sixth-grade class when a group of militiamen burst in.
“Are you Su Huimin?”
Seeing the menacing group, Su Huimin stood up from his chair, bewildered. “I am.”
“We’ve received a report that you are suspected of spreading counter-revolutionary propaganda and incitement. You’ll have to come with us!”
The words “counter-revolutionary propaganda and incitement” struck him like a bolt of lightning in broad daylight. His ears were ringing. He forced himself to remain calm, placed the lid back on his mug, and licked his dry lips. “Then I will go with you.”
Before being led away, he didn’t forget to instruct the panic-stricken Teacher Tian, “Change the next sixth-grade math class to a study hall. And please hand back the graded homework on my desk.”
“I will, Teacher Su.” Teacher Tian was young and had never experienced anything like this. If such a serious charge was confirmed, it could mean prison at best, or execution at worst. She nodded, her face pale, and watched as they took him away.
“Dad! Dad!” Tangtang pushed through the crowd and ran after them.
“Could you let me have a word with my daughter?” Su Huimin asked.
The two militiamen exchanged a glance and released their grip on him.
All the color drained from Tangtang’s face, and her hands trembled uncontrollably. She was terrified that her father would be taken away and shot. She had only just found this family.
“Tangtang, don’t be afraid, and don’t let your mother worry. I have a clear conscience about the things I haven’t done,” Su Huimin said, stroking her head, trying his best to appear relaxed for her sake.
Tangtang fought back tears. “I know, Dad!”
…
The news of Su Huimin’s arrest sent a shockwave through Yuhuai Village. The accusation spread to every corner, and as the villagers whispered about it, they all speculated on whether he would be executed.
The occasional rumor that reached the Su family’s ears was like salt in their wounds.
They were all too distraught to eat dinner, waiting by the door until well after ten o’clock at night, when the eldest son, Su Jianjun, wearing a bamboo hat, slipped into the courtyard under the cover of darkness.
Old Madam Zhu quickly ordered everyone to shut the doors and windows and sent all the children to bed. Su Jianjun’s expression was grim. After drinking two cups of tea, he told them everything he had found out.
“They say they found a large number of counter-revolutionary poems copied into his teaching materials. The investigation is very strict. Third Brother has already been taken to the detention center. It’s not easy to see him, and there’s no telling when he’ll be released. It looks bad.”
A wave of dizziness washed over Yu Juanfang, and she nearly collapsed. Luckily, Yu Yahong and her husband were there to support her.
Old Madam Zhu’s heart went cold. She scanned the faces in the room, her lips set in a grim line. “The only thing we can do now is wait.”
.
Zhang Guixiang returned to the east room, deeply unsettled.
Seeing her husband, Su Jianjun, enter, she quickly shut the door and lowered her voice. “How could Third Brother be so muddle-headed as to do something so foolish?! If this charge sticks, our whole family will be shamed in this village! And your two sons’ futures—school, the army—it will all be affected!”
Su Jianjun frowned. “We don’t know the specifics of the situation yet. Given Third Brother’s character, it’s unlikely he would do something so reckless. Don’t scare yourself.”
He said this, but in his heart, he wasn’t so sure. Although his brother was steady and honest, he had the proud arrogance of an intellectual. It wasn’t entirely impossible that he would hide poems.
Zhang Guixiang felt as if a heavy stone was hanging in her heart. She didn’t care about Su Huimin’s fate; she was terrified that if the charges were confirmed, her own sons, Tiedan and Gousheng, would inevitably be implicated.
Her mind was a chaotic mess. Suddenly, the words Su Yandi had spoken that day flashed through her mind.
“All of you should stay as far away from her as possible. She’s bad news, a jinx reborn! She brings ruin to whoever is good to her!”
Her thoughts suddenly became crystal clear. “There’s something strange about this whole affair with Third Brother. Do you think… it could be that girl Tangtang’s jinx energy that’s cursed him?”
Su Jianjun had also been present that day. His face instantly darkened, and he snapped at his wife, “Nonsense! This ‘jinx’ business is baseless talk! The most important thing now is to figure out a way to get Third Brother out, not to talk about this nonsense!”
Although her husband had sternly rebuked her, the idea in Zhang Guixiang’s mind only grew stronger. She reasoned that Su Huimin had been teaching at the school for over a decade. Why had nothing happened before? Why did this disaster strike only after he adopted Tangtang? Didn’t that prove that Tangtang was a jinx, sent to bring ruin upon him and his wife?
…
Besides their regular work, the Su family would also cut willow branches from the mountains to weave baskets, which they sold to the purchasing station in the city for ninety cents each. It was tedious work; a whole morning might only yield one basket. It was mainly a job for the adults, with the children helping out.
Zhang Guixiang had just soaked the willow branches when she called for Gousheng to carry them over to his father. But Gousheng was busy playing marbles with the other children and didn’t hear her. She called several times, and was about to march over and grab him by the ear, when she saw Tangtang appear in front of her.
Tangtang licked her lips. “First Aunt, do you need me to carry these branches to First Uncle?”
A shiver ran through Zhang Guixiang’s body. Su Yandi’s words echoed in her mind. Terrified that Tangtang would curse her, or worse, her husband, she recoiled as if she couldn’t get away fast enough. “No, no, no… I’ll just have Gousheng do it.”
“Then I can help you draw water to wet the rest of the branches,” Tangtang offered, her eyes on the nearby water bucket.
Zhang Guixiang instinctively took a step back, her gaze darting away. “No, no! I don’t need your help! You just… go and play somewhere else!”