Chapter 2: Becoming Third Uncle and Third Aunt’s Daughter
Dinner was served. It consisted of sweet potato congee and wowotou, along with a small dish of pickled vegetables with chive blossom sauce. Yu Juanfang placed a bowl of the congee in front of the child with a resentful thump. “Eat!”
T/N: wowotou – A type of steamed bun made from coarse grains like cornmeal or millet.
Tangtang licked her dry lips and cautiously murmured, “Thank you, Mom,” before she began to eat. Su Huimin then pressed a wowotou into her hand. “Tangtang, eat this.”
The congee was filled with soft, fragrant pieces of sweet potato. A single warm bowl seemed to chase the chill from her entire body. The wowotou was delicious, too. A bit of soybean flour had been mixed into the coarse cornmeal, and while it had the rough texture unique to whole grains, it became more fragrant the more she chewed. Tangtang ate with a sense of satisfaction so overwhelming it made her want to cry. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a full meal.
After dinner, water was heated on the kitchen stove. Yu Juanfang fetched half a bucket of hot water, mixed it with cold water, and told Tangtang to take a bath, ordering her to wash away all the bad luck clinging to her.
The moment she sat down in the wooden tub filled with warm water, the welts and bruises on her body erupted in a fiery, stinging pain. Tangtang clenched her jaw, forcing herself not to cry out as she carefully began to pour water over her body and wash herself.
Only Tangtang and Yu Juanfang were in the room. Yu Juanfang was sorting through some old clothes nearby. Seeing how Tangtang was bathing, she couldn’t help but frown and snap in a sharp voice, “How is it that you don’t even know how to bathe?! Did you never take a bath at home? You’ll never get clean like that. You’re just wasting a whole bucket of water!”
With that, she rolled up her sleeves and, with a sour expression, took a cotton washcloth to scrub Tangtang herself. However, the moment she saw the angry purple and blue welts left by the rattan cane on the child’s body, her hand froze mid-air. She muttered under her breath, “Anyone who saw this would think it was some mortal enemy, not her own mother.”
The child was painfully thin, without an ounce of meat on her bones. Her ribs were clearly visible, and her arms and legs were skinny. New wounds were layered over old scars. Her features, however, were quite striking: fair skin, a high-bridged nose, large eyes, and a full forehead.
She looked nothing like her biological father, Wang Shijin, who was gaunt and homely, nor did she resemble her mother, Su Yandi, with her fleshy build.
She tossed the washcloth back to Tangtang. “Just wash yourself. And make sure you get clean!”
After Tangtang finished her bath, Yu Juanfang called for Su Huimin to come in and empty the bathwater. She then rummaged through the camphorwood chest that had been part of her dowry and pulled out a bright red cotton-padded jacket that was about fifty percent new. As she was measuring it, the second brother’s wife, Yu Yahong, walked in.
“Third Sister-in-law, what are you doing?”
“Oh, the old jacket this girl is wearing is too thin and small. I was thinking of altering this old one of mine to fit her.”
Yu Yahong looked at the jacket, a flicker of recognition in her eyes. “Isn’t this the red padded jacket you wore when you married Third Brother?”
“Hah, it’s a bit tight on me now anyway. It’s just right to alter for the girl. What can I do? Third Brother just had to be a busybody, and now our third branch is stuck with her.”
“That’s actually what I came to talk to you about.” Yu Yahong held out a small bundle of clothes. “These are some of Wani’s old things. They’re a bit worn, but I’ve washed them clean and patched up the torn spots. Just let the girl wear these.”
What Yu Yahong brought over were two jackets and a pair of padded trousers. One jacket was a dusty purple, the other a faded pink. Although they were quite worn, they were still thick and could easily last another year or two.
Second Brother Su and Yu Yahong’s daughter, Wani, was eight years old, so the clothes were a perfect fit for Tangtang. Yu Juanfang accepted them with a smile and a word of thanks.
…
That night, when it was time for bed, Yu Juanfang pointed to the end of the kang with a cold expression. “You can sleep there.”
The Su family didn’t have many rooms, so the third branch—two adults and now four children—squeezed onto one large kang. Even though it was the foot of the bed, the kang was heated warmly, and it wasn’t cold at all. In fact, Tangtang felt she had never slept in such a warm bed in her life. The mattress underneath was thick, and the quilt, which smelled of sunshine, was incredibly heavy and comforting.
In the darkness, Tangtang lay with her eyes open, staring at the dark beams overhead. It all still felt like a dream. Just this morning, she had been in that other house, and by nightfall, she had become Third Uncle and Third Aunt’s daughter.
For as long as she could remember, her mother, Su Yandi, had despised her. Even though she had three older brothers, she was always the one assigned the most tiring chores. No matter how hard she tried to please her, she was always met with the same words: “What’s the use of a worthless girl? Sooner or later, you’ll just be married off to someone else’s family.”
“Su. Xin. Tang.” Tangtang silently repeated the name in her heart, an irrepressible smile gracing her features. She loved this name. It sounded so beautiful when spoken, not plain and common like Sanya.
She had also eaten her fill at dinner. The sweet potato congee was fragrant and sweet, and the wowotou had a satisfyingly chewy texture. Back at her old home, she would have been starving by this time, her stomach growling so loudly she’d have to drink a large ladle of cold water from the courtyard vat just to fall asleep. But tonight, her belly was full, and she wasn’t hungry at all.
A rustling sound came from the head of the kang. Tangtang quickly shut her eyes, pretending to be asleep.
Su Huimin pulled his wife into his arms. “Wife, tonight I saw you deliberately scoop a thicker bowl of congee for Tangtang. I knew then that even though you complain, in your heart, you’re willing to accept her.”
Yu Juanfang pinched his arm. “It’s all your fault for being such a busybody! You brought her right to my doorstep, what else could I do? Let me tell you, this is the last time. If you ever dare to bring another person home, you can just pack your bags and go live on the northwest wind! But since the girl has called me ‘Mom,’ I suppose we’ll keep and raise her. We’ll just have to provide for her until she’s a teenager, then add a dowry and marry her off. After that, she’ll have nothing to do with us.”
“Hiss…” Su Huimin sucked in a sharp breath and quickly begged for mercy. “Ouch, ouch, that hurts… What do you mean, nothing to do with us? She called you ‘Mom’ once. For the rest of your life, you’ll be her mother.”
“Third Brother Su, are you looking for a beating?” Yu Juanfang bit down on his arm.
…
When Tangtang woke up, the snow had stopped. She had slept exceptionally well, deeply and peacefully, and the dizziness she’d felt before was gone. She climbed out of bed and neatly folded her quilt, placing it in the corner.
There was a mirror hanging on the wall. She used her hands to comb through her fine, soft hair, tying it into two small braids. Then, she changed into the padded jacket and trousers Yu Juanfang had given her the night before. The jacket was pink and fit her perfectly. She gently touched the small flowers embroidered on it, her smile refusing to fade.
The gray jacket she had worn before was an altered hand-me-down from one of her Wang family brothers. Boys were rough on their clothes, and by the time it got to her, only a thin layer of cotton batting was left. She had grown quite a bit in the past two years, and the sleeves were far too short, leaving her wrists exposed to the biting wind that whistled up her arms.
She had just stepped out of the south room when she saw Old Madam Zhu. “Grandma.”
The old woman started, not recognizing Tangtang at first. The night before, she had been a filthy mess. Now, cleaned up, she looked like a completely different person. Dressed in a little pink jacket, her face was fair and clean, her eyes round and bright, her nose high and straight, and her small lips were as red as cherries. Against the gray, overcast day, she looked exceptionally vibrant and striking.
It was true what they said: clothes make the man. Three parts looks, seven parts presentation.
The other Su family wives, who had been feeding the chickens, all gathered around. “She was so grimy when we first saw her yesterday. Who would have thought she’d be so eye-catching after a little cleaning up!”
“Well now, is this little Tangtang?” Su Huimin came in carrying a bundle of chopped firewood, looking equally surprised at her new appearance.
Tangtang immediately greeted him, “Dad!”
Su Huimin gently scraped her cheek with his rough palm. “There now. Go and help your mom.”
Hearing this, Tangtang went into the kitchen and squatted in front of the stove opening to tend the fire. She loved this chore most of all. Compared to others, it wasn’t too tiring or troublesome, and in the winter, it was wonderfully warm sitting in front of the stove. The only downside was how much you would sweat in the summer. A pot of cornmeal porridge was simmering on the stove, and several sweet potatoes were steaming alongside it.
When Tangtang saw Yu Juanfang enter with a crock of old pickled vegetables, she immediately stood up. “Mom.”
Yu Juanfang glanced at her but didn’t say a word. She placed the pickles on the chopping block and began slicing them into thin strips. These pickles were extremely salty, covered in salt crystals; a single sliver was enough to eat with a large mouthful of porridge. Seeing that her mother had finished slicing, Tangtang took a plate from the cupboard for her to put them on.
Yu Juanfang’s expression remained sour. “What are you standing there for? Hurry up and take it out! Set the bowls and chopsticks for breakfast.”
Breakfast was cornmeal porridge and steamed sweet potatoes. With so many people in the family, mealtimes were like a battle, filled with the sounds of slurping porridge and clattering chopsticks. Su Huimin and Yu Juanfang’s eldest son, Su Juesheng, had already taken a sweet potato, but seeing that the serving basin was a bit far from Tangtang, he took the initiative and handed his to her. “Here, you eat this.”
Tangtang licked her lips and gave him a bright smile. “Thank you, big brother.”
That single “big brother” made Su Juesheng grin from ear to ear. His new little sister was not only pretty, but her voice was sweet, too. Normally, none of them ever said “thank you,” let alone the full phrase “thank you, big brother.”
“Juesheng is usually such a little rascal. I never thought he’d start acting like a proper big brother,” Su Huimin remarked with a chuckle, having noticed the interaction.
After breakfast, Tangtang wanted to help clear the table, but Yu Juanfang found her to be in the way. “I don’t need you,” she said with a frown, pushing her aside.
Although this was her maternal grandmother’s home, Tangtang had never been here before and didn’t know her cousins well. She watched as the other children played in the yard or helped the adults with chores, feeling awkward and unsure of what to do.
Just then, her second aunt’s daughter, Wani, walked over and took her hand. “Tangtang, do you want to come with us to gather pig feed?”
The Su family was raising a pig. Every spring, the entire family would scrimp and save to buy a piglet. The whole household would then feed it until the end of the year, raising it to three or four hundred pounds. When the time came, they would sell the live pig, and the money earned would cover the entire family’s expenses for the following year—everything from the children’s school supplies and tuition to all sorts of miscellaneous costs came from that single pig.
An excited smile spread across Tangtang’s face. She nodded and squeezed Wani’s hand, feeling for the first time like she was truly part of this family. “Okay, Sister Wani.”