Reborn in 1966

Chapter Forty-Five Apology

Zhao Tiezhu's mother still didn't dare to argue with her sister-in-law. Zhao Tiezhu's aunt was now the women's director of Zhao Family Village and had a lot of prestige. This was evident from the last family division. Aunt Zhao had a lot of say in all matters, big and small, of this big family.

Zhao Tiezhu's mother spoke loudly, which made Zhao's mother tremble with anger. She turned around and started yelling at Zhao's eldest son.

“Eldest son, now that you've separated your households, you have to stand up straight and make your own way in life. Before, I didn't want to talk to you because your two families lived in the same courtyard, and I was afraid that talking too much would cause conflicts. Now that you've separated your households, I have to have a good talk with you. Whether you two earn more or less has nothing to do with Tiezhu's family. They owe you nothing and don't owe you anything. Why should they send your Dajiang over any good food they have? If Tiezhu and his wife send over something nice, that's their kindness. If they don't send it over, no one can say anything.”

Old Zhao rubbed his hands together and said, "Auntie, the money the team gives out is really too little. It's not even enough to buy a pound of meat for the New Year. My mother is also very worried."

Aunt Zhao said, "Your mother is anxious, but how come I don't see you two being anxious? Eldest son, the more you do, the more you earn. Before the family split up, did Tiezhu and his wife ever miss a single day of work? And look at you two, if you don't go today, he won't go tomorrow, how much money can you earn?"

Zhao Tiezhu's mother was unhappy when she heard her sister-in-law say that.

"Sister-in-law, Dajiang's mother is not in good health..."

Upon hearing this, Aunt Zhao grabbed Zhao Tiezhu's hand and said, "Come on, come on, Tiezhu, come with me. We're not going to get involved in their family's affairs anymore. Let's go, let's go."

Outside the courtyard, Aunt Zhao kept saying, "I'm so angry! I'm so angry!" Looking at her nephew, Zhao Tiezhu, who had remained silent and looked grim, Aunt Zhao sighed and said, "Tiezhu, don't count on your mother anymore. If anything happens at home, just tell me. Your mother's been blinded by greed, sigh..."

With the twelfth lunar month just past the halfway mark, the moonlight was as clear as water, and the air felt increasingly crisp and cold.

Zhao Tiezhu let out a long sigh of relief and said, "Auntie, it's alright." There was an undeniable sense of desolation in his voice.

Aunt Zhao said, "Come to my house first thing tomorrow morning, and I'll go with you to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some decent things to take to your in-laws' house. We can't just let them laugh at our whole family like this."

Zhao Tiezhu agreed, escorted the old woman home, and then headed towards his own home at the edge of the village.

His home was in three small houses behind a waist-high wooden fence. Now, a dim light shone through the window, and his wife and children were waiting for him to come home.

His cold heart suddenly warmed up. He was not fighting alone; he had his wife and children behind him, who were his strongest support.

Zhao Tiezhu stood in front of the fence gate, gazing at the window that emitted a dim yellow light, and pondered the future of his family of four.

Both Shengxuan and I are hardworking people, and our children are sensible. As long as we work diligently, we will gradually build up our family business. After the New Year, we will borrow some money to fence off the yard. It doesn't look right to just keep it fenced off like this. We will talk to the village and ask them to make the yard bigger. After saving up for a few more years, we will renovate the house and build a bigger one, plus east and west wing rooms. Xiaohe is already five years old. In another ten years or so, he will have to find a wife. Time waits for no one.

Thinking of all this, the man who had been hurt by his own mother was revitalized and filled with fighting spirit.

Early the next morning, Zhao Tiezhu rode a bicycle borrowed from the village to the supply and marketing cooperative in town to buy some gifts, and then brought his aunt to his father-in-law's house.

Grandpa and Grandma didn't sleep well last night, and they looked unwell when they woke up this morning. When they saw their in-laws with their son-in-law, Grandma managed a weak smile.

When Zhao Tiezhu saw his father-in-law, and then remembered his mother's somewhat shameless and roguish manner, his face flushed. He entered the door, called out "Father, Mother," and then said nothing more.

Because of what happened yesterday, Grandpa sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) smoking after breakfast. When he saw his son-in-law enter, he looked up, said "You're here," and then lowered his head to continue smoking.

The older woman who came along was a little embarrassed, but she couldn't not come either, since she had ended up with such an unreasonable sister-in-law.

Grandma invited Aunt Zhao to sit on the kang (a heated brick bed). Aunt Zhao put the gifts she was carrying on the kang table, sat on the edge of the kang, and said to Grandma, "Sister-in-law, I brought Tiezhu here today to apologize for what happened yesterday with my child's second aunt."

Grandma sighed and said, "Auntie, there's really no need to apologize. That's just how our in-laws are. We don't expect anything else. We just hope that Tiezhu can live a good life with our Xuan."

Aunt Zhao said, "Sister-in-law, don't worry about that. With me and her husband there, their lives will definitely get better and better."

Grandma said, "My dear in-law, to be honest, these two kids haven't had a moment's peace since they got married. Thankfully they've separated their households, but they can't keep going on like this. Sigh..."

Aunt Zhao blushed almost imperceptibly and said to Grandma, "Sister-in-law, from now on, my husband and I will definitely keep a close eye on their eldest son. Finally, as long as the eldest son's family is doing well, there won't be any more trouble."

Grandpa then said to Zhao Tiezhu, "Xiaohe's dad, take some of our braised pig's head meat with you when you leave. The child is growing, so don't let him go hungry."

Grandpa is a man of few words, and the fact that he brought this up shows his reluctance. Every family is short of food and clothing, and he had taken so much meat to feed his grandchildren, but his in-laws had snatched away most of it. This was meant for them to keep for the New Year. The old man was heartbroken when the children cried.

Zhao Tiezhu's face turned even redder. He stood in front of the kang (a heated brick bed) rubbing his hands and said repeatedly, "Yes, yes, I understand, Dad."

With the New Year approaching, everyone was busy. After sitting with Zhao Tiezhu for a while, Aunt Zhao said goodbye and went home.

With a piece of braised pig's head wrapped in oil paper still hanging on the front handlebars, Zhao Tiezhu pushed the cart and walked with his aunt toward the small bridge by the river.

Aunt Zhao said to Zhao Tiezhu, "Tiezhu, you're lucky to have such a good in-laws. Listen to me, don't be so generous to your mother in the future. To put it bluntly, your mother is just being unreasonable. So what if Uncle Xiaohe is a rightist? He's being reformed in the village. Even Chairman Mao said that anyone who can be reformed is a good comrade. Yet your mother still forces Xiaoxia's mother to sever ties with her family. That's not how you do things."

Zhao Tiezhu said, "Auntie, I know. That's why we separated from my mother. From now on, I will live a good life with Xiaoxia's mother and take good care of my father-in-law and mother-in-law."

Aunt Zhao said, "That's right. Let me tell you the truth, you two are too simple-minded. You haven't separated your households yet. Look at your elder brother and sister-in-law, especially your sister-in-law. She doesn't go to work every other day. How can you live like this?"

Zhao Tiezhu said, "My sister-in-law is not in good health..."

Aunt Zhao said, "Everyone says you're honest and kind-hearted. We country folk aren't so delicate. It's just the two of you. Your sister-in-law is just shirking her duties. Isn't all the money you get from work points during the New Year in your mother's hands? They don't work hard, but they spend money together. Besides, your mother is biased. She gives all the good food to Dajiang. I'm not trying to sow discord between you and your mother, but I'm just telling you to be more frugal with your mother and your brother in the future."

Zhao Tiezhu said, "Auntie, thank you. I know all that. I originally thought we were all family, and it wouldn't be good to be too calculating and hurt feelings. Besides, I could make more money if I worked harder. Who knew my mother..."

Aunt Zhao said, "It's good that you know. Xiaoxia's mother is capable. You two will definitely be able to live a good life in the future."

After seeing Zhao Tiezhu off, Grandma said to Grandpa, "We really shouldn't have let our daughter marry into their family just because of you and Tiezhu's father."

Grandpa said, "Old Zhao was a good man. Who knew his wife would be like this? Good people don't live long. Old Zhao was such a good person. He's been gone for several years now."

Aunt Xuan married into the Zhao family because her father-in-law and grandfather were longtime friends. In her grandparents' eyes, with Zhao Tiezhu's father there, even though their eldest daughter-in-law was her mother-in-law's distant niece, their daughter wouldn't suffer any loss. Who knew that old Zhao would pass away so early?

Grandma said, "Back then, Xiaoxia's grandma was a cheerful and capable person. How did she become like this today?"

Grandpa said, "Forget it, the family has already separated anyway. As long as Xiaoxia's parents don't lose their mother's retirement money, the couple will definitely be able to live a good life from now on."

On the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, the Little New Year, because of the destruction of the Four Olds, there were no firecrackers or the sending off of the Kitchen God. The family quietly ate a slightly better meal and considered it the Little New Year.

After the Little New Year, the house got busy.

There's only a little time at the end of the year to clean the house, and to wash and clean the bedding.

"On the 23rd, sticky candy; on the 24th, sweep the house." Early on the 24th, Father Shen led his children to move the tables, chairs, benches, and bedding from the kang (a heated brick bed) into the yard. They tied brooms to long wooden sticks and swept the house inside and out. Finally, they set off a large firecracker inside the house. Pei Yin felt the house really shake. Father Shen said that this would shake down the dust that couldn't be swept from the roof.

So, throughout the day, there were many "bang" sounds.

Lying on the cleaned kang at night, Pei Yin felt that the air was much better. Actually, Shen's mother was a clean person, and the house was usually spotless. It must be because it was almost the New Year that she felt differently than usual.

Water was freezing cold, and the 25th was a bright, sunny day. Taking advantage of the good sunshine, the three grandmothers and Shen's mother boiled several pots of water early in the morning, took apart all the bedding, and put the cotton inside out to dry in the sun. They then carefully washed the cotton strips in the hot water with soap powder. As a result, the yard was filled with clean sheets and blankets, and you could smell the fragrance of soap powder even in the cold air.