Reborn in 1966

Chapter Eighty: Spreading Rumors

Someone had used a broken vat to create a small puddle by the river. The water in the vat was very clear and sweet. Many people would go there to fetch water when they weren't busy to make porridge or boil water for tea. Even tea leaves and tea stalks costing only a few cents a pound could be brewed very well.

Grandpa nodded, but before he could say anything more, Zhao Tiezhu carried two full buckets of water, followed by his son and daughter, through the fence gate.

Aunt Xuan quickly stepped forward to take the message and whispered to Zhao Tiezhu, "Our father is here. I can tell his expression is off. He must have something on his mind. He said he's here to see you. Go and ask him what's going on."

Zhao Tiezhu hurriedly carried the water bucket to the water vat in the corner of the outer room, poured the water into the vat, handed the water bucket and carrying pole to Aunt Xuan, and then quickly went into the inner room.

When Grandpa saw his son-in-law come in, he said, "You're back."

Zhao Tiezhu said, "Dad, you're back."

Grandpa said, "I came here today to talk to you about something. Why don't we go and take care of it now?"

Zhao Tiezhu said, "Alright, Dad, I'll go with you to take care of things first."

Aunt Xuan said, "Dad, let's eat first before we go?"

Grandpa said, "No need, we'll just be gone for a little while and then we'll be right back."

Zhao Tiezhu said, "Xiaoxia's mother, you can stay home and eat with the two children first."

The father-in-law and son-in-law walked outside the fence. The grandfather stood outside the fence with his hands behind his back and his back hunched over. He said, "Tiezhu, your father has come this time to ask you to come with me to look for your mother."

Zhao Tiezhu asked curiously, "Why are you going to see my mother?"

Grandpa was silent for a while, then said, "Why don't we go find your aunt first? This should have been something your mother told you, but I didn't tell her after the villagers told me. Your mother isn't in good health, and I was afraid she would get sick again if she got anxious."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Tiezhu understood that his mother must have been making things up again, otherwise why would his father-in-law come to his house and say these things to him?

Without saying a word, Zhao Tiezhu took his father-in-law to his uncle's house.

The old man's family was just about to eat when they saw the father-in-law and son-in-law enter. Although they didn't quite understand, they still warmly welcomed the grandfather and led him to sit on the kang (a heated brick bed).

Grandpa stood in the yard and said to Zhao Tiezhu's grandparents, "No need to come inside. I have something to tell you today. I'll leave after I'm done."

Zhao Tiezhu's aunt was a quick-witted person. When she saw her grandfather's expression, her heart skipped a beat. After taking a deep breath, she smiled and said to her grandfather, "My dear in-law, just tell me what's on your mind."

Grandpa said, “Auntie, Xiaoxia’s mother-in-law said some things that are not good for our hardworking father-in-law. You know how much influence Secretary Tian has in our village. I’m afraid that if the higher-ups hear this, it will cause trouble. Why don’t you go and tell her that I’ll have my second daughter-in-law go home tonight? We really have no intention of engaging in any bourgeois hedonism.”

Zhao Tiezhu's aunt understood immediately. She had heard some rumors about Secretary Tian of Shenjia Village. The fact that he came to her door like this meant that it really was her troublesome sister-in-law who had caused this trouble.

Zhao Tiezhu's aunt was furious, but she gritted her teeth to keep from cursing. She smiled and said to her grandfather, "My dear in-law, don't worry, I'll go find Tiezhu's mother right now. Tiezhu, you can take your father-in-law back home and go straight home. You don't need to come to your mother's place."

When Zhao Tiezhu heard his father-in-law say these words, he wished he could disappear into the ground. Hearing his aunt say such things, he nodded repeatedly and said, "Auntie, I know, I know." With that, he helped his father-in-law walk outside.

Grandpa wanted to say something more, but in the end he didn't. He sighed and followed his son-in-law outside.

Zhao Tiezhu's grandparents saw the two out of the yard until they were out of sight. Then, Zhao Tiezhu's grandma said through gritted teeth to Zhao Tiezhu's grandpa, "I must have had the worst luck in eight lifetimes to have such a brainless woman as my sister-in-law. Don't stop me this time. Even if your brother died young, and your brother's wife raised three children with great difficulty, I still have to go and settle these scores with her."

Zhao Tiezhu's uncle said, "Don't be angry, let's think about how to talk to her aunt."

Zhao Tiezhu's aunt said, "We need to think about this carefully, husband. If you're not thinking about anything else, you should think about our daughter who hasn't found a husband yet. With an aunt who can't even tell right from wrong, what decent family would want her?"

Zhao Tiezhu's uncle said, "Honey, you can't say that. You know his aunt is in the propaganda team now, and there are lots of people there who talk a lot. If you go and argue with her, people will probably start talking about our family. I think we shouldn't go directly to her, but go to their eldest son and talk to him about this. No matter what, his aunt lives with his eldest son, so she can listen to what he says."

Zhao Tiezhu's grandfather sent his children to his nephew's house to call him over. When Zhao Tiezhu's elder brother, Zhao Tieliang, arrived, he probably hadn't eaten yet. Seeing the kang table still set up, he sat down to one side.

Zhao Tiezhu's old man said, "Brother, I have something to tell you today."

Hearing that he hadn't been invited to dinner, Zhao Tieliang became somewhat dejected and said, "Uncle, just tell me what's wrong."

Zhao Tiezhu and his wife exchanged a glance. Zhao Tiezhu's aunt said, "Tieliang, let me be frank. Tell me, shouldn't our relatives help us out?"

Zhao Tieliang was a little confused and said, "That's right, isn't that how relatives should be? If relatives don't help each other, who will help you?"

Aunt Zhao said, "Alright, with you saying that, I feel more confident. Are Secretary Tian from Shenjia Village related to us?"

Zhao Tieliang said, "Although we're not very close relatives, we're still relatives."

Aunt Zhao said, "Although they are related by blood, your brother's wife is the sister-in-law of Secretary Tian's daughter. That's considered a very close relative in our area. Who would say such sour things about their own relatives? Tie Liang, go home and talk to your mother. It's not good for her that Secretary Tian is in trouble. Don't be fooled by her singing and dancing with the propaganda team all day long. The leaders of the commune might be giving her special treatment because she's related to Secretary Tian."

Zhao Tieliang was bewildered by what his aunt said and asked, "Auntie, what did my mother say?"

Aunt Zhao said, "When the daughter of Party Secretary Tian was having her postpartum confinement at home and stayed at her parents' house for a few days, your mother went around telling people that Party Secretary Tian's family was pursuing bourgeois hedonism. Did Party Secretary Tian's family do anything to her? Why did she say such things?"

Because Zhao Tieliang had a relative who was the village secretary, he was quite confident when he spoke harshly to others in the village. He had grown up listening to the stories of Secretary Tian from Shenjia Village. He had asked around and found out that Secretary Tian was very famous in the entire Xiping County. Of course, he didn't want Secretary Tian to suffer any misfortune.

Zhao Tieliang felt a layer of sweat on his back and sat up straight. He said to Grandpa Zhao and Grandma Zhao, "Grandpa and Grandma, don't worry, I'll go find my mother right now." After saying that, he got off the kang (a heated brick bed) and ran home.

Leaving aside Uncle Zhao's side, let's talk about Grandpa and Zhao Tiezhu walking together towards Zhao Tiezhu's small courtyard.

As dusk settled, shadows filled the air. The temperature had already dropped considerably after the sun had set, and Zhao Tiezhu, wearing a dark blue coarse cloth jacket, felt so cold that he shivered all over.

When they reached the gate of the fenced yard, Grandpa stopped and said to Zhao Tiezhu, "You go home. I won't go in. I'll just walk home from here."

Zhao Tiezhu, with his head down, heard his father-in-law say those words, then raised his head and said, "Dad, I'm sorry..."

Grandpa said, "Tiezhu, it's not your fault. Don't apologize to your father. Go back and live a good life with Xuanxuan. Raise the two children well. You are still young, and there are many good days ahead of you. Go back, go back."

After Grandpa finished speaking, he walked onto the small bridge with his hands behind his back. Zhao Tiezhu stood at the bridgehead, silently watching his father-in-law walk home quickly with his hands behind his back and his hunched back. His heart felt like a spice shelf in a grocery store that had been overturned, with all sorts of things like firewood, rice, oil, salt, sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty mixed together.

Zhao Tiezhu didn't go back into the house until his father-in-law was out of sight.

Aunt Xuan saw Zhao Tiezhu come in by himself, and not seeing her father behind her, she asked, "Where's Dad?"

Zhao Tiezhu said, "Dad went back and said he won't be eating at our house. Let's eat quickly."

Aunt Xuan ladled the porridge into a bowl and placed the bowl of pickled vegetables on the kang table. Only then did the family of four sit down to eat.

After dinner and clearing the table, Aunt Xuan asked Zhao Tiezhu, "What did Dad want to see you about?"

Zhao Tiezhu said, "It's nothing, I just went to our aunt's house and said a few words to our uncle."

In front of his wife, this man, who had never lied before, had a slightly evasive look in his eyes. The shrewd Aunt Xuan immediately realized that her husband was not telling the truth. She got off the kang (a heated brick bed), put on her shoes, and said, "I'll go to Auntie's house to ask."

Zhao Tiezhu grabbed Aunt Xuan's arm in a panic and said, "What are you doing so late at night?" Xiaoxia and Xiaohe were playing with beanbags at the kang table. Seeing that their parents' expressions were not good, Xiaohe hurriedly hid behind her older sister.

Zhao Tiezhu quickly pulled the two children into his arms and said to Aunt Xuan, "Xuanxuan, you scared the children."

When Aunt Xuan heard Zhao Tiezhu address her and looked at the two children with frightened expressions, her expression softened. She said to Xiaoxia and Xiaohe, "Mom didn't mean it. Xiaoxia, you and Xiaohe stay home and sleep quietly. Mom and Dad are going to your great-grandfather's house."

Seeing that Aunt Xuan was determined to go, Zhao Tiezhu said to the two children, "Xiaoxia, be good, your father and mother will be back soon."

Xiaoxia nodded obediently, exchanged a glance with Xiaohe, and after her parents left, Xiaohe said, "Sister, let's go and see. I think it must be related to our grandma."

Xiaoxia asked, "How did you know?"

Xiaohe said, "Dajiang told me today that our grandma was talking badly about our maternal grandpa's family at home."

Xiaoxia said, "No wonder Grandpa came to our house this afternoon. Let's go and see. If Grandma bullies Mom, we'll both stand up for her. I don't believe we can't protect Mom."

The two children got off the kang (a heated brick bed), put on their shoes, blew out the kerosene lamp on the kang table, locked the door, and quietly followed behind their parents.