Chapter 6: Our Chunniang Still Has Her Maternal Family!

“Chunniang? Chunniang!

Big Sister is here, don't be afraid!”

The moment Mother Li saw her sister-in-law, Zheng Meiniang, whose vision had been impaired from eating poisonous berries on the road, her nose went sharp with emotion. Her eyes, which had just shed many "golden beans" (tears), could no longer hold back, and large teardrops slid from the corners of her eyes.

Mother Li let go of Shitou's hand and released the other hand she had been using to pull Li Shiyue. She jogged toward Zheng Meiniang. Upon reaching her, Mother Li grabbed Zheng Meiniang's arm, and as a trembling, choked "Big Sister" escaped her lips, she could no longer speak, only sobbing while clutching Zheng Meiniang's hand.

Although Zheng Meiniang could no longer see clearly, she still had her strength. Just from the sound of Mother Li's commotion, she knew her sister-in-law—who was only four years younger than her and felt like a biological sister—had suffered a great grievance.

Fumbling, she pulled Mother Li into her arms. Mother Li's small frame fit perfectly within Zheng Meiniang's embrace, which was as tall and sturdy as a man's. Zheng Meiniang held Mother Li with one arm while using the other to gently pat her back in consolation.

The two young girls who had come with Zheng Meiniang were the eldest, Li Qiutian, who was shorter, and the younger sister, Li Xiaotian, who had inherited Zheng Meiniang's build. Although she was a year younger than Li Qiutian, she was quite tall and sturdy, standing half a head taller than her sister.

While Mother Li was still crying, Li Shiyue pulled Shitou along with Li Qiutian and Li Xiaotian to quickly recount what had just happened to their aunt, Zheng Meiniang.

Meanwhile, Li Youfu, the village chief of Li Family Village, and the three clan elders, who had been hiding in the crowd, stepped forward.

Quick-witted villagers immediately found small wooden stools for Li Youfu and the elders to sit on comfortably.

They listened as the villagers of Li Family Village took turns recounting how Father Li and Qin Tao had been caught in an illicit affair in the middle of the night by Shitou, how Qin Tao had then revealed her pregnancy and begged Mother Li to let her become a concubine, and how Mother Li had refused and decided to divorce Father Li and take her two children with her.

In truth, aside from the initial parts they hadn't heard firsthand, Li Youfu and the three elders had already moved to the periphery of the crowd once Mother Li began questioning Father Li; they had heard the entire affair.

Li Youfu listened to the comments from the onlookers regarding Li Shiyue's family. Some said they should divorce, while others suggested they should just make do since they were already fleeing the famine.

Li Youfu's mouth twitched. He habitually reached for the pipe in his waistband, only to find it empty. He then realized that in the haste of the flight, he had accidentally lost it.

Smacking his lips, Li Youfu glanced toward Father Li and Qin Tao by the light of the fire. By now, Father Li had already pulled Qin Tao up to stand.

It wasn't that Grandmother Li was feeling sympathetic toward Father Li that she let him up; he had climbed up himself.

He was likely either tired of kneeling, or he realized from the expressions of Mother Li and Li Shiyue that a few moments of kneeling wouldn't solve this matter, so he stopped putting on an act.

After a quick glance, Li Youfu turned his attention to the three oldest and highest-ranking clan elders currently in the village.

The Third Great-Uncle was very old; being woken up in the middle of the night, he could barely keep his eyes open. Once he sat down, he immediately closed his eyes to nap.

The Fifth and Eighth Great-Uncles, however, both had their eyes open. After exchanging a glance, they both looked toward Li Youfu.

"Youfu, look," the Fifth Great-Uncle said, glancing sideways at Father Li. "How should we handle this?"

"Handle it? How else?

Divorce!

It must be a divorce!

Don't think you can bully Chunniang and her two daughters just because Wangzheng isn't here!

Our Chunniang still has her maternal family!

What kind of trash is he? Who would want such a filthy thing!"

Zheng Meiniang began to shout. As she yelled these words, she reached back and pulled the butcher's knife tucked into her waistband.

Li Youfu felt his ears ring. He looked up at Zheng Meiniang brandishing the butcher's knife and swallowed hard.

The moment Li Youfu saw that knife, he couldn't help but remember Er Laizi from the neighboring village earlier this year. Er Laizi had snuck over the wall into Li Wangzheng's house under the cover of night. It was unclear whether he intended to steal valuables while Wangzheng was away or to prey upon the two young daughters of the Li family.

Regardless of his motive, Er Laizi ended up limping away, leaving a trail of blood at the Li house, and more importantly, Zheng Meiniang had hacked off three of his fingers.

Later, even Er Laizi's mother, who was known for her unruly tantrums, didn't dare come to the door to demand medical expenses. It was only after someone went to find him that they managed to beg for the three severed fingers back.

Of course, the fingers couldn't be reattached; Er Laizi's family only wanted them so that when he eventually died, he would have a whole body and could be a complete person in the next life.

As for Zheng Meiniang's skill with that butcher's knife, she had truly surpassed her master.

Zheng Meiniang's home was in town. Butcher Zheng had only had one daughter in his long life, and he had truly taught her every skill of slaughtering and butchering pigs.

Originally, Butcher Zheng had intended to find a matrilocal son-in-law to marry into the family, but he never expected that Li Wangzheng, who had come to town to find work, would catch Zheng Meiniang's eye.

Li Wangzheng's parents had long since passed away; he lived only with his sister, Li Wangchun—who was Li Shiyue's mother. The two relied on each other for survival.

When Li Wangzheng and Zheng Meiniang fell for each other, he immediately went to Butcher Zheng and said sincerely, "Uncle, if you don't mind that I have no parents and only a sister, I am willing to marry into your family."

But Butcher Zheng was an interesting man. Looking at someone like Li Wangzheng, he actually refused the matrilocal arrangement and instead insisted on marrying his daughter off.

At the time, they were still young; Li Wangzheng was not yet thirteen, Zheng Meiniang was only fourteen, and Mother Li was barely ten years old.

Butcher Zheng simply hired a matchmaker to betroth Zheng Meiniang and Li Wangzheng, and helped Li Wangzheng find an apprenticeship living with a blacksmith.

He also brought the young Mother Li into his home to keep Zheng Meiniang company.

Thus, since they first met, Mother Li and Zheng Meiniang had addressed each other as "Big Sister" and "Little Sister." Even as they grew older and Zheng Meiniang married Li Wangzheng, Mother Li still called her sister-in-law "Big Sister."

Two years ago, Butcher Zheng developed a chronic cough. Li Wangzheng sought medical help everywhere, spending all the family's accumulated wealth, but he still could not save him.

Consequently, Zheng Meiniang officially took up her father's butcher knife and began the pork business in town.

In the early years, the Zheng family was well-off, and they had even sent Mother Li to a female herbalist in town to learn skills. This was why Mother Li knew many characters, recognized various herbs, and knew folk remedies for treating minor ailments like headaches and fevers.

One reason the Li family had taken Mother Li in was partly because she was literate and understood medicinal formulas, allowing her to enter women's quarters to treat illnesses and earn a few copper coins.

Over the years, Mother Li had indeed used her skills to bring many benefits to the Li family.

(End of Chapter)