Chapter 2: The Origin of the Name

2. The Origin of the Name

Once the preliminary steps for making fruit wine were finished and the sun began to set, Shi Ermei started preparing dinner for her family, who had been busy in the fields all day.

Since the house only had one large stove and one large pot, Shi Ermei could only cook the rice first, using the downtime to pick and wash vegetables.

It had to be said, in these times, a family that could afford to eat white rice without mixed grains was living quite well! Shi Ermei felt quite fortunate to have been "born" into this family; although she still had to participate in hard labor, it was much better than living a bitter life where one never knew if they would have their next meal!

Of course, it would have been even better if not for her sister-in-law, who was single-mindedly intent on marrying her off to a foolish boy and constantly causing trouble!

As Shi Ermei sat by the stove, watching the rice in the pot while picking vegetables, she was calculating whether she should venture deeper into the mountains tomorrow to gather more berries, when the sound of her family's footsteps and voices returning to the courtyard reached her.

"Mother, please reconsider this, okay?" Although Sister-in-law Tian's voice was deliberately lowered, Shi Ermei still heard it. "My parents said that once Ermei marries in, she will be the mistress of the house! She definitely won't be allowed to suffer!"

"Let's talk about this later. It hasn't even been three months since that last commotion! If we bring this up with Ermei again, I'm afraid she..." Mother Li's voice held hesitation and unease.

Old Man Shi and his son entered the courtyard and immediately fetched water to wash off the sweat and mud from their bodies, so they didn't notice what Li and Tian were whispering about in the yard.

"It was my fault last time; I wasn't careful with my tone," the Shi family daughter-in-law, Tian, said guiltily. "If I had spoken properly to Ermei, perhaps that wouldn't have happened. But, Ermei's temper is really... no matter whose family she marries into, it'll be the same!"

Although it had been about ten years since the establishment of the new administration, the status of women in the household had not improved much! Before marriage, they were called casually at home as Da Niu, Er Ya, or San Mei; after marriage, they became "Certain Lady [Surname]," and few were given proper names! Even when names were given, they were things like Tao'er, Xing'er, Hua'er, or Cao'er, but after marriage, parents-in-law and relatives mostly referred to married daughters as "So-and-so's wife," rarely calling them by name!

Old Man Shi was a branch member of the Shi clan in the county who was still within the five generations of kinship, so his and his son's names were quite formal. Old Man Shi was named Shi Yongwang, and his son was named Shi Shun! This was much better than other families calling their children things like Zhang Ergou or Shi Lüzi!

Old Man Shi's name had been given by an uncle, whose son later passed the provincial examinations to become a Juren—the only Juren master in the Hui'an Shi clan! When Old Man Shi went to offer his congratulations, he used the bond of the previous generation to beg his Juren cousin to give a name to his son, who was then still called Shi Daniu. The Juren cousin thought for a moment, spoke a long, scholarly passage, and then chose the name Shi Shun. It sounded particularly suitable for a farmer o(n_n)o~

Country folk valued boys over girls; once they gave their sons good names, they just called their daughters whatever! Shi Ermei had an older sister above her named Shi Damei! And while Sister-in-law Tian's name wasn't a flower, a plant, or a number, it was still full of the era's character—Tian Laidi!

"Mother, my parents also said that if Ermei agrees, they will take the dowry that was originally used to betroth me..."

Tian Laidi lowered her voice even further for the rest of her sentence. Shi Ermei, whose figure was obscured while sitting by the kitchen doorway, didn't hear it clearly, but she figured it wasn't anything pleasant to hear!

When Shi Shun had first proposed the marriage, the Tian family had demanded a heavy dowry, specifically so they could use the money to secure a wife for their foolish son in the future!