Back home.
The electric lights are already available, but the lamp in Gu Xiaoqing's house is a mere five-watt bulb, which emits a dim glow.
It's a bonus just to see people.
To see clearly, don't even think about it.
Li Xuemei put down the things in her hands and went into the kitchen to prepare the meal, as the whole family was hungry.
She fried some shredded potatoes, steamed a basketful of buns, and cooked a pot of cornmeal porridge to complete dinner.
The whole family gathered around the table, eating with relish.
Gu Ruhai watched his three children, heads buried in food, and felt a pang of bitterness in his heart.
Even the cornmeal porridge in his mouth lost its flavor.
Glancing at Li Xuemei, who was serving dishes to each child, he asked bitterly, "Mother of the kids, did you manage to borrow the money?"
If not, Gu Ruhai was thinking about asking brother Gu Rushan — after all, over the years, Gu Rushan had borrowed quite a bit of money from them; he might as well repay some first for Xiaoqing to start school.
He wasn't asking to have it all paid back immediately, just a few dollars should suffice to prevent the second child's affairs from being delayed.
Li Xuemei knew precisely what was in Gu Ruhai's mind just by looking at his expression.
After many years of marriage, it's impossible not to understand his thoughts.
Defiantly, she said, "Couldn't borrow it."
Gu Ruhai sighed.
He gulped down the cornmeal porridge, didn't even touch the black buns, set down his bowl, grabbed his coat, and walked out.
Li Xuemei was taken aback, wondering what he was going to do.
Quickly following behind, she caught up to him at the gate and asked, "Father of the kids, where are you going?"
Gu Ruhai replied gruffly, "Second Uncle just returned this afternoon, so I'm going over to sit for a while and chat."
Then he vanished into the darkness.
In rural areas like this, there were no street lights at all; once night fell, it was pitch-dark outside, and unless there was an emergency, folks wouldn't typically go out.
Li Xuemei, hearing this, turned back inside to clean up the dishes.
Knowing the outcome beforehand, yet still not resigned.
Just wait, once he visits Second Uncle's, their grandparents will surely turn up tomorrow.
And there'll be plenty of scolding.
Seems like tomorrow's dumplings for the kids won't be happening.
Gu Xiaoqing overheard Gu Ruhai's words and snickered secretly.
Their mother is pretty crafty, with just those few words enough to push their father to take action.
He was going to ask Second Uncle for money.
But based on Gu Xiaoqing's knowledge of Second Uncle Gu Rushan and Aunt Jiang Xiangyun, this trip would definitely be fruitless.
Moreover, theoretically, this outburst from their father would likely incite a massive backlash from their grandparents; tomorrow's bound to be a calamity.
But Gu Xiaoqing was already mentally prepared; if the grandparents dared come tomorrow, they'd make sure to render them speechless.
Favoritism can't be so blatant it disregards everything else.
This is liberation, unlike the old society before, where outdated customs oppressed daughter-in-laws without letting them have a voice.
Nor should descendants shy away from speaking up against elders; in the village, there are quite a few who stand up to their elders with lack of filial piety.
It's not that Gu Xiaoqing is unfilial; it's that they refuse to blindly obey.
If things continue like this, their family might end up ruined due to a filial piety guise — why continue being filial under such circumstances?
No matter how filial one is, they must be alive to be so.
If others are intent on ending your life, clinging stubbornly to filial piety is foolish — it's not true filial piety but foolishness.
Just as well, Gu Ruhai's departure tonight serves as a lesson, demonstrating their father the true colors of Second Uncle Gu Rushan, and what brotherhood really means.
It'll show what Gu Ruhai values as family support and assistance, its true nature.
It's certainly a good thing.
After Gu Ruhai went there, whatever happened next wasn't clear, but an hour later, he came back angrily, sat alone under the jujube tree in the yard with a black face, and smoked for most of the night.
The next day, with the farm work largely completed, the whole family stayed home; it was Gu Ruhai's most leisurely day in recent times.
Just after breakfast — or rather during breakfast — halfway through, their grandparents arrived at Gu Ruhai's gate.
"Brother, Brother, are you home? Father and Mother missed you; they're here to see you."
This loud voice belonged to Second Uncle Gu Rushan.
Gu Xiaoqing gulped down the porridge and started tidying up the table with Gu Xiaoying.
Just after they'd wiped the table clean, Grandpa Gu Daqing and Grandma Liu San walked in.
Gu Ruhai had already gone out to meet them.
"Dad, Mom, why've you come so early?"
Gu Ruhai wondered aloud.
His parents weren't the type to visit without reason; they surely had something on their minds.
Naturally, Gu Ruhai understood Mr. Gu and Mrs. Gu very well.
"Indeed, we came to see you. Second Uncle just returned, heard we missed you, and came along."
Mr. Gu had been a learned man in his youth, basically an exam-experienced scholar, which made him somewhat knowledgeable; in the village, he was considered capable.
Someone who valued face greatly.
Gu Ruhai smiled and called out to Gu Xiaoying, "Yingzi, bring your grandmother and grandfather a bench."
Gu Xiaoying responded and brought out two long benches from the central room.
Their house didn't have chairs; these four-legged benches were made from neighbor Fan Huzi's leftover scraps when he saw them squatting by the door eating; he's a carpenter and gave them these two benches crafted from his leftover materials.
Though other people's scraps, it's still a favor.
Second Uncle Gu Rushan, noticing only two benches, snorted and criticized, "Look, Brother, you live like this, don't even have a bench for your brother visiting, yet support a girl in school? What are you thinking?"
He then sat on the stone by the courtyard's central room entrance, took out a pack of paper cigarettes from his pocket, and handed one to Grandpa Gu Daqing, then lit one for himself without acknowledging Gu Ruhai.
Gu Ruhai's face turned pale; as the elder brother, being criticized by his younger sibling felt terrible, especially when the cigarette wasn't even offered.
It's not that Gu Ruhai craved for the paper cigarette, but felt humiliated.
Gu Xiaoqing couldn't hold back; this was blatant bullying.
While emptying the dishwater into the vegetable garden, they said, "Second Uncle, you're right. Our days are already like this, yet my dad is too embarrassed to reclaim the money you borrowed from us. I really wonder what my dad is thinking.
However, I know Second Uncle cares about his niece's education, aware she's about to start school soon and lacks tuition, and you've purposely come to repay my dad today."
With those words, the fire was immediately ignited.
The courtyard fell utterly silent.