Chapter 77: Splitting the Family

Once the paper certificates were written, the family was truly split.

Originally a family of 11, it was now divided into three households, leaving everyone with a sense of mixed emotions.

Liu Juan looked at the crowded table of relatives gathered together and wasn’t sure what to say.

Previously, she had wanted to split and live her own life, but now that it had finally happened, it didn’t feel as joyous as she had imagined.

She had once thought that Lin Heng would not survive after the split, but now it seemed that he had become the wealthiest.

Not to mention the un-sold skins of deer, badgers, rabbits, as well as the Lingzhi mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms, which were worth two to three hundred already.

“There’s no need to feel sentimental. Even after splitting, we are still family,” Lin’s mother said with a smile.

“Yes, we are still family even after splitting,” Lin Heng said with a smile, picking up a piece of tofu.

“Indeed, we’ll still help each other out as always,” Lin Yue nodded in agreement.

The sentimentality was short-lived and quickly ended.

As the meal was nearly finished, Lin’s father turned to Lin Heng and said, “You mentioned borrowing two hundred dollars, but I don’t have that much. I only have a little less than a hundred.”

Lin Heng waved his hand, “It’s okay, Dad. Once I sell the skins, I’ll have money.”

It was only June in the solar calendar, and there was still a long time until the end of August when the price of Sanghuang mushrooms would increase. He thought he had enough time to make a big profit, and there was plenty of time left to make money.

Even if hunting didn’t bring in enough money, he had other ways to gather some funds.

“That’s good. Live well in the future, and don’t mess around with people. Otherwise, I’ll break your legs,” Lin’s father warned again, afraid that Lin Heng would cause trouble after splitting the family and taking control.

“Don’t worry, I won’t,” Lin Heng smiled and shook his head.

After dinner, everyone rested with some feelings of melancholy.

Lin Heng lay in bed, looking at his daughter’s peaceful sleeping face, while planning for the future.

It had been a month since his rebirth, and they were still far from leading a happy and peaceful life.

For now, their living situation could only be described as barely making ends meet.

“What’s wrong? Are you thinking about something?”

After taking a shower, Xiulan came to bed and noticed Lin Heng staring into space.

“Nothing.”

He didn’t feel like talking. Instead, he reached out and pulled Xiulan into his arms, pressing his chest against her back and quietly feeling her breathing.

“Xiulan, do you love me?” Lin Heng suddenly asked.

Xiulan turned over, looked at his face, and gently cupped his cheek, “What nonsense are you saying? Of course, I do. If I didn’t, why would I marry you?”

Lin Heng suddenly smiled widely, “I love you too.”

“What’s going on?” Xiulan asked, confused.

Lin Heng shook his head, “Nothing. Just wanted to confirm. Go to sleep, my dear.”

He suddenly realized how rare it was to have someone who loved him and thought about him in such a vast and boundless world.

He was determined to make sure she lived a beautiful life.

Holding his wife’s hand, he gradually fell asleep.

The next day, the second day of the fifth month in the lunar calendar, June 19th in the solar calendar, was a bright and clear day with a gentle breeze.

Early in the morning, Xiulan found Lin Heng a clean set of clothes, and she also dressed up herself.

“Wife, I think you’d look beautiful with a high ponytail,” Lin Heng said, smiling as he looked at Xiulan.

Xiulan looked at him with confusion, “What’s a high ponytail?”

“It’s when you tie your hair up high like this,” Lin Heng grabbed her hair and demonstrated.

“Ah, I see. I’ll try it. I’ve never done it like that before.”

Xiulan, understanding the demonstration, tied her hair up high, revealing her fair forehead.

Lin Heng then helped her arrange the bangs at the front, not in the typical straight-across style that most women of the time had. Instead, he parted it in the middle and let two strands fall down along her cheeks.

“Does it look good? Is it too strange?”

Xiulan had never tied her hair like this before, and she felt a little unsure.

“How could it look strange? It’s absolutely beautiful,” Lin Heng said with a smile, looking at his wife.

Xiulan wore a simple white T-shirt on top and a pair of jeans that Lin Heng had bought for her in the city, which, paired with the new hairstyle, gave her the look of a neighborly older sister.

Lin Heng, holding their daughter, took Xiulan outside. Lin’s father and mother were both stunned by how beautiful she looked.

“Sister-in-law Xiulan, you look so pretty today! Your hairstyle is amazing!”

Caiyun came over, holding Xiulan’s hand, admiring her.

Compared to most women’s typical straight bangs, Xiulan’s high ponytail and middle-parted bangs were quite ahead of their time.

“Yes, my daughter-in-law is really eye-catching,” Lin’s mother couldn’t help but praise, thinking how such a beautiful daughter-in-law was actually married to her son.

Although Liu Juan, Lin Heng’s older sister, was dressed nicely and neatly, she couldn’t help but fade in comparison to Xiulan.

“It’s getting late, we should hurry up and move,” Lin’s father slowly said, looking at the chatting group.

“Alright, let’s go put up the couplets first,” Lin Heng said, taking Xiulan with him. They prepared some paste and took the couplets to the new house.

They pasted the couplets on the doorframe and added two upside-down “Fu” characters.

Inside, they hung up small banners with “Congratulations and Prosperity”.

“I’m going to set off firecrackers,” Lin Heng said, then lit the firecrackers with a lighter.

The popping sounds echoed in the yard, symbolizing both the joy of moving into a new home and driving away evil spirits to seek peace.

Before long, the neighbors also began setting off firecrackers.

Many people in the village heard the sounds and came over to watch from a distance. They all knew that the Lin family wasn’t holding a banquet, so no one came to offer their congratulations.

“Congratulations! Wishing you a prosperous and happy new home!”

The gate to Lin Heng’s yard was pushed open, and his uncle walked in with a red envelope, smiling.

Although Lin Heng had said not to hold a banquet or invite anyone, the close relatives living nearby still came.

“Uncle, you’re too kind,” Lin Heng helplessly accepted the red envelope. It was one of those occasions where you couldn’t refuse.

“Of course I had to come! It’s your new home, as your uncle, I have to show up,” Uncle Li Baiquan said with a smile.

He continued, “I’m going to your brother’s house first to give a red envelope. We agreed that we’ll eat at your brother’s in the morning and at your place for lunch.”

After Uncle left, soon after, Lin Heng’s third uncle arrived with a red envelope to offer his congratulations.

The celebration continued with more guests arriving, and everyone helped move things. Xiulan prepared breakfast in the new home, while Lin’s mother helped Liu Juan cook.

As they finished moving most of the items, three more guests arrived.

“Big Uncle, Second Uncle, Third Uncle, what a rare visit,” Lin Heng and Lin Yue walked up, greeting them while handing out cigarettes.

Lin Heng noticed that his big uncle, Lu Honghai, had come carrying a hunting rifle, clearly ready to go hunting with him on the mountain.

“Congratulations on your new home! You two better live well and stop fighting with your wives,” Big Uncle said with a smile, handing them each a wild chicken.

“Congratulations, Lin Heng! From now on, you’ll be truly independent,” Third Uncle said, patting him on the shoulder and giving them each a jar of wild honey.

“I’ve got red envelopes for your wives,” Second Uncle said, shaking the red envelopes before heading inside to give them to Liu Juan and Xiulan.

These relatives and close friends brought generous gifts, which made Lin Heng’s family feel both surprised and honored.

There wasn’t much furniture, so after everything was moved, the whole family sat under the gazebo in the backyard of Lin Heng’s new house.

Looking at the arrangement in the backyard, everyone was full of praise; the stream and fish pond were beautifully done.

“Lin Heng, I’ll set one up too. You’ll have to guide me when the time comes,” said his second uncle, enviously.

Lin Heng patted his chest and smiled, “Sure, no problem.”

“We should have lunch in the pavilion today. It’s beautiful, and there’s a cool breeze,” said his uncle Li Baquan with a smile.

Everyone agreed with no objections.

After staying in the pavilion for a while, everyone got up and went to Lin Yue’s house next door. After all, breakfast was at his place, so they couldn’t stay at Lin Heng’s for too long.

After sending everyone off, Lin Heng returned to his own house.

On the first day of the move, it was a must to have a meal at their new home.

In the kitchen, Lin Heng saw Xiulan picking vegetables while their daughter was nearby, making things more difficult by tossing the vegetables she picked out.

“What are we having for breakfast?” Lin Heng asked as he walked over to help.

Xiulan was picking a vegetable Lin Heng really liked, grey vegetables.

“Of course, we’ll have rice for the first meal in the new house. Let’s stir-fry three dishes: one with sour radish and preserved pork, one with grey vegetables, and one with pumpkin vines,” Xiulan said as she looked up.

Lin Heng nodded. “Sure. Do you need help chopping the chicken?”

They had half a chicken: one was a wild chicken sent by his eldest uncle, Lu Honghai, already cleaned and weighing about two kilograms. The other half was a golden chicken he had shot the previous night, with the other half given to his older brother, Lin Yue.

“Yes, chop it all up. We’ll eat a bit of wild chicken for breakfast, and serve the golden chicken for lunch,” Xiulan said, adding another dish for the morning.

Lin Heng grabbed an axe, found a wooden board, and was about to chop the chicken when Xiaoxia ran over. “Dad, hold me.”

“Later, you can play stick-throwing with Xiongba.”

Lin Heng called over Xiongba, who was sunbathing in the front yard, to play with Xiaoxia.

“Woof woof~”

Xiongba was a bit reluctant, but Lin Heng rubbed its head to comfort it, and soon it was playing stick-throwing with Xiaoxia.

As Lin Heng chopped the chicken, he chatted with his wife.

“How much were the red envelopes from San Die, Xiao Yi Fu, and Er Jiu?” Lin Heng asked curiously.

“San Die and Xiao Yi Fu gave two yuan, and Er Jiu gave three yuan,” Xiulan replied.

“That’s quite a bit,” Lin Heng was a little surprised. In this era, gifts often consisted of half a kilogram of rice or a pound of flour, and a good gift might be half a pack of sugar.

A few days ago, when his mother went to a funeral in the village, she gave a kilogram of rice as a gift.

Two yuan was already generous. It wasn’t until the 1990s that people began giving money as gifts, often just five yuan.

Xiulan nodded. “Yes, I was surprised too.”

“Later, when we go to thank them, let’s give them a bar of soap.”

Lin Heng thought for a moment and said. Since his three uncles and Xiao Yi Fu lived nearby, they had already been visited. He still needed to visit the three uncles who hadn’t been to his place yet.

Xiulan had no objections.

After chopping the chicken, Lin Heng went outside to start a fire. Although the mud stove had been aired out for half a month, it was still a bit damp, making it hard to start a fire.

It took three attempts, but he finally got the fire going. Once the fire was lit, the stove started emitting smoke, and the steam from the moisture evaporated.

When Xiulan saw that the stove had turned red, she added some lard to heat the oil. Once the oil was hot, she first stir-fried the grey vegetables, then added a small piece of lard and stir-fried the wild chicken meat.

“It smells so good,” Lin Heng said, his appetite increasing, as his stomach began to rumble.

“Here, try the saltiness,” Xiulan said, scooping some chicken onto his plate.

“The saltiness is just right. The chicken needs to be a little salty to taste better,” Lin Heng said, blowing on the food before putting it in his mouth and praising it.

Xiulan’s cooking was excellent, or rather, cooking was a necessary skill for women in this era. If a woman couldn’t cook, she might not get married.

After receiving Lin Heng’s praise, Xiulan smiled. “As long as it tastes good.”

She scooped most of the chicken into a plate and kept a portion to stir-fry with sour radish slices and spicy peppers. Then she stir-fried the golden chicken meat, as there was no fridge, so they had to cook it daily to preserve it.

After stir-frying the golden chicken meat, Xiulan used the remaining oil in the pan to stir-fry the tips of pumpkin vines. Lin Heng, using the excuse of trying the saltiness, ate two pieces.

Once all the dishes were done, Xiulan made food for Xiongba too, using cornmeal mixed with flour and the innards of the golden chicken she had killed last night.

“Today, we’re having white rice,” Xiulan said as she added water to the pot, smiling as she rinsed the rice.

“This is rare,” Lin Heng said as he added firewood, laughing.

The fire was strong, the rice was rinsed, and the water was almost boiling.

Once the rice was added, it was cooked until the grains had expanded, indicating it was nearly done.

At this point, Lin Heng lifted the rice with the broth and drained the excess water, then added a little water to the pot. He then removed the fire, leaving the embers to further evaporate the steam, and the rice was ready.

Cooking with firewood was much more troublesome than using an electric rice cooker in later years, but the taste was better.

As the rice steamed, Xiulan said, “Let’s go serve the dishes.”

Usually, after a little while, the rice would be ready.

“Okay,” Lin Heng said with a smile as he carried the dishes to the main room. He had already set up the new table and chairs.

The table was made of pine wood and still smelled faintly of pine.

“Time to eat!”

Lin Heng picked up his daughter and placed Xiongba’s dog bowl at the door.

Since it was their first meal in the new house, Lin Heng poured himself a glass of sweet sugarcane wine, and Xiulan also poured herself a glass of sugar syrup wine.

Sugar syrup is a very sweet drink made from boiled sweet potatoes. In the countryside, people often add alcohol to it, creating a unique-tasting wine.

Xiaoxia also had a small bowl of honey water.

“Honey, cheers!” Lin Heng raised his glass.

“Cheers,” Xiulan smiled brightly. This was the life she had dreamed of when she married Lin Heng.

After they drank, Lin Heng handed the honey water to his daughter, who sat beside him.

Squeak!

Xiaoxia made squeaky sounds like a little mouse as she drank her water.

“Dad, more!!”

After finishing, Xiaoxia raised her little wooden bowl, making a crisp sound.

“Eat some vegetables first, and I’ll give you more later.”

Xiulan handed her a bite of grey vegetables, and the little girl eagerly opened her mouth to eat.

Crunch!

At the door, Xiongba lowered his head, eating eagerly as well.

The three of them, Lin Heng, Xiulan, and Xiaoxia, ate the dishes, each taking turns.

“Honey, let’s drink a toast.”

Lin Heng raised his glass and smiled.

“We’re not getting married again,” Xiulan glanced at him but still reached over to clink glasses with him.

“Dad, more!!”

Xiaoxia grabbed Lin Heng’s clothes, shouting that she wanted some too.

“You can drink after we finish eating.”

Xiulan gave Xiaoxia a stern look, then took the bowl and began scooping rice.

“Woof woof!!”

Xiongba had finished his food and came over, looking at them expectantly.

“Here you go.”

Lin Heng tossed a chicken bone to him.

After scooping rice, Lin Heng fed his daughter with a bowl.

From time to time, Xiulan picked out pieces of wild chicken meat without bones and fed them to Lin Heng.

“Eat too, don’t just feed me,” Lin Heng said helplessly, as his wife was too caring.

“No, we each have one,” Xiulan said with a wink.

But clearly, she was eating the pieces with more bones and less meat, while Lin Heng’s had more meat and fewer bones.

Once Xiaoxia was full, Xiulan gave her a small bowl of honey water and let her drink it slowly with a spoon. Lin Heng then picked out several pieces of chicken with fewer bones and put them into his wife’s bowl.

“Eat it. No more for me,” Lin Heng said, staring at her.

Xiulan smiled and nodded, “Okay.”

Xiongba stared intently at the two of them, hoping for more bones from their meal.

The meal lasted for more than half an hour. Of the four dishes, only a little of the sour radish and preserved pork stir-fry was left. The other two dishes were finished by the couple.

There was also some rice left in the pot, intentionally left uneaten as a symbol of abundance for the year.

“Ah, I’m so full,” Lin Heng burped and said with a smile.

“You watch our daughter, I’ll clean up the dishes,” Xiulan said.

“Alright.”

Lin Heng nodded, picked up Xiaoxia, and carried her to the backyard.

Xiulan watched them leave, and for a moment, she froze. In just a month, this had become second nature for them.

Before, she used to carry Xiaoxia on her back while doing housework and farm chores.

A smile appeared on her face as she carried the dishes to the kitchen.

“Come on, let’s sit on the swing.”

Lin Heng placed his daughter on the swing chair and gently began rocking it.

“Swing!! Swing!!”

Xiaoxia shouted excitedly, kicking her legs joyfully.

“Alright, alright,” Lin Heng pushed hard against the ground, making the swing move higher, and Xiaoxia’s laughter grew louder.

Lin Heng leaned back in his chair, enjoying the moment. No matter how old one gets, a swing can bring happiness.

“Xiulan, come over here.”

Seeing that his wife had finished washing the dishes and had come to the backyard, Lin Heng waved for her to join them.

Soon, the family of three was all sitting on the swing chair, gently rocking together, enjoying the cool breeze and beautiful time.

(End of chapter)