Chapter 115: This Is My Niece From My Maternal Home

The woman abruptly lifted her head, looked at Qiao Mai, and then tears fell pattering down.

"I thought, I thought."

"As long as you're not like Qiao Shicheng's family and still have a sense of humanity, I'll accept you as my aunt."

"Mai Mai, thank you!"

"Tell me about your family's situation."

"Your aunt's parents are gone; when they died the family split. You have a cousin brother, a cousin sister, and a younger cousin sister. Your uncle is an honest simple man who knows nothing but farming, does whatever he's told, a man who can't even produce a fart with three sticks."

Qiao Mai waved, asking the attendant to bring another bowl of milk tea.

Qiao Cuihua swallowed and continued, "Your cousin sister married, but isn't doing well; your younger cousin sister hasn't been betrothed yet; your cousin brother married a wife and had a boy, now seven years old."

"How many mu of land does your family have?"

Besides Qiao Cuihua, Qiao Mai had never met these people; her family is poor, even visiting relatives must be to save a few Wen, and during festivals she is the only one who returns to her natal home.

After she finished the milk tea, Qiao Mai took her back to Jixiang Yuan.

"If you work hard, things will get better."

"As long as you give your cousin brother and younger cousin sister a chance, they'll definitely improve."

Two large sacks of grain and ten jin of meat were carried into the house, and Qiao Mai sat on a worn chair.

"Hmm, the names all sound nice."

Qiao Cuihua directed the coachwoman to drive the carriage, turning onto a village road.

Qiao Cuihua's aged face flushed red, "The family is poor, no one teaches, no place to learn."

Liu Bao timidly called out to Qiao Mai, "Cousin aunt, hello!"

"Mother, you're back; have the grain been borrowed?"

"Mai Mai, thank you!"

"Quick, call out to cousin aunt!"

She took a silver ingot from her pouch, "Since you called cousin aunt, here's a welcome gift; this is from cousin aunt, take it and play with it."

Liu Dashan took Liu Hai to the kitchen; Qiao Shi, at this moment she should be called Liu Qiaoshi.

The farm family's porridge cooks quickly; after a high flame, water is added, a few pieces of sweet potato are thrown in, then half a bowl of cornmeal is poured in and simmered—soon it will be ready to drink.

Qiao Mai didn't talk much with her on the way; the woman kept her head half lowered.

"Aiy, aiy, I'm truly sorry; my family has been poor for so many years and never went back to Lihua Village with your aunt. Come inside quickly, quickly!"

At that moment the milk tea was placed on the table, "Drink up; after you drink, come with me home. I'll pack some things for you, see you off, and also check on your uncle and cousin brother and younger cousin sister. If you're worth my help, I'll do it; if not, I won't intervene."

"Isn't your cousin brother working in the town?"

"You always rely on borrowing food; that's not right. You need to learn a craft and become self‑reliant."

"Don't worry about me; first make food for the children. Don't cook for me, I'm not hungry."

"I'll call them over."

Liu Hai wiped his tears, "Your cousin aunt brought you food; once it's cooked, you can eat it."

"It's about ten mu, but the land there yields poorly—only three to four hundred jin per mu, even in a good season. Ten mu only produces one season's harvest, not enough for a big family. Your cousin brother found a job in that town; he earns only a hundred or ten Wen a month."

"Fourteen."

Qiao Mai said nothing, led her to the stables, had the carriage prepared, called a coachwoman who could drive, rushed the carriage to the warehouse, took out a sack of a hundred jin of cornmeal and a sack of a hundred jin of flour, and loaded them onto the cart.

Yuan Jiaqi and his group had no class today; after learning of this, he packed three sets of his old cotton coats, and Feng'er and Yun'er, upon hearing, each prepared one set of cotton coats, all loaded onto the cart.

Qiao Mai exchanged greetings with the family, had someone help Qiao Cuihua onto the cart, and the coachwoman drove the carriage out of Jixiang Yuan.

"It's cold and snowing; the eastern household let him go home. Winter jobs are hard to find."

Passing a meat stall, she had the owner weigh ten jin of meat and load it onto the cart, then headed northward.

She pulled Liu Bao over to Qiao Mai.

Qiao Mai looked into her eyes and saw only excitement, no greed; given this family's situation, giving money is more appropriate than anything else.

"I hope you all turn out well; don't disappoint me. I also want family, someone to talk to; don't let my efforts be in vain."

They took turns eating in the kitchen, then returned to the house; after all, they were strangers and had little to say.

The door, though old, was intact; it seemed the family were diligent.

They were all honest simple farmers, with no scheming, unlike Qiao Shicheng—his name suggests sincerity, but the man is not sincere.

"I… I don't know what to say; we'll see from now on."

"Yes, yes"

"Three years younger than me."

The voice was loud; everything was shouted out at once.

"Uncle!" she nodded at him.

"Where's the younger cousin sister?"

Looking at her clothes—patched but very clean—and at the cousin sister-in-law as well, she judged the family's character with just one glance.

"The child's mother—who has arrived?"

"Father, I'm hungry!"

"Aiy, aiy, I'll do it right away, let your aunt, your younger cousin sister and sister‑in‑law keep you company for a while."

Setting out from Tianshui Town, they walked over a hundred li, which is the distance from Tianshui Town to the County Town.

"How did you get here?"

She has always been kind to children, especially when she sees a well‑behaved, sensible one, her stern face softens.

"This is the niece from my natal home in Lihua Village."

At the mention of grain, the Liu family members simultaneously swallowed, and the boy beside Liu Hai looked up at him.

"How old are you?"

"Mai Mai, don't worry, they're all good people, absolutely nothing like your parents."

Cousin-in-law Liu Sunshi quickly said, "Cousin, this gift is too valuable."

"Child's father, Dahai, Ye'er, come out quickly, look who's here."

"It's not valuable to me, take it."

Many people who saw them stopped from afar; Qiao Cuihua pointed the way, and the carriage stopped in front of a mud-brick house.

Qiao Cuihua was somewhat excited, not even daring to take Qiao Mai's hand.

Then Qiao Mai took three sets of her old cotton-padded clothes from last year, one set for her aunt, one for her younger cousin, and one for her cousin-in-law.

"My home is in Liushutun; almost everyone in this village is surnamed Liu. Your uncle-in-law is called Liu Dashan, your older cousin is called Liu Hai, your older cousin-sister is called Liu Mei, your younger cousin-sister is called Liu Ye, your eldest sister-in-law is Sun Shi, and your little nephew is called Liu Bao'er."

"There's grain I brought for you on the carriage; let's unload it first."

Getting off the carriage, Qiao Mai saw that although it was a mud-brick house, the courtyard wall wasn't dilapidated; many places that had been in disrepair for years were patched up quite well.

"On behalf of the child, I thank you, cousin."

"There's an oxcart in our village that comes this way; we came by oxcart."

"Usually I just cook meals and tidy up at home."

Along the way, Qiao Cuihua was almost stunned by what she saw, "Your home is really nice."

Qiao Mai's face turned cold, "Since you know what happened between me and them, once the kinship is severed, they're strangers. Don't say such things again in the future."

Poverty shortens one's spirit. Though she was Qiao Mai's aunt, she was poor; even as an elder, she had no confidence, and now she was reduced to begging before her niece.

"Is it really Mai Mai?"

"Mm."

"You and she don't have any craft either?"

She was seen taking a few quick steps, pushing open the door, and standing at the entrance shouting inside,

Qiao Cuihua kept bowing and saying words of thanks on the side; the most urgent thing now was food and clothing.

Several people walked toward her; Qiao Cuihua stepped aside, and they saw a young woman of medium height, dressed elegantly.

Liu Ye also stepped forward and gave Qiao Mai a bow, "Greetings, older cousin-sister. I'm Liu Ye."

"I—"

As they spoke, the carriage entered the village. It was rare for the village to see a carriage pulled by such tall horses, and so grand at that.

After a few simple words, Qiao Mai stood up to leave.

"Send Liu Ye to my home in a couple of days. I'll find her a job; she can first learn some skills at Xiu Zhuang. There's no pay at the beginning, but once she learns, she'll have a monthly wage. How much it is depends on how well she masters the craft."

Liu Qiaoshi was overjoyed upon hearing this, "Mai Mai, your aunt thanks you!"

Liu Ye also wiped away her tears, "Thank you, older cousin-sister!"

(End of chapter)