Chapter 382: Reborn in the Nineties: The Tyrant Flower Chapter 383 — Returning Home

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Protagonist:

Chai Mi

Grandma still shook her head; a watery glimmer seemed to flicker in her eyes. She raised that withered, tree-branch hand slower than slow, pointed at Su Wan, then pointed toward the direction Da Jiu had walked out the door, her lips moving soundlessly, as if saying: "... Suffered... your brother... your father... gone... I... burden..."

At this, Su Wan could hold back no longer; tears crashed down with a "hua." She set down the bowl, seized Grandma's ice-cold hand in a tight grip, buried her face on that rough, age-spotted back of the hand, and wept silently, shoulders shuddering. She knew that although Mother was paralyzed, her heart was a clear mirror — she understood everything. She knew Eldest Brother's hardship, knew Sister-in-law's exhaustion, yet she could do nothing, left only with this voiceless apology and heart-piercing worry. Father just gone, Mother paralyzed on the kang — how would the days ahead be endured? The burden on Brother and Sister-in-law, would it not grow even heavier?

Chai Mi stood to the side, watching this scene, feeling only her throat tighten and her nose turn sour. She quietly slipped out, walking into the main courtyard.

She saw Da Jiu had not gone out at all, but was curled up under that bare, old jujube tree in the corner of the courtyard, head buried deep in his knees, shoulders twitching in the shadows. The big man who had just been putting on a brave front in the kitchen, even shouting at his younger sister — right now he was like a half-grown lad who couldn't find his way home.

Chai Mi didn't go over to disturb him. She knew Da Jiu needed this space to lick his wounds alone; beneath that stubbornly propped-up shell lay a self long since crushed to bits by life, and boundless exhaustion.

Who knows how long passed — half a day, perhaps — before Da Jiu slowly lifted his head, fiercely wiped his face with his padded sleeve, and stood up. He spotted Chai Mi not far off, froze for a moment, then strained to squeeze out something like a smile, but that smile looked uglier than crying.

"Chai Mi, it's cold out here, go inside." His voice was hoarse, heavy.

Chai Mi nodded: "Da Jiu, you come in too... Mother's inside keeping Grandma company."

The two walked back to the kitchen one after the other, silent and muffled. Aunt had already returned; seeing both Da Jiu and Su Wan with red-rimmed eyes, she asked nothing, just heaved a deep sigh, a sigh wrapped in too much unspeakable bitterness and resignation. She rose silently, scooped out some of the corn kernels from the pot — even more scorched — and also took back the bowl Su Wan had just brought Grandma; it had barely been touched.

"Third Brother, take it with you, since you like it." She tipped the two bowls of meager fried corn kernels into a cloth bag, tied it carefully, stuffed it into the carrying basket Su Wan had brought, placing it alongside the garlic and eggs. Her movements were slow and deliberate, as if handing over some precious treasure.

"Sister-in-law..." Su Wan looked at that bag of fried corn kernels, her throat choking up. This wasn't a snack; this was clearly Eldest Brother's heavy, heavy guilt and affection, squeezed out by the stupidest method, and also Sister-in-law's silent understanding and seamless follow-through.

"Take it," Aunt's voice was light, laced with deep weariness. "Your brother... his heart aches terribly. But he's the eldest, the pillar of this family; he can't collapse, can only prop himself up till death." She glanced at Da Jiu standing mute to the side, looking like he'd aged ten years in an instant. "You come back more often to check on Mother, chat with him — that's better than anything. Money, this thing... don't press him too hard; he... he's truly using every ounce of strength, even the strength to suckle."

"I've wronged Mother... wronged you all... I'm useless!... Can't even... keep up with medicine money... let Mother suffer this torture... Father just gone... Mother's days ahead... what to do..."

Yesterday the uncle was still strong; today he cried until he was unrecognizable.

Chai Mi suddenly thought... perhaps the one even more heartbroken should be Uncle.

Su Wan's tears crashed down again with a "hua." She walked to Da Jiu's side, also squatted down, reached out, and clutched his ice-cold, trembling hand tight. This time, Da Jiu didn't pull away. The siblings' hands locked tight, passing those indescribable flavors — helplessness toward this dog-shit situation, heartache for each other, defiance toward Heaven, and that bone-deep, tendon-connected strength of being on the same boat.

"Brother," Su Wan's voice carried a sob, yet was thief-clear, thief-solid, "Don't say that. No one blames you. Mother least of all. You're the best son, the best brother." She paused, as if making a ruthless resolve, "The medicine money, you don't worry about it. Here's one thousand yuan..."

"No!" Da Jiu jerked his head up, face full of tears, but his eyes held a dead-stubborn refusal. "I said I don't need you to manage! I... I'll think of another way! Tomorrow! Tomorrow I'll go to town and find Foreman Wang, beg him to advance me some wages! I'll kowtow to him if I have to!" He refused resolutely, as if only this way could he preserve the last shred of face as an eldest brother, as a son.

"Brother!" Su Wan was frantic and pained, "What use is kowtowing? That Foreman Wang..."

"Shut up!" Da Jiu cut her off with a low roar, sprang to his feet — maybe he rose too fast, vision blacked out, body swayed; fortunately he grabbed the kang edge beside him and didn't topple. He gasped for breath, face deathly pale. "I said I have a way! Heaven won't starve a sparrow! Wan girl, you leave tomorrow! Take Chai Mi, take the things, go back and live your peaceful life! This end... this end has Brother!"

Chai Mi stuffed the cloth bag into the basket, turned to look at Da Jiu: "Da Jiu, take it." She pulled out a roll of cash, forcibly shoved it into his hand, "One thousand yuan, for Grandma's medicine. Don't say 'I have a way' again. This isn't for you; it's for my Grandma's medicine."

Da Jiu recoiled as if burned, hand shrinking back; the money fell to the ground: "Chai Mi! You... what are you doing? I said no! I can manage!... "

The air seemed to freeze. Da Jiu stared at that roll of money on the ground, like he was holding a red-hot yam.

"Brother, pick it up." Su Wan said: "This isn't for you; it's life-saving medicine money for Mother. Can you bear to watch her groan in pain?"

Da Jiu's Adam's apple bobbed, blue veins on his neck bulging: "I... sigh..."

"Sigh what?" Chai Mi stepped forward, eyes bright and clear: "Kowtow and beg? How many pills can that beg? Or can you conjure money from thin air? Grandma gasping in pain at night — you didn't hear? You're her own son, just watch?"

Aunt's lips trembled as she tried to bend down, but Da Jiu nailed her in place with a low shout: "Don't move!"

"Brother!" Su Wan's tears welled up again; she lunged forward, grabbing Da Jiu's arm, "Just take it! Begging you as your little sister! Look at Mother... can you really bear it? Chai Mi's right — this money is for Mother's medicine, not for your face!"

Da Jiu's body swayed, then slumped dejectedly onto the small wooden stool by the stove, both hands covering his face, shoulders heaving silently.

Chai Mi nimbly bent down, picked up the money, dusted it off, and directly stuffed it into the hands of the somewhat dazed Su Xiaofu: "Xiaofu Ge, take it! For Grandma's medicine! Buy the good stuff, painkillers, bedsore ointment — don't skimp! Hear me?"

Su Xiaofu clutched the money, looked at his father, then at Chai Mi, his eye rims reddening too: "Chai Mi, I..."

"Take it!" Chai Mi's tone was firm. "You're the eldest grandson; this money should be managed by you for Grandma! Dare spend a single cent wrong, and I'll settle accounts with you!"

"Aye! Aye! I'll definitely use it well! All for Grandma's medicine!" Su Xiaofu nodded heavily, like he'd received a weighty mission, tucking the money tight into his bosom.

Da Jiu lifted his head, tear tracks crisscrossing his face; he looked at his son having pocketed the money, then at Chai Mi and tear-streaked Su Wan. Finally, that propped-up stubbornness completely loosened. He let out a long, long sigh heavy with nasal tone: "Sigh..."

"That's right." Chai Mi's tone softened a bit, turning to Aunt: "Aunt, money's with Xiaofu; medicine matters trouble you. Whatever medicine works, buy it."

Aunt nodded repeatedly, voice choked: "Aye, aye, Chai Mi rest assured, Third Brother rest assured... I... I'll surely take good care of Mother..."

"Mother," Chai Mi gently helped Su Wan up, "Let's pack up and head back."

Su Wan wiped tears and nodded, finally casting a deep look at her bowed-head eldest brother, then turned and entered the inner room. Chai Mi followed, carefully placing the folded old military uniform into the basket, and glanced once more at Grandma sleeping on the kang.

Su Wan lay prone on the kang edge, pressed against Grandma's ear, voice sobbing: "Mother... I... I have to go back... you be good... take medicine on time... I... I'll come see you again after a while..." She trembled as she touched Grandma's ice-cold, withered cheek; tears slid down soundlessly.

Grandma's eyelids twitched faintly, but ultimately didn't open; only a very light "Mm..." came from her throat.

Chai Mi silently lifted the basket holding eggs, garlic, and that bag of fried corn kernels: "Mother, let's go."

The two walked out of the inner room. Da Jiu was already standing, eye sockets still red, but his back straighter now.

"Third Brother, Chai Mi, leaving just like that? Let Xiaofu hitch the cart and send you off!" Da Jiu's throat was a bit hoarse.

"Mm." Chai Mi answered.

Su Xiaofu moved nimbly; soon he had hitched the family's skinny donkey to the rickety board cart. Chai Mi held the drowsy Chai Xin, and together with Su Wan they squeezed onto the cart.

Aunt chased out, forcibly stuffing two still-warm boiled eggs into Su Wan's hands: "Eat one on the road to pad your stomach... nothing good..."

"Sister-in-law..." Su Wan clutched the eggs, eye rims reddening again.

Da Jiu walked to the cart side, looked at Su Wan, lips moving, a long while before he said: "... Slow on the road. When you arrive... send word." He turned to Chai Mi, gaze complex, "Chai Mi... the money... Uncle... has it in heart."

Chai Mi nodded: "Mm. Uncle, you take care of yourself too, look after my Grandma well."

Su Xiaofu gave a shout, flicked the whip lightly, the skinny donkey pulled the board cart "zhi zhi ya ya" into motion, slowly driving out of the dilapidated small courtyard.

Su Wan kept looking back until the hunched figures of Big Brother and Sister-in-law at the courtyard gate blurred into vague little dots. She turned back, hugged her little daughter Chai Xin tighter, tears silently streaming. The cart turned a bend on the mountain road, jolted once; taking advantage of the sway, Su Wan swiftly fished two folded hundred-yuan notes from her close-fitting pocket and quietly slipped them into the back collar of Su Xiaofu driving up front.

Su Xiaofu felt a coolness at his neck, reached back instinctively, pulled out the two bills, froze: "Third Aunt? This..."

"Take it!" Su Wan's voice pressed low, carrying an unrefusable urgency and choke, "Don't make a scene! Secretly stash it! Buy something good for Grandma... or for family emergencies... don't let your father know!"

Su Xiaofu's nose sharply soured; he forced a heavy nod, quickly shoved the money into the deepest part of his trouser pocket. The back of his whip-holding hand swiftly wiped his eyes, he drove the cart with head down, the whip tip cracking a light snap in the air.

The board cart bumped along the rugged mountain road, silence flowing among the three, only the sound of wheels crushing gravel and donkey hooves treading earth. Chai Mi held Third Brother, gazing at the distant layered gray mountain shadows, suddenly spoke, her voice exceptionally clear on the mountain road:

"Come spring, come visit Grandmother again."

After arriving home, Su Xiaofu left right away, not even staying for tea.

Chai Mi urged her mother to go rest, after all Su Wan's health was very poor, and after tossing about for two or three days, she had lost a whole circle of weight.

Not long after getting home, Song Qiushui held out a big jujube she had filched from who knows where to Chai Mi: "Delicious, sweet."

"Where'd it come from? Your family doesn't have a jujube tree either, does it?"

"My Second Aunt gave it to me...... hehehe..... Ever since you lent Chai You Fu some money, heh.... my Second Aunt's been nice to me. Let me tell you, my Second Aunt still favors her own birth daughter." Song Qiushui said with a smile.

Chai Mi pursed her lips helplessly.

That goes without saying.

A while back, because of Chai You Fu's injury, Song Qiushui's Second Aunt's attitude toward Song Qiushui went straight down the drain — she either cried or made trouble.

But now because Chai Mi lent Chai You Fu money, this matter, Chai You Fu this son-in-law, must have told his mother-in-law too, and by extension Song Qiushui's Second Aunt's attitude toward Song Qiushui improved as well.

Chai Mi looked at Song Qiushui's smug "basking in reflected glory" look, and felt an indescribable taste in her heart. She of course knew why Second Aunt changed her face — nothing more than on account of the life-saving money she lent Chai You Fu. Chai You Fu is her Second Uncle, Song Qiushui's Second Aunt is Chai You Fu's mother-in-law, this relationship winds around, but in the end it's still money's face that's big.

"Alright, I'll take the jujubes, you hurry back, it's almost dark." Chai Mi accepted those few fairly plump big jujubes and issued an eviction order. Her heart still weighed heavy with Maternal Grandmother's Home's dilapidated mud-brick house, Da Jiu's hunched back, and Grandmother's withered face; she really had no mind to listen to Song Qiushui prattle on about these household trifles and petty calculations.

Song Qiushui was still humming a little tune: "I've got a melon, I have to tell you."

"What melon? Watermelon?"

Song Qiushui gasped: "What watermelon, it's a big melon. Let me tell you...... your Third Uncle and his sister-in-law's adultery affair, Grandmother caught them......"

Chai Mi's eyes went straight: "Holy shit! Big melon alright..... Tell me, let me hear......"

"Tch, you just said let me go home......." Song Qiushui was still playing hard to get.

"Eat at my place tonight....." Chai Mi was still very interested in this matter.

In her previous life, Chai Youde and this Che Lianying had a bit of a thing, but were never caught.

Didn't expect this time they actually got caught......