Chapter 36: Men Should Marry, Women Should Wed

Crossing the small bridge, I could vaguely see Jinling's house. We walked one after another along a path shaded by oleanders; when I saw a wisp of cooking smoke rising from Jinling's roof, Xue Bing stood outside the house and shouted: "Sister, I'm here."

Zhao Jinming came out from the house upon hearing the sound, holding a child in his arms; seeing me behind Xue Bing, his mouth hung open in surprise, unable to make a sound. Then came Jinling's voice: "Bing'er, you're here. Come in quickly."

I smiled and followed them into the house; Old Zhao was not at home, his leather briefcase was placed on the Eight Immortals table in the middle of the hall, and next to it was a newly bought rattle-drum.

I called out "Sister-in-law," and Zhao Jinming looked at me strangely before holding the child and going into the inner room. Jinling didn't pay any attention to my greeting; she smiled beautifully, pulled out a long bench by the table to invite us to sit, and called for Zhao Jinming to bring out the tea leaves.

Zhao Jinming came out with the child in his left arm and a canister of tea leaves in his right hand; he was clearly unhappy, my arrival was unexpected, and I saw hatred in his eyes.

Xue Bing stood up to find teacups, and we sat on opposite sides of the table; she took the child from Zhao Jinming's hands and teased the child until it giggled. She herself laughed happily, tireless.

Jinling sat below us, smiling as she watched Xue Bing tease her son, her face rippling with happiness.

"Bing'er, is your mother's health okay?" she asked, refilling the teacup.

"Still okay. She said long ago she wanted to come see you, but there's an old sow at home that can't be left alone for a day, so she had to ask me to come." Xue Bing's eyes never left the child, and she glanced back at me several times, glancing until my heart was in a turmoil; I regretted following her here, making myself so awkward.

Xue Bing's mother and Jinling's mother were sisters; Jinling's mother was the eldest and had already passed away. Xue Bing's maternal grandfather had no sons, so her mother took in Old Xue as a son-in-law. Old Xue was a traveling peddler from Henan, with no family left at home, wandering from village to village. Because he was honest and willing to be a son-in-law, promising that any son born would take the mother's surname, it was a pity that after Xue Bing was born, her mother had no more pregnancies. When her grandfather was dying, he instructed that if there were no more births, the daughter should still take the Xue surname. Old Xue never forgot his father-in-law's grace, trying every day to have a son, but heaven did not fulfill his wishes; after Xue Bing, there were no more offspring. Thus, he exhausted his life's efforts to raise Xue Bing to adulthood; now, she is the first female college student in Suxi Township, which can be considered as having won some face for her father-in-law.

Xue Bing's house is less than four miles from the township government, all mountain roads, with an old father and mother at home. The old father still works as a traveling peddler in his spare time, and the mother stays at home, serving an old sow all day. Xue Bing's success today is ultimately due to the old sow, which produces more than ten piglets a year, sold to neighbors, with all proceeds used to support Xue Bing's schooling.

"You're working now, why still raise an old sow." Jinling sighed and said: "My aunt, she just won't stop working."

Xue Bing was a bit embarrassed; she lowered her head and said: "I also advised her not to raise it anymore. But my mother always says she can't bear to; she's been doing it for so many years and is used to it. If she doesn't see the old sow, she can't eat or sleep. Now that I have a salary, I don't rely on the old sow for food. She can't stay idle, so let her raise it."

"Bing'er, you are the descendant of our Old Jin family; the continuation of the Old Jin family depends on you." Jinling suddenly said meaningfully, making Xue Bing's face turn red instantly.

"Sister, I'm a girl, continuing the family line is a man's business." Xue Bing giggled: "Look at brother-in-law, my little nephew is the descendant of their Old Zhao family."

Zhao Jinming, sitting to the side, was peeling garlic, a trace of awkwardness appearing in his eyes.

The child twisted a few times in Xue Bing's arms and opened its mouth to cry.

Jinling took the child from Xue Bing's hands, lifted her shirt without any avoidance, and pinched her breast to put it into the child's mouth.

I turned my face away awkwardly, and Xue Bing, seeing my appearance, giggled secretly.

"Go to the vegetable garden and pull some chives; Bing'er likes chives with eggs." Jinling commanded Zhao Jinming.

Zhao Jinming stood up without a word, smiled, and said: "Going, going."

Once Zhao Jinming left, Jinling looked at me and said: "Secretary Chen, is business in the city okay?"

I said: "It's getting by."

"Did Pan Xiaoqin and Xi Meizhu both go to the city?"

"Yes, they are actually doing quite well in business."

"Oh." Jinling was thoughtful: "I'll ask you a question, you must tell me the truth, no lying."

This tone sounded like she was acting coquettish.

"Those two sisters are both beautiful, which one do you like?" She spoke bluntly, staring at me.

I shook my head and said: "Sister-in-law, what do you mean by that!"

Jinling smiled and said: "What else could I mean? Men should marry, women should wed."

I was awkward again, stuttering: "It's too early."

"What's early? Actually, in my opinion, the two of them combined aren't as good as Bing'er alone." She pursed her lips, signaling me to look at Xue Bing: "She has talent, she has knowledge, and she's a person who eats the state's grain; can they compare?"

Xue Bing, to the side, was so embarrassed she turned red; she stood up and went to tickle her armpit, shouting: "Sister, you're too bad, making jokes about me."

Jinling dodged her, shoved the child into my arms, hugged Xue Bing, and said: "Bing'er, sister isn't joking, think about it, you are both state people, talented man and beautiful woman, how well-matched you are."

Encountering two such jokes in one day, ripples actually stirred in my heart. I secretly looked at Xue Bing; her bright face was flushed with excitement, just like the oleanders outside, incomparably brilliant.

What is the situation now? Jinling, Xi Meizhu, Xue Bing, three cousins, the blood of one ancestor flowing in their veins; I am in the middle, what kind of fortune is this?

"Bing'er, you are the only bloodline left of the Old Jin family, and now you eat the state's grain; are you still planning to find a rural person? Your father wouldn't be at peace in the underworld." Jinling said persuasively, handing the child to Xue Bing.

"Sister," Xue Bing looked like she was about to cry, pitifully.

"Think about it yourself. I'll go cook first, you two are colleagues and acquaintances, chat." She turned and went into the kitchen, leaving us two sitting there awkwardly.

I broke the silence: "Teacher Xue, your sister likes to joke."

Xue Bing glared at me: "Do you think she looks like she's joking?"

I was speechless, stood up and went out of the house, standing by the oleanders, smelling the faint fragrance of the flowers, my mood very complicated.

It is said that oleander flowers are poisonous, and smelling them too much is harmful to the body. These oleander flowers, beautiful and lovely, colorful, who would have expected them to be poisonous?

Zhao Jinming came over holding a handful of green chives; seeing me, he smiled and said: "Secretary Chen, why aren't you sitting inside?"

I said: "I'm looking at the flowers; these flowers are beautiful, good-looking."

Zhao Jinming hesitated and said: "Yes, the flowers are beautiful, but they are poisonous. I'm planning to dig them up and plant some roses."

I said: "What a pity."

Zhao Jinming smiled and said: "Not a pity at all, poisonous things are better not kept. It doesn't matter for us adults, but now that the child is born, he will always play under the flowers; if they really are poisonous, wouldn't it harm his whole life?"

Jinling's shout came from the house: "Zhao Jinming, did you go to buy chives? Why aren't you back yet."

Zhao Jinming answered and politely greeted me: "Go inside and sit, there are many mosquitoes outside."

I followed him into the house and saw Xue Bing holding the child in front of the shrine, pointing at the ancestral tablets and talking.

Was she teaching the child to recognize his ancestors? I was dumbfounded; this child can't even talk, will he understand recognizing his ancestors? ===== CHAPTER 37 =====