SLH | Chapter 44

Fire at the Chen Family

Yunxi Village, Liu Family.

“It’s already dark, why hasn’t Second Brother come back yet?” Liu Xiaomei stood at the courtyard gate, looking out.

Seeing her brother-in-law’s worried face, she quickly changed the topic to reassure him, “Don’t worry, Brother-in-law, he’s probably just delayed by something.”

Song Tingzhu nodded but kept his eyes on the yard until he saw a tall, blurry figure turning the corner. He instinctively stepped forward to greet him.

“Husband,” he called softly.

Liu Hu held his wife’s outstretched hand and led him into the courtyard. “It’s about to rain, why are you still outside?”

Liu Xiaomei chimed in, “Brother-in-law was worried about you, he’s been standing out here for quite a while.”

Liu Hu hurriedly said, “You don’t need to wait for me, I’m a grown man, nothing’s going to happen to me.”

Song Tingzhu laughed, “Xiaomei is exaggerating, I only stood for a moment, see, my hands are still warm.”

He wiggled his fingers that were held by his husband.

“You must be hungry. There’s food kept warm in the pot, go wash your hands, and I’ll bring it to you.”

He then turned to Liu Xiaomei, “Xiaomei, go to sleep, it’s getting late.”

Liu Xiaomei yawned and replied, “I’ll go to sleep then.”

The kitchen was still warm with the firelight, so Song Tingzhu laid the food in the kitchen, which was warmer than the bedroom.

A moment later, Liu Hu washed his hands and, while munching on a bun, explained to his wife, “On my way back to the village, I saw Granny Chen had fallen and hurt her leg, so I took her to the clinic for a bone setting. That’s why I’m late.”

“Bone setting? That serious?” Song Tingzhu frowned, “Granny Chen has no one to take care of her, she must have a hard time moving around. Let’s go visit her tomorrow and help cook some meals.”

Liu Hu sipped some hot soup and said, “I’ll also find a suitable piece of wood on the mountain to make a crutch.”

Song Tingzhu smiled, “Okay.”

Outside, it started to drizzle, and when the couple returned to their room, they saw a thin layer of snow on the ground.

“It’s snowing, no wonder it’s so cold.” Song Tingzhu rubbed his hands, a bit surprised.

“It’s getting cold early this year.” Liu Hu held his wife’s hands, warming them, “I’ll get the thick quilt out so we don’t have to get up in the middle of the night if it gets cold.”

“Okay.”

Sure enough, a cold wind blew in the middle of the night, and the Liu family, who rarely slept in, only got up to cook after the sun was well up.

“It’s getting colder, the chickens and ducks in the backyard need to be moved, or they’ll freeze to death.” Ruan Xiulian said to her eldest daughter-in-law.

Tang Chunxing added some firewood to the stove and agreed, “Move them inside early, they can keep laying eggs.”

The house was repaired in the fall, and the chicken and duck coops were tidied up too. It wasn’t much effort to move the chickens and ducks inside and close the gate.

“Wife, what are we having for breakfast?” Liu Meng was chopping wood in the yard and couldn’t help but ask when he smelled the food.

“I fried some cabbage with lard, cooked vegetable porridge, and steamed coarse grain buns.”

Liu Meng swallowed at the aroma, “No wonder it smells so good.”

“Elder Brother and Sister-in-law, where are Second Brother and Brother-in-law?” Liu Xiaomei came out of the house with Xia Ge’er and asked the two of them.

Tang Chunxing, holding dishes, said, “They went out early, carrying a basket, and said not to wait for them for breakfast.”

Liu Xiaomei grumbled, “Brother-in-law didn’t mention going out today.”

Xia Ge’er, holding a wooden comb, pouted, “Xia Ge’er will wait for Uncle to come back to comb my hair.”

Tang Chunxing glanced at her son’s messy hair and walked over, “Don’t wait, you look like a little wild child, how can you not comb it?”

The little guy quickly covered his head, “I don’t want Mom to comb it, Mom doesn’t make it look good.”

Tang Chunxing frowned, pretending to be angry, “Ungrateful child, your mom has been combing your hair for three years, and your uncle has only done it a few times, yet you’re so attached to him?”

Seeing his mom angry, Xia Ge’er immediately hugged her, speaking sweetly, “Mom, don’t be angry, Xia Ge’er will let you comb it, you make it look the best, Xia Ge’er likes it a lot~”

Tang Chunxing laughed, “You sweet talker, fine, Mom will comb it simply, and when your uncle comes back, he can redo it for you, happy now?”

The little guy nodded happily, looking out the courtyard and asking, “When will Uncle come back?”

“After you finish your meal obediently, he’ll be back.”

“Okay, Xia Ge’er will eat two big bowls!”

“You can eat two bowls? Half a bowl and you’ll be full.”

While the family was having breakfast in the main room, Song Tingzhu and his husband were busy cooking and preparing medicine at Granny Chen’s house.

While the two were busy in the kitchen, they heard Granny Chen shouting from inside the house, “I know what you two are up to, don’t think I don’t know! If you want me to let you into the bamboo forest, forget it!”

“Don’t worry, Granny, my husband has already found another buyer.” Song Tingzhu entered the room with a bowl of porridge.

Granny Chen looked wary, “From which village, and what price?”

Song Tingzhu replied, “Dawa Town, half a wen less than Master Sun’s offer in town.”

He thought it over all night and decided to use good clay. This time, he would only buy clay, and he and his husband would work hard to transport it from Dawa Town to Shanghe Village. This way, it would just take more effort but save a lot of costs.

Seeing that they really weren’t after the bamboo forest, Granny Chen was slightly relieved.

A moment later, the medicine was ready, and Song Tingzhu placed the bowl on a low stool within Granny Chen’s reach.

“Granny, the medicine is ready. Drink it when it cools down. My husband and I will head back now and come by later to check on you.”

Granny Chen waved them off, “No need to come back, I’m just an old woman with a broken leg, I can manage.”

After sending them away, Granny Chen watched the closed gate, thinking they wouldn’t return. But as night fell, they came back with things.

“Why are you here again? Didn’t I tell you not to come?” Granny Chen didn’t show any kindness.

“We brought you something.” Song Tingzhu took the crutch from his husband and placed it by the bed, “My husband made this crutch this afternoon, it’ll help you walk easier.”

Granny Chen’s face turned dark as a pot bottom.

“What, do you think I’m so old I can’t walk?”

“That’s not what I meant…”

Before he could finish, Granny Chen threw the crutch away.

“Even if I’m too old to walk, I don’t need you two who are always thinking about the bamboo forest to come and be nice to me. Even if I die, I’ll burn the bamboo forest down rather than let you take advantage of it!”

Liu Hu shielded his wife and whispered, “Let’s go home, the doctor said Granny Chen can’t take stress.”

Song Tingzhu nodded, seeing Granny Chen lost in anger and unable to listen, he didn’t explain further. After leaving the food, they returned home.

“Brother-in-law, are you going to see Granny Chen again today?”

The next day, Liu Xiaomei saw him dressed neatly, looking like he was going out, and frowned.

The little girl’s face was all scrunched up, and Song Tingzhu teased, “Little girls shouldn’t frown all the time, or you’ll get wrinkles.”

Liu Xiaomei pouted, “I’m only twelve, still far from getting wrinkles.”

She showed concern, “You and Second Brother have been chased away several times, Mom said Granny Chen once chased someone with a hatchet. What if she loses her temper and comes after you two?”

Song Tingzhu chuckled, “No way, as long as we don’t mention the bamboo forest, Granny Chen is quite nice.”

Liu Xiaomei couldn’t help but be curious, “I wonder what’s in the bamboo forest that Granny Chen guards so closely. In summer, when Xiaoman and I were picking wild vegetables, Granny Chen scared us away, saying there were man-eating wolves inside.”

“Probably something important.”

Song Tingzhu didn’t know. Though curious, he never intended to investigate. He visited not to persuade Granny Chen to relent but because he remembered his past when he had no one. When he was sick, he had Granny Liu, Qing He, and Hongmei to care for him. Granny Chen was alone, and if something happened, no one would know.

“I’m off, tell Second Brother when he gets back.”

“Got it.”

“Uncle, where are you going? Can Xia Ge’er come too?” Xia Ge’er ran out from the east room, hugging his leg, swaying.

Song Tingzhu steadied the little guy, “Uncle is going to visit Granny Chen, aren’t you afraid of Granny?”

“Then, Xia Ge’er won’t go…” Xia Ge’er withdrew his hand, stepping back, “Uncle, come back soon, Xia Ge’er is waiting for you to comb my hair.”

Song Tingzhu was amused by the little guy’s guilty look, “Okay, go back inside, it’s cold outside.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Watching Xia Ge’er and Xiaomei go back into the yard, Song Tingzhu turned and headed to Granny Chen’s house.

“Look, there’s smoke coming from Granny Chen’s house, could it be on fire?”

“Let’s go check, Granny Chen has trouble moving, something might have happened!”

“Go for what? You know Granny Chen’s temper, she’ll chase anyone who enters the yard with a broom. The smoke just looks thick, probably nothing. Granny Chen loves burning weeds in the yard; those of us living nearby are used to it.”

Just as he turned into the alley, he saw several aunties chatting as they walked away.

Song Tingzhu glanced at the Chen house, seeing smoke billowing from the yard, he frowned and quickened his pace. He found Granny Chen fallen on the ground, with sparks just inches from her trousers!

His limbs went weak, and without time to call for help, he rushed forward to help Granny Chen up.

“Cough cough, why are you here, if I die, then I just die…” Granny Chen, having lain for a while, spoke weakly but still resisted, telling Song Tingzhu to leave her be.

“Don’t worry, Granny, you’ll be fine.”

Song Tingzhu was weak, usually only able to hold Xia Ge’er for a short time. Granny Chen was old but an adult, and carrying her made his steps heavy. As he called for help, he slowly moved her outside.

The smoke in the yard grew thicker, and Song Tingzhu’s eyes watered, blurring his vision.

“Cough cough cough””” he coughed painfully.

“Silly child, leave me, save yourself…”

Seeing the fire grow, with flames licking the roof, if they didn’t get out, both might be consumed.

His throat burned, and even breathing was hard. Swallowing, he struggled to speak, “Don’t worry, Granny, I’ll get you out. Cough, is anyone there? There’s a fire here, help!”

His grandfather had died in a house fire, and he wouldn’t let it happen again.

But the Chen house was remote, with few neighbors. Despite shouting until his throat was hoarse, no one came.

“Wife!”

In the chaos, he heard his husband’s anxious voice from nearby.

———————–

Author’s Note: Granny Chen is a good granny!

Grandfather was a good grandfather!!