CITM - 51

Ma Jianliang wasn’t wrong. In just a few short years, the face of their hometown had undergone a complete transformation. The great wave of reform and opening up had ushered in an exciting second industrial revolution, and even Fengshui, an economically underdeveloped area, had felt the warmth of this spring breeze.

The last time Ye Yun returned was many years ago. Back then, she was about the same age as Xiao Fu is now, filled with confusion and fear about the future, wary of everything around her, unable to close her eyes for even a moment.

This time, however, she slept almost the entire journey. To be honest, over the past few years, she hadn’t taken a single day off for herself. Endless toil had become her daily routine. Even though life had improved somewhat in the past two years, she still didn’t dare to relax for a moment. She feared that if she stopped, all her hard-earned achievements would crumble. She was afraid of being poor, of being homeless, of losing control of her fate. While others went home during holidays to reunite with their families, she was still running around maintaining connections, drawing design drafts, revising them repeatedly to meet deadlines, and trying to finish her studies. Ever since coming to this big city of Hudu, she had been wound tight like a clock, always ticking.

It wasn’t until after saying goodbye to Su Hong and starting on her way back that exhaustion hit her from every corner, more intensely than ever before. It was as if all the hard work of the past few years had accumulated to this very moment, suddenly pressing down on her shoulders all at once.

She knew it wasn’t time to take a break yet. There were still so many things waiting for her to handle, so much work requiring her participation, and so many people eager to see her.

But suddenly, these seemingly overwhelmingly important matters became too much for her to handle. She had to make this trip to ease her emotions, which were on the verge of collapse.

To see her family she hadn’t seen in a long time, to talk to them, and to temporarily escape the chaos.

The last time she returned to the county, she waited a long time for the bus to take her back to the village entrance, and then walked a long stretch along the ridges to get home.

This time, near the long-distance bus station, she saw one of those tricycles covered with a canvas, protecting passengers from the sun and rain, agile and flexible when moving. However, one had to share seats with others, and sometimes chickens, ducks, and geese were squeezed in too. Ye Yun peeked inside, turned around, and walked to another empty vehicle, negotiated a price with the villagers, and directly chartered the ride to the village.

Tricycles usually don’t enter dirt roads, but the money Ye Yun offered was tempting enough that the villager happily agreed to make the trip.

The distance from Ertailiang Lane to Qingxi Village, once seemingly insurmountable for Ye Yun, now felt like nothing. What used to be an arduous journey had become a mere thought away, and even if there were obstacles, money could smooth them over.

The tricycle stopped by the dirt road near Ye Yun’s house. She paid the villager and arranged a time for him to pick her up, telling him he’d earn the same amount of money when the time came.

The villager grinned ear to ear, voluntarily carrying her bags out of the vehicle, offering to help her take them home. Ye Yun didn’t refuse. She carried her handbag and walked ahead.

It was evening, and the sky hadn’t darkened yet. Many villagers, having finished their farm work, were chatting and bustling about near their doorsteps. When they saw a well-dressed woman walking into the village, followed by someone helping her carry things, her impressive demeanor drew a crowd of curious onlookers. For a moment, no one recognized her as Ye Yun, the eldest daughter of the Ye family. Only when she entered the courtyard gate of the Ye household did everyone confirm her identity.

The gate of the Ye household stood wide open, with lanterns hanging above and large red “double happiness” characters pasted on the door. Seeing this setup, Ye Yun couldn’t help but quicken her pace and enter the house.

There were quite a few people sitting in the courtyard, chatting animatedly. Suddenly, someone walked in, and everyone simultaneously stopped talking, turning their heads toward the entrance.

Ye Yun wore slimming pants and a fashionable, sleek short coat, her shoulder-length wavy hair exuding modernity and avant-garde style. For a few seconds, no one in the courtyard reacted, stunned. It was her younger sister, Ye Ru, who first snapped out of it, standing up to greet Ye Yun.

“Elder Sister? Is that really you, Elder Sister!”

Ye Yun gave her a long-absent smile and opened her arms. Ye Ru, overcome with emotion, rushed into her embrace, hugging her tightly, tears streaming down her face.

Feeling her younger sister sobbing uncontrollably in her arms, Ye Yun patted her back and glanced at the others in the courtyard.

Besides the Ye family members, there were a few unfamiliar faces.

Ye’s mother quickly came over, gently pulling Ye Ru away, her face beaming with joy as she held Ye Yun’s hands: “You’ve finally come back. It’s such good timing that you’re here.”

Ye Yun’s eyes flickered slightly: “Is there a happy occasion at home?”

Ye’s mother pulled Ye Yun to turn around and introduced her to the elderly couple inside: “This is my eldest daughter. She lives in the city.”

The elderly couple examined Ye Yun briefly and politely nodded at her.

Ye Yun looked at her mother with suspicion. Her mother explained: “Your younger sister is hosting a wedding banquet next week. You’ve arrived just in time to see her off for marriage.”

Surprised, Ye Yun turned to look at her younger sister. Ye Ru shifted her body, lowering her head to wipe her tears.

Their youngest sister ran up to Ye Yun. She had grown taller, now a young lady, unlike her carefree self from before. This time, seeing her elder sister made her feel shy.

Ye Yun turned to give a polite smile to the elderly couple, then tugged on her youngest sister’s hand: “Come help me carry something.”

The villager who drove the tricycle returned for a second trip, bringing all the items Ye Yun bought in the county town to the courtyard. She only comes back once every few years, and she was generous, buying a lot of things to bring back.

Her youngest sister helped carry the items inside. Ye Yun asked her: “Where’s your younger brother?”

As they walked into the house, the youngest sister glanced outside and whispered: “He’s been sent to school in the county town.”

“So his grades must be pretty good.”

The youngest sister placed the items in the corner and muttered: “Good? Hardly. We paid a lot to get him enrolled.”

When Ye Yun and her youngest sister finished putting the items away and returned to the courtyard, the elders from both sides were discussing the details of the upcoming wedding.

Her youngest sister brought out a stool from the house for Ye Yun to sit on. She sat in a corner of the courtyard, picked up a cup of tea to rest her feet, listening to their conversation.

One of the older women said: “On that day, prepare plenty of sweets. A lot of people will come from our side to fetch the bride. When her cousins got married, the bride’s family prepared a lot of things, and all the younger generation received red envelopes. The amount doesn’t matter, but too little wouldn’t look good. Right, my dear relatives?”

Ye’s mother, sitting across from them, smiled kindly: “In our village tradition, sweets are usually prepared by the groom’s family in advance. As for red envelopes, there’s no such custom. If anything, it’s the groom’s side who gives red envelopes to the bride’s family. How could we give red envelopes when marrying off our daughter?”

“Yes, yes, yes. We’ll definitely prepare red envelopes when fetching the bride. My point is, the younger generation has traveled far to accompany us; it’s a gesture of goodwill and looks good, doesn’t it? Speaking of customs, Ye Ru is marrying into our family, so naturally, we follow our customs.”

Hearing this, Ye’s mother found it harder to smile: “If we’re following your customs, then it’s simple. Just tell us how many people are coming, and prepare the corresponding number of red envelopes. Our Ye Ru is no worse than any other girl. How could she possibly tarnish your family’s reputation?”

Ye Yun took a sip of tea and glanced at the man sitting silently beside the elderly couple—her future brother-in-law.

This man had a round face, long hair covering half his forehead and eyes. Honestly, Ye Yun observed him for a while and couldn’t figure out what he truly looked like. While his parents were busy negotiating the wedding day’s procedures, he kept his head down, picking at dirt under his nails, unconcernedly shaking his leg.

Ye Yun turned her gaze back to her younger sister. Ye Ru sat beside their mother, frowning, glaring at the elderly couple, not sparing a glance at her future husband.

Not knowing what they were discussing, Ye’s mother steered the conversation toward Ye Yun.

“Take my eldest daughter, for example. When she got married, her in-laws didn’t have any demands. Her dowry was much higher than yours. They didn’t ask me to buy anything but instead brought many gifts. Even now, every Spring Festival, they send valuable goods.”

Ye Yun’s eyes flickered faintly. Her chest felt heavy, as if someone was pressing down on it, making it hard to breathe. She focused her gaze on her aging mother.

The elderly couple felt embarrassed by her words. The groom’s father spoke up: “Your eldest daughter is capable and stylish. Marrying well is your blessing. Our family has its limitations. Besides, Ye Ru isn’t young anymore. The ones worrying about delays are you.”

Life in the village was different from the big cities outside the mountains. Most girls here found husbands by 18 or 19, and by 20, they already had children. Back then, Ye Yun married into the Bai family before she turned 20, while Ye Ru, already in her twenties, remained unmarried at home, drawing gossip from neighbors urging Ye’s mother to marry her off quickly, lest she become an old maid. Over the past two years, the relationship between Ye Ru and her mother had been strained.

Now, hearing the groom’s father speak sarcastically, Ye Ru clenched her fists, her face turning pale, while Ye’s mother showed signs of embarrassment.

Ye Yun set down her teacup and raised her head to ask: “How old is your son?”

The elderly couple’s gaze shifted to her. The groom’s mother replied: “26 years old.”

“What does he do for work?”

“In our village, there’s no real work. We can barely manage our fields.”

“That sounds like he works hard and endures hardships. What time does he wake up in the morning?”

After speaking, she raised her hand to stop the groom’s parents from answering and turned to the groom-to-be: “What time do you wake up?”

This young man with flowing long hair slowly raised his head: “You’re asking me?”

Ye Yun nodded, hearing him say: “That depends on what time I sleep. Usually around 10 or 11 PM.”

Ye Yun slightly raised her eyelids and turned to the elderly couple across from her: “At this age in our village, without family planning restrictions, he’d probably have three kids by now. Why are you just now arranging his marriage?”

She was practically spelling out: “27 years old, unemployed, idle, waiting for the harvest.”

In this negotiation, the groom’s side had initially gained the upper hand by highlighting Ye Ru’s age. But Ye Yun unhesitatingly exposed their son’s weaknesses. To avoid exposing their own son’s shortcomings, the groom’s parents stopped pressing further.

Ye’s mother stepped in to smooth things over: “Alright, let’s discuss this again.”

The groom’s family clearly couldn’t sit still any longer. After standing up, the groom’s mother told Ye’s mother: “Fine, you discuss it among yourselves. We’ll come back in a couple of days.”

Ye’s mother agreed and saw the groom’s family off.

Ye Yun went inside to check on her father. He could barely recognize people anymore. When she spoke to him, he looked at her silently, already appearing like a lamp whose oil was nearly spent.

After sitting in her father’s room for a while, Ye Yun heard crying outside. She got up and went out to see her younger sister, fists clenched, her eyes red and swollen.

Ye Yun walked straight up to her and asked: “Why are you crying?”

Her younger sister refused to speak, turning her back and collapsing onto the table, her shoulders trembling violently.

Ye’s mother said to Ye Yun: “Quick, comfort your younger sister. She thinks I’m arranging this marriage for the dowry money and doesn’t understand how worried I am about her future.”

Ye Ru’s voice was muffled in her arms: “Then where’s the money? Isn’t it for my younger brother’s education? Otherwise, why would you argue over a few red envelopes earlier and let them speak ill of me like that?”

The youngest sister stood by the door, unsure of what to do. Ye Yun turned to ask her mother: “Is what my younger sister said true?”

Ye’s mother sighed deeply: “What else could I do? Your brother is so young. Without education, what future does he have?”

Ye Ru straightened up and shouted: “You know he’s too young to stop studying. Then why did you make me quit back then?”

Ye’s mother was left speechless, then grabbed Ye Yun: “Your father needs medicine recently. I need to keep some money on hand. If I had more financial leeway, I wouldn’t have argued with them over a few red envelopes.”

Ye Yun understood her mother’s implication. She wanted her to contribute financially. Ye Yun didn’t immediately volunteer to take on this responsibility, nor did she outright refuse. Instead, she turned and patted her younger sister’s shoulder.

“Don’t cry. I’m here. I won’t let anyone bully you.”

With these words, Ye’s mother naturally assumed that Ye Yun agreed to provide financial support for her younger sister’s wedding. After all, the two had always been close. Anyone with eyes could see that Ye Yun was living comfortably now, radiating the air of someone from the big city. In Ye’s mother’s view, the eldest sister should contribute meaningfully to such an important event as her younger sister’s wedding.

That night, Ye Yun pulled her younger sister into the room. Without asking much, she simply asked: “Tell me honestly. That family—do you want to marry them, or not?”

Her younger sister lowered her head, clutching the hem of her clothes, her features contorted. After a long silence, she nodded slightly.

“Really?” Ye Yun’s eyes showed a hint of inquiry.

Her younger sister stammered for a while before saying: “Whether I want to or not, it’s too late. How could I have a say now?”

“You just tell me. Do you want to, or not?”

Ye Yun’s tone, full of understanding, forced her younger sister to tell the truth.

She shook her head fiercely: “No, I don’t want to at all. I hate that man. The thought of living with him for the rest of my life makes me feel hopeless. But I don’t want people to call me an old maid…”

Her younger sister started crying again. Her eyes were already swollen from crying all day.

Ye Yun patted her head: “I understand. Go to sleep. Leave this matter to me.”

For the next two days, her younger sister remained in a daze. The once sharp-tongued girl seemed to have overnight transformed into a troubled adult. Since Ye Yun returned two days ago, she hadn’t seen her smile once. In her memory, her younger sister used to love laughing.

The air in her hometown was fresh. Whether during the day or at night, except for the occasional sounds of chickens and ducks, it was always peaceful. Ye Yun stood alone in front of the old house for a while, her gaze falling on the peanut field in front of the door.

Since meeting Su Hong, those distant memories kept surfacing involuntarily. In recent days, her thoughts had also been wandering, her heart often pulled by an invisible rope. Even though she had returned, that sense of helplessness still couldn’t be dispelled.

Ye Yun walked back into the courtyard. Her younger sister sat in front of the door, lost in thought. She went behind her, removed her hair tie, letting her long hair fall loose, and began braiding her hair into a new style.

Her younger sister didn’t move, sitting obediently. Suddenly, she asked: “Are you still in touch with him?”

Ye Yun’s gaze lifted slightly, but her hands continued working: “No.”

“I guessed as much. He came looking for you that year.”

Ye Yun’s fingers stiffened, and she stopped moving: “Which year?”

Her younger sister thought for a moment and told her: “Before the Spring Festival in the Year of the Rat.”

Ye Yun had left on December 19th of the Year of the Pig. Before the Spring Festival in the Year of the Rat, it was about a month after she left. She had anticipated that he might come to her hometown to find her, but he never returned. First, the early years had been too difficult to face returning home and explaining herself. Second, she didn’t want to confront her past. And so, more than four years passed.

“Mom didn’t know he came looking for you. He told Mom he was visiting relatives and dropped by to take a look. He stayed for a short while and left.”

Ye Yun resumed braiding her sister’s hair, her throat feeling blocked by something: “Every Spring Festival, they send things over?”

“Before New Year’s Eve each year, they send a lot of New Year goods, clothes, necessities, and red envelopes for us siblings. All sent in your name. Mom always tells the villagers how considerate your mother-in-law is, preparing so many things for you every time.”

Ye Yun’s throat tightened gradually. Of course, Tong Mingfang wouldn’t think of these things for her. It was most likely Bai Wenfu, leaving her this lifeline. When she grew tired of life outside, she would still have a home to return to.

Her silent heartbeat trembled unexpectedly. She suppressed her complex emotions and pinned the hair clips she brought from the city into her younger sister’s hair, handing her a mirror.

Her younger sister checked herself in the mirror from different angles, finally breaking into a smile: “It’s really beautiful.”

...

On the fourth day after Ye Yun returned home, the elderly couple came again with their son. This time, not only the elderly couple but also the groom’s two aunts came along. Both aunts were rough and dark-skinned, and the young man perfectly inherited their appearance.

Once this group settled in the Ye family courtyard, they radiated an imposing presence.

With Ye’s father unable to make decisions and Ye’s mother facing the groom’s large family alone, she was at a disadvantage. She called Ye Yun to sit beside her for support, and Ye Yun obediently sat next to her mother.

The two aunts immediately began recounting their experiences, explaining the process of marrying off sons in their families, essentially backing up the groom’s parents’ claims and proving that their side indeed had such customs.

After their lengthy explanation, Ye’s mother relented: “Since your side follows these customs, we’ll abide by them. It’s a joyful occasion, so let’s not ruin it over minor issues.”

Upon hearing that the bride’s side agreed, the groom’s side naturally softened their tone.

Ye Yun, who had been silent throughout, turned to her mother and asked: “So you plan to pay for the red envelopes? Didn’t you say Dad needed medicine?”

A flash of embarrassment crossed Ye’s mother’s eyes as she lowered her voice: “Didn’t you agree to it that day?”

Ye Yun replied calmly: “Agree to what? I don’t understand.”

Ye’s mother’s face alternated between red and white, constrained by the groom’s side’s presence. The groom’s side pretended to chat but noticed the awkward atmosphere and stole glances over.

Ye Yun raised her voice: “Mom, you mean you want me to pay for the red envelopes? I won’t. You’re the one marrying off your daughter—it should be your responsibility.”

Ye’s mother’s eyes seemed to want to bore a hole into Ye Yun’s face. Ye Yun turned her head to look at the groom’s parents: “My mom can’t afford this money, and neither can I. Are you still planning to proceed with the marriage?”

The groom’s side exchanged bewildered glances, caught off guard by the sudden change in stance from the bride’s side. Thinking about how far they had come, they quietly discussed among themselves and eventually relented, allowing the groom’s second aunt to negotiate.

“In the future, we’ll all be one family. If you’re truly struggling, we can follow your customs. We elders just want the young people to have a joyful and prosperous celebration.”

Upon hearing this, Ye Ru immediately turned to look at her elder sister. Ye Yun calmly nodded: “Understanding is good. But before even entering the door, your elders belittled my sister over a few red envelopes. How can we expect her to have a good life after marrying into your family?”

The groom’s side’s faces changed abruptly. The groom’s father questioned: “What do you mean by that?”

Ye Yun met his gaze unflinchingly: “Exactly what I said. You want to marry, but we don’t want to give her away.”

Ye’s mother, shocked, turned her head to stare at Ye Yun, who allowed her mother to glare at her. Ye Ru, both excited and terrified, trembled all over.

The groom’s eldest aunt was the first to jump up, pointing at Ye Yun: “Who do you think you are to decide against the marriage? We’ve already paid the dowry in real gold and silver to your mother. She didn’t object, so why are you interfering?”

Ye Yun turned to her mother: “Bring out the money.”

Intimidated by the groom’s side, Ye’s mother trembled and said: “No… there’s none.”

When Ye’s mother uttered those two words to Ye Yun, the feeling of being abandoned by her family surged within her—despair, helplessness, and a sense of having nowhere to turn.

Ye Yun’s gaze locked onto her: “You bring out the money. I’ll handle everything else at home. If you knowingly push your second daughter into the fire, just wait and see if she’ll ever acknowledge you again.”

At this moment, Ye Yun was forcing her mother to take a stand, even if she herself would ultimately bear the consequences.

However, Ye’s mother leaned over and whispered softly in her ear: “The money was used to secure connections for your younger brother’s education. It’s gone.”

Ye Yun’s eyes gradually turned cold, eventually becoming void of emotion.

“How much?”

After her mother spoke, Ye Yun stood up, went inside, and returned with the exact amount of the dowry placed in front of the groom’s side.

“The marriage is off. The money is returned. You can leave.”

The groom’s parents took the money and began cursing loudly. Even as they reached the gate, the groom’s mother stood at the Ye family’s entrance, shouting: “Serves you right for becoming an old maid. You’ll remain unmarried for life.”

Nearby villagers gathered to watch the spectacle, asking what happened. Even as the groom’s parents left, they didn’t forget to badmouth the Ye family to the villagers.

Once the gate closed, Ye’s mother accused Ye Yun: “You’re the one pushing your sister into the fire. Now that we’ve backed out at the last minute, who will dare to propose to her? What will she do in the future?”

Her younger sister stood to the side, head bowed: “Then I won’t marry.”

Ye’s mother scolded her in frustration: “Do you really want to become an old maid and be laughed at? You’ll see—anyone passing by our house will gossip about you. How will you hold your head up high? Even I’ll lose face.”

Her younger sister’s tears fell heavily to the ground. Ye’s mother lamented painfully: “Your brother will need to find a wife after finishing school in a few years. If you stay at home, no one will dare propose to him. You’re ruining everything…”

“Ye Ru.” Ye Yun interrupted her mother.

Her younger sister, tears streaming down her face, looked up at her.

“Pack your things. We’re leaving tomorrow.”

Ye’s mother, mouth agape, stared at Ye Yun in shock. Ye Yun radiated a heavy, oppressive aura, meeting her mother’s gaze with eyes that were dim and distant.

Early the next morning, Ye Yun took her younger sister on the road. Ye’s mother saw them off at the gate. This time, no one shed tears out of reluctance.

Midway through the journey, her younger sister gazed at the endless ridges and asked Ye Yun with a dazed expression: “What’s Hudu like?”

“It’s another world.”