Chapter 21 Part 2

Then Chen Nian came out to the family. When Eldest Aunt got wind of it, she spent the New Year’s visits hurling passive-aggressive barbs at Chen Nian’s parents. Mom lost her temper and pointed right in Eldest Aunt’s face, giving her a thorough scolding. From that point on, the two families were completely estranged, with no contact for many years to come.

Now Chen Nian’s family had brought Fang Zhi back for the New Year, and Chen Nian kept worrying that her uncle and aunt might stir up trouble again.

“So…” Chen Nian put a hypothetical to her dad. “What if they say something when they meet?”

Chen Junjie arched an eyebrow. “Let them try saying a word about my two daughters.”

Chen Nian clapped her hands. “Wow, Dad, you’re amazing.”

That was her dad all over. He was pretty meek at home and at work most days, but when push came to shove, he protected his wife and daughters with true manly resolve.

Reassured, Chen Nian slid down from her father’s back and ran off after Fang Zhi. The girl’s attention was still fixed on the goose. “Zhizhi,” Chen Nian asked, “do you want to eat some goose meat?”

Fang Zhi gave her a playful smack.

Giggling and chasing each other, the two barreled into the village. Chen Nian hadn’t grown up there, but every grandpa, grandma, uncle, and auntie they passed knew exactly whose daughter she was.

In years past, when Chen Nian came alone, hand in hand with Mom or Dad, people stopped them constantly with questions, leaving her paralyzed by the fear of not knowing what to call them.

This time, as she dashed after Fang Zhi, they laughed so hard they could barely breathe. Their parents couldn’t keep up, and neither could the villagers’ greetings.

At most, folks called out to Chen Junjie: “Junjie, you’re back!”

“Junjie, your girls have grown up so much!”

“Both those girls are such good children.”

“City kids really have that flair. Look at that jacket of hers—tsk, tsk, tsk…”

“Junjie, whose girl is that one? So fair and pretty.”

Chen Junjie cleared his throat. It felt a little awkward, but he replied generously anyway. “She’s mine. Ours.”

The old lady glanced at Chen Junjie, then at Liu Chunhua. “Yours? What’s that about?”

“Hahaha, Third Granny, how have you been feeling lately?” Chen Junjie laughed it off with a greeting and kept walking, without going into details.

With so many people in the village, he saw no need to spell it out.

By tomorrow, after Fang Zhi’s arrival, everyone would know the whole story anyway.

But he doubted many would understand why a young, healthy couple like them would suddenly adopt a daughter.

Let them think what they wanted. Other people’s opinions didn’t matter.

Chen Junjie sidled up to his wife and took two of the gift boxes from her hands.

As they approached the gate of the old house in their hometown, they spotted Chen Nian and Fang Zhi waiting off to the side.

The girls had stopped laughing and playing. Fang Zhi stood ramrod straight, her face set in a calm expression that betrayed her underlying tension.

Chen Nian clutched her hand, her eyes shining as she stared at her father.

Chen Junjie gave her a nod, signaling the little one to charge ahead. No problem.

“Charge!!!” Chen Nian whooped, yanking Fang Zhi’s hand and bolting through the gate. The old house was huge; a shout from the entrance had to echo around two corners before it reached anyone’s ears.

“Grandpa! Grandma! We’re hooome!!!” Chen Nian bellowed at the top of her lungs.

Grandma emerged first, apron dusted with flour. She clapped her hands, sending a cloud of white powder drifting through the sunlight. “I figured you were about due! Baby, Grandma made your favorite meat buns!”

“Yesss!!!” Chen Nian hurtled toward her and proudly presented Fang Zhi. “Grandma! This is Fang Zhi! She loves sugar buns!”

Grandma blinked for a second, then her smile bloomed even brighter. She studied Fang Zhi closely, unable to hold back her praise. “What a beautiful girl! And that little outfit looks perfect on you. Sugar buns are almost ready—you two can share them in a bit!”

Fang Zhi nodded. Chen Nian gave her hand a squeeze, and she quickly added, “Thank you, Grandma.”

“Oh, no need for thanks between family. Grandma’s happy as long as you girls like to eat…”

Grandpa stepped out of the house, a pipe clenched in his hand. “Junjie, bring your wife and girl inside. It’s warmer in there.”

Chen Nian grabbed Fang Zhi and bounced right up to Grandpa. “Grandpa, this is Fang Zhi.”

Grandpa broke into a grin. “I know, I know. I’ve got treats up on the cabinet—you know where. Help yourselves.”

Chen Nian could hardly contain her excitement. She led Fang Zhi into the house and clambered onto a stool to rummage for the snacks atop the cabinet.

Whenever relatives came bearing gifts or store-bought goodies, Grandpa stashed them here.

Eldest Uncle had two sons, and Grandpa only ever brought them out for Chen Nian—she alone enjoyed the special privilege of fetching them herself. Now Grandpa had granted that same privilege to Fang Zhi.

Little girls were just too adorable, too doted on. Chen Nian didn’t grab too many. She picked out the hawthorn cakes Fang Zhi liked best and pressed two pieces into her hands.

Mom headed off to help Grandma with the chores, while Dad settled down to chat with Grandpa. Chen Nian and Fang Zhi listened in for a while until the inevitable questions about school came up.

Not sweeping the board with perfect scores in second grade was a downright humiliation for Chen Nian.

She insisted her grades didn’t matter, but Grandpa and Dad just roared with laughter. Grabbing Fang Zhi’s hand, she declared, “We’re off to play!”

Grandpa waved them off. “Go on then, but be careful. Stay out of the fields—you don’t want to trip and hurt Fang Zhi.”

Chen Nian was already out the door, giggling to Fang Zhi. “See? Grandpa’s not worried about me falling. He’s only scared you’ll get hurt.”

Fang Zhi tilted her head. “Have you ever fallen?”

Chen Nian paused to think. “Oh yeah, plenty of times.”

She led Fang Zhi outside and pointed to the drainage ditch by the entrance. “Back before they fixed this up, it was just a dirt pit. I tumbled in three times.”

Fang Zhi edged away nervously, and Chen Nian cracked up. “Even if I fell in three more times myself, I’d never let you! My mom and dad and grandparents would kill me!”

A child’s joy was that simple.

Gazing at flowers and trees, scrambling over dirt mounds and ramshackle old houses—it was endless delight.

Chen Nian wasn’t a little kid anymore, but she loved reliving those childhood days. And there was something extra special about sharing that magic with the young Fang Zhizhu, recreating it all anew.

She never teased Fang Zhi for her wide-eyed curiosity about the world or held her back from trying new things.

Fang Zhi was cautious by nature anyway. Chen Nian didn’t mind if she got her clothes filthy or her hair tousled. But if real danger loomed, Chen Nian would throw herself in harm’s way to keep her safe.

After dashing around the front and back of the village, they raced home to find the steamed buns ready—and Eldest Uncle’s family had arrived.

Eldest Uncle’s two boys: the older one, Chen Bin, was three years Chen Nian’s senior; the younger, Chen Binwei, three years her junior.

By the time Chen Nian led Fang Zhi inside, Chen Bin and Chen Binwei were planted squarely in the middle of the courtyard, each gnawing on a bun.

Chen Bin glanced up and spotted Fang Zhi. He froze, the chunk of meat from his bite tumbling from his mouth. He lunged to catch it, hopping after it as it bounced.

It hit the dirt anyway. Chen Bin’s hands were slick with grease, his ears burning red.

“Bro,” Chen Nian said by way of greeting.

Chen Bin mumbled, “Uh, uh.” His gaze flicked toward Fang Zhi—wanting to stare, too shy to manage it.

Chen Nian stepped in front of Fang Zhi, half-hiding her behind her back.

Chen Bin nudged his brother’s leg with his foot. “Say hi.”

Chen Binwei shot Chen Nian a reluctant glare.

Chen Bin scowled and kicked again. “Call her sister!”

Chen Binwei swatted at Chen Bin. His bun flew from his hand and splatted on the ground.

Chen Binwei stared at it and erupted into a wail. “Waaah!”

Chen Nian blinked. “…”

Fang Zhi shrank back, back, back.

“Not my fault,” Chen Nian muttered, steering Fang Zhi aside. “I didn’t even make him call me sister.”

No sooner had the words left her mouth than the kitchen curtain flew open. There stood her Eldest Aunt, decked out in her usual garish getup.

Eldest Aunt flicked her eyes to Chen Nian, then to her two boys in the yard.

At last, her gaze settled on Fang Zhi. She drawled, “What nowwww—what nowwww—who went and upset the little princesssss—”

It had been years, but that face and voice still turned Chen Nian’s stomach, sending chills down her spine.

She wasn’t some clueless kid anymore. She knew exactly who that “little princess” jab was aimed at—her—and it reeked of sarcasm.

“I didn’t do anything,” Chen Nian said quickly as Grandma emerged too. “Brother Bin knocked Awei’s bun out of his hand—that’s why he’s crying.”

Chen Bin protested, “I didn’t touch his bun! It fell on its own!”

Chen Binwei sobbed, “Waaahhh! Bro kicked me!”

Chen Bin shot back, “He wouldn’t even greet her!”

“Yo!!!!” Eldest Aunt strode over to her youngest son and smacked him on the back. “What are you crying for? The bun fell? Just grab another one! Your grandma’s over there stuffing sweet buns for all the guests—you think she’d hold out on you?”

Chen Nian: “…”

“Not that big a deal to cry over,” Eldest Aunt went on. “You’re not the only one who didn’t get asked. If you bawled like this every time, you’d cry yourself to death!”

Chen Nian: “…………”

“Mom, hurry up and bring out those sweet buns of yours,” Eldest Aunt called out. “Don’t let the kid go hungry. What was this child’s name again…”

Just as the conversation was veering toward Fang Zhi—and in that telltale tone dripping with passive-aggressive barbs—Chen Nian raised her voice and cut her off sharply.

“Eldest Aunt—!!!” she shouted at the top of her lungs. “Long time no see! You look so pretty today!!!!”

Eldest Aunt froze. She’d never heard a kid greet an elder quite like that.

Chen Nian beamed like a flower in bloom, her cheeks flushed with that dark rosy glow from the highlands and her eyes sparkling bright. She looked every bit the picture of pure, innocent, wide-eyed charm.

“With clothes that pretty on, you shouldn’t mess around in the kitchen!” Chen Nian hollered on. “You’d just get them dirty, and that wouldn’t be worth it at all! Grandma’s got everything ready! My mom’s brought steamed dishes and cooked meat—you don’t need to do a thing!!!”

Eldest Aunt: “????”

Was this kid calling her useless?

“The dumplings are Grandpa and my dad’s job,” Chen Nian added. “We can just play!”

Eldest Aunt: “…………”

Now it was clear: the kid was calling her useless and lazy.

Eldest Aunt opened her mouth, ready to chew out this brat—clearly someone had taught her to talk back like that—but Chen Nian didn’t give her a chance. Spotting Eldest Uncle and Grandpa emerging from the kitchen, she lobbed out the perfect zinger.

“How many points did Brother Bin get on his finals? Did the teacher make him repeat a grade again?”

“Our teacher had me skip grades instead!” she crowed. “So in another two years, will I finally be in the same grade as Brother Bin?!!!!”