Chapter 20: The Scapegoat

 

"My wok—!" Han-laotaitai let out a gut-wrenching cry.

Lin Lan urged her, "You should be more broad-minded, laotaitai. Let things go. What belongs to you is yours; what doesn't, you shouldn't force. Aren't these the very words you once used to advise me?"

When the original owner of this body had asked for money, this was exactly what the old lady had said, looking down from her high and mighty pedestal back then.

"You, you—"

Han-dasao hurriedly tried to intervene, "Sister-in-law, please, say no more."

Han-ersao also started to wail, and the scene descended into chaos once again.

Just as the squabbling was at its peak, Han-erge and Han-dage returned home.

At that moment, Dawang came running back carrying the other wok. Seen from afar, it looked as if a wok had sprouted two legs and was sprinting along quite nimbly.

Han-erge asked in confusion, "Dage, why does that wok look like it's grown legs?"

Han-dage replied, "Which little rascal is that?"

Before he could finish, Dawang had already sprinted over with the wok on his head. Seeing the two men through a hole in the pot, he shouted a greeting and kept running toward the house. He didn't see the threshold ahead and stumbled, nearly sending the wok flying.

Han-dage exclaimed, "Careful of the threshold!"

Dawang steadied himself. "Don't worry, the wok won't break."

He ran back into the main room. Without asking for help, he braced his arms and shoved the wok back into place, half of his body disappearing inside it in the process.

It was fortunate that he was much stronger than his peers; otherwise, he truly wouldn't have been able to handle it.

Once finished, he clapped his hands, his face covered in soot from the bottom of the pot, and addressed the sobbing Han-laotaitai, "Mama, I've fixed the pot, so stop crying. Didn't you say that only cowards, who are good for nothing, spend all day crying and throwing suicidal tantrums?"

There was no need to say who that "coward" referred to.

Lin Lan thought: ...I'm so petty that I'll definitely hold a grudge!

Han-dage and his brother walked in, stunned by the sight. "What's going on here?"

Han-ersao immediately rushed over to lodge a complaint, embellishing the story with her own flair: Laosan and his wife had snatched the pot away and were complaining that laotaitai had forced him to join the army in his brothers' place years ago.

"He thinks it's easy serving the elders at home? Joining the army was living the good life..."

Seeing her continue to twist the truth—and knowing that Han Qingsong, a man of few words, wasn't one to bicker with women—Lin Lan couldn't stand it anymore and retorted directly to Han-ersao, "The meals were cooked by dasao, and the care when laotaitai was ill was provided by dasao. Aside from eating, what have you done? Do you want to return everything you’ve eaten of ours? Was it our die's wish that he didn't stay home to serve them? Wasn't it to earn money to support this entire massive family?"

Hearing Lin Lan's words, Han-erge wasn't pleased. "I say, laosan's wife, what kind of talk is that? By your logic, are dage and I in the wrong for staying here to serve our parents?"

Lin Lan replied coldly, "You aren't in the wrong; it's he who is wrong. He shouldn't have gone to be a soldier; he should have stayed home just like you two to serve the parents, and then he wouldn't be subject to any complaints."

Looking at it this way, everyone seemed to have grievances regarding Han Qingsong’s military service, comparing their own lives to his as if he didn't have to work in the fields, didn't have to serve the elders, and didn't have to endure their scolding.

But why did they never mention that he had taken their place in the army?

Why did they never mention that the money he earned was what kept them all alive?

Han-dage kept trying to mediate but couldn't get a word in, pacing around anxiously. "What is this talk? What is this talk? Why are brothers saying such hurtful things?"

"What's all this about?" The voice of the old party secretary, Han Yongfang, came from outside. He walked in carrying a bag of grain. "A while ago, Qingsong told me the family was short on grain and needed to borrow a bag to tide you over until the autumn harvest, so I hurried over to deliver it."

Han Qingsong nodded to Han Yongfang. "Thank you, daye." He took the bag of cornmeal, and without looking at anyone else, said only to Lin Lan, "Let's go back and cook."

"What are you doing? What are you doing! You've gone rebellious, haven't you?" Han-laotaitai shrieked aggressively.

Han-dage and erge were also stunned.

Han-erge grabbed Han Qingsong. "Laosan, how can you speak like that? Niang already said we'd divide the grain after the autumn harvest; what are you doing dividing it now? Aren't you stabbing niang in the heart? As a son, how can you do this?"

Although the family division was inevitable and they were even happy about it, it should have been the old lady forcing the "shrew" out, not laosan leaving out of resentment.

There was a world of difference between the two, and the focus of the town gossip would be completely different!

Who didn't care about face? How could they let themselves be the talk of the town?

Han-dage added, " Laosan, don't do this. It looks bad and will make people laugh; daye is still here."

Han Yongfang remarked, "I have other matters to attend to; I'll be going."

He came and went quickly. Aside from that bag of cornmeal, it was as if he had never been there at all.

Han Qingsong said, "We need to cook over there as well."

Lin Lan nimbly took the cornmeal from his hands. This was something he had borrowed; they couldn't let everyone eat it and then leave them to repay it themselves.

Dawang snatched it away again. Without a word to Lin Lan, he signaled to Erwang and Maisui, and the three of them carried it away at a run.

Lin Lan: ...

Sanwang stopped crying the moment he saw this. He wiped his tears with his sleeve, quickly gathered the mixed-flour flatbreads from the basket into his shirt, and chased after his brother.

Lin Lan met lao-Han-tou at the door while leading Xiaowang.

Actually, lao-Han-tou had been back for a while, but feeling ashamed, he had been hiding behind a haystack.

It was precisely because he had been standing there that the neighbors hadn't dared to come over to watch the spectacle.

Seeing Lin Lan and the others carry the grain out, he was forced to show himself. His face was dark, full of anger, looking as if he were about to strike someone.

Han Qingsong walked over in a few strides.

Lao-Han-tou did not hit anyone. With his hands behind his back, he clutched his tobacco pipe and said testily, "Enough, stop making a scene for people to laugh at. Family members shouldn't speak like outsiders. From now on, let laosan's family cook with us."

Eating together was a disguised apology; from now on, everyone would eat the same food, no more "two-tier" meals.

Parents valued their face; no matter how wrong they were, they would never admit it to their children.

Lin Lan looked at lao-Han-tou's weathered, furrowed face, full of the marks of time. She didn't have any issue with lao-Han-tou; he was a qualified head of a farming household—he spoke little, was diligent, and was generally honest. The only flaw was his inability to keep the old lady in check, though one could argue that was just him loving his wife.

She had just been about to show him some respect when the old lady ran out of the room, acting as if she’d suffered a great injustice. "When I was a daughter-in-law, I ate pig slop and drank dishwater every day, and did I say anything? My mother-in-law..."

Lin Lan stopped showing any respect at all and replied calmly, "Die, you've returned! I'm going to cook for the children; I still have to go to work."

Having said that, she left with Xiaowang.

Seeing them walk away, Han Qingsong greeted lao-Han-tou and prepared to follow them home.

Han-dage saw his father's grim expression and wanted to persuade him again, hoping Han Qingsong would show more concern for his parents' reputation; if he left like this, wouldn't the neighbors gossip?

Han Qingsong glanced at the resolute backs of his wife and children and said decisively, "Dage, my family is going to cook." He pursued Lin Lan and the children.

Never expecting laosan to disregard his parents so thoroughly, favoring his wife over his mother, the old lady slapped her thigh and cursed, "What's the use of raising sons? They say sons are for old age, but I think they're here to be the death of their mother! A pack of ungrateful wolves who forget their mother the moment they have a wife, and even that wok..."

"Enough! Don't be endless!" Lao-Han-tou hung his head and said in a muffled, grumpy voice, "If you don't want your daughter-in-law to gossip about you, the old mother-in-law, in front of your own grandchildren when you're old, then this is what you do!" Having said that, he walked toward the main room with his hands behind his back to smoke in a huff.

Ever since his own mother had passed away, the old man had never spoken a harsh word to her. Things in the house had always been decided by her. Seeing the old man suddenly stand his ground, the old lady retreated, feeling deeply wronged.

Han-dasao and her husband were incredibly embarrassed, busy trying to persuade the parents not to be angry.

However, Han-erge and his wife began to criticize Lin Lan. "Laosan's wife, she never rests. She had to stir up trouble to get laosan to come back, and now that he's back, she still won't settle down. Sooner or later, this family will be torn apart by her."

"Exactly. Look at her—wanting to smash the wok and then snatching it back. Clearly, she’s been holding a grudge ever since niang insisted on replacing the pot."

"And that Dawang, a little ungrateful wolf! Niang was so kind to him for nothing!"

Han-dage said, "Enough."

Providing different quality meals was indeed too much.

Knowing his father cared about face, he said, "After breakfast, I'll go talk to laosan and tell him not to misunderstand. Parents treat all their children the same; all fingers are flesh and blood, how could there be two different standards?"

Han-ersao scoffed, "Dage, you want to play the good guy, so we're the bad guys? It was clearly her fault for stirring up trouble."

Lao-Han-tou called out from inside the room, "Whose bright idea was it to have two different meals for one family? Does anyone think we're beggars?"

Han-dasao and Han-ersao fell silent.

It was obvious that it was the old lady who had ordered it.

Han-laotaitai also realized the old man was blaming her. Unconvinced, she slapped her thigh. "Er-sao, it’s all your fault. If not for that bright idea of yours..."

"Niang—" Han-ersao felt extremely wronged. Why was she being blamed? Wasn't it just because the old lady disliked laosan's wife and didn't want her to eat comfortably, and she had just chimed in?

Why was she being blamed?

"It is your fault! I am a mother and a grandmother; how could I ever mistreat the children? It was all you, this second daughter-in-law, coming up with such bad ideas! Enough, stop the squabbling. There are still some wowotou left; let the second daughter-in-law eat those."

Han-ersao let out a cry of disbelief and rushed back into the east wing to weep.

…………………………

Lin Lan led Xiaowang home in one breath. Though she was a bit tired, she was very happy.

"Niang, we're cooking for ourselves!" The children were jubilant.

"Dage?" Lin Lan looked around and didn't see Dawang.

This child had surprised her today. She had originally thought he would help the old lady scold her, but she hadn't expected him to switch sides at the last moment.

Sanwang placed the flatbreads he had been carrying onto the stove. "Dage put the grain down, grabbed a flatbread, and went to cut grass. Niang, look, I brought back the rest. Hehe."

Lin Lan: This child is simple-minded but sincere, quite good. However, was Dawang just feeling shy, or was he still not reconciled with her?

She said, "We'll make a vegetable soup to go with the flatbread. Tonight, I’ll make you pancakes."

"Great, great!" The children were delighted.

Maisui took the initiative to gather grass for the fire, Erwang helped wash the wok, and Xiaowang even helped use the gourd ladle to fetch water so his mother could knead the dough.

At that moment, Han Qingsong entered the courtyard, holding a handful of green beans, two cucumbers, an eggplant, and two tomatoes.

She hadn't expected him to return.

Lin Lan felt a bit better inside; she had originally thought he would stay behind to comfort the old lady. She took a gourd ladle to receive the vegetables. "If you pick so many, won't laotaitai scold you?"

She had to sneak a handful every time.

Han Qingsong looked at her. "The aunties and another woman gave them to me."

Oh my, look at his popularity; being handsome certainly has its advantages.

She happily took them.

Han Qingsong opened his mouth as if to say something but hesitated.

Lin Lan knew what he was thinking—he must be feeling embarrassed.

Before, she had told him the old lady was mistreating the third branch, and he hadn't believed her. Now, the facts were right in front of him proving he was wrong and his mother was in the wrong; this was effectively the same as him losing face.

Men had such heavy egos; very few were willing to admit they were wrong. It was already fortunate he wasn't being unreasonable.

Her intent wasn't to humiliate him, but just to let him understand the truth. Naturally, she wouldn't be unforgiving, nor did she want to exacerbate their marital conflict.

Besides, she had never intended to let Han Qingsong tear his face off with the old lady in public; he wasn't that kind of person, and the current social customs wouldn't allow it.

Whoever treated their parents like that would have the old party secretary hold a meeting to slap them across the face in public.

"Go wash your hands and eat some flatbread."

Han Qingsong: "I'll do it."

He took the gourd ladle to wash the vegetables. When he handed them to Lin Lan after washing, he said, "This matter was my fault."

Lin Lan lowered her head to slice the vegetables. "We’re all family living together; there's no such thing as who is better or worse. I didn't want to fight over who was right or wrong, I just hope you can look after the children more in the future."

She had originally thought that if she snatched the wok back, he would definitely get angry and fall out with her. She hadn't expected that not only did he not fall out, but he even helped.

Looking at it this way, he wasn't beyond saving.

Han Qingsong nodded. "I understand."

Since he had returned, he naturally had to protect his wife and children. From now on, they would live their lives well together.

Over there, Maisui had boiled the water. "Niang, it's ready."

Lin Lan quickly tossed the tomatoes in to make a tomato soup. It was a pity they had no eggs, and there was no oil in the house.

Even so, the children were very happy because this was the first meal where they were in charge.

That pot of tomato soup had golden-red tomato oil floating on top; throwing in some scallions made it red, white, and green. Even without eggs, it was especially beautiful and appetizing.

"Delicious! Niang's cooking is delicious!"

"Much better than da-niang's cooking!"

Lin Lan smiled with the kindliness of a traditional mother. "Don't talk nonsense; your da-niang's cooking is actually very good."

She just didn't show her true skill.

After eating, they hurried to work. The children went to cut grass; they kept ducklings at home and needed to get some tender wild vegetables for them to eat.

As they were about to finish work at noon, Han-dasao found Lin Lan. "Sister-in-law, come home and cook with me. Die ordered it."

Lin Lan didn't follow up: "Dasao, how would I know how to cook? This morning, I just boiled some tomatoes for the children; it tasted awful."

"That was still better than my cooking. I know what mine tastes like; come on, lunch needs to be quick."

As the eldest daughter-in-law, she had to be responsible for family harmony and resolve conflicts. Given the task by the mother-in-law, she had no choice but to bite the bullet.

Lin Lan still pulled away, smiling. "Saosao, don't take it the wrong way. I kneaded some cornmeal this morning and haven't finished with it; if I don't use it, it’ll turn sour, so I have to go back and steam it."

Han-dasao grabbed her, her tone carrying a request. "Sister-in-law, I’m begging you. Don't be angry with niang. When has a junior ever held a grudge against their parents? Family doesn't speak in two different voices. Our mother-in-law isn't exactly fair, but she is our mother-in-law after all. We can't just bypass her. If she makes a scene, it won't be good for laosan's reputation."

This was a disguised attempt to persuade her to turn the page.

Lin Lan said, "Dasao, there are some things that really make me angry. Anyway, I already have a reputation as a shrew, and I won't compromise myself or flatter others just for the sake of reputation. Let me be blunt: I want to divide the family and be in charge of myself. I don't want so many people stirred up in one pot. Such a good opportunity—don't you want that too, dasao?"

Han-dasao smiled bitterly.

If they were talking about dividing the family, she wanted it more than anyone else.

But as the eldest daughter-in-law, unless the elders said they wanted to live with the younger ones and chose to divide the eldest out, the eldest son and daughter-in-law were mandated to care for the elderly. Did she dare say that?

Han-dage would have a falling out on the spot; don't look at his honest appearance—in reality, he was far worse than laosan.

Thinking of dasao's daily care for her, Lin Lan didn't flat-out refuse. She still had to give dasao face.

But once they got home, it wouldn't be up to them.

Lin Lan and Han-dasao entered the house. The men hadn't returned yet, and they happened to see er-sao there gnawing on a wowotou, chewing it until tears and snot came out. It was quite pathetic.

Lin Lan laughed, "Er-sao, you like wowotou made with wild vegetables so much, do you?"

Han-ersao hadn't eaten one in days; Lin Lan had been watching. Why was she eating one now?

Thinking of how she had asked what pesticides tasted like, Lin Lan asking what the wowotou tasted like wasn't considered kicking her while she was down.

Han-ersao glared at her bitterly, rolled her eyes, and didn't respond, only chewing the wowotou with a crunch, as if she were gnawing on someone's flesh.

Lin Lan wouldn't cook; she didn't want to cook for the old lady in this lifetime.

Lin Lan walked directly into the east room.

The old lady was sighing with patches on, mostly complaining about her bitter life, her unfilial sons, and her daughter-in-law being a "mother-night-demon."

Lin Lan looked at the old lady and bluntly pierced her act, "I say, laotaitai, you don't need to put on a show; let's lay our cards on the table. Right now, no matter what you do, I will never hurt myself again. Whoever makes me unhappy, I will find ways to hurt you back. I just want to divide the family. Even if we eat bran and vegetables, I'll be comfortable being in charge of my own life, instead of eating until I'm not full, not being warm, and being looked down upon and scolded every day."

Han-laotaitai was trembling with rage. "You, you... you..."

She wanted to refute, but couldn't find an opportunity.

Lin Lan's glib tongue was naturally not something a rural old woman who only knew how to repeat "ungrateful wolf" or "unfilial" could compare with. She continued uninterrupted, "Since the family is to be divided, it must be divided cleanly. The house, the grain, the furniture, and the family savings must be divided too. We will definitely take back our food rations. If you don't give them to us, then we’ll take a larger share of the autumn harvest."

"You, you want to stop supporting the elderly..." the old lady shouted loudly.

Naturally, Lin Lan wouldn't let her break her rhythm, continuing where she left off. "And the salary your son earned—all these years, even if you haven't saved a thousand, you’ve saved eight hundred. Don't tell me about the younger sister and brother spending money on school; I won't listen to that! We have the obligation to support our parents, but no obligation to support two useless freeloaders. My own children aren't full, aren't warm, have no school, and have no money for doctors; why should I support others? You should give me at least three hundred of the money you have."

"Dreaming, dreaming! Get out, get out, get out!" Han-laotaitai was almost going insane.

Han-ersao, holding her wowotou, was struck dumb. She had forgotten all about sarcasm or scolding; her whole mind was filled with: My mother, the shrew must have changed her mouth in front of the King of Hell!

Han-dasao was standing there stunned. She had originally wanted to persuade her, but now her mouth was hanging open, and her brain wasn't even turning; she didn't know what to say.

How did laosan's wife grow that mouth? In the past, she only knew how to make a scene, repeating the same words over and over, or using "I won't live anymore" to scare people.

Today, she was aiming for the sky!

Listen to what she said—all things she had thought about for a long time but couldn't articulate.

How was she so good at talking?

Every sentence had struck right in her heart.

Exactly, why should they support the elderly and also support two freeloaders?

The younger brother and sister said they were at school, but honestly, they were just showing off; if they were bad at studying, why go to school?

"If you don't agree, we will have to ask the Party Secretary and the Team Leader to adjudicate. We’ll recount everything from all these years, item by item, and then judge as we must! If you want us to keep supporting your son and daughter, no way. I have five of my own that I can't even raise!"

Han-laotaitai had already started pounding her chest and gasping.

Everyone had seen this performance many times; whenever she couldn't win an argument and was furious, she would do this.

Lin Lan didn't indulge her either. "There is one more thing I must say to laotaitai first. Since the family is divided, we won't shirk our duty to support the elderly. However, the support for the elderly must be discussed—what age we start supporting, how the four sons will support them, whether it's by rotation, or whether each family contributes a share. But I feel that before we divide the family from the other sons, we won't be handing over any work points or grain; after all, we don't know if we’re supporting the elderly or supporting someone else, right?"

Lin Lan glared at Han-laotaitai, the culprit!

The younger sister and brother were spending laosan's money, and what was the result!

Not only were they not grateful, but they were insatiable, taking it for granted. After laosan transferred professions and no longer had a salary, they immediately complained and squeezed him out.

These were all inherited from the old lady!

According to the story, the younger sister treated Maisui like a servant girl, yet taught Maisui to be vain and twisted. The original owner couldn't see clearly and thought it was a good thing, indulging and praising them. As for Dawang, hanging out with his younger uncle, he envied his uncle for being powerful at school, riding a bike and wearing a green military uniform like a big shot, and ended up being led into fights and truancy.

Otherwise, just a rural woman like the original owner, who had no worldly experience, how could she teach her children like that?

A spoiled child, if they were in a place as small as a village, would be nothing more than lazy; once they went to the city, saw the world, and were led onto the wrong path, it was easiest for them to fall.

Before, she didn't have much affection for the children and thought she only needed to change the future.

But the interaction these past few days and the old lady's excess made her very angry; she decided not only to change the future, but to settle the accounts of the past as well!