Song Tan’s Chronicle - Chapter 46

After Sun Yanyan finished muttering, she remembered the important task at hand: “Dad, Mom wants you to buy some cooking oil. I’ll watch the store for you, and you can also pick up the child.”

Her daughter, Song Ziyi, was in the last year of kindergarten, but since it was Saturday, she was at a nearby hobby class learning chess.

Song Dafang was furious—raising children was like paying off debts!

He had raised his son and daughter, but now he and his wife, in their old age, hadn’t enjoyed any comfort.

They still had to support their son’s family of three, pay for their granddaughter’s tuition, pick her up, cook, wash dishes, and do laundry…

And now, his clever daughter-in-law wouldn’t even spend a cent of her own money and expected him to buy the cooking oil.

Truly, a lifetime of servitude!

He was deeply resentful, but when he picked up his granddaughter from her class, she ran up with a big bow in her hair, her voice bright and sweet:

“Grandpa!”

“Yes!”

Song Dafang instantly forgot his earlier displeasure, feeling only sweetness.

When they returned to the apartment behind the store, his wife, Mao Li, hurried out from the kitchen, complaining:

“You old man, I asked you to buy oil, and you took so long. The food is waiting to be cooked!”

She then noticed the small basket of fresh, tender vegetables in his hand and curiously asked, “What did you buy this time?”

Taking the basket, she exclaimed, “Oh, it’s milk vetch! Haven’t had this in decades. Let’s stir-fry it for lunch.”

Song Dafang quickly explained, “Tan Tan brought it this morning with Qiao Qiao. They’ve been selling vegetables at the market by the river.”

“What?”

Mao Li was shocked.

“Sell vegetables? Isn’t Tan Tan working in Ningcheng? Why is she back selling vegetables?”

Sun Yanyan had already changed her shoes and squeezed in to look at the vegetables: “This stuff isn’t worth much. If it’s not fresh, it won’t taste good. Taking so much… we can’t even give it away to neighbors.”

Seeing Song Dafang’s face darken further, Mao Li, knowing he was upset by her daughter-in-law’s words, quickly added: “It’s the thought that counts. Let’s cook it fresh for lunch.”

Song Dafang snorted and went to watch TV with his granddaughter.

Meanwhile, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were cheerfully preparing the vegetables and chatting:

“Mom, Tan Tan drove a little pickup today and said she’s staying home to farm. These vegetables are what they didn’t sell.”

“Oh my!” Mao Li was genuinely surprised: “She’s staying home to farm? She’s a young girl, working in Ningcheng is easy and respectable. How will she find a husband now that she’s back home?”

“Exactly.”

Sun Yanyan sighed dramatically:

“Tan Tan has a simple-minded brother, which already makes marriage difficult. Now, she’s back home. Who would want to marry a girl who farms?”

“I was even planning to introduce her to a young man I met recently. His family has a house and a car, and they’re all hardworking. I thought she’d be a good match!”

“Tan Tan is really beautiful, even more so now! Her skin is so fair and radiant. She’s even better looking than the stars on TV.”

Mao Li lamented: “Yes, your third uncle’s children are both good-looking.”

“If you meet someone suitable, you should still introduce them. We’re family.”

“I have to say, their family hasn’t had it easy. Look at your father; he was able to work hard and earn some money in the city, so now we don’t worry about food and drink.”

“But your uncle and his family stayed in the countryside when they were young. They had children without thinking ahead, and look at poor Qiao Qiao, such a good boy but simple-minded.”

“They’ve worked hard their whole lives, but they never had the vision. Now they’re stuck at home, probably not even having enough money for a down payment on a house.”

Talking like this, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law found more to discuss. Sun Yanyan thought for a moment:

“How old is Qiao Qiao now?”

“Eighteen, I think?” Mao Li couldn’t remember clearly.

Sun Yanyan contemplated for a moment: “I think Qiao Qiao needs to get married soon. With a wife to look after him, my uncle can go out to work and earn more money. They won’t have to worry about retirement.”

“Given Qiao Qiao’s condition, they can’t rely on him for old age care.”

“True,” Mao Li agreed wholeheartedly:

“I’ve said before, they need to continue the family line. Qiao Qiao is such a good boy. If he gets married and has a son, maybe the son will be fine?”

“While your third uncle is still young, they can raise the grandson, giving them someone to rely on in the future.”

Song Dafang, retrieving something from the fridge, heard this and glared at them:

“What nonsense are you talking about? Your third uncle stayed home to take care of our parents, saving us a lot of trouble, and now you’re plotting behind their backs!”

Sun Yanyan pursed her lips but didn’t argue.

Mao Li, however, was indignant:

“What plotting? We’re looking out for them. With Qiao Qiao like this, if they don’t have a grandson, what will they do when they’re old? Do you want to take care of your parents and your brother?”

Song Dafang glared at her:

“How can Qiao Qiao get married in his condition? And what if the child has problems too? How will they manage?”

“That…”

Mao Li was stumped.

Sun Yanyan quickly interjected: “It’s not always like that. Just find a simple, honest girl who can take care of him. And nowadays, medical science can detect problems during pregnancy. If there are issues, they don’t have to keep the child.”

“Dad, don’t be angry. Mom is just worried about you.”

“Our grandparents are back home. We’ll have to support them financially and physically. If my uncle’s family is doing well, it’ll be easier for us.”

“If they become a burden, Dad, you won’t just stand by, right?”

“We’re just worried about you taking on too much.”

Song Dafang paused, then said nothing. He closed the fridge and walked back to the living room.

…

At noon, Song Xuehai, their son, came home from work, and the family gathered for lunch.

On the table was a dish of vibrant green vegetables they hadn’t seen before. Song Xuehai asked, “What’s this?”

“I know, I know!”

Granddaughter Song Ziyi said, “Grandpa said it’s from Brother Qiao Qiao.”

Song Xuehai laughed at her, “I told you to call him Uncle, not Brother.”

But his daughter ignored him, clumsily reaching for the vegetables with her chopsticks: “I want to eat what Brother Qiao Qiao brought.”

The fresh, tender greens, stir-fried with garlic, released a tempting aroma at the table.

Song Ziyi took a big bite, then eagerly reached for more:

“What Brother Qiao Qiao brought is the best thing I’ve ever eaten!”

“You little thing, you’ve hardly tried anything,” Song Dafang chided, then took some himself.

The moment he tasted it, he found the flavor remarkably different.

By the time everyone came to their senses, the plate was empty.

Song Ziyi stared at the empty plate and suddenly burst into tears: “I want more, I’m still hungry!”

Mao Li quickly cleaned the plate: “Don’t cry, don’t cry. Grandma will make more right now. We have plenty.”

Sun Yanyan, still savoring the taste, added: “Mom, let’s cook all the remaining vegetables. They’re really good.”

After thinking for a moment, she suggested: “Why don’t you check out the market by the river tomorrow when you buy groceries? It’s family business; we should support them.”