Chapter 17 Sisters

Early in the morning, Chen Xinwan got out of bed and went straight to Second Master Xie’s house.

Second Master Xie was the uncle of Chen Xinwan’s husband, Xie Facai. The old man was already ninety-two this year, yet still in robust health. However, he was by no means a good person.

Back when Gu Zhuo and Xie Lin got married, he was the sole person to stand up and object. And the reason? He wanted Xie Lin to marry his own granddaughter.

When the others learned of this, everyone was stunned. Marriages between people of the same surname were forbidden, let alone such an immediate kinship within the clan.

But Second Master Xie seemed utterly unfazed by the customs of his generation. At the time, he said this—

“Though Linzi bears the Xie surname, he doesn’t have our Xie family’s blood. It’s perfect—if my little Hua marries him and they have children, then those children will be true Xie blood.”

He even tried to persuade Chen Xinwan: “Don’t think Chongzi is more reliable just because he’s more obedient than Linzi. When he came to you, he was already thirteen. Who knows what’s in his heart? How could he compare to Linzi, whom you’ve raised by your own hand? When it comes time to rely on someone in your old age, Linzi is a hundred times more dependable than Chongzi.”

To be honest, Chen Xinwan was almost swayed. If not for Xie Lin’s steadfastness, his marriage to Gu Zhuo might actually have been ruined.

In fact, before Chen Xinwan arrived that morning, Second Master Xie had already been entertaining Gu Daguo. In front of him, the old man swore up and down that he would never help Chen Xinwan bully Qixiu and her daughter, but in truth…

He too was busy plotting—his own grandson was weak and unable to do manual labor, earning only eight work points a day like a woman. Whenever they tried to arrange a marriage, any sturdy young woman would turn her nose up at him, and those willing to consider would demand an exorbitant bride price.

Now, Linzi’s widow, except for having been married before and having a daughter, was perfect in all other respects. Most importantly, she had inherited Linzi’s big house. If his grandson married her, they could move right in, and his own family wouldn’t have to be so cramped anymore.

So when he heard why Chen Xinwan had come, Second Master Xie put on a look of grave concern: “Facai’s wife, have you lost your wits? Qixiu is a martyr’s widow, and Yinyin is a martyr’s child. If you take away their home, people will say you’re bullying the family of a martyr. Do you want to be sent off to the farm for reeducation?”

Chen Xinwan’s face went deathly pale. “I… I…” she stammered, too frightened to speak.

Second Master Xie shook his head. “You should go home. I’ll pretend I never heard any of this today.”

When Chen Xinwan stumbled home in a daze, Second Master Xie was already confiding his plans to his grandson.

“…Don’t mind that Qixiu has Yinyin with her. That child isn’t real Xie blood anyway. Raise her up, and when she’s grown, we can marry her off to your nephew. That way, our family can save on the bride price,” he calculated, his abacus practically clattering with each scheme.

Yet Xie Huaijun was thinking that rather than marrying Yinyin off to his nephew for nothing, it would be better to find someone else and collect a bride price.

But almost immediately, he shuddered. No, he thought, how did I get led so far astray by Grandfather? That’s Xie Lin’s widow—how could I marry her?

Even though the man was dead, his reputation lingered. Just thinking about it made Xie Huaijun tremble. What if Xie Lin came back as a ghost to beat him up?

“Qixiu, Qixiu, where are you?” Gu Sanxiu’s voice rang out before she even entered the courtyard.

The gate wasn’t locked. She pushed it open and walked right in. Gu Wuxiu followed behind, unusually quiet.

When they entered, Gu Zhuo was in the middle of breakfast. Gu Sanxiu immediately began to scold, “Look at the time! Why are you only just having breakfast? And you’re supposed to know medicine! Don’t you realize skipping breakfast ruins your stomach?”

“Third Sister, Fifth Sister,” Gu Zhuo greeted them.

Both were her own elder sisters, but as children they’d been raised with their uncles’ families, so their forms of address followed the generational ranks accordingly.

Then she explained, “I was doing acupuncture for Qiaoling’s sister-in-law, so it took some time. That’s why I’m eating late.” In truth, it wasn’t late—barely eight o’clock by her estimate. But people's sense of time was clearly different in those days.

“Third Aunt, Fifth Aunt,” Yinyin greeted them after Gu Zhuo quietly reminded her, as she no longer remembered her aunts.

Gu Sanxiu sat down beside Gu Zhuo and urged, “Hurry up and eat, we’ll talk when you’re done.”

Gu Wuxiu took a seat next to Yinyin, picked up a spoon, and began feeding her porridge. Yinyin, unafraid of strangers, ate even more heartily when someone fed her.

Gu Zhuo didn’t really approve of Gu Wuxiu’s behavior, but since her fifth sister rarely visited, she said nothing.

After the meal, Gu Sanxiu and Gu Wuxiu set about cleaning up—one washing dishes, the other tidying the table—and everything was done in a matter of minutes without Gu Zhuo needing to lift a finger.

With the courtyard gate closed, Yinyin played in the yard while the three Gu sisters sat together to talk.

—Or rather, it was mostly Gu Sanxiu doing the talking.

“Now that Linzi’s gone, you still have to live your own life. Mother’s probably told you her thoughts. We think she’s being too hasty, but she’s right. Don’t take it lightly—good men are in high demand. Even unmarried girls are fighting for them, let alone widows like you…”

Gu Zhuo listened without even the slightest furrow of her brow. She’d heard almost exactly the same words at least a hundred times in her previous life.

She had always felt out of step with the world around her. She didn’t believe good men had to be fought over, nor that a woman must marry if she found a good man. Many people used to say she had good judgment, or good luck, to have met someone like Xie Lin. She would just smile and say nothing, but in her heart, she knew she hadn’t married Xie Lin because he was a good man.

People of their generation were awkward and reserved when it came to matters of love, and Gu Zhuo didn’t claim to understand much about it either.

She and Xie Lin had married simply because he wanted to wed her, and she wanted to marry him.

If there had been no Xie Lin, if there had been no such person, she would never have chosen marriage at all.

As for the label “widow,” Gu Zhuo disliked it even more.

Gu Wuxiu was better at reading people than Gu Sanxiu. Though their youngest sister hadn’t spoken, her silence only underscored her displeasure.

After so many years as sisters, she knew that, though her little sister was always quiet, she was anything but obedient or indecisive, as others might assume.

There would never be anyone in the world more resolute than their youngest sister.

“Yushu’s family sent a pound of red dates from home. I brought you half a pound—eat a few with Yinyin every day. They’re very nourishing, especially good for women,” Gu Wuxiu interjected, cutting off Gu Sanxiu.

“Oh right, I brought you something too.” Gu Sanxiu remembered, pulling out a small burlap sack and showing her the green beans inside. “I grew these in secret—sharing some with you.”

Gu Zhuo frowned slightly, wanting to say something but swallowing her words.

Her fifth sister knew her limits, but her third sister… She was always sneaking things from her in-laws’ home to bring back to her natal family, and it had led to more than a few arguments with her brother-in-law.