Chapter 25

When they got home, Li Fu called out, "Cook dinner."
Madam Qian came out of the house. "Didn't we just eat?"
In front of Zhou Chengkang, Li Fu's words allowed no contradiction; he snapped, "Do as you're told."
Madam Qian glanced at Zhou Chengkang, understanding that the meal was for his sake. Smiling, she said, "Fourth Brother, thank you. Have you had dinner? Don't be shy, Aunt Qian will specially make something for you right away."
Zhou Chengkang smiled and winked at Li Qinghe, refusing, "No, thanks. My sister is cooking at home; that's fine. I'll set out the food when I get back."
After saying that he turned and left. Li Fu called after him twice, but he had already gone. The look Li Fu cast at Madam Qian as he turned away was tinged with disappointment. Without a word he walked to the well, drew water, and went to the washhouse.
Madam Qian started to speak several times but stopped; Li Fu didn't look at her.
Li Qinghe raised an eyebrow and went to the kitchen to heat water. Zhao Wanwan was still washing dishes; she smiled when Li Qinghe came in and greeted her, "Did Fourth Brother Zhou come by just now?"
Li Qinghe nodded. "He also carried back two bundles of wheat."
After that came silence. The two sisters had once gotten along well, but because of this match they'd grown distant.
Outside, Madam Qian's aggrieved crying rose up. "I only said it casually; I hadn't finished explaining before he left, how can you blame me? I'll go make it now; have Qinghe fetch him to come and eat."
She pushed into the kitchen, jostling Li Qinghe aside, and said stiffly, "Go call him to come and eat, or your father won't let it drop. The Li family isn't short a single meal because of him; we'll just make it for him!"
As she spoke, tears streamed down her face; she looked utterly wronged.
Li Qinghe got up, fetched a bucket, filled it with hot water, and went to the washhouse. Outside, Li Fu stood in the yard, his face heavy.
Madam Qian wouldn't let it go and called out, "Qinghe, go call Fourth Brother to come eat!"
Li Qinghe sneered. "He doesn't need your one meal. You went out of your way to make it, how could he stay and accept it?"
That was true: Zhou Chengkang had never intended to eat. Maybe Li Fu was only being polite, but Madam Qian's word "specially" suggested they'd all already eaten and she was merely doing a favor for Zhou, which sounded overly eager and calculated.
Having said that, Li Qinghe ignored them and carried the water into the washhouse. She heard Li Fu outside, his tone sour: "You go to the fields with me tomorrow."
Madam Qian's crying stopped. "I'm not well, how can I go?"
"What's wrong with you?" Li Fu countered. "If you're unwell, go see a doctor. We share a bed every night, so tell me, what hurts?"
Madam Qian sat by the stove; she had the fire burning high, which made her face flush and pale by turns. Li Qinghe had poured most of the water into the pot and it soon began to boil. Seeing this, Zhao Wanwan hurriedly grabbed a basin and added some cold water.
Li Fu stood at the kitchen doorway and demanded again, "What's wrong with you?"
After a long moment, Madam Qian finally whispered, "I'm afraid of the sun."
What kind of excuse was that?
Li Fu frowned. "Wear a straw hat; you won't darken that much. Besides, after the autumn harvest comes winter, you'll just be wrapped up and pale again."
"I'm not going." Madam Qian looked away. "I'm two years younger than Qinghe's mother, but I look much older, that's because of the work."
As Li Qinghe came out carrying the bucket she couldn't help laughing. She had wondered what was wrong with Madam Qian this year; it turned out she'd been provoked by Madam Xu.
Apart from both being pretty, Madam Xu and Madam Qian were otherwise very different. When Madam Xu was still an unmarried girl she only worked in the fields during the busy spring planting and autumn harvest; at other times she might fetch water but did not do fieldwork. After she married Li Fu she soon became pregnant and was spared field labor. Later she went into town as a wet nurse and was taken as a concubine, hardly ever leaving the house. One could say that since marrying Li Fu she spent her days wrapped up at home and had no chores to speak of.
Madam Qian, by contrast, had first married into the Zhao family, where her husband was a loafer and she ran the household alone. After divorcing and returning to her family she continued to work, and even after marrying Li Fu she still did chores, joining him in the fields during busy times. Naturally she couldn't compare to Madam Xu, who had been so well kept.
These past few days she had refused to be involved in the household tasks, now Li Qinghe understood why.
Mention of Madam Xu darkened Li Fu's face. Even though he had divorced to marry Madam Qian, it was true that Madam Xu had been with another man before the divorce; even if it was for money, it proved he was inferior to that man. His tone soured, "When did she come? How come I didn't know?"
Li Qinghe took up the words. "Mother heard I was engaged and came specifically to ask after me and to see Chengkang. She left just a few breaths later, she didn't even have tea."
Madam Qian protested, "She just snubbed it herself and didn't drink; it's not that I didn't prepare anything."
Seeing another quarrel brewing, Li Fu's face turned dark. "Tomorrow morning you'll go to the fields with me. At home Qinghe and Wanwan will be enough. No matter how much you bundle up, you're not as well kept as that other woman, it's my failure, okay!"
With that he went inside.
Madam Qian was left bewildered. In all the years they'd been married Li Fu had never treated her like this; this was the first time. Of course it was because of Madam Xu! Even though she's married, she still won't let me have it easy!
Over the next few days every household in the village rose before dawn and worked until dark, but everyone was in good spirits, this year the weather had been kind and the harvest was good.
Li Qinghe went too, though she only helped in the fields when she went to feed the fish at dawn and again at sunset. At other times she stayed home helping with the cooking. Madam Qian really didn't go; even with Li Fu giving her cold looks she was attentive in serving tea and pouring water, but she simply wouldn't go out to the fields.
They'd been busy for seven or eight days. The Zhou family had brought in all their grain, and the next day Zhou Chengkang came over to help. Li Fu was genuinely pleased, especially since Zhou worked no less well than he did, and he was so satisfied he even gave some silver to Li Qinghe to go into town and buy meat to fry.
As for the Hu family, they came calling again one afternoon.
This time Li Qinghe was at home; she planned to wait until the sun had dropped a little before feeding the fish, and from under the eaves she saw the Hu mother and son at once.
She greeted with a smile, "Aunt's here."
Mrs. Hu's face was flushed from the sun; she forced a smile. "Qinghe, is Aunt Qian home?"
Madam Qian had heard and hurried out of the house. "Yes, yes. Sister's here, come in and sit." She turned and called, "Wanwan, your auntie's here."
She didn't forget to tell Li Qinghe, "Go and make some tea."
Li Qinghe paused and decided not to argue. She wanted to avoid any appearance of impropriety herself, and besides, Madam Qian had been warm when the Zhous visited. So she turned and went to the kitchen to boil water, making extra so she could take some to Li Fu and the others later, this side of things would then be finished.