Third Brother Tian’s shamelessness caught everyone off guard. His children were indeed pitiful – Tian Xiaoyan and her brother wearing only thin clothes in the dead of winter, with Xiaoyan’s ten fingers covered in chilblains.
Both siblings were gaunt and sallow. By 1985, Yunan Province had already distributed land to individual households for several years. Though farmers’ lives were hard, having to pay grain tax and various fees, compared to the years of famine, life was much better now!
Yunan Province hasn’t experienced any natural disasters in recent years. In these years of favorable weather, as long as one was willing to work hard and didn’t have seriously ill family members to support, no one should live as poorly as Third Brother Tian.
He neglected his fields, so naturally the harvest was poor.
After paying the grain tax and fees, little was left, and Third Brother Tian would sell that for alcohol. While he stayed drunk daily, Xiaoyan and her brother could barely get sweet potato meals, let alone meat. They truly looked miserable, and Xia Xiaolan felt sympathy watching the children – but she wasn’t actually under twenty, susceptible to moral blackmail. She was furious inside!
Everything happened so quickly that no one could react. It wasn’t until Tian Xiaoyan pulled her brother down to kneel, their heads making loud thuds against the ground, that Chen Wangda came to his senses:
“What nonsense is this? Someone pick them up!”
Elder Sister-in-law Chen rushed forward with several other women to lift the children, but Third Brother Tian charged forward, preventing them.
“Sister Xiaolan, you’re so kind-hearted…”
Tian Xiaoyan’s crying was truly pitiful. Elder Sister-in-law Chen and the others weren’t sure whether to continue trying to pull them up. The Tian family suddenly showed unity, perhaps all wanting to take advantage, all hoping to push off the burden of Third Brother Tian and his children. The scene descended into chaos.
Chen Wangda erupted in anger, “Everyone stops! Are you trying to rebel?”
Years of authority proved effective at this crucial moment. The Tian family didn’t dare go too far. Without their interference, only Tian Xiaoyan and her brother remained kneeling. Xia Xiaolan crouched down to look into Tian Xiaoyan’s eyes:
“I sympathize with you and want to help you, but I can’t take you home just because I feel sorry for you. Your name is Xiaoyan, right? For your and your brother’s birth, the primary responsibility lies with your parents. If both passed away, then your uncles, aunts, or maternal aunts should care for you. If none of them were around, there would still be your grandparents’ generation… Unless they all died and you became orphans, I might then take you home.”
The Tian family members were furious.
What did being a top scholar mean? Did it give her the right to curse the entire Tian family to death?
Tears filled Tian Xiaoyan’s eyes. Xia Xiaolan stood up, “Don’t be angry, everyone. I’m just explaining to Xiaoyan under what circumstances our family could adopt her. With so many relatives alive, even if her father is irresponsible, surely her uncles and aunts wouldn’t let the siblings go hungry and uneducated… Right, Second Aunt Tian?”
Second Sister-in-law Tian, thinking the children would be pushed onto her to raise, immediately shrieked in protest:
“Why should I raise them? Don’t their parents know how to raise them?”
Xia Xiaolan smiled: “Second Aunt is right. I’ve never heard of parents not raising their children and leaving it to outsiders. Our family has no relation to the Tian family – we just live in the same village. I admire officials’ families too, but you don’t see me kneeling at the county magistrate’s or mayor’s door, kowtowing desperately, forcing them to be my father, do you?”
Second Sister-in-law Tian nearly choked. This top scholar wasn’t just good at studies – she was sharp-tongued too!
Xia Xiaolan’s words made sense. When Tian Xiaoyan and her brother were crying and kowtowing earlier, many people were stunned, some even feeling sorry for the siblings.
But after Xia Xiaolan’s explanation, everyone came to their senses. No matter how pitiful they were, what did it have to do with Xia Xiaolan? The siblings had absolutely no connection to her. The children were born to Third Brother Tian and his wife, both still alive, yet they wanted to dump the children on others… With so many families in the village, Third Brother Tian targeted Xia Xiaolan’s family simply because the Liu family lacked strong backing in the village.
Anyone who got entangled with a wretch like Third Brother Tian would be cursed for eight generations!
“Third Brother Tian, still trying to marry in?”
“What would they want you for? To drink?”
“And raise your chi… children too. You dare to dream.”
“Xiaolan’s right. The Tian family’s all alive. Who doesn’t raise their children? If you won’t raise them, don’t have them!”
Seeing Tian Xiaoyan’s state was indeed pitiful – villagers couldn’t even bring themselves to say “burden” in front of the children.
Chen Wangda raised his hand, “Elder Brother Tian, tell me, is there any face left after today’s scene? I’m embarrassed for all of you Tians. Everyone saw Fen’s situation when she returned to divorce last year. Xiaolan, that girl with such good grades, collecting eggs and eels all over while studying – if two women can manage, why can’t Third Brother Tian? Don’t think of crooked ways just because you see others doing well. If you want to die, do it now – jump in the river or hang yourself, whatever you want. Who are you trying to frighten here!”
Though the Tian family was shameless, they still pretended to have faces normally.
Elder Brother Tian had hoped to compete with Chen Wangda for village chief, but after this ugly scene, what was left to compete for? Wasn’t it embarrassing enough?
“Third Brother, take the children home.”
As Third Brother Tian lingered, Xia Xiaolan helped Tian Xiaoyan up. Before Third Brother Tian could show any joy, Xia Xiaolan pointed at him and said: “Look carefully, this man is your father. Since he brought you into this world, he should be responsible for you. If he fails in his responsibilities, you and your brother won’t owe him anything in the future! Nobody owes you anything except the people who brought you into this world. If he beats you again, come ask Grandfather Chen for help. If Grandfather Chen can’t handle him, the police can! Do the same if he won’t feed you or let you go to school!”
While Tian Xiaoyan hadn’t fully understood, Chen Wangda had: “Third Brother Tian, the village needs to handle your family matters now. Tian Xiaoyan and her brother are school-age – after the Spring Festival, both must attend the village school… Elder Brother Tian, if your brother can’t afford the tuition, surely the Tian family can gather it?”
Tuition was just a few yuan – if the Tian family couldn’t gather that much, what face did they have left in the village?
If Third Brother Tian was unreasonable, let the Tian family deal with him. Chen Wangda didn’t believe they’d dare defy heaven!
Xia Xiaolan wasn’t sure if Tian Xiaoyan understood, but fate had to be changed by oneself. Some people were born with advantages, living comfortably without struggle. Others had to calculate carefully just for food and education. Tian Xiaoyan was quite mature. Now that Xia Xiaolan’s life was better, she didn’t mind helping others, but not through such disgusting moral coercion.
This farce ended with Xia Xiaolan’s firm will and sharp words shifting public opinion.
When Liu Yong returned from buying New Year supplies in the county, he gathered some friends and gave Third Brother Tian a severe beating. The Tian family, bullies who feared the strong, knew they were in the wrong and didn’t dare make a sound, swallowing their anger.
The family agreed in the discussion that their failure was the Second Sister-in-law Tian’s fault.
Second Sister-in-law Tian didn’t dare speak ill in the village, so she ran to her maiden home to slander Liu Fen: “…So what if her daughter’s a top scholar? How reliable can a daughter be? Look how arrogant they are now – what kind of man could Liu Fen possibly find!”