Chapter 23

It frightened her in the dream and she woke, but her mother's patting was so comfortable that she went back to sleep.

By the time the rest of the Chens were up, Chen Yougong had long gone.

Chen Yuanyuan stood outside the chicken pen watching her eldest brother feed them.

Old Mrs. Chen saw her and hurried over, alarmed. What was her little treasure about to do? She watched a while, found nothing out of the ordinary, and was easy again.

After breakfast the grown Chens went to the fields and the children went to school.

The village was full of it. Old Mrs. Chen's household had barely reached the fields before the talk started up over the work.

"I hear he's gone off in a lorry. How big is a thing like that?"

"That's it. When the third son's back he can tell us all about it."

...

Old Mrs. Chen couldn't stop smiling. She was thoroughly pleased, and promised them all, and when she looked across the field the creases in her face deepened with it.

Yue Chuan had marked out the work, so everyone had their own patch. Talking didn't slow their hands.

Wang Fen could see the ring of people round old Mrs. Chen from a long way off. Chen Yougong, going to another province. She ground her teeth.

When work finished at midday she went home in a temper.

"Ma, what is it now? What are you angry about?" Zhao Fangsong was at home washing nappies. With a son, he didn't mind being looked down on any more.

An idea came to Wang Fen all at once.

"Fangsong. You could go back to learning carpentry, couldn't you?"

The nappy jumped in his hands. "Ma, where do you get these ideas? I'm not going. It's miserable work, I'd never stick it." He hadn't stuck it back then, let alone now. At his age it would only be embarrassing.

Wang Fen had always given her son his way in everything, and now, thinking of old Mrs. Chen with everyone round her, she wasn't going to budge.

Yu Lili came out of the room with her son and heard what her mother-in-law said. If only she had married the third Chen son. Her life would be twice what it was.

"Ma's right. Go and learn it."

Zhao Fangsong looked at his mother, then at his wife. There was nothing for it. If they wanted him to learn, he would go, and if he failed at it they couldn't blame him.

Wang Fen was delighted that her son had agreed. She didn't even rest after her midday meal. She took the afternoon off and went into town.

If her son was going to learn, he would learn from somebody good. She would have her eldest daughter ask about a way in.

Zhao Dujuan gave generously to her own family, and the moment she heard what it was about she agreed and said she would go and ask.

Zhao Dujuan was Wang Fen's eldest, and exceptionally dutiful. As a child she had hated not being a boy, because it brought her mother so many black looks from her grandmother. When she grew up her mother found her a match, and though the man had a bad leg, he ate proper state grain.

The family had just finished their midday meal and she was clearing up.

"Oh, Ma, what brings you here? Is something wrong at home?" Zhao Dujuan brought her in quickly.

Ding Dachun was Zhao Dujuan's eldest girl. The moment she heard in the inner room that her grandmother was here she came wide awake. Nothing good ever came of her grandmother's visits, and her parents always rowed after she left, and her grandmother didn't like her either.

Wang Fen had come in a hurry and dropped onto a stool in the front room. "I'm worn out. Get me some water."

Zhao Dujuan hurried off to pour it.

Wang Fen drank it down, and only then noticed the smell in the room. "What did you have for dinner?"

"Cured pork, fried. It's from last year. I cooked it up." Zhao Dujuan said it straight out.

"Doing well for yourself, I see. Your brother's still out in the countryside eating bitterness. I married you into this town, and you want to remember your name's Zhao. You're not one of the Dings." Wang Fen took any opening to school her eldest daughter. She wasn't having her drift away.

Thinking about how hard it was at home made Zhao Dujuan wretched. "Ma, it's my fault. There's cured pork in the kitchen. Take it with you."

Wang Fen had what she wanted and only then got down to business.

Ding Dachun was flat against the door in the inner room and heard every word. Her mother was giving things to her grandmother again.

Zhao Dujuan heard the whole story and agreed at once, and as luck had it she really did know somebody. She said yes straight away.

Wang Fen stayed in town half the afternoon and got it settled. In three days Zhao Fangsong could start as an apprentice to an old master.

A great weight came off her, and she felt rather pleased with herself. What was so hard about carpentry? Once her son had learned it, Chen Yougong wouldn't be the only one, and there would be nothing left to crow about.

Early on the fifth of the third month.

Yue Chuan had gone to the county on business the day before and stayed at the guest house. On his way past the commune he was given the news, and he came straight back to the village without stopping and went to the Chen house.

The Chens were only just up and about to make breakfast.

"Chuan, what brings you here today?" Old Mrs. Chen asked him pleasantly. Yue Chuan was much the same age as her third son and they had grown up together. She told a child to fetch him a stool while she spoke.

Yue Chuan's face was not good. Sitting was beyond him.

"Auntie, is his wife at home?"

Something in old Mrs. Chen's mind came awake. Whatever Yue Chuan had come about, it wasn't good.

"What is it?" And then she added, "You can tell me, you know. She'll be dressing the children."

Hearing her say it made Yue Chuan sorrier still. Chen Yougong was a good man, to take in a child in times like these and raise her this well. Let there be a return on that.

"Auntie, I'd rather tell her first." He was afraid it would be too much for a woman of her years.

Yao Shangqing came out of the room at that moment, leading Chen Yuanyuan by the hand.

Chen Yuanyuan was yawning, her eyes still half shut.

"What is it? Has something happened?" Yao Shangqing had caught that last part.

Yue Chuan looked at old Mrs. Chen, then at Yao Shangqing, and was stuck, because the old woman wasn't going anywhere. "Auntie, why don't you go inside and let me speak to her first."

Old Mrs. Chen felt there was something in it, but what came to her mind was Yao Shangqing's parents, sent down in the next village, and she decided it wasn't her place to listen. She turned and went.

Yue Chuan watched the old woman finally leave and let out a breath. "Sister-in-law, listen. You'll have to hold steady. We've just had word that the lorry Yougong was on hit something on the road. They haven't found him yet."

The news went through Yao Shangqing's head like a noise. How could that be?

"What? The third son's missing? And a crash?" Zhao Qinhua had been hiding in the kitchen listening. Anything the brigade leader wanted to say in private had to be serious, and she was going to know about it.

Zhao Qinhua had a carrying voice, and now the whole household heard it.

Old Mrs. Chen went straight down on the floor. How could it be?