Inside the house, Lu Liu really needed to get up and move around.
He tried his best to walk a little, then lie down to rest. After lying for a while, he’d get up and walk again.
Those helping him walk took turns—Shun Ge’er even came over to assist.
The two babies began nursing. Lu Liu’s milk wasn’t enough, so he fed them the first drops himself, and after that, the wet nurse took over.
With everyone helping, the house quickly became crowded.
A few more customers came to buy goods, and it felt unbearably cramped.
Even the sister-in-law who ran the printing business had to go home for a few days to rest—the rooms were just too packed.
Seeing that his younger brother had delivered safely, Lu Yang wanted to take his leave.
After the Laba Festival, there would be visits for the New Year. He still needed to meet the horse merchant about buying a colt, and also handle moving his father-in-law’s grave before the New Year during the free time.
With so many people at home, attention was naturally on Lu Liu and the babies. Xie Yan was calm enough to stay focused on his studies and ignore the commotion, but their mother was not used to it.
Lu Yang decided to wait a couple of days until Lu Liu could walk a few steps on his own, then find a chance to tell him he needed to leave.
“With your father and papa here, I can rest easy,” he said.
Lu Liu grabbed his wrist, anxious: “Brother…”
Lu Yang patted his hand. “Don’t worry. Once I finish this busy period, I’ll come back for a few days around the New Year and celebrate the full-month banquet.”
Lu Liu was still worried and tried to sit up from the kang. Lu Yang had to move closer and guide him to lie back down.
He carefully explained what he needed to do, then added, “Li Feng is back home. You haven’t had a proper visit with him—don’t you want to see him?”
Seeing that Lu Yang had important matters to attend to, Lu Liu let go.
“Brother, will you not want to see father and papa?”
Lu Yang shook his head. “The chamber pots aren’t enough; it’s better if we stagger our visits.”
Lu Liu pressed his lips together, then said, “Brother, I was very unruly as a child, always quarreling with father and papa. The villagers would call me a worthless brat, say our family was doomed. I didn’t fully understand it back then, but I suffered abuse. When father and papa didn’t defend me, I would get upset and accuse them of not loving me, wanting a son. Because I wasn’t a son, they let others bully me.”
He squeezed Lu Yang’s hand again. “Those years, I didn’t understand, and it was hard. Papa would give me egg flower soup, and I would forgive him. Once he told me, when I was born, he found a little brother first and felt the sky had collapsed. I didn’t know I had that much power—to make the sky fall.”
“Now I understand. There was a little brother before me. Look at Li the midwife—he didn’t consider the little brother important. I think giving birth to me must have been even harder for father. Hoping for a son was right, I can understand that. I wasn’t a son, I disappointed him. But he loved me.”
Lu Liu continued, “Brother, they lacked means and understanding, and had private desires for a son, but they loved me. They never treated me harshly for being a little brother. I was bullied because others didn’t see me as human, not because of them.”
After saying this, he released Lu Yang’s hand, wanting to look at him but afraid of putting pressure on him, then couldn’t help but glance back, worried Lu Yang would misunderstand and think he was meddling.
“I know,” Lu Yang said.
He grasped Lu Liu’s hand in return, silent for a long while, then finally said again, “I know.”
“I know everything,” he added. “I don’t blame them either.”
He truly had matters to attend to and had to leave.
Coincidentally, Wang Fengnian and Lu Erbao, seeing Lu Liu well cared for and the house overcrowded, decided to take their leave.
Their excuse: “We’ve been hogging your attention and the children. Your mother-in-law and Dafeng haven’t really had a chance to see you and the babies. We should leave first. The village is starting to slaughter pigs for the New Year. Our sow is waiting to breed. Meals and care are needed daily. We can’t keep letting your eldest uncle handle our pigs and chickens; his daughter-in-law is about to give birth too, and he won’t have time for ours.”
Lu Liu finally agreed to let his brother leave, then waited for his father and papa to bid farewell. Suddenly, he felt a pang of grievance:
“Why is everyone leaving? Brother just spoke, and now you all are going too.”
Lu Erbao and Wang Fengnian were caught off guard but after considering, they still decided to go.
They had come with Da Qiang. Leaving on the same day as Lu Yang gave them a ride without needing Li Feng to escort them.
Seeing them willing to be close to his brother without worrying about being a burden, Lu Liu felt reassured and said, “I’ve spoken with brother. He doesn’t blame you.”
Hearing this, the two fathers felt uneasy but stayed a while longer before taking their leave.
Once five people left, the house finally felt a bit spacious.
Li Feng entered the room, spreading his arms wide to take up space, alone he could barely move.
Lu Liu didn’t understand and asked, “What are you doing?”
Li Feng said, “I’m just making sure you don’t feel crowded.”
Lu Liu laughed. “Da Feng, my heart is already crowded.”
Li Feng asked how it was crowded, and Lu Liu said, “My heart holds so many people. They love me and walk back and forth inside—it’s lively.”
Li Feng sat beside him, resting his hand on Lu Liu’s chest. Lu Liu felt a tickle and pressed his hand down to stop him.
“Don’t worry. You’re the tallest and strongest among them. I can see you at a glance. No matter how crowded it is, I can always see you.”
Li Feng didn’t mind—he just wanted to touch him.
“Does it still hurt?”
Lu Liu felt it less now. “I wonder when I can play with the babies—they sleep so well.”
While the couple chatted, Xie Yan drove along the official road with the others.
The five of them discussed plans for the New Year.
Lu Erbao and Wang Fengnian thought about breeding the pigs. They had agreed with Lu Dahe: if the sows didn’t breed this year, they would draw lots to see whose sow stayed, and the others would be taken by butcher Liu.
Miao Qing wanted to slaughter a pig for the New Year. This year the household was prosperous, and with new babies, it would be lively. She even invited Lu Yang to join in the pig-slaughtering feast. The exact day depended on Lu Yang’s schedule.
Lu Yang wouldn’t be free until after Little New Year, so just leaving a message sufficed.
They also discussed plans for next year. Lu Yang wanted to talk about the farm several times but couldn’t get the words out. He had other ideas but hadn’t discussed them with Xie Yan yet.
The couple could manage the farm next year, maybe get a few piglets or chickens in spring. They wouldn’t plant much more—what land they had was enough for the two of them. A few more pigs and chickens would suffice.
This year had been prosperous, but they had spent all the money, so no savings remained. They would rely on the fat pigs being ready for market.
There were only four pounds of cured meat, enough for them, and one rooster left for the New Year feast when Lu Yang came home to pay respects.
“It’s cold; Lu Liu won’t come to visit for New Year. Da Feng might come, and we’ll eat together then,” they said.
The road was flat. As they talked, they reached Lu’s family hamlet.
Wang Fengnian hesitated, then called Lu Yang off the cart. Father and son stood by the roadside, talking a while.
Wang Fengnian looked at him, seeming at a loss, anxious, wanting to say something but unsure how.
December wind cut like cold knives, biting painfully.
He looked at Lu Yang and called, “Yang Ge’er.”
Lu Yang responded.
Wang Fengnian said, “Yang Ge’er, I’m clumsy with words. If I’ve said something wrong, don’t think too much of it. What I said last time wasn’t that I don’t want you. Your father and I owe you—we want to treat you well. We didn’t mean for you to take anything home. I feel bad if you blame us.”
Lu Yang, usually quick-witted, was suddenly at a loss for words.
After a pause, he smiled and asked, “Do you want me to cheer you up?”
Wang Fengnian froze, then panicked, waving his hands frantically. He didn’t mean that.
Lu Yang grabbed his hand, stopping him from flailing.
The wrist was thin, bones prominent, showing age and fragility.
“I call you papa. It’s only right I cheer you up. Don’t be polite with me,” Lu Yang said.
