Chapter 163: A Lucky Husband
Thatchfield Village.
After breakfast, Zhang Xiuping, with nothing else to do, took two large bunches of lychees her father-in-law had picked the day before and headed to her younger sister Ou Guohua's house, her belly noticeably round.
It was now the sixth month of the lunar calendar, and the lychees in Bobai County were ripening. Although Thatchfield Village didn't have as many lychee trees as it would in later years, there were still a few around. Besides the thousand Cinnamon Flavor lychee trees on Lychee Mountain, Deng Shirong's family also had a lychee tree planted by his grandfather decades ago.
After nearly a century of growth, this tree had become a towering giant. In good years, it produced thousands of kilograms of lychees; in lean years, it still yielded hundreds. The family could never finish all the fruit, so they often shared it with relatives.
Unfortunately, the old tree had passed its prime and no longer bore fruit as reliably as it once did.
The two sisters lived close by, and Zhang Xiuping soon arrived at Ou Guohua's home.
Ou Guohua was sweeping the floor when she saw Zhang Xiuping approaching with the lychees. She immediately put down the broom, smiled, and took the fruit, quickly peeling one and popping it into her mouth. "Ah Ping, you really have it easy!" she said between bites.
Ou Guohua had been married for half a month and was still adjusting to life with her in-laws and her brother's family. As a new daughter-in-law, she had been working hard to make a good impression, leaving little time to chat with her sisters.
Zhang Xiuping smiled. "Don't envy me too much. I heard from Brother Tai that your A Yuan successfully made a standard large vat a couple of days ago. Once he hones his skills a bit more and can make them consistently, he'll be a master vat maker. Then your life won't be much different from mine."
Ou Guohua couldn't help but laugh at this. She was quite pleased with the news. Since their marriage, her husband seemed to have grown more capable. It hadn't taken him long to master the key techniques of making large vats and produce a standard one. This success made Ou Guohua feel like a lucky wife.
As they chatted, Deng Changyuan's sister-in-law came out with a bucket of laundry. Seeing Zhang Xiuping, she greeted her warmly, "Aunt A-Tai!"
Zhang Xiuping smiled in return. "Sister-in-law, have some lychees."
Ou Guohua handed over one of the bunches.
The sister-in-law picked a few lychees and said, "Aunt A-Tai, A-Hua, I'll leave you to chat. I'm off to wash clothes."
After a few polite exchanges, the sister-in-law headed toward the river with her bucket.
In the countryside at that time, there was no running water, so fetching water from the well to wash clothes was impractical. Instead, the young women of the village took their laundry to the river.
Once the sister-in-law was out of earshot, Zhang Xiuping asked, "Ahua, how are you getting along with the sister-in-law?"
Ou Guohua thought for a moment. "For now, it's fine. We get along well enough, but it'll take more time to see how things really are."
Zhang Xiuping advised, "You live under the same roof and see each other every day. Even if your personalities don't perfectly match, you'll have to maintain appearances."
"I know. I'm starting to feel that the hardest part of marriage is navigating these relationships."
Ou Guohua peeled another lychee and popped it into her mouth. "Ah Ping, I really envy you!"
Zhang Xiuping smiled. "What's there to envy? You're just not used to married life yet. Once everyone gets more familiar, things will settle down."
"I hope so!"
Changing the subject, Ou Guohua asked, "Ah Ping, the college entrance exam is over, right? Has Uncle Yunheng come back yet?"
Zhang Xiuping replied, "He should be back soon."
Ou Guohua said, "Uncle Yunheng's grades are so good. Getting into university shouldn't be a problem. It looks like your family will have the first college student in the village!"
Zhang Xiuping didn't bother being modest in front of her childhood friend. She nodded and smiled. "You're right. If nothing unexpected happens, my brother-in-law should be the village's first college student. I just wonder if he'll be satisfied with an ordinary university."
Ou Guohua stared at her in disbelief. "Ah Ping, are you serious? Getting into any university is an honor for the family. How can you look down on it? Besides, aren't all universities the same?"
Her reaction wasn't surprising. In this era, and even in later years, many rural folks didn't know the difference between universities. A famous example from later years involved a nouveau riche whose son was admitted to a low-tier college in Beijing. Seeing "Beijing" on the admission letter, the father assumed it was a prestigious institution and threw a lavish banquet, only to become the laughingstock of the village.
Zhang Xiuping smiled. "There are many universities in the country, and some are better than others. My brother-in-law is very ambitious. He might not be interested in universities that aren't among the best."
Ou Guohua looked shocked. "Oh my, people who are good at studying are really something else. Most people would be thrilled just to get into any university and wouldn't be so picky!"
Zhang Xiuping nodded. "Yes, those who excel academically have different goals. Most people would be overjoyed just to get into a technical school, let alone a university."
Ou Guohua nodded in agreement.
After chatting for a while, Ou Guohua glanced at the sky. "Ah Ping, I'd better stop chatting for now. I need to wash the clothes quickly and get back to other chores. I'll come visit you later when I'm done."
Zhang Xiuping nodded. "Alright, go ahead with your work. I'll take a stroll around the village."
With that, she wandered around the village, her belly leading the way.
After her sister left, Ou Guohua peeled a few more lychees, ate them, and put the rest away. She finished sweeping the floor, then grabbed a bucket of laundry and headed to the river. As a new daughter-in-law in an undivided household, she couldn't afford to be lazy. She had to do her part to avoid gossip from her in-laws or her brother's family.
(End of Chapter)