Chapter Three: So Seventh Aunt Was a Good Person After All

Wu Li brought out the porridge just as Seventh Aunt stopped what she was doing, shooting Qiao'er a fierce glare. "Eat, eat, eat—you'll eat us all into poverty, you little wastrel!"

But when she saw it was only a bowl of millet porridge, Seventh Aunt muttered suspiciously, "Drinking porridge first thing in the morning? What's all this about?"

She pulled a long face and sneered, "Oh, I thought it was something tasty. Turns out it's just leftover porridge? Is this from last night? It better not be spoiled and make our Qiao'er sick."

Wu Li was so angry she slammed the bowl down on the low table with a bang, splashing porridge everywhere.

"Eat it or don't—saves more for us if you won't!" Did this shrew think everyone was as mean-spirited as she was?

"What, now? Throwing a tantrum at your aunt?" Seventh Aunt squinted her eyes.

"Well, Aunt, what did we do wrong? Ask around the whole valley—who drinks porridge for breakfast? How will you last until noon with an empty belly?"

"The Jiulang family eats porridge for breakfast!" Wu Li shouted back.

"Can't you see for yourself? Even leftover porridge in your house is still steaming hot!"

Seventh Aunt fell silent.

The porridge had been kept warm in the pot, so it was still steaming when served. Now, after that outburst, even more steam rose, and she could hardly doubt it.

But believing it didn't improve her mood; her face only darkened further. She worried to herself: if the Wu Ning family had fallen so low as to eat porridge for breakfast, where would they find the money to pay her rent?

The more she thought, the more anxious and irritable she became, unable to find a solution.

Wu Li was exasperated with this woman—wasn't there an old saying about beggars being choosers? It fit her perfectly.

"Fine, don't eat!" Wu Li picked up the bowl, intending to take it away.

But Seventh Aunt wouldn't let her. Free porridge was still food, after all.

She snatched the bowl and set it heavily in front of Qiao'er in an exaggerated display. "Eat, eat, eat! All you do is eat! If you dare say you're hungry again, I'll tear your mouth off!"

Qiao'er, as if granted amnesty, grabbed the bowl and devoured the porridge ravenously.

Wu Ning's heart ached to watch. "Slow down, it's hot."

The little girl, only six or seven, paused to give Wu Ning a grateful look, then began eating in careful, small spoonfuls.

"Aunt," Wu Ning finally found a chance to speak while Qiao'er ate, holding out a half-full pouch of coins. "You can see how things are at home. It's not that we want to shirk our debts, but times are hard for everyone. I hope you'll understand."

"Here's—"

Before he could finish, Seventh Aunt interrupted, "You can't put it that way." She raised her eyebrows, her tone growing lofty. "Isn't everyone struggling? If things are hard for the Jiulang family, they're hard for me too!"

She pointed at Qiao'er. "Look how thin the child is! I can barely put food on the table myself!"

"Yes, yes, you're right, Aunt," Wu Ning replied, though inwardly he was weary of it. He thought, I'm not refusing to pay you; can't I give you half for now? He only wanted to send this shrew away quickly—travelers would soon be climbing the mountain, and he needed to tend his stall outside.

He was already holding out the money pouch, but Wu Li spoke up, diverting Seventh Aunt's attention.

"Aunt, we're all neighbors here—shouldn't we be reasonable? That land was given to the Wu Ning family by Seventh Uncle, and at the time, there was no mention of rent."

"It's been five years, and only now you come demanding payment? That doesn't add up."

"And another thing," Wu Li's voice grew louder; unlike others, he wasn't afraid of this domineering woman. "That land was barren. If Jiulang hadn't cultivated it, your family wouldn't have, either. Wu Ning reclaimed it bit by bit."

"If you want rent now, maybe you should calculate the cost of reclaiming the land, too."

"Hey!" Seventh Aunt glared at him.

"You young brat, is that how you talk to your elders? Jiulang hasn't said a word—what business is it of yours?"

"Who cares if it's my business?" Wu Li refused to back down. "It's plain to see—Jiulang's family can't even afford proper food, so where are they supposed to get rent money for you?"

He pointed at the sack of grain on the table. "If the clan leader hadn't told me to bring some old grain to help out, they'd have nothing to cook tomorrow."

Wu Ning nearly laughed in disbelief when he saw Wu Li gesture at the sack. He thought, and they call Huzi a fool? This one isn't much better. Trying to reason with Seventh Aunt? She'd make off with that whole sack of old grain if she could.

And sure enough, Seventh Aunt, who had been worried she might leave empty-handed, followed Wu Li's gesture with her eyes. At once, her gaze turned greedy.

How had she not noticed that sack of grain before? She thought, if I can't get rent, taking a sack of grain as interest isn't bad.

Still, Wu Li had a point—going too far with neighbors wasn’t a good look.

Her beady eyes darted about as she searched for a solution. Suddenly, she slapped her thigh and broke into a smile.

"Jiulang, I'm not trying to make things hard for you, but times really are tough for everyone!"

Wu Ning, holding the money pouch, could only stare as Seventh Aunt put on her little performance.

"Look how thin Qiao'er is—she's practically skin and bones." She put on a bitter face. "Running a household as a woman isn't easy, you know."

Of course, she didn't mention how the daughter was thin as a rail while her son was growing fat.

"So, let's do it this way..." Seventh Aunt found herself an excuse to step back.

"In autumn, after the harvest, I'll come back for the rent," she said, her face now stern. "No more delays then; I want it all settled at once."

"As for this sack of old grain..."

As she spoke, she drifted toward the grain sack as if drawn by a magnet.

By now, Wu Li saw through her act and wanted to slap himself. Without thinking, he lunged for the sack.

But he was no match for Seventh Aunt's agility. In a blink, she had the sack of grain in her arms.

Her sallow face bloomed with delight, revealing a set of yellowed teeth. "Since I'm here, Jiulang can't let me leave empty-handed, right? I'll just take this sack of grain."

She didn't spare a glance for the small pouch in Wu Ning's hand, nor did she give him a chance to speak.

She wasn't foolish—how could a little pouch settle her account?

Dream on!

"Wait..." Wu Ning rushed out, money pouch in hand.

"Aunt, wait! Take this—"

"No need, no need!" Seventh Aunt didn't even look back, her pace quickening. "This sack is enough; you keep the rest, Jiulang."

"Aunt, you've misunderstood," Wu Ning called after her, exasperated. "There's—"

"Never mind!" Seventh Aunt kept running. "New grain or old, it all fills the belly. You keep what's left, Jiulang!"

Wu Ning couldn't understand it—how could a woman carry off a sack that even Wu Li, a half-grown youth, found heavy? In a flash, she was gone, never giving him a chance to explain.

He looked at the money pouch in his hand, then at the departing figure of Seventh Aunt, moving as fast as the wind. Wu Ning let out a long sigh.

"So Seventh Aunt is a good person after all!"

...