She Wanted a Divorce

Jiang Xia cooked in the kitchen, taking the opportunity to make some Carrot Rice Paste for the Triplets.

Zhou Chenglei had gone to dig the drainage channels. Every household in the village had sent one or two able-bodied men to help.

The channels were supposed to be cleared after the New Year and before Spring Plowing anyway. The only reason they were doing it early was because the road construction had been moved up.

Mother Zhou had gone to Great-Grandmother's house to make Shrimp Crackers. Once the Shrimp Crackers were made and dried, they could be stored until the New Year. Whenever relatives came over, she could grab a handful, fry up a large plate, and serve it to them—presentable and delicious.

Father Zhou and Old Mai had taken the Triplets out to watch Zhou Chenglei dig the drainage channels and build the road.

When the Triplets woke up that morning, Jiang Xia and Mother Zhou had already taken them to watch once. Seeing their father wielding the Iron Shovel, they had cried out excitedly, incessantly shouting, "Daddy," while pointing at the others and babbling away.

The villagers had been amused, chatting with them as they dug.

The children loved watching everyone build the road, so Father Zhou and Old Mai continued taking them out to look again in the afternoon.

Tian Caihua had also been making Shrimp Crackers at Great-Grandmother's house. Hers were relatively thin, and they came out crisp and fluffy when fried.

Tian Caihua found it strange. Why had Old Mai suddenly started calling himself their great-grandfather while coaxing the Triplets today?

Then Mother Zhou and Father Zhou had changed what they called Old Mai, too. They now called him their in-law grandfather.

She had assumed Jiang Xia had acknowledged Old Mai as her grandfather.

But after