Chapter 44

"Don't worry. We're family. Would I shortchange my sister-in-law? It's easy work." He Chunlian explained the situation with Lan Yeping and his grandson. "The Old Master is a decent man. He has only one requirement: take good care of the child. There's nothing else to do, and he provides a room and three meals a day."

He Daniu and his wife were stunned by the offer.

He Daniu rubbed his hands, looking worried. "He's an Overseas Chinese. Would he want your sister-in-law as a nanny?"

"Why wouldn't he? What's wrong with her? She's a good person and a careful worker. She just wasn't born at the right time. If she'd grown up now, she might even have gone to university."

He Chunlian sang her praises.

Chen Liying blushed so hard she didn't know what to do with her hands. "Could I really manage it?"

"Of course you could," He Chunlian said. "Don't sell yourself short. Who in all the nearby villages is as capable as you? When my brother married you, every young man for miles around was green with envy."

"What nonsense."

Chen Liying couldn't help laughing. She wiped at her eyes, and her heart was won over.

He Chunlian hurried to add, "The pay's good too. Sixty yuan a month."

"H-how much?"

He Daniu landed hard on his backside, but he forgot all about the pain and stared at He Chunlian.

"Sixty. Big brother, don't get the wrong idea. He's a wealthy Overseas Chinese. He's paying that much because he wants the nanny to take proper care of the child, without any funny business."

He Chunlian went on, "I reckon our family's the only one he knows in Beijing, so he entrusted the job to me. And on top of the monthly pay, the year-end bonus will probably be this much."

She held up three fingers.

He Daniu and Chen Liying were too stunned to speak.

He Daniu especially knew exactly how much the family had saved. In recent years, their sons had married and had children, and money had flowed out as fast as it came in. They had only a little over two hundred yuan left.

His wife would earn sixty yuan a month, with food and lodging provided. That came to more than seven hundred yuan a year.

"Well, sister-in-law? Will you go?"

He Chunlian waited for her answer.

Chen Liying nodded without hesitation, her teeth clenched. "I will. I've had enough of this house anyway. Working outside will be easier. Once I'm earning money, they can eat as many eggs as they like!"

"Exactly. That's the way to look at it."

He Chunlian said, "We stay home looking after the children and doing everything around the house, and they still think we do nothing. Better to go out and earn money. Give each family a hundred at the end of the year, and they'll all be sweet as pie to you."

It was harsh, but it was true.

He Daniu frowned. "What about our eldest son's wife?"

"Give her a few yuan a month and let her mother look after her," He Chunlian said. "You're too good-natured. She went back to her parents' place, and you still go over every day to care for her. I refuse to believe her mother can't make her a bowl of food while she's at it."

"That's just how things are. Let's stop talking about them. Chunlian, when do we leave?"

Chen Liying no longer looked as dejected as she had earlier.

The thought of earning money—and quite a lot of it—had her excited.

"Tomorrow, get everything at home settled," He Chunlian said. "Then we'll leave the morning after."

"All right. We'll do it your way."

Chen Liying agreed readily.

The Fiftieth Day of Being Overheard

To make a long story short.

The next evening, after dinner, the eldest son's wife was about to leave and the second son's wife was heading off to wash the dishes when He Daniu spoke up. "Don't go yet. Your mother and I have something to tell you."

"Dad, what is it? Why so serious?" asked the third son's wife.

She was picking her teeth with her youngest son in her arms.

"It's important," He Daniu said. "Everyone sit down."

They exchanged puzzled looks but didn't dare say much. The Old Master could be formidable when he lost his temper.

Once everyone was seated, He Daniu said, "Your aunt found your mother a job as a nanny. We've already agreed to it."

"Dad, how can Mom go off to work?" the eldest son's wife protested at once. "Who's going to take care of me?"

Just listen to that.

Not a shred of gratitude.

He Daniu had still been wavering, but those words settled it.

He turned to his eldest son. "What do you say?"

His eldest son answered dully, "It's your decision to make."

"Then it's settled. Your mother leaves with your aunt tomorrow. You can divide up the work at home yourselves," He Daniu said. "You're not young anymore. It's time you learned to run your own households instead of always having your mother watch your children and cook for you."

His sons flushed with embarrassment.

His daughters-in-law, however, were far from pleased.

The fourth son's wife couldn't hold back. "Dad, it's not that simple. Mom helped look after the others' babies. I'm pregnant, and there'll be no one at home to help me. What am I supposed to do? And if I stay home with the baby, who'll work in the fields?"

"That's easy enough."

"Your mother and I will give you two five yuan a month," He Daniu said. "You can find whoever you like to watch the baby. Your mother could come lend a hand."

He looked at his other sons and daughters-in-law. "The same goes for all of you. Your mother will earn thirty yuan a month. We'll give twenty of it to you and keep ten for our old age. Well? Anyone object?"

Once money was involved, their attitudes changed at once.

The third son's wife even said, "Dad, if it pays that much, why not let me go and have Mom stay home?"

"Then you'll hand over your wages for everyone to share and keep five yuan for yourself," Chen Liying said.

The third son's wife pursed her lips and fell silent.

That was a terrible bargain. Why work herself to the bone outside for five yuan? Better to let her mother-in-law bear that hardship.

With money dangling before them, the sons and daughters-in-law stopped objecting.

The eldest son's wife said she could just give her mother two yuan later on.

Listening to them, Chen Liying felt a bitter ache in her heart.

She glanced at her husband, privately glad they had discussed it the night before and kept something back. They had said the pay was thirty yuan. If they had admitted it was sixty, their sons and daughters-in-law would surely have set their sights on the rest.

To show she meant it, Chen Liying took out the money and distributed it. Then she said, "While I'm away, don't think only of yourselves. Take care of your father too."

"Don't worry, Mom. Of course we'll take care of Dad."

The third son was a smooth talker, sweet as honey.

Money in hand, the sons and daughters-in-law were delighted. Some went back to their rooms to discuss it; others hurried to their parents' homes to share the news.

Before long, He Erniu's family and the third brother's family had heard about it too.

He Erniu's wife promptly dragged him over and said to He Chunlian, "Little sister, if another opportunity like this comes up, you must remember me. I've only got one son, and he's married now. There's nothing left for me to worry about."

"Don't worry. If I hear of another job, I'll come to you."

He Chunlian answered with a smile.

Her second sister-in-law had always been forthright and sensible, so He Chunlian was happy to promise.

She waited a long while, but her third brother and his wife never came. After thinking it over, she let it go.

She had spent more time with her first two sisters-in-law. Her third sister-in-law had married into the family not long before He Chunlian herself married and moved away. All she knew was that the woman was quiet and kept to herself.

The next day, as He Chunlian was leaving, her third brother came by. His wife did not.

Looking awkward, he said, "Your sister-in-law caught a draft last night and has a headache."

"Oh, she should get plenty of rest, then. Go home and boil some ginger with brown sugar for her. A drink and a good sleep should help." He Chunlian couldn't be bothered to wonder whether the headache was real.

He Daniu had packed two sacks of provisions for Chen Liying and He Chunlian: one of sweet potatoes and one of new rice.

As he loaded them onto the cart, he said to He Chunlian, "Little sister, your sister-in-law has never traveled far. Look after her, will you?"

"Don't worry, brother. I won't let her suffer."

He Chunlian nodded.

Their sons didn't seem reluctant to see her go, but the grandchildren cried their hearts out and clung to Chen Liying's trousers. "Grandma, don't go. We won't ask for meat anymore."

Chen Liying's eyes reddened. "Be good, Da Ya, Second Girl, Iron Egg. Listen to your parents. Once Grandma earns some money, she'll buy you sweets and notebooks and send you to school."

The Ox Cart pulled away all the same.

Chen Liying looked back again and again at her grandchildren and her husband. Too embarrassed to say anything with her eyes red, she secretly raised her sleeve to wipe away her tears.

Lan Yeping had no objections to Chen Liying. Once he heard she was He Chunlian's sister-in-law, he agreed at once.

He gave Chen Liying fifty yuan up front to buy clothes, bedding, and daily necessities. She already knew the elderly Overseas Chinese was rich, but his generosity still left her stunned. Fifty yuan could feed a whole family for two months.

Then she stepped into his Courtyard House. It had been under renovation for days, with electricity and running water installed. The main room held an expensive sofa, a television, and a refrigerator. The bathroom had a flush toilet, a water heater, and a bathtub...

Chen Liying felt like Granny Liu Enters the Grand View Garden, and even He Chunlian and the others had never seen anything like it.

None of them had imagined people could live this way.

Chen Liying even had a place of her own. Calling it a room hardly did it justice—it was a suite. The bedroom had a bed, a table, and chairs. The sitting room had a small refrigerator and sofa, with a floor lamp beside it and a television across from it.

When Gu Yinxing carried some things inside for her, her eyes nearly popped out.

"Mom, Auntie's place is much more modern than ours! Look at that big color TV. Good heavens, Auntie, you've landed on your feet!"

Chen Liying was at a loss for words.

She started work the next day, looking after the child.

Lan Lin had lessons every day. For the past few days, he had been inseparable from his grandpa. Now that his grandpa had suddenly stopped taking him along to work, he couldn't sit still at home. He kept glancing out the window.

Watching from the side, Chen Liying grew anxious. She was afraid the teacher with the great bushy beard would scold him.

But the teacher was remarkably good-natured. When Lan Lin stopped paying attention, he set down his textbook. "Tom, would you like to go outside and play?"

"Find... find Second Girl to play with."

At the word play, Lan Lin turned around at once.

"Which girl?"

The teacher walked over to the desk as he asked.

Lan Lin pointed toward Gu Jinshui's home. "Second Girl."

"Second Girl? Isn't she Jin Shui's daughter?"

Chen Liying couldn't help speaking up.

The teacher looked at her in surprise. Chen Liying hurried to explain, "Jin Shui is my nephew. His family lives nearby."

"Then why don't we go over?"

After a moment's thought, the teacher put down the textbook. He glanced at the sky outside. "What lovely weather. It's the perfect time for a spring outing. Tom, one mustn't waste one's life."

Chen Liying's mouth twitched as she listened.

What kind of teacher was this?

Who indulged a child for skipping lessons? A spring outing, indeed.

Still.

She knew she was only the nanny, so she said nothing. She put Lan Lin's coat on him, packed a thermos along with some snacks and fruit, and accompanied him and the teacher on their spring outing.

Gu Jinshui got home a little late that day.

He had taken a stroll around Panjiayuan and picked up a few small items: a chicken-blood stone seal, several Kaiyuan Tongbao coins, and a few Yuan Shikai Dollars. He hadn't made much that day, but he had found a bargain.

The chicken-blood stone seal had a fine texture. There wasn't much red on it, but what mattered was where the red lay: right at the top. In the trade, that was called Crane-Crown Red. If he sold it, he could make at least seven or eight hundred yuan.

But Gu Jinshui no longer wanted to sell everything he found for cash. He had come to understand that while he needed to earn money, he should keep the good pieces and build up some stock. Then he would have something to start with if he opened an antique shop one day.

He had barely entered the back courtyard when he heard several people calling out, "Granny! Granny!"

Wondering what was going on, Gu Jinshui looked over and saw his mother, his eldest aunt, his sister, and his daughter calling an elderly man "Granny."

"What on earth are you doing?"

If the sun hadn't still been up, Gu Jinshui would have thought he was seeing ghosts.

Gu Yinxing rolled her eyes at him. "Brother, can't you tell? We're learning English with the child."

"Learning English?" Gu Jinshui repeated.