Reborn:1983

Chapter 8: Uncle Arrives

That build, that face – it was unmistakably Liu Fen’s elder brother, Liu Yong!

At least in Xiaolan’s memories, her uncle Liu Yong cared for her more than her own father, Xia Dajun. With the two women being bullied by the Xias, someone had finally come to stand up for them. Influenced by the lingering emotions of the original owner, Xiaolan felt a sudden warmth behind her eyes.

“Uncle! I’m here!”

Liu Yong had been gripping Old Mrs. Xia, veins bulging in his neck, poised to charge in and smash up the Xia house. Hearing a soft, sweet voice call out, he turned and saw his pitiful niece.

He dropped Old Mrs. Xia and strode over.

“Xiaolan! Where have you and your mother been?”

Liu Yong was a bricklayer, doing construction work during the agricultural off-season. He’d returned from a neighboring county just yesterday and immediately heard about Xiaolan’s ordeal. Rushing to Great River Village today, he’d even bought white sugar and dried noodles at the supply and marketing cooperative, hoping to bolster his sister and niece’s standing. The Xias accepted the gifts, then informed Liu Yong that Xiaolan and Liu Fen had already moved to the old riverside hut. Liu Yong went to the hut, only to find it empty.

Suspecting the Xias had done something to them, Liu Yong had camped out at the Xia house for half the day, demanding Old Mrs. Xia produce the mother and daughter.

Rural folk usually ate two meals a day: one around 9 or 10 AM, another around 3 or 4 PM. The Xias were waiting for their afternoon meal, and Old Mrs. Xia tried to shoo Liu Yong away. Their argument spilled from inside the house to the yard, leading to the scene Xiaolan had witnessed.

Hearing the story, Xiaolan quickly reassured her uncle.

“We are staying at the old riverside hut. We left in such a hurry, Grandma only gave us twenty jin of sweet potatoes. We didn’t get pots, pans, bowls… and we even forgot our clothes and quilts. We were just coming back to get our things when we ran into you, Uncle.”

Seeing his niece alive and well in front of him eased the knot of anxiety in Liu Yong’s chest. The bulky bandage on Xiaolan’s head had been replaced with a smaller gauze patch, making the injury look less frightening. His anger flared again. “Xia Dajun just lets his family bully you two like this?”

What ‘moving to the old hut’? That shack was so dilapidated even a dog would scorn it! They had clearly been thrown out!

Old Mrs. Xia’s expression was thunderous.

Seeing Xiaolan and Liu Fen appear, she’d assumed they’d spent one miserable night in the old hut and were crawling back to beg forgiveness.

She’d fantasized about them kneeling, pleading tearfully, while she coldly refused… Instead, Xiaolan said they were here to get their things! What things could they have, now they were kicked out?

But Liu Yong was here.

Liu Yong wasn’t weak like Liu Fen. If he said he’d smash the place, he meant it.

Old Mrs. Xia’s face twisted. “Her uncle, you heard! It’s their choice not to stay in a perfectly good house! Search your conscience! What daughter-in-law abandons her mother-in-law? This useless old woman can’t control anyone! Let Dajun deal with it when he gets back!”

The onlookers chimed in, siding with Old Mrs. Xia.

Liu Fen swayed, shrinking into herself.

Liu Yong realized pinning hopes on his sister was futile. He looked to his niece. Xiaolan seemed changed by her ordeal, her words much more coherent.

“Enjoying the spectacle, are you? This is family business. Clear off, all of you! Go about your own affairs!” Liu Yong shooed the busybodies away. Xiaolan appreciated his direct style. Combined with the original owner’s residual feelings, she felt a genuine closeness to this uncle.

“Uncle, when Dad gets back… he might just kill me. What should we do?”

Liu Yong glared. “He wouldn’t dare!”

A man who couldn’t protect his wife and child earned Liu Yong’s contempt. He’d long despaired of Liu Fen’s blind loyalty to the Xias. Take this incident: he had heard the rumors. Could Xia Dajun, working in the next township, truly be ignorant? The Xia brothers were all thick-armed men. If they’d stood together to defend Xiaolan’s name, who would have dared spread gossip?

Letting the rumors run wild, ruining Xiaolan’s reputation – no wonder the poor girl, driven to despair, had run into a pillar!

Thinking this, staying with the Xias truly seemed like courting death.

Liu Yong pushed past Old Mrs. Xia blocking the door.

“Go! Pack your clothes! I’ll handle this today. Forget that broken-down hut too. You’re coming home with me!”

Moving to the old Xia hut and returning to her natal family were two entirely different things.

Liu Fen’s legs felt weak. Xiaolan, however, felt a surge of elation. She didn’t plan to live with her uncle forever, but she could use it as a base for her business plans. There was no way anyone in Great River Village would sell eggs to her.

Liu Fen remained frozen. Liu Yong motioned for Xiaolan to go pack.

Third Aunt’s shrill voice pierced the air. “Xiaolan’s uncle! Are you so ruthless you want to break up their family of three? Can you afford to feed them both for life?”

Traditionally, natal families urged reconciliation, not separation.

Xiaolan could get lost, good riddance to the spoiled princess. But Liu Fen was the family’s workhorse. Even one day without her meant Third Aunt had to do Liu Fen’s chores – unbearable!

Liu Fen trembled violently.

She knew Liu Yong was deadly serious this time. Her mind was chaos. Part of her thought obeying her brother would shatter her family. Another part thought, even her uncle had come to stand up for Xiaolan… while her own husband, Xia Dajun, was still absent… Was there no resentment? There was! But cowed for so long, she dared not voice it.

Xiaolan let out a cold laugh. “Third Aunt, if my uncle can’t feed me forever, can you? Tell your Hongxia to give me back my clothes. I’m taking them.”

Third Aunt instantly fell silent.

With no men present to confront Liu Yong, the entire Xia family was outmatched. Xiaolan swept into her former room like a whirlwind. The shoes under the bed weren’t hers… Hongxia had already moved in overnight! The wooden chest by the bed held all of Xiaolan’s worldly possessions. Secured by a large iron lock, its key hung around her neck. She hadn’t dared hope she’d get to take it.

Xiaolan struggled to lift the chest and carry it out.

Liu Fen couldn’t bring herself to gather her own things. Years of oppression from Old Mrs. Xia were bone-deep.

Liu Yong, not being a Xia, couldn’t go rummaging through the rooms – that would cross a line.

But Xiaolan dared. Ignoring Old Mrs. Xia’s face, now black as a pot, she dashed back in and stuffed Liu Fen’s meager, ragged clothes into a bundle. Liu Yong frowned deeply at the sight.

“Uncle, we have a bit of food stored at the old hut too.”

Liu Yong waved a hand dismissively.

“Bring it all! I came on my bicycle.”

Indeed, a brand-new “28-bar” bicycle leaned against the wall. A bike like that cost over 200 yuan. Liu Yong, as a master bricklayer, earned 2 yuan a day. Uncle must be doing well for himself, Xiaolan thought.