Volume 1, Chapter 8: Son! Do You Want a Wife?

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Jiang Shunde, limping on one leg, nearly lost his balance and stumbled toward the doorway. Jiang Xian’s quick reflexes kicked her foot out to stop him, and she stepped forward holding the child, fully revealing herself to Jiang Shunde and his wife.

"Huh? Where did this child come from?"

“What did you just say? Were you asking if we wanted something?”

Qian’s lips parted slightly, instinctively thinking she must be hearing things.

“Hehe, this is the adopted daughter of Chen San, the leper from the village. They no longer want to keep her and even mistreat her. I couldn’t bear it, so I took her in!”

Jiang Shunde shot a sharp look at Jiang Xian with some annoyance. “You fool, if you’re going to adopt her, then she’s our daughter, your sister. What nonsense about granddaughter? Are your parents that old already?”

In truth, Jiang Shunde didn’t really mind. As her father, he supported whatever Jiang Xian wanted to do. He just worried that his wife wouldn’t accept it; if she got upset, she might faint again.

Qian’s health had never been strong. Over the years, she had relied on herbal tonics to keep going, and the couple had never been able to have a child.

Even though she couldn’t bear children, Jiang Shunde had never looked down on Qian. On the contrary, he cared for her deeply, always bringing good news and sparing her any worries. Apart from cooking and sewing, Qian wasn’t burdened with household chores. Even the small clothes she changed out of were secretly washed by him at the creek near the foot of the mountain.

So when Jiang Xian suddenly mentioned adopting a granddaughter, it meant she wanted to raise the little girl on her own as a daughter.

Jiang Xian was only seventeen, just coming of marriageable age. If she brought home a child to adopt, how could she still court a suitor?

If the child were to be adopted at all, it ought to be under the care of Jiang Shunde and his wife, not Jiang Xian.

Jiang Xian smiled broadly and was about to explain when Tang Tang, asleep on her shoulder, rubbed her eyes drowsily and looked around, asking, “Where is this?”

Looking around, Tang Tang seemed confused and asked, “Daddy, Mommy, where did they go?”

Tang Tang was so well-behaved and adorable when asleep. Upon opening her clear eyes and blinking, she seemed lively and charming, faintly resembling Jiang Xian as a child—an endearing sight.

“Lianhua, come look at this child! Don’t her eyes look exactly like Xian’er’s when she was little?”

Qian’s gaze was drawn to Tang Tang. She stepped forward to examine the child in Jiang Xian’s arms. Though dirty, the little face was round and delicate. Once cleaned, she would surely be a beautiful little girl.

The couple rarely ventured into the village. Jiang Shunde was not eloquent, and Qian Lianhua preferred to avoid socializing. Thus, they had never seen Tang Tang, only heard three years ago that Chen San, the leper, had adopted a plump little girl who was said to be blessed.

Seeing her parents so fond of Tang Tang, Jiang Xian seized the moment: “Father, Mother, Chen San wanted to avoid taxes and didn’t want to raise the child. But because of the household registry at the neighborhood committee, they couldn’t sell her, so they threw her out the door—in this freezing weather, even splashing cold water on her. I couldn’t stand it, so I took her in.

I originally intended to adopt Tang Tang as my sister, but when we were handling the paperwork, the clerk at the county office was in a hurry to go home and mistakenly registered her under my household as my daughter...”

Her voice grew weaker toward the end.

Jiang Xian looked up, searching their expressions.

Tang Tang then recalled that she had been driven out by her foster parents and saved by this “fairy sister.” From now on, she wouldn’t be called dumb Zhaodi anymore; she would be Tang Tang...

She was now part of the Jiang family, the daughter of the fairy sister...

Timidly, Tang Tang looked up and said, “Grandpa, Grandma, Mother said from now on I’m called Jiang Tang, like sugar, sweet Tang Tang.”

Jiang Shunde saw the little girl’s anxious face. Although unfamiliar with this strange environment, she mustered courage and greeted them politely.

Seeing the old and new bruises on her body, he felt heartache, not knowing how much suffering she had endured at the Chen family. Gently, he reached out his large palm to stroke Tang Tang’s little head.

Qian’s expression was dazed, her mind full of thoughts about Jiang Xian’s adoption of Tang Tang as a daughter.

A young unmarried girl adopting a child—what would others think if the word got out?

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Who would want to marry Xian’er then?

Her emotions suddenly overwhelmed her, and her eyes rolled back as she leaned backward.

“Lianhua, don’t scare me like this...”

Jiang Shunde quickly caught Qian, lifting her in his arms and rushing toward the north wing room. Once inside, he laid her gently on the blazing-hot kang bed.

Qian had fainted from shock, her face pale and drained of color.

Jiang Xian carried Tang Tang into the room, a trace of guilt on her face.

Had she known, she would have waited to tell her mother after she accepted Tang Tang.

Tang Tang looked at Qian lying unconscious on the kang, noticing how pale and thin she was, much like Grandma Ma from next door when she was asleep.

Grandma Ma never woke up once she fell asleep and was soon carried up the mountain to live in the earth house. Would the new Grandma be the same?

Tang Tang turned her head, pouting, and asked softly, “Mother, why did Grandma fall asleep? Does she not like Tang Tang?”

Jiang Xian lowered her voice, soothing her: “No, your Grandma is just weak. It’s not that she doesn’t like Tang Tang. Maybe she’s too happy that you’ve come home and her body can’t handle it...”

Hearing this, Tang Tang struggled to get down.

Jiang Xian let her down, thinking Tang Tang disliked being held.

Tang Tang walked to the edge of the kang, stood on tiptoe, and leaned over, reaching out her chubby little hand to grasp Qian Lianhua’s thin, pale, and slightly cold hand.

“Grandma, I like you very much too. Please rest well; Tang Tang will keep you company!”

Jiang Shunde looked at the sensible little Tang Tang and sighed helplessly. Then, turning to scold Jiang Xian softly in the main room, he said, “You girl, you didn’t even discuss adopting Tang Tang with me and your mother? Look, you scared your mother into fainting.”

Jiang Shunde and Qian had only one daughter, Jiang Xian, who had always been sensible and well-behaved, much more so than other children, intelligent and strong.

Since Jiang Shunde fractured his leg three years ago and never fully recovered, becoming lame, Jiang Xian stopped him from hunting in the mountains. She made him stay home to watch over his wife and manage farm work. Gradually, she took charge of household affairs.

Who knew that today, when she took charge, she would end up ruining her own reputation!

Jiang Shunde sighed deeply, hands on hips, brow furrowed. “Can the adoption paperwork be changed?”

“No!” Jiang Xian replied. If it could be changed, she would have fixed it at the county office and come home.

She tugged at Jiang Shunde’s arm, coaxing: “Father, like I said, I planned to adopt Tang Tang under your and Mother’s names as our daughter, to be my sister. The clerk just wasn’t careful and made a mistake. The government seal is already stamped, and it can’t be changed. There’s nothing I can do. Why don’t you just swallow your pride and be Tang Tang’s grandfather? There are plenty of old men in the village with grandchildren. It’s nothing shameful.”

On the kang, Qian Lianhua felt a surge of energy flow through her body and slowly opened her eyes, her long lashes fluttering.

Tang Tang, seeing her awake, cried out happily toward the door, “Mother, Father, Grandma is awake!”

Jiang Shunde and Jiang Xian hadn’t expected Qian to recover so quickly. The father and daughter hurried inside.

Usually, when Qian fainted from shock, she wouldn’t regain consciousness for three or four hours. Jiang Shunde wondered if it was just his imagination, but her complexion looked much rosier than before.

Qian’s voice was weak. She looked at them both, then at Tang Tang lying on the kang, and sighed helplessly.

“Xian’er, really, there’s no way to change the adoption paperwork?”

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“Yes, really no way. I’ve begged everyone I could!” Jiang Xian nodded cautiously, fearful of causing her mother to faint again.

Qian gave Jiang Xian a sharp glare.

Tang Tang immediately stood on tiptoe and pulled a nearby blanket over Qian, tucking it in carefully. She coaxed, “Grandma, you must rest well. Tang Tang is so happy to have such a beautiful grandma. Please get better quickly and play with Tang Tang, okay?”

Her words made Qian smile despite herself.

“You little girl, your tongue is as sweet as honey!”

Tang Tang quickly covered her mouth and shook her head vigorously like a rattle.

“Tang Tang didn’t lick honey, I wouldn’t dare waste honey. Please don’t hit me...”

The little one raised her sleeve, revealing a tangled patchwork of dark bruises, new wounds layered over old ones.

Qian’s heart ached. She rose and hugged Tang Tang tightly. “Poor child, you’re so obedient, sweet-talking, how could those two scoundrels from the Chen family lay a hand on you?”

Tang Tang nestled quietly in Qian’s arms, looking up with big watery eyes and timidly asking, “Will Grandma hit Tang Tang?”

“Of course not!” Qian smiled and ruffled her little head. But her black hair was unkempt, soaked with waste water, sticky and smelling sour.

Qian, who loved cleanliness, couldn’t bear it any longer and looked at Jiang Xian, urging, “You’re the mother, how can you let your daughter stay dirty like this without cleaning her up?”

That single sentence made Jiang Shunde and Jiang Xian laugh happily, lifting the heavy atmosphere.

Jiang Xian promptly answered, “Alright, I’ll go boil hot water to give my daughter a bath!”

Jiang Shunde chimed in, “I’ll gather firewood and heat up some food for our granddaughter.”

Qian smiled tenderly, her face full of gentle affection.

Tang Tang stole a glance at her departing mother and father, then looked at Grandma, whose cheeks flushed red with a smile.

This new home—it's wonderful!

...

The sky darkened.

Chen Daniu drove his donkey cart all the way to the bridge, seeing Qiao Xun off. After thanking him, Qiao Xun took the two packages of rice cakes Jiang Xian had pushed into his hands and walked home.

Just a few steps in, he slipped, unexpectedly tumbling into a roadside ditch, getting covered in mud.

But after six years, Qiao Xun was used to such misfortunes.

No matter how careful he was, it couldn’t be helped.

He bore the pain, stood up, brushed off the dust, retrieved the rice cakes wrapped in oiled paper, and checked the silver coins in his sleeve pouch—three taels of silver, every bit intact. Then he climbed up onto the main road and headed home.

Entering the courtyard, he saw the whole family waiting in the main room.

Wang hurried over as soon as she saw Qiao Xun and ushered him inside, explaining, “Your father came home, and I told him you agreed to divide the family property. After dinner, he’ll call the clan elders and the neighborhood head to oversee the division. We’ll strike while the iron’s hot and get as much money as we can. Tomorrow, Mother will call the matchmaker to come for your betrothal!”

Qiao Xun was stunned, surprised, “Betrothal?”