Chapter Fifty-Seven: Is It Just an Excuse?

Yan Chunhua’s family was doing relatively well, but the households of her two maternal aunts and her younger uncle were struggling with hardship.

“If a family is free from illness and disaster, things are manageable, even if tough. One simply endures until the children grow up, and eventually things get better. But when sickness strikes, it feels as though all hope is lost, and the day of relief seems forever out of reach.”

The reason life was so difficult for Yan Chunhua’s two aunts was that their husbands, both from the same village, went out to work at a construction site where an accident occurred. One died, and the other was badly injured. Her uncle’s troubles stemmed from his eldest son, who fell ill as a child—his condition overlooked until it was too late and his mind became clouded with fever. The diagnosis was meningitis, with irreversible intellectual impairment.

Among them, Yan Chunhua’s family was the best off, so over the years they did what they could to help her aunts and uncle. Of the money Yan Chunhua earned working, she kept only half for herself, sending the rest home.

“My parents tell me not to worry about family matters, but how could I not? I was able to go to school because my two brothers supported me, especially my second brother. Though his grades weren’t as good as mine, he went out to work after finishing junior high, earning money to support my education. He still hasn’t married. My eldest brother’s situation is a bit better; he attended an agricultural school and now works in town. My sister-in-law is also from town and her family is well-off, and she doesn’t mind our family’s burdens.”

She sniffed and wiped quickly at the corner of her eye, disguising the trace of moisture by tilting her head.

Yan Chunhua was an insightful girl; she had long understood the deeper implications of the Zhang family’s kindness toward her. By sharing her situation today, she hoped not to make things difficult for them. She had already decided that she would work hard to support herself, find a reliable partner if she could, and if not, live alone.

She knew the Zhang family’s situation: not wealthy, but a little better than hers, which was evident. If they were to marry, she would not abandon her own family, and for the Zhangs, the burden from her side would be too heavy—it pained her to think of dragging them down.

The Zhangs hadn’t expected Yan Chunhua’s family to be so encumbered, and Second Sister Zhang hesitated. But the eldest brother was all the more convinced that Yan Chunhua was a good woman.

“How about I give you the money for these two months first? You can send it home,” the eldest brother said, getting up to fetch the money, but Yan Chunhua stopped him.

“No, let’s settle everything at the end as agreed. We’ll stick to the terms.”

Chen Xin, who had been observing quietly, asked Yan Chunhua what her family’s plans were.

“You can’t support three households indefinitely. What’s the plan? Do you need help?”

“My eldest aunt is better off—her two daughters are about to marry, so after they leave, they’ll take turns supporting her. Things are more complicated with my younger aunt. My uncle is paraplegic and bedridden, needing constant care. They have two children—the eldest daughter is already married, but…” Yan Chunhua pressed her lips and didn’t continue, instead turning to her young cousin. “He’s like me; after junior high he attended a vocational school for telecommunications. Last year he was assigned to the county telecom bureau. His monthly earnings barely cover his own expenses, and what little he saves goes to buying medicine for my uncle. Since the family can’t go without someone at home, the whole household relies on my uncle’s father, who farms for income.”

Two years ago, her younger uncle had another child, a daughter now just over four. He worried that without another child, once he and his wife passed on, his eldest son—whose self-care was impossible—would be left helpless. Yet he couldn’t bear to abandon his son to fate, so the hardship would fall on the little girl.

“Can’t your uncle send his son to a special education school?”

“My uncle and aunt can’t bear to. Besides, my cousin’s health is poor—he’s always sick, so even if sent to school, he wouldn’t last long.”

It was truly troublesome.

Her younger aunt’s situation was easier to resolve: finding work she could do at home would suffice. But her uncle’s situation was much harder. The child would never recover, but as long as he lived, no one could tell the parents to give up. Caring for him meant a lifelong burden, and even thinking about it made her worry for her little cousin, who had no understanding of it yet.

“There’s no hardship you can’t overcome,” Chen Xin said calmly, perhaps because she had never experienced such crushing pressure and could still hold on to hope. “You have excellent skills in animal husbandry. Once the Zhangs succeed in breeding bamboo rats, you could start your own operation back home and let your brother handle it. It’s as good as working away.”

“Yes, that’s my plan. I have the expertise, and my brother is strong. We’ll make it work.” Yan Chunhua smiled, stood up, and said she was tired and would rest.

The Zhang siblings remained in the courtyard, chatting with Chen Xin. After a while, Second Sister Zhang whispered, wondering if Yan Chunhua was deliberately expressing reluctance, subtly turning down their proposal.

“It’s possible, but I think she’s telling the truth,” Chen Xin replied, looking at the eldest brother. “If you’re truly set on marrying Yan Chunhua, you’ll have to accept the burden she carries. It may not be direct, but as she said, they’re blood relatives—she could never ignore them. If she were truly heartless and abandoned her family, perhaps her goodness would be questionable.”

“I’m not worried about it; I just don’t know what Mother will think.”

The eldest brother felt nothing amiss. As Yan Chunhua said, she sent half her earnings home to her parents, and he could accept that—after all, supporting the family was a man’s responsibility. Caring for one’s parents was a child’s duty. To raise a daughter so well was no easy feat.

“Let’s stick to the original plan: have Big Sister Jia ask Yan Chunhua about her thoughts. Meanwhile, I’ll ask around about her family to see how things really stand.”

Second Sister Zhang had no other ideas. It was clear her brother genuinely liked Yan Chunhua, and even welcomed the idea of supporting her parents. If she kept objecting, she would only hurt him—and having already lost one brother, she didn’t want to lose another.

“I’ve heard the state is instituting some welfare programs now, and families in real hardship can apply for assistance. If Yan Chunhua’s aunts and uncle qualify, they should apply—no matter how much, it would help ease their burden.”

The Zhang siblings knew nothing about this, so they asked Chen Xin to look into it.

On Monday afternoon, around three o’clock, Big Sister Jia and three others arrived in the village by farm vehicle.

“Xin, let me introduce you. This is Director Zhao from the County Agriculture Bureau. He heard your family is planning to breed bamboo rats and cultivate economic crops and came specifically to learn more. Please tell Director Zhao about your plans.”

Director Zhao was around forty, with a face full of weariness, not at all the typical official.

“I used to conduct research on economic crops in the county. I heard from the town report that you’re interested in producing selenium-rich tea, so I came to see for myself.”

He introduced himself amicably to the village chief and to Chen Xin, whom Big Sister Jia had called over, wasting no words and requesting to go straight to the tea garden to assess the situation.