The heavens smiled upon them as the sun peeked out in the afternoon, with a rainbow arching high in the sky. The basket for wild vegetables to feed the chickens was empty, so the mother and daughter decided to gather some by the roadside.
"Mom, there are more wild vegetables in the fields!"
Siqi thought her stepmother not only lacked thrift but also knew less than she did.
"Silly Siqi, the fields are still soaked from the rain—it hasn’t drained yet. It’s hard enough to walk there, let alone dig for vegetables!"
As they left the house, villagers were heading out to work. Nan Sheng greeted those she knew with a word and smiled politely at those she didn’t.
Passing by Aunt Li’s house, they heard the sound of a child being scolded and beaten. "Useless glutton! All you do is whine about being hungry. No matter how much grain we have, it’s never enough for you. You might as well just die!"
Siqi tugged at Nan Sheng’s pants, urging her to hurry past and not stop to gawk. Nan Sheng sighed inwardly—who was the adult here, really? Besides, the little brat had quite the grip; her pants were nearly yanked off.
Once they were farther away, Siqi suddenly stopped, pouting as she looked up at her stepmother. "Mom, do all of you prefer raising sons?"
Nan Sheng pinched the girl’s cheek playfully. After a few days under her care, Siqi hadn’t gained much weight, but her complexion had improved, and her big eyes sparkled with liveliness.
"Who says so? Not me! Think about it—doesn’t your brother get beaten more often than you? What does that tell you?"
"What does it tell me?" Siqi echoed.
"It means I prefer my little girl!"
Siqi pondered this and realized her stepmother did indeed discipline her brother more. A pleased smile spread across her face.
"You’re so nice, Mom. Not like Dali’s mom—she always calls Dali a ‘money-loser’ and says she’ll sell her once she has a son."
Dali? What kind of name was that for a girl?
But in these times, farming families relied on labor, so favoring sons was common. In a few years, when medical care improved, pregnant women would be pressured to check the baby’s gender. Girls were often aborted, leading to severe gender imbalances decades later, with sky-high bride prices in some regions.
For now, though, with no family planning policies, children were born as they came. Yet the status of daughters and sons at home remained worlds apart.
"Which family is Dali from?"
"Granny Li’s!"
Nan Sheng understood now why her daughter had pulled her away—she must have witnessed such scenes often. "Her mother is vicious. Anyone who tries to intervene gets cursed out."
Siqi pouted again. She’d been scolded more than once when she tried to play with Dali.
Outside the village, wild greens and vegetables grew thick along the roadside, though they had to be cautious of snakes lurking in the grass.
"Stay by the road when you pick vegetables, understand? No going into the thick grass."
"Got it!"
Assured, Nan Sheng crouched to gather greens, determined to collect enough so Siqi wouldn’t need to wander out daily with her little basket.
The heavy dew from the recent rain soaked Nan Sheng’s clothes, but her efforts paid off—she’d filled nearly half the basket in half an hour.
"Mom!" Siqi whispered.
"What is it?"
"Last time, Brother took me further ahead, and we found lots of wild duck eggs." She wanted to check again—roasted duck eggs were delicious!
Nan Sheng stifled a laugh. This girl couldn’t keep a secret. If her elder brother found out, he’d probably be furious.
Suddenly intrigued, she said, "Let’s go take a look, just the two of us!"
Nan Sheng let herself be dragged forward, but when they arrived, she hesitated. The grass here was taller than her—was this really worth it?
Seeing Siqi’s hopeful eyes, she relented, plunging into the thicket. "Wait here by the road. Don’t follow me."
The weeds were so dense Nan Sheng soon lost her bearings. After a fruitless search, she was about to turn back when she heard the flapping of wings ahead.
Huh? Actual wild ducks?
Following the sound, she noticed patches of flattened grass—likely where the ducks nested. Moving carefully, she discovered nearly twenty small but perfectly good duck eggs.
Like her son, Nan Sheng believed in leaving the ducks be—they could return for more eggs later. Come winter, when meat was scarce, they could set traps for a few.
On her way back, she rearranged the trampled grass so the wind would soon erase any trace of her presence.
Siqi, still crouched by the roadside, brightened when she saw Nan Sheng emerge with something bundled in her clothes. "You found some?"
Nan Sheng motioned for silence, then carefully placed the eggs in the basket, covering them with greens. "Hush, little one! When we get back, I’ll pickle these for you."
Siqi giggled behind her hand. She loved salted duck eggs—they paired perfectly with porridge.
The two resumed their foraging until the basket was full, then headed home.
Liu Dahua, fresh from Aunt Li’s house, spotted Nan Sheng and Siqi walking hand in hand. A notorious gossip, she couldn’t resist stopping anyone for a chat.
Rumor had it she once left a frying pan unattended while chatting with a visitor—the pot burned through, and her husband beat her for it. Yet she never learned.
"Lin Han’s wife! Where’ve you been?"
Nan Sheng held out the basket. "Just gathering greens for the chickens. Where are you off to, Auntie?"
Liu Dahua seized the opening. "Oh, I was at your Aunt Li’s place. Let me tell you, that daughter-in-law of hers is awful—she pulled Dali’s hair so hard it bled! What kind of mother does that? Even a stepmother treats kids better."
Stepmother Nan Sheng: …What a way with words—straight to the heart.
Realizing her blunder, Liu Dahua laughed awkwardly. "Not that I mean you, of course!"
Nan Sheng knew the woman spoke without thinking and let it slide. Still, lingering near someone’s home to gossip felt wrong, so she tried to leave.
"Don’t worry, Auntie, I’m not offended. The chickens are waiting—we’ll chat another time!"
"Wait!" Liu Dahua grabbed her arm. "I haven’t finished!"
Trapped, Nan Sheng listened as Liu Dahua ranted on. "That daughter-in-law doesn’t just hate girls—she can’t stand Granny Li either! Did you hear her? ‘Why don’t you just die already?’ All because Granny Li’s too frail to earn work points! If she were my daughter-in-law, I’d have kicked her out long ago!"
Liu Dahua grew more animated, her spit flying.
The worst part? The very woman she was badmouthing—Aunt Li’s daughter-in-law—had stepped outside unnoticed and now stood right behind her…
