In the fourth year of Jingping, Aniang died.
I knelt in front of the eldest wife of the Zhou family. She helped me up and said, "Poor child."
I held her sleeve and smelled the same herbal fragrance on her body as the eldest lady.
For the first time in this deep house, someone didn't dislike the musty smell on my body.
On the day when the second wife sent the second young lady off for the long journey, the fog at the pier was very thick.
The second wife pointed to her chest and said to the ten-year-old second lady: "I hope you can find a way for women in the world to make a living."
I heard it from the back of the crowd. The fog wrapped the words so wet and heavy that they fell into my ears and could not be wiped clean.
The master didn't come to see me off. But I clearly saw a navy blue figure next to the fishing boat, with the brim of his hat lowered.
At that time, I thought that everyone in this house had their own sufferings and hidden treasures.
Until that summer, the master married a princess and entered the house.
The eldest lady got angry for the first time, her face redder than the July sun: "Mother, that court died long ago!"
Only then did I realize that some fires are not burning in the stove, but in people's hearts.
The eldest lady clenched her fists, something was breaking and something was shining in her eyes.
Later she asked me: "A Sheng, have you ever thought about leaving?"
I thought about it and shook my head.
"I won't leave, I want to watch."
She asked me what I was looking at.
I looked at the old locust tree in the yard that had been struck by lightning and sprouted new buds.
"Look at this square house and see where it will fall and where it will stand up."
