The elder woman spoke, dabbing at her teary eyes with the handkerchief in her hand.
Chen Lan cast a quick glance at Wen Rou Niang, who was also wiping away tears.
Chen Lan quickly interjected, "Mother, the country is liberated now, and there is no longer unrest. Think about it, if it weren't for Grandpa, my father, my brother, and those who sacrificed their lives for the revolution, like Ming Xuan (the original owner's husband), how could we have our peaceful and happy lives today?"
The elder woman continued, "What you say is true, but my heart is filled with an inexpressible sadness! You see, Wei'er (sister-in-law Ming Wei) is a girl and will eventually marry. Ming Zhe is still young and a mischievous boy who knows nothing. It will be at least another decade before he can support this family. I don't know if I will live to see that day?"
Ming Wei pouted, "Mother! What's wrong with a girl? The country is liberated now. The new leaders have said that everyone is equal and women can hold up half the sky. This is feudal, decadent thinking, and it must be discarded!"
"Good! Good! Good! Must be discarded! Must be discarded! Are you getting fired up?"
"Alas! Ming Xuan, that child! There's still no news of him. We don't know if he's alive or dead. If he were alive, he would surely send a message home!" She said, dabbing her eyes with her handkerchief again.
Seeing this, Chen Lan quickly comforted her, "Mother, no news is the best news. I believe Brother Ming Xuan is alive and well, he just isn't able to contact home right now!"
"Is that so?"
Chen Lan nodded, then added with great certainty, "It must be so!"
Wen Rou Niang chimed in to comfort, "It must be so! Mother, when my father and elder brother... the army informed us directly and even returned their belongings for us to remember them by."
As she spoke, her nose turned red and her eyes welled up again.
Chen Lan quickly changed the subject, "Ming Wei, were there many people donating money and supplies in the county town?"
"Many! Several of my classmates' families donated. Some gave money, some gave grain, some gave cloth, some even donated cars, and some even gave houses for the new government to use."
"Oh, right, Mother, you haven't said yet. Are we donating?"
The elder woman replied, "Haven't we donated enough? When your grandfather joined the revolution, to raise funds for the revolutionary army, he sold the largest silver shop and the largest spinning mill in Hai City."
"That's why our family moved from Hai City to the Imperial Capital. It's also why our family became neighbors with your sister-in-law's family, and your father became classmates with your father-in-law. Alas! It's all fate! Your father, having learned new ideas in the foreign school, also wanted to join the revolution. He sold most of the properties in the Imperial Capital and left with the revolutionary ranks. Before he left, he instructed the steward, De Shun, to send us, the women of the family, to the old house in the countryside. He said the Imperial Capital was not safe, but the countryside was. That much was true!"
"Alas! Sister-in-law! Here, our whole family apologizes to you! If it weren't for your father instigating, your father-in-law wouldn't have joined the revolutionary army, and in the end, they both lost their lives together. It's the same with Ming Xuan. If not for that, our dear Bowen wouldn't have..."
Wen Rou Niang choked back a sob, "How can this be your fault? I blame no one. It's all fate!"
Chen Lan saw that things were not going well and quickly shifted the topic again, "Mother, do we still have any properties in the Imperial Capital?"
The elder woman said, "Nothing was left. After Ming Xuan joined the revolution, he came back once to raise funds to buy some anti-inflammatory and hemostatic drugs. He sold the properties and shops in the Imperial Capital. At that time, the money wasn't enough, so we sold 200 mu of good land in the countryside to raise the funds. Now I don't know what we can donate. We have a whole family of old and young, alas!"