The brothers Mo Guoqiang and Mo Laoer led the way, followed by Liu Fengying, Second Aunt Mo, and their children. A procession of more than a dozen people, they barged right onto the sunning-ground as soon as they arrived. The seven or eight children stared intently at the meat dishes on the tables, their faces filled with greed. The four adults, however, scowled and glared around, acting as if everyone eating and drinking in the courtyard had stolen the food right out of their mouths.
Grandpa Mo stood up from his seat and asked Mo Guoqiang, "What are you all here for?"
Mo Guoqiang had just started to call out, "Uncle," when Mo Laoer cut in, "Uncle, we just found out the production team let you move in here! Setting up a new stove, a housewarming... why didn't you call us? Instead, you let all these outsiders enjoy the good food and drink!"
Grandpa Mo cursed, "You little bastard, what nonsense are you spouting? These are all people from our village, our relatives!"
Second Aunt Mo pursed her lips. "Oh? And are we not your relatives? You're throwing such a big feast and you didn't even say a word to us. You must be getting senile in your old age."
Liu Fengying also chimed in, "That's right, Uncle. You get a little money and you start spending it lavishly. You'd rather give it to outsiders than let your own family get a share! Don't come crying back to us when you've been swindled out of everything you own. We won't have the stomach to watch!"
Grandpa Mo was trembling with anger. "Who asked you to watch? No one invited you here! Get out! Get out, get out, get out!"
Mo Guoqiang said, "Uncle, don't be like that. We're here to reason with you. The other day, you had a falling out with Laoer's family and insisted on splitting up. Our branch of the family was willing to take you and Grandma in, but you refused. But you're still our uncle, and we can't just ignore you! You might have some strength left today, but who knows when you'll be on your deathbed, unable to move? When that time comes, won't it be up to us two brothers to carry you up the mountain and bury you? That bit of money you earn from medicinal herbs, let's be clear, should be under our management. Providing for you in old age and seeing to your funeral isn't an easy task. Otherwise, when it's time for the funeral..."
BANG! Grandpa Mo slammed his hand on the table. He had just drunk half a bowl of corn wine, and his rage, fueled by the alcohol, made his face flush red. The veins on his neck bulged as he pointed at Mo Guoqiang and roared:
"You ungrateful little bastard! Are you that eager for me to die? Let me tell you, Boss Mo, Mo Laoer, this old man isn't going to die that easily! I'll live another twenty or thirty years just to spite you! Provide for my old age and bury me? Your grandma and I don't need you! We have Xiao Man! Today, in front of the whole village and all our relatives, I'll make it crystal clear: from now on, everything your grandma and I have will go to Xiao Man! As for you two, Boss Mo and Mo Laoer, you unfilial sons, you have nothing to do with me anymore!"
"Uncle, have you gone mad?"
Mo Laoer's face darkened. "Xiao Man is a girl. She'll grow up and get married off. How can she possibly take care of you?"
Second Aunt Mo also started shouting, "That's right! That girl is stupid and clumsy, with no head for planning. You can't put all your money in her hands! Some man from outside the family will just sweet-talk her, and won't it all end up belonging to his family? Absolutely not! Our Mo family has four or five boys who will need to get married and build new houses in the future. You have money, but you won't leave it to your own sons and grandsons. Why should you give it away to an outsider?"
Grandpa Mo was too furious to speak.
Secretary Mo couldn't stand it any longer. He also slammed the table and stood up. "Guo Qiang, Mo Er," he said, "I'm not speaking to you as the secretary now, but as your clan elder. Before the family split, how did you treat your parents? Now that you've split, it's a clean break. Everyone manages their own affairs and lives in their own house. Isn't that what you wanted? So what are you here to argue about? Providing for their old age and funeral is not some huge problem! The old couple has Xiao Man now. It's true Xiao Man is a girl, but women hold up half the sky! Why can't Xiao Man provide for her grandparents? You dare look down on the 'other half of the sky'? We have a local custom here: if a family has no sons, a daughter can marry a man into her family to care for her parents! Let me tell you, from now on, this old couple doesn't need your care, and you're forbidden from harassing them! The whole village is watching! You two shameless things, you're a disgrace to your ancestors!"
Once Secretary Mo started speaking, the neighboring villagers and relatives also began to condemn the Mo Guoqiang brothers:
"Boss Mo, how can you be so maliciously sneaky? Today is your uncle's housewarming, a happy occasion, and you show up spouting nonsense about death instead of offering congratulations. Do you have any conscience at all?"
"Saying the feast is for outsiders... 'a dog's mouth can't spit out ivory' indeed! How is it for them? We're not outsiders! We're fellow villagers and neighbors who came with good intentions to congratulate him. We all brought gifts; it's not like we're here for a free meal!"
"Don't listen to Mo Er's wife. Who doesn't know what kind of person she is? Snobbish and stingy, with such a venomous tongue. She barks at every shadow, just like a mad dog!"
"And you blame them for not inviting you? In our village, we've always been a close-knit community. If anything happens, the whole village knows about it as soon as there's a peep. If you truly considered the old couple your family, you would have come on your own to help out where needed, lend a hand, and bring something... What, were you expecting to be carried here in a sedan chair with a formal invitation?"
"Isn't it obvious? They only showed up after the feast was set. They just want a ready-made meal!"
"If they want a free meal, fine, but to come empty-handed? This is a housewarming! For a housewarming, you're supposed to bring gifts to 'add to the house,' so that their wealth will grow and they'll prosper. You dare to set foot in here without a gift? You've got some thick skin!"
"Exactly! What kind of relatives are they? If it were me, I'd have cut ties with them long ago and never spoken to them again!"
The crowd continued to eat, drink, and comment loudly, pointing fingers. No matter how thick-skinned Mo Guoqiang and Mo Laoer were, they couldn't withstand the sheer number of people and the barrage of criticism. They were so embarrassed they were left speechless.
The two families had clearly arrived hungry. The children couldn't take it anymore as they stared at the meat dishes on the tables and smelled the rich aroma of food. The youngest, Mo Xiaohua, started drooling and wailing, "I'm hungry! I'm hungry!"
Mo Xiao Zhi and Mo Xiaofeng had already spotted where Mo Xiaoman was sitting. They picked up Mo Xiaohua and went to find her, thinking that since Mo Xiaoman had practically raised Mo Xiaohua and always doted on her little sister, she wouldn't bear to see her cry. To their surprise, Mo Xiaoman completely ignored them. She shoveled down the last few bites of food in her bowl, said "Enjoy your meal" to the people next to her, and left with her bowl and chopsticks, leaving Mo Xiao Zhi, Mo Xiaofeng, and Mo Xiaohua empty-handed.
Rural feasts might look chaotic and noisy, but they have their own etiquette. When arranging the seating, the number of people per table is fixed for the formal banquet; you can have fewer, but not more. Otherwise, what happens if there isn't enough meat to go around? However, if guests brought children, the kids could sit behind them, and the parents would put some meat and vegetables in their own bowls to share. Mo Xiao Zhi and the others had gone to Mo Xiaoman for help, but once she left, the people at the table were busy with their own meals. Who would bother with them?
Seeing that no one was giving her food, Mo Xiaohua howled even louder. Mo Xiao Zhi and Mo Xiaofeng, hungry and aggrieved, also started shrieking for their mom and dad, creating a terrible racket. The courtyard, which had been a place of celebration, was now filled with unbearable noise.
Finally, Fifth Auntie couldn't bear to watch anymore. She had to lead the children over to the kids' table. Too lazy to get them bowls and chopsticks, she simply gave each of them a palm-sized piece of fatty pork and a ball of white rice to gnaw on, just to placate them.
Mo Xiaosu, however, was more cunning. She targeted Granny Mo, ran to her side, and started whining and pestering her relentlessly. In the end, Granny Mo's heart softened. After finishing the hot water Xiao Man had poured for her, she handed the bowl to Mo Xiaosu and told her to go get a bowl of rice. Then, Granny Mo shared her portion of the meat and vegetables—the pieces others had served her—with Mo Xiaosu.
There were too many guests and not enough bowls and chopsticks. Mo Xiaoman saw that Grandpa Mo was extremely agitated by Mo Guoqiang and his group. His face was purplish and swollen, and his eyes were bloodshot. Worried that her grandpa would harm himself from the anger, Mo Xiaoman took her own bowl, washed it clean, and filled it with hot water. She secretly mixed in some Spiritual Spring water and brought it to Grandpa Mo. He drank more than half of it in one go. To her surprise, Secretary Mo took the rest and finished it. After drinking, Secretary Mo praised Xiao Man for being so sensible and well-behaved, then handed the bowl back to her. "Go on, pour another bowl of water!"
Mo Xiaoman was speechless.
'Fine, you're a good person, Secretary. You deserve a few sips of the Spiritual Spring water, too.'
Then she had another thought. 'It's our housewarming feast today. I should probably mix a little Spiritual Spring water into the boiled water. For one, it could prevent any unexpected problems. For another, it would be a small benefit for all the guests. Yes, I'll go to the kitchen right now, boil another pot of water, and let it cool for the guests to drink when they get thirsty!'
Mo Xiaoman brought another bowl of hot water to Grandpa Mo and Secretary Mo, then ran toward the kitchen. At the kitchen entrance, she ran right into Liu Fengying.