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墨書 Inktalez
"Thank you, my dear," Tang Zhi said as he embraced Ye Fangfei.
"Isn't that what I should do? It's not easy for our parents to come all this way; we can't let them leave empty-handed," she replied. "Buying them each a set of clothes will give them some face when they return." Ye Fangfei spoke from experience; she had grown up in a rural area and only stayed in the city after graduating from university.
She understood all too well the competitive nature of the elderly in the countryside. They would compare whose children bought new clothes, who received pocket money, and who brought home delicious treats. Essentially, any small kindness shown by children would be magnified and boasted about by the elders.
Tang Zhi treated her well, and his parents were kind to her as well, so Ye Fangfei was more than willing to help maintain their dignity. Tang Zhi wasn't foolish; with a little thought, he could grasp the underlying reasons behind her actions. That's why he felt especially grateful for her consideration.
If his parents traveled such a long distance to attend the wedding and returned empty-handed, the gossip from the villagers would drown him. He could already imagine the hurtful things they would say. While he didn't care much about their opinions—after all, he no longer lived in the village—his parents did. They had spent their entire lives there, valuing their reputation above all else. Losing face would be a heavy burden for them to bear.
"By the way, did you buy any local specialties for them?" Ye Fangfei asked. "We should at least get some traditional pastries from Beijing for them to take back. And don't forget the wedding candies; even though we didn't hold a wedding ceremony at home, they can share some with our neighbors."
"I bought some—eight kinds of Beijing snacks and some sesame candy from Daoxiangcun," Tang Zhi replied.
"That's good then. You’re not working tomorrow, right? Do you have time to send them off?" she asked again.
"I have time; I can stay home for a day and send them off," Tang Zhi assured her.
Since Tang Zhi had time, Ye Fangfei felt relieved and no longer worried.
After dinner, Old Lady Tang avoided her two sons and went to find Ye Fangfei in Tang Zhi's room.
"Fangfei, here is fifty yuan. Take it," she said, handing over the five large bills she had been clutching.
Ye Fangfei genuinely appreciated the clothes the old couple had bought for her and hadn't expected that Old Lady Tang would want to give her money in return.
"No need for that, Mother. You keep the money. Buy whatever you want when you go back," Ye Fangfei refused.
"Just take it. I know you are filial and treat us well, but we can't let you suffer a loss," Old Lady Tang insisted, as if fearing that Ye Fangfei might try to return the money to her. With that, she quickly turned and left.
Ye Fangfei didn't even have a chance to stop her.
"What should we do?" Ye Fangfei asked Tang Zhi, who was sitting beside her.
"Since Mother has given it to you, just accept it," Tang Zhi replied, thinking that since his mother had offered it, there was no harm in them accepting it.
Seeing that Tang Zhi agreed, Ye Fangfei took the money but began to think about it. She decided that she would occasionally buy things for the old couple and send them back home. This way, Old Lady Tang would have some face in the village, and with this money, she wouldn't feel guilty.
Unbeknownst to Old Lady Tang, this simple act of sending money made her later years filled with envy from others in the village. It was because her daughter-in-law in Beijing would often send her clothes or pastries from the city.
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