C18 Being Dumped

Soong Yu looked at the food on the table and gave Huo Tian another grateful glance.

“Grandpa, this is my big brother, Soong Gaang, and my sister-in-law, Lin Hong.”

Soong Gaang and Lin Hong quickly greeted Huo Zhen. They had heard stories about this legendary figure since they were kids, and now seeing the old man looking cheerful, he seemed far from the terrifying figure they had imagined.

Huo Zhen nodded repeatedly. “Is everyone back home doing well?”

“Thanks to you, they’re doing great,” Soong Gaang replied. Then his expression changed. “Oh, right, when folks in the village heard I was coming to the city to see you, your cousin, whom I call Uncle, asked me to bring you something.” He rummaged through his bag, pulling out some worn clothes before taking out a plastic jug filled with a clear liquid.

“They wanted me to bring you this homemade brew, said it’s your favorite.” Soong Gaang shyly handed over the jug.

The five-pound jug was filled with local sorghum liquor.

“Great, I’ve been craving this. The last time I went back was ten years ago, and I might never get to go again in this lifetime.” The old man took the jug from Soong Gaang, eagerly opened it, and took a deep whiff.

Seeing the jug brought back memories, and his eyes grew a little misty.

“Alright, let’s chat later. First, let’s wash up and eat,” Huo Tian interrupted Huo Zhen’s thoughts.

Huo Zhen snapped back to the present and nodded. “Gaang, go wash up and join me for a drink.”

“Sure thing,” Soong Gaang replied without hesitation.

Soong Yu led her brother and sister-in-law to wash their hands.

Huo Ning’s face showed clear disapproval. Huo Tian glanced at Huo Ning and whispered, “Can you tone it down a bit? You’re coming off as very rude.”

“They’re just here to mooch off us,” Huo Ning muttered, unable to change her ways. Huo Tian’s expression hardened. “Do you know what you look like right now?”

Huo Ning looked at her brother, certain he wasn't about to say anything nice.

"You’re acting like a shrew, the petty, gossiping kind."

Huo Ning was furious.

"If I catch you behaving like this again, I'll send you to an all-girls school."

The education there was notoriously strict.

Huo Ning pouted, "You always take her side."

"I'm helping you. I don't want my sister turning into a spiteful person. Haven't you noticed you're becoming more like the people you dislike?"

Huo Ning's expression changed, and she fell silent.

She had to admit, when no one else was around, she and Soong Yu would often gossip about others, and she had picked up some of it from Soong Yu.

Soong Yu led them back to the living room where everyone took their seats.

Huo Tian didn’t drink, so Huo Zhen often drank alone. Now, finally having the chance to drink with Soong Gaang, the two were thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Whenever Soong Gaang drank, his voice got louder, and though his animated stories delighted Huo Zhen, Huo Ning found it annoying. She wanted to speak up but feared her brother's reprimand, so she held her tongue, ate a little, and then stormed upstairs, slamming the door behind her.

Lin Hong glanced upstairs and then at Soong Yu, clearly relishing the drama.

Soong Yu didn’t notice, but Huo Tian did.

Huo Zhen and Soong Gaang continued eating and drinking, even as the food grew cold.

Soong Yu reheated it once during the meal.

Soong Gaang’s stories were typical small-town gossip: whose cow had a calf and was treated like royalty, how it sold for over a thousand dollars, making the family ecstatic. Whose pig had twelve piglets, and whose daughter had twins, and who had passed away, and so on.

Huo Tian wasn’t interested in the small-town chatter, but seeing his grandfather so engrossed, he didn’t interrupt.

The old man missed his hometown. To him, the city was a second home; his real roots, the place he always longed for, were back in his hometown.

Based on this, Huo Tian was willing to let Soong Gaang stay over for the night. The old man really missed hearing the familiar accent and wanted to know how many of his childhood friends were still around.

While they were having a lively conversation, Soong Yu was feeling a bit worried. The Huo family only had one guest room downstairs. Upstairs, there were four rooms: one for the old man, one for Huo Tian, one that belonged to Huo Tian's late parents and was still kept as it was, and the last one was Huo Ning's.

So, where would everyone sleep tonight? She decided to let her brother and sister-in-law take her room, and she would make do with the couch for the night.

With that settled, Soong Yu started clearing away the empty plates and bowls to wash them in the kitchen. Lin Hong followed her to help out. The two women worked in silence until they were nearly done, when Lin Hong asked, "Yu, did you and your husband have a fight?"

​