5. Persuading Them to Leave

Wang Fang found that the task of "ideological work" was proving to be a bit difficult. After all, she didn’t even have photos of these two men; she knew neither their heights nor their builds. What if they were both hideous? And one of them was old enough to be her daughter’s father.

But they were city folk! Marrying them meant obtaining a city residence permit—it was a completely different world! That wealthy old widower in the commune couldn't even compare. Therefore, she decided to use the most straightforward and brutal method: talk about money and material conditions.

She called out, telling her daughters to meet her in the large partitioned room on the east side. The other four were obedient enough and arrived quickly, except for Yao Zhizhi, who was still busy in the west partitioned room, dismantling a mosquito net. She didn’t know what kind of mess Yao Genbao had made, but the net was covered in either blood or dark, yellow grime—it was truly disgusting. Yao Zhizhi tore it down and tossed it away; she would rather be bitten by mosquitoes.

Wang Fang was furious. She instinctively wanted to scold her, but when she walked to the door and saw that delicate, fresh face, she held her tongue. Her eldest brother was right; this stubborn girl was the best-looking one in the family. That high-ranking official was getting on in years and had grown children; he certainly wasn't looking to raise more kids, just someone pretty to warm his bed. Of the five daughters, Yao Zhizhi was the most suitable—beautiful and frail. Surely, the old man would cherish this girl in the palm of his hand. Besides, Yao Zhizhi wasn’t her biological daughter, so she wouldn’t feel a shred of heartache sending her off to an old man.

Suppressing her temper, she called out, "Old Five, finish that later. Nobody is going to fight you for that room. Come over here."

Yao Zhizhi wasn't worried about someone taking the room; she was just tired and wanted to sleep. She glanced at Wang Fang, her intuition telling her that Wang Fang needed something from her, otherwise she would have exploded already. Combined with what she heard while throwing out the trash—something about a cadre and a dead wife—it wasn't hard to guess that Wang Fang was about to put on her "I'm doing this for your own good" mask to sell off her daughter.

Since that was the case, Yao Zhizhi had nothing to worry about. She seized the opportunity to extort her: "Give me the mosquito net from the eldest sister’s dowry."

Wang Fang hesitated for a moment, then figured she was counting on the fifth daughter to become a wealthy official's wife and bring comfort to Genbao, so she handed over the key. Yet, even after getting the net, Yao Zhizhi went back to her own business, showing her no respect whatsoever.

Once the new mosquito net was up, Yao Zhizhi grabbed her clothes, ready to go wash up. Wang Fang was truly at her wits' end, so she simply gathered the other four daughters and headed to the west room, blocking Yao Zhizhi’s path. Surely she wouldn't climb out the window? She was a young lady, after all.

But Yao Zhizhi didn't care. She grabbed her clothes, pushed open the window, braced herself, and leaped out. In this dilapidated rural house, the window was only a little over a meter off the ground, and in this era, steel was a rare commodity strictly rationed by the state, so there were no anti-theft bars. They couldn't stop her at all.

Wang Fang trembled with rage, chasing her into the yard to curse, "You! You are becoming more and more outrageous!"

Yao Zhizhi ignored her, went to the kitchen to fetch a kettle of boiling water, mixed it with well water, and went to the small space enclosed by wooden boards beside the kitchen to shower. What a pathetic family; they were so poor they didn't even have a bar of soap.

She checked the system store, but body wash and soap hadn't been unlocked yet—that required reaching level three. Forget it, she would just have to endure it; tomorrow she would go to the commune to find a way out.

When she returned after her shower, Yao Zhizhi found the mother and her four daughters waiting for her. She climbed directly onto the bed, let down the mosquito net, and laid down without acknowledging any of them.

Wang Fang couldn't take it anymore. She desperately wanted to scream, but had to hold it in; her expression was quite a spectacle. Yao Taotao found it amusing, turning her head to hide a laugh on her eldest sister’s shoulder. The fifth sister had grown a spine and was leading a rebellion against authority—it was a good thing, and she was happy about it. Seeing her mother, who always held herself so high, suffer defeat all night made her even happier. She would have to learn from this; if she amplified her own sharp-tongued nature, perhaps she, too, could handle these biased parents just like the fifth sister.

Yao Yingying, not as rebellious, tugged her hand, signaling her to stop laughing. Yao Taotao simply turned around and said, "Mom, whatever it is, just say it."

Wang Fang sat on the only chair in the room, her face dark as she looked at Yao Zhizhi on the bed, saying in a tone of charity, "Fine, listen up. Genbao cares about you all and begged your eldest uncle to introduce you to two suitors in the city. Once you become city folk and start eating state-supplied grain, don't forget your younger brother."

Yao Zhizhi and Yao Taotao let out a scoff in unison. Clearly, they weren't so easily fooled. Yao Yingying said nothing, only frowning and sighing silently. Yao Ningning, always a pushover, had no reaction, only staring at the holes in her liberation shoes.

Only Yao Mengmeng reacted strongly. She feigned surprise and asked, "Suitors in the city? You’re joking, right? Would city people look at us country folk?"

Wang Fang felt relieved; Mengmeng was still sensible and knew how to help her. She sighed, "That’s true. Those with good conditions who are marrying for the first time aren't willing to settle, so we have to lower our expectations and look for those who are divorced or whose wives have passed away. Just think: once you marry, you have a city residence and get state-supplied grain every month. Such a good life—even if the man is a widower, it’s still us climbing up the social ladder."

What kind of nonsense was this? Yao Taotao couldn't take it and mocked, "Mom, if you and Dad want to sell your daughters, just say so! No need for all these twists and turns!"

Wang Fang’s face darkened as she demanded, "What do you mean 'sell'? Isn't this to ensure you have a good life?"

"I think it’s because you want your son to have a good life, right?" Yao Taotao retorted bluntly. "Don't play the saint in front of us. Everyone knows what you and Dad are thinking—you’re so hypocritical! Just tell us: what are the conditions?"

Wang Fang was furious. The second daughter already had a temper and a venomous tongue, like a hedgehog, and now with the fifth as a role model, she was even more uninhibited, daring to call her hypocritical to her face. She wanted to strike her.

Unexpectedly, Yao Zhizhi sat up, feeling the heat. Picking up her banana-leaf fan and waving it languidly, she squinted at Wang Fang and said, "If you want to hit someone, go outside. This isn't your training ground."

Wang Fang slowly retracted her raised hand. She was trembling with anger, but there was nothing she could do. That high-ranking official surely had discerning eyes and wouldn't settle for anyone unattractive. She had no choice but to endure it.

Yao Mengmeng, seeing her mother humiliated, quickly stepped in to protect her: "Fifth sister, don't go too far. You have no respect for your elders. Don't you think about who gave birth to you and raised you?"

"Exactly." Wang Fang felt a bit better and continued her hypocritical performance. "The grace of being raised is greater than heaven. Mom doesn't expect you to repay me, as long as you marry into good families so I don't have to worry."

Yao Zhizhi was annoyed and didn't want to listen to this mother-daughter play anymore, so she said coldly, "You’d better worry about Yao Mengmeng first."

Hearing this, Yao Mengmeng turned pale with fright. She was furious, but afraid that if she provoked Yao Zhizhi, she would spill her secrets, so she kept her mouth shut.

Wang Fang frowned, "Why should I worry about your fourth sister? She’s diligent, has a sweet mouth, and isn't bad-looking. Your father and I were even thinking of finding a live-in son-in-law for her."

Yao Zhizhi gave Yao Mengmeng a cold, warning glance and remained silent. The look was full of hints, and Yao Mengmeng wasn't stupid—she realized the fifth sister was sparing her dignity. She quickly seized the opportunity and said, "Alright, Mom, let's stop talking about me. Tell us the conditions for those two city men."

"Yes, Mom, if you don't tell us, we can't make a decision," added Yao Yingying. As the eldest, she felt guilty that the four sisters were unable to marry. If the conditions were decent, she was willing to cooperate.

Wang Fang was satisfied; this daughter was worth raising. Considering Director Cao’s children were still young and needed a stepmother to step up, the fifth sister certainly wouldn't have the patience. But Yingzi was different—virtuous, gentle, and dignified; she was the perfect fit. She smiled and said, "Director Cao of the city food processing plant is young and promising. He's only twenty-seven, about your age, and has two daughters and one son. Yingzi, would you consider it?"

"Why did he divorce? If it was his fault, I won't agree to let our eldest sister marry him!" Yao Taotao was closest to her eldest sister and didn't want to see her jump into a fire pit.

Wang Fang rolled her eyes and spat, "Don't interrupt! I haven't finished yet!"

Yao Taotao sneered, "Then go on."

Wang Fang curled her lips and said, half-truthfully, "He divorced because his wife refused to be filial to his parents. The old folks have hands and feet and don't need much care—just prepare three meals and help with laundry. His wife was lazy and unwilling; she relied on the fact that she had children to throw her weight around. It’s no wonder they divorced."

Yao Taotao knew immediately that this was full of holes and bluntly tore it apart: "You're a mother yourself—don't you know how hard it is for a woman to raise three kids? And you want her to serve the in-laws too? This is the New China, not the feudal era. Everyone should be filial to their own parents; a daughter-in-law doesn't owe them anything."

Listen to that—what kind of nonsense was she spouting? Wang Fang was so angry her face turned green and white; she wanted to tear that mouth apart. But Yao Zhizhi was watching her from the bed with a sinister look, like a beast lurking in the forest, waiting for her to show a weakness so it could take a bite.

She had to hold her temper and said, "You can't say it like that. Director Cao is the only one in his house earning money; his wife has the duty and obligation to take care of the family. And he didn't just pop out of a rock; it’s only natural for his wife to be filial to his parents."

"Enough, spare us the preaching. We know exactly what you're up to. Hurry up and tell us the conditions for the other one." Yao Taotao was tired of this. Her mother’s acting was so clumsy it was sickening; she just wanted to get it over with and go to sleep.

Wang Fang glanced at her sideways, waiting for Yao Mengmeng to give her an opening. But Yao Mengmeng was held hostage by her secrets and didn't dare act as her mother's lackey again, so she played dead. Wang Fang lost her composure and was incredibly embarrassed, not knowing how to regain her dignity.

At this moment, Yao Yingying spoke up: "Alright, don't get excited, don't get angry. We’re a family; whatever happens, we face it together. Mom, hurry up and tell us about the other one."

The eldest daughter was still the most sensible. They say the eldest sister acts as a mother for a reason. Wang Fang felt much better and said, "Director Hu of the Revolutionary Committee in the government compound is forty-seven. His wife passed away three years ago. He has three children, and the youngest is already an adult. Whoever marries him won't have to raise the previous wife's children; you just have to live your own life. You don't even have to have children if you don't want to; Director Hu already has them, so he has no requirements there. You’d be marrying into pure comfort—it's a marriage opportunity you couldn't find even if you searched with a lantern."

Yao Zhizhi laughed in disbelief and said bluntly, "If it's such a blessing, why don't you take it?"

What? Wang Fang thought she had misheard and looked at Yao Zhizhi in disbelief. The four sisters were also shocked, looking in unison toward the bed.

Yao Zhizhi waved her banana-leaf fan leisurely and dropped a bombshell: "You’re in your forties too—an aging beauty still full of charm. Why don't you get a divorce and go enjoy that comfort yourself?"