"Liuliu, did the Yang family do this to you? Damn! In the whole Liu family, you are the only spoiled child, and yet you ended up getting hurt. I just found out about it, and when I escort you back, I'll visit the Yang family. They mustn't take our Liuliu lightly! Liu Cheng, Liu Bao, when the time comes, accompany me as we take your sister back to their place!" Liuliu's uncle, who was sitting next to her father, was spirited and brimming with energy. He was always one to defend his own.
Liu Cheng and Liu Bao, who were named by their father, nodded: "Hmm, we will definitely confront the Yang family! Liuliu, don't be afraid, we are always by your side!" They were also men who stood up for their own.
Liuliu touched her forehead: "Uncle, it's okay. It doesn't hurt anymore. I'm fine now that I'm back home. It was just an accident, it wasn't their fault." Liuliu didn't want her family to confront her in-laws!
"Don't protect Yang Xiaotian. Otherwise, in the future, he will take you for granted. You should not be soft-hearted when you should not be. You can't let yourself be taken advantage of!" Her uncle also thought Liuliu was protecting her husband and tried to teach her how to act. He was another protector in her maternal family.
"Uncle, I'm really fine. No one dares to control me in their home. I can do whatever I want, I promise. Dad, is this the braised pork you made?" Liuliu hastily changed the subject after explaining.
"Hmm, I originally made it, but your mother insisted on cooking it. Taste it. Your mother's braised pork is not bad, it's just a little bit worse than mine. Tomorrow, your dad will cook personally for you." Her father's indulgent tone made Liuliu feel really warm.
Liuliu then sat down with them. She didn't have the traditional concept of men and women eating separately. There was no division when she ate at her mother-in-law's place, which she remembered whilst eating the fish soup. She didn't even think about it.
After eating a few bites, she suddenly remembered the tradition where men and women should not sit together after the age of seven, and the rule of men and women having separate tables. Perhaps that's why her mother wasn't around? However, it seemed natural for them to see her eating, as they even served her dishes personally! She wondered if she was overthinking, since this was a village where traditions might not be strictly followed.
"Dad, where's mum?" Liuliu had to ask.
"Your mother and your auntie are still in the kitchen, making fish soup to nourish you. They'll be here soon!"
As he was talking, Liuliu's mother brought her a bowl of fish soup. Liuliu's auntie brought another bowl for everyone to share. Liuliu realized that fish was way more expensive than meat at this time. Her family actually made a bowl of fish soup just for her, while none of the Liu family's sons received such treatment. It made Liuliu's eyes widen. She felt the Liu family cared too much for their only daughter! And this was genuine affection, with not even a hint of exploitation. Other wealthy families would spoil their daughters to get a higher dowry, but the Liu family was different!
"Mum, I had fish soup last night. Let my brothers have it!" Liuliu refused out of embarrassment.
"Liuliu, drinking more won't harm you. It was made especially for you to nourish your brain. Look at your head, you've got such a big bruise. If you don't take care, what if you develop a headache in the future? Drink up!" Liuliu's mom didn't allow any refusal.
"Liuliu, it's specially made by your mother. If you don't drink it, she will be upset. Come on, drink it!" Liuliu's aunt also advised her.
"Liuliu, drink it!" Her brothers chimed in.
"Liuliu, just drink it!" Even her cousins spoke up.
Even her father and uncle were looking at Liuliu expectantly. Liuliu's eyes welled up, she almost cried. The feeling of being cherished by so many people warmed her heart. She didn't refuse anymore and drank the fish soup that her mother had made. It tasted good, full of warm affection.
The family sat around the table, eating and drinking. Her father and uncle even had a few drinks. Everyone was happy to have Liuliu back, even though she had a big bruise on her forehead, as long as she was alright.
In the evening, Liuliu was surprised to find out that her father had a younger brother, her uncle, who came with his two sons for dinner. Her aunt came along too. Now, Liuliu understood why her father, uncle, and her younger uncle would spoil her so much - she was the only flower in the entire Liu family!
After staying for two days, Liuliu figured it all out. Her family originally had an eldest brother, who had gone off to fight in a war several years ago and never returned. All that was left were her second brother Liu Hu, her third brother Liu Bao, and a jailed younger brother Liu Ying. She was the only daughter of her mother. In the family hierarchy, she was fourth. As for her younger brother Liu Ying, Liuliu felt a sense of guilt for him—he was too protective and ended up slashing someone with a knife just to guard his sister. She vowed to rescue him whenever she could.
Her uncle had three sons of his own, including the second son Liu Cheng, and the third son Liu Bao. The eldest son had joined the army a few years back, and it was said that he had managed to become a junior officer. His name was Liu Hua.
Her younger uncle also had three sons. The eldest son, Liu Qing, had also joined the army, leaving the second son Liu Ping, and the third son Liu An behind. The eldest son had left to join the army just a few months prior.
Now, Liuliu understood that there were some rules for the imperial court's conscription. A family with a single child could be exempted, and each family was only required to contribute one son. If the wealthy families didn't want their sons to join the military, they could instead provide food. The quota equivalent to 1000 taels of silver amounted to military provisions. 1000 taels, to the genuinely rich, was nothing. But for rural wealthy families, it was an astronomical sum. For a family of four, two taels of silver was enough for a month, covering all food and necessities. The whole year would only require 24 taels, which was considered affluent.
Suddenly, Liuliu thought about her in-laws. Her second uncle's family had sent two sons to the army while her in-laws hadn't sent anyone. What was going on? It could not have been that they were substituting for her family, could it? Judging by the way her second aunt was, it didn't seem likely. A person who was unwilling even to share a bun, could she really send her sons off to war? She didn't understand!
Of course, Liuliu didn't understand that the reason her second aunty was willing to let her sons enlist was due to a combination of hereditary obligation and financial necessity. Yang Xiaotian was the most skilled hunter, and he alone could support several households with the game he caught. This even included his second aunt's family! If he were to enlist, both Yang households would probably go hungry.
Even though Liuliu's maternal family was well-off due to their pig butchery, they were merely middling in comparison to true merchants or high-ranking officials. Only the truly rich or the nobility could afford such a high expense. However, some ambitious aristocrats also sent their sons to the battlefield for glory. They were carefully trained in both literary and martial arts, and even when they joined the army, they were considered elite personnel.
Liuliu guessed that by setting such a regulation, the imperial court was indirectly forcing wealthy merchants to pay, thus relieving the pressure on the court's military expense.
Liuliu also realized that in this village, the Liu brothers were considered wealthy because they were butchers, and half of the meat stalls in the town belonged to the Liu family. Her own family had a stall, her uncle's family had one, and her other uncle's family also had one.
Over the last two days watching her family generously give away pig intestines to villagers who bought meat, Liuliu felt quite uneasy but didn't dare to say anything—at least not yet. However, she did tell them that pig bones, liver, kidneys, and stomach were tasty and even cooked them for her parents, uncle, aunt, younger uncle, and aunt and brothers. Everyone said it was delicious.