The Zhou family was a simple household, with Scholar Zhou and Old Lady Zhou having two sons and one daughter. The eldest, Zhou Xuennian, was thirty-two this year and still a Child Student. He had failed the examination for becoming a scholar every year, and Scholar Zhou had passed away three years ago without seeing his son achieve the rank of scholar.
The second child was their only daughter, Zhou Yingmei, and then there was a latecomer son, Zhou Xueli, who was just sixteen this year and had not even taken a wife, living with his widowed mother and elder brother's family.
Zhou Xuennian had married Madam Lu and also had two sons and a daughter. His eldest son, Dajun, was fifteen this year, his daughter Zhou Xiuer thirteen, and the youngest son, Erhu, was only five years old.
The Zhou family's home in Wozi Village was a standalone property, Scholar Zhou being a ninth-generation only child, and to him were born two sons, both scholars. Unfortunately, by the time he died, he was still just a scholar, and his eldest son, Zhou Xuennian, was even less successful, remaining a Child Student after all these years.
Insisting he was a learned man, Zhou Xuennian was tireless, participating in every imperial examination but also failing each one. He didn't believe that the problem lay with his own abilities, but rather that he was a late bloomer.
Therefore, Zhou Xuennian was proud and arrogant, and also obstinately conservative. Hearing his wife's complaints, his face darkened.
Madam Lu had been married to him for many years and had learned to read his moods very well. Over the years, as he failed his examinations, he had placed the blame on his young sister-in-law, convinced that her premarital pregnancy had tainted the family's feng shui, damaging the Zhou family's fortunes and therefore causing his own failures in the scholarly examinations.
Thus, Zhou Xuennian always despised his young sister-in-law and her mother. Had it not been for his father's protection in earlier years, he would have taken action against the two long ago.
"Husband, you didn't see how that little hoof Wufu was looking at me with those bamboo shoots. Ah, her gaze was even more vicious than a wolf cub's, like she wanted to kill someone, just terrifying," Madam Lu eyed his expression while continuing to exaggerate, "No matter what, I am still her aunt by marriage, right? Even if she disregards proper manners with me, the way she looks as if she wants to devour me, oh dear, truly the result of having a mother but no father's teaching. Should this spread, I fear it would reflect even worse upon your reputation..."
"Enough!" Zhou Xuennian snapped, kicking over the basin at his feet, spilling water all over the ground.
Madam Lu's face shifted slightly, she swallowed hard and cautiously observed her husband.
Zhou Xuennian's face, more handsome than that of an ordinary farmer, was overcast with darkness. His eyes, with drooping eyelids, seemed to harbor the edginess of years of frustration or perhaps ill-fate; he lacked the scholarly grace expected of a reader and had instead an air of sternness and severity.
"Husband, I—I didn't mean to bring it up on purpose, just that I find this mother and daughter to be ill-omened. Tell me, if not for their bad luck, why would you have failed your exams time after time? Forget scholar, you might well have been a Juren by now, an official lord..." Madam Lu's voice dwindled under his glowering look, as she stooped to pick up the water basin from the floor.
"Zhou Yingmei still dreams that the man will come to fetch them. If he doesn't come, can we not go and find him? If they were gone, it would be better; we could have some peace, and with the bad luck gone, nobody would speak ill of the Zhou family's reputation anymore," muttered Madam Lu as she walked out.
Zhou Xuennian watched his wife's retreating figure, his lips tightening as he thought of the mother and daughter on the mountain, the gloom in his eyes deepening.
Lady Guiniang was somewhat right, that dreadful pair of stars of calamity had plagued the Zhou family long enough, grinding away all their good fortune.
Zhou Xuennian lay on the bed, his fingers tapping irregularly as he pondered deep thoughts.