Read Online Three Sisters by Bi Feiyu - Free Book Online

everyone in the village liked her.
    The men had nothing good to say about Fenxiang, but deep down they were fond of her. Their voices changed when they spoke to her, and not even a scolding from their wives made a difference, since it would be forgotten by the next morning. Though she would be the last to admit it, Yumi was jealous. That was why her loathing ran so deep. She wanted nothing more than to carry Wang Hongbing up to Fenxiang's front door, as she had with the other women; but Youqing's wife made no attempt to be secretive and even flaunted her relationship with Wang Lianfang. Since she thought nothing of chatting with Wang out on the street, what was to be gained by standing in front of her house? The woman was so brazen it was impossible to shame her; not even the presence of Little Eight could do that.
    But Yumi wound up going over to her house anyway.
You can't have children,
she said to herself,
and that is your weakness. I'll hit you where it hurts.
So, with little Hongbing in her arms, Yumi strolled casually up to Fenxiang's door, followed by a crowd of women, some with motives, others merely curious. There was tension in the air mixed with excitement. Rather than shut the door and cower inside when she saw Yumi coming, Youqing's wife strode out confidently. She did not have to try to look calm—she was truly unruffled. The first thing she did was come up and begin talking to some of her visitors. Yumi avoided looking at her, and Fenxiang returned the favor—not even sneaking a glance at the girl. In fact, the first stolen glance came from Yumi. Before Yumi had a chance to say a word, Youqing's wife was already talking to the other women about Hongbing—mainly about his appearance. She was saying that he had his mother's mouth and would be better looking if he had his father's.
    It was a provocative move, heaping excessive praise on Wang Lianfang's mouth. "But he'll get better looking as he grows up," she continued. "Boys always take after their mothers when they're small. Then, after they start to fill out and head toward manhood, they more and more closely resemble their fathers."
    Fenxiang kept talking. "And Hongbing's ears stick out a little too much." Yumi did not want to hear any more of that. Actually, if anything, Youqing's wife's ears protruded more than the boy's did, so Yumi turned and said rudely: "Why don't you go take a look in the mirror."
    It was a comment that would have put another woman to shame, producing an embarrassed look worse than tears. Youqing's wife acted as if she hadn't heard. The minute the words were out of her mouth, Yumi knew she'd fallen into the woman's trap by speaking first.
    Youqing's wife kept talking to the other women and not looking Yumi's way. "Yumi is such a pretty girl," she was saying. "Too bad she has such a sharp tongue."
    She hadn't said that Yumi was a "pretty little thing" or a "pretty youngster." No, she'd used the slightly more refined "pretty girl," as if Yumi were a virtual phoenix that had flown out of a chicken coop. She then changed the direction of the conversation by speaking up for Yumi. "If I were Yumi, I'd be the same way." In the face of such a sincere comment Yumi could say nothing. She already felt like an unmannered shrew. By calling Yumi pretty, Fenxiang settled the matter. Youqing's wife and one of the other women then turned to an appraisal of Yumi's sister, Yuxiu, ending with a comment by Youqing's wife: "Yumi is the graceful sister. Her looks grow on you." That gave the discussion a note of finality.
    Yumi knew that the woman was playing up to her, though Fenxiang's expression didn't show it. Not once did she look at Yumi as she spoke, which gave the impression that she was voicing her true feelings. This actually pleased Yumi, but the woman's tone of voice angered her. She spoke as if she and she alone were the voice of authority, that whatever she said was true and therefore not open to discussion. How could something like