The mother

A rural mother carries the weight of household and field labor, tending a small stove, preparing meals, watching two young children and a half-blind elder, and supporting spring planting alongside her husband. The narrative sets daily chores and scarce resources—limited fuel, repair of ricks, and careful planting—against family tensions and the old woman’s persistent complaints. It depicts pragmatic stoicism, routine sacrifices, and quiet resourcefulness as the household’s survival depends on the mother’s steady endurance and attention to both immediate needs and longer seasonal work.