Update:
Here’s a schedule of the novels I’m translating. I’ve built up a bank and I have enough chapters of each for the next couple of months.
MMPMH: Mon/Thu/Sun
Top Giants: Tue/Wed/Sat/Sun
Stepmother: Mon/Fri
After a long while, Father Song finally reacted. He opened his mouth to speak but realised he still had half a cornmeal bun in it. Swallowing quickly, he asked, “You… cough, you’re getting married?”
“Zhaodi, don’t talk nonsense,” Mother Song said immediately upon seeing her daughter’s swollen, red eyelids. She was sure Zhaodi had cried for half the night again. “If you don’t want to get married, then don’t. Tomorrow, we’ll find someone willing to marry into our family.”
“Mom…” Liu Ling—no, Song Zhaodi—thought to herself that finding a husband willing to marry into their family wasn’t as easy as picking cabbages. But outwardly, she spoke earnestly, “I’m not talking nonsense. I don’t want to marry Wang Degui. I want to marry Zhong Jianguo.”
Clatter!
Father Song dropped his chopsticks into his bowl, scattering rice grains everywhere, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. “Zhaodi, are you still half-asleep?”
“She’s not half-asleep; she’s gone mad,” Song Zhaodi’s elder sister interjected. “Mom, fetch Dad’s silver needles and give her a few pokes.”
Song Zhaodi sighed. “Dajie1, I’m not crazy.”
“Not crazy? Then why would you leave Wang Degui—a decent, honest young man—and choose to marry Zhong Jianguo, a widower?” Her elder sister glared at her. “That biaoyi of ours has ulterior motives! She married into Zhong’s family as a stepmother and can’t stand to see us doing well. Zhong family’s lao er might be a soldier in Shencheng, as she claims—a university student making over a hundred yuan a month. Even if he has three kids, or five, there are plenty of women who’d be willing to marry him.
“Do you remember what she brought when she came here? A few shabby pears. Who brings pears when matchmaking? Oh and her husband’s surname is Zhong, while ours is Song. You marry Zhong Jianguo and it’s ‘Song Zhong’ (送终)2—send off the dead! Can’t you see what she’s up to?”
The original Song Zhaodi had been preoccupied with anger at Zhao Yin for her bad intentions. But now that Liu Ling’s soul had taken over, she analysed Zhao Yin’s words carefully and found many holes in her story. “It’s National Day today. Zhong Jianguo will return in a few days and I’ll ask him myself.”
“Zhaodi, listen to your mother.” Mother Song leaned on the table, her face filled with worry. “Mother knows that the Wang family and the Zhong family are not a good match. Don’t worry, Mother will find someone to arrange a marriage for you soon. I won’t let my daughter be left unmarried.”
Song Zhaodi thought to herself: The world was only going to get more chaotic in the future. Out of ten city folks with good conditions, nine would end up being publicly criticised. If she didn’t marry now, she would only be able to marry someone from the countryside later.3
Spending ten chaotic years in a rural village? Absolutely not.
As for Zhong Jianguo’s children, she had never raised kids before anyway. She could take care of them for now and if she didn’t want to in the future, she could just get a divorce. Military marriages were hard to dissolve, but not impossible. She could figure it out when the time came.
But she couldn’t say these things out loud. Holding her mother’s hand, Song Zhaodi was startled by the roughness of her skin. When she looked down, she noticed several cloth strips wrapped around her mother’s fingers and a wave of shock hit her. Farmers in this era really had it tough.
“Mom, Zhong Jianguo is a university graduate and a soldier who gets rationed grain. If I marry him, I’ll become a city person—”
“If you marry into the Wang family, you’ll be considered a city person too,” Song dajie4 said. She wasn’t usually impatient or quick-tempered, but when it came to her younger sister’s future, even someone as calm as her was getting anxious. “Wang Degui’s parents also said that if you marry him, they’ll ask his uncle to arrange for you to be transferred to the town to teach.”
Song Zhaodi knew her sister meant well and wasn’t offended by her outburst. “Biaoyi exaggerated Zhong Jianguo’s situation. I think she doesn’t actually know much about him but just happened to get some things right by accident.”
“What do you mean?” Mother Song was puzzled.
Song Zhaodi explained, “Zhong Jianguo is at least a captain.”
“A captain? What kind of officer is that?” Song dajie asked, confused.
Song Zhaodi tried to piece it together based on what she remembered from later times. “I heard from my classmates that a university graduate who joins the army can be promoted to captain within six years. Zhong Jianguo graduated eight years ago and since Binhai Ocean University is a military school, he’s at least a captain now. He might even be a major.”
“I know what a major is,” Song dajie said. “Isn’t that a regiment commander?”
Song Zhaodi wasn’t sure if that was accurate. She had seen military programs but had never paid attention to what rank commanded what. “I don’t know. We don’t have anyone in the military to ask. I’m just guessing based on what my classmates said.”
“If Zhong Jianguo didn’t have kids, he’d be better than Wang Degui.” Wang Degui was a shipyard worker, but Zhong Jianguo had the potential to become a general. Song dajie hesitated. “Dad, Mom, what do you think?”
Mother Song looked at her youngest daughter. “If we could somehow combine the two, that’d be perfect.”
“There’s no such thing as perfection in this world.” Father Song was the barefoot doctor of Xiao Song Village. In recent years, with the movement to eliminate the Four Olds5 spreading everywhere, the villagers knew that the Song family had quite a collection of books. Yet, not a single person dared to confiscate Father Song’s books or silver needles—because they feared that if they fell ill one day, without these things, Father Song wouldn’t be able to treat them.
During the most chaotic times, some people did try to seize things from the Song family. But the moment a relative’s child fell ill, they threw all concerns aside and rushed to Father Song for help.
Father Song had only read a few medical books, but he understood that nothing in life was perfect. He also knew that an officer like Zhong Jianguo was more capable than a worker like Wang Degui. If his daughter married him, she wouldn’t have to worry about going hungry even in times of famine.
“Zhong Jianguo has three children—you need to think this through carefully.”
Mother Song turned sharply. “How can you agree so easily?”
“Mom, I have something to tell you and Dad.” Song Zhaodi pulled her parents into her room.
Father Song gestured for her elder sister and brother-in-law to leave. When they were alone, he said, “Just say what you need to. This is your life. As long as you won’t regret it, we’ll support you.”
“Dad, Mom, don’t be angry about what I’m about to say.” The original Song Zhaodi had intended to keep her secret, but Liu Ling, who now inhabited her body, decided to come clean. “I had a friend while I was at school.”
“What kind of friend?” Mother Song didn’t understand.
“A male friend?” Father Song couldn’t believe it. When Song Zhaodi nodded, he pressed, “Where is he now?”
Mother Song’s eyes widened. “Zhaodi—”
“Mom, don’t get upset.” Song Zhaodi instinctively reached out to comfort her mother. “We agreed he would come back last summer. But his family background was problematic, so he fled overseas in secret.”
Father Song stared at his daughter. “You suddenly came back last year. Your mother thought something was wrong, but I said she was imagining things. Then we heard the universities had all suspended classes and I didn’t think much of it. Was that when it happened?”
“Yes,” Song Zhaodi admitted softly. “He promised to marry me, so… so we…” She trailed off, bowing her head as though ashamed.
Mother Song’s tears fell instantly. Even during the worst famine, when the family could only eat one meal a day, she had not shed a tear. Now, Mother Song’s tears fell on Song Zhaodi’s clothes and hit her heart.
Liu Ling was a strong woman. In her past life, she had attended the Oscars, walked the red carpet at Cannes and even held her own fashion exhibition. She had faced countless hardships and believed that nothing in this world could make her shed tears.
But now, hearing Mother Song quietly sobbing and catching a glimpse of Father Song, with his greying hair, secretly wiping his tears while leaning against the doorframe, Liu Ling felt her eyes dampen—something she hadn’t experienced in a long time.
“Dad, Mom, don’t be sad. It’s all in the past now. It’s better that I found out what kind of person he was before marrying him rather than after, only to realize he was a coward.”
“Oh, my dear Zhaodi, how can your heart be so big?” Mother Song wailed and burst into tears.
Liu Ling gently patted Mother Song’s back and thought to herself: Your daughter doesn’t have a big heart at all. Ever since Zhao Yin left, she’s been crying under the covers every night. If not for crying like that, her soul wouldn’t have been replaced by me, Liu Ling.
“Mom, Zhong Jianguo has three children and I’ve only ever had one partner—he wouldn’t dare look down on me. You and Dad don’t need to worry.”
“He wouldn’t dare look down on you—he’s counting on you to take care of his kids,” Father Song said as he wiped away his tears. “What did the Wang family say?”
Song Zhaodi thought carefully for a moment. “There’s nothing to say. We’ve never accepted anything from the Wang family, so there’s no need to explain anything to them. Zhong Jianguo is a soldier—Wang’s family wouldn’t dare offend him, nor would they dare make trouble for us.”
“Dad, Mom, people in the countryside are conservative. If the Wang family finds out I had a partner before, they’ll surely think I’m not proper. That’s why I hesitated before,” Song Zhaodi explained honestly. This was something the original Song Zhaodi hadn’t considered.
The original host’s sorrow stemmed from the fact that she couldn’t return to the city, yet there was no suitable match for her in the countryside. She didn’t want to settle, but her age wouldn’t allow her to wait much longer. The frustration built up so much that she couldn’t stop crying.
“It could take three to five years, or maybe even seven or eight, before I can return to the city and continue my studies. Only after graduation would the state assign me a job. If I wait until then, I’d be nothing more than gossip for the neighbours. I thought long and hard about it last night—Zhong Jianguo is the best choice.”
“Sigh, you’re right. In the countryside, people care most about a girl’s reputation, not her education. If you don’t marry Zhong Jianguo, you’d have to marry someone in a big city eventually,” Father Song said, looking at Mother Song. “So it’s decided. Shall we wait at home or go to the city?”
Mother Song didn’t hesitate. “How can we send a daughter off like she’s some package? Let him come here. If he doesn’t come, I—I’ll just take care of Zhaodi for the rest of her life.”
“Mom, keep your voice down. Dajie will hear you,” Song Zhaodi quickly reminded her.
Mother Song instinctively covered her mouth and glanced outside. She could vaguely hear the sound of someone scrubbing pots. “She’s too far away to hear.” Turning back to Father Song, she said, “Should I take Zhaodi to get two new outfits tomorrow?”
“Do we have cloth tickets6?” Song Zhaodi asked.
Mother Song faltered. “I’ll go trade with someone.”
“Don’t bother,” Song Zhaodi said. “When Zhong Jianguo comes back, I’ll ask him to trade for them.”
Father Song nodded. “Zhaodi’s right. Even though she’s had a partner before, she’s still a university student. Marrying her is a blessing Zhong Jianguo earned in his past life. He should provide the cloth for new clothes.”
“Mom, stop crying.” Song Zhaodi instinctively looked for a tissue, then remembered it wasn’t 2067 but 1967. Adopting the customs of the time, she lifted her sleeve and wiped Mother Song’s tears. “If Zhong Jianguo is only a lieutenant, making just a few dozen yuan a month, no matter how decent he looks, I wouldn’t marry him. You and Dad shouldn’t overthink. Let me meet him first and then we’ll decide.”
“Exactly!” Father Song agreed. “If he’s been in the military for eight years after graduating and is still just a lieutenant, he might not even be better than Wang Degui.”
Mother Song sighed. “But Wang Degui can’t be an option either. If he finds out about Zhaodi’s past… who knows how much he’ll look down on her.” Tears welled up again as she continued, “My poor Zhaodi, why is your fate so bitter?”
“Why are you crying again?” Song dajie walked in, her brows furrowed. “Mom, if Zhaodi doesn’t like Wang Degui and doesn’t want to marry Zhong Jianguo, tomorrow, when I go to the furniture factory, I’ll ask around if there’s any young man about Zhaodi’s age.”
Mother Song wiped her tears and said, “Don’t bother asking. I’m just worried that being a stepmother will be hard. You can’t hit or scold other people’s kids, but without discipline, they won’t turn out well. If Zhaodi doesn’t scold or punish them, Zhong Jianguo will end up blaming her. Just thinking about it makes me feel suffocated.”
“If you can’t hit or scold them, just let them go hungry for three days—they’ll behave,” Song dajie said, turning to Zhaodi. “If Zhong Jianguo dares to take their side, just refuse to look after the kids.”
“What if Zhong Jianguo kicks me out?” Song Zhaodi asked on purpose.
“Come back home,” Song dajie replied without hesitation. “You’re a university student. Even if you remarry, plenty of people will still want to marry you. We won’t let you be wronged by his family.”
On October 3rd, in the evening, Mother Song returned from the production team7 and saw that the pigsty and sheep pen were spotlessly clean. Song Zhaodi was squatting on the ground, chopping vegetable scraps and tossing them into the duck pen, busy and content.
“Zhaodi, take a break,” Mother Song said, moving a small stool to sit beside her. “It’s already the 3rd and there’s still no sign of Zhong Jianguo. Should we ask your jiefu8 to go to the city and find out?”
Song Zhaodi paused her work. “Ask biaoyi about why Zhong Jianguo hasn’t come back yet? No need. We didn’t tell her the truth when she left. If jiefu goes and asks, she’ll just mock us.”
“This is about your lifelong happiness; we can endure a few taunts,” Mother Song sighed. “Once you marry Zhong Jianguo, even if there’s another famine, your father and I won’t worry about you going hungry.”
Zhong Jianguo had three children: the eldest was five, the second three and the youngest was only a year old. Song Zhaodi wasn’t worried that Zhong Jianguo wouldn’t return; she was more concerned that her aunt Zhao Yin—Zhong Jianguo’s stepmother—might stir up trouble, angering Zhong Jianguo. That could make him refuse to marry his stepmother’s niece.
“Wait another two days.” Liu Ling wanted to marry Zhong Jianguo—not because he had three children. Whether or not she had children in the future didn’t matter to her.
The years from 1967 to 1975 were far too chaotic. Finding someone with good character wasn’t impossible, but getting through those turbulent eight years peacefully was harder than reaching the heavens—especially if the person was a university student.
Liu Ling vaguely remembered that even during the most chaotic times, the turmoil never really reached the military. The army was like a secluded paradise. If Zhong Jianguo was truly a high-ranking officer, it meant he was neither incompetent nor short-sighted.
In her past life, Liu Ling idolised a public security officer, which made her particularly tolerant of men in uniform. Although Zhong Jianguo was in the navy and not in the same profession as her idol, Liu Ling believed in herself—so long as Zhong Jianguo didn’t go too far, she could hold back and not fuss over minor issues.
If her partner were Wang Degui instead, Liu Ling, now Song Zhaodi, could guarantee that she wouldn’t have the patience to deal with him. If trouble arose in the future, a mere worker like Wang Degui wouldn’t be able to protect his wife and children.
Moreover, even in the city, Zhong Jianguo’s conditions would be considered outstanding. Given that he might be a valuable prospect, Song Zhaodi said, “If he still doesn’t come, have jiefu go ask Zhong Jianguo’s elder brother about it.”
Mother Song’s eyes lit up. “Yes! We don’t need to go through your aunt. We can bypass her and directly ask Zhong Jianguo’s elder brother to find out his intentions.”
“Xiao9 Zhong, what are you hanging around here for? Why aren’t you back home yet?”
Zhong Jianguo turned to look and was surprised. “Commander, when did you return from the capital?”
“Don’t worry about me. I’m asking you,” the man in a navy-blue uniform, in his fifties, said. “I heard from your regiment commander that you received a telegram from home about a matchmaker’s proposal. He’s already approved your leave. Why haven’t you gone yet?”
Zhong Jianguo was taken aback. “Why would the regiment commander tell you about that?”
“Your commander is happy for you,” the man said. “I heard it’s a rural girl. Are you, a university graduate, looking down on her?”
“Not at all,” Zhong Jianguo replied without hesitation. Meeting the other man’s gaze, he saw he was waiting for more and, after a moment’s thought, decided to explain. “That woman is my stepmother’s niece.”
“Ah, your stepmother. I’ve heard about her from your saozi10 a few times,” the man said. “Your previous wife told your saozi that if the wedding gifts were even a day late, she’d persuade your father to send a telegram. When your family came over for a meal, they couldn’t even spare salt for the noodles. Still, I think women like your stepmother are rare.”
Zhong Jianguo was worried. “What if she’s not?”
“And what if she is?” the man retorted. “Your three children combined aren’t even ten years old. If you don’t remarry this year, you’ll have to next year anyway. Your commander wants to introduce you to a teacher from the school, but you’re not willing.”
Zhong Jianguo quickly waved his hand. “That girl just graduated high school. She’s an innocent, clean girl. Marrying her would ruin her. Besides, I have three kids. A girl with no work experience can’t take care of them.”
“Then go back and meet her first,” the man advised. “Have you submitted your marriage report11?”
Zhong Jianguo was startled. “Is that necessary?”
“If you think she’s suitable after meeting her, get it done quickly so you can focus on work,” the man said. “Old Jiang12 is always watching us. If he makes a move again, you’ll be in no state to lead your troops.” Then he called to his orderly, “Xiao Wang, find Commander Liu for me.”
Zhong Jianguo quickly said, “No need, no need! I’ll go find the commander myself to submit the marriage report.”
“That’s more like it.” The man laughed, patting his shoulder. “Don’t overthink it. Meet her and decide after that.”
On October 4th, in the evening, Zhong Jianguo got off the train. Instead of heading to the nearby communal housing, he walked through an alley to his elder brother’s home. A four- or five-year-old child ran out from inside and Zhong Jianguo instinctively bent down to pick him up.
Zhong dasao followed and, seeing who it was, exclaimed with joy, “Er di13, when did you get back?”
“Just arrived,” Zhong Jianguo said, carrying the child in one arm and his bag in the other. Once inside, he unpacked the bag, taking out candies, biscuits and malted milk.
Watching the children eagerly eye the treats, Zhong dasao split the candy in half for each of them and went to prepare the malted milk. “This morning, I was just telling your da ge14 that you must have been delayed for some reason. Why else hadn’t you returned?”
“Da ge isn’t back from work yet?” Zhong Jianguo asked.
Zhong dasao: “No, he’s been promoted to team leader and is busier than before. When are you planning to visit the Song family?”
“The Song family… dasao, have you met the girl from the Song family?” Zhong Jianguo asked.
Zhong dasao pointed south. “That day, she went herself. When she came back, she was grinning and said it was settled. Based on how much she resents our two families getting along, even if the Song family girl has no flaws, she’s no match for your late wife.”
“Dad, are you really going to give me a stepmother?” The child leaning on Zhong Jianguo’s leg suddenly asked.
- Dajie (大姐) refers to ‘eldest sister’; one’s biological eldest sister a respectful way to address an older woman, especially in a familiar or affectionate context. ↩︎
- Song Zhong” (送终) means “to send off the dead” or “to take care of someone in their final years and burial.” ↩︎
- During the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976), urban residents, especially those from intellectual or well-off backgrounds, were frequently subjected to public criticism (批斗, pīdòu), struggle sessions, and persecution. Many were labelled as “class enemies” and faced social and political hardships. Marrying someone with a more politically favourable background was seen as a strategic move to avoid further difficulties. ↩︎
- Eldest Sister Song. ↩︎
- The Four Olds (四旧) refers to old ideas, old culture, old customs, and old habits. Refers to destroying elements of traditional Chinese culture that were seen as feudal or bourgeois. Books, artifacts, and religious items were confiscated or burned, and individuals associated with these ‘old’ elements were persecuted. ↩︎
- Cloth tickets (布票) were a type of ration coupon used in China during the planned economy era (1950s–1980s). Due to material shortages, essential goods like fabric, grain and oil were distributed through a rationing system. People needed cloth tickets to purchase fabric for making clothes, and the amount allocated depended on factors such as occupation and family size. ↩︎
- During this era, rural communities were organized into production teams (生产队), which were the basic units of agricultural production under the people’s commune system. Villagers worked collectively, and labour was assigned based on the needs of the team, with resources and profits distributed accordingly. ↩︎
- Jiefu (姐夫) refers to an older sister’s husband – brother-in-law. Here, it is used to address or refer to Song dajie‘s husband. ↩︎
- Xiao (小) is a common Chinese prefix used as a familiar or affectionate way to address someone younger, often based on their surname or given name. In this context, the commander is addressing his subordinate and our male lead, Zhong Jianguo, as ‘Xiao Zhong’ (小钟). ↩︎
- In a military setting, ‘saozi’ (嫂子) is often used as a respectful and familiar way for soldiers to refer to a comrade’s wife, calling her ‘sister-in-law’. In this context, the commander is referring to his own wife here as Zhong Jianguo’s saozi. ↩︎
- In the Chinese military, soldiers were required to submit a marriage report for approval before getting married to ensure that a soldier’s marriage aligned with organisational regulations and that their spouse’s background was politically acceptable, especially during this era. ↩︎
- Old Jiang refers to Chiang Kai-shek (蒋介石), the leader of the Republic of China and the Kuomintang (KMT). After the Chinese Civil War (1945–1949), Chiang and the KMT retreated to Taiwan, but tensions between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the KMT-led government in Taiwan remained high, particularly during the 1950s–1970s. ↩︎
- Er di (二弟) means ‘second younger brother’, or younger brother, ranked second by age. ↩︎
- Da ge (大哥) means ‘eldest brother’. It is a respectful and affectionate way to address one’s oldest brother or an older male figure in a familiar setting. ↩︎
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