Xiao Li wanted to remind him, You were even more nervous than me just now. But fearing Zhong Jianguo might scold him, he mumbled to himself instead and then asked, “Should I go start the car, Commander?”
“Wait a moment, don’t rush,” Chief Liu stopped him. “Xiao Zhong, are you planning to avoid them? I don’t recommend that. See what they want from you. If there’s a problem, let’s solve it. Both of them are old enough; it’s not easy for them to come all the way here.”
“Chief, let’s talk while we walk.” Zhong Jianguo supported his arm and guided him toward the car. “My stepmother and Dawa’s grandmother are the most unreasonable people in the world. Even the tiniest issue, they can drag on for a whole day.” The only person who could deal with them was Song Zhaodi, who had no patience for nonsense. “If they can’t find me, they’ll eventually leave on their own.”
Chief Liu stopped walking. “So, you still plan to hide?”
“No, no,” Zhong Jianguo denied. “I just have no other choice. They’re both elders—I can’t lay a hand on them, so I can only leave them alone for a while.” Before Chief Liu could respond, he turned to Xiao Li, “Notify everyone: my stepmother and Dawa’s grandmother are not allowed near the military camp.”
Xiao Li stood at attention and saluted. “Yes, sir!”
Zhong Jianguo continued, “Your family’s situation seems more urgent. I heard saozi almost crying over the phone. Let’s head back and check what’s going on at your place first. If those two are still around by then, I’ll talk to them properly.”
At the same time, Zhong Dawa rubbed his stomach with one hand and pulled Erwa along with the other. “Stepmom, I’m hungry.”
Song Zhaodi’s hand trembled, nearly dropping Sanwa. “Call me ‘Mom.’ If you don’t call me ‘Mom’ today, you’ll only get plain white rice for dinner.”
“I can help you start the fire,” Zhong Dawa offered.
This little rascal! Song Zhaodi rolled her eyes. “You and Erwa help Sanwa walk and don’t go outside. Just stay in the kitchen.”
“I locked the door.” Zhong Dawa was delighted to see Song Zhaodi avoiding the term ‘Mom.’ “Grandma and paternal grandma can’t get in. It’s fine.”
“They wouldn’t dare break in,” Song Zhaodi scoffed. “I’m just worried that while I’m cooking tomato scrambled eggs, they’ll smell the aroma, realise our family isn’t poor at all and then refuse to leave.”
“I love tomato scrambled eggs!” Zhong Erwa licked his lips. “Stepmom, I want to eat tomato scrambled eggs every day.”
Song Zhaodi rubbed her temples. “If you two keep calling me ‘Stepmom,’ I guarantee you won’t even get rice, let alone tomato scrambled eggs.”
The two brothers exchanged glances, then each grabbed one of Sanwa’s arms and helped the little one out of the kitchen to practice walking in the living room.
Song Zhaodi chuckled. “Let’s see how long you two can keep this up.” Then she got to work, frying eggs and cooking tomatoes.
Suddenly, she remembered Chief Liu would be coming over, so she decided to cook all the tomatoes Duan dasao had given her. Worried that the rice wouldn’t be enough, she also steamed the leftover buns from the day before.
She served up a big bowl of tomato scrambled eggs. The aroma lured the three children back into the kitchen.
Song Zhaodi almost asked, Are you guys reincarnations of starving ghosts? But she knew that food was scarce in this era. Even if one had money, it was hard to buy good food. Having tomato scrambled eggs once a day was already a luxury, probably unique to their family on the entire Wengzhou Island. The dish was sweet and sour, perfect for kids. It wasn’t surprising that they never got tired of it.
Unfortunately, they could only enjoy it for five more days.
The eggs and duck eggs she had asked Xiao Li to buy were running out and she had already used up her egg ration for the month. If they wanted more, they’d have to wait until next month.
“Dawa, Erwa, I’ll serve you some rice and food. You two eat first, okay?” Song Zhaodi asked.
Zhong Dawa caught on immediately. “You’re not eating?”
“I’ll eat later with your Uncle Liu and Auntie.”
Zhong Dawa hesitated. “I’ll eat with you.”
Song Zhaodi laughed. “Not hungry anymore?”
“I can wait a little,” Zhong Dawa said and Erwa nodded in agreement.
Song Zhaodi shook her head, amused. She took out the milk powder she had hidden in the cupboard and made two bowls, handing one to Dawa and Erwa. “Here, have some milk first.”
The two brothers were shocked. They asked in unison, “We can drink it too?”
“Of course,” Song Zhaodi replied. “Next month, when your dad gets paid, I’ll have someone buy six bags of milk powder for you. Then you can drink it every day.”
Zhong Dawa took a small sip and frowned. “It doesn’t taste good. Grandma wasn’t lying.”
“Does unsweetened millet porridge taste good?” Song Zhaodi asked.
Erwa blurted out, “No.”
“This is the same. But drinking it will help you grow taller,” Song Zhaodi explained. “Do you want to be as tall as your dad? Then you need to drink milk powder, eat eggs and eat fish. Tomorrow, I’ll buy some fish and cook it for you.”
Zhong Dawa quickly protested, “Fish has bones! We can’t eat it.”
“Then I’ll buy one with fewer bones.”
Just then, they heard a noise at the door. Song Zhaodi ran out and saw Zhong Jianguo jumping over the bamboo gate. She was surprised. “Why are you back so early today?”
Zhong Jianguo’s face showed a hint of unease. “Something came up.” He glanced inside and noticed that the stools and small table weren’t in the same position as when he left. “Have you eaten yet?”
“Dad!” Dawa ran out. “Dad, Grandma came.”
“Paternal grandma too,” Erwa added. “But stepmom scared them away.”
Zhong Jianguo: “I heard about that. But… what’s that white stuff on your mouth?”
“He’s having milk powder,” Song Zhaodi said. “Did you come back with Chief Liu?”
Zhong Jianguo was surprised. “How do you know?”
“I guessed.” Song Zhaodi tapped her temple. “I use my brain more. I also know Chief Liu will be here soon.”
Zhong Jianguo was sceptical.
Dawa covered his mouth, grinning. “Dad, Stepmom invited Auntie over for dinner. Since Auntie didn’t cook, Uncle had to come too.”
“Liu Ping and Liu Wei aren’t home?” Zhong Jianguo asked.
“Duan dasao said they went to visit a classmate.”
Just as she finished speaking, they heard movement outside. Song Zhaodi nudged Zhong Jianguo. “They’re here.”
Zhong Jianguo stepped back, lowering his head slightly to see. Chief Liu looked troubled. Instinctively, Zhong Jianguo turned to Song Zhaodi. What did you do behind my back this time?
Nothing at all. Song Zhaodi glanced at him and walked forward, carrying Sanwa. “Chief, saozi, come in and sit.”
Chief Liu nodded. He had barely sat down when he couldn’t hold back. “Xiao Song, your saozi told me everything. I took a family photo when I enlisted. Take a look—does your sister’s mother-in-law match the woman in the photo?”
Zhong Jianguo was completely lost. He wanted Song Zhaodi to explain but realised it wasn’t the right moment. He leaned over to look at the photo in her hand and was stunned. “T-this is your eldest sister’s mother-in-law? How could she be—”
“You’ve seen her before?” Chief Liu asked eagerly.
Zhong Jianguo nodded. “The first thing I heard at the Song family house was her saying that I don’t look like my dad. That’s why I remember her so well.” Then he suddenly realised something and hesitantly asked, “Aunt Yang is related to you? But I remember you’re not from Binhai. Song Zhaodi, what’s going on?”
Song Zhaodi didn’t beat around the bush. She first explained her brother-in-law’s situation and then recounted what had happened today. “Commander Liu, I’m certain that your sister-in-law is my aunt. My jiefu also looks quite similar to your elder brother. But whether they’re willing to acknowledge the connection with you—that will depend on their decision. I need to write and ask them first.”
“Why wouldn’t they be willing?” Zhong Jianguo had just understood the situation but was now confused again.
Song Zhaodi explained, “When news of jiefu’s father’s sacrifice reached their hometown, you didn’t have time to return and your family assumed you were gone too. So they drove jiefu and his mother out.”
“They drove them out? That’s impossible.” Zhong Jianguo found it hard to believe. “They are the children of a fallen hero. On what grounds?”
Song Zhaodi also found it unbelievable. But in every era, there were both good and bad people. “Aunt Yang said that some people accused her of being unfaithful, saying she was unworthy of being the widow of a martyr. But in reality, they just wanted the government’s compensation for the Yang family and their house.”
“That’s true,” Commander Liu said, rubbing the corners of his eyes, looking remorseful. “When I returned home, I found that my elder brother’s house had indeed been taken over. As for the compensation money, they offered it to me, but I refused and returned it to the organisation.
“Now that I think about it carefully, their expressions when they saw me weren’t just surprise; they were sheer panic. I bet they never expected me to come back. At that time, I was only worried about my sister-in-law and the children. Whatever they said, I just accepted it without thinking to ask the neighbours for more details.”
“It’s understandable—you were too concerned to think clearly,” Song Zhaodi said. “But because you didn’t return home in time or send a letter, they assumed you were gone. Even so, they never blamed you. Every year during the holidays, when jiefu burned paper money at the roadside for his father, he never forgot about you either. Now, you’ve suddenly appeared—”
“Wait a moment, Xiao Song, we did send letters back,” interrupted Duan dasao. “I wrote the letters myself. My handwriting is a bit messy and I was even worried that whoever read them out loud wouldn’t recognise the words.”
Song Zhaodi was surprised. “You wrote letters? But my aunt never received them. This… Commander Liu, what do you think happened here?”
“I’ll have someone look into the matter of the letter. The mother and son are now in Xiao Song Village, neither cold nor hungry. Whether they want to see me or not, at least I’ll have an answer for my elder brother.” Commander Liu wiped his face and let out a deep sigh. “Old Duan, let Xiao Song write a letter first. Xiao Song, if they are willing to meet me, you must let me know. I’ll send someone to bring them here.”
Seeing his red-rimmed eyes, Song Zhaodi nodded. “I’ll write the letter this afternoon. Saozi, Commander Liu, shall we eat first?”
“Yes, Commander, let’s eat first,” Zhong Jianguo agreed. “I’ll serve the food. Dawa, take your Uncle Liu and Aunt to wash their hands.”
Dawa was overjoyed—they could finally eat. But sensing the adults’ tense atmosphere, the little boy bit his lower lip hard to suppress his smile, then led the two to wash their hands with a serious expression.
Commander Liu and Duan dasao had little appetite, still overwhelmed by the sudden reappearance of long-lost relatives. However, the sour and sweet taste of tomato stir-fried eggs was surprisingly appetising and seeing Dawa and Erwa smacking their lips as they ate, the two found their appetite growing. Before they realised it, they had finished a full bowl of rice and even a large steamed bun.
When Dawa took a spoonful of soup to pour over his rice, Commander Liu and Duan dasao finally realised—they, who had initially claimed they wouldn’t eat, had actually finished all of the Zhong family’s dishes.
Both of them blushed in embarrassment.
Duan dasao, feeling guilty, said, “Did Dawa not eat enough? I’ll go pick a few more tomatoes.”
“No need,” Song Zhaodi replied. “They like to mix tomato juice with their rice.” As she spoke, she poured the juice into the two children’s bowls.
Zhong Jianguo naturally picked up his son’s bowl and stirred it a few times.
Erwa eagerly scooped up a spoonful of rice, stuffed it into his mouth and squinted his eyes in satisfaction. “Delicious!”
“You two sure know how to eat,” Zhong Jianguo glared at his sons. “From now on, when you go to someone else’s house, don’t pour dish juice over your rice.”
Without hesitation, Dawa said, “We won’t. Other people’s food isn’t as good as stepmother’s.”
“This child…” Commander Liu, seeing how much the boys genuinely enjoyed the dish juice, felt his embarrassment fade, though he was still a little speechless. “Why do you call Xiao Song ‘stepmother’? You should call her ‘Mom.’”
Zhong Jianguo responded, “They do it on purpose. Commander, don’t mind them. Zhaodi, give me Sanwa and you go write the letter.”
“Alright.” Upstairs, Song Zhaodi finished writing the letter but did not seal it immediately. Instead, she handed it to Commander Liu for review.
Commander Liu was quite surprised. When he looked at Song Zhaodi, it was as if he was seeing an exceptionally thoughtful younger family member.
Zhong Jianguo noticed Commander Liu’s gaze and couldn’t help but sigh. This Song Zhaodi—how is she so good at handling things? Thinking back to their journey back from the camp, where Commander Liu had reminded him twice to apologise to Song Zhaodi, Zhong Jianguo, who initially had no intention of apologising, now had to seriously consider how to do it without losing face while ensuring Song Zhaodi forgave him and never brought up the matter again.
Before resting after dinner, Zhong Jianguo finally thought of a way and called Song Zhaodi to the living room. “When do you want to go back to school?”
“Did you find out the truth?” Song Zhaodi didn’t answer but asked a question instead.
Zhong Jianguo’s breath hitched—this woman, can’t she be a little more tactful with her words? “I found out. I shouldn’t have doubted you.”
“You never should have doubted me in the first place,” Song Zhaodi replied. “Who am I? The mother of your three kids. Doubting me is like handing your three children over to the enemy.”
Zhong Jianguo let out a sarcastic laugh. “Comrade Song Zhaodi, you probably don’t realise—many grassroots officers have never even heard of an amphibious landing ship, yet you mentioned it without hesitation. The only reason I didn’t arrest you for interrogation was for the sake of the three kids.”
Song Zhaodi’s heart skipped a beat. She secretly warned herself not to mention anything related to the military or weapons again. Keeping a calm expression, she said casually, “Since you still doubt me, keep investigating.”
Zhong Jianguo choked on his words. His political commissar had personally looked into it and found nothing useful—should he send someone else? Binhai Normal University had long since stopped classes, with students either sent to the countryside or returning home.
Teachers who had studied abroad or came from landlord or merchant families had been labelled as the ‘Five Black Categories’, suffering exile, injury, or even death. If he wanted to investigate Song Zhaodi further, he would have to start with her official records. “Don’t provoke me. I’ll figure it out on my own. Now, be honest—what’s the story with your former fiancé?”
“He ran away.” Song Zhaodi summed it up in three words. “His family owned a national business, so they had connections to get out without much trouble. But they were scared of persecution, so they fled.”
Zhong Jianguo could no longer hold back and rolled his eyes. “You’re ruthless—cursing him to death.”
“Too bad he didn’t die. By now, he’s probably living it up in a capitalist country, eating and drinking to his heart’s content. Honestly, I’d love for his intestines to rot and for him to die a miserable death.” Song Zhaodi sighed. “Zhong Jianguo, why is my life so bitter?
“‘I gave my heart to the bright moon, yet the moon shone upon a ditch. Helpless and heartbroken, my relatives and neighbours still forced me. Picking and choosing a husband, only to end up with a paranoid widower beyond cure.”
Zhong Jianguo chuckled and nodded. “Go on.”
“Go on with what? It’s already ten o’clock. If you’re not going to sleep, what do you want to do?” Song Zhaodi rolled her eyes at him, stood up and walked toward the east room. “Remember to buy groceries tomorrow—we’re out of food.”
Zhong Jianguo was momentarily stunned. When he came to his senses, the guest room door had already closed. Helpless and exasperated, he muttered, “Song Zhaodi, you’re insane.”
“You’re the insane one!” With a swish, Song Zhaodi opened the door again. “Stop badmouthing me behind my back, or I’ll go tell Commander Liu you hit me.”
Zhong Jianguo was dumbfounded and pointed at himself. “I hit you? When have I ever laid a finger on you?”
“You didn’t hit me with your hands, but you gave me the cold shoulder,” Song Zhaodi declared. “You never talk to me first. I try to please you, but you just ignore me. That’s called emotional abuse.”
Zhong Jianguo raised his fist. “Do you believe I’ll turn emotional abuse into physical abuse?”
“I believe it!” Song Zhaodi blurted out. “There’s nothing you, Zhong Jianguo, wouldn’t dare to do.”
Zhong Jianguo rubbed his forehead. “Just go to sleep. Stop trying to provoke me all day. It won’t do you any good if I die of anger. By the way, besides groceries, what else do you need?”
“Buy a bass or Spanish mackerel—fewer bones, cheaper too,” Song Zhaodi said. “We can’t eat eggs every day. I haven’t even eaten much of them, but I’m already sick of looking at them.”
Zhong Jianguo nodded. As he walked toward his room, he added, “After another half a month, those two boys probably won’t dare to call you ‘stepmother’ anymore.”
“Wait a minute, your stepmother really left by boat?” Song Zhaodi felt like she had overlooked something. Now that the children were no longer causing a commotion around her, the surroundings had quieted down and she finally realised that the two troublemakers had left and never returned.
Zhong Jianguo replied, “They went to the military camp to look for me but were stopped by the patrolling guards. Since they never managed to see me and probably didn’t dare to come looking for you, they must have gone back.”
“My biaoyi has to work and can’t be away for too long. What about your mother-in-law?” Song Zhaodi asked. “She’s much more difficult to deal with than my biaoyi and doesn’t seem like the type to give up so easily.”
“She’s feeling guilty,” Zhong Jianguo said. “Back when I was still in Shencheng, the whole residential compound knew what kind of person Dawa’s maternal grandmother was. Many of them later moved here with the main military force. If she really caused trouble, no one would side with her.
“She probably wanted to report me to the commander, but I doubt anyone would even tell her what the commander looks like. Plus, her family’s background is problematic, so she wouldn’t dare to make too big of a fuss.”
“If she comes back to freeload again, can I just shut the door on her?” Song Zhaodi asked.
“As long as Dawa and Erwa have no objections, I have no objections either,” Zhong Jianguo replied.
Song Zhaodi thought to herself, Your two sons would probably love nothing more than to take a knife to your former mother-in-law. But she didn’t say this aloud—if she did, Zhong Jianguo would just end up scolding the kids again. Instead, she said nothing, closed the door and went to sleep.
Zhong Jianguo looked at the tightly shut door and chuckled softly. “Let’s see how long your freedom lasts.”
On the afternoon of October 29th, heavy rain poured down on Hongya Town. The postal worker didn’t want to go out to deliver mail, but the letter had been sent from Wengzhou Island and the postage stamp wasn’t the kind used by ordinary citizens… Afraid of delaying something important, the postal worker put on a raincoat and braved the wind and rain to deliver the letter to Xiao Song Village.
When Mother Song saw that the postal worker’s pants were completely soaked, she ignored his polite refusals and pulled him inside the house. Only then did she hand the letter to Song Zhaodi’s father.
Unable to refuse such hospitality, the postal worker reminded Mother Song to write a reply after reading the letter so he could take it back when he left. However, after he finished speaking, no one responded.
The postal worker glanced at Father Song and noticed that his expression was very complicated. He immediately stood up and asked repeatedly if something was wrong.
Father Song sighed and handed the letter to Liu Yang.
After reading it, Liu Yang fell silent.
Mother Song was so preoccupied with the situation that she even forgot to offer the postal worker a drink. She quickly turned to Father Song and asked what was going on.
Father Song had originally assumed that Liu Yang’s uncle had died in battle. But now, not only had he suddenly reappeared, but he was also a high-ranking military officer. On top of that, Song Zhaodi was asking them to visit, saying it was a good opportunity to formally recognise the Zhong family.
Father Song found himself at a loss over what to do, so he turned to the postal worker for advice.
The postal worker hadn’t expected Liu Yang to be the orphan of a fallen soldier, let alone that his uncle was a military officer. Just a moment ago, he had been cursing fate, but now he couldn’t help but feel grateful to the heavens. If it hadn’t been raining outside, he wouldn’t have come in to take shelter and wouldn’t have met this war orphan and military family.
After carefully reading the letter, the postal worker suggested that the Song family go immediately instead of waiting to be picked up—after all, Liu Yang’s uncle was his elder.
Outside, the rain was pouring. Father Song looked at the mist-covered mountains in the distance and felt that the downpour wouldn’t stop for another two or three days. He thought about waiting a couple of days before setting out. But when he saw that his son-in-law had, at some point, started crying, he couldn’t help but say, “Even if we wanted to go now, we couldn’t.”
The postal worker immediately said he had a solution.
The next morning, under a light drizzle, a green military truck arrived in Xiao Song Village. By evening, the truck had brought the six members of the Song family to Binhai City.
Liu Yang’s mother couldn’t handle the long and exhausting journey, so she stayed behind to watch the house. The sight of a postal service truck entering the village caused a stir and soon all the adults and children in Xiao Song Village learned that Liu Yang was the orphan of a fallen soldier. Before Father and Mother Song even spoke, the villagers assured them that they would take good care of Liu Yang’s mother.
Upon arriving in Binhai City, with the help of the postal worker, Liu Yang bought train tickets and sent a telegram to Zhong Jianguo.
Zhong Jianguo had assumed the Song family would take a few days to arrive. He hadn’t expected them to move so quickly. Handing his other tasks to Political Commissar Zhang, he took the telegram and rushed home.
Meanwhile, Song Zhaodi had been making several meals with sea bass for the children. Dawa and Erwa quickly abandoned their love for scrambled eggs with tomatoes and started reminding Zhong Jianguo every morning to buy sea bass.
Wengzhou Island was surrounded by the sea, where seafood was cheaper than meat and didn’t require ration tickets. As a result, fish was far more popular than pork at the supplementary food factory.
If Zhong Jianguo was even a little late, it was difficult to get the sea bass his sons wanted. But since he had to wash dishes and clean the kitchen every morning, he often forgot the time. If he couldn’t buy sea bass, he’d just get something else.
When Zhong Jianguo returned home with the telegram, he saw Song Zhaodi and the children eating dumplings. A plate of dipping sauce sat between Dawa and Erwa. Surprised, he asked, “Didn’t we agree to save the meat ration tickets for when your parents arrived?”
Dawa replied, “Dad, these aren’t pork dumplings—they’re Spanish mackerel dumplings.”
“Mackerel? Do you always eat this kind of food for lunch?” Zhong Jianguo asked with a deeper meaning.
Song Zhaodi rolled her eyes at him. “You’re overthinking it. This is the first time and you just happened to catch us. But there are no dumplings left in the pot.”
“What did you have for lunch yesterday?” Zhong Jianguo asked.
“Steamed fish,” Song Zhaodi replied.
“And the day before that?” he asked again.
“Fish braised in doubanjiang1,” she said.
“The day before that?” Zhong Jianguo swallowed.
“Tofu stewed with fish,” she answered.
“Starting tomorrow, I’m coming home for lunch. That’s final. No objections allowed,” Zhong Jianguo declared. He then went to the kitchen, only to find not even a scrap of dumpling skin left. Disappointed, he returned to the living room and snatched the chopsticks from Dawa’s hand. “Let your dad have a taste.”
“Just one!” Dawa put down his spoon and held up a single finger.
Zhong Jianguo nodded, took one and found it incredibly fresh and tender. He reached toward Erwa’s bowl for another.
Erwa instinctively covered his bowl with his hands and shouted, “Dad!”
“Just one!” Zhong Jianguo said. “Your brother gave me one, so you should give me one too.”
Song Zhaodi sighed. “Such ambition. Why did you even come back?”
“Oh, right, I almost forgot.” Zhong Jianguo took out the telegram. “Your dad sent a telegram. Cook me some noodles and I’ll give it to you.”
Song Zhaodi gave him an indifferent glance and continued feeding Sanwa his fish.
Seeing that he had no leverage, Zhong Jianguo coughed lightly. “I’ll feed Sanwa.”
“And then?” Song Zhaodi asked again.
Zhong Jianguo rubbed his forehead—this difficult woman! “Here’s the telegram.”
“You should have done that in the first place. What were you trying to pull?” Song Zhaodi snatched it and immediately handed the child over to him. “My father said they’d arrive in a few days. Did you rush back just for this?”
Zhong Jianguo lifted his eyes to look at her. “Comrade Song Zhaodi, you are my wife, yet you’re living in the guest room. What do you think your parents will say about that? Your mother is not my stepmother. If my stepmother wanted to go upstairs and have a look, you could refuse her openly and with justification.”
“That’s right!” Song Zhaodi frowned. “What should we do now?”
“Why does stepmom sleep in the guest room?” Zhong Dawa suddenly asked.
A trace of embarrassment flashed across Song Zhaodi’s face. “I’m used to sleeping alone. Also, your dad snores at night and it keeps me awake.”
Zhong Jianguo sneered. “I never snore in my sleep. You’re the one who snores—I can hear it through the wall.”
“That must be your sleep disorder,” Song Zhaodi blurted out. “And you have athlete’s foot.”
Zhong Jianguo was speechless. “I wash my feet every night.”
“Well, I still think you stink,” Song Zhaodi said.
Zhong Jianguo waved his hand. “I shouldn’t have come back to remind you. Do whatever you want.” With that, he handed Sanwa to Song Zhaodi. “I’m heading back to the camp.”
“Petty man!” Song Zhaodi snorted. “There are dumplings in the cabinet—cook them yourself.”
Zhong Jianguo brightened up. “If I hadn’t said I was leaving, were you planning to keep the food a secret from me?”
“Dad, you wronged stepmom,” Zhong Dawa looked up and said. “Stepmom left them for you. She even put water under the dumplings so they wouldn’t go bad.”
Zhong Jianguo was surprised. He glanced at Song Zhaodi and sneered. “At least you have a conscience. Oh, by the way, Dawa, Erwa, stop calling her ‘Stepmom.’ Your stepmom’s parents are coming to visit in a few days. If they hear you calling her that and get upset, they might take her away.”
“I don’t want Stepmom to leave!” Erwa quickly said.
“Still calling her ‘stepmom’?” Zhong Jianguo said. “They’ll be staying with us. You’ll call her mother’s parents ‘Grandma’ and ‘Grandpa.’ There’s also an aunt and uncle coming with them. Unlike your other grandma, I bet they’ll bring lots of good food for you.”
“Stepmom’s grandma won’t secretly take our stuff and will even buy us treats?” Zhong Dawa was sceptical that such a wonderful grandma existed.
Song Zhaodi said, “A normal grandma buys treats for her grandkids. Your grandma is the only one I’ve ever seen who doesn’t.”
“Then… then I’ll call you ‘Mom,’” Zhong Dawa lifted his chin, as if granting her a great favour.
Song Zhaodi pinched his cheek. “What do you want to eat tomorrow?”
“Pork,” Zhong Dawa blurted out.
Zhong Jianguo waved his hand. “No.”
“We have meat ration tickets, I know that!” Zhong Dawa raised his voice.
“We need to buy meat for when Grandma comes. If you eat it now, what will we serve her family? The little greens just sprouting in the yard?”
Zhong Dawa wanted to say they shouldn’t give her meat but realised that this grandma was different from his biological grandma. He pouted and asked, “Can I have duck then?”
“No,” Zhong Jianguo said before he could argue. “Are you about to say I’m a bad stepdad again?”
Zhong Dawa lowered his head. “No.”
“My parents are used to being frugal,” Song Zhaodi said. “One good meal when they arrive is enough. There’s already chicken and duck at home and they still have to go work at the production team. They won’t stay long.”
Zhong Jianguo was someone who liked to be prepared. “Better safe than sorry.”
“Do whatever you want.” Song Zhaodi couldn’t be bothered to argue over something so trivial. It wasn’t worth the effort. Besides, what really troubled her was that she couldn’t use the same tricks she used on Zhong Jianguo’s stepmother and former mother-in-law on her own mother. She had to move into Zhong Jianguo’s room by the morning after tomorrow at the latest.
The thought of sharing a bed with him made her head ache even more. It wasn’t that she feared intimacy—she was no stranger to relationships—but she hadn’t planned for things to move this fast.
Of course, just sleeping together didn’t necessarily mean anything would happen. But Song Zhaodi was a normal woman and Zhong Jianguo was a strong, healthy man. If emotions ran high, it would be natural to make a regrettable mistake.
Unfortunately, reality left her no choice.
After Zhong Jianguo informed Commander Liu about Liu Yang’s arrival, Duan dasao came over to ask Song Zhaodi about her family’s preferences. She even asked whether her parents preferred firm or soft pillows.
Song Zhaodi quickly said that her family would stay with them when they arrived. Duan dasao then asked if the bed was ready and whether she needed help. Startled, Song Zhaodi hurriedly declined, fearing that if she hesitated even a second, Duan dasao would rush upstairs.
By early November, Wengzhou Island had finally entered late autumn, with a slight chill in the air.
On the morning of the second, Song Zhaodi, dressed in long pants and a long-sleeved top, opened the door, stuffed some clothes into Zhong Jianguo’s wardrobe and went downstairs to cook.
Since his mother-in-law and brother-in-law were visiting, Zhong Jianguo took half a day off. Not needing to go to the military camp in the morning, he slept in later than usual. Seeing how naturally Song Zhaodi moved around, he couldn’t help but question himself—how had such a careless woman managed to fool him? Just how desperate had he been to get married back then?
“Song Zhaodi, come upstairs,” Zhong Jianguo shouted from the stairway.
Song Zhaodi glanced at him. “You’re not eating breakfast?”
“Make sure your room is cleaned properly,” Zhong Jianguo said.
Without thinking, Song Zhaodi replied, “It’s already cleaned. Clothes, shoes and face cream are all in your room.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Zhong Jianguo said. “Does your pillowcase and blanket still smell like your face cream? Your mother has never left Binhai City, but she’s not stupid. If she smells her daughter’s scent on the guest room pillows, how are you going to explain that?”
Song Zhaodi froze for a moment before rushing upstairs. “I didn’t expect this! Zhong Jianguo, you’re actually useful in a crisis.”
“I, Zhong Jianguo, am useful in many ways,” Zhong Jianguo scoffed. “Be thorough—make sure to clean up any long hairs too. And try not to let Dawa and Erwa be alone with your family. If they slip up, you’re the one who’ll have to cover it up.”
Song Zhaodi clicked her tongue. “Why does my parents’ visit feel like some kind of top-level inspection?”
“You should ask yourself that,” Zhong Jianguo sneered. “I never forced you. You came up with this separate-room arrangement like you’re some celestial maiden.”
Song Zhaodi paused and said slowly, “Should I bring you a chair and pour you some tea while you talk?”
“Sure,” Zhong Jianguo said. “Hurry up.”
Song Zhaodi threw the bedsheet she had just pulled off straight at him.
“Are you two fighting?” Erwa walked out, rubbing his eyes.
Zhong Jianguo quickly said, “No.” Then he frowned. “Son, where are your pants? Why are you running around naked?” He picked the child up and felt something wet. “What’s this?!”
“He peed,” Song Zhaodi instantly guessed. “Did he wet the bed?”
Erwa burrowed into Zhong Jianguo’s arms.
Song Zhaodi pinched the bridge of her nose. “I must have owed you three something in my past life. Dawa, come out here!”
“Why are you calling him? He didn’t wet the bed,” Zhong Jianguo said.
Song Zhaodi snorted. “Every night before bed, I tell them not to drink too much water, even if they’re thirsty. Just wetting their lips is enough.
“Ever since I warned them, Erwa hasn’t wet the bed again. So why did he do it today? Erwa, be honest—did your brother lead you to secretly drink from the well?”
“Ge, come out! Stepmom guessed it!” Erwa shouted toward the west bedroom. “I told you stepmom was the smartest! She’d figure it out! You didn’t believe me. Stepmom, brother made me drink it.”
Zhong Jianguo opened his mouth, momentarily speechless. “Dawa, come out.”
“Dad, are you going to hit me again?” Dawa asked cautiously, peeking at Song Zhaodi.
Zhong Jianguo took a deep breath. “Have I ever hit you?”
Dawa hesitated.
Song Zhaodi asked, “Dawa, can I know why you did it?”
“They haven’t even arrived yet and you’re already making me give up my bed. You gave up yours too. Uncle and Auntie keep telling me to be good and not to make trouble. But I’m not making trouble.” Dawa had been excited about his grandma’s visit—she was supposed to bring lots of good food. But after hearing the adults constantly talk about it, discussing dishes he’d never even heard of, he felt annoyed. “I don’t want them to come.”
Song Zhaodi hadn’t expected this. She had thought Dawa was mad at her. She looked at Zhong Jianguo: “Your turn.”
“Dawa, Grandma and Grandpa are just guests. They’ll only stay for three to five days,” Zhong Jianguo explained. “It might be years before they visit again.”
“That’s not true! Grandma comes again and again, all the time. Don’t try to fool me!” Dawa protested.
“This grandma isn’t the same as your other grandma,” Zhong Jianguo said, rubbing his temple. “Tell me what we need to do for you to agree to let your aunt and uncle use your room.”
Dawa glanced at Song Zhaodi, then at his father. “When Grandma and Grandpa leave, Stepmom has to stop sleeping in the guest room.”
“What?” Song Zhaodi was stunned. “Well, well, well, Zhong Dawa, you actually dared to set me up? I, Song Zhaodi, have only ever tricked others—no one has ever tricked me!”
Dawa immediately ran toward the stairs. “If you hit me, I’ll yell! I’ll tell Grandma and Grandpa that you don’t sleep in the same room as Dad!”
- Doubanjiang (豆瓣酱) is a fermented chili bean paste originating from Sichuan cuisine. Made from broad beans, soybeans, salt, and chili peppers, it has a rich, savoury, and spicy flavour. It is a key ingredient in many Chinese dishes, including Mapo Tofu and Twice-Cooked Pork, adding depth and umami to stir-fries, stews, and sauces. ↩︎
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