Song Zhaodi counted on her fingers and couldn’t believe it: “Does that mean Liu Ping got pregnant not long after they got together?”
Duan dasao wiped her tears: “Yes. That shameless girl came home for dinner last month, grinning as she told me she might be pregnant. Didn’t she think about how embarrassing it would be if the neighbors found out? Where would Old Liu and I put our faces?”
“How was it confirmed?” Song Zhaodi asked.
Duan dasao: “I was afraid people would call her immoral, so I didn’t dare take her to the military hospital or even to the hospital in Yongcheng. I took her to a hospital in Hangcheng instead.
“Once it was confirmed that Liu Ping was pregnant, I took her to find her fiancé. When I arrived at the Jin family home, I finally understood why that boy was so eager to marry Liu Ping. Three tiled rooms, two side rooms, one kitchen, and a small yard smaller than ours, fourteen people live there.”
Song Zhaodi, usually eloquent, found her tongue tied. She struggled to speak: “How do they all fit in there?”
“Jin Lihui’s eldest and second brothers live in the side rooms with their families. His grandparents and younger brother share one room, and his parents have another.” Duan dasao continued, “His older sister lives with their aunt. And I just found out recently that the woman who introduced Liu Ping to Jin Lihui is married to his aunt’s son.”
Song Zhaodi: “Where does Liu Ping live then?”
“They live in a dormitory provided by the shipyard where Jin Lihui works,” Duan dasao said. “Your Uncle Liu even bought them a bicycle so they can ride to work together.”
Song Zhaodi thought for a moment: “The dormitory should be close to the shipyard, but hospitals are usually in the city. Is the hospital far from the dormitory?”
“Exactly,” Duan dasao sighed. “I told Liu Ping that when the baby is close to being born, she should come to the island, and I’ll take care of her.”
Song Zhaodi quickly said, “That won’t work. Auntie, the experienced doctors at the hospital can tell if a baby is full-term just by looking at Liu Ping’s belly. How will you explain it?”
Duan dasao opened her mouth, then swallowed her words. “I, I forgot about that. Xiao Song, what should I do? I can’t leave home for two months and abandon your Uncle Liu.”
“Zhaodi, your mind is sharp. Help your aunt think of a way,” Song Laibao urged.
Song Zhaodi thought for a while: “Auntie, was the Jin family’s house built by themselves or assigned by the street committee?”
“They built it themselves,” Duan dasao recalled. “Their place is in a village called something Jin, I forget the exact name. But since the houses are all different, it’s definitely not government-assigned housing.
“Liu Ping mentioned it once, and I remember saying that even if the Jin family is close to the city, Jin Lihui is still a rural boy. Of all people to marry, why choose someone from the countryside?”
Song Zhaodi: “In our village, all the boys have homestead land, even little kids like Dali and Liugen. Last year, the sesame my mother sent us was grown on our homestead land. By that logic, the Jin family should also have homestead land.”
She paused and added, “Auntie, when Liu Ping comes tomorrow, ask your son-in-law about it.”
“No need to ask,” Song Laibao said. “Every citizen has homestead land. Since Jin Lihui isn’t registered as a city resident, his village must have allocated him some land.”
Duan dasao looked at Song Zhaodi and asked, “Xiao Song, have you already thought of a solution?”
“I have an idea,” Song Zhaodi replied. “If Jin Lihui really has homestead land, tell Liu Ping that you and Uncle Liu will pay to build her two mud-brick rooms and a small courtyard.
“That way, they’ll have more space, and Jin Lihui won’t have to take Liu Ping to the hospital and then rush back to work. Every day, he can take Liu Ping to work with him and bring her back in the evening, saving them a lot of trouble.”
Duan dasao thought it over. “That’s a good idea. Two rooms and a courtyard could be built in a few weekends. Wait a minute, Xiao Song, why only two rooms?”
“If you build three, Jin Lihui’s parents will move in. If Liu Ping refuses, they’ll argue. Two rooms, one as a bedroom, one as a combined living room and kitchen, seem simple, but they’ll save a lot of trouble.”
Duan dasao admired her thinking: “Xiao Song, you’ve really thought this through.”
“With an open yard, they can grow more vegetables and fruits,” Song Zhaodi continued. “Yongcheng is close to us. If you’re worried, you can visit often, help with the garden, and they won’t even need to buy vegetables.”
Duan dasao let out a long sigh, her tears finally drying up. “I’ll discuss it with your Uncle Liu later.”
“Auntie, don’t be too relieved yet,” Song Zhaodi warned. “When Liu Ping comes tomorrow, ask her, does Jin Lihui give his salary to her, or to his parents?”
Duan dasao opened her mouth to ask what she meant but stopped herself and swallowed. “…I’ll ask tomorrow.”
“What do you mean?” Song Laibao was confused.
Song Zhaodi smiled: “You’ll find out tomorrow. Don’t worry.”
With that, she took out the wedding gift money she had prepared. Then she said, “Auntie, it’s getting late. I need to go home and cook.”
Duan dasao glanced at the large table clock, it was already eleven. She felt embarrassed to keep Song Zhaodi any longer.
Song Laibao stood up as well.
Song Zhaodi: “Jie, stay and chat with Auntie. I’ll call you when it’s time to eat.”
“You’ll have lunch at our house today,” Duan dasao insisted.
Song Zhaodi smiled. “Then I won’t cook for dajie and jiefu.” She turned and left.
“Mom, you’re finally back,” Zhong Dawa sighed. “The duck’s body is already cold.”
From afar, Song Zhaodi saw two plucked ducks beside the water pump. “Of course, a duck’s body is cold once it’s dead.” She paused. “Did you pluck all the feathers?”
“Yeah.” Zhong Dawa asked, “Can we go out and play now?”
“Wash your hands and put on some clam oil before you go,” Song Zhaodi instructed.
“Okay.” Zhong Dawa waved at Zili. “Pump some water for me. I’ll wash first.”
Zili grinned. “No one’s fighting you for it.”
In an instant, the big yard was empty except for Song Zhaodi and two dead ducks.
Liu Yang came out of the toilet just in time to see this. Remembering how the children had been excitedly discussing how to split the duck legs earlier, he couldn’t help but ask, “Zhaodi, are you cooking both ducks at once?”
“They’re already slaughtered,” Song Zhaodi replied.
Liu Yang: “I mean, are you making them all in one meal?”
“Yeah,” Song Zhaodi said, then noticed Liu Yang hesitating. “Jiefu, what do you want to say?”
Liu Yang treated Song Zhaodi like his own sister and never considered her an outsider. Seeing that the children were not around and Song Laibao was also absent, he whispered, “I see that you know how to eat well. Can you teach your sister to do the same?”
“My dajie?” Song Zhaodi was curious. “What did she do?”
Liu Yang cleared his throat, fearing that Song Zhaodi wouldn’t hear him: “Before, we handed over our earnings to our parents, and they took care of buying groceries and cooking. Ever since the money has been in Laibao’s hands, we can only eat meat once a month. We barely get to have scrambled eggs once every seven or eight days.
“When I came over, Dad secretly told me to find a chance to talk to you about this. It’s not that the family lacks money or that we can’t afford meat, fish or eggs, but if we keep eating like this, we adults might manage, but the kids won’t last.”
“No wonder Dalì ate so much yesterday, like he hadn’t had a proper meal in ages.” Song Zhaodi was speechless. She had thought only her second sister was odd, but now it seemed her eldest sister wasn’t much better. “I got it.”
Liu Yang said, “Just don’t tell them it was me who told you.”
“I know what to do,” Song Zhaodi replied. “Dajie isn’t here right now; she’s talking with Auntie, and Auntie is crying.”
Liu Yang quickly said, “Then I’ll go check on them.”
Song Zhaodi cleaned two ducks and set them on the stove to stew.
Then, she heated the stove and steamed rice. As the rich fragrance of rice filled the kitchen, she peeled four sections of Chinese yam. Two sections she cut into chunks and added to the duck soup, while the other two she sliced thinly and stir-fried with garlic shoots.
The green garlic shoots and the tender white yam, served in a white porcelain dish, looked especially fresh and appetising.
When Zhong Jianguo returned home, the first thing he saw was two plates of stir-fried garlic shoots with yam.
Smack!
A red mark appeared on the back of his hand. Commander Zhong covered his hand, incredulous. “Song Zhaodi!”
“Did you wash your hands?” Song Zhaodi asked. “Covered in dust, face full of grime, grabbing food without washing up, do you even look like a father? Even Sanwa has better hygiene than you.”
Zhong Jianguo opened his mouth but then said, “I, I can’t argue with you. I’m not going to fight.” He turned and walked out.
“Call the kids back for dinner,” Song Zhaodi said as she headed to the kitchen for the food.
Zhong Jianguo paused at the doorway, watching Song Zhaodi enter the kitchen. He quickly pinched a piece of yam, popped it into his mouth, and huffed toward the kitchen, as if to say, You wouldn’t let me eat, but I ate anyway.
When Song Zhaodi carried out the duck soup and saw the scattered garlic shoots on the table, she felt a headache coming on. But she said nothing and pretended not to notice.
After dinner, Zili and Gengsheng cleaned up the dishes.
Song Zhaodi said, “No need to clean up. Your dad said you worked hard helping me with the ducks this morning, so he’ll do the dishes. You all should rest.”
“Thanks, Dad.” Before Zhong Jianguo could object, Zili added, “I’ll put the dishes in the kitchen.”
Song Zhaodi nodded. “Dawa, Erwa, help your brother clean up. Once you’re done, go upstairs to sleep.”
“Mom, let’s have dinner at eight tonight,” Dawa said, rubbing his stomach, not forgetting to remind Song Zhaodi.
Zhong Jianguo was puzzled. “Why?”
“I think when Mom cooks at six, I can only eat this much.” Dawa made a tiny gap between his thumb and index finger.
Zhong Jianguo raised his hand. “Do you believe I can smack you all the way into the sea?”
Liu Gen was startled and looked up. But Zhong Dawa grinned mischievously, completely unafraid.
“I was talking to Mom, not you, Dad,” Dawa said as he clung onto Gengsheng’s arm and hung off his back. “It’s not just me who’s not hungry. They feel the same. If you cook too early, we won’t eat, and there’ll be lots and lots of leftovers.”
Song Zhaodi laughed. “If that’s the case, then I just won’t cook for you all tonight.”
“Mom…” Dawa frowned. “If you keep teasing me on purpose, I won’t like you anymore.”
Song Zhaodi chuckled. “Erwa, Sanwa, do you guys like Mom?”
“Yes!” Erwa responded immediately. Seeing Dawa stand up and grab chopsticks to run to the kitchen, Song Zhaodi was startled.
“Erwa, slow down! Be careful not to poke yourself with the chopsticks.”
“No way,” Erwa said, tossing the chopsticks into the water basin and clapping his hands. “Dali, Liu Gen, let’s go upstairs and listen to Zili tell us a story.”
The word “story” immediately caught the attention of all the kids.
In an instant, the lively living room became quiet. Zhong Jianguo asked, “Still Journey to the West?”
“Yes,” Song Zhaodi replied. “Don’t worry, the kids understand the consequences, especially Zili and Gengsheng. They won’t spill anything.”
Zhong Jianguo nodded. “Then I’m relieved. Teacher Song, now let’s talk about us. When did I ever say I’d wash the dishes and clean the pots?”
“You never said it, I did.” Song Zhaodi pointed at the garlic shoots on the table. “Want to know why? You knocked them off when you stole the yam.”
Zhong Jianguo followed her finger and saw them, exclaiming, “What kind of monster were you in your past life?!”
“Watch your mouth, don’t keep mentioning my mother1.” Song Zhaodi glared at him. “If my biological mother had been more responsible, I would’ve smacked you by now.”
Zhong Jianguo cleared his throat. “If you hadn’t said that your parents didn’t care for you much, I wouldn’t have dared to joke about your mother all the time. Forget it, I’ll go wash the dishes.” He quickly retreated into the kitchen.
Song Zhaodi gritted her teeth, wanting to kick him. Too bad her fighting skills were lacking, she could only win arguments.
That evening, Song Zhaodi made bone broth noodles.
Song Laibao sat beside her, picking and washing vegetables. Seeing the kids playing in the courtyard, she lowered her voice. “Didn’t you say you’d make fried rice?”
“I did,” Song Zhaodi said. “But Dawa said bone broth noodles were fine too.”
Song Laibao glanced at her. “Do you always fool the kids like this?”
“I didn’t refuse to make fried rice, they just decided they didn’t want it. That’s not fooling them,” Song Zhaodi replied. “When it comes to kids, some things must be firm principles, while others aren’t worth making a fuss over. By the way, after I left, what else did Aunt Liu say to you?”
Song Laibao said, “She said Liu Ping is thoughtless, and her hard days are still ahead.”
“She brought it on herself,” Song Zhaodi remarked. “She didn’t listen to her elders, and now she’s facing the consequences.”
Song Laibao added, “Back then, when you wanted to marry Jianguo, our parents also disapproved.”
“That’s because they didn’t understand,” Song Zhaodi said. “Later, when I explained my reasoning, they saw that Zhong Jianguo was a good choice. And time has proven me right.”
Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.
Zhong Jianguo came in carrying a bucket of water. Then, he took the bucket filled with dirty water and went out to dump it.
Song Laibao couldn’t help but sigh, “He’s more proactive than your brother-in-law.”
“If he doesn’t do the chores, I won’t cook,” Song Zhaodi replied. “That trick doesn’t work on your husband, though. If you don’t cook, our mother and Aunt Yang will.”
Song Laibao said, “I never intended to make my husband wash pots and dishes. If I really did that, our mother and my mother-in-law would nag me to death. By the way, are you going next door tomorrow?”
“No,” Song Zhaodi answered without hesitation. “Zhong Jianguo is taking the kids over. Zili, Gengsheng, and I will eat at home.” Afraid that Song Laibao would ask why, she added, “Tomorrow’s food might not be as good as mine.”
Song Laibao curled her lips. “No one’s cooking is as good as yours. Stir-frying like you’re deep-frying.”
“In the village, you don’t need ration tickets to buy meat. You can buy as much pork as you want. You could cook like me every day too,” Song Zhaodi said, then paused. “Jie, I’ve done the math for you. Even if you eat meat once a day, you’d spend less than twenty yuan a month.
“If you don’t eat meat, you’ll only save about two hundred yuan a year. One day, when Dali and Liugen are capable, they could earn two hundred yuan in a month. Tell me, is saving that little money really worth it?”
Song Laibao huffed, “Everything sounds simple when you say it.”
“Money is earned, not saved. You must understand this principle.” Song Zhaodi really didn’t want to explain something so obvious. “If you hadn’t mentioned that our parents gave you money, I wouldn’t even bring this up.
“Our parents are more generous than you. They don’t need me to tell them; they already know to buy some meat from time to time.” As she finished speaking, she saw Zhong Jianguo entering. “Commander Zhong is here. Let him talk to you.”
Commander Zhong had already heard Song Zhaodi’s words from the living room. “Dajie, our family has seven people. Your family also has seven people. We spend fifty yuan a month.
“Don’t say it’s not comparable. I can call Dali, Dawa, Liugen and Sanwa over, and you can compare our kids to yours.”
“No need,” Song Laibao had already noticed the difference the day before. Zhong Jianguo’s kids had grown taller and sturdier, especially Zili and Gengsheng. At the time, she thought it was the island’s good environment. After spending a day in their home, she realised it was her sister who knew how to raise children. “I’ll listen to you. We’ll eat meat every three days.”
Song Zhaodi added, “Three ounces per meal?”
“Can you not say it like that?” Song Laibao frowned, a little displeased.
Zhong Jianguo smirked. “She’s used to teasing me. She speaks without thinking. Dajie, don’t take it to heart. She really cares about her nephews.”
“As if I don’t care?” Song Laibao retorted. “Dali and Liu Gen are my sons.”
Zhong Jianguo thought for a moment. “You both care, just in different ways. Zhaodi shows her love by making delicious food and nice clothes for them. You, on the other hand, save money so they can have a house and a wife in the future.”
“And is that wrong?” Song Laibao countered.
Song Zhaodi chuckled. “One day, if your son goes to college, gets a job in the city, and is assigned housing, who will live in the house you saved up to build?”
“What if they don’t get into college?” Song Laibao asked.
Song Zhaodi replied, “Then send them to be pilots. The Air Force has great benefits.”
Song Laibao was speechless. But thinking about eating as extravagantly as Song Zhaodi made her nervous. However, seeing how Zhong Jianguo’s kids looked healthy while her own sons seemed frail made her heart ache.
Zhong Jianguo saw her silence and gave Song Zhaodi a look, enough, stop talking.
Song Zhaodi nodded slightly and didn’t mention it again for the rest of the day.
The next morning, Dawa saw the Liu family setting up an outdoor stove for cooking. He went over to take a look, then ran back to ask Song Zhaodi, “Mom, do we still have the bone broth from yesterday afternoon?”
“There’s still half a pot on the stove,” Song Zhaodi replied. “Why?”
Zhong Dawa said, “Let’s eat at home for lunch. Dad can go eat at Grandpa Liu’s house alone.” He glanced next door. “Their food doesn’t smell good. I don’t want to eat there.”
“Then go get Zili and the others back inside. Go upstairs and practice some English, then teach Dali and Liu Gen a few phrases. I’ll make bone broth noodles for you all,” Song Zhaodi said.
Zhong Dawa held up a finger. “Add a fried egg too, okay? Mom, our hen laid eggs.”
“Okay.” Song Zhaodi tapped his forehead lightly. “Since I’m keeping my promise, you have to keep yours too.”
Zhong Dawa patted his chest. “Of course!” Then he ran off to drag his brothers upstairs to study.
Around two in the afternoon, Song Laibao and Liu Yang returned with news: Liu Ping’s husband handed over his entire salary to his parents.
Song Zhaodi wasn’t particularly interested in Liu Ping, but life was dull, and she had time to kill. “Did Auntie scold Liu Ping?”
“Auntie told Liu Ping not to give her mother-in-law any more money. But Liu Ping said that Jin Lihui would be upset,” Song Laibao said. “Auntie told her she still has to raise a child and will need to buy formula.
“Liu Ping said she’d nurse the baby herself. Auntie pointed out that Sanwa is taller than other kids his age because he still drinks formula. That finally convinced Liu Ping. Zhaodi, tell me the truth, Sanwa is younger than our Liugen by a few months but is taller. Is it really because of the formula?”
Song Zhaodi wanted to say it was because his father was tall, but instead, she replied, “Of course. You can see that Sanwa is taller, but what you don’t see is how firm his muscles are.” She paused. “The kids will be waking up soon. When they do, feel your son’s arms and legs, then compare them to Sanwa’s.”
Knowing she wasn’t as sharp as Song Zhaodi, Song Laibao feared being tricked. Before the kids even woke up, she went upstairs to feel them. When she came back down, she admitted, “You’re right.”
“Have I ever lied to you, jie?” Song Zhaodi asked.
Song Laibao was at a loss. “You’ve never had kids, yet you really know how to raise them.”
Song Zhaodi thought to herself, I’ve never raised any, but I’ve seen and heard enough from others to know how. Instead, she simply said, “Because I pay attention.”
Song Laibao took a deep breath. “We’re going home tomorrow!”
“Tomorrow is the tenth,” Song Zhaodi glanced at her. “Dawa told me he hopes Dali can stay until the thirteenth. I already agreed. Dali is happy about it. If you’re in a hurry to get back to work, you can go first and have your husband bring the kids later.”
Song Laibao glared at her.
Song Zhaodi acted as if she didn’t notice. “Jiefu, what do you think?”
“We’re not leaving tomorrow. Your sister was just speaking out of anger,” Liu Yang said with a smile. “Tomorrow, I’ll go with Auntie to the Jin family to reclaim Liu Ping’s land.”
Song Zhaodi advised, “Take Uncle Liu’s orderly with you.”
“We’re not going there to argue,” Liu Yang understood her meaning. “There’s no need.”
Song Zhaodi corrected him, “It’s not for arguing, it’s to intimidate them, openly and legitimately.”
- When Zhong Jianguo says, “What kind of monster…?” the raw text says tā mā de (他妈的), literally “his mother’s” – a common profanity roughly equivalent to “damn,” “the hell.” So, Zhaodi replies saying, “don’t keep mentioning my mother.” ↩︎
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