Zhong Jianguo’s hand trembled, goosebumps covered his skin and he almost spilled the bowl onto Sanwa’s face. “Song Zhaodi, can I ask which version of you is the real one?”
Song Zhaodi replied, “The one you see now is the real me.” She paused before continuing, “You don’t act the same in front of your soldiers, right? And you’re different in front of Commander Liu or the general, aren’t you? Everyone has different sides. Stop asking such dumb questions in the future.”
“Are you two arguing?” Zhong Dawa suddenly spoke.
Song Zhaodi turned to him with a smile. “No, we’re just discussing something. We have different opinions, that’s all.”
Seeing that Sanwa had finished his milk, she was about to take him from Zhong Jianguo’s arms when she noticed his face full of disdain. Amused, she chuckled and let him continue holding the child while eating with one hand.
After dinner, Song Zhaodi took Sanwa and ordered Zhong Jianguo to wash the dishes, clean the pot, cook porridge for Sanwa and bathe Dawa and Erwa.
When she was feeding Sanwa his porridge, Zhong Jianguo, having finished tending to the two older boys, asked, “There’s nothing else left to do, right?”
“There is.” Song Zhaodi motioned toward the well with her mouth. “Sanwa’s diapers still need washing. Oh and chop some firewood while you’re at it.”
Zhong Jianguo’s vision darkened. He pulled up a stool and sat in front of her. “Song Zhaodi, we really need to have a talk.”
“Sure.” Song Zhaodi turned to Dawa and Erwa. “Are you two sleepy?”
Dawa answered, “No.”
“Then go outside and play with your friends for a while,” she said. “Be back before 8:30 pm and you’ll be allowed to go out again tomorrow.”
Having been cooped up all day, Dawa was overjoyed. He grabbed Erwa’s hand and ran off without caring what his father and stepmother were about to discuss.
“I don’t mind washing dishes or feeding Sanwa,” Zhong Jianguo said. “But making me do laundry? That’s too much.”
Song Zhaodi raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you wash clothes last night too?”
“That was because I knew you’d be tired from the train ride,” Zhong Jianguo retorted.
Song Zhaodi nodded in understanding. “Then just wash your own and your sons’ clothes. You don’t have to wash mine.”
Zhong Jianguo was momentarily at a loss for words. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Then what do you mean?” Song Zhaodi didn’t wait for him to answer. “I take care of three kids, cook three meals a day and make sure you four are well-fed. And you still expect me to do laundry too? Zhong Jianguo, the one being unreasonable here is you.”
Zhong Jianguo opened his mouth but struggled to respond. After a moment, he said, “Traditionally, men work outside and women take care of the home. Laundry and cooking are a woman’s duty. Look at Duan dasao from the east and Chen dasao from the west—both of them wash clothes, cook and look after their kids. Why is it different with you?”
Song Zhaodi smiled faintly. “Because I didn’t give birth to your three sons.”
“You—” Zhong Jianguo clutched his chest, trying to steady his breathing. “That’s not what you said last night.”
Song Zhaodi replied calmly, “I said I’d take good care of your three kids. Did Dawa and Erwa say they were hungry? No. Sanwa drank milk and ate porridge. When his birth mother was around, did he eat this well? Definitely not.
“Also, don’t try to fool me. You three devoured all the eggplant today, which tells me you guys didn’t eat very well before.”
Zhong Jianguo felt a headache coming on. “What did I do in my past life to deserve this?”
“You should be asking what good deeds you did to be lucky enough to marry me.”
“Did your mother teach you to be like this?” Zhong Jianguo was incredulous.
“Of course not. The day before we got our marriage certificate, my mom told me to serve you well, take care of your kids and not let you worry about household matters. But why should I? Those kids have no blood relation to me and when they grow up, they might even resent me.”
“Stop twisting things around,” Zhong Jianguo said. “Even in a conservative village, a woman like you would be seen as lazy and get beaten three times a day.”
Song Zhaodi raised an eyebrow. “Finally, something we agree on. My jiefu moved into our family, but even then, my sister still did all the housework. When I asked her why, she actually said, ‘Men don’t do laundry.’”
“She was right,” Zhong Jianguo agreed.
Song Zhaodi rolled her eyes. “Too bad you married me and not my sister. I chose to marry you because I don’t want to live like her. There’s no rule saying I can’t, is there? Zhong Jianguo, don’t act like you’re the one suffering. I have far better options than you. I should be the one feeling wronged.”
“You don’t have to feel wronged.” Zhong Jianguo blurted out.
Song Zhaodi narrowed her eyes. “Are you saying you want a divorce?”
Zhong Jianguo rubbed his temples, sighing. “I’ve misjudged people three times in my life and all three were women. What kind of luck is this?”
“Don’t blame luck,” Song Zhaodi said. “Blame your bad eyesight.”
Zhong Jianguo shot her a glance. “You’re right. If I weren’t blind, I wouldn’t have been fooled by you.”
“Stop sighing,” Song Zhaodi said. “You should be happy you found such a great stepmother for your kids.”
“Yes, I should be thrilled.” Zhong Jianguo looked at the pile of laundry by the well, his head throbbing. Even when Bai Hua was in confinement, he had never washed clothes—Dawa’s grandmother did it. “Even my commander said today that I must be heaven’s favourite child. More like heaven’s abandoned son.”
Song Zhaodi raised an eyebrow, feeling surprised. “Your commander is wise.”
“Stop being so smug,” Zhong Jianguo scoffed. “Back to serious matters. Dawa and Erwa like you and I don’t want to find them another mom. Be honest with me—during your three years at the university in Binhai, did you do anything improper?”
“Does dating count?” Song Zhaodi asked.
“This doesn’t count,” Zhong Jianguo said. “Don’t try to fool me again. The higher-ups are planning to entrust you with an important role, and they’ll be sending people to Binhai to investigate you soon. If you’ve done anything questionable, tell me in advance, and I’ll speak to the commander or the chief for you.”
Song Zhaodi sized him up. “I’m a woman raising three kids. How could the higher-ups possibly put me in an important role? Zhong Jianguo, are you trying to trick me?”
Zhong Jianguo felt exhausted—why was this woman so sharp? “You’re incurably suspicious; I’ll return that sentence to you.”
“Then tell me exactly how they plan to use me.” Song Zhaodi wasn’t falling for his bait.
Zhong Jianguo explained, “The students at the military dependents’ school are all children of active-duty soldiers. If your three years in Binhai were as clean as your time in Xiao Song Village, you’ll be the only English teacher at our middle school.”
“You all have quite a high opinion of me.” Song Zhaodi was surprised. “Teaching English for seventh, eighth and ninth grade? Are you trying to work me to death?”
Zhong Jianguo frowned. “Don’t exaggerate. There are only three classes.”
“Three classes, three different textbooks—I’d have to prepare three separate lesson plans every night,” Song Zhaodi said. “Zhong Jianguo, if I take this job, you’ll have to do the laundry, chop firewood, cook, wash dishes and put the kids to bed.”
Zhong Jianguo stared at her and enunciated each word: “It’s three classes, not thirty.”
“Whatever.” Song Zhaodi shrugged. “I’m not taking the job, alright? I’ve been out of school for over a year—I could just say I forgot everything I learned, and there’s nothing you could do about it.”
Zhong Jianguo’s head throbbed. “How can you be this unreasonable?”
“That’s just how I am,” Song Zhaodi said, picking up her youngest child, looking completely indifferent. “If you really want me to do it, I need to be paid the same as the principal. Otherwise, no deal.”
Zhong Jianguo stood up. “Where are you going?”
“To find your son and take him home to sleep,” Song Zhaodi replied. “The laundry isn’t done, and the firewood isn’t chopped. Zhong Jianguo, if you dare slack off, I’m not making breakfast tomorrow.”
Zhong Jianguo halted mid-step. “I must have owed you in my past life.”
“Don’t say that—this is your house,” Song Zhaodi said. “It’s one of me and four of you. If you really think about it, I’m the one who’s always at a disadvantage.”
Zhong Jianguo waved her off. “Get out of here. Just looking at you gives me a headache.”
“I didn’t see you complaining while eating my cooking.” Song Zhaodi shot him a look over her shoulder. “Go ahead and investigate Binhai all you want. If you find anything wrong, I’ll leave the same way I came. No need for you to see me off.”
Hearing that, Zhong Jianguo finally felt at ease. He turned toward the water pump, then suddenly realised that Song Zhaodi hadn’t bathed yet—she was still wearing the same clothes from earlier. His face flushed, and without another word, he focused on finishing the laundry before heading off to chop firewood.
Meanwhile, Commander Liu, hearing the chopping sounds next door, stepped outside and followed the noise. “Chopping wood at night? Young people really have energy. Half a day of training and he’s still not tired.”
“It’s not that Brother Zhong isn’t tired. It’s just that someone refuses to work, so he has no choice.”
Duan dasao glared at her daughter. “Don’t talk nonsense. Xiao Song spent the whole afternoon butchering a duck and patching clothes for the kids. She’s been busy all day.”
Commander Liu was surprised. “This Xiao Song is quite capable. I thought she was just like Bai Hua.”
Duan dasao: “How could it be the same? Bai Hua is an intellectual from a big city, while Xiao Song is from the countryside. When it comes to working and getting things done, of course, Xiao Song is better than Bai Hua.”
“You like Xiao Song a lot?” Commander Liu had often heard his wife complain that Bai Hua didn’t know how to manage household affairs. Now, seeing that Song Zhaodi had gained his wife’s favour after just one day, he was even more surprised.
Duan dasao: “Xiao Song is straightforward and capable. I think she’s pretty good. When I heard you say she was a rural girl a few days ago, I thought she would be like me twenty years ago—completely clueless.”
“The Xiao Song you’re talking about is indeed different from you.” Commander Liu turned to his daughter, “Don’t look down on Xiao Song just because she’s from the countryside. From now on, you should call her Teacher Song.”
Duan dasao was stunned: “Teacher Song? What do you mean?”
“Xiao Song is a university graduate,” Commander Liu replied.
Duan dasao exclaimed: “A university graduate?!”
“A university graduate? Zhong Dawa, stop bragging! Your stepmother is just a peasant woman who digs in the dirt,” a dark-skinned, skinny boy standing in an open space more than 200 metres away shouted loudly, making sure everyone could hear.
Dawa retorted loudly: “I’m not lying! My stepmother is a university graduate and she’s amazing! You don’t know anything, so don’t talk about my stepmother.”
“A—a university graduate, but a heartless one.” The little boy was convinced he was right and nodded, “Yes, a heartless university graduate.”
Zhong Dawa was enraged and ran up to him in a few quick steps: “She’s not!”
“She is,” the boy insisted. “All stepmothers are heartless.”
Zhong Dawa raised his hand and pushed him: “You’re the heartless one! My stepmother is the best! She even makes eggs and cooks duck for me!”
“Liar! Zhong Dawa!” the little boy shouted, shoving him back.
Zhong Erwa immediately ran over: “You hit my brother?!” He threw a punch at the other boy’s face.
The boy panicked and slapped Erwa in return.
“You hit my little brother?” Zhong Dawa smacked the boy’s arm, knocking his hand away. Erwa quickly hid behind his older brother.
Hearing Dawa’s distressed voice, Song Zhaodi followed the sound and saw three children entangled in a fight. Seeing that her two cheap sons weren’t losing, she stepped back into the shadows and asked the onlooking children, “What’s going on?”
“It looks like Dawa is crying.”
Commander Liu had just been talking with his wife and daughter about Song Zhaodi when he suddenly heard crying. The more he listened, the more familiar it sounded. “Why is Dawa crying?”
Without thinking, Duan dasao blurted out, “Did Xiao Song hit him because he misbehaved?”
“Impossible,” Commander Liu replied. “Xiao Song is an intellectual; she wouldn’t hit a child. Old Duan, go see what’s going on.”
Duan dasao started walking out but stopped after two steps. “It’s not appropriate for me to go. You should go instead.”
“I told you to go, so just go.” Commander Liu insisted. “It’s easier for women to talk to each other.”
“Dad, Mom, the crying is coming from outside. She wouldn’t have hit Dawa outside.”
Duan dasao listened carefully and the crying was getting closer. “It’s probably a fight with another family’s child.”
Meanwhile, Zhong Jianguo put down his axe, took a deep breath and walked out. “Not a single peaceful moment. What happened now?”
“Ma Zhenxing is a bad guy!” Zhong Dawa started complaining before he even reached Zhong Jianguo.
Zhong Jianguo: “I’m not asking about that. I’m asking why you were fighting.”
“I wasn’t fighting.”
“If you weren’t fighting, then why are you crying? Did your stepmother hit you?”
“No. It’s because Ma—Ma Zhenxing said my stepmother is ugly and unwanted, so she had to marry Dad.” Zhong Dawa pouted. “That’s not true at all.”
Zhong Jianguo looked at Song Zhaodi: “You didn’t lose your temper with Ma’s kid, did you?”
“Do I seem like that kind of person?” She had only stepped in because Dawa was crying. But she didn’t plan on telling Zhong Jianguo that. “I’m your wife; I can’t embarrass you. I’ll just tell everyone that it’s normal for kids to fight—one moment, they’re enemies; the next, they’re playing together again.”
Zhong Dawa wiped his tears and said seriously, “I won’t play with Ma Zhenxing.”
“Alright, alright, I won’t play with him.” Zhong Dawa had never been in a fight before. This was the first time since he was born. Zhong Jianguo wanted to get to the bottom of it. “He said your stepmother was unwanted, and that’s why you fought with Ma Zhenxing?”
Zhong Dawa replied, “No, I didn’t. It was only when he said my stepmother had a black heart that I hit him.”
“You hit him, yet you were the one who ended up crying.” Zhong Jianguo sighed. “You are really promising.”
Song Zhaodi added, “Your son thought the Ma family’s kid was being unreasonable and got so angry that he cried. It wasn’t because Ma Zhenxing hit him.”
Zhong Dawa subconsciously looked at Song Zhaodi, surprised and confused, almost as if asking, How did you know?
“I’m smart.” Song Zhaodi replied. “Erwa, did Ma Zhenxing’s little brother hit you?”
Zhong Erwa shook his head. “Ma Xiao’er went to get reinforcements. Dad, I helped my brother fight Ma Zhenxing.”
“Erwa did the right thing,” Song Zhaodi said. “Did Ma Xiao’er say who he was bringing?”
Zhong Dawa: “His dad.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. His father, Ma Zhonghua, isn’t home.” Zhong Jianguo dismissed.
Song Zhaodi: “Then it must be his mother. Captain Zhong, are you going to wait here for them, or hide inside?”
“You said you’d handle household affairs. I have to go back inside.” Zhong Jianguo picked up Sanwa. “Erwa, come upstairs with me.”
Zhong Erwa shouted, “No! I’m waiting here for Ma Zhenxing!”
The four members of the Liu family, who had been about to head inside, glanced at each other and stood by their fence again upon hearing Erwa’s loud declaration.
Moments later, a woman entered the Zhong family’s yard, holding the hands of two children.
Commander Liu patted his wife’s arm: “Go over and mediate. Don’t let them argue.”
“They won’t argue.” Duan dasao looked at the scene. “Ma Zhonghua’s wife is also an educated person. Educated people always speak with reason.”
“That’s not necessarily true.”
Duan dasao shot her daughter a glare and scolded her in a low voice: “This has nothing to do with you. Keep quiet!”
“Dawa, does your arm still hurt?”
Hearing Song Zhaodi’s voice, Commander Liu whispered, “You two stay quiet. Let’s see what’s going on first. If it’s nothing major, we’ll go inside.”
Zhong Dawa was about to say his arm was fine when he heard Song Zhaodi say, “Dawa, stop crying. I’ll ask your dad to take you to the infirmary right now.” She turned toward the house but suddenly stopped, pretending to notice the visitors for the first time. “Excuse me, who are you?”
“Ma Zhenxing and his mother.” Dawa turned around instinctively. Seeing them clearly, he quickly reminded Song Zhaodi.
Song Zhaodi thought, I guessed that as soon as they walked in. “Ma Zhenxing? Mother Ma, is there something you need?”
“Yes,” the woman walked over with her children. “Your Dawa and Erwa ganged up on Zhenxing. Don’t you think we deserve an explanation?”
Song Zhaodi raised an eyebrow—so people in this era were this civil when standing up for their kids? “Perfect. Dawa’s arm has a scratch and he says Zhenxing grabbed him. It’s hot today, easy for infections to spread, so he needs medicine. Since you’re here, let’s go to the infirmary together. You can pay for the medicine and then we’ll talk about why the kids fought.”
“I didn’t scratch Zhong Dawa’s arm!” Ma Zhenxing quickly denied.
Song Zhaodi: “Then our Erwa didn’t hit you either.”
“You—” The tall, thin woman was at a loss for words. “Everyone saw—”
Song Zhaodi interrupted, “Your son won’t admit he hurt Dawa, so why should I admit Erwa hit him?”
The woman was speechless. “Th—this isn’t the same thing.”
“It’s definitely not the same thing.” Song Zhaodi said, “If you want to settle this, let’s start with why the kids fought.”
Zhong Dawa: “Ma Zhenxing insulted us.”
“You hear that?” Song Zhaodi asked. “Your child started it.”
The woman said, “That doesn’t mean they should resort to violence.”
“Oh? Then let me insult your ancestors for eight generations. If you can tolerate it, I’ll admit Dawa was wrong. Whether he has to serve you tea or kneel to apologise, we’ll do it.”
The woman was stunned, gave Song Zhaodi a long look and left with her children.
Zhong Dawa blinked: “She left? Just like that?”
“What else?” Song Zhaodi glanced at him. “What do you expect? You two ganged up on one person. If it were someone unreasonable, this would have been a much bigger issue. Now, go upstairs and sleep.”
The two brothers exchanged glances, held hands and hopped their way into the house.
Commander Liu shook his head and chuckled. “This Xiao Song is quite something.”
“Dawa isn’t hurt, is he?” Duan dasao belatedly asked as she caught up.
Commander Liu replied as he walked, “Xiao Zhong cares about children. If Dawa had an injury on his arm, he wouldn’t have been carrying Sanwa upstairs.”
“Then Xiao Song…?” Duan dasao was incredulous. “She deliberately tricked Xiao Ma’s wife?”
Commander Liu said, “Hearing what Xiao Song said, it’s clear the Ma family’s child must have said something unpleasant—maybe something like ‘Dawa’s mother is dead, so he has no mother’—which made Dawa angry.” He paused. “But I have to say, I’m surprised Xiao Song doesn’t let things go easily, even when she’s in the right.”
“I told you before, Xiao Song isn’t that kind of person.” Duan dasao huffed.
“Now I know.” Commander Liu glanced toward the Zhong family’s small building. “That Xiao Zhong… I need to have a talk with him tomorrow.”
“Did Xiao Zhong do something wrong?” Duan dasao asked, puzzled.
“No,” Commander Liu said. “I’m afraid he will.”
Meanwhile, upstairs, Zhong Jianguo, carrying Sanwa, opened the window, intending to keep an eye on Song Zhaodi in case she acted on impulse. However, he noticed four people standing by the Liu family’s fence.
Just from their silhouettes, he could tell it was Commander Liu’s family of four. And once the Ma family left, the Lius went inside as well. That confirmed it—Commander Liu had overheard everything between Song Zhaodi and the Ma family.
Commander Liu had a good impression of Song Zhaodi. Zhong Jianguo didn’t even want to imagine how much his commander would praise her tomorrow. But that wasn’t the priority right now. What mattered most was that his son had learned to fight.
“Dawa, Erwa, do you think you did nothing wrong?” As soon as the two boys got upstairs, Zhong Jianguo questioned them.
Zhong Dawa instinctively glanced toward the staircase.
Zhong Jianguo felt a headache coming on. Just yesterday, the boy refused to acknowledge his stepmother and today, he was already treating her as one of their own. Kids these days are so fickle.
“Don’t look for your mom,” Zhong Jianguo sighed. “She’s downstairs tidying up firewood and still needs to bathe. She won’t be coming up anytime soon.”
“Dad, are you going to hit me?” Zhong Dawa tilted his head up and asked. “Stepmom didn’t hit me.”
Zhong Jianguo chuckled. “So now I’m the bad stepdad again? Zhong Dawa, stop bringing up ‘stepdad’ every chance you get. You two were both wrong today. Think about what you did wrong.”
Around 9:30 pm, Song Zhaodi came upstairs and saw Dawa and Erwa standing against the wall while Zhong Jianguo sat in a chair holding Sanwa like a lord.
“What are they doing?” she asked.
“Dad says we were wrong,” Zhong Dawa explained. “But I can’t figure out what we did wrong. Dad said if we don’t figure it out, we have to keep standing and can’t sleep.”
Song Zhaodi didn’t have a watch, but she knew she took her time bathing. “You’ve been standing long?”
“One hour and five minutes,” Zhong Jianguo answered. “Go to sleep. I’ll watch them.”
Song Zhaodi scoffed. “Watch what? One is five years old, the other is three. And you expect them to reflect on their mistakes? Zhong Jianguo, ask them if they even know what ‘reflection’ means.”
“What does it mean?” Zhong Dawa instinctively asked.
Zhong Jianguo’s breath hitched. “Fine, I’ll explain it to them.” Handing Sanwa to Song Zhaodi, he said, “Go to bed.”
“No need to remind me.” Song Zhaodi subtly hinted, “Dawa and Erwa are your biological sons, not outsiders.”
Zhong Jianguo shot her a glare. “I know how to educate my own children.”
Song Zhaodi wasn’t entirely reassured. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Zhong Jianguo, but in this era, parents firmly believed in disciplining children with a heavy hand. However, she couldn’t argue with Zhong Jianguo in front of the kids. So, she left the door slightly open to eavesdrop on how he handled it.
After a while, when she confirmed he wasn’t going to hit them, she finally pulled down the mosquito net and cuddled Sanwa to sleep.
The next morning, Song Zhaodi woke up to the sound of raindrops. She quickly sat up, opened the window and took a deep breath of the cool, fresh air.
She put on black pants and a grey long-sleeve shirt, then went to the living room, where she saw the clock on the wall pointing to seven. She hurried downstairs.
Zhong Jianguo was in the kitchen. Song Zhaodi’s eyes lit up. “You can cook?”
“No,” Zhong Jianguo answered honestly. “I saw you make porridge yesterday, so I’m making some. There’s also half a pot of duck on the stove. We’ll have steamed buns and duck for breakfast.”
Song Zhaodi was disappointed. “Duck in the morning is too greasy for the kids. I’ll make a vegetable dish.”
Duan dasao gave her four cucumbers. Thinking two were enough, Song Zhaodi noticed out of the corner of her eye how tall and broad Zhong Jianguo was, sitting on a small stool with no place to put his long legs. So, she decided to make smashed cucumbers and stir-fried cucumbers with eggs.
In less than five minutes, the dishes were on the table.
Though annoyed that Song Zhaodi occasionally used the children to pressure him, Zhong Jianguo had to admit that when it came to cooking, even two Bai Hua wouldn’t match up to her.
After breakfast, seeing that the rain hadn’t let up, Song Zhaodi, despite having no romantic feelings for Zhong Jianguo, couldn’t help but worry. “How are you getting to the camp?”
“Xiao Li is driving over.” Zhong Jianguo frowned at his two older sons, who were lazily slumped on wooden chairs. “Get up and move around after eating.”
Song Zhaodi chuckled. “Afraid they’ll get fat? Dawa and Erwa are skinny. Even if they eat like this for ten days straight, they won’t get fat.”
“Did you hear that, Dad?” Zhong Dawa glanced at his father, then climbed onto the bench. “Hey, what’s this?”
Zhong Jianguo checked his watch and estimated that Xiao Li wouldn’t arrive for a while. So, he sat down next to his son. “Where?”
“Look.” Zhong Dawa pointed at his knee. “A cat, Dad!”
Zhong Jianguo focused and saw a cat silhouette stitched onto Dawa’s pants. Without thinking, he asked, “Did you sew this?”
“I thought plain patches were ugly, so I cut a cat shape out of scrap fabric and sewed it on,” Song Zhaodi explained. “Not okay?”
Zhong Dawa quickly interjected, “It’s great! Did you do this yesterday?”
“Yesterday afternoon, I sewed a duck,” Song Zhaodi replied. In her past life, Song Zhaodi spent her whole life making clothes. Adding a few small animal patches to clothing was far easier than altering outfits for models right before a show. “Erwa, your clothes have chicks and ducks, too. No need to be jealous of your brother.”
Zhong Erwa’s eyes brightened. “Really?”
“Of course.” Song Zhaodi looked at Zhong Jianguo with a meaningful gaze. “I never lie.”
Zhong Erwa flopped into Zhong Jianguo’s arms. “Daddy—”
“Change into the clothes with the little animals?” Zhong Jianguo said. “Just wear this one, and change tomorrow. It’s hard to dry clothes when it rains. If you run out of clothes, you’ll just have to go bare-bottomed.”
Song Zhaodi agreed. “The stove is covered with your little brother’s diapers. There’s no room to dry your clothes.”
Zhong Erwa was very disappointed but didn’t want to go bare-bottomed. He sat weakly beside Dawa, absentmindedly picking at the cat on his knee.
Zhong Jianguo turned to Song Zhaodi. You have so many tricks.
Song Zhaodi raised an eyebrow. I haven’t even started yet.
“You better not,” Zhong Jianguo muttered. He didn’t want to admit defeat, but Song Zhaodi was clever and unpredictable. For now, he decided not to challenge her.
Song Zhaodi let out a short laugh. “And you’re supposed to be a battalion commander?”
“A battalion commander is still a normal person, unlike you—” Zhong Jianguo suddenly caught the faint sound of an approaching vehicle. “Sounds like Xiao Li is here.”
Zhong Jianguo grabbed his umbrella and was about to step outside when Xiao Li rushed to the door. “Commander, telegram.”
“A telegram?” Zhong Jianguo quickly set down the umbrella. “Who from?” He paused. “Damn.” He turned to Song Zhaodi and gritted his teeth. “You really know how to touch the sore spots.”
Song Zhaodi quickly stood up. “Your stepmother?”
“My brother.” Zhong Jianguo tore open the telegram. “Da ge says stepmother asked him when I plan to take the three kids back and when I’m getting married to you. He wants to know what to do.”
Song Zhaodi asked, “Your brother hasn’t told biaoyi yet?”
“We’ll discuss this later.” Zhong Jianguo said, “I’ll pick up some groceries on the way back. Stay inside.”
Song Zhaodi nodded. “Drive safe.” After sending Zhong Jianguo off, Song Zhaodi bolted the door from the inside. She walked into the living room and asked, “Dawa, do you have any relatives from your maternal grandmother’s side here?”
“Relatives from Grandma’s side?” Zhong Dawa blinked. “Do you mean my uncles and aunts?”
Song Zhaodi clarified, “Other uncles, aunts, their spouses, your mother’s friends, classmates—anyone at all. Is there anyone on this island who knew your mother or grandmother?”
“Why are you asking this?” Zhong Dawa’s face filled with caution, instantly turning into a little hedgehog.
The child’s heart is fragile and he has lost his mother. Even if Song Zhaodi wanted to scold him for being an ungrateful brat, she felt embarrassed to say it: “I’m afraid someone will tell your grandmother that I’m becoming your stepmother.”
“Why should you be afraid?” Zhong Dawa didn’t understand. “Grandma isn’t on the island.”
Song Zhaodi: “Your mother has only been dead for a hundred days and your father is already eager to find you a stepmother. Your grandmother will scold your father for being heartless.”
“Auntie said Dad is finding us a stepmother because there’s no one to take care of us. Mom wasn’t killed by Dad and neither were you. Why would Grandma scold Dad?” Zhong Dawa still didn’t understand.
Song Zhaodi: “What do you think of your grandmother?”
“She’s bad,” Zhong Dawa said. “She steals things from our house every day.”
Song Zhaodi: “That’s right. Your grandmother is a bad person. Bad people never care about the reasons behind things. They just do whatever they want without thinking about how others might feel.”
“How can that be?” Zhong Dawa frowned deeply. “Then what should we do?”
Song Zhaodi rubbed her forehead. “Tell me first, is there anyone on the island who knows your grandmother?”
“There’s an uncle,” Zhong Dawa said. “My mom said he’s her younger brother, but Dad said he’s not. Still, Mom told me to call him Uncle.”
Song Zhaodi: “What does he call your grandmother?”
“Gu nai1.” Zhong Erwa raised his little hand. “Stepmother, I know.”
Song Zhaodi’s mouth twitched. “Call me ‘mom’ from now on.” Then she asked Zhong Dawa again, “Where is that person now?”
“On the island,” Zhong Dawa said. “Just like my dad.”
Song Zhaodi’s eyebrow twitched. “Is he a regiment commander?” That would be tricky.
“No,” Zhong Dawa said. “Just a soldier.”
Song Zhaodi nodded. “I see. Go upstairs and bring me a notebook and a pen. I need to write a letter.” After a pause, she added, “Dawa, this letter has nothing to do with your father. Can you promise me not to tell him?”
“Then you have to tell me why we can’t tell Dad,” Zhong Dawa insisted. He really wanted to agree with Song Zhaodi, but he also felt it wasn’t right to hide things from Zhong Jianguo. He stared at Song Zhaodi, waiting for an answer.
Song Zhaodi wasn’t angry—she was actually quite pleased. This cheap son of hers wasn’t naive and foolish. “Because your dad is busy. It’s raining so heavily outside and he still has to go to the camp. When he comes back at night, he has to do your laundry. We shouldn’t bother him with anything else.”
“Are we having duck for lunch?” Zhong Dawa asked.
Song Zhaodi was speechless. This little foodie! “No, I’ll make you something else delicious. I’ll take your silence as agreement.”
Zhong Dawa pursed his lips. Zhong Erwa nodded. The two brothers were in perfect sync—neither of them said “yes.”
Did these two kids think that by staying silent, they could shift the blame onto her if Zhong Jianguo found out later? Song Zhaodi really wanted to say: Naïve!
When Song Zhaodi decided to marry Zhong Jianguo, she only thought about how to deal with her troublesome grandaunt. She never expected that compared to Zhong Jianguo’s ex-mother-in-law, Zhao Yin was nothing.
As for whether they should tell people that she and Zhong Jianguo were already married, Zhong Jianguo told Song Zhaodi to delay it as long as possible. When they couldn’t hide it anymore, they would deal with the situation as it came.
Song Zhaodi felt she should take the initiative. She had Zhong Jianguo send a telegram to his eldest brother, informing Zhao Yin that he had urgent military duties. He and Song Zhaodi had registered their marriage and immediately went to Wengzhou Island, so there was no time for a wedding. If Zhao Yin wanted to know more, she should come in person.
Zhong Jianguo panicked at the idea, but before he could speak, Song Zhaodi said, “When she comes, I’ll deal with her.” Zhong Jianguo fell silent. If Zhao Yin hadn’t gone too far in the past, he might have even prayed for her.
On October 15th, in the morning, as the sun peeked out, Song Zhaodi carried Sanwa and took Dawa and Erwa to buy groceries. Along the way, she sent out two letters—one to Shanghai and one to Xiao Song Village.
On October 20th, in the morning, while supporting Sanwa as he learned to walk, Song Zhaodi asked Duan dasao, who had come to chat, “Saozi, do letters from our military base get delivered particularly fast?”
“They do,” Duan dasao said. “Are you sending a letter home?”
Song Zhaodi: “I’ve only been here for about ten days. Even if I write to my parents telling them I’m fine, they won’t believe it. I’m thinking of waiting a few more days before writing. I was just asking so I’d have an idea.”
“Speaking of letters, I haven’t written home in a long time either,” Duan dasao said. “It must be snowing back home by now.”
Song Zhaodi paused. “Saozi, you’re from the Northeast?”
“Yes, I’m from Chuncheng2,” Duan dasao said. “When I lived there, I thought everywhere in the world was like my hometown—only two seasons, winter and summer.”
Song Zhaodi’s heart skipped a beat. “Saozi is from the city of Chuncheng?”
“Of course not,” Duan dasao laughed. “I’m from a rural village outside the city. My husband, Old Liu, is more of a city person, but he’s from a small town. He’s nowhere near as well-off as your Xiao Zhong.”
Song Zhaodi probed further. “Shuangcheng Town?”
“How do you know?” Duan dasao asked, then immediately realised, “Wait, did Xiao Zhong tell you?”
Song Zhaodi shook her head. “No. Saozi, you might not believe it, but my jiefu is from Shuangcheng Town.”
“Isn’t your family from Binhai?” Duan dasao frowned, trying to recall. “I remember Old Liu saying your hometown is over a thousand miles away. How did your brother-in-law end up there—wait, was he relocated during the war?”
Song Zhaodi: “No. It might sound embarrassing, but my brother-in-law and his mother begged their way to our town. My mother saw how pitiful they were and took them in. Later, when my eldest sister came of age, she married my brother-in-law.”
“Ah, your brother-in-law has had a tough life,” Duan dasao sighed. “At least he met your family. Old Liu’s nephew—” She suddenly turned to look at Song Zhaodi, eyes wide in disbelief. “Dameizi, no—it couldn’t be such a coincidence—?!”
Song Zhaodi’s heart tightened, but she kept a calm expression. “What do you mean?”
“Old Liu had an older brother who went to Korea with the army when the war started and later… later, he was reported killed in action,” Duan dasao said. “At the time, Old Liu had just been promoted to regiment commander and was too busy to leave. We had two young children at home, so I couldn’t return to the village to check on my sister-in-law and nephew.
“By the time we finally had the chance to visit, the family told us that his sister-in-law and nephew refused to believe Old Liu’s brother was dead. They left to search for him in Korea. The Yalu River area was in chaos back then. Old Liu was frantic. Dameizi, quickly tell me—what’s your brother-in-law’s name?”
“Song Zhaodi, open the door for me right now!”
“Does Zhong Jianguo live here?”
Song Zhaodi stood up. “Saozi, hold on, I’ll go see who it is.”
Duan dasao cursed under her breath. Who had such bad timing? She turned around and was shocked, her eyes widening. “Xiao–Xiao Song, it’s Dawa’s grandmother.”
“And Dawa’s paternal grandmother too,” Song Zhaodi said with a bright smile. “What a coincidence.”
- Gu nai (姑奶) is a term used in some Chinese dialects to refer to a paternal grandaunt, specifically the father’s aunt. ↩︎
- Chuncheng (春城) literally means ‘Spring City’. Here, it likely refers to Harbin (哈尔滨), the capital of Heilongjiang Province. Shuangcheng Town (双城镇) refers to Shuangcheng District (双城区), which was historically Shuangcheng County before being incorporated into Harbin. Located in Northeast China, this area is known for its harsh winters and agricultural background. ↩︎
I might be going off-track with my guesses in the footnotes. If you find something not quite right, do let me know in the comments. Thanks for reading!
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