The school principal hadn’t slept well for two nights. He looked like he had aged seven or eight years overnight, as if he had stepped straight from middle age into old age. Just as he was expecting a long speech from Song Zhaodi, her simple six-word response made him choke.
“Xiao Song, Teacher Yao’s issue isn’t just her personal matter,” the principal finally managed to say.
“That’s right,” a middle-aged male teacher chimed in. “If something happens to Teacher Yao, the students will take the opportunity to stir up trouble. At that point, the school will have no choice but to suspend classes.”
Song Zhaodi replied calmly, “I never lie. Principal, Teacher, you should go distribute the new textbooks. If students ask about Teacher Yao, just tell them she’s sick.”
“Do you really have a way?” The principal couldn’t imagine what she could do. He reminded her, “This matter must be kept quiet. The fewer people who know, the better.”
Song Zhaodi nodded. “I understand. But I want to remind everyone—if the students get distracted during class, please don’t scold or punish them too harshly.”
“We will be mindful,” the principal assured her. “Xiao Song, do you need our help?”
“There’s no need. If I can’t even handle this, then my years of university education would have been wasted.”
At her words, everyone suddenly remembered that Song Zhaodi, the youngest teacher in the school, was a university graduate. If the universities hadn’t been forced to shut down, she might have stayed on as a faculty member. At the very least, she would have been a high school teacher.
The principal stood up. “Comrade Song Zhaodi, I leave this in your hands!” As he spoke, he bent at the waist in a slight bow.
Song Zhaodi was startled. “Please don’t, Principal!”
A female teacher in her early thirties stepped forward. “I can watch over Sanwa for you.”
Song Zhaodi waved her off. “It’s better if he stays with me. If students ask, I can just say I had to take him home to clean up after an accident.”
As Song Zhaodi walked away, a teacher whose father had been sent to the countryside expressed concern. “She’s just a young woman without much experience. Can she really handle this?”
“If she can’t, then we’ll have no choice but to wait for the Revolutionary Committee to investigate,” the principal said. “We have to trust Xiao Song.”
Leaving the school, Song Zhaodi headed for the elementary school.
The kindergarten and preschool classes were next to the first-grade classroom. The preschool teacher taught a little, but the kindergarten was basically just a daycare where a few teachers watched over the children as they played.
Standing at the kindergarten entrance, Song Zhaodi saw Erwa folding paper aeroplanes with his teacher. She sighed and called him over before heading to the preschool to find Dawa.
As soon as Dawa came out, he asked, “What do you need me for?”
“If I came for you, obviously I need something.” Song Zhaodi said, “Go grab your schoolbag. We’re going home now.”
Dawa’s big eyes, which looked just like Zhong Jianguo’s, lit up with hope. “No school today?”
“No school,” Song Zhaodi confirmed. She informed the teacher and then took the two children home.
The weather was warming up, which meant it was time to plant vegetables again. Duan dasao had finished washing clothes and, with a towel wrapped around her head, was turning over the soil in her yard. Hearing familiar voices, she peeked outside and saw Erwa hopping excitedly toward the house.
She put down her hoe and walked over. “Xiao Song, why are you back so suddenly?”
“I was just about to look for you, Auntie.” Song Zhaodi handed Sanwa to Dawa. “Take your little brother inside and play. I need to talk to Auntie privately.” Then she led Duan dasao to the courtyard.
Seeing how she deliberately avoided the children, Duan dasao immediately asked, “What happened?”
Song Zhaodi briefly explained the situation with Commander Qian and Teacher Yao’s impending divorce. When she saw Duan dasao about to speak, she grabbed her arm. “Auntie, listen to me first. Teacher Yao must not get divorced. If she’s labelled as a capitalist and they set this precedent, the other teachers won’t be safe either. And if they get into trouble, no one will be left to teach our children.”
“I understand,” Duan dasao said, then paused. “Wait—you’re telling me this because you want me to step in?”
Song Zhaodi shook her head. “It’s not about persuading anyone. The one pushing for divorce is Commander Qian, not Teacher Yao. You have a lot of connections, Auntie. I need your help finding out which female officer Commander Qian has been getting close to.”
“You mean…” Duan dasao looked around cautiously and lowered her voice. “You suspect him of having an affair?”
“It’s not just a suspicion,” Song Zhaodi said. “I asked around on my way back from school. Commander Qian’s youngest child is already in the third year of middle school. His wife is virtuous, and his household is stable. Why would he suddenly want a divorce?
“If he just wanted to clear his name for the sake of a promotion, that doesn’t make sense—his superior, Uncle Liu, still has fifteen more years before retirement. Is he really throwing away his marriage for a position he won’t get for another fifteen years? That would be foolish. The only explanation is an improper relationship.”
“Then… should I go now?” Duan dasao asked.
“The sooner, the better. The political commissar has already spoken with the principal. Since the principal hasn’t signed off on the divorce yet, they’re still legally married. But if Commander Qian insists, the principal won’t be able to stall much longer.”
“That Xiao Qian… what is he thinking? Teacher Yao even taught my daughters, Liu Ping and Liu Wei. They always said she was so gentle, never even raising her voice when students misbehaved,” Duan dasao frowned. “A knowledgeable woman, such a good person!”
Song Zhaodi thought to herself: Good women always seem to end up with terrible men.
“Auntie, no time for sympathy. Besides the teachers, you’re the only one I’ve told. You have to keep this secret.”
“Do you think I’m an amateur?” Duan dasao scoffed. “I may not have been to school, but I fought against the Japanese and outwitted the Guomintang. This is nothing to me.”
Song Zhaodi knew Duan dasao wasn’t just an ordinary housewife, which was why she had come to her. She smiled. “I’m counting on you, Auntie.”
Duan dasao waved her off and immediately left for the medical clinic—the place where women gathered most.
Back inside, Song Zhaodi called Dawa over. “Do you know Commander Qian?”
“No,” Dawa replied, then asked curiously, “Why are you looking for him?”
“I’m not looking for him—I’m looking for his son, Qian Qinghua. Dawa, can you find a friend who knows him and secretly bring him here?”
Dawa narrowed his eyes. “Stepmom, why do you sound like some kind of spy leader?”
Song Zhaodi choked. This kid must have played too many games of Down with the Japanese and Down with the Guomintang!
“I’m on a top-secret mission,” she said seriously. “Not even your dad can know. Zhong Dawa, you’re a six-year-old young man—can you handle this mission?”
“Lin Zhong definitely knows him,” Dawa said, then added confidently, “but Lin Zhong is still at school.”
Song Zhaodi: “I bet you have a way to get them to come out without alerting anyone.”
Zhong Dawa: “Of course!” he replied without hesitation.
Song Zhaodi: “Go now. When you come back, pass by Grandpa Liu’s place so Lin Zhong’s mother doesn’t see you. Otherwise, she’ll keep asking why you’re looking for Lin Zhong.”
“Got it.” Zhong Dawa agreed and ran toward the school.
The military dependents’ school was very close to the residential compound. With his short legs, Zhong Dawa reached the fifth-grade classroom where Lin Zhong was in less than ten minutes. He gestured for Lin Zhong to come out and asked him to help find Qian Qinghua.
It was the first day of school, so all the students were present. Lin Zhong, who didn’t know Qian Qinghua, simply stood at the entrance of the ninth-grade classroom and called out, “Qian Qinghua, your dad is looking for you.” That was enough to bring him out.
The tall and thin Qian Qinghua came to the doorway, but instead of seeing his dad, he saw a little kid on one side and a half-grown boy on the other. Confused, he asked, “Who are you?”
“We need to talk to you,” Lin Zhong, who was a head shorter than him, grabbed Qian Qinghua and pulled him outside.
Wengzhou Island belonged to the East China Sea Fleet, making it extremely safe. Seeing that his “summoners” were just two kids—who wouldn’t stand a chance against him even together—Qian Qinghua decided to follow them out of the school to see what they wanted.
When they reached the Zhong family’s house, Qian Qinghua understood. “Zhong Dawa, is my dad here?”
“No, my mom wants to see you.” Zhong Dawa shoved him inside. “Thanks, Lin Zhong.”
Lin Zhong waved. “No problem. Next time your family makes something delicious, sneak some out for me, and I’ll help you again.”
“Okay!” Zhong Dawa agreed without hesitation. “I’ll come find you at noon.”
The twelve-year-old boy grinned, revealing a row of white teeth. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the door to his house moving, so he bolted away.
Qian Qinghua had heard about Song Zhaodi from his mother before, which only deepened his confusion. If Song Zhaodi had something to discuss, why not go to his mother? Why look for him instead?
Song Zhaodi didn’t beat around the bush. She shooed Dawa and Erwa upstairs and then asked, “Qinghua, do you want your parents to get a divorce?”
“How do you know?!” Qian Qinghua blurted out.
Song Zhaodi raised an eyebrow. “Don’t worry about how I know. Just answer me—are you like your dad? Do you look down on your mom?”
“I—” On Wengzhou Island, aside from fishermen and military families, there weren’t many people to criticise, so the kids here were unfamiliar with the concept of “revolution.” Qian Qinghua had long known that his maternal grandfather’s family was wealthy, but no one had ever explicitly told him not to associate with them. He hesitated for a moment. “My dad says my mom is a capitalist’s daughter.”
Song Zhaodi: “Your mother is also a Party member. If the organisation allowed her to join, it means her background isn’t a problem. The military allowing her to be a dependent also means she’s fine—”
Qian Qinghua himself couldn’t quite understand how his mother had become part of the ‘black seven categories.’ Before she could finish speaking, he interrupted, “Then why does my dad say that if he doesn’t divorce my mom, she’ll drag down the whole family?”
Song Zhaodi shared her theory. Seeing Qian Qinghua’s stunned expression, she continued, “Do you want a stepmother who’s barely older than you, or do you want your real mom?”
“That’s impossible!” Qian Qinghua’s eyes widened. “My dad isn’t that kind of person. I—I shouldn’t have come here.” Saying that, he turned to leave.
Song Zhaodi had anticipated his reaction. “Wait. If your father really isn’t that kind of person, then I’ll persuade your mother to divorce him and move to my village. My village is a remote mountain area; the revolutionaries don’t go there.
“But I’ve already heard rumours that your dad is getting close to a certain woman. The reason I called you here is to have you investigate quietly. If nothing is going on, I’ll forget I ever heard anything.”
“Why should I spy on my dad for you?!” Qian Qinghua found the whole situation absurd.
Song Zhaodi smiled and picked up a letter from the table. “If you don’t investigate, I’ll send this letter to the military district commander, accusing your dad of misconduct.”
“You—how could you do that?!” Qian Qinghua stared at her in disbelief. “You haven’t even verified anything, yet you’re slandering him—”
Song Zhaodi was blunt. “I’m busy; I don’t have time to verify. If I send this letter, whether your dad is guilty or not, he’ll be suspended for investigation.”
“If I do investigate and find out that he is—”
Song Zhaodi: “I’ll listen to Teacher Yao. Whatever she decides, I’ll follow through.” She paused. “Qian Qinghua, your mother is already in her forties. She’s never done farm work. Do you want her to spend the rest of her life in the countryside, where she might die at any time?”
The word “die” instantly tipped the scales in Qian Qinghua’s heart toward his mother.
Seeing the moment was right, Song Zhaodi continued, “Your mother has followed the army for years and hardly interacted with her own family. Even if your grandmother and uncle are capitalists, what does that have to do with her?
“In the countryside, we say, ‘A married daughter is like water poured out.’ From the moment your mother married your father, she became part of your family. She’ll be buried in your family’s ancestral grave when she dies.
“The Yao family only sees her as a relative now. If we say couples must divorce just because one side has capitalist or landlord relatives, then half the married couples in the country would have to split up.”
Qian Qinghua thought about it carefully. His mother had indeed rarely visited her family. Between her work and taking care of the children, she was lucky to visit once every two years.
Song Zhaodi: “Your dad and Commander Zhong are comrades in war. I don’t want to falsely accuse my husband’s comrade, which is why I asked Dawa to find you. But your reaction really disappointed me.”
“Teacher Song, you—you also—” He pointed at the letter on the table. “You were scaring me.”
Song Zhaodi: “I wasn’t trying to scare you. Your dad is rarely home, and it’s your mom who takes care of you. I thought you’d take her side when I told you this. I never expected you to believe your dad and doubt your mom.
“As for this letter, it wasn’t written for the military leadership. It’s a regular letter delivered by the postman. I wasn’t home, so he left it at the Lin family’s place next door. Lin Zhong’s mother just left before you came in.”
Qian Qinghua was stunned. “I—I heard the first-year students say Teacher Song is amazing. I thought they were exaggerating. I didn’t expect—you really are amazing.”
Song Zhaodi smiled. “Are you going to investigate or not? If you refuse, I won’t mind writing a real letter.”
“What do I need to do?” Qian Qinghua no longer underestimated her.
Song Zhaodi: “Search your dad’s study for any love poems or keepsakes. Think about which woman often visits him. Check the art troupe, hospital, school, supply cooperative, food factory, or even local fishermen. It’s not hard to find out.”
“You make it sound easy.”
Song Zhaodi: “It is easy. Just casually ask the supply shop if your dad has bought cigarettes or matches. At the hospital, ask if he’s taken any bandages or medicine. I bet you’ll have your answer by tomorrow afternoon.”
“I’ll give it a try,” Qian Qinghua said.
Song Zhaodi: “I hope you won’t be foolish enough to tip off your dad in advance. That won’t do him any good.”
“Besides you, who else knows about this?” Qian Qinghua didn’t want his mother to leave; he was willing to investigate. But he was also afraid that before he could find anything, someone else would report this to the commander.
Song Zhaodi replied, “A few teachers at the school know. I only found out about your mother’s situation this morning when I got to school. But they won’t meddle in this matter.
“Technically, Teacher Yao’s issue has nothing to do with me, but my Sanwa is still wearing the shoes your mother made for him. Teacher Yao has been so kind to my child—I can’t just turn a blind eye.”
Qian Qinghua had already noticed the tiger-head shoes on Sanwa’s feet when he came in. Thinking about how it was still no later than ten o’clock, he couldn’t help but sigh. “To come up with such a plan in just two hours… Teacher Song, I have to say, I admire you.”
“You’re welcome!” Song Zhaodi said. “Just don’t let me down again.”
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