Song Zhaodi was speechless yet amused. “You all talk about slaughtering chickens and ducks every day—have you ever considered how they feel? The oldest among them is barely a year old.”
Zhong Jianguo responded matter-of-factly, “A drake’s only purpose is to be eaten.” He continued, “Once that gander grows up, we’ll have a feast—braised goose in an iron pot.”
Zhong Dawa nodded enthusiastically. “Exactly! And those three little roosters and two ducklings too.”
That summer, Song Zhaodi had bought ten fertilised eggs and exchanged two goose eggs from a fisherman on the island, sending them to Duan dasao’s house for incubation.
All twelve eggs hatched, but unfortunately, there were fewer females this time. Song Zhaodi was slightly disappointed. Then, noticing Erwa staring at them longingly, to the point where he had even stopped eating, she couldn’t help but laugh. “Erwa, do you want to eat duck too?”
“I do,” Erwa replied. “Fried duck wings and fried duck legs.”
Song Zhaodi pinched his little face. “Fried rooster wings and legs are delicious. Fried duck? Not so much. But braised duck is good.”
“Then let’s make braised duck!” Zhong Dawa quickly chimed in.
Song Zhaodi turned to Zhong Jianguo. “Are you staying onshore for the New Year?”
“Funny you ask—there’s a chance I won’t be,” Zhong Jianguo said. “The Soviets are becoming more active, and with Old Jiang watching them stir up trouble, he’s getting bolder with his little schemes. It’s becoming increasingly irritating.”
Song Zhaodi considered this. “If they won’t even let you guys be at peace on New Year’s Eve, then have your mess team grab a few baskets of sea bass and set up two large pots on the ship. Serve bass stew with tofu and red-braised prawns three times a day. And while you’re at it, build a row of simple stoves to grill squid over charcoal—treat the soldiers to an extra meal while making everyone else envious.”
“That’s actually a great idea. The soldiers are sick of canned food anyway,” Zhong Jianguo said thoughtfully. “I’ll report this to the commander. Best case, we can even bait Old Jiang’s men into eating too—then, while they’re busy chewing, we can hit them with a cannon round.”
Song Zhaodi advised against it. “And after that one satisfying shot, what then?”
Zhong Jianguo’s face darkened. He shot her a glare and buried his head in his porridge.
Song Zhaodi suppressed a smile and casually stepped on his foot under the table.
Zhong Jianguo let out a pained hiss.
“Dad, what’s wrong?” Erwa asked with concern.
Zhong Jianguo endured the pain and lied through his teeth. “I bit my tongue. You should eat slower too, don’t rush.”
Zhong Erwa, believing him completely, nodded. “Okay, Dad.”
Meanwhile, over two thousand miles away in Binhai City, Zhong Weiguo had just finished breakfast. He headed to the cooperative to buy a few pounds of fruit and candy before catching a long-distance bus to Hongya Town.
By eleven o’clock, Zhong Weiguo arrived at Xiaosong Village.
Winter meant little farm work, and with the cold weather, the villagers—exhausted from a year of labour—weren’t in a hurry to wake up before dawn. With late breakfasts, by the time it was past eleven, no one had started cooking yet. Instead, the villagers gathered in small groups at their doorsteps, basking in the sun and chatting idly.
As soon as Zhong Weiguo entered the village, people started watching him. Before he could even speak, a friendly villager asked whom he was looking for.
Recalling Song Zhaodi’s instructions over the phone—”Make sure everyone knows about this”—Zhong Weiguo hesitated for a moment, scanning the crowd of men, women, and children. But in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to air their dirty laundry in front of so many people, so he simply asked, “How do I get to Song Zhaodi’s house?”
“You’re looking for Zhaodi? She’s married now,” a helpful villager informed him. “Right now, only her brother-in-law’s mother and her sister’s two kids are at home.”
“I know,” Zhong Weiguo said. “I’m her husband Jianguo’s older brother—I’m familiar with Zhaodi’s family situation.”
The moment he finished speaking, the surrounding villagers all turned to stare at him.
“You’re Commander Zhong’s older brother?” The helpful villager studied him. “You do look a bit like him.”
Zhong Weiguo nodded. “That’s right. How do I get there?”
“There’s a main road south of here. Head east for about a hundred metres, then ask someone again,” the villager said. “All the houses in the village look alike, so you’d probably get lost if I just told you.”
“Got it. Thanks.” Zhong Weiguo nodded.
“No problem,” the villager replied with a grin. “By the way, what brings you to see Zhaodi’s older sister?”
Zhong Weiguo sighed. “It’s a long story. Thanks again.” With that, he turned and walked south.
That long sigh instantly piqued the villagers’ curiosity. Three gossip-loving women exchanged glances and discreetly followed him.
Upon reaching the Song household, the three women didn’t go inside. Instead, they went next door to Goudan’s house.
Goudan’s mother, upon hearing their intentions, pointed to the low wall separating the houses. The four women stacked a few wooden planks and crouched behind the wall, eavesdropping on the conversation next door.
Inside the Song household, Mother Song was sitting outside in the sun, shelling peanuts while watching her two grandchildren play.
Yang shi didn’t recognize Zhong Weiguo, but he bore a resemblance to Zhong Jianguo, and since he was carrying a bag of gifts, she had no reason to doubt his claim.
“Dali,” Yang shi called to her eldest grandson, “go fetch a stool for your uncle.” Then she went inside to pour some tea. When she returned, she finally asked, “Jianguo’s brother, is there something urgent that brought you here?”
“Will Zhaodi’s older sister and brother-in-law be back for lunch?” Zhong Weiguo countered instead of answering.
Yang shi nodded. “Yes. Ever since Jianguo bought us a bicycle, they’ve been coming home for lunch every day. Oh, by the way, Jianguo’s brother, you should stay for lunch. I’ll go cook now.”
“Auntie, no need,” Zhong Weiguo said. “With the New Year approaching, our factory is busy balancing accounts. We don’t even get weekends off—I could only manage a one-day leave. I need to catch a bus back this afternoon.”
“It won’t take long. I’ll make a few pancakes for you to take on the road.” Yang shi insisted. “By the way, what did you need with Laibao and Liu Yang?”
Zhong Weiguo sighed. “It’s about Zhaodi’s second sister.” He chose not to mention the English book—English was too conspicuous in a rural village, and he worried Yang shi might make a fuss about it. “Zhaodi is teaching now, and she has a few books at home. Her second sister must have found one interesting and took it. Along with Zhaodi’s snow cream, clam oil, and soap—all gone.”
Yang shi was stunned, finding it hard to believe what she had just heard. “All gone? What do you mean?”
“In other words—she stole them,” Zhong Weiguo said awkwardly. After all, they were family.
Yang Shi’s eyes widened. “You mean Lainan stole from Zhaodi?”
“Yes,” Zhong Weiguo confirmed. “Zhaodi hopes her elder sister and brother-in-law can meet Lainan in town and get the things back—especially the book. She also said she’ll write a letter explaining everything in detail.”
Yang shi sighed heavily. “That Lainan… Her child is almost old enough for school, yet she still does things like this.”
“Auntie, don’t be too upset. Maybe she was just momentarily thoughtless,” Zhong Weiguo tried to console her. Having known few women, he had always thought Zhao Yin was the least principled woman he’d ever met. He never expected to be proven wrong.
Now, mentioning Song Lainan, he still found it hard to believe. “Auntie, Zhaodi also said that if her second sister ever comes back, you should be on guard.”
Yang shi let out a long sigh. “I remember, I remember. I will definitely remember.”
As soon as she finished speaking, a ringing sound came from outside. “It might be Liu Yang and Laibao coming back.”
“Teacher Deng, did you go to the school again? Aren’t the students on vacation?”
Liu Yang’s voice drifted in from outside. Song Dali immediately stood up. “Grandma, that’s my dad talking to Teacher Deng.” Then he turned to Zhong Weiguo. “Uncle, I’ll go call my dad.”
“No need,” Zhong Weiguo said with a smile. “I’ll go take a look.”
As he reached the doorway, he saw a middle-aged woman approaching, while a middle-aged man was holding a bicycle and talking to an older man in his fifties. Out of the corner of his eye, Zhong Weiguo noticed Song Dali following him out and asked, “Dali, are those your parents?”
Song Dali shouted, “Dad! Mom! We have guests at home!”
The three people outside turned to look at him in unison.
Zhong Weiguo’s body trembled, and he froze in place.
Song Laibao quickly stepped forward. Seeing the man standing at his doorstep looking stunned, he instinctively turned to Song Dali. “Who is this?”
“He’s my little aunt’s husband’s elder brother,” Song Dali explained. “Dawa’s uncle. He brought us lots of delicious food.”
Song Laibao immediately called out, “Brother Zhong, what’s wrong?”
“Weiguo?”
“Uncle1?”
Two exclamations rang out at the same time.
Song Laibao shuddered. Following Zhong Weiguo’s gaze, he saw Teacher Deng trembling as he ran toward them. A thought struck him, and his eyes widened in disbelief. “Uncle?!”
Liu Yang was also startled. When he recovered, he saw Zhong Weiguo’s face full of shock. Instinctively, he pinched his thigh, thinking he was dreaming. But then he heard—
“Weiguo, y-you’re here too?”
“Uncle, what are you doing here?”
Zhong Weiguo subconsciously doubted his own eyes and hesitated to approach. But as the man came closer, he was exactly as he remembered—except for a few more strands of white hair and a couple of wrinkles. “Uncle—”
Liu Yang couldn’t hold back anymore and interrupted, “Wait a minute, Brother Zhong, Teacher Deng, don’t rush to recognise each other yet. What exactly is going on?”
Zhong Weiguo was too overwhelmed to explain. He simply told Liu Yang they’d talk later and turned back to his uncle. “Uncle, what happened?”
“He’s your uncle?”
A surprised voice came from behind. Zhong Weiguo turned to see a slightly plump, dark-skinned woman he had never met before. “And you are?”
“I’m Laibao’s neighbour, Goudan’s mother.” She pointed to the mud house next to the Song family’s. “So, your uncle is also one of those ‘Black Seven Categories’ just like Zhaodi’s husband?”
Zhong Weiguo’s face darkened. “Nonsense! My uncle is just a teacher. He’s not part of any of the ‘Black Seven Categories’!”
“Weiguo, don’t be rude,” Deng Peilin patted Zhong Weiguo’s arm gently. “The villagers here have treated us well. They’ve given us rice, flour, oil and salt. They even helped us build a new house—it’s bigger than this lady’s home.”
Goudan’s mother lifted her chin and snorted.
“Then what did she mean by calling you a capitalist?” Zhong Weiguo was puzzled.
Deng Peilin explained, “A year after your mother passed away, I was transferred to another university to teach. In 1963, the Premier and the Foreign Minister proposed establishing foreign language schools, and they selected teachers with strong foreign language skills from universities. Since my English was excellent, I was chosen as an English teacher.
“The foreign language school was initiated by the Premier and the Foreign Minister, so when the Cultural Revolution began, people there were cautious and didn’t stir up trouble. But last year, as the situation escalated, even the foreign language schools weren’t spared. Your aunt and I were sent here because they suspected me of being a capitalist.”
“So, you’re not actually a capitalist?” Goudan’s mother blurted out. Realising what she had just heard, she quickly followed up, “Wait a minute, Old Deng, did you say you were a university professor? That means you taught college students?”
Zhong Weiguo immediately answered, “Of course!”
“Then, if my Goudan learns from you, does that mean he could become a college student too?” she asked eagerly.
Deng Peilin replied, “He has to pass the university entrance exams.”
As soon as he said that, Goudan’s mother’s face fell.
“But don’t worry,” Deng Peilin reassured her. “The government has started reopening universities, and they’ll likely open more in the future. If your child studies hard, he will definitely have a chance to go to university.”
“Well, that sounds much better,” Goudan’s mother said, finally satisfied. “Hey, from now on, I won’t call you Old Deng—I’ll call you Teacher Deng. You’d better teach my Goudan well. Oh, and you—Zhaodi’s husband’s elder brother—whatever you were saying in the courtyard just now, I won’t spread it around.”
Song Laibao was confused. “What was said?”
“That Lainan stole Zhaodi’s things,” Goudan’s mother blurted out.
Song Laibao’s face changed instantly. Realising she had let it slip, Goudan’s mother forced an awkward smile. “Uh, well, my pig is hungry. I’m off to feed it!” Before anyone could stop her, she darted back into her house.
The three women who had followed Zhong Weiguo saw her rush off and quickly found their own excuses to leave. But by now, many villagers had already gathered at the Song family’s door, drawn by the commotion of Zhong Weiguo and Deng Peilin’s reunion.
At this point, the villagers of Xiao Song Village weren’t concerned about how many college students Deng Peilin had taught or whether he could help their children become college students. After all, he wasn’t going anywhere. Instead, they turned their attention to Zhong Weiguo and started asking questions.
“What’s this about Lainan stealing?”
“Teacher Deng, Weiguo, it’s cold outside. Whatever you need to discuss, come inside.”
Yang shi quickly spoke up, ushering them toward the main hall.
Zhong Weiguo helped Deng Peilin inside. Meanwhile, the villagers turned and knocked on Goudan’s door. But before anyone could answer, they pushed their way into the courtyard and pressed themselves against the wall to eavesdrop.
At first, Zhong Weiguo was confused about how Goudan’s mother knew about the theft. But when he caught sight of the row of heads peeking over the wall, his own head started buzzing.
Song Laibao followed his gaze, sighed, and said, “That’s just how our village is.”
“Laibao, I don’t like the way you’re saying that,” one of Song Laibao’s distant cousins retorted. “If Lainan really stole something, you can’t keep it from us. New Year’s is coming soon, and she’ll have to visit my father for the holiday. If her hands aren’t clean, I need to keep an eye on her.”
Zhong Weiguo looked at Song Laibao. “What should we do about this?”
“Brother Zhong, what exactly did Zhaodi lose?” With so many eyes on him, Song Laibao simply told his son to bring out a few stools so they could sit in the courtyard and talk.
Zhong Weiguo replied, “Books, snowflake cream, clam oil, and soap.”
“That much?” Someone was surprised. “Snowflake cream and foreign soap must be worth quite a bit.”
Song Laibao quickly said, “They are, but my family isn’t short on money.”
“You might not be,” his cousin said, “but I heard from your mother that Zhaodi is now a middle school teacher, earning thirty to forty yuan a month. Her husband is a regiment commander, so he must make close to a hundred. Even the loose change from his position is enough to support your entire family. That’s why none of us are accusing you of stealing.”
“I heard Lainan’s husband also has a pretty high salary,” Goudan’s mother chimed in.
Song Laibao’s cousin was momentarily speechless before saying, “Then that just means Lainan is greedy.”
“That’s exactly what Zhaodi said,” Zhong Weiguo added. “When she called me, she sounded really upset. I think she’s completely disappointed in her second sister.”
“Anyone would be if they had a sister like that,” Song Laibao’s cousin sighed. “But unfortunately, it’s our family’s burden to bear. Laibao, what do you plan to do?”
Song Laibao firmly believed that family matters shouldn’t be aired in public. “I’ll go home and ask my mother.”
“Alright, then I’ll come find you once Auntie arrives,” the man said before disappearing over the wall. The others, seeing this, also left.
Song Laibao immediately told his son to fetch Deng Peilin’s wife, then invited Zhong Weiguo and Deng Peilin inside to talk.
Zhong Weiguo spoke with his uncle and aunt for two hours. Afterwards, Liu Yang took leave from work and rode his bicycle to take him to the station. By the time Zhong Weiguo reached Binhai and called Zhong Jianguo, it was already past 8 pm.
When Zhong Jianguo returned home after taking the call, he saw Song Zhaodi washing Sanwa’s feet. Without a word, he lifted her into his arms.
“Is Dad going crazy?” Erwa was startled and quickly turned to his older brother.
Zhong Dawa glanced at their father, who was spinning Song Zhaodi around, and remarked, “He’s sick. And it’s a serious case.”
Zhong Jianguo put Song Zhaodi down and gave his son a smack on the head. “Go upstairs to bed.”
“Not going.” Zhong Dawa rubbed his head and hid beside Song Zhaodi. “Dad, are you getting promoted?”
Zhong Jianguo laughed. “You little official-climber! No, I’m not getting promoted, but it’s still good news. We’ve found news about your grand-uncle’s family.”
“Grand-uncle?” Zhong Dawa had never heard of him before. “Is he like Grandpa?”
Song Zhaodi chuckled. “Your grandpa is one of a kind—you wouldn’t find another like him among a hundred families. He’s definitely different. Zhong Jianguo, stop keeping me in suspense. What does your uncle’s news have to do with me?”
“He’s in your hometown,” Zhong Jianguo explained, briefly telling her about her uncle’s exile. “It’s a good thing you never called da ge back then. Otherwise, we might never have found him in this lifetime.”
Song Zhaodi was stunned. “What are the chances?”
“Sometimes, things just work out this way,” Zhong Jianguo said. “Isn’t this what they call blessings and misfortunes being intertwined?”
Zhong Dawa raised his hand to interrupt. “Is Grand-uncle coming to our house? Dad, can we not let him come just yet? We just bought new snowflake cream, clam oil and soap today.”
Zhong Jianguo let out a bitter laugh. “Grand-uncle won’t be coming for now.”
“Will he come later?” Zhong Dawa asked.
Song Zhaodi answered, “No, he won’t. They’re old now and can’t handle the journey. But we need to go visit him.”
“I can go visit Grand-uncle,” Zhong Dawa said seriously. “As long as he doesn’t come to our house.”
- He says 小舅 which means ‘youngest maternal uncle’ ↩︎
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