Zili wanted to say, “Then I won’t ask.” But just as the words reached his lips, he remembered what Sanwa had said earlier. He found it hard to believe that a three-year-old, barely over three months, could be so sharp and playful. Testing the waters, he asked, “Sanwa, what did you just say?”
“You can’t ask anyone else. Asking means you lose,” Zhong Sanwa urged. “Zili ge, hurry up.”
Even someone as slow as Zili now understood what Sanwa was getting at. He felt both exasperated and amused, so he played along. “I lost. Let’s start over.”
“Okay!” Sanwa happily loosened the string figure he’d been weaving, thought for a moment, and said, “Zili ge, I’ll let you go first.”
Zili chuckled and played along. “Thank you, Sanwa.”
“No need to thank me.” Sanwa’s expression was extremely serious.
Given what Sanwa had done earlier, Zili was at a loss for words.
A little toddler and someone who didn’t know how to play – at most, they could go three rounds before having to restart. But since Sanwa had been completely crushed by his second brother in this game, he was still eager to play despite losing repeatedly.
Zhong Jianguo walked out with a large travel bag. Seeing the four children getting along so well, he felt quite pleased and smiled. “I’m leaving now.”
“Go ahead,” Erwa tossed back at his father before turning to Gengsheng. “Gengsheng ge, it’s your turn.”
The “Goodbye, Uncle” that was on the tip of Gengsheng’s tongue was abruptly swallowed down. He gulped and was about to speak again, but before he could make a sound, Zhong Jianguo and Song Zhaodi had already disappeared at the stairway.
“Erwa, your dad just left,” Gengsheng reminded him.
Zhong Erwa frowned slightly. “I know. Gengsheng ge, it’s your turn. Stop dawdling.”
“I know it’s my turn,” Gengsheng sighed, feeling drained. “I meant your dad went out. Aren’t you worried?”
Erwa shot back, “Why should I be?”
Gengsheng wanted to say, Because he might never come back. Just like his own father, who had said he was going out to buy something and then vanished from the world entirely. “Your dad is going out to sea.”
“Old Jiang doesn’t have the guts to attack Dad,” Erwa replied, flipping the string into his hands.
The underlying meaning was clear; why should he worry?
Gengsheng understood and wanted to comment on how carefree Erwa was, but hearing Sanwa giggling, he decided to say nothing and focused on the game.
When preparing to make dumplings, Song Zhaodi had planned things well. The family would have dumplings for dinner, washed down with some plain boiled water. However, when she went to the kitchen to steam them, she noticed half a sack of potatoes under the counter. Turning to Dawa, she asked, “Do you want some vinegar-seasoned shredded potatoes?”
Dawa nodded enthusiastically.
After seeing Zhong Jianguo off, Song Zhaodi started peeling potatoes.
The Zhong family’s stove had two iron woks. The large one was steaming mantou, so she planned to use the smaller one to stir-fry the potatoes. She asked Dawa, “Can I cook with both woks at the same time?”
“Yes!” Dawa agreed immediately. Watching her start slicing potatoes, he quickly added, “Mom, teach me how to fry potatoes today!”
Song Zhaodi’s hand trembled, nearly cutting herself. “Zhong Dawa, we need to conserve oil, or it won’t last till next month.”
“Dad said the military’s rations have improved a bit,” Dawa declared confidently. “After the New Year, he’ll definitely bring back more oil coupons.”
Song Zhaodi glanced back at him. “When your dad actually brings home more oil coupons, I’ll fry potatoes for you all.”
“Promise?” Dawa asked eagerly.
Song Zhaodi shot back, “Have I ever lied to you at home?”
“…No.” realising that his cooking lesson was postponed, Zhong Dawa quickly changed the topic. “Now that Dad’s gone, who’s going to buy the duck?”
“I will,” Song Zhaodi replied.
“I’ll go with you!” Dawa declared before she could refuse. “I’ll help carry the groceries.”
Song Zhaodi felt exhausted. She deeply regretted using food to win over the kids in the first place. But since things had already come to this, the next morning, she had no choice but to wake Dawa up.
Zili sat up and immediately started getting dressed.
Song Zhaodi was startled and quickly patted his shoulder. “It’s cold. You two keep sleeping. We’re just going to the food store. Dawa’s set on coming because he’s thinking about the good food there. Honestly, I didn’t want to bring him along.”
“Mom!” Dawa, busy looking for his cotton pants, called out loudly. “Go wash your face and brush your teeth!”
Zili, watching Dawa’s awkward behavior, smirked and burrowed back under the blanket.
By eight o’clock, Song Zhaodi and Dawa returned.
In the courtyard, Duan dasao was sweeping when she spotted Song Zhaodi carrying a large bag, while Dawa lugged two ducks. Her heart clenched at the sight. She dropped the broom and rushed toward the Zhong house.
When she arrived, she saw Dawa coming out with a big knife. Her eyelid twitched. “Xiao Song, did you buy so much again?”
Song Zhaodi was suddenly reminded of her own mother. Whenever her mother managed to get her alone, the first thing she’d ask was if she was pregnant. The second was always a warning to stop spending money recklessly and save for the future.
She could already guess what Duan dasao would say next. Cutting her off, she said, “Dawa insisted on buying them.”
“Dawa?” Duan dasao turned to look at the boy.
Dawa, still holding the knife, grinned. “Grandma, our family makes braised duck for the New Year. Will you come eat with us?”
“You just had pork cracklings yesterday,” Duan dasao reminded him.
Dawa nodded but was confused. “What does pork cracklings have to do with duck?”
“Nothing,” Song Zhaodi laughed. “Put down the knife. We’ll cook after we eat. Come help me make breakfast.”
Dawa didn’t move. “Just make some porridge and heat up a few dumplings. You go ahead, Mom.”
Seeing how fixated he was on the ducks, Duan dasao sighed and shook her head. Then she noticed the large bag by the door, the one Song Zhaodi had been carrying earlier. “What’s inside?”
“Pork bones, seaweed, white radish, and garlic sprouts,” Song Zhaodi answered. “Auntie, the kids love winter bamboo shoots. Next time you go up the mountain to dig some, let me join you.”
Wengzhou Island was a small, isolated island surrounded by the sea. While it felt large to the residents, the flatlands were barely enough for housing, let alone farming. The men made their living by fishing, while women and children foraged for wild produce in the mountains.
Since most houses were built against the mountains, the local government had tried to declare the land as collective property, banning unauthorised harvesting. But stopping the islanders was impossible. After all, they only had to climb over their own backyard walls to reach the mountain.
The government office, now reorganised as the Revolutionary Committee, had a staff of barely a dozen. Forget patrolling the mountains – they didn’t even know what grew up there.
After all, Wengzhou Island was entirely mountainous.
There was no way to control it, so the Revolutionary Committee simply didn’t bother. However, any fish caught at sea were distributed evenly according to the population.
Since the mountains weren’t under the Revolutionary Committee’s jurisdiction, anyone could go up. The islanders would go to dig for bamboo shoots, and the military families would follow. Duan dasao, with nothing to do at home, would go up the mountain every few days. She never ventured too deep, just roamed around the foothills, picking mushrooms, digging up winter bamboo shoots, and collecting firewood.
Half of the firewood stacked in the Zhong family’s kitchen came from Duan dasao.
Duan dasao was annoyed that Song Zhaodi never listened to advice and didn’t know how to manage a household. But seeing that she at least knew to go up the mountain for bamboo shoots, she felt reassured. “I’m free today, so I can go up the mountain.”
Song Zhaodi smiled. “Not today. I have to wash clothes in the morning, clean the ducks, and make cotton pants for Zili and Gengsheng in the afternoon. The ones they’re wearing now were passed down from Dawa and Erwa. They’ve been wearing them since we came back from Binhai – more than ten days now. Even if they don’t need washing because of the inner lining, they should at least be aired out.”
“I’ll help you sew.” Duan dasao’s eyes fell on the big bag of food and couldn’t help but say, “Xiao Song, you harvested quite a lot of cabbage this year. Just make some in the morning and evening, and cook noodles with cabbage at noon. The winter will pass in no time.”
Zhong Dawa frowned deeply – cabbage three times a day? That would kill him.
Seeing Dawa’s impatience, Song Zhaodi quickly said, “Got it, got it. Auntie, you should go home and cook. We need to start cooking too.”
“I know, you’re just tired of my nagging.” Duan dasao sighed, shook her head, and turned to leave.
Dawa watched her back and muttered, “If Grandma Liu keeps nagging like this, I won’t like her anymore.”
“She means well,” Song Zhaodi said. “We spent nearly three yuan today. If we spent like this every day, plus buying milk powder, face cream, toothpaste, and other things, we’d be spending at least a hundred yuan a month. When Liu Ping and Liu Wei were still at home, your Grandma Liu’s whole family only spent about twenty yuan a month.”
Dawa did some quick math. “We really spend a lot of money.”
“Exactly.” Song Zhaodi chuckled. “So you can’t blame Grandma Liu for nagging. People who truly care about us will always advise us to save. But making money is for spending. Otherwise, what’s the point of earning it?”
Zhong Dawa’s eyes lit up. “Then can we fry garlic sprouts for breakfast?”
“Don’t even think about it.” Song Zhaodi shot him down. “We’re having porridge and steamed buns this morning. Go check the chicken coop for eggs. If there are any, I’ll make scrambled eggs with green onions for you.”
Zhong Dawa took off running. “I’ll check.” He didn’t mind the smell, squeezing into the coop to search. He found four eggs, placed them in the living room, and then went to pick green onion leaves.
Zili finished dressing Sanwa and led him downstairs. Seeing Dawa pumping water, he quickly ran over. “Dawa, I’ll pump the water. You should rest.”
“It’s done.” Dawa said. “Don’t pump more. Freshly pumped water is warm. Mom said to only pump when we need it, so our hands won’t freeze.”
Zili asked, “You don’t need it now?”
“Nope.” Dawa scooped the green onions out of the basin. “All set. Go wash your face and brush your teeth. Once the scrambled eggs are ready, we can eat.”
Zili thought for a moment. “I’ll go start the fire.”
“What fire?” Zhong Dawa was puzzled. “Mom’s cooking on the stove.” With that, he walked into the house. At the door, he spotted Erwa gripping Gengsheng’s arm, and his eyebrow twitched. “Mom, Erwa cut a hole in his cotton pants again.”
“I didn’t cut it!” Zhong Erwa protested loudly. “Mom, the pants ripped on their own. Big Brother is wrongfully accusing me!”
Zhong Dawa snorted. “Don’t think I don’t know. Yesterday, they weren’t torn. Today, they are. What, do you have teeth on your legs?”
“Give me the green onions first.” Song Zhaodi came out of the kitchen. “Erwa, if you don’t tell the truth, I’ll sew a rat or a toad on your pants.”
Zhong Erwa’s face changed slightly. “Mom…”
“I never lie.” Song Zhaodi had thought that with Zhong Jianguo away, leaving the household without its pillar, this New Year would feel like any other day. But seeing this bunch of kids, she was certain – no other family was as lively as hers. “Erwa, I’ll count to three—”
Zhong Erwa pursed his lips. “Okay, okay, I’ll tell the truth. The pants had a tiny tear, so I pulled at it really hard, and it ripped more. Mom, I told you, so you have to sew a panda on my pants.”
Song Zhaodi was surprised. “How do you know about pandas?”
“I know too, Mom,” Zhong Dawa said. “Lin Zhong’s dad smokes, and he has a pack of Panda brand cigarettes. He treasures it so much. Lin Zhong said Commander Wu gave it to his dad. Even after the cigarettes were gone, he kept the box on the shelf.”
Song Zhaodi was speechless. “Zhong Erwa, you really are something.”
“Mom, which tastes better, panda meat or black bear meat?” Zhong Dawa asked curiously.
Song Zhaodi was taken aback. “Your meat tastes the best. I’ll chop you up and save you for New Year’s.” With that, she turned and walked away.
Zhong Dawa froze for a moment, then turned to ask, “Zili, is your aunt angry?”
“Dawa, pandas can’t be eaten.” Zili didn’t even let him ask. “Don’t ask me why, I don’t know either.”
Zhong Dawa clicked his tongue, a bit disappointed. “Alright. Maybe panda meat is poisonous. Anyway, hurry up and brush your teeth and wash your face.”
Gengsheng tugged at his brother’s sleeve. Zili knew he had something to say.
The two of them first helped Erwa and Sanwa wash their faces. Once the two went inside, Gengsheng whispered, “Ge, don’t you think the Zhong family is strange?”
Zili nodded and glanced at the doorway, wary of Dawa or Song Zhaodi suddenly appearing. “Auntie Song is strange. Dawa is strange. Erwa is strange. Sanwa seems normal for now, but he doesn’t act like a three-year-old. But I can’t pinpoint what exactly is strange. Anyway, the only normal one in the Zhong family is Uncle Zhong.”
“Uncle Zhong is strange too,” Gengsheng added. “Dawa is greedy. Erwa is vain. But Uncle Zhong doesn’t discipline them at all.”
Zili said, “Uncle Zhong probably doesn’t know.”
“Dawa and Erwa are his sons,” Gengsheng said in a low voice. “Dad always said, ‘No one knows a child better than their father.’”
Zili’s eyes turned red at the mention of their father. “I wonder how Grandpa is doing.”
“Should we ask Auntie Song?” Gengsheng suggested. “Maybe she can ask Uncle Zhao for us.”
Song Zhaodi came out carrying the dishes, but she didn’t see Zili or Gengsheng. Standing at the doorway, she called out, “Zili, Gengsheng, it’s time to eat—”
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the two children by the washbasin under the eaves. “Hurry up and wash up.”
As she spoke, she got a clear look at their expressions and panicked. “Why are you crying? Did Dawa act up and make you angry?”
Leave a Reply