Song Zhaodi: “Auntie, this Comrade Zhong is my biaoyi’s stepson. My biaoyi came over a few days ago to arrange this marriage for me. He’s a university graduate. I think he’s a good match and I plan to marry him. So please don’t mention Wang Degui in front of me anymore.”
“A university graduate?” The woman looked at Zhong Jianguo enviously. “But why do I feel like he looks a bit old? He’s not as good a match for you as Wang Degui.”
Zhong Jianguo’s brow twitched as he considered how to respond.
Song Zhaodi: “I didn’t mean he’s still a student now. He graduated years ago and is now an officer in the military. He trains every day, enduring the wind, sun and rain, which makes him look older than us.”
“An officer?” The woman was surprised but didn’t want to admit that Song Zhaodi was lucky. “How high of a rank? Must be just a little platoon leader.”
Song Zhaodi: “Regimental commander.”
“Auntie, do you know how high a regimental commander ranks?” Song Dajie, seeing the woman’s disbelief, was very satisfied. “Above a regimental commander is a division commander and above that is a commander-in-chief.”
The woman gasped in shock. “Oh my heavens! I always knew Zhaodi was a lucky girl and now she’s proven it! Zhaodi, should I start calling you Madam Officer now?
“Zhaodi, when my son Goudan grows up, I’ll send him to serve under Commander Zhong.” Without waiting for Song Zhaodi to respond, she turned to Zhong Jianguo and said, “Commander Zhong, can you give my Goudan a position as a little company commander?”
Zhong Jianguo was speechless. “Auntie—”
“Auntie, your Goudan is too skinny and short.” Song Zhaodi said, “In the army, he wouldn’t even be able to carry a rifle, let alone be a company commander. In my opinion, he could only manage to be the head of the cooking squad.”
The woman hesitated. “Cooking squad? Isn’t that just a cook? No way, no way.”
“He’s too thin. I think the only thing he can lift is a spatula.” Song Zhaodi said. “Is Goudan cooking right now? You should tell him to practice well so he can cook for my partner in the future.”
The woman turned around to look and saw her son kneading dough. She huffed at Song Zhaodi, “Keep dreaming!” Then, in a flash, she disappeared.
Zhong Jianguo was just about to ask what was wrong when he heard shouting from behind the wall: “From now on, you’re not allowed to cook! Stay away from the stove! Go call your father to make the fire!”
“What’s going on?” Zhong Jianguo lowered his voice, pointing at the wall.
Song dajie gestured toward the kitchen.
Once inside, she whispered, “That woman is the laziest person in our village. She waits for her children to cook for her every day. Goudan is a boy, not a girl—how can he be spending all his time in the kitchen?
“My mother once told her off, but she didn’t take it well, saying my mother was meddling in her business. Also, the boy is still growing and if he eats even a little more, she scolds him for eating too much.”
“No wonder her face is so round,” Zhong Jianguo realised. “All the good food in their house must go into her belly.”
Song dajie: “Exactly.”
“You were about to say that recruitment isn’t under your control, weren’t you?” Song Zhaodi asked Zhong Jianguo. “If you’d said that, she would have thought you were stingy. Even if you reasoned with her, she wouldn’t listen. Instead, she’d go around spreading rumours, making others believe you’re stingy too.”
Zhong Jianguo thought it over and had to admit that although Song Zhaodi seemed straightforward to the point of being naive, she was actually quite sharp. “Lesson learned.”
“My Zhaodi is smart,” said Father Song. Seeing that the firewood under the stove had burned out, he stood up and patted the dust off his clothes. “Go wash your hands, it’s time to eat. Comrade Zhong, will you join us for a meal?”
Yesterday, after returning to town, Zhong Jianguo had been so hungry he nearly passed out. Today, he dared not refuse. “Thank you, Uncle. Uncle, you can call me Jianguo or Xiao Zhong. Calling me ‘Comrade Zhong’ feels too formal.”
Mother Song scooped the vegetables out of the pot. “Then don’t call Song ‘Comrade’ either. Just call her like we do—Zhaodi. Zhaodi, go call your jiefu to come eat.”
“I’ll go,” Zhong Jianguo volunteered.
Mother Song: “You don’t know the way. Zhaodi, hurry.”
As Song Zhaodi walked out of the kitchen, she pouted. Calling her brother-in-law for meals was usually her eldest nephew’s job. If they were making her do it today, it must be because they wanted to talk to Zhong Jianguo.
Zhong Jianguo noticed this too. Although it was only his second time at the Song house, Mother Song’s acting wasn’t very convincing. “Auntie, do you have something to say to me?”
Mother Song nodded. “Your Uncle and I have discussed it. We’ll give you fabric ration coupons and a hundred yuan. You should take Zhaodi to the county today and buy her a few more outfits.”
Zhong Jianguo’s stepmother was a troublemaker and his own mother was a handful too. Yesterday, seeing how sharp-tongued Mother Song was, he had assumed that aside from his own mother, other people’s mothers were also difficult.
But as soon as Mother Song finished speaking, she took out a stack of ten-yuan bills and fabric coupons from her pocket. Zhong Jianguo realised she wasn’t just making polite conversation—she was serious. He was momentarily stunned.
Song dajie nudged him. “My mother is talking to you.”
“Auntie, this money is for your wedding banquet. I can’t take it,” Zhong Jianguo said. “There’s no direct boat from here to Wengzhou Island. If I don’t transfer in Shencheng, I’ll have to go through Hangcheng. Both cities are more prosperous than here, so I plan to buy Zhaodi’s clothes there instead.”
Mother Song was pleased and showed a happy expression. “You still have money?”
“I do,” Zhong Jianguo replied. “You should keep this money.” After a pause, he added, “But could you give me the fabric ration coupons? The weather will get colder soon and my three kids have outgrown their clothes from last year. When I buy clothes for Zhaodi, I’ll also buy some fabric. By the way, does Zhaodi know how to sew clothes?”
Mother Song assured him, “Don’t worry about that. Girls from the countryside all know how to cook, sew clothes and stitch shoe soles.”
“Mom, I heard Comrade Zhong is here,” Liu Yang’s voice came from outside.
Zhong Jianguo stepped out. “Just call me Jianguo. Ah? That’s a long fish, what kind is it?”
“It’s ribbonfish,” Liu Yang said, setting down a basket filled with fresh grass. “The fishermen who went out to sea yesterday have returned. The team leader said each household gets two fish. Mom, since we’ll be hosting a gathering in a few days, I told everyone we’d trade some rice for extra fish.”
Mother Song nodded in acknowledgement. “Put them in a basin first. We’ll salt them after lunch.”
“Should we buy some pork?” Zhong Jianguo asked.
Mother Song pointed to the pigpen. “We’ll slaughter that pig the day after tomorrow. Then we’ll trade for some extra vegetables and that should be enough.”
Zhong Jianguo, though never a farmer, understood the value of a pig to a rural family. He glanced at the big, chubby pig sleeping soundly and his feelings became complicated. Zhong Jianguo, who had earlier misjudged Mother Song as someone troublesome, remained silent and simply turned back to the kitchen to help Song Zhaodi bring out the dishes.
It was Friday and Song Zhaodi had classes. After lunch, she went to school to ask for leave before setting off with Zhong Jianguo. However, when they reached the village entrance, they were stopped.
Song Zhaodi jumped off the bike. “Village chief, what’s the matter?”
“Is he your partner?” The village chief pointed at Zhong Jianguo, who was holding onto his bicycle.
“Yes, he is. And he’s not an outsider—he’s my biaoyi’s stepson,” Song Zhaodi explained.
“I also heard he’s a soldier,” the village chief said.
Zhong Jianguo was surprised and turned to Song Zhaodi. How did he know?
“It must have been my nosy neighbour who told you, right?” Song Zhaodi rolled her eyes in her heart. That gossipmonger. “Uncle Village Chief, are you asking when we’re getting married?”
The village chief waved his hand. “I don’t care about that. I just want to know if you’ll continue teaching at our village school after marriage.”
“I have to follow the military,” Song Zhaodi replied. Then she immediately understood his concern. “You’re worried that there will be no teachers after I leave? The town has assigned college and high school graduates to our village. They’re at the educated youth camp. You should ask them.”
The village chief shook his head. “They’re here for rural reeducation, not to live comfortably.”
“Uncle, do you think teaching is easy? Teaching kids is more tiring than farming. I’d rather help my mother with chores than teach the troublemakers in our village.” Song Zhaodi continued, “Besides, they’re from big cities, more knowledgeable than me and better suited to be teachers. Don’t try to keep me and go find them instead.”
The village chief raised an eyebrow. “So, you two are really getting married?”
“Yes, though I didn’t want to marry so soon,” Song Zhaodi pointed at Zhong Jianguo. “He’s in the East China Sea Fleet. Do you know the East China Sea Fleet? The one that fought against Old Jiang’s forces two years ago. Things aren’t stable over there and he has to return in a few days. I need to make sure he doesn’t worry.”
Some villagers envied and some resented Song Zhaodi, but whenever they talked about her outside the village, they spoke of her with pride.
Since she, a university graduate, had returned to teach in the village, even parents from neighbouring villages sent their children to study here. This brought the village chief a lot of respect from other villages’ leaders.
The village chief had always dreaded the idea of Song Zhaodi getting married and leaving. As soon as he heard she had a partner, he ran straight to the school, only to learn she hadn’t gone to class yet. Then, he rushed to the Song family’s house, only to run into her on the way.
Seeing Zhong Jianguo, he squinted and examined him, feeling as if his precious cabbage was being taken away by a pig.
Before Song Zhaodi could speak, the village chief had still hoped to dissuade her. But when he heard the words “soldier” and “East China Sea Fleet,” he, being a Party member, could no longer object. “Is that true?”
“Village Chief, he’s also a regiment commander,” Song Zhaodi added. “He has over two thousand soldiers under him. I wouldn’t dare to make that up.”
The village chief blinked in shock. “A regiment commander? Good heavens, that’s impressive! Hello, hello, Commander Zhong!” He quickly extended both hands in greeting.
“Hello, Village Chief Song.” Just half an hour ago, Zhong Jianguo had watched Song Zhaodi deal with a nosy neighbour and now he saw her completely change the village chief’s attitude. He had once thought the stories of ancient diplomats persuading rulers with just their words were exaggerated. But at this moment, he believed it. Some people truly had a way with words. “Village Chief Song, do you approve of our marriage?”
The village chief nodded repeatedly. “Of course! Absolutely! I’ll have the school issue her a recommendation letter and proof of employment right away. By the way, when’s the wedding?”
“The ninth,” Song Zhaodi replied. “We’ll hold the ceremony at my house first, then head to his place. Things are rushed and his home is too far from here, so my aunt won’t be coming. Village Chief, I’d like to invite you to be our wedding officiant.”
The village chief beamed. “Of course, of course! Are you two heading to town now?”
“No,” Zhong Jianguo said. “I just arrived the night before last and haven’t bought anything yet. Today, I’m taking Zhaodi to the county to buy a few new clothes.”
The village chief did some quick mental calculations and clicked his tongue. “You sure are getting married in a hurry.”
“No choice. The military only gave me seven days off,” Zhong Jianguo said with a wry smile.
The village chief was just making a casual remark, knowing that getting a seven-day leave for an active-duty officer was already difficult: “Go quickly.”
“We’ll be off then.” Song Zhaodi smiled. “Village Chief Uncle, come to our house tomorrow for the pork feast. We’re butchering the pig.”
The village chief waved his hand. “Got it.”
At around nine o’clock, Song Zhaodi and Zhong Jianguo arrived at the county town. As soon as the bicycle stopped, Song Zhaodi couldn’t help but rub her backside. “It hurts so much.”
Zhong Jianguo parked the bicycle properly and turned to see her hopping in place. He couldn’t help but laugh. “We’ll put a couple of pieces of clothing under you on the way back. I forgot the road here isn’t very smooth.”
“Are the roads in Wengzhou Island better?” Song Zhaodi made conversation.
Zhong Jianguo: “They’re stone-paved, so a bit smoother. Let’s go inside.” He pointed at the department store ahead.
“No need to lock the bike?” Song Zhaodi asked instinctively.
Zhong Jianguo: “No one dares steal bicycles. Your mother asked me to buy you a few sets of clothes. How about four sets?”
Following him inside and seeing the clothes hanging behind the counter, Song Zhaodi thought to herself, I don’t even want one set. “Just one set for the wedding day is enough. I know how to sew. Buy more fabric and I’ll make my own.”
Afraid she was being overly polite, Zhong Jianguo looked her in the eye. “Just one? Are you sure?”
“Yes!” Song Zhaodi glanced around, estimating which outfit could be altered for size. After a moment, she spotted a green set with a bit of embroidery. “That one.”
Shencheng was one of the country’s largest cities, second only to the capital. Having spent years in Shencheng, Zhong Jianguo had seen all kinds of fashionable clothes. He didn’t know how to comment on Song Zhaodi’s taste without hurting her pride. “I think that bright red one next to it looks nice.”
“I want this one.” Song Zhaodi turned to him. “Are you buying it for me or not?”
The saleswoman behind the counter noticed that the two were standing about 60–70 cm apart and discussing new clothes, immediately guessing they were about to get married. She couldn’t help but chime in, “Comrade, this one is cheap, but the red one is better.”
Red was a great colour—it was the colour of the national flag. This was Song Zhaodi’s first time getting married, in this life or the previous one, so she also wanted to wear red. However, in her past life, when Liu Ling studied fashion design, she researched the evolution of clothing in Huaguo after its founding. From the late ’60s to the late ’70s, clothing in Huaguo came in only three colours—grey, blue and green—with military uniforms being particularly popular.
Although the country was undergoing a major revolution, it had only started last year and hadn’t yet affected clothing trends. But since she was marrying a soldier and Zhong Jianguo was her support, Song Zhaodi didn’t want to give anyone room to gossip. She boldly said, “I just like the cheap one.”
The saleswoman was left speechless.
Zhong Jianguo, seeing this, felt both amused and helpless. “Alright, that one it is. If your mother asks, you’ll have to explain it to her yourself.”
“My mother listens to me.” Song Zhaodi accepted the clothes and pointed at the fabric stall nearby. “Use all the fabric ration coupons to buy cloth.”
Without hesitation, Zhong Jianguo took out all the fabric coupons. The surrounding crowd gasped in surprise.
Song Zhaodi looked around and noticed that the fabric saleswoman was staring wide-eyed in shock. Confused, she asked, “What happened?”
“Comrade, can you spare me two fabric coupons?” A middle-aged woman in her forties suddenly approached. “I’ll trade you oil coupons for them.”
Zhong Jianguo smiled. “Sorry, big sister, we have several kids and elderly folks in the family who need warm clothes for winter. I exchanged these coupons with people from the village and the factory. Our home is far from here and we only make clothes once a year.”
“Oh, I see.” The woman immediately felt embarrassed. Her gaze fell on a patch on Song Zhaodi’s sleeve and she awkwardly said, “Never mind, then.”
Zhong Jianguo, looking apologetic, said, “Sorry.” After paying, he carried the fabric outside and placed it on the back of the bicycle. “Zhaodi, want to sit on the fabric?”
Song Zhaodi was tempted to say yes, but if people saw her doing that, they would surely gossip about her ruining good material. Her mother would scold her endlessly when they got home. “The fabric will get wrinkled. Let’s grab some straw on the way out of town to cushion the seat.”
Since Zhong Jianguo had bought a lot of fabric, the saleswoman had tied it together with a hemp rope. Song Zhaodi picked it up as she spoke. “Let’s head back.”
Zhong Jianguo glanced at her. Seeing that she truly wasn’t willing to sit on the fabric and noticing how she carefully tucked the inexpensive outfit inside as if it were a treasure, he couldn’t help but say, “Honestly, you could have married someone better than me.”
“Someone better?” Song Zhaodi sat on the bike, holding the fabric with one arm and grabbing Zhong Jianguo’s clothes with the other. “Someone older than you?”
Zhong Jianguo’s mouth twitched. “I meant someone without children.”
“I like children.” Song Zhaodi replied.
Zhong Jianguo raised an eyebrow in surprise but didn’t show it on his face. “You told the village chief you’d rather do farm work than teach school.”
“Yes,” Song Zhaodi said. “I teach first, second and third-grade Chinese. Each class has seventy to eighty kids. If you were me, would you like it?”
Zhong Jianguo imagined the scene and admitted, “That sounds terrifying. Your village isn’t that big, how are there so many kids?”
“Children from four nearby villages come to our school,” Song Zhaodi explained. “The village chief said the previous teachers only had middle school education and couldn’t teach well. Since I have more education, they feel at ease letting me teach. If I weren’t limited to three classes a day, he would’ve asked me to teach fourth and fifth graders too.”
Zhong Jianguo was puzzled. “Only three classes a day?”
“Two in the morning, one in the afternoon. The rest of the time, we go home to help with farm work,” Song Zhaodi said. “I have to help my family too.”
Zhong Jianguo knew very little about village affairs. Now that he understood, he wasn’t sure what to say to her, since they had only met the day before. After thinking for a while, he said, “When we leave, remember to bring your graduation certificate. There’s a primary school on Wengzhou Island. You can work as a teacher there and earn thirty to fifty yuan a month.”
“That much?” After visiting the county today, Liu Ling, who had come from a century ago, deeply realised how cheap everything was in this era—a pound of pork was only a dime. “Why is the salary so high there?”
Zhong Jianguo explained, “That’s actually considered low. The school I’m talking about is for the children of cadres. The government places a lot of importance on the education of military children. They even established a middle school this year. If it weren’t for the current campaign encouraging educated youth to go to the countryside, we would have just hired teachers from a normal school.”
Since Zhong Jianguo couldn’t see her face, Song Zhaodi took the opportunity to make exaggerated expressions behind his back. “What a coincidence. Zhong Jianguo, are you going back to Binhai in the next couple of days?”
“I need to go back once to inform my older brother,” Zhong Jianguo replied. “But there’s something I need to tell you—we must leave on the ninth. Make sure you have everything packed that morning and after lunch, we’ll head to Binhai to catch the night train.”
This was not a century later when no one would dare to threaten China. Back then, Old Jiang had always threatened to attack and Song Zhaodi didn’t dare take such matters lightly. “I understand. I won’t delay you.”
When they returned home, Mother Song’s expression darkened the moment she saw the clothes Song Zhaodi had bought.
Song Zhaodi secretly shrugged, then leaned in and whispered to her mother, “I spent all of Zhong Jianguo’s money on fabric. There’s some for you and Dad and also for my two nephews.”
Mother Song felt warmth in her heart but pretended to be upset. “I don’t need new clothes.”
“If you don’t need them, I’ll give them to dajie and jiefu,” Song Zhaodi teased, pointing to the two people learning to ride a bicycle at the door.
Mother Song immediately grabbed the fabric and carried it inside, muttering, “They don’t need it either.”
Zhong Jianguo was teaching Liu Yang how to ride a bicycle. Seeing that he was occupied, Song Zhaodi, no longer needing to keep up appearances, grinned and said, “Mom, pick four pieces for yourself. Wrap up the rest for me—I’m saving them to make clothes for his three kids.”
“Aren’t you afraid Zhong Jianguo will be upset that you’re not buying clothes for yourself but using his money to buy fabric for us?” Mother Song asked, concerned.
Song Zhaodi smirked, “He’s very satisfied with me right now. Even if I give all this fabric to you, he won’t dare say anything—at most, he’ll sulk for a bit.”
“It’s fine once or twice, but if you keep buying things for us, even the most patient man will get upset,” Mother Song warned. “Last night, your dad said Zhong Jianguo is capable and capable men always have a temper. In the future, if you want to buy things for us, make sure he truly doesn’t mind before you do.”
“I know, Mom,” Song Zhaodi reassured her. “I plan to spend the next two days making clothes for his three kids, along with a pair of shoes for each. The clothes can be a bit bigger, but the shoes need to fit perfectly. Can you find me some shoe patterns?”
“Sigh, being a stepmother isn’t easy,” Mother Song sighed. “Zhaodi, if you regret this decision, we still have time to change it. But after the ninth, there’s no turning back.”
“I don’t regret it,” Song Zhaodi replied. “If those three kids don’t appreciate me, I’ll just have some of my own.” After a pause, she added, “Mom, don’t worry. I’m marrying Zhong Jianguo, not his kids. If they act out, I’ll have Zhong Jianguo deal with them.”
“Alright then.” Mother Song picked out the four worst pieces of fabric and pushed the rest toward Song Zhaodi. “Put these away.”
Song Zhaodi, well-versed in fabric quality, quickly recognised her mother’s intentions. She felt a pang of emotion about the selflessness of parents but pretended not to notice. When making clothes for Zhong Jianguo’s three children, she also made clothes for her parents and nephews.
On the morning of the seventh, Zhong Jianguo took a car back to Binhai City.
As soon as she saw him, Zhong dasao asked, “Not bad?”
Zhong Jianguo smiled before he even spoke. “She’s pretty good—graduated from high school, hardworking, sensible and not bad-looking.”
“That good?” Zhong dasao was surprised. “Is the sun rising from the west, or did she get kicked in the head by a donkey?” She gestured toward the row of communal buildings to the south.
Zhong Jianguo explained, “My stepmother looks down on the Song family. When they told her that Song Zhaodi was a high school graduate, she probably thought they were lying. Song Zhaodi’s jiefu got annoyed the moment I mentioned her. The Song family doesn’t like her, so you don’t have to worry about Song Zhaodi being like her.”
“That’s great!” Zhong dasao finally felt relieved. “Are you bringing her back with you on the ninth?”
“Yes,” Zhong Jianguo confirmed. “The Song family is quite reasonable and agreed to let her leave with me.” Then he brought up the wedding banquet. “Her parents didn’t say it outright, but I could tell they didn’t want the villagers to know I have three kids. So on the ninth, you all shouldn’t come.”
“Of course.” Zhong dasao nodded. “She’s a young, unmarried high school graduate. If she marries a man with children, the villagers will definitely think the Song family is being greedy.”
Zhong Jianguo said, “Once she arrives, you’ll see for yourself. She could have easily found someone with a background similar to mine.”
“Then why would she marry you?” Zhong dasao frowned. “Did you find out?”
Zhong Jianguo didn’t want to mention Song Zhaodi’s previous relationship, so he simply said, “In the countryside, her options were limited. If she waited too long, it would be even harder to find a good match. I just happened to be the right person at the right time.” Then, noticing his eldest son eavesdropping, he turned to the boy and asked, “Feeling reassured now?”
“Is my stepmother not a bad person?” the child asked hesitantly.
Zhong Jianguo, in high spirits, lifted his son onto his lap. “Not bad at all. She even knows how to make clothes and shoes. When I left, she was cutting fabric to make you a winter coat.”
“Really?” The child was sceptical. “Even my mom doesn’t know how to make clothes and shoes. Does she really? Dad, if you’re lying, you’re a puppy.”
Zhong Jianguo’s expression darkened slightly. “She’s not like your mom. She knows how to cook and is a teacher.”
“My mom was a teacher too,” the child countered.
Zhong Jianguo nodded. “That’s one thing they have in common. But when you meet her, you have to call her ‘Mom.’”
“What if I don’t?” the child tilted his head and asked. “Will you hit me? My sister said that having a stepmother means getting a stepfather too, just like Grandpa. Dad, will you turn into a stepfather?”
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