A single light remark made Zhong Dawa’s face change drastically. He quickly said, “Mom, I know I was wrong.”
“So I never said you weren’t allowed to eat,” Song Zhaodi replied. “When I said you’d have to stand all day tomorrow, that was only if you couldn’t come up with a better solution. If you do, the punishment will be canceled.”
Zhong Dawa pulled a long face. “Mom, one night isn’t enough time.”
“You brothers have worked together to defeat kids much older than you,” Song Zhaodi said. “I believe if you put your heads together, you can find a good solution.”
Zhong Dawa wanted to cry. “Mom, I won’t dare do it again.”
“Not daring now doesn’t mean you won’t repeat the mistake in the future,” Song Zhaodi said. “For now, let’s eat.”
Song Zhaodi didn’t know Commander Zhao’s wife personally, but she had heard that she worked at the hospital and that her last name was Liang.
Hearing Zhong Jianguo address her as Head Nurse Liang earlier, Song Zhaodi guessed she had come to check on Zili and Gengsheng. She then turned to Duan dasao. “Auntie, have you eaten yet?” The implication was clear, if she hadn’t, she should go home to eat and take Head Nurse Liang with her. Zili and Gengsheng were fine.
“I already ate,” Duan dasao said, not picking up on the hint. “Everyone’s been talking about how your five kids managed to defeat three older boys. I was worried they might be hurt, so I came to check on them. Seeing that they’re fine, I can rest easy now.” She turned to Head Nurse Liang, silently asking if she had any more questions.
Head Nurse Liang hadn’t told anyone she was coming, not even Duan dasao. No matter how smart Song Zhaodi was, she couldn’t have anticipated the visit and wouldn’t have put on an act for her.
Seeing how strict Song Zhaodi was with the children, and that the Zhong family ate better than her own, Head Nurse Liang felt reassured. “I should get going. It’s getting late.”
“Then let me see you out,” Song Zhaodi offered. As she stepped out, she shot a glance at the five children still standing against the wall. “Go wash your hands and eat already.”
However, the five remained frozen in place until she was out of sight. Then, they scrambled to the kitchen to scoop up warm water and wash their hands.
Early spring brought large temperature fluctuations, with warm days and chilly nights.
After dinner, the children took their baths, and by then, it was almost nine o’clock. Since it was late and cold, Song Zhaodi didn’t scold them further but instead sent them to bed to reflect on their actions.
As soon as the door closed, Zili couldn’t wait to ask, “Dawa, if we don’t come up with a solution that satisfies Auntie and Uncle, will Auntie really punish us tomorrow?”
“My mom never lies,” Zhong Dawa said, climbing into bed and staring up at the stark white ceiling. He sighed. “What are we going to do tomorrow?”
Gengsheng said, “I think we first need to figure out exactly why Auntie is mad.”
“Because we got into a fight,” Erwa answered.
Zhong Dawa frowned. “We’ve fought before, and Mom wasn’t this angry. She’s mad because of Sanwa.”
“I didn’t make Mom mad,” Zhong Sanwa defended himself. “Mom said it’s because da ge was disobedient.”
Zhong Dawa snorted. “Mom told us before that if we fight, we can scratch and bite, but we’re not allowed to use weapons. Out of all five of us, only you had scissors.”
“Erwa gave them to me,” Sanwa argued. At his young age, he couldn’t remember all of Song Zhaodi’s past warnings and didn’t understand why weapons were off-limits in fights.
Gengsheng said, “So Auntie is mad not just because we used scissors but also because we disobeyed her.”
“Disobedience and using scissors are the same thing,” Zhong Dawa said.
Hearing Zhong Jianguo sneak into the room, Song Zhaodi asked in a hushed voice, “What’s happening?”
“They’re discussing how to handle you,” Zhong Jianguo chuckled as he lifted the blanket. “I bet they’ll be at it until midnight. Let’s just go to sleep. They don’t have school tomorrow, so even if they stay up all night, they can make up for it during the day.”
Song Zhaodi shot him a look. “You’re too relaxed about this. Your son almost blinded someone today.”
“Don’t worry. The incident left a strong enough impression, they’ll never dare use weapons in fights again,” Zhong Jianguo reassured her. “Tonight will be a lesson they’ll remember for a lifetime.”
Song Zhaodi disagreed. “Only Dawa will remember.”
“Zili and Gengsheng are well-behaved kids. This was probably their first fight ever, they won’t forget,” Zhong Jianguo reasoned. “So, what’s your plan for punishing Erwa?”
Song Zhaodi smirked. “Strike the snake at its weak spot.”
“How ruthless,” Zhong Jianguo clicked his tongue, but he didn’t sympathise with Erwa. He reached over and switched off the light.
The next morning, as Song Zhaodi was washing her face, she saw the five children emerge from their room. She smiled and asked, “Did you sleep well last night?”
“Mom, we know we were wrong,” Zhong Dawa pleaded. “We’ve come up with a solution. Can we tell you?”
Song Zhaodi nodded. “Go ahead.”
Zhong Dawa cleared his throat. “If we get into a conflict with someone, we should first try reasoning with them. If that doesn’t work, then we can fight. But if they start a fight, we still can’t use weapons, we should rely on our fists to knock them down instead.”
“And what if they bring weapons?” Song Zhaodi asked.
Zhong Dawa froze. He hadn’t considered that. “Then we… no, no, we still won’t use weapons,” he quickly corrected himself. He hesitated before adding, “But Mom, if they have weapons and we don’t, we’ll get beaten up badly.”
“Then you say, ‘Your dad’s here!’” Song Zhaodi suggested. “While they’re distracted, you kick their weapon away. If you can’t even manage that and still insist on getting into trouble, I’ll cook up a table full of delicious food and make you stand against the wall all day.”
Zhong Dawa’s eyes lit up. “So, Mom, does this mean we’re not being punished today?”
“I’ll let you off this time since you actually reflected on your actions,” Song Zhaodi said. “But you’re responsible for watering the vegetables and cleaning out the chicken coop, duck pen, and goose pen.”
Zhong Dawa blurted out, “Did Dad leave the mess for us on purpose?”
“He did,” Song Zhaodi confirmed.
Dawa, Erwa, Zilif and Gengsheng immediately wanted to turn around and sleep until the next day.
Sanwa, being a curious child, was rather enthusiastic and said to Song Zhaodi, “Mom, I’ll pump the water and water the vegetables.”
“You’re the best, Sanwa.” Song Zhaodi put down her toothbrush and bamboo cup, then glanced at her four older sons. “Before you do anything, think about the consequences. I guarantee that every punishment will be unforgettable.”
Zhong Dawa wanted to cry. “Mom, it’s already unforgettable.”
“Then behave yourself.” Song Zhaodi said, “Hurry up and wash your face and brush your teeth. The porridge on the stove is ready.” As she finished speaking, Zhong Jianguo brought out the porridge.
After ensuring that her sons were full and that the house was spotless, Song Zhaodi called the sweaty Erwa to her side. “Erwa, where are the pants you tore a hole in yesterday?”
“Mom, are you going to mend them for me?” Erwa quickly asked.
Song Zhaodi smiled and nodded.
Erwa took off running upstairs but suddenly remembered that his father had washed his pants, and they were hanging outside to dry. “Mom, the pants aren’t dry yet.”
“Then I’ll mend them in the afternoon.” Since her five sons had caused such a commotion the day before, Song Zhaodi decided not to go out today to avoid being teased by the neighbours. She also wanted to stay home in case the parents of the three boys who had been beaten up yesterday came to find her.
After lunch, when no one had come looking for her, Song Zhaodi felt restless. She went next door and asked Duan dasao, “In the past, whenever Dawa got into a fight, even if the other parents didn’t bring their child to confront me, they would at least come talk to me. Why is it so different this time?”
Duan dasao replied, “Those three older boys couldn’t even beat five little kids. How could they have the nerve to come find you? Besides, the boys who fought with Dawa are also children of military families. If their fathers find out that they lost to Xiao Zhong’s sons, those boys will be punished at home.”
“I thought of that too,” Song Zhaodi said. “But in the past, the mothers of those children still came to talk to me.”
“That’s because their husbands didn’t interfere before,” Duan dasao explained. “Don’t worry, Xiao Song. What happened yesterday is well known now. If those three families have any shame, they won’t dare to come find you.”
“That’s a relief.” Song Zhaodi had already planned how to handle it, but she didn’t enjoy arguing with others like a fighting rooster, constantly bickering with everyone around her.
When she returned home, she saw her five sons leaning over the small table, reading English and writing down vocabulary words. She smiled and said, “Erwa, go check if your pants are dry.”
“They’re dry,” Zhong Erwa jumped up. “Zili ge helped me bring them down; they’re on the chair over there.”
Following his gesture, Song Zhaodi not only saw the pants but also noticed a sewing basket and several palm-sized fabric scraps. “You’ve prepared everything. Then bring them over along with your pencil.”
“Here, Mom.” Erwa knew that when his mother cut out animal shapes, she would first sketch the outline before cutting, so he had already prepared a pencil.
But instead of taking it, Song Zhaodi said, “You draw it, you cut it, you sew it. If you don’t know how, I’ll teach you.”
Erwa was stunned and pointed at himself in disbelief. “I have to sew it?”
“You were the one who cut a hole in your pants, not me,” Song Zhaodi said. “And I’m not just singling you out. From now on, in our house, whoever deliberately cuts a hole in their pants will have to mend it themselves. You just happen to be the first.”
Erwa frowned. “Mom, I don’t know how to sew.”
“You want to learn how to make clothes, right? Then start with mending. It’s good practice,” Song Zhaodi said. “Your dad and I discussed this, and he agrees.”
Erwa turned to Dawa. “Gege, help me.”
“When you cut your pants, I told you not to, that Mom and Dad would be mad. You didn’t listen to me, so don’t expect me to plead for you now.” Zhong Dawa said, “Mom, I think you and Dad are absolutely right. Erwa deserves this punishment.”
Erwa was furious. “Brother!”
“Erwa, do you want to wear torn pants to school?” Song Zhaodi reminded him.
Zhong Erwa wanted to cry. “Mom, I can’t draw a cat.”
“I’ll draw one on paper, and you can trace it onto the fabric,” Song Zhaodi offered a compromise so as not to push him too hard.
After thinking for a moment, Zhong Erwa agreed. “Okay! Mom, draw it.”
“No need,” Zili interjected. “Aunt, you drew one in my notebook before. I didn’t want to tear it out, so I still have it.” He took out his notebook from his bag, tore out the page with the cat drawing, and handed it to Erwa.
Erwa thought for a moment, then ran upstairs to grab a fountain pen. He carefully outlined the cat with ink and, with a gentle tug, separated it from the rest of the paper. “Mom, it’s done.”
“Now trace the outline onto the fabric,” Song Zhaodi instructed.
Zhong Erwa shook his head. “I don’t want to do it that way.”
Curious, Song Zhaodi asked, “Then how do you want to do it?”
With confidence, Zhong Erwa declared, “I have my own method.”
Zili and Gengsheng put down their pens and turned to look at him.
Dawa quickly walked over, sat beside Erwa, and asked, “What method?”
“I’m not telling you,” Zhong Erwa stuck out his tongue at Dawa, still holding a grudge for his lack of support earlier. He then grabbed a needle, but since the small, thin needles were difficult to handle, he opted for a larger one instead. However, there was no thread on it. “Mom, I don’t know how to thread the needle. Can you do it for me?”
Instead of answering, Song Zhaodi asked, “Have you ever watched me thread a needle before?”
Erwa nodded. “Yes.”
“Then try it yourself first,” Song Zhaodi said. “I believe you can do it.”
Zhong Dawa gloated, “I also believe Erwa can do it.”
“I don’t need you to say that!” Zhong Erwa glared at him, then took the thread and, to his surprise, successfully threaded it on the first try. “Wow, I did it!”
Song Zhaodi nodded. “You did. But let me tell you, that large needle is for sewing shoe soles. You need the smallest needle for patching clothes.”
Zhong Erwa froze, then stiffened his resolve and said, “I’m not sewing right now. Mom, I want to glue the paper onto the fabric. Can you make some paste for me?”
Song Zhaodi smiled. “No.” Before he could argue, she added, “Zhong Erwa, let me remind you, right now, I’m not teaching you how to sew. I’m supervising you as you mend your patch.”
Zhong Erwa was unhappy and pleaded, “Just a little bit of paste, Mom… please…”
“No,” Song Zhaodi said firmly. “Figure it out yourself.”
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