While having soup last night, Zhou Zhijun had already told Aunt Zhou and Old Man Zhou that he would be going to work on the reservoir today.
The old couple were both worried about his health and urged him to rest for a few more days before going. But Zhou Zhijun knew perfectly well that he could not avoid the job. Besides, he had already put it off for a month. If he delayed any longer, he would have no way to explain himself to Wu Mingwei.
He insisted on going. Unable to talk him out of it, the old couple could only nod in agreement.
Before dawn, the old couple were already up.
Instead of going out to collect manure as usual, Old Man Zhou went straight into the kitchen to help tend the stove.
Aunt Zhou boiled more than twenty salted eggs and more than ten sweet eggs. She also cooked a large stack of soft steamed buns, intending to pack everything for Zhou Zhijun to take with him.
The food at the reservoir construction site certainly would not be good. Besides, he had only just undergone surgery and needed proper nourishment so that his wound would heal quickly.
Chuntao had wanted to get up and prepare breakfast, but Zhou Zhijun held her tightly in his arms and would not let her move an inch.
It was not until broad daylight that the two of them finally got up. By then, Aunt Zhou had already packed everything they would need.
“Up you get. The food’s getting cold.”
As she spoke, Aunt Zhou lifted two bowls of thin white-flour porridge from the stove. Each bowl held two plump poached eggs.
She carried the porridge to the square table in the north room. Old Man Zhou followed with a dish of pickled meat and dried radish, along with several soft steamed buns.
Zhou Zhijun and Chuntao were brushing their teeth and washing their faces in the courtyard. Aunt Zhou called to them from nearby, “I’ve put breakfast in the north room. Come eat when you’re done washing up.”
Since Zhou Zhijun was leaving today, the old couple wanted to give the young pair some time alone to talk. So they did not go to the main room and instead ate in the kitchen.
Only the two of them remained in the main room.
When Chuntao saw the eggs in their bowls, she was just about to put one into Zhou Zhijun’s bowl when he beat her to it, transferring one of his eggs into hers.
Chuntao looked up at him, and her eyes immediately reddened. Her voice caught in her throat.
“Brother Zhijun, you’ll be doing heavy labor…”
As she spoke, she tried to put the egg back into his bowl, but Zhou Zhijun quickly dodged her hand.
“I’ve got plenty of strength! You have two babies to nurse, so you need to nourish yourself properly.”
He pointed to the other egg remaining in his bowl. “See? I still have one.”
Chuntao knew that he needed nourishment more than anyone after having just gone under the knife.
But she did not say it aloud. Every time the subject of his surgery came up, it felt as though a knife were stabbing her in the heart.
“We’ll each eat two. Three is too many. I can’t finish that much.”
“The other two are for the babies.”
Zhou Zhijun gazed at her, his eyes filled with tenderness and reluctance to part. “I’m leaving again, and you’ll have to suffer.”
“I’ll be fine. Your parents are here to look after us. You’re the one who’ll really be suffering out there…”
With their separation so close at hand, neither of them had much appetite.
Zhou Zhijun forced himself to drink the porridge, eat the eggs, and chew half a steamed bun.
Chuntao only drank the porridge and ate one egg. She could not swallow even a single bite of the bun.
The reservoir construction site where Zhou Zhijun was headed lay fifty li north of the county seat.
First, he would have to take a bus from Qingshan Street to the county. Then he would need to transfer to another bus before reaching the site.
After breakfast, Jianshe and Nuannuan were still asleep. Zhou Zhijun went to check on Nuannuan first.
The little girl’s pink, tender face was sleeping peacefully. Her tiny lips moved faintly, and the corners of her mouth held the trace of a smile, as if she were dreaming of something sweet.
Zhou Zhijun reached out, wanting to touch her little cheek, but withdrew his hand just before it reached her. He was afraid the calluses on his hands might scrape her delicate skin.
After leaving the north room, he went to check on Jianshe in the east room. Unexpectedly, the little boy heard the movement. His long eyelashes fluttered, and he opened his eyes.
A pair of large, dark eyes rolled around before fixing directly on Zhou Zhijun’s face. He did not cry or fuss, merely blinked twice. They shone like two black diamonds.
Zhou Zhijun bent down and picked up Jianshe, then kissed him on the cheek.
His rough stubble brushed against the child’s tender skin. Rather than crying, Jianshe broke into a delighted giggle.
“Little rascal, your pa’s heading out. You’re the man of the house now, so you mustn’t make your mother angry.”
Little Jianshe seemed to understand. He blinked his big eyes and babbled, “Aow, aow,” as if saying, Don’t worry, Pa. I won’t make Ma angry.
Chuntao watched from the side, the corners of her lips lifting slightly, though her eyes were already brimming with tears.
Whenever she thought of Zhou Zhijun’s wound bleeding last night, her heart clenched with pain.
“Brother Zhijun, are you really all right?” she asked softly as she stepped forward.
Zhou Zhijun shifted his gaze from Jianshe to Chuntao. His eyes were firm.
“I’m fine. Don’t worry.”
Just then, Aunt Zhou’s voice came from outside the room.
“Have you eaten?”
Zhou Xiaowei’s booming voice followed. “We have! Has my second uncle left yet? I’ll take him to catch the bus!”
“Not yet,” Aunt Zhou replied, her heart aching with worry as well.
No matter how strong Zhou Zhijun was, he had only just undergone surgery. If he was careless and ended up with a lingering illness, it could affect him for the rest of his life.
Chuntao looked at Zhou Zhijun, unable to hide the worry in her eyes.
“Brother Zhijun, rest whenever you’re tired. Don’t force yourself.”
“Mmm… I know my limits.”
Zhou Zhijun placed his rough hand on her slightly trembling shoulder.
“Tao, take good care of yourself and the babies. I’ll come home as soon as I get a chance.”
“Mmm… You take good care of yourself out there, too.”
Aunt Zhou entered the east room and grew misty-eyed when she saw the scene before her.
She opened the bedside cabinet and took out a handkerchief bundle. Wrapped inside was a thick stack of banknotes.
“Zhijun, take this! The food at the work site won’t be good. Buy yourself something nourishing.”
Without giving him a chance to refuse, she shoved the money into Zhou Zhijun’s hand.
He tried to push it back. “I’ve got money on me.”
Aunt Zhou had always managed the family finances. Whenever they had saved a hundred yuan, she would have Zhou Zhijun deposit it in the bank.
When they held the babies’ one-month celebration, there had not been enough cash at home, so Aunt Zhou had asked Zhou Zhijun to withdraw some money from his savings account. After paying for everything, only a little over sixty yuan remained.
A few days earlier, they had spent several yuan on two packets of rice cereal, a bag of brown sugar, and a crucian carp. The rest of the money was all in the handkerchief bundle.
After Chuntao’s postpartum month was over, Aunt Zhou had wanted to hand control of the household finances over to her. But Chuntao did not want to manage the money, so Aunt Zhou had no choice but to continue doing it herself.
Still, Chuntao was never short of money. Zhou Zhijun always gave her whatever spare change he managed to save. Having money in her hands made her feel secure.
But she had not been willing to spend a single cent of it. Last night, she had stuffed more than twenty yuan into Zhou Zhijun’s hands and told him to take it with him.
He had accepted it at the time, but later that night, he had quietly slipped it back into the pocket of her clothes.
In truth, he did not have a single penny on him.
“It’s always better to have money with you when traveling far from home,” Aunt Zhou insisted. “Take more. It can’t hurt.”
Unable to refuse again, Zhou Zhijun tucked the handkerchief bundle into his pocket.
Zhou Xiaowei tied Zhou Zhijun’s bundle onto the crossbar of his bicycle and then came into the room as well.
When he turned his head and saw the young couple gazing at each other, reluctant to part, his own heart tightened with sadness. He quickly turned his face away.
“Ride slowly, and don’t let him get bounced around too much!” Aunt Zhou reminded Zhou Xiaowei again and again as they prepared to leave.
Then she turned to Zhou Zhijun and urged him, “Don’t treat your body carelessly. When you get there, talk to the supervisors and ask to rest for a few days before starting work.
“If the wound doesn’t heal properly and leaves you with a lasting problem, it’ll be trouble for the rest of your life!”
Afraid that they would worry, Zhou Zhijun hurriedly reassured her, “Don’t worry, Ma. I’ll definitely rest for a few days before I start working.”
Zhou Xiaowei rode away on the bicycle with Zhou Zhijun seated behind him.
Chuntao stood at the doorway and watched them disappear. Her heart felt as though a piece of it had been torn away, leaving behind a hollow emptiness.
In the latter half of the afternoon, Jianshe and Nuannuan had both fallen asleep, while Aunt Zhou went to the vegetable garden to work.
Chuntao sat inside the house with her sewing basket in her lap, preparing to do some needlework. Just as she lowered her head, a piercing scream suddenly rang out from outside.
Startled, she dropped the scissors in her hand with a sharp clatter!
