The next morning, Xiao Mandong got up early. The sent-down youth dormitory was really too cramped; sleeping in one position until dawn had left her whole body sore.
Xiao Manxue, however, had slept the most soundly she had in the entire year since coming to the countryside. With her sister here, everything seemed different.
Once the other sent-down youth had left for work, Xiao Mandong made two bowls of malted milk and took out the egg cakes she had bought earlier. She planned to eat her fill and then take her younger sister to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy a pair of shoes and a couple of outfits. The soles of her sister’s shoes were worn through, and she happened to have the cloth ration coupons Director Liu had given her.
Meanwhile, Wang Yuanyuan had asked the brigade leader for leave. She wanted to mail a letter home to complain. As she walked into the sent-down youth dormitory, she caught a sweet, fragrant smell.
Seeing the egg cakes in Xiao Mandong’s hands, she couldn’t help swallowing her saliva.
Such good things were rare for her, especially after coming to the countryside. Egg cakes weren’t something you could buy with just money—you needed pastry ration coupons. With two younger brothers at home, how could they possibly mail her pastry coupons? The occasional few yuan was already the most help her family could offer.
Spotting half a bag of egg cakes still on the table, she reached out to grab them. Xiao Mandong, quick as a flash, snatched the egg cakes into her own hands:
“Wang Yuanyuan, are you trying to steal them now?”
“Sister Mandong, your father is my own uncle, and I’m your little sister who grew up with you. You can’t be so biased, only caring about your own sister and ignoring your cousin.”
Wang Yuanyuan said this with complete self-righteousness. There was no one else in the dormitory, so she wasn’t afraid to reveal their family ties.
“Now you remember we’re relatives? Before I came, how did you treat Manxue? Spreading rumors about her identity—what good did that do you? Before our family fell on hard times, didn’t you take plenty of advantage? Borrowing money and refusing to acknowledge the debt—Wang Yuanyuan, you really are shameless.”
With that, she drank the last of the malted milk in her bowl, put the egg cakes into a small bamboo basket, and pulled her sister away as she left. Xiao Manxue quickly hurried to keep up.
Wang Yuanyuan stomped her foot in frustration and then hurried after them. There was only one oxcart trip into town in the morning, and if they missed it, they would have to wait until the afternoon.
The sisters boarded the oxcart, and all the seats were taken. When Wang Yuanyuan caught up, there was no room left. She begged Uncle Niu, the oxcart driver, to let her hitch a ride on the edge, but he firmly refused, afraid of tiring the ox.
She had finally managed to get a day off—how could she not get into town? She had to mail that complaint letter as quickly as possible, couldn’t wait another minute. This Xiao Mandong was far too arrogant. She would make sure her aunt dealt with her thoroughly.
Watching the oxcart slowly trundle away, Wang Yuanyuan gritted her teeth in hatred and finally chose to walk into town on foot. The oxcart moved slowly, and Xiao Mandong could still make out Wang Yuanyuan’s figure in the distance.
On the oxcart, Xiao Mandong’s gaze fell on a gloomy-faced woman sitting across from her. The woman seemed familiar, but she couldn’t remember where she had seen her in her previous life. It wasn’t until they got off the oxcart that Xiao Manxue softly reminded her:
“Sister, that woman is Accountant Sun’s daughter-in-law, Zhang Yanhong. She’s also the village’s work-point recorder.”
Zhang Yanhong? Suddenly, Xiao Mandong remembered. In her past life, Lu Ming had a close classmate named Sun Hao, and Sun Hao’s mother was exactly this Zhang Yanhong. She had met her a few times during parent-teacher meetings, but that had been Zhang Yanhong more than a decade later, and she looked very different now, so she hadn’t recognized her at first. Xiao Mandong clearly recalled that Sun Hao was the same age as Lu Ming, only two months older. According to Lu Ming’s birth date, Sun Hao should still be in Zhang Yanhong’s belly by now, around two months pregnant.
But hadn’t Zhang Yanhong’s husband been dead for three years? And according to Dong Huimin, Zhang Yanhong was known in the village as an exemplary daughter-in-law—her husband dead for over three years, refusing to remarry, staying devoted to her in-laws, taking care of the seniors and children. It was because of this good reputation that even when she made a serious mistake with work-points, the village still gave her a chance to reform.
But if Sun Hao was in her belly, who could the father be? Lost in thought, she arrived at the supply and marketing cooperative.
There weren’t many ready-made clothes at the cooperative, and they weren’t allowed to try them on. Xiao Mandong didn’t fancy any, so she bought two pieces of fabric to have clothes made elsewhere, a pair of cloth shoes, and a pair of rubber shoes for her sister to alternate. She also mailed a letter to her younger brother with ten yuan inside. She didn’t send it to the school, since summer vacation had started—the letter was addressed to her friend Chen Li’s address, asking her to pass it along.
She took Xiao Manxue to the state-run restaurant, ordered a plate of braised pork, rocket tofu (a type of silky tofu dish), and two bowls of rice. While her sister wasn’t looking, she also bought ten steamed buns and stored them away in her space. She had plenty of money, but her ration coupons were limited. She really hoped the house would be repaired soon, so she could cook whatever she wanted.
The sisters had only taken a few bites when the restaurant began to fill up.
“Excuse me, comrade. There are no seats left in the restaurant. Would it be all right if we sat next to you?”
Xiao Mandong looked up to see three tall, sturdy men standing before her. They were wearing green military uniforms, exuding an air of integrity. She saw no reason to refuse, so she pulled her sister closer to make room for the three men.
“Company Commander, are you coming with us to Kaoshan Village this afternoon?”
“No, I’m on leave to visit family. You handle your own work. Follow the procedures—go to the commune first and enter the village together with the commune staff.”
“Yes, Company Commander. Rest assured, we’ll complete the mission.”
Kaoshan Village? Xiao Mandong guessed these men were there to investigate Lu Jianguo’s political background. The commune already knew all about Lu Jianguo’s mess. In this lifetime, Lu Jianguo certainly wouldn’t become a soldier. In her past life, leaning on Lu Jianjun’s martyr status, he had coasted through his military career accomplishing nothing. This time, he wouldn’t get to occupy a position without doing any real work.
After finishing their meal, Xiao Mandong and her sister boarded the oxcart back to the village. Soon, she saw one of the soldiers from the restaurant walking toward the oxcart.
He nodded at Xiao Mandong as a greeting.
“Uncle Niu,” the soldier said as he jumped onto the oxcart.
“Oh, isn’t this the Second Son of the Zhou Family? When did you get back? How long can you stay this time?” Uncle Niu’s eyes shone with admiration.
“Just got back. If nothing comes up, I can stay for about a month.”
“Good to be back, good to be back. Your grandma’s eyes well up every time she mentions you. Stay a few extra days and keep her company.”
Several aunties who boarded afterward chatted with him warmly. From their conversation, it was clear that this soldier was a native of the village.
“Second Son, I heard that the fellow from Kaoshan Village who enlisted in the army with you back then—did he die in action?”
His voice became somber: “Yes, he gave his life for the country.”
“Oh, I heard that his wife came back and got together with her brother-in-law. She was caught red-handed by the sister-in-law, and the brother-in-law is divorced.”
“Really? You can’t just spread that kind of rumor.”
“It’s true. My sister-in-law is from that village. She came back to her parents’ house a few days ago and told me. She said the brother-in-law’s wife is quite beautiful and had a job. They say the military telegram arrived on their wedding day, so the whole family went to the troops before they even got to spend the wedding night together. The day they returned from the funeral, she caught them in the act. Since the marriage wasn’t even consummated, they got divorced.”
Another auntie chimed in:
“My hometown is in the same village as her in-laws’ side. I heard they never really approved of the girl, said her family background was poor. They never held a wedding banquet, but they’d been living together for a long time. I heard she got pregnant, so they had to go through with the banquet. But then their family hit trouble right after, they say she’s bad luck.”
“Really, she ought to think it through. Once she’s divorced, will she be able to marry again? A woman raising a child on her own—how’s she supposed to live?”
Xiao Manxue clenched her fists, about to stand up, but Xiao Mandong held her back.
She never imagined that while eavesdropping on gossip, she’d end up hearing about herself.
But now, she didn’t care about any of that. She planned never to look for another partner in this life anyway. Let them say whatever they wanted—she was fine on her own. She only wanted to work hard and earn money. Still, she yearned for a child of her own. When the reforms and opening-up came, if she met a man with good qualities and favorable circumstances, she’d just borrow his seed, keep the child, and get rid of the father. In her past life, she’d spent her whole life raising another woman’s child—that knot in her heart would never be untied.
