After breakfast, Lu Jingfeng began packing his things. Zhao Shoutian was a little surprised. “You’re leaving already? Why not stay another day?”
Lu Jingfeng smiled. “Uncle Zhao, we can’t delay the matter of the spot. I have to hurry back and find someone to help me with it. The secondary technical school starts early, so there’s no time to waste.”
Wang Xiulan also began gathering their luggage. “It’s time for us to go back. Jingfeng has only taken leave from his work unit.”
Li Qiongxian hurried to the kitchen, took several boiled eggs, wrapped them in cloth, and stuffed them into Wang Xiulan’s hands. “Have something to eat on the road. Don’t go hungry.”
Wang Xiulan refused twice before accepting them. After Lu Jingfeng finished packing, he turned and glanced at Zhao Shuhe. He pulled a thick wad of money from his breast pocket. Before Zhao Shuhe could react, he held it out to her. “Here’s two hundred yuan. Take it.”
The amount startled Zhao Shuhe, and she quickly refused. “Th-that’s too much!”
Lu Jingfeng pressed the money into her hand. “You’ll need money for tuition and all the running around. It’ll be inconvenient if you don’t have any on you. I didn’t bring much with me this time, so take this and use it first. If it isn’t enough, tell me.”
Zhao Shuhe lowered her head and stared at the wad of money in her hand. Two hundred yuan—her entire family couldn’t save a hundred yuan in a whole year.
Lu Jingfeng continued, “Once I’ve managed to secure the spot, we’ll get engaged. Take it without worrying. I earn fifty-two yuan a month, plus grain coupons and cloth coupons. If there’s anything you want to buy, go ahead and buy it. Don’t make things hard on yourself.”
Holding the money, Zhao Shuhe didn’t know what to say. “Then… thank you.”
Lu Jingfeng was amused by her expression. “Why are you being so formal with me?”
Matchmaker Zhang called from the courtyard gate, urging him on. “Jingfeng, let’s go, let’s go! If we don’t leave now, we won’t make it to the county seat before dark.”
Lu Jingfeng nodded at Zhao Shuhe. “Then I’ll be going. Once I hear anything, I’ll call the commune.”
Zhao Shuhe put the money away, then went with her family to see them off at the village entrance. The three members of the Lu family and Matchmaker Zhang followed the mountain path downward. When Wang Xiulan reached the bend, she turned back and waved. The whole family stood on the slope watching until the figures disappeared around the bend before turning back.
Li Qiongxian pulled Zhao Shuhe along as they walked back, muttering, “Two hundred yuan! That young man is really generous.”
Zhao Shuhe said nothing, but her heart felt warm.
When they returned home, the whole family sat in the main room. Li Qiongxian looked at her sons and daughters-in-law and said, “Let me make this clear first, and all of you listen carefully. From now on, your Little Sister’s schooling will be paid for by her fiancé. She won’t cost the family a single cent or a single grain of food! Starting today, Comrade Shuhe is not to work in the fields or take on labor. She is to stay home and study properly. No one is allowed to bother her.”
Zhao Baocang was the first to promise. “Mom, of course! Little Sister has a brother-in-law to support her now. He’s a section chief in the provincial capital, after all. Besides, Little Sister won’t be staying home for many days. Once the spot comes through, she’ll have to go to school.”
After saying this, Zhao Baocang looked at his wife, Zhang Xiaoping. “Wife, you’ve worked hard. I’ll do more from now on. During this period, don’t argue with Third Sister-in-law or Little Sister anymore, all right?”
Zhang Xiaoping froze for a moment. In all the years since she had married into the Zhao family, Zhao Baocang had always been the sort of person who simply buried himself in his work and rarely spoke. Hearing him suddenly say this, she quickly nodded. “I’ll do as you say.”
Ding Feng hurried to make her own position clear as well. “Mom, I know what’s what. I won’t say anything foolish.”
Then she looked at Zhao Shuhe. “Little Sister, the family really had no choice before—we were poor. Third Sister-in-law hasn’t been pleasant with her words, and I’m sorry.”
Zhao Shuhe knew that Ding Feng’s sharp tongue was all she had; they still had to live under the same roof. “Third Sister-in-law, don’t say that. We’re family. How could we hold a grudge overnight?”
Zhao Manzhu tapped the rim of his bowl and said from the side, “All right, all right. Stop getting so sentimental. Now that Little Sister is doing well, our family has relatives from the provincial capital. We’ll have something to be proud of when we talk about it.”
Li Qiongxian shot him a look. “You’re always so quick with your mouth!”
After lunch, Li Qiongxian tidied up, then rummaged through the cabinet and pulled out 250 grams of brown sugar and a packet of pastries. She wrapped them in cloth and put them in a bamboo basket.
“Mom, where are we going?” Zhao Shuhe asked.
“To your Eldest Sister’s house!” Li Qiongxian slung the basket over her arm. “Your Eldest Sister has made so many trips for your sake. She’s far along in her pregnancy now and can’t come here easily. Now that everything has worked out, you and I need to go thank her and your Eldest Brother-in-law in person.”
Zhao Shuhe changed into another pair of shoes and followed Li Qiongxian out.
From Xiaoshitou Village to the village where Zhao Shulan’s husband’s family lived, they had to cross a mountain ridge. Taking the small paths, it took a little over an hour. Li Qiongxian walked briskly, reminding Zhao Shuhe as they went, “When we get to your sister’s house, don’t go telling everyone about the two hundred yuan. It’s enough for your sister to know. Don’t let outsiders hear about it and start envying you.”
“I know,” Zhao Shuhe agreed.
By the time they reached Zhao Shulan’s home, the village loudspeaker had just announced that it was two o’clock. Zhao Shulan’s family was considerably better off than theirs. The courtyard was large and bright, the main house had brick walls and a tiled roof, and there was even a bicycle parked in the yard.
As soon as Li Qiongxian entered the courtyard, she called out, “Shulan! Mom’s come to see you!”
Zhao Shulan’s voice immediately came from inside. “Mom? What brings you here?”
With her huge belly, Zhao Shulan came out of the main room. When she saw that Zhao Shuhe had come too, she knew there must be good news. “Little Sister came too? Come in, come in!”
Li Qiongxian placed the bamboo basket on the table. “I brought you some brown sugar and pastries. You’re so far along now, so eat more sweets and build up your strength.”
Supporting her lower back, Zhao Shulan sat down. “Mom, you didn’t come all this way just to bring these things, did you?”
Li Qiongxian put on a mysterious air. “Guess.”
Seeing her mother’s expression, Zhao Shulan immediately understood. “It worked?! The Lu family came?”
Li Qiongxian told her everything that had happened, from the Lu family of three coming to meet them, to Lu Jingfeng saying that he would pay for Zhao Shuhe to attend secondary technical school, to his stuffing two hundred yuan into her hands before leaving.
When Zhao Shulan heard about the two hundred yuan, she slapped the table. “Goodness! That young man is something! He hasn’t even married her yet, and he’s already taking out two hundred yuan. That’s no small sum!”
“What does he look like? Is he tall?”
Zhao Shuhe blushed. “Pretty tall.”
Zhao Shulan pressed on. “What’s his temperament like? Is he sharp-tongued?”
“Not at all. He speaks very steadily.”
Zhao Shulan nodded in satisfaction. “That’s good! People who’ve been soldiers know how to conduct themselves. Little Sister, you’ve really found yourself a good family this time! They’re well-off, and he’s even willing to pay for your schooling. Where could you find someone like that these days? See? You’re just lucky!”
Li Qiongxian sighed along with her. “If you hadn’t come up with such a good idea, Little He would never have met someone like him.”
Zhao Shulan waved her hands. “Mom, stop praising me. The main thing is that Little Sister herself is capable. She’s pretty and smart. If she were some ugly oddball, he wouldn’t have given her photograph a second look.”
Embarrassed by what her sister said, Zhao Shuhe lowered her head and began shelling the peanuts on the table.
Zhao Shulan looked at Shuhe seriously and instructed her, “Little Sister, your sister is going to tell you something important. He’s willing to spend money to support your education, so you have to remember this kindness. Study hard! Once you’ve made something of yourself, you’ll be able to hold your own in your husband’s family.”
Zhao Shuhe nodded. “Sis, I understand.”
Zhao Shulan smiled and gave her another pat. “Good! Once you’ve settled down in the provincial capital, I’ll bring the children to visit you!”
Li Qiongxian muttered from the side, “You should give birth to the one in your belly before you start talking about visiting.”
Zhao Shulan chuckled. “Mom, worrying is just your nature.”
The three of them sat together and talked for most of the afternoon. Zhao Shulan asked about everything under the sun, finding out all she could about the Lu family. Li Qiongxian answered everything she knew, and whenever she couldn’t answer, she said she would find out later.
It was nearly evening when Li Qiongxian took Zhao Shuhe by the hand and got up to leave. Zhao Shulan stood at the courtyard gate to see them off. Even with her belly thrust forward, she didn’t forget to call out, “Little Sister! You must study hard! Only when you firmly hold a job in your own hands will you be able to stand tall!”
Zhao Shuhe turned and waved at her.
On the mountain path, the setting sun dyed the distant peaks orange-red. Li Qiongxian walked ahead. Suddenly, she asked, “Little He, are you happy?”
Shuhe: “Happy.”
Li Qiongxian continued, “Mom’s happy too. I haven’t been capable of much in this life, and I couldn’t let you continue your studies. I’ve never been able to let that go.”
“Mom, don’t say that,” Zhao Shuhe hurriedly replied.
Li Qiongxian didn’t turn around. “Things are better now. Someone is willing to support your schooling. Make something of yourself—study hard and see it through.”