“Are you stupid? No one saw anything — hurry up and run! If Auntie comes back and sees that you pushed Duoduo over, she won’t let us off!”
Through her haze, Xu Duoduo heard the harsh voice of a boy with a raspy duck-like tone. Using all the strength left in her body, she barely managed to crack her eyes open and saw two shadowy figures darting out of the room.
Then a wave of intense pain hit her, and Xu Duoduo fell once more into endless darkness.
Who knew how much time had passed before she heard quiet sobbing by her ear.
“Her father… ask Mother for some money. It’s already been two days and Duoduo still hasn’t woken up. Let’s take her to the hospital.”
“Mhm. I’ll go ask Mother for money. You pack some things first,” a somewhat hoarse male voice replied, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps leaving.
Like a revolving lantern, memories of this body flashed before Xu Duoduo’s eyes.
It was now 1965. The whole family lived in Hulu County, Xiaoxi City, Liaoning Province in northeastern China.
This body’s name was Xu Duoduo, fifteen years old this year.
Old Xu had three sons and two daughters. The eldest daughter was Xu Damei. The eldest son Xu Dagen. The second son Xu Ergen. The third son Xu Sangen. The youngest was Xu Xiaomei.
Xu Duoduo’s father was Xu Ergen. Among the boys, above him was an elder brother spoiled by their father, and below him was a younger brother doted on by their mother. Stuck in the middle, he was loved by neither parent. As a result, he became quiet and withdrawn, obediently handling all the family’s dirty and exhausting work.
The only time he had ever rebelled against the family was when he insisted on marrying his childhood sweetheart, Zhou Rong. But because the couple went on to have three daughters in a row, his father despised them intensely. All the dirty and difficult labor in the household fell on Xu Ergen and his wife, like two old oxen. Even the three girls had been working since they were barely old enough to walk.
Old Xu’s preference for sons over daughters was blatantly reflected in the names he gave Xu Ergen’s girls. The names were so careless they sounded like jokes.
Xu Ergen’s first daughter was named Xu Buyao — “Don’t Want,” meaning they didn’t want a girl.The second daughter was named Xu Duoduo — “Too Many,” meaning one girl too many.When the third child turned out to be another daughter, Old Xu named her Xu Tingzhi — “Stop It,” meaning stop having daughters already.
The couple strongly opposed it, and the household registration officer even helped plead their case. In the end, the names became:
Meanwhile, the eldest uncle Xu Dagen — Old Xu’s favorite son — had three sons named Xu Dayou, Xu Eryou, and Xu Sanyou, aged eighteen, seventeen, and twelve. Their names all contained the word “You” meaning “to have,” symbolizing an endless line of sons.
Xu Duoduo had been pushed over by Xu Sanyou and cracked her head open. The original girl died on the spot, and the soul of Xu Duoduo from the apocalypse suddenly found a place to stay, becoming the second daughter of the Xu family in the 1970s.
Heh.
Xu Duoduo was alive again.
Third Uncle Xu Sangen worked at a textile factory. He and his wife had a pair of five-year-old twin boys.
The eldest aunt Xu Damei had married a small manager at the supply and marketing cooperative and already had four sons.
The youngest aunt Xu Xiaomei worked at a scrap collection station and was still unmarried.
That was the enormous Xu family — except for her own branch, the unloved household that had produced three daughters, everyone else, even the married-out daughters, had sons.
When Xu Duoduo finally opened her eyes, she turned her head and saw her “cheap mother” using an old cloth as wrapping fabric while packing clothes, clearly preparing for a trip to the county hospital.
Outside, a shrill voice rang out.
“Heavens, open your eyes and look at this! I slave away all day serving both old and young, and now this delicate little thing wants to go to the hospital? A worthless girl and you treat her like treasure! She earns nothing and still wants my money. I should never have given birth to you in the first place — should’ve drowned you in the piss bucket! Ah, what sins have I committed!”
The door burst open and Xu Ergen strode in with a dark expression.
“Bu, stay home and watch Tingting. Wife, carry the girl to the hospital first. I’ll go to the factory to ask for an advance on next month’s wages and get a certificate. I’ll catch up to you afterward.”
“Alright.”
Without another word, Zhou Rong hooked the small cloth bundle over her arm. With Xu Ergen’s help, she hoisted Duoduo onto her back and headed outside.
“Where are you going? Get back inside! Why does a worthless little girl need a hospital? She’ll recover just lying at home. Where would you get money for a hospital anyway? Did you steal my money?” Old Madam Xu immediately blocked their path the moment she saw Zhou Rong carrying the child out.
“We don’t have any money. I’m going to the factory to get an advance on next month’s salary before going to the hospital,” Xu Ergen explained helplessly.
“Oh heavens! Strike dead this unfilial son who doesn’t know how to honor his parents after earning money! It’s only a little scrape — she’ll recover at home. Why waste money going to a hospital? You don’t understand how expensive firewood and rice are until you run a household! Are you trying to force me to death?”
Old Madam Xu plopped herself down in the doorway, slapping her thighs as tears and snot appeared instantly.
“Mother, Duoduo has already been unconscious for two days. If we don’t go now, it’ll be too late. I’ll make Duoduo work more in the future. I’ll work extra shifts too, alright?” Xu Ergen’s eyes were bloodshot. Duoduo might be a girl, but she was still his child. He couldn’t bear to watch her continue like this.
“Yes, Mother. I’ll sleep less at night and make more paper boxes to earn back the medical fees. Please let us go,” Zhou Rong pleaded tearfully.
“So it really was you, you lazy woman, stirring up trouble and insisting on going to the hospital. She’ll recover just lying down. What are you, some rich capitalist young miss? Trying to fool an old woman like me? A whole family of lazy bones! Dinner isn’t even cooked yet — are you expecting me, an old lady, to cook for you? Get back inside immediately!”
The moment Old Madam Xu heard Zhou Rong could make even more money folding paper boxes at night, her eyes widened greedily, making her even less willing to give way.
“Mother… I want water.”
Xu Duoduo, who had long since awakened and coldly watched the entire farce, finally spoke up. If this tug-of-war continued, her cheap parents would never escape the old hag’s harassment. Since she was awake now, they might as well return to the room first.
“Ah, Duoduo’s awake! Quick, wife, let’s go back inside first.”
Hearing his daughter’s weak voice, Xu Ergen hurriedly supported his wife with one hand while helping hold up Duoduo with the other as they returned to the room.
“A whole family of lazy freeloaders. Pretending to be sick to fool me. Hmph. Hurry up and make dinner!”
Old Madam Xu immediately got up and shouted after them.
“Duoduo, drink some water.”
Eldest sister Xu Bu, who had been standing at the doorway watching their parents argue with Grandma the entire time, quickly brought over a bowl of warm water and carefully fed it to Xu Duoduo, who had just been laid against the wall by Zhou Rong.
After finishing the bowl, Xu Duoduo’s complexion improved slightly. She blinked at her elder sister.
Big Sister must have secretly stolen from Grandma’s sugar jar just now. The water was sweet.
“Does your head still hurt, Duoduo?” Zhou Rong asked with reddened eyes, looking at her second daughter. This child resembled her the most — timid and weak.
“Mother, my head hurts… and I’m dizzy.”
With so many people in the house and her body still weak, apocalypse-survivor Xu Duoduo decided to lie low for now. Acting weak was safer.
“Second Sister, how were you so careless that you hit your head on the table? When we came back and saw you lying on the floor covered in blood, we were terrified,” Xu Bu said, still shaken.
“It was Sanyou who pushed me. He wanted to steal the egg you gave me this morning.”
“That little bastard! I’m going to settle the score with him!”
Zhou Rong leapt angrily off the kang bed and headed for the door.
“Mother, don’t go. They won’t admit it. Let’s think of another way… maybe separate from the family.”
Xu Duoduo quickly grabbed Zhou Rong’s hand.
There were simply too many people in this household. Out of the entire family, only their branch — two old oxen leading three little oxen — did all the work.
They needed to split from the family as soon as possible.