“Liang Xin!”
Three women carrying large and small bags emerged from the station. Spotting Liang Xin at the exit, they waved enthusiastically.
Liang Xin, who was supposed to return to her parents’ home, smiled and stepped forward to greet them. “Didn’t I send a telegram telling you not to bring anything?”
“We didn’t bring much, and there’s nothing much we could bring anyway,” Second Sister-in-law said, setting down the hemp bag in her hand and rubbing her sore shoulders. “We didn’t know why you suddenly asked us to come to Jiangjing, especially during these three days of returning home after marriage. We were terrified when we received the telegram, but tried to think positively. I said soybeans are valuable even in Beijing and Shanghai, so Eldest Sister-in-law packed soybeans. I went to the field and picked some frost-bitten greens, and Lu Wei brought the dried chili peppers you love.”
Eldest Sister-in-law, her ears and nose red from the cold, had been anxious the entire journey and finally couldn’t hold back her question: “Liang Xin, what exactly is going on?”
Lu Wei, carrying the dried chili peppers, looked Liang Xin up and down several times before cautiously asking: “It’s not… that someone died, is it?”
Liang Xin watched as all three held their breath, staring intently at her. “Fun.”
Three faces froze simultaneously.
Lu Wei: “What?”
“Fun. I asked you to come to the city for a day of fun.” Liang Xin took the soybeans from Second Sister-in-law. “It’s winter now, there’s not much work in the fields. The Production Team isn’t allowing any household sideline businesses this year either. I thought since coming to the city for one day wouldn’t interfere with your work, I called you here to have some fun.”
“What do you mean no work? I’m the breeder for Team One, I have to feed all the livestock in our team. I still need to dredge sand, cut willow branches to weave baskets, I have to study, and I have to go fishing in the Dahe River to the west…”
Liang Xin suddenly grabbed Lu Wei’s hand – her palms were covered with thick calluses, the backs of all five fingers cracked open. Though winter had just begun, her old frostbite had already recurred. Liang Xin felt her shoulders – despite the winter cold, she was dressed thinly in a patched blue jacket over a cotton-padded vest that had lost its sleeves, beneath which was a returned-sale cotton shirt from summer. Through the shirt, she could feel shoulders swollen like steamed buns, covered with repeatedly formed and shed blood scabs.
“You skip breakfast every day to carry water for two large vats first, even on cloudy or rainy days. After a bowl of taro congee, you have to wash and chop hundreds of jin of fodder, then make trip after trip to feed the livestock. In the harsh winter, you still have to repeatedly go into the Dahe River to dredge sand. You secretly raise chickens and ducks, staying up late by the livestock pen to study and write. After finishing, you still do various handicrafts behind others’ backs. You’ve been working nonstop like this for over ten years. Is taking one day off to have some fun not allowed?”
“Fun doing what?” Lu Wei followed behind Liang Xin. “Playing cards? Then why come to Jiangjing? We could do that in the fields.”
Liang Xin sighed inwardly.
Most people in Huaihua Brigade had never been further than the commune. From birth to old age, the people they saw all lived in poverty. Their greatest fantasy was just having white flour and rice with every meal, with the ultimate dream being able to eat meat once a day.
“Liang Xin, are you really alright?”
After getting off the bus and reaching the city center, Eldest Sister-in-law kept asking worriedly.
“Really, I’m fine.”
Liang Xin carried the Fuchun flour and walked into the Xiangyang Restaurant next to the Cultural Palace.
Xiangyang Restaurant was a longstanding state-owned establishment, with several large round tables sparsely occupied to about half capacity. Liang Xin negotiated with others to free up a whole table for the three of them.
“The small blackboard by the window lists the breakfast options. What would you like to eat?”
The three looked toward the window.
A small square blackboard leaned against the window, listing today’s offerings:
Wonton: 0.12 yuan + 1 liang grain coupon/bowl
Steamed buns: 0.72 yuan + 3 liang grain coupon/basket
Plain congee: 0.1 yuan + 1 liang grain coupon/bowl
Tea egg: 0.04 yuan/each
……
“So expensive…” gasped Eldest Sister-in-law, visiting the Provincial City for the first time. “At the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, two eggs can trade for a 2-cent notebook, but here one egg costs 4 cents!”
“Are these buns stuffed with gold?” Lu Wei was stunned by the steamed bun price. “What kind of buns sell for seventy-two cents!”
“The eggs are boiled with tea leaves, and tea is expensive,” explained Second Sister-in-law, a native of the Provincial City. Though she hadn’t visited state-owned restaurants often, she knew the prices well. “The steamed buns are soup buns from Linhuai, not like the ones we make during New Year. They’re genuinely pricey—even in Jiangjing, ordinary workers can’t afford to eat them more than a few times a month.”
Eldest Sister-in-law leaned close to Liang Xin and whispered, “Liang Xin, we brought corn steamed buns with us. Let’s not eat here. A casual meal for four would cost a whole day’s wages, and we haven’t even worked today.”
Liang Xin stood up, walked to the window, and told the server, “Four bowls of wonton, each with a poached egg, and two baskets of steamed buns.”
“Four bowls!”
Eldest Sister-in-law heard this and shot to her feet, but before she could approach, Second Sister-in-law pressed her back into the seat. “The order’s already placed. It’s your first time in the Provincial City, and this restaurant is famous for its wonton. Just enjoy it properly.”
Liang Xin returned carrying four tea eggs. Seeing Eldest Sister-in-law’s restlessness and Lu Wei’s disapproving expression, she warned, “The servers are fierce. If you keep arguing, they’ll slam the table and scold us immediately.”
“Keep it down! Finish your meal and get to work. Why are you dawdling here?”
A server yelled at a few men nearby, who didn’t dare utter a word, just picked up their work caps and scurried away.
Eldest Sister-in-law and Lu Wei stared wide-eyed.
Being their first time in the city, they didn’t dare say more.
Liang Xin and Second Sister-in-law exchanged a glance and smiled.
“Why is this egg black and all cracked?”
Eldest Sister-in-law and Lu Wei were seeing tea eggs for the first time, their faces full of curiosity.
“Want to try one?”
“No, let’s wait for the food to arrive and eat together.”
Liang Xin, who hadn’t eaten much at home earlier, picked up a cracked tea egg, peeled the shell along the fissure, and popped it into her mouth. The tea egg was stewed to perfection, with even the yolk infused with flavor—salty, fragrant, and tender. One bite was irresistible.
Watching Liang Xin eat, Lu Wei couldn’t help but swallow. The two had grown up planting vegetables together and carrying them to market on fair days, their relationship beyond formalities. Having caught the earliest bus before dawn and traveled for four hours, she was starving. She picked up a tea egg, carefully peeled it, and put it in her mouth. Her eyes lit up, and she nearly wanted to swallow it whole, but she restrained herself, savoring each small, precious bite.
Every mouthful was exquisitely delicious.
Inside the window, three comrades wearing white hats were wrapping wontons. After customers placed their orders, they would count out the wontons and drop them into a large pot. After a few flips with a strainer, they would cover the pot. Soon after, they would take out four enamel bowls, add seasoning and chopped scallions, then ladle the wontons along with the broth into the bowls.
Just as the server brought the steaming hot wontons to the table.
Wei Yuanyang had just squeezed onto the bus heading to Huaihua Commune.
It was the Winter Solstice. Although grave visits and paper burning were prohibited these days, many people still rushed back to their hometowns to visit their parents on this day.
The fourth-quarter non-staple food coupons had been distributed, allowing them to buy things in the city that were unavailable in the countryside to bring back home.
In the countryside, cellars were being dug around this time to store radishes and cabbage for the winter. When they returned, they could bring back some winter vegetables, saving the expense of buying them in the city.
As a result, even the earliest bus at this time was packed to the brim.
Wei Yuanyang hadn’t found Liang Xin at the station, so he boarded the bus departing soonest.
Even though the bus looked ready to burst from the outside, he gritted his teeth and squeezed on anyway.
Once on board, he kept pushing through the crowd, hoping to spot Liang Xin on this bus.
But before he could catch even a glimpse of her, he was met with a chorus of complaints from one group of passengers after another. He clenched his teeth and ignored them like passing wind, until an Eldest Brother shoved him, sending him tumbling into the crowd. The conductor threatened to kick him off the bus mid-route, forcing him to give up his search.
Wei Yuanyang huddled in a suffocating crevice near the rear door, with nothing to hold onto. As the bus jolted and swayed, he fought back the stomach acid churning from hunger and swallowed the urge to vomit.
As long as he could endure until he reached Huaihua Brigade and saw Liang Xin.
When she saw how wretched and miserable he had become chasing after her, she would surely soften.
The present suffering would be worth it!
The steaming hot wontons were served at the table. Plump, ingot-shaped wontons floated in the bowls, topped with dried shrimp, shredded egg, seaweed, and vibrant green coriander and scallions, making everyone’s stomachs growl with hunger.
Eldest Sister-in-law exclaimed, “There’s even a poached egg in here!”
Liang Xin picked up the chili oil jar and scooped a small spoonful of white sesame chili oil into her wonton bowl. “It tastes even better with chili oil. There’s also pepper here.”
All four of them enjoyed spicy food, and their mouths watered at the sight of the chili oil.
Eldest Sister-in-law asked uncertainly, “Does this chili oil cost extra?”
“No, it’s free.”
Eldest Sister-in-law immediately added a spoonful to her bowl and considered adding another, but after eyeing the crimson chili oil, she only dared to put in half a spoon more.
She stirred it evenly with her spoon, then scooped up a bite of wonton and broth to taste. The chili oil tingled on her tongue, making her break into a sweat with the first sip, followed by an explosion of freshness!
With a bite of the wonton, the soft, glutinous wheat wrapper and savory pork filling delighted her palate.
The chili oil didn’t overpower the meat’s aroma but instead heightened its deliciousness. “So, so good!”
Liang Xin smiled faintly as she watched Eldest Sister-in-law’s eyes widen in amazement.
Then she glanced at Lu Wei, who was focused on eating. The wonton broth, originally a rich white from simmering pork bones, had turned fiery red from the amount of chili oil she had added. Fine beads of sweat had even formed on the tip of her nose from the spiciness. “There’s a poached egg inside, see?”
“I really didn’t notice it earlier – it was all mixed in with the wonton wrappers.” Second Sister-in-law, who had only half a poached egg left in her spoon, was eating with such gusto that her face glowed red. “Xiao Xin, you seem fine, so if you’re not coming home for the three-day wedding return, why did you have us come to the city?”
Lu Wei, who had nearly buried her head in her bowl, and Eldest Sister-in-law, who maintained elegant table manners despite finding the food delicious, both turned to look at Liang Xin.
“I already told you – so you could spend a day enjoying the city.” Liang Xin poured half a dish of rice vinegar into a small plate, picked up a steamed bun with her chopsticks, dipped it in the vinegar, then lifted the plate to gently bite through a section of the skin. She blew on it, sucked out the delicious broth, then put half of it in her mouth. “Be careful when you eat these – they’re just out of the steamer and very hot.”
Watching her eat made Second Sister-in-law crave some too. She picked up the vinegar bottle. “Dad wanted to come too, but I talked him out of it. Not knowing your situation here, his coming would make everything more complicated. I was afraid it would cause you more trouble.”
“I figured he’d want to come, and I also figured you’d stop him.”
“Liang Xin, come back with us after we eat.” Eldest Sister-in-law looked concerned. “What kind of daughter gets married and doesn’t return home after three days? People in the village will criticize Dad.”
“Let it be, don’t try to persuade her.” Second Sister-in-law waved her hand. “I know what Liang Xin’s thinking, and you know it too, Dad knows it, everyone knows it. If you ask me, Dad went too far that day. How could he push his own daughter out for criticism just to show how impartial he is? Everyone in the village knows about those few chickens in the reed marshes, even the educated youth all pretend not to know, but he…”
Eldest Sister-in-law tugged at Second Sister-in-law’s sleeve, making her stop.
“It was all to pity me.” Lu Wei had been drinking broth the whole time, having barely eaten two wontons. “Is refilling broth free?”
Liang Xin: “…”
“Hurry up and eat your wontons, finish the egg too. Don’t just keep drinking broth, or you’ll have to find a bathroom halfway through the movie.”
The three of them froze.
“Watch a movie?”
“The cultural palace next door has a cinema. It’s not some old war movie – it’s the North Korean film ‘The Flower-selling Girl.'”
Liang Xin, having eaten her fill, let out a small burp. “After the movie ends, we’ll come back for lunch. In the afternoon we’ll go stroll in the park. There’s also a bustling roller skating rink next door where you can rent skates. Then we’ll go shopping at the department store on the next street – if you see anything you like, buy it. Downstairs in the department store there’s a snack counter that serves winter-season lamb offal soup, and the oily spiral buns they serve with it are especially delicious.”
The three listened in stunned silence.
Even Second Sister-in-law, who grew up in the Provincial City, took a long moment to process this.
“Why don’t you keep eating here first.” Liang Xin stood up, leaving her bag of flour by the stool. “I’ll go across the street to buy some orchid beans and rice flower sticks.”
Rice flower sticks and popcorn were usually made by bringing your own rice or corn for processing, then paying for saccharin and processing fees. Since Liang Xin hadn’t brought any grain, she couldn’t get the rice or corn popcorn. She could only use her grain ration ticket to buy half a leather bag of rice flower sticks, then weighed out a packet of orchid beans.
When she returned to Xiangyang Restaurant, since none of the food could be taken away, the three had eaten everything clean – not a single drop of soup remained.
Their faces were no longer red from the cold when they’d emerged from the station, but glowing with satisfaction from having eaten their fill.
“How much money did all this cost?”
Eldest Sister-in-law let out a burp, clutching the pink movie ticket in her hand, then glanced at the rice flower sticks and orchid beans Liang Xin was holding in her arms, her face full of concern. “Liang Xin, you can’t be so extravagant with money after getting married. You need to learn how to manage a household.”
“Understood.”
Liang Xin found four adjacent seats in the eighth row. Before they could all settle in, the pre-screening bell suddenly rang outside, and a large crowd surged in.
The four of them quickly took their seats, arranging their bags so as not to block the aisle.
Lu Wei stared in amazement at the cinema ceiling. “So this is what a city cinema is like. It’s great—no worries about wind or rain.”
“It costs money,” Eldest Sister-in-law said, waving the ticket. “Ten cents each.”
The movie soon began, and the surroundings darkened.
Eldest Sister-in-law and Lu Wei quieted down, experiencing indoor movie-watching for the first time.
Liang Xin, full and warm, nibbled on rice flower sticks while watching the Korean film.
It was a rare moment of joy.
“This is so comfortable!” Second Sister-in-law helped Eldest Sister-in-law, who was weeping uncontrollably. “Isn’t the cinema nice, Eldest Sister-in-law?”
Liang Xin stretched lazily, watching Eldest Sister-in-law, who was still lost in the plot. “Eldest Sister-in-law has always been a crier. She wept from start to finish, and for days afterward, she’d burst into tears just remembering the story. No use trying to console her. Are any of you hungry?”
“Not at all!” Eldest Sister-in-law exclaimed immediately. “We just ate so much before the movie.”
Liang Xin offered options. “Then would you like to go roller-skating, stroll in the park, row a boat on the park lake, or visit the department store?”
“Row a boat? What’s fun about that? I row a boat every day. No thanks,” Lu Wei said. Second Sister-in-law nodded. “Let’s skip the park too. It’s so cold, and we’re not here to date or make friends. The roller-skating rink is out as well—what if we fall and get hurt? We’d have to spend money on treatment and miss work.”
Eldest Sister-in-law agreed with the latter remarks. “Exactly. We’re not city folks. Getting medical treatment here is both troublesome and expensive, and the brigade doesn’t have the funds to reimburse us.”
“Then let’s go to the department store.”
The other three didn’t object. They had long yearned to visit the county’s department store but never had the chance. Now that they were in the provincial capital, they naturally wanted to see an even better one.
Eldest Sister-in-law declared, “We’ll just look around and not buy anything. Let’s browse and broaden our horizons.”
As soon as they entered the department store, Eldest Sister-in-law and Lu Wei were instantly mesmerized, their eyes darting everywhere, unable to take it all in.
Jiangjing No. 1 Department Store was nationally renowned, a three-story building boasting the most comprehensive range of daily goods in the entire province.
The salesclerks here, much like the waitstaff at state-run restaurants, carried an air of superiority.
The only exception was the fabric counter clerk. When Second Sister-in-law instinctively reached out to touch the beautiful, smooth khaki cloth, a yellow measuring stick came down with a snap, startling her into pulling her hand back.
“Look, don’t touch!”
“These clerks are just like the ones at our Supply and Marketing Cooperative,” Second Sister-in-law muttered, pursing her lips. “But it’s my fault—it’s been years since I’ve been back, and I couldn’t resist seeing the new colors.”
Liang Xin stepped forward, examining the fabric Second Sister-in-law had wanted to touch. “This would make nice trousers.”
“The color is too light—it’ll show dirt easily,” Second Sister-in-law shook her head. “I can’t wear this shade for work in the Production Team. I just thought it looked so smooth and couldn’t help wanting to feel it.”
Liang Xin looked up at the clothes hanging from the wires above the glass counter—mostly two-way shirts and vests. “What do you think of this khaki cloth vest? Worn inside, it won’t get dirty, keeps you warm, and can hide money.”
Second Sister-in-law followed her gaze, her eyes lighting up briefly before she shook her head. “Who buys ready-made clothes at the department store these days? They’re outrageously expensive. I’ve memorized the style—once I save up enough cloth coupons, I’ll have the brigade tailor make one.”
“Please cut four feet of khaki cloth for me.”
Confirming Second Sister-in-law’s fondness for the color, Liang Xin pulled out cloth coupons and money.
“Hey! What are you doing? I don’t want it!” Second Sister-in-law pressed Liang Xin’s hand down. “I’ll buy it myself when I’ve saved enough coupons. You don’t need to buy it for me.”
“You’re half a matchmaker—consider this a matchmaker’s gift.”
Brigade commune members only received six feet of cloth coupons per year, and this year’s allotment had been mostly used for Liang Xin’s wedding. Saving up for a vest like this might take until next year—if she was lucky.
For marriage registration, each person received sixteen feet of cloth coupons. Her mother-in-law and Lu Chongfeng had also given her a stack of coupons, so she now had plenty.
Liang Xin handed over four feet of cloth coupons and three yuan.
“I won’t take it!”
Eldest Sister-in-law, catching Liang Xin’s glance, immediately declared her stance, “If you buy it, I’ll return it right here. Absolutely not!”
“Then I’ll take it.”
Second Sister-in-law happily picked up the cut cloth. “Thank you, little sister! I finally have new clothes to wear.”
A smile in her eyes, Liang Xin walked ahead and soon spotted the yarn counter. Naturally thinking of Lu Zewei, she paused before it.
“Comrade, it’s you again.”
Second Sister-in-law, clutching the brown paper-wrapped cloth, asked, “You know her?”
Liang Xin replied, “I’ve bought yarn here before.”
“Didn’t you two just buy so much yarn yesterday? Back for more today?” The saleswoman approached with a smile. “Your comrade didn’t come with you today?”
Liang Xin was taken aback. “How did you know he’s mine?”
“Who else would stare at another man’s woman like that? He’d have been arrested long ago.”
“……..”
“Like what?” Second Sister-in-law leaned eagerly over the glass counter, eyes sparkling as she looked at the saleswoman. “You’ve seen our brother-in-law? The one who came with her? What’s he like? How’s his personality? Can he go outside?”
Eldest Sister-in-law and Lu Wei also brightened up, ears perked, crowding toward the counter.
“What kind of question is that? Why wouldn’t he go outside… Oh~” The saleswoman glanced around, then leaned in conspiratorially, lowering her voice. “I saw he was wearing a military uniform—does he work in a confidential unit? Usually can’t come out?”
“Yes, yes! What’s he look like? Does he get along well with our little sister?”
“Very well! Handsome, and they get along even better. You could tell just by looking that the young couple is deeply in love. That comrade was generous—knew exactly how to pamper his wife. He bought several pounds of yarn, all for her, I think. And the way he looked at her… just thinking about it now, tsk, makes my face burn!”
Liang Xin: “……..”
This elder sister was really fabricating facts and exaggerating wildly.
“Really?!” Eldest Sister-in-law was instantly overjoyed, grinning from ear to ear. “Then… how did he seem? Healthy?”
“Good, his health is no issue at all. Yesterday was so cold that everyone had put on their cotton-padded jackets, but he only wore a spring-autumn military uniform and didn’t even shiver. He seems very cold-resistant. As for his face—what a beauty! More handsome than any male or female actor in pictorial magazines. The main thing is how generous he is. I’ve never seen anyone dote on his wife like that. No matter how much wool yarn his wife took, he didn’t utter a single word of objection. He just pulled out money coupons and paid, straightforward and decisive—so manly.”
Watching the expressions of rapt fascination and envy, then observing Eldest Sister-in-law and Second Sister-in-law glowing with delight, finally turning to Lu Wei who was heaving a long sigh of relief.
“……..Take two jin of red cotton-wool blend yarn.”
“Alright then!”
The shop assistant said what she said, but hearing a customer making a purchase didn’t affect her work attitude in the slightest. She immediately wrapped up two jin of knitting wool and placed it on the glass counter. “I suppose you don’t need knitting needles today?”
“Get me a pair of bamboo needles as well.”
“Alright then! Here you go, once the goods leave the counter, no returns or exchanges.”
It wasn’t until Liang Xin stuffed the knitting wool and bamboo needles into Eldest Sister-in-law’s “snakeskin” sack that she snapped out of her joy and excitement.
“This… this is for me?”
Liang Xin tied the sack shut with hemp rope and carried it forward. “Two jin of wool can knit you a red sweater.”
“I don’t need…”
Liang Xin glanced back at Eldest Sister-in-law, cutting her off, and continued walking toward other counters.
According to the original plan, she intended to buy a pair of leather cotton shoes each for Eldest Sister-in-law and Second Sister-in-law.
Just as she had told Wei Yuanyang that day, the dirt roads in the countryside became impassable once it rained. With leather cotton shoes, even if they got muddy, their toes wouldn’t freeze stiff, and it would only take half an hour of soaking in hot water to barely warm up again.
She didn’t give Lu Wei leather cotton shoes or knitting wool because even if she did, Lu Wei wouldn’t be able to keep them once they returned home.
Even if Lu Wei’s younger brothers couldn’t wear them, her parents would take the leather shoes to trade for other things, and any knitted wool would be unraveled and saved for their sons.
At the cotton goods counter, Liang Xin bought two women’s inner vests, two sets of cotton underwear, and a pair of ordinary five-eye women’s cotton shoes for Lu Wei.
Lu Wei adamantly refused to accept them, while Liang Xin insisted on giving them.
“I believe you’ll be able to repay me double in the future.”
Only after hearing these words did Lu Wei accept the items. She looked down at the brand-new cotton underwear and the small vest she had long needed but never owned, blinking back tears as she swallowed them.
“I have a sweater now.”
Eldest Sister-in-law held the knitting wool, tears welling in her eyes, smiling like a child. “My first new sweater, and it’s red too. Before coming to the city, I was full of worries, but I never expected so many pleasant surprises after arriving.”
Liang Xin watched their overflowing joy, smiling silently without disturbing their immersion in their respective gains.
After leaving the department store, they still went to watch for a while at the roller skating rink.
Then she accompanied Eldest Sister-in-law and Lu Wei to see the Yangtze River Bridge they had always seen on soap wrappers, candy wrappers, cigarette papers, and pencil cases.
The over seventy-meter-high bridge towers lifted the bridge into the sky, standing firm above the rushing Yangtze River.
That sight truly broadened Eldest Sister-in-law and Lu Wei’s horizons.
After all this fun, as genuine poor and lower-middle peasants, Eldest Sister-in-law and Lu Wei expressed a desire to catch a glimpse of the workers’ factory that their class collectively yearned for most.
They had heard that the factory had schools, hospitals, canteens, shops, a cinema, and even a club—everything was available.
Neither Liang Xin nor Second Sister-in-law knew anyone there, so they could only point it out roughly when passing by a radio factory.
They happened to catch the shift change for midday workers. One after another, workers wearing enviable dark blue work clothes rode even more enviable bicycles, ringing their bells as they filed out through the main gate, confident and satisfied smiles on their faces.
“I’m satisfied.”
Eldest Sister-in-law sighed contentedly.
Second Sister-in-law also sighed softly, but not with satisfaction. “If I hadn’t gone to the countryside…”
She left the sentence unfinished.
Second Sister-in-law looked at the khaki cloth still held in her arms, her face once again showing a satisfied smile no less than that of the workers. “This is quite good too. No one’s life is perfect. Compared to other educated youths sent to the countryside, my blessings are already countless times better.”
Lu Wei’s eyes held no envy, only calmness. “Once educational reforms take place, the status of the working class will undergo another transformative transformation.””
“Talking nonsense.”
Second Sister-in-law shook her head. “Workers, peasants, and soldiers—except for the peasants in the middle—workers and soldiers will always be the most shining class collectives!”
Eldest Sister-in-law nodded in agreement.
Neither of them took Lu Wei’s words to heart, dismissing them as the sour remarks of a young girl.
Liang Xin smiled and said nothing.
Lu Wei was already accustomed to others not acknowledging her words.
While Liang Xin was relaxing and enjoying herself, Wei Yuanyang had already arrived at Huaihua Commune searching for her.
By now, he had vomited twice. His stomach was churning violently, he was starving, and even the fine hairs on his body felt frozen cold.
When he got off the bus, his legs felt weak, and he nearly collapsed to the ground. Struggling up, he rushed to a utility pole, leaning against it as he vomited again.
After feeling somewhat better, he leaned against the pole and happened to see the commune’s red-brick bungalows. Shifting his gaze, he then spotted the commune middle school and was instantly frightened alert.
How could he have come to Huaihua Commune!
If the commune cadres saw him here, he would be finished!
Wei Yuanyang, pale-faced, ignored his weak legs and quickly left the bustling bus station, hiding by a wall where few people passed.
His stomach burned with discomfort. The half bowl of soy milk he drank in the morning had been digested even before he went to the Military Compound.
He had been starving all the way to Huaihua Commune.
He originally intended to get off and buy something to eat, but the commune’s only small eatery and the Supply and Marketing Cooperative were clustered together. If he showed up, he would inevitably encounter commune cadres.
Most of those cadres were somewhat related to Liang Xin. If they saw him, he wouldn’t escape a beating.
Thinking of this, Wei Yuanyang felt as if the bitter stomach acid had flooded his heart, burning fiercely.
He decided not to eat and not to seek a ride, choosing instead to walk directly to Huaihua Brigade.
When Wei Yuanyang, drenched in cold sweat from exhaustion, finally reached the entrance of Huaihua Brigade village, he was very fortunate to encounter a familiar educated youth.
“Wei Yuanyang?”
“Liu Weiguo, have you seen Liang Xin?”
“Liang Xin? Liang Xin hasn’t come back.”
“Hasn’t come back?!”
Wei Yuanyang’s pupils trembled, instantly alert as he asked, “Isn’t today her third-day return visit? I saw her leave the Military Compound with my own eyes. How could she not have come back!”
“Really? But Liang Xin indeed hasn’t returned. I heard she sent a telegram yesterday, asking her eldest and second sisters-in-law and Lu Wei to go to the Provincial City to find her. Chen Ying and the others left on the early bus this morning.”
Wei Yuanyang’s legs trembled, and he suddenly collapsed to the ground.
“Hey! What’s wrong with you!” Liu Weiguo quickly put down his hoe and rushed forward to support Wei Yuanyang, noticing his utterly devastated expression. “I’ll take you to the brigade headquarters clinic!”
Wei Yuanyang’s body jolted immediately, and he waved his hands frantically.
Liang Xin wasn’t currently in Huaihua Village. If he showed up at the brigade headquarters now, the brigade party secretary, Liang Xin’s eldest and second brothers, and her other uncles and cousins would tear him to pieces!
Realizing this, Wei Yuanyang mustered all his remaining strength to stand up.
“Wei Yuanyang?”
A sudden voice from behind made Wei Yuanyang jolt. He turned slowly, only to see a rough, large fist rapidly enlarging before his eyes!
“Bang!”
Wei Yuanyang was knocked to the ground by the punch, blood immediately streaming down from his nose over his lips.
Liang Tiezhu retracted his fist, fuming with anger: “How dare you come to our village again!”
Wei Yuanyang scrambled up in disarray, ignoring his bleeding nose, and mustered all his strength to run toward the commune bus station.
He had to catch the last bus back to the city, to see Liang Xin!
“Chase him down! I’ll go to the Brigade Headquarters to make a call and have the commune stop him!”
Liang Xin and the other three visited Xuanwu Lake and Pearl Park. By chance, they caught a performance outside the Great Hall of the People—the cultural propaganda team was performing the drum song “The Party Commands the Gun,” along with poetry recitals and folk song performances.
In the evening, after leaving the Xinhua Bookstore, Liang Xin pulled them to another restaurant to eat salted duck.
During the meal, Liang Xin suggested staying at a hostel for the night and leaving the next morning.
When Eldest Sister-in-law heard that a night at the hostel cost 8 mao, and that was only for a double room with an extra bed costing an additional 3 mao, she flatly refused.
Upon hearing that Liang Xin would also be staying at the hostel with them, even Second Sister-in-law, who had been hesitant, disagreed and insisted on leaving.
“You’ve just gotten married. “Since you’re not returning to the brigade, you should go back and spend time with your husband properly,” Second Sister-in-law said, picking up the pile of belongings from the ground and deciding not to even visit her family home. “We need to hurry and catch the last bus back.”
“I’ve never had so much fun in my life. No wonder everyone wants to come to the city,” Lu Wei also refused to stay. She had to go back to feed the livestock and read her newly bought books. “We’re leaving.”
The three were determined to go, and Liang Xin couldn’t persuade them to stay.
She handed the Fuchun flour to her sisters-in-law, then went to the store and used coupons to buy two jars of frostbite cream and a boxed item for Lu Wei.
“What’s this?”
“A sanitary belt.”
Liang Xin passed over two rolls of Peony brand crepe sanitary paper. “Put the sanitary paper inside this. You won’t have to sew cloth and fill it with rice straw ash anymore.”
“Sanitary paper?” Lu Wei was astonished, staring at the packaging with a green-leafed peony and the words “high-temperature sterilized, highly absorbent, soft and fine.” “What is this used for?”
Liang Xin: “…For when your period comes, use it like this.”
Lu Wei’s face instantly burned bright red. “Oh.”
Liang Xin then gave a jar of Seagull brand shampoo and two bars of Lighthouse brand soap to Eldest Sister-in-law. Together, they went to the post office to call the commune, asking them to notify Huaihua Brigade to have Eldest Brother and Second Brother pick them up in the evening.
After seeing them off, Liang Xin had just stepped out of the waiting area when she nearly collided with someone.
“Liang Xin!”
“…”
Liang Xin looked at Wei Yuanyang, who was disheveled, covered in dust, with a red and swollen nose. “…What do you want?”
“I chased after you to Huaihua Brigade, only to find out you hadn’t returned. I just managed to get back,” Wei Yuanyang said, exhausted, his legs trembling, but his eyes shining intensely.
He had run into Liang Xin’s father and had people sent after him.
Suspecting that someone from Huaihua Commune would be waiting to intercept him, he had run to the bus station of the neighboring commune to catch a bus.
He had finally made it back.
“Liang Xin, we’re truly fated! After all that running around, I bump into you right outside the station!”
“Huaihua Brigade?”
Liang Xin took a step back, observing his messy hair and the short stubble on his chin. “Did your conscience finally kick in? Did you go to Huaihua Brigade to apologize?”
Wei Yuanyang’s delighted gaze faltered, a slight discomfort flashing through his eyes, but thinking of the important matter at hand, he immediately said, “Liang Xin, why did you suddenly get married?”
Liang Xin replied, “Because of you.”
Wei Yuanyang’s heart trembled, looking at Liang Xin with deep emotion. “You really… But you shouldn’t ruin yourself like this just to make me suffer.”
He never expected that the usually gentle Liang Xin could be so extreme deep down, taking the most drastic path just to get back at him.
“Aren’t you afraid that I might never look back if you do this?”
Liang Xin gave him a complicated look. “I really admire your confidence.”
Wei Yuanyang took a deep breath. “You win, Liang Xin. I’ve lost to you.”
Liang Xin raised her hand to fan the air in front of her, taking two more steps back.
The trace of tenderness that had just appeared in Wei Yuanyang’s eyes instantly stiffened. After carefully studying Liang Xin’s expression, his tenderness turned into disbelief. “You… you’re disgusted by me?”
“Isn’t it obvious enough?” Liang Xin took out a handkerchief and covered her nose. “There’s a pungent, sour stench.”
“You…”
Wei Yuanyang felt both angry and humiliated, but what he found harder to accept was that after finally speaking the words she had once loved and yearned for most, she showed not a hint of emotion but repeatedly expressed her disgust.
“I… you…”
Wei Yuanyang opened his mouth several times, too devastated to form a complete sentence.
He suddenly realized that most of his previous confidence might have come from Liang Xin. Her selfless devotion, her cherishing, longing, and admiration of him had subconsciously made him feel like the best person in the world. Now that Liang Xin’s attitude had changed, the source of his inner strength had vanished.
Perhaps it wasn’t sudden. Ever since he saw Liang Xin coming down from the Lu family’s building this morning, his panic and disorientation might not have been due to fear of her exposing him, but rather the blow of her leaving him.
Liang Xin watched his rapidly changing expressions—from anger and humiliation to flustered confusion, as if struck by lightning. “Wei Yuanyang, are you putting on a show of regret for me?”
Wei Yuanyang stared intently at Liang Xin. “It’s not an act.”
Liang Xin raised an eyebrow and extended her hand. “Then how about paying back the money you owe me from last time?”
Wei Yuanyang: “…”
“Liang Xin, I’m talking about feelings seriously with you. Why are you bringing up money and things again?”
“Learning from you,” Liang Xin retracted her hand. “If I had no money or food back then, would you have talked about feelings with me?”
The anger that had just risen in Wei Yuanyang instantly dissipated.
“Just two instances of reversed roles, and you’re already impatient.”
Liang Xin curled her lip. “Since you returned to the city for university, you haven’t come back to Huaihua Brigade even once in over three years. Our last meeting wasn’t because you wanted to see me either. Why did you chase after me to Huaihua Village right after seeing me at the Lu family? You weren’t planning to have me help deliver the Lu family’s possessions to you like before, were you?”
Wei Yuanyang’s breath caught in his throat at having his thoughts exposed. Recovering, he put on a half-genuine, half-feigned expression of disbelief. “You… how could you think that? Is that how you see me in your heart?”
“Of course.”
Heart clinging to hope, Wei Yuanyang felt those two words pierce his heart like an arrow, the pain so sharp he could barely breathe. “Liang Xin, I know you resent me, that’s why you keep rejecting me. Today… the reason I chased after you is because I have feelings for you. I can’t bear the thought of you marrying another man!”
After speaking, Wei Yuanyang turned his back to her.
His silhouette was filled with heart-wrenching sorrow.
He knew Liang Xin’s purpose in marrying was to make him jealous, regretful, and confess his feelings—to hear such words from his lips.
He was fulfilling Liang Xin’s goal while simultaneously trying to gain control over her.
It had always been like this before. Whenever he sincerely uttered one or two ambiguous phrases, Liang Xin would continue to pour her heart out to him.
Liang Xin didn’t care about money; she only wanted his affection.
Wei Yuanyang waited, confident as he waited. These were the most explicit words he had ever spoken. It was normal for Liang Xin to react slowly—perhaps she was even blushing with embarrassment beyond control.
With this thought, the fiery agitation that had burned within him all day, along with the arrow-pierced heart from moments before, felt as if infused with sweet dew, slowly healing. His breath finally eased a little.
Time passed second by second, when suddenly a hand pressed down on Wei Yuanyang’s shoulder.
Wei Yuanyang shuddered, his eyes revealing not only emotion but also a faint, triumphant smile of satisfaction.
He turned his head slowly, his gaze deep with affection, “Liang…”
“A comrade has reported you for harassing a married woman in public. Come with us to the security office!”
Liang Xin stepped off the public bus, carrying a bag of soybeans and a packed portion of salted duck. As the sun set, she strolled into the Military Compound.
A military truck passed by, its cargo bed filled with handsome and beautiful performers from the Cultural Troupe, seemingly returning from an external performance.
“The east is red, the sun rises…”
From the loudspeaker atop the utility pole near the military service agency, revolutionary songs blared. Office workers emerged in small groups from the administrative building, while military families, carrying vegetable baskets and aluminum lunch boxes, moved through the Military Compound.
By the time Liang Xin entered the West Yard, the sky had completely darkened.
At the guard post in front of the Lu family’s small building, Xiao Wei was on duty. Seeing Liang Xin return, his eyes showed clear surprise.
Liang Xin nodded to him and stepped up the stairs one by one.
Just as she pushed open the outer door, she heard Lu Zewei’s voice inside, along with that of a young, charming woman.
“Where is it too hot? You’re so hard to please.”
“Did I ask you to serve me? You insisted on doing it yourself. It’s so hot—you eat it yourself.”
“The bowl I served earlier, I deliberately let it cool a bit before giving it to you, and you said it was too cold. I changed it for another bowl, and now you say it’s too hot. The temperature difference is barely five degrees. If that’s not being hard to please, what is?”
“Did you measure it with a thermometer?”
“Fine, I’ll get one!”
“I’m not eating anymore. I’m going back to my room. Don’t bother me.”
Just as Lu Zewei set down his chopsticks, he suddenly looked up and noticed a familiar yet unfamiliar figure standing at the door. His previously lazy posture, slouched against the chair back, instantly straightened. After a pause of less than three seconds, he slowly leaned back again.
“Don’t go, I’ve already brought it out…”
Just as Lu Yueji stepped out of the room holding a thermometer, she saw an expression on Lu Zewei’s face she had never witnessed before—a smile that seemed both startled and delighted, yet he struggled to suppress the corners of his mouth that refused to stay down, twitching in slight, uncontrollable fluctuations.
“Second Brother, what’s wrong with you? Are you having an episode?!”
“Episode my foot.” Lu Zewei stood up, brushing aside his sister who had rushed over. When Liang Xin came back into his line of sight, he cleared his throat lightly. “Why are you back already?”
“Huh?”
Following his gaze, Lu Yueji also spotted Liang Xin. Her eyes darted between the two of them, and she suddenly felt overwhelmingly superfluous. “Who is that?”
“Your sister-in-law.”
Lu Zewei pulled out a chair, then added after a moment’s thought, “Your second sister-in-law. Have you eaten?”
The last question was directed at Liang Xin.
Liang Xin was studying Lu Yueji.
The first proper female lead in this book.
Wei Yuanyang’s first wife.
Her features were sweet, with upturned almond eyes and an irrepressible brightness and joy between her brows—clearly someone who had been well cared for by her family.
The number one and number two designated “suckers” in this book had finally met.
“Second Sister-in-law!”
Lu Yueji trotted to the doorway, staring at Liang Xin with frank admiration. “Oh my heavens, where did Mom find such a beautiful seedling? Why wasn’t she introduced to me instead of being unluckily handed over to my second brother!”
“Get lost.”
Lu Zewei pushed Lu Yueji’s head away with one hand, his entire demeanor extremely awkward. His gaze drifted between Liang Xin’s face and the world outside the door, but roughly eighty percent of the time, it lingered on her face.
“Have you eaten? Why were you in such a hurry to come back? The fastest trip from Linhuai to Jiangjing takes at least three hours, forty-two minutes, and thirty seconds. It’s unsafe for a woman to travel after dark. Besides, if you really wanted to come back, you should have called home first so I could pick you up from the station. Even if you were worried I couldn’t make it, I could have asked someone else to fetch you. Why did you suddenly return without a word? What if something had happened?”