Xu Dajiang had sacrificed his life while rescuing the people’s property. His deeds were reported to the county as an exemplary act. At the time, both the textile factory and the county government had issued generous compensation payments to his family, totaling four hundred yuan. When the money was handed over to Fang Xiaoqin, she was still in her postpartum confinement. The moment she received it, she broke down in inconsolable grief and wept bitterly.
Fang Yuan’s maternal grandfather made the decision to hand the money over to Grandpa Xu, saying that since Xu Dajiang, as a son, no longer had the chance to fulfill his filial duty to his parents, the money should serve as retirement support for Grandpa Xu and his wife.
Fang Xiaoqin had no objections. At the time, she had been overwhelmed by grief and simply did not care about money anymore. Grandpa Xu, however, absolutely refused to accept it. Although his son had passed away, he had left behind several young children who would need money for schooling and marriage in the future. But Fang Yuan’s maternal grandfather remained firm. He had already decided how the money should be used and insisted that Grandpa Xu tear down the family’s old mud house and build several larger rooms.
Fang Zhiyuan knew that people were more important than money. He was already old and could pass away at any time. His daughter’s children were still young, and in the future they would have to rely on the Xu family for support. As long as the family remained prosperous, with many capable brothers and relatives, a widow and her young children would not be bullied by others.
Having practiced medicine for many years, he had accumulated some savings of his own, enough to support his daughter in raising her children in the years ahead.
The Xu family’s current new home had not been rebuilt on the site of the old house. Those low mud houses had been too precious to demolish. Instead, the family had applied to the commune for two new residential plots. They mixed the mortar and made the bricks themselves, and after a year’s work, they had built two cement houses. For a time, they had become the envy of the entire village. Fortunately, the Xu family had been poor peasants for generations, and the source of their money was entirely legitimate. Otherwise, they might have been made into an example and dragged off to attend a public criticism meeting.
In front of the Xu family’s courtyard was a drainage ditch about a foot wide, filled with moss-covered stones, with countless freshwater snails clinging to them.
Across the ditch stood two flourishing pomelo trees. Beneath their shade was a water well. Fang Yuan’s grandmother was standing beside it, gazing into the distance. When she saw a group of people approaching from afar, she happily narrowed her eyes and hurried out to greet them.
“Grandma!” Fang Yuan waved from a distance, abandoned her younger cousin, and ran toward the elderly woman coming to meet her.
“Ah Yuan! My dear Ah Yuan, you’ve finally come.” Grandma Xu tightly held her granddaughter’s hand, unwilling to let go. Her face was flushed with excitement.
The villagers who had followed along to satisfy their curiosity all began asking questions at once. When Grandma Xu invited everyone inside to sit, they politely declined. The crowd then gradually dispersed. The aunt by marriage who had come to deliver the news also left with them, saying she would come back in the afternoon to visit Fang Yuan. Only a few children remained, lingering around the bicycle.
“Grandma, where’s Grandpa? Where are Eldest Uncle and the others? And where’s my little sister? Are they all home?” Fang Yuan asked, firing off one question after another.
“Your grandpa took your eldest uncle to our private hillside grove to dig up bamboo shoots. They planned to gather more to send to your family, but who would’ve thought you’d come today. Guimei went to the tofu workshop with your eldest aunt to buy tofu. I’ll have someone call them back.” Grandma Xu held Fang Yuan’s hand, reluctant to let go.
Back in her hometown, Fang Yuan’s younger sister had been given the childhood nickname Guimei. Fang Yuan had never cared much for that name. She still preferred her younger sister’s proper name, Xu Aili.
“Ah Yuan, where should I put all these things for you?” her younger cousin asked after wheeling the bicycle to the front of the house. He removed the bags hanging from the handlebars, untied the bundles strapped to the rear rack, then turned to Fang Yuan for instructions.
“Ah Yuan, why did you bring so many things again?” Grandma Xu scolded her affectionately.
“Little Cousin, just put them inside the house,” Fang Yuan said. Clinging to Grandma Xu’s arm like a spoiled child, she added, “Grandma, I’m thirsty. It’s so hot that I drank an entire kettle of water on the way. Also, could you get me a towel? I’m soaked with sweat.”
“Of course, of course. Just wait here. Grandma will get it for you. It’s so hot today. My poor granddaughter must be exhausted.” Grandma Xu hurried into the house with quick little steps.
Her younger cousin scratched his head as he walked over to Fang Yuan. His tanned face flushed an even deeper shade as he hesitated before asking, “Ah Yuan… could I borrow this bicycle and ride it around for a little while?”
“Sure.” Fang Yuan nodded readily. After a moment’s thought, she reminded him, “Just don’t crash it, or I won’t be able to explain it to my mom.”
“No problem!” Her younger cousin’s face immediately lit up with excitement. He patted his chest in assurance, pushed the bicycle forward, lifted it across the ditch, jumped onto the seat, and sped away in the blink of an eye.
A whole group of children immediately chased after the bicycle.
Grandma Xu came out carrying a bowl of plain boiled water for Fang Yuan. Fang Yuan took it, drank a sip, and smiled brightly. “Grandma, it’s sweet.”
“Grandma put a spoonful of white sugar in it.” Smiling, Grandma Xu drew up a bucket of water from the well, poured it into a basin, soaked a towel, wrung it out, and handed it to Fang Yuan. “The towel is clean. Your mother used it the last time she came.”
She knew that her granddaughter liked everything to be clean.
After they went inside, Grandma Xu looked through the things Fang Yuan had brought. The more she looked, the tighter her brows furrowed. “Your mother bought so many things again. How much must all this have cost? She’s the only one earning a salary now, and she still has several children to raise.”
“Grandma, I’m working and earning a salary now too.” Fang Yuan wrapped her arms around Grandma Xu with a grin.
“That’s right, I completely forgot to ask. You graduated from university this year. Where were you assigned to work?” Grandma Xu suddenly remembered and quickly asked.
“I was assigned to the surgery department of our county hospital as a doctor. From now on, if anyone in our village gets sick, they can come to me.”
“Wonderful, that’s wonderful. Your maternal grandfather was a miracle doctor, and now our Ah Yuan is a great doctor too.” Grandma Xu became so emotional that she wiped at the corners of her eyes.
Just then, a commotion came from outside.
“Mother, I heard Ah Yuan is here?”
It was Fang Yuan’s younger aunt, carrying her two-year-old younger cousin into the house. She was around thirty years old, with a thin face and a tall figure. When she saw the table piled with gifts, the smile on her face grew even wider.
“Auntie.”
“Oh! It’s so hot today. You must’ve walked a long way. Come, sit down and rest.” She warmly greeted Fang Yuan before turning to Grandma Xu. “Mother, the watermelon in our private plot is ripe. I’ll go pick one.”
“Go on then.” Grandma Xu quickly nodded and waved her off.
The little cousin was left behind. Clutching the chair, he looked up at Fang Yuan with curiosity. A trail of snot hung beneath his nose, almost reaching his mouth.
Seeing this, Fang Yuan had just taken out her handkerchief, intending to wipe his nose. Grandma Xu noticed, pulled the little boy over, pinched his nose with her bare hand, and flicked the long string of mucus straight onto the ground.
“This little dirty kitten, don’t let him get your handkerchief dirty.”
Grandma Xu asked Fang Yuan to stay in the front room and keep an eye on the little cousin. She had been in the middle of feeding the pigs when she rushed out earlier, and now she needed to finish the chore.
Fang Yuan carried her little cousin into the front courtyard to play. She drew another bucket of water from the well, wet her handkerchief, caught the little dirty kitten, carefully wiped his grimy little face clean, then wiped both of his little hands as well. The little boy twisted his body desperately, trying to break free. Frustrated, he opened his mouth wide and was just about to burst into tears.
Seeing his little face turn bright red from holding back his crying, Fang Yuan was startled. Remembering that she had some candy in her pocket, she quickly took out a piece, unwrapped it, and handed it to him. The moment the little fellow got it, he immediately stuffed it into his mouth. The sweetness of the fruit-flavored hard candy surprised him. He first stared wide-eyed at the candy in his hand with amazement, then toddled around the front courtyard with it, happily licking it over and over again.
“What are you eating?” A little girl with two thin pigtails suddenly ran into the courtyard from who knew where and chased after the little cousin as she asked.
“Aili!” Fang Yuan cried out in delight as she hurried toward the little girl.
Xu Aili placed her little hands on her hips and glared at Fang Yuan. “Who are you? Why are you in my house?”
Fang Yuan froze. They had only been apart for half a year, yet her little sister no longer recognized her.
“Aili, I’m your big sister. Didn’t we just meet during the New Year? How could you forget me again?” Fang Yuan felt a pang of sadness in her heart.
Aili tilted her little head and thought for a moment before saying, “Did you give him that? I want one too.” As she spoke, she stretched out her little hand toward Fang Yuan.
Fang Yuan took the remaining pieces of candy out of her pocket and placed them in her little hand. They had been brought especially for her in the first place.
Xu Aili’s little face lit up with a brilliant smile. She unwrapped one of the hard candies and popped it into her mouth before saying to Fang Yuan, “I’m not called Aili. I’m Guimei.”
As she spoke, she hid the hand holding the candy behind her back, looking at Fang Yuan nervously, afraid that if Fang Yuan realized she had mistaken her for someone else, she would snatch the candy back.
“Your proper name is Xu Aili, and your nickname is Guimei. You’re my little sister.” Fang Yuan crouched down and coaxed gently, “A… Guimei, call me Big Sister.”
Aili turned her head away and ignored her, her cheeks puffing in and out as she sucked on the candy.
“Jiejie!” The little cousin rushed over, tugged at Fang Yuan’s sleeve, and loudly called out.
“Xindang, you’re amazing. You already know how to say ‘Big Sister.'” Even though her own little sister ignored her, her little cousin’s support still made her happy.
“She’s not your big sister. Go away.” Aili gave little Xindang a shove.
“Aili, you mustn’t bully your little brother,” Fang Yuan scolded lightly.
“Hmph.” Flicking her pigtails, Aili huffed and ran into the house.
“Ah Yuan, it really is you. Did you come by yourself?” Her eldest aunt returned carrying a bowl of tofu and smiled at Fang Yuan. “I heard people on the road saying you’d come. Turns out it was true.”
Wrinkles had already begun to appear on Fang Yuan’s eldest aunt’s round face. She was not very tall, but she had a warm and gentle appearance. There were two patches sewn onto her clothes.
“Eldest Aunt,” Fang Yuan greeted her with a smile.
“By the way, have you seen Guimei run back? That little girl disappeared the moment I wasn’t paying attention.”
“She just went inside,” Fang Yuan replied.
Not long afterward, Grandpa Xu and Eldest Uncle also returned. At lunchtime, the whole family gathered together, making the house exceptionally lively.
Lunch was very hearty, with steamed eggplant and green beans, winter melon soup, cold dressed tofu, and braised crucian carp. Aside from the bowl of white rice served to Fang Yuan, everyone else ate sweet potato rice.
Feeling embarrassed, she repeatedly explained that she had just eaten two slices of watermelon and was still full, so she could not possibly finish such a large bowl of rice.
Grandpa Xu looked at her with a warm smile and told her to take her time eating.
At the dining table, four-year-old Guimei was still being fed by her grandmother. She pointed at whichever dish she wanted, and Grandma Xu immediately picked some up for her. After taking a few bites, she refused to eat anymore, yet Grandma Xu continued following her around, trying to coax another mouthful into her.
After the meal, Grandma Xu took out the things Fang Yuan had brought and explained that they had all been specially prepared by her second daughter-in-law for the family.
She distributed the two pairs of Liberation shoes, giving one pair each to Fang Yuan’s Eldest Uncle’s family and Younger Uncle’s family.
As for the three pieces of fabric, she kept one for herself and gave the other two to her two sons’ families as before. There was also a piece of small floral fabric that was obviously meant for making clothes for Guimei, and she kept that as well.
Everything else was food. She put away the cloud cakes, malted milk, and brown sugar. Aunt Xu stared at them with wide eyes, but did not receive any of them.
What she had really been eyeing were the two bags of malted milk. She had wanted to get one bag for her younger son to nourish his health, but judging from the situation, her mother-in-law intended to keep both bags for Guimei. Since they had been brought by her second sister-in-law, she did not dare entertain any thoughts about asking for them.
Fang Yuan took a blinking cloth doll out of her shoulder bag and gave it to Aili. The little girl was delighted. She immediately snatched it up and hugged it tightly, curiously feeling the doll’s blinking eyes and its clothes.
“This doll looks so well made. It must have been very expensive,” Grandma Xu said, feeling a little distressed.
“It wasn’t expensive,” Fang Yuan replied.
Just then, someone suddenly rushed in and called out to Fang Yuan’s eldest uncle, Xu Dahai, “Captain, something terrible has happened. You need to come take a look right away.”
T/N: To avoid confusion, I’ll refer to Fang Yuan’s younger uncle’s wife as “Aunt Xu” and her eldest uncle’s wife as “Eldest Aunt Xu.” Since they haven’t been introduced by name yet, I’ll stick with these titles until their names are revealed. I hope you don’t mind!