Father Lin hurried home but couldn’t find his daughter.
Growing anxious, he paced back and forth through the house, drinking cup after cup of plain boiled water while waiting for Lin Qiaozhi to return.
Instead, the first person to arrive was someone he hadn’t expected.
A little flustered, Father Lin pulled out a chair, picked up the teapot, poured a cup of water, then rubbed his hands awkwardly instead of sitting down. “The conditions here aren’t much.”
There weren’t any young children in the family, so they hadn’t stocked up on sunflower seeds or other snacks.
“It’s hot today. A glass of cooled boiled water really hits the spot.” Zhou Chang drank a cup, then pushed the two gifts he’d brought across the table with a smile. “Old Lin, we’ve known each other for so many years.”
Looking at the smiling face of this old acquaintance, Father Lin was momentarily at a loss for words.
He had never been good with words.
They might be old acquaintances, but he’d never seen Zhou Chang smile at him this warmly before.
Zhou Chang worked in the transportation team. Since they were neighbors, Father Lin had always hoped to build a good relationship with him and pick up a few skills. If a vacancy ever opened up, maybe he could transfer over.
With that in mind, whenever goods were being loaded or unloaded, Father Lin would always go over to help out, trying to get on good terms with him. He even helped wash the trucks now and then.
Zhou Chang had always smiled at him, but pretended not to understand what he was after.
Father Lin wasn’t used to this sudden warmth. He took a sip of water to hide his discomfort before asking, “Brother Zhou, what’s this about?”
“You’re being too polite. Just call me Old Zhou.” Zhou Chang laughed heartily, though inside he felt as sour as if he’d bitten into an unripe plum. This blockhead really is blessed.
“I won’t beat around the bush.”
The slightly sun-darkened man sighed. “That disappointing youngest son of mine took the exam today too, but he missed the passing mark by just a little.”
“So I was thinking, your Qiaozhi did so well. I’d like to ask her to tutor him.”
Lin Qiaozhi was on her way home.
She had no idea that, throughout the workers’ residential compound, countless families were talking about her over dinner. While they ate, someone would inevitably say, “Have you heard about that wild girl from the Lin family today?” or, “The factory technical school’s admission list is out. You’ll never guess who made it.”
Even Engineer Lu asked about her assessment, calling over a few apprentices to find out what had happened.
Lin Qiaozhi had gone back to school for classes and had even dragged the overjoyed Ning Zhenzhu, who hadn’t wanted to return, along with her.
She absolutely didn’t want to affect Ning Zhenzhu’s high school entrance exam. If her iron rice bowl at the supply and marketing cooperative fell through, Lin Qiaozhi would feel terrible!
Without Lin Qiaozhi studying alongside her, Ning Zhenzhu hadn’t pushed herself nearly as hard in preparing for the exams, and now she didn’t even want to go back to class.
After arriving at school, Lin Qiaozhi grabbed hold of the little slacker who only knew how to use her dimples to wheedle her way out of work, and carefully went over all the questions she’d gotten wrong in the recent exams.
Only after they finished did she head home.
As she walked through the alleys of the residential compound, she noticed that more people than usual were greeting her along the way.
When she got home.
She reached up to slip the shoulder strap off and set her bag on the cabinet, only to discover there was a guest in the house.
“Qiaozhi, you’re back from school.” Zhou Chang greeted her with a smile before turning to Father Lin and praising her. “Girls are so much more sensible. They don’t make people worry. Unlike those smelly boys, once they take leave, they forget all about going back to school.”
Father Lin was smiling too, the wrinkles on his face deepening as he beckoned. “Come here, Qiaozhi. This is Uncle Zhou.”
Setting down her schoolbag, Lin Qiaozhi greeted him. “Hello, Uncle Zhou.”
Her gaze landed on the dining table, and she froze in surprise. There was a bottle of canned mandarins and a package of pastries wrapped in oiled paper.
She could even faintly smell the pastries. It wasn’t that she had an exceptionally keen nose. It was simply because it had been so long since she’d had anything this good.
They certainly didn’t belong to her family.
One person’s wages had to support a family of four, and whatever little money they managed to save was sent to support both sets of grandparents.
Jiang Hongmei often grumbled that even the cockroaches probably knew there was nothing to eat in this house and had the good sense to move elsewhere.
Seeing her expression, Zhou Chang was delighted.
He’d bet on the right thing!
These days, every child craved good food.
There was so little oil or meat to go around, and everyone had just endured three years of hunger. It wasn’t only children. Even adults constantly longed for a decent meal. If there was meat, it was enough to make them happy all day.
“Your uncle heard you like mung bean cakes, so I made a special trip to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy Su Ji’s. They’re rich and moist, with finely ground mung bean paste. They’re perfect for us folks from Jiangcheng.”
Zhou Chang introduced them with a smile.
After exchanging a few pleasantries.
Only then did Lin Qiaozhi realize that Uncle Zhou had actually come to see her.
Puzzled, she asked, “Didn’t the exams already end?”
Uncle Zhou smiled. “Well, it’s all within our own factory. They’re not that strict with the factory workers’ children. There’ll be one more make-up exam later.”
Just then, Jiang Hongmei returned carrying an aluminum lunch pail filled with dishes from the cafeteria.
Zhou Chang stood up. “All right, I won’t keep your family from dinner any longer.” Then he smiled at Lin Qiaozhi. “I’ve already talked it over with your father. He’ll explain it to you later.”
After seeing Zhou Chang off.
Jiang Hongmei came over to set out the bowls and dishes, saying happily, “The moment I heard the news today, I rushed home. As soon as I got back, your father sent me to the cafeteria to buy a few extra dishes to celebrate. See? Your father really dotes on you.”
Lin Jiandong, who had been in the inner room, also ran out enthusiastically and moved a stool into place. “Come on, Sister. Sit here. I’ll get the chopsticks.”
Lin Qiaozhi found it a little strange.
But she couldn’t help feeling happy as well.
After washing her hands and sitting down, someone immediately placed a slice of meat into her bowl.
It was stir-fried pork belly with chili peppers.
She picked it up and ate it. The pork belly had been rendered first, making it unbelievably fragrant! It was spicy too, and her mouth instantly flooded with saliva.
How long had it been since she’d eaten such thick slices of pork?!
She quickly took several more bites.
Only then, completely satisfied, did she ask, “Father, what did you and Uncle Zhou agree on?”
Truthfully, she felt just a little unhappy.
He was asking her for help, so why hadn’t he come to her directly? Instead, he’d gone and “already talked it over” with her father.
Lin Wuqiang grinned from ear to ear and put another slice of meat into her bowl. “He wants you to tutor his youngest son.”
Lowering his voice, he said, “Your Uncle Zhou promised that if you help his youngest pass the make-up exam, he’ll teach me how to drive a truck. The next time there’s an opening in the transportation team, I’ll be able to transfer over.”
Jiang Hongmei set down her chopsticks and said, “I asked around while I was out just now. His eldest son already learned to drive from him and waited several years before finally getting hired. He’s an apprentice with the transport team now. It’s unlikely they can get the younger son into the factory too. It’s too early for him to inherit the job, so they’ve found him a master to teach him a trade instead.”
With that explanation, Lin Qiaozhi vaguely remembered.
The Zhou family had two sons and no daughters, so she wasn’t particularly familiar with them.
Their younger son probably wasn’t the outgoing, rambunctious type either. Otherwise, he would definitely have chased after her to play with her toys at some point, or been beaten up by her.
A well-behaved kid?
Or just quiet and withdrawn?
Thinking about the pastries and canned fruit, Lin Qiaozhi cheerfully agreed. “Teaching him won’t be a problem. But I can’t guarantee how well he’ll learn or whether he’ll pass the make-up exam.”
“That’s my good daughter! You’ve made your old man proud!” Father Lin had rare occasion to drink a little liquor, and his face was flushed with happiness. “Just do your best. You scored full marks. If you can do that, how could you fail to teach someone who couldn’t even pass?”
Jiang Hongmei took her hand as well. “You know how hard your father has had it all these years. The tractors and diesel engines at our factory are heavy, and loading and unloading them is exhausting work. When the workload gets heavy, he has to carry load after load. His shoulders, waist, and legs all ache. Every day when he gets home, I rub medicated wine into them.”
Lin Qiaozhi pressed her lips together.
“I know.”
“I’ll do my best to teach him.”
She looked at Father Lin.
It was rare to see him so happy. Even the wrinkles formed by his smile were filled with pride and delight.
Sometimes she thought the things her mother said were frightening.
“Girls become sensible once they grow up.”
“Women are soft-hearted.”
It seemed that the older she grew, the more “sensible” and the more “soft-hearted” she became.
If they’d given her younger brother the meat instead of her when she was little, she would have flipped the table without hesitation, letting the dishes shatter across the floor.
Now she would hesitate.
It would be such a waste of food.
She knew perfectly well that when the movement to send educated youth to the countryside began, neither she nor her brother had found work, yet their parents had insisted that she be the one sent away.
She harbored resentment over it.
But seeing Father Lin beaming with joy, wearing an expression of relief and pride for his daughter, she couldn’t help feeling comforted.
She thought of all those times she had rubbed medicated oil into his body.
She thought of all the nights when he had been so exhausted that he couldn’t even speak before collapsing straight into bed.
It was Father Lin who had done such grueling work to support this family.
He had even paid for both her and her younger brother to attend school.
When she was little, she had wanted a set of tools so she could make toys.
It was Father Lin who had gone to help other people with odd jobs and managed to scrounge up some secondhand tools for her.
Sometimes, when she saw Jiang Hongmei wiping away tears and lamenting her hard life, her own heart would ache.
She would remember the clothes her mother had sewn for her when she was little, made from beautiful little floral-print fabric that had been very difficult to get.
That night.
Lying in bed, Lin Qiaozhi tossed and turned.
Even though today should have been a happy day, she couldn’t fall asleep. Her heart swung between joy and a bitter, stifling ache.
The voices kept replaying in her mind over and over again.
“A girl becomes sensible once she grows up. She’ll know how to take care of the household.”
“Women are softhearted.”
“What girl doesn’t get married? Are you really going to go your whole life without learning to cook or wash dishes?”
She didn’t want things to be like this.
Lin Qiaozhi yanked the blanket over her head and covered her ears, trying to shut the voices out.
Then, a burst of cheerful, silver-bell laughter broke in. “Hahaha! Well, I’m not washing them! I’ll never wash dishes for as long as I live! Bleh!”
Lin Qiaozhi’s eyes flew open.
She saw a small courtyard enclosed by yellow earthen walls, and an unbelievably beautiful young woman reclining on a woven rattan lounge chair, laughing so hard her brows danced and her whole body trembled with delight.
Lin Qiaozhi: !!!
When had she fallen asleep? Damn it. If she didn’t think of a specific dream before going to bed, she’d end up dreaming about random things!
She had wasted an entire night, a whole night, that she could have spent honing her skills!
It hurt just thinking about it.
Lin Qiaozhi’s face scrunched up in distress, yet her gaze was irresistibly drawn to the young woman before her.
She was so beautiful that it was impossible to look away. Beautiful enough that it almost seemed as if she hadn’t been born that way, but had instead been created by gathering together every beautiful word in the world.
She remembered this impossibly beautiful woman. She might have been a spirit, though she claimed she was a salted fish.
How could a person be a fish?!
This beautiful spirit had even gone on a blind date, married an army officer, and moved to an island to become someone’s stepmother.
Another loud wail rang out. “Waaah! If you never wash dishes for your whole life, does that mean I’ll have to wash them all? You’re awful! You’re an evil stepmother!” A little boy, his hands, face, and hair covered in soap bubbles, squatted beside a washbasin with his head tilted back, crying at the top of his lungs.
The beautiful spirit laughed even harder. “You guessed right. A woman like me has a heart of stone. Ever seen a stone? It’s black.”
The little boy froze.
“Boys should become more sensible when they grow up too. They should know how to help out around the house. Look at your father. Doesn’t he wash clothes and paint walls? Learn from him~”
The little boy threw back his head and cried in grief and indignation. “You’re the stepmother!!”
“That’s right~~~”
Lin Qiaozhi felt as though her entire world had been shaken.