The next morning, as soon as the gong sounded, Xiang Wenshan got up. After a quick wash, she found some paper and a pen and leaned over the wooden board by the bed to write.
When she finished, Xiang Wenhui borrowed the paper and pen and scribbled a few simple lines.
Wenshan happened to glance over and her lips twitched. “You’re only writing that?”
“Yeah? What else? I thought about those lines for ages.”
Wenshan gave her a thumbs-up. “Impressive.”
Wenhui’s eyes lit up. “Ah! I’m not done yet. Sis, don’t wait for me at breakfast. Save me some food — I’m going to keep writing.”
At breakfast, Wenshan portioned out her sister’s food and set it aside.
Feng Jianshe looked around. “Where’s Comrade Xiao Xiang? Not eating?”
“She’s inside writing a letter. Don’t worry about her,” Wenshan replied, sipping the thin porridge that had only a few visible grains of rice.
Feng Jianshe nodded.
Wenshan finished first. “You guys keep eating. I’ll bring her food. She can wash her own bowl later.”
She carried the bowl inside and saw Wenhui still hunched over writing, two densely filled sheets already beside her.
Her eyes widened. “Are you writing an essay?”
Earlier she had claimed she had nothing to say — now there seemed no end to it.
Wenhui grinned. “These are heartfelt words! I’ve been away from Mom and Dad for days. Of course I have to tell them what kind of life I’m living here.”
Wenshan understood perfectly. “Mm. Finish quickly and eat. The food’s getting cold.”
“Okay!”
She wrote another half page before finally stopping, stretching her wrist and exhaling deeply. “Finally done. I’m exhausted. I didn’t even work this hard during final exams.”
Wenshan chuckled softly. “Alright, eat.”
Wenhui drank the porridge and slipped the corn bun into her pocket. Glancing outside, she whispered, “I’m saving space. We’re going to the commune later to buy big meat buns. I haven’t had meat in forever.” She swallowed at the thought.
“What if the team leader doesn’t approve our leave?”
Wenhui patted her pocket. “I’ve still got this bun.”
Wenshan couldn’t help smiling. What a little treasure she was.
“Okay. Pack up the letters. I’ll wash the bowls, then we’ll go find the team leader.”
“Thanks, Sis. You’re the best.”
After washing up, they headed out. Cao Yu saw them leaving and hurried over. “Um, Comrade Xiang, could you help mail a letter for me too?”
Wenhui beamed. “Sure, no trouble at all.”
“Really? Thank you so much.” She handed over the prepared letter and postage money.
Arm in arm, the sisters hurried to the team leader’s house.
Just as they arrived, he was about to head out. Seeing them approach, he knew something was up.
“What is it?”
Wenshan spoke first. “Team Leader, we’d like to take a day off to go to the commune and mail letters. We’ve been here several days and haven’t written home yet. Our families must be worried.”
He frowned. “Didn’t I give you a day when you first arrived to handle personal matters?”
Hearing Wenshan’s voice, the team leader’s wife hurried out and caught the last of his words. She nudged her husband with her elbow. “They were sick when they first arrived — how could they go? Comrade Xiang, hurry to the village entrance. You might still catch the ox cart to the commune. Your team leader approves. Go reassure your families.”
“Thank you, Auntie. Thank you, Team Leader.” Wenshan grabbed Wenhui and ran off.
Even as they left, they heard the wife scolding him. “Old Song, your memory is terrible! You forgot she was seriously ill when she arrived? You were worried sick back then!”
He finally remembered but muttered defensively, “I just forgot for a moment. There’s too much to handle. I can’t remember everyone’s business. I still have to deal with Zhao Xiujun and Yu Zhaodi’s dispute later.”
“Then hurry up and go.”
The sisters ran all the way to the village entrance and finally spotted the ox cart.
Just as they were about to relax, the cart started moving.
Wenhui shouted, “Wait! Wait for us!”
Ma Chunhua noticed them running. “Uncle Zhao! Hold on — looks like two educated youths are coming!”
Uncle Zhao pulled the rope and stopped the ox.
By the time the sisters reached it, they were gasping for breath. The cart was already mostly full.
Ma Chunhua waved. “Hurry up, Comrades Xiang. Sit here.”
After catching their breath, they climbed aboard and thanked her.
“No need to be polite. You city folks are always so courteous,” Ma Chunhua said warmly. “I’m Ma Chunhua. You can call me Aunt Chunhua.”
Wenshan’s eyes widened. So this was the famous Ma Chunhua the team leader’s wife had mentioned. “Hello, Aunt Chunhua.”
Wenhui echoed the greeting.
A sarcastic voice cut in. “City people are really something. Making us wait this long.”
Wenshan raised an eyebrow. The twenty-something woman speaking in that snide tone didn’t look like someone easy to get along with.
Ma Chunhua couldn’t stand it anymore. Jinhua had praised these two girls quite a bit in front of her—clearly she was very fond of them. In front of her, she wasn’t about to let anyone bully them.
“Song Lao San’s wife, what are you saying? They just got here—they don’t know the situation yet.
“And why did you run off to the commune? I heard your mother-in-law got into a fight with Zhao Xiufang this morning. Shouldn’t you be at home keeping an eye on things?”
“What? Song Lao San’s wife—your mother-in-law fought with Zhao Xiufang?”
“Why did those two start fighting again?”
With everyone staring at her, Song Lao San’s wife’s expression darkened. “Why do you all care so much?”
An old woman spoke up, “Even if you don’t say it, I know why.”
Everyone turned to her. “Why?”
The old woman sniffed loudly and said, “What else could it be? It’s about Song Lao Wu.”
“Song Lao Wu? How did this get dragged back to him?”
At that moment, Xiang Wenshan was also extremely curious. How had this gotten connected to Song Zhaohua? She perked up her ears and listened carefully.
“Well, isn’t it just those old grudges?
“Zhao Xiujun was gossiping behind Song Lao Wu’s back, mocking Yu Zhaodi.
“She was laughing that her son was going to marry into someone else’s family.
“And she even said the girl he was marrying into was ugly and fat. Said Yu Zhaodi couldn’t afford to get her son a wife, so she had to ‘sell’ him off.
“So Yu Zhaodi started exposing her secrets. One thing led to another, tempers flared, and the two of them got into a physical fight.
“Early in the morning, they were already scrapping—someone even had a chunk of hair pulled out. Who knows whose it was.”
Ma Chunhua shook her head. “Those two really… it’s been so long, and they’re still throwing hands.”
Xiang Wenhui spoke softly, “Are those two families not on good terms?
“What old grudges are you talking about, Auntie?” As she spoke, she blinked at Ma Chunhua.
Song Lao San’s wife rolled her eyes angrily. “You—you outsider, what’s there to be curious about?
“Don’t you know to keep your head down?”
Xiang Wenhui shot her a glare. “You’ve got a tail? Then tuck it and let us see.
“The leaders said educated youths and villagers are one big family.
“How come, in your mouth, we’re outsiders? That’s damaging unity between educated youths and villagers. If it’s serious enough, you could end up behind bars.”
Song Lao San’s wife gritted her teeth, eyes blazing. “You—you little brat.
“When did I ever say that? Don’t go putting words in my mouth—you—”
Seeing how furious she was—her face flushed red—Ma Chunhua stepped in to smooth things over.
“Alright, Song Lao San’s wife, that’s enough.
“You don’t have the moral high ground here—you were the one who spoke poorly of Comrade Xiao Xiang first.
“Besides, who in this brigade doesn’t know about your family’s affairs?
“The girls are new—of course they’re curious. You can’t speak so harshly.”
“Exactly. Song Lao San’s wife, who doesn’t know about the issues between your family and the Li family?”
With everyone speaking against her, Song Lao San’s wife turned her head away.
Her chest rose and fell in anger. Really—these people weren’t siding with her at all. Instead, they were backing up those outsider educated youths.