The days passed one by one, and in the blink of an eye, it was June 1958. Gu Yihan was six years old this year and was now a second-grade student in elementary school.
“Grandma, I’m home! I got perfect scores on both my tests.” Gu Yihan happily handed the test papers to Grandma Gu.
A broad smile spread across Grandma Gu’s face as she held the papers, utterly delighted. She walked to the kitchen with a spring in her step and started making dinner.
Many things had happened over the past few years. Private land had been taken back by the state, and communes had been established. Gu Jia Village was now under the jurisdiction of the Red Flag Commune.
As for Gu Yihan’s so-called parents, they still hadn’t conceived another child.
They argued incessantly every day, and Zhang Cuihua’s aversion to her grew. She blamed Gu Yihan for all her own misfortunes. In any case, Gu Yihan didn’t care; she had her grandma to protect her.
As the family sat down for dinner, Grandma Gu suddenly spoke up, her voice filled with undisguised pride. “Our Hanhan got perfect scores on her tests today, you know.”
Not to be outdone, Gu Dasao, Wang Ni, said, “Mother, your eldest grandson isn’t bad either. He gets excellent grades in his class at the junior high in town. You just wait to enjoy a comfortable life.”
Zhang Cuihua snorted coldly. “Mother, no matter how much you dote on her, she can’t possibly support you in your old age. When you’re old, you’ll still have to rely on Aidang and his brothers.”
Grandma Gu sneered. “At least I have someone to rely on. What about you? You don’t even have that.”
Hearing this, Zhang Cuihua trembled with anger.
Gu Yihan quietly whispered in Grandma Gu’s ear, “Grandma, don’t worry, I’ll take care of you.”
Grandma Gu’s face remained impassive, but inwardly, she was overjoyed. She knew this child truly cherished her.
Gu Aidang paid no mind to the arguments at the table. He had found a mistress.
Zhang Cuihua hadn’t gotten pregnant all these years, and he felt that her “land” was barren.
Gu Meng looked at the clean and tidy Gu Yihan, and the hatred in her heart grew. Why, when they had the same parents, was she not allowed to go to school and forced to do chores at home?
The resentment in her heart shot straight at Gu Yihan through her gaze.
Seeing Gu Meng’s stare, she paid it no mind. Originally, Grandma Gu hadn’t wanted her to attend school. But starting from the age of two, she had worked to get on good terms with her older male cousin, reading his books over and over.
She had pleaded with her grandma countless times. Seeing her persistence and genuine love for learning, her grandma had finally agreed to let her study.
Gu Meng would never know how much effort she had put in just to be able to go to school.
It was almost the second half of 1958, and there were already signs of the coming natural disaster.
“Grandma, have you noticed it hasn’t rained in a long time?” Gu Yihan said casually.
Grandma Gu looked up at the sky. “It does seem like it’s been a while.” As she spoke, she continued mending Grandpa Gu’s clothes.
Ever since ration tickets were required for all purchases a few years ago, the family hadn’t had new clothes made in years. The occasional cloth ration tickets they received were used to buy fabric right before they expired, which was then stored away, as they were reluctant to make clothes with it.
Grandma Gu bit off the mending thread and said, “Don’t you worry, you won’t go hungry!”
“Sigh, it’s just that I saw Laidi and Daidi. They’re so thin and dark. Every time I see them, I feel like I must have done something good in my past life to have met such a wonderful grandma.” Saying this, she rested her head on her grandma’s lap.
Her grandma stroked Gu Yihan’s hair with her rough hand and chuckled. “You little flatterer.”
Gu Yihan looked up at Grandma Gu. “I’m scared of going hungry. They said they’ve never eaten their fill. I’m worried that if it doesn’t rain, I’ll go hungry too.”
“Hehehe, Grandma will tell you a secret. Our family won’t go hungry,” Grandma Gu said, deliberately leaning close to her little granddaughter’s ear.
“Really?” Gu Yihan looked at her grandma with sparkling eyes.
Grandma Gu thought she had been frightened by those two siblings. She smiled and nodded.
That night, Gu Yihan lay in bed, feigning sleep with her eyes closed. She heard Grandma Gu say, “It hasn’t rained in a long time, has it? How do you think the harvest will be this year?”
Grandpa Gu replied in his simple, honest way, “Not good. The crops will have a reduced yield this year.”
“Then how much grain will our family be allotted this year?” Grandma Gu asked worriedly.
“It’s hard to say. Since the commune was established here and the village implemented the work-point system, this will be the first time grain is distributed at year’s end. There’s nothing to compare it to,” Grandpa Gu said helplessly.
“Old man, let’s not build a separate bed for Hanhan just yet. Let’s buy more grain,” Grandma Gu said with concern.
Grandpa Gu looked at her, puzzled. “What’s wrong? Don’t we still have the grain you hid? It’s enough to feed our family for two years. Didn’t you just say you wanted to build a room for Hanhan?”
Grandma Gu said, “I have a bad feeling. I’m just so scared of starvation. Let’s save the money to buy some grain to keep at home first. We can build the room later when we have money. We should also plant more sweet potatoes on our private plot.”
Grandpa Gu replied, “Alright, I’ll listen to you.”
After that, Gu Yihan couldn’t fight off her sleepiness and drifted off.
The next morning, she felt relieved. The family had grain; she wouldn’t be needed.
She happily ate her breakfast and skipped off to school.
Gu Yihan secretly drank milk and ate a steamed bun every day, so she was taller than her peers. She always sat in the back row at school.
Summer vacation arrived, and Gu Yihan didn’t want to get out of bed in the morning. Her grandma had already gone to work in the fields.
Zhang Cuihua came back to get some water and saw Gu Yihan still in bed. “What money-losing baggage gets to live as comfortably as you? Girls from other families your age already know how to help with chores. You’re just an ungrateful wretch.”
Vicious words poured from Zhang Cuihua’s mouth.
“Sister-in-law Cuihua,” Liu Zhaodi said with ill intent. “Don’t be angry. She’s just a girl. In a couple of years, you can find a man for her to marry and earn a nice sum for the bride price.”
Zhang Cuihua looked at Liu Zhaodi holding her child, who was born on the same day as that money-losing baggage.
She was utterly disgusted. “And what makes you any better? If you hadn’t dragged me to your house, would I have gone into premature labor and damaged my health?”
Zhang Cuihua detested the children born on that day. All children born on that day were a jinx to her.
The moment Liu Zhaodi heard Zhang Cuihua bring up that day’s events, she felt extremely guilty. She quickly hugged her child and left.