The next day was Shen Qing’s birthday.
Shen Qing’s mother Liu Cuihua rose early. She kneaded dough from freshly ground wheat flour and made a bowl of long life noodles.
When Shen Qing woke she saw Tiedan sitting at the table gazing eagerly at the bowl.
“Sister you are up.” He held the bowl toward her. “Mother made long life noodles for your birthday.”
Shen Qing glanced around. There were several other bowls of wild vegetable porridge on the table. Clearly that was what everyone else would be eating.
She sat down. “I brought back so much wheat from the mountains. Why not make more bowls of noodles?” It would not have taken much flour.
Liu Cuihua set a bowl of porridge before Tiedan and spoke simply. “I traded half the wheat to Aunt Li for coarser flour and sweet potato flour.” “I kept half to grind into fine flour. We will save that for festivals and special days.”
Coarse flour was plain but it went a long way. Fine flour was delicious but it did not last. “We are country folk. We cannot afford fine flour every day.”
Shen Qing pushed her bowl toward Tiedan. “Give this to him then. I will have porridge.”
Tiedan swallowed hard but turned away. “No I will not.”
Liu Cuihua lifted the bowl back to Shen Qing. “You eat it. I cooked it in yesterday’s chicken broth. It tastes wonderful.”
Shen Qing pulled Tiedan close and together they shared the bowl. He slurped happily. “It tastes so good.”
Shen Qing ruffled his hair. “From now on you will eat it every day.”
His eyes lit up. “Truly?”
After breakfast Tiedan went to gather pigweed to earn work points. Shen Qing and Liu Cuihua went to the wheat fields to do the same.
The golden fields stretched bright and beautiful. The wind swept through them like a rippling curtain of gold.
The heat of summer was setting in. Cutting wheat was hard work and Shen Qing was soon sweating freely. Liu Cuihua took the sickle from her. “Go rest under the tree for a while.”
Shen Qing sat down and then noticed someone standing behind the tree. “Er Laizi?”
She turned and saw him grinning awkwardly. “Qingqing what a surprise.”
Before he could say more she picked up her hat and moved to another tree putting distance between them. He saw the distaste in her eyes and scowled tearing a strip of bark from the trunk.
He remembered the day she returned to the village. People had said she would be so ashamed she would throw herself into the river. If he had pulled her out she would have been his wife. But she had not jumped and he had not gotten her. Now even standing near her was too much.
He stepped forward and then heard the rumble of a tractor approaching. Tractors were rarely seen in Xinghua Village. Few people had ever ridden one.
All the villagers stopped working to watch. Six people climbed down from the tractor. Four men and two women. Their clothes were made of fine fabric that shone far better than the rough cloth the villagers wore. Their skin was fair and their fashion unmistakably urban. They stepped down frowning as if the very ground beneath them was beneath them.
One girl about Shen Qing’s age walked straight toward her. She wore a smart tailored coat and pretty hair clips.
“Shen Qing!”
Shen Qing lifted her gaze and met Li Mengyao’s eyes. Her hands tightened at her sides. “What do you want?”
Li Mengyao raised her hand to strike. Shen Qing caught her wrist firmly before it could land. “You raise your hand to hit me before you even speak?”
It was the same day in her past life. Li Mengyao had struck her then and nearly disfigured her. That false daughter had stood there scolding her the true daughter without a shred of remorse.
Li Mengyao twisted her hand but could not pull free. Her wrist ached. She glared eyes full of accusation. “This is all your fault.” Tears welled in her eyes. She looked wronged and spiteful all at once. “You are nothing but bad luck. Our father’s position our home our life in the city—you have ruined everything.”
Shen Qing smiled calmly. “Ruined everything? Does that mean your family has been sent down to the countryside?”
“If you had not come back none of this would have happened. We would never have been sent to such a wretched place.”
Her three brothers stepped forward their faces hard with resentment.
Eldest brother Li Jianguo spoke darkly. “You bring misfortune to everyone. We should never have let you cross our threshold.”
Second brother Li Jianmin sneered. “Just as I expected. Born in the country and cursed from birth. You drag everyone down with you.”
Third brother Li Jianfeng spoke with cutting scorn. “Get away from us. The nearer we are to you the worse our luck becomes.”
Their parents stood nearby looking weary and indifferent. Not one word was spoken in Shen Qing’s defense. They accepted every accusation as fact. All their hurt and humiliation was being poured onto the daughter they had only just found.
Once Shen Qing would have cowered and wept and begged forgiveness. But this Shen Qing had lived through it all before. She lifted her head her gaze steady and fearless.
She looked at all four of them and spoke clearly and firmly. “I was taken to your home and then sent away again immediately. Your father has been sent down because of his own work and conduct.” “I did not write those reports. I did not inform on him.” “Why should I be blamed for everything that has gone wrong?”
Li Mengyao stared. Her brothers fell silent too. The timid girl who had taken every insult without reply seemed to have vanished.
Shen Qing stepped forward meeting each of their eyes in turn. “You lived in comfort in the city. You ate fine white flour and meat and eggs every day. You wore beautiful clothes and lived in a fine house.” “I never benefited from any of it.” “So why should I bear your shame and serve as your target?”
Li Mengyao huffed. “Everything changed the moment you returned. It is because you are an ill omen that all this has happened.”
Shen Qing’s voice rang clear and unshaken. “Then I say the opposite. Perhaps I am your lucky star.” “If not for my good fortune you might well have faced far worse.” “You would not be standing here packing your things and complaining.” “So if anyone calls me an ill omen or a curse—” She looked at them her gaze sharp and unyielding. “Let them show me the proof.” “And if they cannot prove it then I will go to the Revolutionary Committee and we will see what they have to say.”
Li Mengyao turned pale and burst into tears. “How dare you speak to us like that? You have no right!”
The eldest brother flushed with anger. “You have grown bold. A country girl lecturing us?”
The second brother rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward ready to strike.
Liu Cuihua saw what was happening and hurried to stand before Shen Qing shielding her. Shen Qing did not wait. She turned and walked away.
Li Mengyao’s father was afraid she really would go and make trouble bringing further suspicion on the family. He stepped forward to calm things down.
“Enough all of you.” He drew close to Li Mengyao and spoke quietly so only she could hear. “Do not forget why you have come to Xinghua Village in the first place.”