After waiting for a while, she spotted a small, dusty figure wandering nearby, gathering firewood.
“Xiaocao, come over here.” This was the second brother’s daughter, Lu Xiaocao, who had just turned four this year.
“Auntie, you called me?” Lu Xiaocao held a tree branch in each hand, her hair dry and yellowish, her clothes covered in patches, and she wasn’t wearing any shoes.
It was only April, and her little feet were already red from the cold.
“Why aren’t you wearing shoes again! Aren’t you cold?”
The little girl sniffled, “I’m not cold. When I run, I don’t feel cold.” Shoes were precious—once they wore out, they’d be gone, and she couldn’t bear to wear them out too quickly.
“Did you eat the biscuits I gave you yesterday?” Jiang Yue gently touched her little face, thinking how heartbroken she’d be if her own daughter ended up like this.
“I ate one. Mom said to save the rest and have another one in a few days. We can’t finish them all at once.” Xiaocao’s voice was crisp and clear, her words distinct.
“Auntie has some White Rabbit Creamy Candy here. Take it, hide it well, and eat it secretly by yourself.”
“Wow! Thank you, Auntie. But my mom said this is really expensive.”
“It’s not expensive, and it’s not for free either. It’s a reward for running an errand. Help Auntie with something…”
Lu Xiaocao quickly disappeared from sight.
A short while later, she returned, dragging along a dark, skinny teenager.
“Auntie, Brother Xiaoliu is here.”
“Good girl, go back to your chores!” Jiang Yue handed her a Calcium Milk Biscuit.
Zheng Xiaoliu stared at the biscuit, swallowing hard. “Auntie, you wanted to see me?”
“Yes, I have something good for you.”
This Zheng Xiaoliu was the sixth child in his family, with three older brothers and two older sisters.
But now, he was the only one left in the Zheng family—a fifteen-year-old boy living in two dilapidated thatched huts, leading a rather bleak life.
“Xiaoliu, do you want to eat meat with Auntie?”
“Meat?” At the word, Zheng Xiaoliu couldn’t control his drool.
“I know there’s a black market in our town, and I know you often go there to trade for things.”
Zheng Xiaoliu’s legs went weak. “A-Auntie, I haven’t done anything illegal.” If this got reported, he could be sent to a labor camp.
“I know, don’t be afraid. I just want you to help me trade for some things. It’s not convenient for me to go out. Look, here are cigarettes, white sugar, brown sugar, and two bottles of liquor. Don’t ask me where I got them—it’s a secret. Don’t worry, I won’t make you do this for nothing. There are benefits. Here! You can take a twenty percent cut from these items. How about that?”
Zheng Xiaoliu stared at the goods laid out on the windowsill, almost thinking he was hallucinating.
Though he desperately wanted to ask where they came from, he held back.
“Take this too, for the road. Otherwise, you won’t have the energy for the journey.” Jiang Yue grabbed a handful of beef jerky.
Resisting the temptation of the meat, Zheng Xiaoliu accepted it with both hands and took a bite.
It was numbing and spicy, with a satisfying chewiness.
“So delicious! Don’t worry, Auntie, I’ll take care of everything. But the black market is only open at night—it’s no good during the day. Besides, if the villagers see me carrying this stuff, it won’t be good. What do you want to trade for, though?”
“I want eggs—as many as you can get. I just had a baby and need to replenish my nutrients. If there are hens, that’s fine too, but they have to be slaughtered. I can’t go out, so I can only cook indoors. Pork, big bones—as long as they’re fresh. Fish, if there’s any, that would be best.” She didn’t need rice or flour—she had plenty in her supermarket, as much as she wanted.
Zheng Xiaoliu looked utterly bewildered. “Third Aunt, why can’t you go out?”
“Because Lu Laosan’s mother wants to throw my daughter into the mountains to feed the wolves, just because she’s a girl.”
“What? How could Second Grandma do that? If Third Uncle finds out, it’ll be chaos! Don’t worry, Third Aunt. While Third Uncle’s away, I’ve got your back! But… could I take a peek at my little sister?”
“Of course!” Jiang Yue bundled her daughter in a swaddling cloth. The little one was soft and awake, neither crying nor fussing.
Zheng Xiaoliu pressed his hands against the wooden window frame, practically trying to squeeze his face through the cracks. “She’s so tiny! So adorable! Oh my, is she looking at me? How could Second Grandma bear to do such a thing!”
“They want a grandson, that’s why! They think raising a girl is a waste of food.”
“Sigh! This happens a lot in our village. The brigade leader’s daily loudspeaker announcements don’t help—people still secretly abandon them. Third Aunt, quickly take my sister inside. Leave the things here. I’ll come back after dark and knock three times on the window before you open it.” Zheng Xiaoliu wasn’t particularly surprised, as such occurrences were common.
The Lu family all thought Jiang Yue was acting very strange. Had she become immortal?
Mother Lu had been eavesdropping outside the door the moment she returned. Jiang Yue tiptoed to the door and yanked it open suddenly. “What? Looking for another fight?”
“Who wants to fight with you? I just wanted to see if you were dead!” Mother Lu scrutinized her. “Looks like you’re doing just fine.”
Not only was she not dead, but her complexion had improved, and she’d changed her clothes.
“Rest assured, I’m not dead. I’m perfectly fine. Now move aside—I need to speak with Big Brother!”
“What is it?” Lu Laoda had just entered the yard, carrying a hoe.
“I’d like to ask you for a favor…”
Lu Laoda started to refuse as soon as she began speaking. “I’m very busy. If you need something, go ask Second Brother.”
Jiang Yue’s lips twitched. With his character, how was he fit to be the eldest son of the Lu family? “It’s just about sending a telegram. I’ll pay you.”
The mention of money instantly energized Lu Laoda. “Who are you sending it to? When do you want to go?”
“What do you need to send a telegram for?” Zhang Guifang asked warily.
“To tell Lu Jingzhou to come back. I—want—to—divorce him!”
“What?!” Mother Lu’s shriek startled the dozing birds from the tree branches outside the courtyard.
“Divorce! Are you deaf? Can’t you hear clearly?”
Everyone in the yard except Old Man Lu was shocked by her tone.
The two sisters-in-law were especially dumbfounded. Since when had Third Sister-in-law grown so bold?
Mother Lu’s hand trembled as she pointed, but Jiang Yue merely rolled her eyes, turned around, and went back inside.
…
During dinner, Mother Lu went all out, having Second Daughter-in-law boil two eggs to bring to Jiang Yue.
But the more she thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt. “Sigh! I know you all resent and hate me in your hearts, thinking I’m too harsh as a mother-in-law. But why don’t you consider that I only want what’s best for you? Although our family lives poorly, at least no one has starved to death. That’s already quite good. Of course, you might say I’m biased, but Dabao is the only boy in our family. Shouldn’t the good food go to him instead of Xiao Cao? Look how skinny she is—clearly not blessed with good fortune. Feeding her would just be a waste.”
The Dabao she referred to sat beside Lu Da Sao, happily eating his steamed egg custard.
The chubby boy looked somewhat simple-minded, staring relentlessly at Lu Xiaocao with undisguised pride and smugness.
Lu Xiaocao kept her head down, her face nearly buried in her bowl.
She was two years younger than Lu Dabao, yet had never tasted steamed egg custard.
Feeling sorry for her, Lu Er Sao picked up some pickled vegetables for her. “Be a good girl and eat up now!”