“Then Shu-shu must walk very carefully and watch every step.” In the end Chen Fa-zhan agreed to let Shu-shu walk down the mountain on her own. Ke Xiao-hua as the eldest of the three naturally took charge holding one little hand in each and leading the way. But the path was narrow and before long Chen You-ning found it awkward to keep holding on. She slipped her hand free and said she preferred to walk by herself.
“Very well then. Do take care. Remember we are not as strong or sure-footed as we once were.” Ke Xiao-hua agreed readily enough seeing it was indeed inconvenient to walk linked together. She spoke from concern, reminding the girl not to overestimate her abilities at such a tender age. Chen You-ning waved a hand over her shoulder and darted nimbly ahead.
“Shu-shu let us walk slowly and steadily. That way we shall not stumble. Do not run about as she does.” Ke Xiao-hua took the opportunity to instruct the younger child.
“Shu-shu shall not run.” Shu-shu understood perfectly and nodded her head obediently.
“Good girl.”
The descent proved far harder than the climb up. Every person moved with the utmost caution and kept their attention fully alert. All bore heavy burdens upon their backs and the baskets contained fragile eggs. A fall would be unfortunate enough in itself but the real fear was losing any part of that precious cargo. Eggs were one of the village’s most important sources of income. Thankfully the whole party reached the foot of the mountain safely in the end.
No sooner had they emerged from the trees than Shu-shu spotted Zou Fang-fang waiting nearby. She pulled free from Ke Xiao-hua’s hand at once and trotted forward on short legs rolling along like a soft little dumpling until she threw herself into the older woman’s embrace. “Grandmother.”
“O my dear child. You have been gone so long. Are you hungry? Grandmother has brought you sweet cakes.” Zou Fang-fang had grown concerned at their long absence and had come down to wait at the mountain foot. Seeing them return safely her anxious heart finally settled and a warm smile returned to her face. She drew from within her clothing the warm cakes she had kept carefully covered and gave one to Shu-shu and another to Ke Xiao-hua who had followed close behind.
“Thank you Grandmother Zou but I could not possibly accept.” Ke Xiao-hua began politely to decline only for the cake to be placed firmly into her hand.
“Do not stand in ceremony with me. Eat it while it is still fresh.” Though Zou Fang-fang knew Ke Xiao-hua was older than she appeared in her eyes, the girl remained a child regardless of age.
“Thank you, Grandmother. I shall accept it gratefully.” Realising refusal would be useless, Ke Xiao-hua took the cake with good grace.
Shu-shu had already begun munching happily. The cake held a filling of sugar sesame and crushed peanuts. Its crust was crisp and flaky crumbs falling everywhere as she bit into it. Crumbs covered her face and clothing. She looked down and thought it was wasteful to pick the crumbs from her clothes and eat them but Zou Fang-fang would not allow it. She brushed the child clean in a few gentle strokes and wiped her face tenderly. “It is dirty dear. We shall not eat crumbs. There now.”
Zou Fang-fang lifted Shu-shu into her arms, exchanged a few brief words with her two sons and then walked back toward the village accompanied by Shu-shu and her own granddaughter.
Ke Xiao-hua went home with her father. Shu-shu was carried to the household where she would be staying for the night together with a small bundle of her clothing and daily necessities. Her hosts were a young newlywed couple.
They had no children of their own and few things suitable for a little girl so Shu-shu had brought her own supplies.
The couple treated her with great kindness. For dinner they steamed her a delicate egg custard and presented her with a small embroidered handkerchief. The wife had stitched the fine embroidery herself.
She was exceedingly clever with a needle and in time would open a tailor shop in the village mending garments and taking orders for custom clothing. Shu-shu admired the handkerchief greatly.
She held it up to show the wife then turned to show the husband. Both responded with gasps of delight and admiration playing their part perfectly and filling the little girl with joy. That night Shu-shu fell asleep held gently in the wife’s arms breathing in a soft sweet scent.
When morning came word went forth that all villagers should report to the village office in the afternoon to receive their share of eggs.
After setting aside the portion due to the state, the village chief had calculated the total brought down from the chicken farm and decided to distribute the remainder equally among every household. Counting heads each person would receive exactly two eggs.
The allocation applied to everyone including the young educated city dwellers sent to work in the countryside. Great was the general delight.
Two eggs might not seem much yet in those times people were grateful for whatever they received. Whether eaten to improve health or saved and traded at market they were a precious blessing.
Distribution was scheduled to begin at two o’clock. By ten that morning however crowds already thronged before the office doors. The young couple carried Shu-shu along with them. Seeing how many had gathered the village chief and party secretary conferred briefly and decided to begin distribution early rather than keep everyone standing about waiting.
“Form an orderly line please. No eggs shall be given to those who do not queue properly.” Without loudhailers the secretary had to shout at the top of his voice. The crowd moved cooperatively and two long queues formed. They were not perfectly straight but as long as people showed willingness the secretary was content and did not demand absolute precision.
Overseeing the distribution were the heads of the village’s two production teams. Fengyang Village was large and populous enough to be divided into two namely the First and Second Production Teams. The two team leaders, one surnamed Wang and the other Niu stood on either side of the office gate with baskets brimming with eggs at their feet. With practiced skill each hand grasped two eggs serving two people at once. The work proceeded swiftly and the lines moved steadily forward.
Shu-shu and the young couple had taken their place midway along one queue. Expecting a long wait they were surprised to reach the front in less than ten minutes.
“Here comes Shu-shu to collect her eggs. Here you are.” Their line was served by Team Leader Wang, a kind-faced middle-aged woman of slight build with short hair cut neatly to her ears. She placed Shu-shu’s eggs carefully into the two small pockets on either side of the child’s tunic, then reached into her own pocket and pressed a large creamy white rabbit milk candy into Shu-shu’s palm.
“Thank you Auntie Wang.” Shu-shu was accustomed to such kindness. Villagers young and old loved pressing little gifts upon her. She had learned that refusal would sadden them deeply and so she always accepted with sincere gratitude. Her grandfather had taught her that such offerings were tokens of genuine affection and precious goodwill. She should accept graciously and always remember to say thank you.
“It is time for us to go home for lunch Shu-shu. Say goodbye to Team Leader Wang.” The wife who held her spoke softly.
“Goodbye Auntie Wang. Goodbye Grandfathers Grandmothers Uncles Aunts Brothers and Sisters.” Shu-shu bade farewell to all present not forgetting anyone. She raised both little hands, fingers opening and closing like tiny soft paws waving to everyone.
“Goodbye dear.” Every heart melted at the sight. Adults replied in unison their voices softened to match hers.
“Alas it shall be months yet before Shu-shu comes to stay with us. How slowly time passes.”
“Count yourself fortunate. Our turn does not come until next year.”
“That is only because your household hosted her earlier this year.”
“Ha, tomorrow she shall come to us. I shall go at first light to fetch her and play.”
“Play indeed. Tomorrow the late rice planting begins. Every hand must be in the fields.”
“So soon. I had hoped we might rest a day or two longer.”
“The work follows in season without pause. There is little leisure to be had.”
As they walked away past the end of the queue Shu-shu noticed two young people, a young man and a young woman standing apart watching her with curiosity. Meeting her gaze they offered a friendly smile then looked away.
“Who are they?” Shu-shu asked her companions her curiosity awakened.
“They are city youths sent to work in our village.” The couple replied, glancing back. “The very first group to arrive. Only two for now but more shall come in time.”
Fengyang Village held great secrets and the city youths were outsiders. They were not permitted to know the village’s most guarded truths nor to grow close to Shu-shu who stood at the heart of them. That was why Shu-shu had seen so little of them until now. Had this gathering not brought everyone together she might have waited much longer before seeing them at all. Though this was her first time meeting them face to face she had heard enough to understand who they were and needed no further explanation. Her curiosity satisfied, she turned her thoughts elsewhere and began watching eagerly for Chen Fa-zhan’s return from the county town.
That very morning Chen Fa-zhan had set off transporting the sacks of feathers to market. A factory in the county town purchased feathers in large quantities year round accepting not only chicken but also duck and goose plumage. Ke Xiao-hua had already calculated that if prices held steady Shu-shu might earn as much as ten or twenty copper coins. To a child in those days that was a princely sum and more importantly it would be the very first money Shu-shu had ever earned. Her excitement grew as the hours passed.
Shortly before three in the afternoon the party returned. Sacks that had bulged full upon setting out were now completely empty. Every face shone with satisfaction and it was plain to see the journey had proven most successful.
“Indeed we met an honest buyer who did not beat down our price.” Chen Fa-zhan reported. “We received four li per jin.”
Their cargo had been vast, comprising not only feathers gathered upon the mountain but also those saved from every household’s poultry throughout the village. The total sum earned amounted to several silver dollars. Just as Ke Xiao-hua had calculated Shu-shu’s share came to exactly sixteen copper coins.
She had collected approximately forty jin of feathers and at four li per jin that was precisely what was due. Ke Xiao-hua and the other girl earned nearly the same amount. Forty jin was the true weight of one compressed sack.
Originally each girl had filled three sacks. But upon descending the mountain adults had observed the feathers were too loosely packed and wasting space. The three sacks of fluffy feathers had therefore been combined and pressed into one. The weight remained unchanged though the volume was greatly reduced.