The Ke sisters’ room was arranged to be very comfortable. Against the wall stood a large bed one hundred and eighty centimeters wide, draped all around with white mosquito netting. Beside the bed sat an old fashioned wooden table, nearly bare save for a round mirror set in a red plastic frame.
On the wall opposite the bed, a clever rack of bamboo had been built into two tiers. The sisters hung their clothes there, one to each tier. In the narrow gap less than half a meter wide between the rack and the bedside table, another small triangular bamboo shelf had been fixed.
On it hung two or three tiny garments, and below stood a small bamboo shelf holding woven straw slippers and a little bamboo box. Inside the box were ribbons and hair clips and other such trinkets. All of these belonged to Shushu. They had not been brought over from the Chen family home.
Rather, the Ke family had prepared them especially for her from the very beginning. It was not only this household that did so. Nearly every family in the village kept things ready for Shushu in one form or another. Not every household was as thoroughly prepared as the Ke family, yet everyone did their utmost to offer Shushu the very best their homes could provide. This was why when Shushu moved to stay with the next family, she never needed to carry bundles and bags. She had only to walk there.
“Shushu come here. Let big sister ask you something. What is the telephone number at the village office?” It was still early, not yet time for bed. Ke Xiaohua chose this quiet moment to help Shushu review the safety lessons she had learned earlier that day.
Shushu said nothing.
“What is the name of our village?”
“Fengyang Village.”
“That is right. Now tell Shushu what is the name of the commune that Fengyang Village belongs to?”
“Hongyang Commune.”
“Good. And which county is Hongyang Commune in?”
“Shanping County.”
“What is our village chief’s name?”
“Chen Shuinui.”
Shushu answered in her clear childish voice. The sound drifted out through the door, and every villager who heard it smiled knowingly. Aunt Chen, who had been busy stitching shoe soles, paused to listen. A warm smile spread across her face. “Our Shushu has been so clever since she was small.”
“Would she be the only university student in our village if she were not clever?” put in the youngest Ke son. He was leaning over another table, busily writing and drawing, and did not even lift his head as he spoke.
His words drew Aunt Chen’s gaze. Seeing that he was not working on his lessons, her expression turned stern. She pointed a finger at him and chided him. “Have you finished your homework yet? You have been given a second chance at life. Let me tell you this. You must apply yourself to your studies.
We do not ask you to become some great scholar. At the very least finish junior middle school so you may earn a diploma and find work more easily. If you choose to idle about doing nothing useful as you did in your past life, I shall tell your father to give you a sound thrashing.”
“Hmph. I have plenty of strength left to give you a beating,” Ke father put in from where he sat nearby. He gave a firm nod and flexed his sturdy arms to show he meant exactly what he said.
Ke Tietou shrank his neck. He knew better than to doubt his father’s words. “I have finished it already. All my homework is done. Why do you two never ask how my older brothers are doing? Why do you keep watching only me?”
“Little brother, I finished all my assignments at school,” said the eldest brother Ke Shitou with a simple honest smile. The second brother Ke Langtou remained silent, sitting quietly at another table and writing steadily.
“If you ask me, both of you are far too rigid in your thinking,” Ke Tietou muttered. “We have this extraordinary opportunity now. Why must we still suffer through endless schoolwork? It serves no purpose.”
“All we need do is buy ten or eight sets of the Golden Monkey stamps when they are released in a few years’ time. Why should we ever want for money after that?” he reasoned. He had heard that a single full set of those stamps would one day be worth as much as an entire house. He had already made up his mind.
He would buy as many sets as he could afford. One set each for Shushu and his two sisters, and all the rest would belong to him alone. To this end Ke Tietou had already begun saving in secret. He had barely managed to save less than one yuan so far, yet he felt as though he had a wonderful purpose in life. The mere thought of all the wealth that lay ahead made him want to grin.
“You are living in a fool’s dream,” Aunt Chen retorted. “Buying those stamps indeed! Even if you managed to buy them, how do you propose you would ever sell them? Besides, yours is not the only household that knows of this chance.
If every family in the village rushes out to buy those stamps, how will they hold any value when there are so many to be had?” Aunt Chen had little formal education, yet she understood well that scarcity was what gave things their worth. She could see that her son’s reasoning held a spark of insight, yet the plan remained impractical. He would do far better to set aside his idle fantasies and apply himself to his books or work hard to earn an honest living.
“There are many ways to make money. Those stamps are not the only path to wealth,” Ke Tietou murmured softly under his breath, careful not to let his parents overhear. He knew his parents were honest hardworking farmers whose minds were set in their ways. They would never dare to attempt anything bold. He decided he would speak to his little sister Shushu in private and discuss the matter further with her.
Shushu had no idea when she finally fell asleep. She woke to the sensation of gentle rocking. Opening her eyes she found Ke Xiaohua leaning over her.
“Shushu wake up. We are going to cut grass for the pigs today. We can earn work points for this!” Before Shushu could fully gather her wits, Ke Xiaohua set her down and directed Ke Xiaocao to lift Shushu from bed. They brought her to the water jar beside the kitchen door to wash.
“Shushu come here. Open your mouth and show me your teeth,” Ke Xiaocao said softly. She held the warm fragrant little girl in her arms and guided her with Shushu’s own tiny toothbrush. Shushu had her teeth brushed every day and was familiar with the routine. She opened her mouth wide and bared her teeth, letting Ke Xiaocao scrub them clean.
“Gargle and spit,” Ke Xiaocao said. Shushu obeyed. When she had finished rinsing her mouth, a soft warm cloth was brought forth. It was laid gently over Shushu’s face and rubbed back and forth with firm steady strokes. The pressure was gentle, yet Shushu wobbled this way and that like a little tumbler toy. Once Shushu was washed and dressed, Ke Xiaocao braided her hair into two neat pigtails while she ate her breakfast. As soon as the meal was finished, Shushu was allowed to run out hand in hand with Ke Xiaohua.
By the time they set off, Shushu was wide awake. She recalled what Ke Xiaohua had said about earning work points, and was suddenly eager to reach the fields. Young as she was, Shushu knew that work points were precious things that could be exchanged for grain and money. In ordinary times, nearly every task was performed by adults and older children. Children as young as Shushu were rarely given the chance to work. They were not even permitted to gather stray wheat ears. Only on very rare occasions were such small tasks set aside for them. Every child therefore took the opportunity very seriously.
“I spoke to my mother already. The work points I earn are mine to keep. She will not take them. She says I may spend them as pocket money.”
“So will mine.”
“My parents say they do not care for such small earnings.”
When they reached the meeting place, the children chattered excitedly and shared their joy. Strictly speaking, none of them were truly small children, and they ought not to have been so pleased by such modest reward. Yet trapped as they were in bodies so young, they had no other means of earning anything at all.
They were determined to secure their parents’ permission beforehand so that no one could later claim their share. The reason for this unusual assignment was simple. The summer grain harvest was drawing to a close, and every able bodied adult was busy rushing to finish the final tasks. No one could be spared to cut grass for the pigs. And so this work had been entrusted to the village’s youngest children. They were not truly helpless infants after all. Their movements might be slower, yet they were capable enough.
“Is everyone here? Very well. Let us go,” said Chen Dafei. Leading the group were not only Shushu and her usual companions, but many other children of similar age. Nearly every child in the village of that age group had come. There were dozens of them in all. Chen Dafei had been appointed their leader.
Perhaps because of his background, every child trusted him and obeyed his instructions without question. He accepted the responsibility naturally. He led the large group of children to a wide gentle slope covered in thick lush grass. Only a few scattered young trees stood there. The view was open and unobstructed. One had only to lift one’s head to see the entire clearing.
“This is a collective task,” Chen Dafei announced. “We must cut enough grass to feed all the pigs at the pig farm. Once we have finished, each of us shall receive two work points.” At his direction, most of the children were organized into grass cutting teams of two. Each pair was responsible for filling one large bamboo basket. A smaller group was assigned to transport duty.
They would carry the cut grass to the pig farm. Their only means of transport was a small handcart normally used for delivering water. The cart was small and could hold only two baskets at a time. The work was therefore heavy. The transport team had to take turns making repeated trips back and forth. Any single group sent alone would surely have been exhausted.
Shushu was kept close beside Chen Dafei. He would not allow her to handle the reaping hook for fear she might hurt herself. Instead he told her to walk behind him and gather any grass he had dropped. He himself worked steadily ahead cutting the grass.
Shushu toddled along behind him with her bottom sticking out, picking up handfuls of grass here and there. Before long, working together, they had filled one entire large basket. The basket was truly enormous. It stood taller than Shushu. She could easily have curled up and slept inside it. The filled basket was exceedingly heavy. It took several older children to lift it together.
“One two three,” they chanted in unison. With a great heave they lifted the basket onto the handcart. They watched the transport team trundle away with their hard earned load, then turned back to their work. Those two work points would not be earned so easily.
Their task was not only to cut enough grass to feed all the pigs at the farm. They must also gather as much extra feed as possible for the winter. The pigs must be well fed so that they in turn would provide abundantly for everyone at the end of the year. They cut grass throughout the entire day. It was not until the sky began to turn a soft grey that the final patch of grass was cut.
The work of gathering and transporting remained. No one stopped to rest. Instead they all helped the transport team carry the remaining grass to the pig farm. Whatever would not fit upon the cart was carried upon their backs. Baskets that were too heavy were only half filled so that they might be carried more easily. Even Shushu helped by clutching a small bundle of grass in her hands.