According to regulation, one quarter of all grain yielded from every mu of land in Fengyang Village must be turned over to the state as public grain. This year promised to be a bountiful harvest. Fengyang Village held a large population and extensive farmland alike. The harvest was therefore abundant, and the portion to be delivered as public grain was correspondingly substantial.
Shushu sat in the cool shade of a tree, sucking contentedly on a stick of malt sugar as she watched the adults load sack upon sack of grain onto ox carts. The village possessed only two ox carts, yet the grain seemed endless. Once the carts were fully loaded, the remaining sacks had to be carried by hand. Several broad shouldered men stripped to the waist lifted the heavy sacks onto their shoulders.
At the village chief’s call, drivers flicked their reins and bearers stepped forward in unison. A long procession formed and wound its way beyond the village boundary. A dozen or so sturdy men armed with staves and farm tools marched alongside as escort.
“Where are they going?” Shushu asked curiously. She retained a faint impression of this sight from earliest childhood, yet her memory had grown indistinct. She could not recall clearly what purpose the procession served.
“They are delivering the public grain,” Chen Dafei replied seriously from where he sat beside her. “Grain sustains life and forms the very foundation of our nation’s development. It is therefore our duty to deliver grain in full measure, of good quality, and on schedule. In this way we contribute to the prosperity of our country.”
“Can Shushu contribute too?” Shushu asked in wide eyed innocence. She wondered whether even she could serve the nation.
Chen Dafei understood her meaning. He patted her head gently with deep affection and answered. “Shushu has already contributed more than most.”
In their past lives, he and every household in this village had risen from poverty with Shushu’s help. She had sponsored the education of needy students, established relief funds for the elderly, and set up assistance programs for those suffering serious illness or disability.
Countless lives had been touched by her kindness. Every act of hers had served the public good. That was why in this renewed life, everyone strove to repay her kindness. Each person here owed her a debt of gratitude. They were simply doing all they could to ensure her happiness.
Shushu sucked in the sweet taste of her malt sugar and beamed with pure delight.
“Dearest Shushu, would you like me to make you a swing?” Xiang Cuihua asked, crouching before her. She had a free moment and had been seized by a sudden wish to delight the child. She gazed at Shushu’s round soft cheeks and could not resist brushing them gently with her fingertips. She longed to give them an affectionate pinch, yet dared not lest she hurt the little one.
“Yes please,” Shushu answered in a voice so soft and sweet it seemed to melt. She had never seen a swing before and had no clear idea what one was. That mattered little. She would soon learn.
“Very well. Wait here a moment. It shall be ready before long,” Xiang Cuihua promised. She set to work at once. The other children gathered round to watch, Shushu among them. Some reached out to offer instructions, but Xiang Cuihua waved them all aside.
“Shoo shoo. None of you need tell me how to do my work. When I made my very first swing, every one of you was still truly in swaddling clothes.”
“I am an architectural engineer!” one four year old protested indignantly. “A swing is a simple thing indeed!”
His objections carried no weight however. He was gently sent away nonetheless. Young as he was, villagers often sought his advice whenever new houses were built. Yet no one dared entrust actual construction to such small hands. One injury would be too great a price to pay.
Making a swing proved straightforward enough. Xiang Cuihua selected a sturdy plank and shaped it roughly into a rectangle. She planed the surface smooth and even where it would be sat upon. Two holes were bored through opposite corners, and lengths of thick hemp rope were threaded through and secured.
Then she sought a sturdy tree with a strong horizontal branch. A nimble young woman of the village who climbed like a squirrel undertook the final task. She tucked the rope ends between her teeth, scrambled quickly up the trunk, and tied the swing securely to the branch with several firm knots. Unless cut with a blade, the knots would never come undone.
“Wow! How clever sister is!” Shushu cried out in admiration from below. As soon as the young woman descended safely, Shushu trotted forward and clapped her hands in heartfelt praise. The girl was so charmed by the little one’s enthusiasm that she lifted Shushu up and kissed her soundly.
“Our sweet Shushu is the dearest child in all the world! Come now. Let us try your swing and see how you like it.”
She seated Shushu gently upon the swing. It was the first time Shushu had ever sat upon something that swayed and swung. She felt a flutter of nervousness. Unprompted, her two small hands reached up and gripped the hemp ropes firmly. Her body swayed gently with the motion of the swing. Her feet dangling free from the ground filled her with sudden alarm. Her little eyebrows drew together and her nose wrinkled.
“Scared. Shushu wants down. Not playing. Baby is afraid,” she pleaded tearfully.
Ke Xiaohua stood behind the swing ready to push, yet before she had even touched it, Shushu was already begging to be set down. It seemed this new toy was altogether too daunting for her at first.
“Very well then. We shall come down. Never fear,” said the young woman who had remained close at hand. She lifted Shushu back into her arms and set her safely upon the ground. The firm touch of earth beneath her feet restored Shushu’s sense of safety. Her look of alarm faded, yet she continued to cling firmly to the young woman’s clothing.
“Shall we stand here and watch the others play instead?” the young woman suggested gently. She did not press Shushu but remained crouching beside her, arm resting protectively about her shoulders. One by one the other children took their turns upon the swing, swinging high and soaring toward the branches.
“Haha! This is wonderful! Push me higher still!”
“Any higher and you shall fly away sister!”
“Never fear! I shall not fall!”
Watching their delight, Shushu’s courage returned little by little. She squirmed slightly and whispered in a small voice. “Shushu would like to try too.”
“Shushu wishes to play? Very well then. We shall take our turn once the boy ahead has finished,” Ke Xiaohua promised softly from where she stood close beside her.
“Yes,” Shushu agreed. She understood well the rule of taking turns and waited patiently. When the boy’s turn ended, Shushu was lifted once more onto the swing.
The ropes were tied rather high and she could not climb up alone. This time her expression remained serious and solemn, yet she did not beg to be taken down. When the swing was given a gentle push from behind and she felt the delightful lightness of swaying through the air, the solemnity melted away from her face. Her eyes brightened and a smile spread across her cheeks. Before long she was laughing aloud and swinging merrily, lost in pure joy.
“We ought to make more swings,” someone suggested. The idea met with general approval.
“There are too many of us. One swing cannot go around.”
“Yes yes! Let us make more!”
“I shall fetch planks!”
“We have bundles of hemp rope at home!”
Before long, several more swings hung from the branches of surrounding trees. Even those who had at first deemed swings somewhat childish soon found themselves caught up in the simple pleasure of the game. Grownups passing by paused to try a swing or two, caught up in the lighthearted spirit of the moment.
As for Shushu, once she had conquered her fear she played with such delight that nothing could persuade her to come down. Only when Chen Dafei announced his intention of wading into the stream to catch shrimp did she finally agree to leave her swing.
Fengyang Village was blessed with abundant water. Several streams wound through the village. One in particular was exceptionally shallow, barely reaching the ankle of an adult and scarcely more than a meter across. Its waters flowed gently. Adults paid it scarcely any mind and stepped across without a second thought.
To the village children however, it was their favorite playground throughout the summer. This was the very stream Chen Dafei had chosen for shrimp hunting. The waters were too shallow for many fish, yet shrimp abounded beneath every stone. One had only to lift a rock to find them hiding beneath. With quick hands one might catch a handful, and on lucky days bring home enough to make a savory dish for supper.
Shushu possessed an advantage over the others. She had been given a small fine meshed net of her own. She did not need to grope blindly in the water like everyone else. Whenever Chen Dafei lifted a stone to expose the shrimp hiding beneath, Shushu would dip her net quickly into the current and catch those attempting to flee. Time and again the net came up with several wriggling little captives.
“Caught another!” Shushu cried happily. She held up her net to examine her catch. The shrimp were tiny and translucent, no bigger than her fingertips, leaping about with boundless energy. They looked deliciously fresh. She must transfer them quickly or they would escape.
“Ke Xiaohua sister!” Shushu called out.
“Coming!” Ke Xiaohua waded over at once, carrying an old enamel cup bearing the words Labor is Most Glorious printed upon its side. Shushu carefully tipped the shrimp from her net into the cup. A little water had been poured into it, and once submerged the shrimp ceased their frantic leaping and settled quietly among the others.
Shushu was eager to continue, yet someone called her to a halt.
“Wait a moment Shushu. Your trouser legs have slipped down,” Shouhou said carefully. He had noticed that the cuffs she had rolled up kept slipping toward the water. He stepped forward, called her to a halt, and rolled the cuffs twice higher so they would stay dry. Shushu stamped her feet gently to confirm they were secure, then followed Chen Dafei once more into the water.
Many other children waded in the stream alongside them. Unconsciously yet steadily, every older child positioned themselves around Shushu, forming a protective circle in the safest part of the shallows. They kept watch lest she slip and fall when no one might reach her in time. Even so, as luck would have it, Shushu stepped upon a smooth wet stone. Her foot slid and she nearly lost her balance. A girl of eight or nine standing closest reached out instantly and caught her firmly by the arm.
“Take care little one,” the girl said gently.
“Thank you sister,” Shushu replied sweetly. She stepped more carefully thereafter and suffered no further mishap.
Although it was summer, the older children feared she might catch cold from staying too long in the water. Barely half an hour had passed before Shushu was gently escorted back to the bank. She was given the honorable duty of guarding the catch while the others continued wading.
She sat barefoot upon a smooth warm stone, waiting for her feet to dry and gazing with interest at the rows of containers lined up along the bank. Nearly every vessel held a handful of tiny shrimp. A few even held small fish, though these were scarcely longer than Shushu’s little finger. They were far too small to make a proper fish soup. Yet to these children, such a catch was a rare and wonderful delicacy.