«Arrival in Beijing»
They arrived at the station just after seven o’clock the following morning. The air in Beijing was just as dry as back home; no sooner had Li Lanlan stepped onto the platform than she felt her skin tightening. With no time to apply moisturiser, she simply followed the stream of people out of the station.
Outside the station, Bai Zhigang was waiting at the exit, holding up a sign.
“Brother-in-law, I’m here!”
Li Lanlan walked towards Bai Zhigang, who waved at her. Bai Zhigang was a man who looked rather old for his age. In her previous life, Li Lanlan would see him every year when she returned to her hometown to visit relatives during the Spring Festival.
When he was young, people thought he looked older than his years, but now that everyone had grown older, his appearance—which had remained largely unchanged over the years—actually made him look younger.
Li Lanlan hadn’t brought much luggage; just some everyday clothes. Wang Caixia hadn’t let her bring bedding or the like, saying they had everything here. After all, Wang Caixia hadn’t intended for her to stay long, so making do with what was already available would suffice.
Bai Zhigang took Li Lanlan to catch the train. He bought two tickets; at that time, tickets were still checked manually and were paper tickets.
After Li Lanlan’s second daughter had bought a flat in Beijing, she invited Li Lanlan and her husband to live there for a while. However, they found it difficult to settle in; they missed having old friends to chat with every day. Unlike the younger generation, people of their generation were not accustomed to maintaining a social distance from their neighbours.
Moreover, the lifestyle in the big city was quite unfamiliar to Li Lanlan and Wang Dashan, who came from a small town. They tried hard to adapt for a long time, but eventually the elderly couple returned to the home their children had bought for them back in their hometown.
Sure enough, once they were back, they felt completely at ease, and everything tasted delicious!
Upon arrival, Bai Zhigang first took Li Lanlan to where they lived. Bai Zhigang worked in the logistics department of the military and had been allocated a flat, though security at the complex was quite strict.
Bai Zhigang and his family had already registered Li Lanlan’s visit in advance, so now they simply had to provide their personal details at the gatehouse and collect their access passes.
Li Lanlan had never been to a place like this before, so she found it quite novel. There were guards at the entrance, and the estate looked quiet; perhaps it was too early, as there weren’t many people about.
The buildings were all neat, square-shaped residential blocks.
They walked to the building at the very back, went up to the second floor, and Bai Zhigang took out his keys to open the door. Inside was a two-bedroom, one-living-room flat. Wang Caixia was in the living room; her bump was already quite prominent. She slowly stood up and came over to greet them.
“Lalan, you’re here! You haven’t had breakfast yet, have you? I’ve made a bit of food for the two of you. Have a bite to eat, and later I’ll take you out for a proper meal.” Wang Caixia warmly took her hand, and the two of them sat down on the sofa in the living room.
Bai Zhigang went into the kitchen and brought out two bowls of food, placing them in front of Wang Caixia and Li Lanlan. They were bowls of minced meat dumplings. Li Lanlan had been hungry for ages, so she and Wang Caixia began eating straight away.
Bai Zhigang brought out another bowl and started eating himself.
After finishing breakfast quickly, Bai Zhigang placed his bowl in the kitchen sink. As he changed his shoes by the door, he said to Wang Caixia, “Once you’ve finished, just put your bowls in the sink. I’ll wash them when I get back at lunchtime! Lanlan, just stay at home with your sister. I’m off to work now.”
“All right, off to work then!” Wang Caixia waved him off.
“Go on to work, brother-in-law. I’ll stay here with my sister.”
Li Lanlan had to eat two bowls of ma shi to feel full. Ma shi[1]Ma Shi (麻食), or “cat’s ear” noodles, is a traditional hand-rolled pasta from Shaanxi Province in northwest China, known for its small, chewy, shell-like shape. Usually a … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_2284163_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_2284163_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); is a dish eaten throughout the five north-western provinces, though the way they prepare it in Gansu is slightly different from other provinces.
After finishing, Li Lanlan went to wash the bowls, but Wang Caixia stopped her. “Let your brother-in-law wash them when he gets back. You sit down and let’s have a chat.”
“Sis, it’s only a few bowls. I’ll be done in a flash. You’re carrying a baby, so have a rest on the sofa. We’ll chat after I’ve finished.”
With that, Li Lanlan took the bowls and chopsticks to the kitchen. It was quite spacious, with a fridge where she put away the pickles from earlier.
There was hardly any leftover food to deal with in the bowls, just a few bits of seasoning.
People of their generation rarely left food uneaten; when they ate noodle soups like ma shi at home, the broth was almost never left over.
They had grown up in an era of scarcity, when there was never enough to eat or drink, so wasting food was simply unthinkable.
In times of famine, food was a matter of life and death, and they had lived through those hard times.
Li Lanlan washed the dishes, tidied up the kitchen, and came out to speak with Wang Caixia.
“Lanlan, here’s the deal: for the first month, you’ll shadow me as we agreed on the phone—four hundred yuan a month. I know you’re an honest soul, so I won’t short-change you. From the second month onwards, you’ll receive the full salary—a thousand yuan, all yours,” said Wang Caixia, taking her hand.
This wage wasn’t a secret; many people knew about it, and the employer was aware that someone else would be taking over for a few months.
The wages were paid directly by the employers. As she’d be there herself during the first month, she could collect them personally, but after that they’d be paid directly to Li Lanlan. She’d decided to be upfront about it to avoid any misunderstandings, which would only make things awkward.
Li Lanlan hadn’t expected a thousand yuan. Goodness me, being a nanny in the capital paid that well!
She hastened to reassure her: “Sis, don’t worry. I’ll work hard and won’t let you down.”
Wang Caixia patted her hand. “Do work hard. It’s certainly easier to earn money here than back home. Once I’ve finished my postnatal confinement and you’re no longer doing this, you can look for other work. It’s far better than toiling in the fields!”
Wang Caixia gave Li Lanlan some pointers, then took her for a stroll around the nearby market. With a whole month to go, there was no need to rush.
There was no need to cook lunch, so Bai Zhigang brought some food back from the canteen.
After her afternoon nap, they went for another walk in the neighbourhood to familiarise herself with the area. She was also given a mobile phone to use temporarily, making it easier to stay in touch.
That night, Li Lanlan slept in the guest bedroom. She would be moving into the room set aside for the live-in maid at her employer’s house the following day. As Wang Caixia had been allocated a flat within the compound where her family lived, she didn’t stay there.
Li Lanlan’s arrival meant she could stay there instead.
Early the next morning, Li Lanlan got up. There were sounds coming from the kitchen outside; Bai Zhigang had already risen, bought some food, placed it on the table, and headed off to work.
They officially started work at eight o’clock in the morning, but usually got up at half past six to have breakfast.
Although they were in the logistics department, they also had some training duties; this was now a regular part of their routine. In this day and age, there weren’t many potbellies in their department yet; everyone was still quite slim.
After breakfast, Wang Caixia took Li Lanlan to her employer’s house. On the way, she gave her some pointers: “This household is surnamed Wang; both the old man and the old lady are Wangs. What a coincidence! Come to think of it, going back a few hundred years, we might actually be distant relatives!
They’re from Ningzhou too. My main job is to cook for the elderly couple every day. The two of them are staying with their daughter for a few days, so they’ve asked me to cook lunch for them today. Let’s head over a bit early so I can tell you more about the family.”
“It’s mainly about looking after the elderly couple’s three meals a day. They have security guards who are primarily responsible for their safety. As for the meals, we just need to oversee the cooking. They’re all from Ningzhou, and although the elderly couple are used to fine dining, now that they’re getting on in years, they’re longing for a taste of home! You just need to cook simple, home-style meals as usual.”
When they reached the front door, Wang Caixia took out her keys and unlocked the door.
It was a small three-storey building. Wang Caixia led Li Lanlan to the guest room on the ground floor to put their things away. To her surprise, the room had its own en-suite bathroom and was spotlessly clean.
Wang Caixia took a duvet and a pillow from the cupboard. “These have all been freshly laundered, so feel free to use them!”
Li Lanlan took a quick look around. Although it was on the ground floor, the sunlight was lovely; it was already streaming in, creating a warm and cosy atmosphere. After putting down her luggage, the two of them went out.
Wang Caixia led Li Lanlan to the kitchen. “The elderly residents all live on the first floor; the ground floor is just for you and the staff. You don’t need to worry about the housekeeping; just keep the kitchen in order.
Don’t go up to the second floor normally. You know this is a military zone; it’s a sensitive situation. If anything goes wrong, we simply can’t take the blame. And if you chat with the other maids in the courtyard, they might try to pry information out of you, so you must keep your mouth shut.”
“Right, sis, I’ve got it all noted,” Li Lanlan nodded.
“So, how many people do we usually cook for? Do we have to cook for the staff?”
“No need to cook for the support staff; they come from all over the country and might not be used to our local food. Most of the time, we’ll just be cooking for the elderly couple. On weekends, their children sometimes come to visit.
Check with Uncle and Auntie Wang beforehand to see if anyone’s coming for a meal, but if they do drop by unexpectedly during the week, just make a bit extra. Oh, and the elderly couple are both former revolutionaries. For now it’s just the two of us, but later when you’re on your own, everyone eats together at the same table—you won’t have to eat alone in the kitchen. You’re also welcome to use the communal area on the ground floor.”
By the time they’d finished the tour, it was already past eight or nine o’clock. Wang Caixia set off for the market with Li Lanlan, who carefully supported her.
Looking at Wang Caixia’s enormous bump—she’d heard she was barely five months in, yet her belly was already this big—Li Lanlan couldn’t help but wonder if she might be expecting twins.
“Sis, have you had an ultrasound? Your bump’s so big—and you’re only a few months along? When I was carrying our youngest, my bump was slightly smaller than yours even at over seven months.”
“You’re right! It’s twins. And this is my first pregnancy, otherwise I wouldn’t be doing this work. It’s a decent bit of money I’m making this month!” Wang Caixia held her waist as she and Li Lanlan bought some fruit and vegetables, along with a few preserved meats and the like.
“As for the fruit and veg, just buy enough for today’s meals—don’t buy too much. The place I took you to earlier was the military service centre inside the compound; it’s not open to the public, mainly serving the garrison, so the quality of the produce is guaranteed!” Back at the Wang household, no one was home yet.
Seeing how heavy Wang Caixia’s body was, Li Lanlan said, “ “Sis, why don’t I cook today? I’ve honed my skills over the years since I got married.”
Wang Caixia felt a warm glow in her heart as she looked into her younger sister’s sincere eyes. Besides, she really was feeling rather clumsy and heavy on her feet at the moment, so she stopped refusing. “Lalan, let me show you how to use this gas stove first. You must keep the window slightly open whilst you’re cooking, otherwise it’s very dangerous, do you understand?”
“Right, sis, I’ll remember!”
Li Lanlan realised that, come to think of it, she’d never even seen a gas stove before, let alone used one.
It was only after she’d moved into a high-rise flat in her previous life that the estate had been fitted with centralised gas supply; using gas was certainly very convenient.
Wang Caixia showed her how to use the hob, told her where to keep the pots, pans and ingredients, and explained the elderly couple’s appetites, before heading out.
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