Accidentally-Born-C18

Chapter 18

Zhen Zhen’s fall sent her plummeting about ten meters down, crashing onto a large rock. Fortunately, since it was just her consciousness, she avoided a severe injury. After a quick check to ensure her head was fine, she sat up on the rock and thought about taking a walk around the nearby farmlands and possibly heading up the mountain.

As Zhen Zhen’s consciousness took a few steps, the surrounding earth trembled slightly, as if it wanted to communicate something. She stopped and closed her eyes, merging her consciousness with the earth. After a moment, she opened her eyes in surprise, turned around, and looked at the rock that had caught her earlier.

The ground beneath was pitch dark, making it impossible to see anything with her eyes. Zhen Zhen wrapped her consciousness around the rock and carefully examined its color, size, and texture. She saw that the rock, about the size of a watermelon, had an odd shape and was entirely golden. Almost instantly, Zhen Zhen realized what it was: Dog Head Gold¹.

Dog Head Gold is often found near gold mines. Zhen Zhen rarely sent her consciousness underground, except to aid crops, but now she suddenly realized that there might be more resources and treasures beneath the winter mountain forests than above. After leaving the Dog Head Gold, Zhen Zhen followed the earth’s guidance. About two or three miles away, she indeed discovered a gold mine.

Zhen Zhen didn’t go deeper; for one, she was too young to do anything with the gold, and two, mining would have to wait until the ten-year calamity passed. She slowly floated back to the surface, heading home while helping the crops along the way. By the time her consciousness returned to her body, He Dongmei, Wang Sufen’s sister-in-law, had already finished preparing the meal and set the stove table in the south room’s kang. Wang Sufen’s parents and eldest brother were eating with Grandma Li’s family, while He Dongmei was eating with the children in the west room.

As everyone sat down, Zhen Zhen also sat up. Grandma Li hurriedly set down the cup she had just lifted, got out of bed, and put on her shoes before rushing to the north kang, where she hugged Zhen Zhen. “Did the little darling wake up? Are you hungry?”

Zhen Zhen rubbed her eyes, yawned, her bright eyes almost misty. Grandma Li quickly picked her up and walked around the room for a couple of circles. After seeing that Zhen Zhen seemed a little more energetic, she sat her down at the table.

Grandma Wang looked at Grandma Li holding Zhen Zhen with such tenderness and couldn’t help but comment, “Mother-in-law, you’re spoiling this child too much. Let Sufen hold her; you should eat now.”

Grandma Li waved her hand, “Our Zhen Zhen isn’t quite energetic yet. I’ll hold her for a while, and when she’s ready to eat, let Sufen feed her. Son-in-law, don’t laugh at me, but since my granddaughter was born, I can’t bear to be apart from her for even a moment. If I don’t see her for a while, I feel like I’ve lost my soul. A while ago, I went up the mountain to work, and I couldn’t bear to leave her at home. I spent the whole day on the mountain feeling like something was missing.”

Grandma Wang looked at her granddaughter, who was indeed very tender and cute, making it hard not to feel affectionate. However, she couldn’t understand why one would favor a granddaughter more than a grandson. But every family has its own way of living. Grandma Wang thought it odd but didn’t dare ask further. Nevertheless, she no longer looked down on Zhen Zhen and thought to herself that the family had only sent eggs when she was born, and hadn’t visited much since. This was the first time they were visiting, so she thought she should give a red envelope. Otherwise, with how much Grandma Li doted on her, she feared Grandma Li might feel uncomfortable.

After resting in Grandma Li’s arms for a while, Zhen Zhen reached for the spoon to eat. Wang Sufen quickly picked her up and fed her a bowl of porridge made from finely cooked rice. Zhen Zhen’s small teeth could handle soft fruits, but when it came to vegetables, she had trouble chewing. So Wang Sufen mashed some potatoes and fed her with a spoon.

Grandma Li took a sip of wine, picked up a piece of braised pork, and tasted it. The rich, flavorful taste and tenderness of the meat made her praise, “Your eldest daughter-in-law’s braised pork is so delicious! We cook it at home too, but it never tastes like this.”

Grandma Wang quickly explained, “My eldest daughter-in-law’s father was a butcher before the liberation. He wasn’t great at other dishes, but his pork was the best, especially his blood sausage. Too bad times are hard now. We can’t fatten our pigs on wild vegetables, and we can’t afford sweet potatoes, so it’s been years since we’ve had blood sausage.”

Grandma Li sighed, “I’ve noticed that the rainfall this past two months has been more frequent than in the past two years. I just hope next year will be better.”

Zhen Zhen listened to the family chat about their daily lives and quickly finished half a bowl of porridge. Her belly was full, but her mouth wasn’t done. She grabbed a cucumber from the basket of wild vegetables and started munching on it. She had eaten cucumbers in her past life, but this one, so fragrant and fresh, was unlike anything she had ever tasted. She now understood what the elders meant when they said modern cucumbers had no taste—compared to this pure, natural cucumber, those grown in greenhouses were barely edible.

He Dongmei came over from the west room after having a piece of flatbread with potatoes. She asked if anything needed to be added to the meal. Grandma Li smiled and said, “Daughter-in-law, don’t worry. These dishes are plenty. We can’t eat much. You should sit and eat too.”

“I’m already full, Mother.” He Dongmei quickly declined, looking at Zhen Zhen, who had finished her meal. She reached out to take Zhen Zhen and said, “I’ll watch the little one for a while. You two have a good chat.”

Zhen Zhen didn’t like sitting around for too long. She immediately stretched out her hands, and He Dongmei picked her up. She playfully swayed Zhen Zhen and said with a smile, “Zhen Zhen is so much easier than my little stinker.”

Zhen Zhen thought that having four older brothers and one sister-in-law was already quite lively, but when she entered the west room, she was shocked. There were five boys and three girls! She turned to look at He Dongmei, wondering how she could have had so many children.

The eight children gathered around a stove table, all heads down, furiously shoveling food into their mouths. He Dongmei sat down on the kang edge with Zhen Zhen in her arms. Zhen Zhen glanced at the table—one small bowl of braised potatoes and pork was already finished, and the kids were fighting over the eggplant. Usually, Old Wang’s family didn’t use much oil in their cooking; everything was boiled in water. Today, however, with the special guests, He Dongmei had used oil to fry the dishes.

The five boys ate like wolves, stuffing big chunks into their mouths, while the three girls hesitated for a moment. Only one of the seven- or eight-year-old girls reached out for the chopsticks; the other two were only brave enough to nibble on flatbread. Even then, He Dongmei couldn’t help but mutter, “Enough, what’s the point of eating so much? You’re not going to chop wood or work. Just fill your stomach so you don’t starve.”

Zhen Zhen watched as she forgot all about the cucumbers. Though Old Li’s family lived a hard life, Zhen Zhen had helped the crops ripen just in time to prevent the food shortage, and they could still catch a fish or wild rabbit now and then. Their life was better than most others. Grandma Li treated her better than all the grandsons combined. Zhen Zhen almost forgot that this was an era where there was still a preference for boys over girls.

The three girls, the oldest about ten, the youngest three, and the “stinker” were twins, quickly ate a couple more bites and then hurriedly drank the gruel in their bowls before jumping off the table.

Despite the tough times, He Dongmei didn’t say much about the food. She handed Zhen Zhen to her eldest daughter, Chun Ni, and instructed, “Take your little sister out to the garden for a while. I’ll go wash some wild vegetables for you. Be careful, don’t let her fall. She’s the precious gold nugget of your aunt’s family.”

Zhen Zhen almost choked on the cucumber when she heard “gold nugget,” but she handed it over to He Dongmei, who took it and also handed her a small piece of leftover tomato.

Chun Ni took Zhen Zhen and led the other two girls, Xia Ni and Qiu Ni, to the garden behind the house. The garden was on the west side of the mud house, with corn, eggplants, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and cabbage—crops that could help them survive. Chun Ni sat against the house’s foundation, glanced at their own crops, and then looked over the fence, enviously eyeing the neighbor’s row of red tomatoes.

Xia Ni put her finger in her mouth, drooling in hunger: “I want to eat!”

Qiu ni sighed: “As if planting them would let you eat them? Besides, Mom doesn’t allow us to plant them, saying they won’t fill you up and will just waste space. She also said it’s hard to find good seeds; I heard the neighbors got theirs from relatives in another town.”

Chun Ni patted Xia Ni’s head: “Those things aren’t tasty. Wait for a month or so, and there will be all kinds of things on the mountain. I’ll pick some for you then.”

Zhen Zhen looked at the unripe persimmons in her hand, then glanced at the three sisters with yellowish faces. Carefully, she planted a seed next to the fence. Under the cover of the eggplant vines, it quickly took root, sprouted, and flowered, bearing fruit. In an instant, three bright red persimmons hung above.

The three sisters kept staring at the fence, but none of them noticed the three mature persimmons beneath it. Zhen Zhen, helpless, could only guide a butterfly to circle around Qiu ni’s head. Qiu ni immediately forgot about the persimmons and rushed off to catch the butterfly, running to the field. Chun Ni shouted anxiously: “Don’t step on the seedlings! Be careful, Mom will beat you!”

Suddenly, Qiu ni stopped. She quickly turned to glance toward the yard. Seeing no one outside, she hurriedly peeled back the eggplant vines and picked the three persimmons that were hidden behind, wrapping them in her clothes as she hurried back.

Chun Ni immediately pulled Zhen Zhen into her arms and dragged Qiu ni and Xia Ni to the back of the house, whispering to Qiu ni: “What’s going on? How did we get persimmons?”

“I don’t know.” Qiu ni, grinning foolishly, began handing out the persimmons to Chun Ni and Xia Ni, lowering her voice: “They were growing behind the eggplant vines. I guess they must have fallen here when the neighbors were sowing seeds.”

“That’s impossible,” Chun Ni calculated the distance: “Unless the wind blew them here.”

Qiu ni rolled her eyes: “Who cares how they grew, just eat quickly! If Mom finds out, there won’t be any left for you.” With that, she took a bite of the persimmon in her hand. The sweet and sour juice filled her mouth, and she squinted her eyes with enjoyment: “Delicious.”

Chun Ni wiped the persimmon on her clothes before bringing it to her mouth, but she paused and took it away again. Qiu ni and Xia Ni, with persimmon juice on their faces, saw Chun Ni not eating and couldn’t help but ask: “Sister, why aren’t you eating yet? Mom will come out soon.”

“Should I leave it for you two?” Chun Ni hesitated. “Actually, I don’t really like these.”

“Stop pretending.” Qiu ni rolled her eyes and snatched the persimmon from Chun Ni’s hand, stuffing it into her mouth: “Eat it quickly, don’t drag us down. Aren’t you stupid? Sneaking food but leaving a trail? Aren’t you asking for a beating?”

After being scolded by her sister, Chun Ni didn’t get angry but instead laughed. She quickly finished the persimmon, then fetched a scoop of water from the bucket meant for watering the plants. The three of them washed their hands and faces, checked each other for any traces, and finally sighed in relief. Meanwhile, the foreign persimmon vine quickly withered, turning into soil and falling to the ground.

After washing the wild vegetables and sending them inside, He Dongmei chased the children outside to play and began cleaning up the bowls and chopsticks. Only then did she remember Zhen Zhen. She went outside and, finding no one, quickly searched the garden. Sure enough, she found the three of them behind the house.

Taking Zhen Zhen from Chun Ni’s arms, she couldn’t help but glare at her: “Didn’t I tell you to play in the yard? I’ve been looking for you for so long, I thought you lost someone else’s child. Let me tell you, even if I sold all three of you, it wouldn’t be worth as much as one of her girls.”

Xia Ni, unwilling to back down, looked at He Dongmei and couldn’t help but ask: “Are we really your children? Why does Auntie treat her daughter so well, but you don’t treat us the same?”

He Dongmei, hearing this, was both angry and amused: “If I didn’t care for you, why would I feed you and give you everything? What do you think I raised you for, you ungrateful brat!”

Chun Ni quickly pulled Xia Ni back, but Xia Ni shrugged off her hand and stared defiantly at He Dongmei: “Anyway, we know how you treat us. The good food always goes to those kids, and me and my sister have to do all the housework.”

He Dongmei, seeing how loudly Xia Ni was complaining, feared the noise might be heard inside and cause trouble. She couldn’t shout at her, so she suppressed her anger and explained: “The men are the ones making the money chopping wood, so I can’t let your brothers go hungry. You two should just tidy up at home. What does it matter if you eat a little more or less? You won’t starve.”

“We won’t starve, but it’s hard to live.” Xia Ni lowered her head, her eyes red: “You gave birth to us, but you’re so biased. My uncles, after splitting their families, don’t send much to Grandpa and Grandma every year. All the meat we’ve had these years, Auntie has sent it to our house.” Xia Ni turned to leave, throwing over her shoulder: “If you don’t treat me well, don’t expect me to take care of you in the future.”

He Dongmei was so angry she didn’t know how to respond. She had grown up in a similar way, but why was it so different when raising her daughters? She angrily chased after Xia Ni, wanting to slap her. However, sensing He Dongmei’s intention, Xia Ni turned around and glared at her fiercely.

He Dongmei was startled, instinctively taking a step back. Although she didn’t care much for her daughter, she didn’t want to estrange her and feared that if Xia Ni really held a grudge, they might sever ties forever.

Holding Zhen Zhen in her arms, He Dongmei stood there for a long time, not knowing what to say. Seeing the somewhat fearful expressions on Chun Ni and Qiu ni, she finally felt uncomfortable, tucked her hair behind her ear, and after a long pause said: “When your grandmother finishes her meal, I’ll give each of you two pieces of meat. Don’t let your grandfather find out.”

Chun Ni lowered her head, big tears falling from her eyes. He Dongmei sighed and, feeling defeated, began walking back: “This is all because we’re poor.”

After eating, Grandma Li chatted for a while and then hurried back to family home. By the time they arrived, Mingxi had already cooked a pot of porridge and stewed pork with cabbage and vermicelli.

Wang Sufen placed the sleeping Zhen Zhen on the kang and casually asked: “Has your sister-in-law not come back yet?”

“Not yet.” Mingxi replied, “Her house is so far, and she left late this morning. She’ll probably stay overnight before coming back.”

Grandma Li sat by the door and took a puff from her pipe, grumbling: “The old Wu family only has one room. Where would she sleep? Last time she came back from her family’s house, I saw her clothes covered in dirt. When I asked, I found out she slept on the kitchen floor.”

Wang Sufen glanced at the sky: “It’s still early. She should be back soon.”

Grandma Li took another puff from her pipe and looked at Wang Sufen, saying, “I was thinking of arranging Dongzi and Guihua’s wedding this winter. Now that we have some free time, you should go to the town tomorrow and buy what needs to be bought. Don’t delay until the end of the year, when everything will be hard to find.”

“Alright,” Wang Sufen cheerfully replied. “I was just talking to the carpenter Xu the other day, asking him to make some large chests. I’ll send two pounds of meat to his house later and urge him to hurry up.”

“Good!” Grandma Li nodded. “Your sister-in-law saved me some cloth coupons, and your fourth brother also brought back a few sheets last time. We’ll make a new cotton outfit for Guihua and Dongzi, and also one for Zhenzhen. Mingbei’s old cotton jacket and pants have been torn apart for quilts, so they’re long gone.”

The two of them agreed, and the next day, Wang Sufen began buying things. As for the furniture, it was even simpler. The wood in the mountains was readily available. Although it was state property, as long as they didn’t sell it outside, it was fine to use for things like building houses or making cabinets as long as they informed the management office.

When Xu the carpenter saw the meat, he worked much faster. In rural weddings, the style of the chest didn’t matter; it just needed to be solid and square. After a month, two chests and a kangqin were completed, and they quickly borrowed a large cart to deliver them to the Li family.

Since Mingdong left, Guihua had been somewhat unsettled. She often seemed distracted while speaking, and there was a slight look of gloom on her face. Grandma Li noticed but didn’t say much, waiting until everything was brought back and arranged. Then she quickly pulled Guihua over to take a look, and only then did a little more cheerfulness appear on Guihua’s face.

Grandma Li looked around with her pipe, then pressed down on the chest, nodding in satisfaction, “This thing is sturdy; it will last for decades.” But when she looked at the kangqin, Grandma Li couldn’t help but feel dissatisfied. In Beicha, it was customary to paint flowers and grass on kangqins, which added a celebratory touch. In the past, the kangqins had these designs, but in recent years, due to the lack of paint and people willing to paint, this step was skipped.

Grandma Li wasn’t happy about this, feeling that her eldest grandson’s wedding should be grander. After a few puffs from her pipe, she suddenly remembered something, “Guihua, I remember your mother was from a wealthy family when she was young. Could she paint these things?”

Guihua hesitated for a moment, “My mother could when she was younger, but after the liberation, she stopped touching these things. All the paint and paper money were hidden away, and I’m not sure if she still can paint now.”

“Painting a couple of strokes would look better than leaving it plain,” Grandma Li put down her pipe. “Tomorrow, you go and invite your mother over.”

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The author has something to say:

As you may have noticed, the background of this story is set in the northeast’s forest region, home to the country’s largest primitive red pine forest. There are dozens of types of mineral resources there, including gold mines, which were discovered and mined in the 1990s. When Kaka (nickname for author) was growing up, she lived there for ten years at her grandfather’s house, so she still has some memories of life there. Plus, if there’s anything unclear, she would ask the elderly in her family to minimize errors.

Some readers have mentioned the “golden finger” issue. Indeed, Kaka’s story does have a strong “golden finger” (a term referring to a character’s special abilities or luck), but who can blame us when Zhenzhen is so amazing? Haha, goodnight!

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—”Dog Head Gold” (狗头金) refers to naturally occurring large nuggets of gold that are often irregularly shaped and resemble a dog’s head in appearance. These gold nuggets are highly valued for their rarity and unique shapes. In Chinese culture, finding “Dog Head Gold” is often seen as a stroke of extraordinary luck or fortune. The term is both literal, referring to the shape of the nugget, and symbolic, representing wealth and prosperity.

—kangqin is a traditional piece of furniture in northeastern China. It’s a cabinet placed on a heated bed (kang) in rural homes, designed to store quilts, bedding, and other household items. The cabinet’s design resembles a piano, which is why it’s called “kang qin” (Heated bed piano), but it doesn’t produce sound.