Accidentally-Born-C23

Chapter 23

Ming Dong led Guihua to the busiest area in Ice City and got off the car. According to the words of the experienced Meng Wei Shan, shopping in department stores was a great way to build a relationship. Ming Dong had only read about how wonderful love was in books, but when it came to how to actually pursue a relationship, he was somewhat clueless. Since Meng Wei Shan had experience with love and marriage, Ming Dong decided to follow his advice and take Guihua to the First Department Store.

Although Ming Dong appeared to be quite familiar with the streets of Ice City, the truth was that he had only walked around these places once before, just before school started, with some classmates. After school began, he was either in class or working on the farm. He hadn’t even had much time to explore the city, let alone go shopping.

Guihua looked at the five-story First Department Store before her and hesitated for a moment. Ming Dong softly reassured her, “It’s alright. When I first came to Ice City, I didn’t dare to go in either. It was my classmates who pulled me inside. The salespeople are very friendly, so don’t worry.”

Guihua nodded and followed Ming Dong. As soon as they entered through the big doors, Guihua was struck by a massive watercolor painting of the sea and sailing ships displayed in the lobby. She stared at it in awe, completely absorbed by the painting.

Ming Dong had intended to draw Guihua’s attention to the window displays, but he was distracted by the intensity of Guihua’s fascination. He let his hand fall slowly, glanced at the painting, and indeed, it was quite stunning, but he couldn’t quite understand how Guihua could be so engrossed after just a quick look.

“Wow, this painting is magnificent!” Several women entered from outside and shouted in excitement before rushing to a counter further inside. The loud voices startled Guihua, and she realized she had been standing there for quite a while. Embarrassed, she smiled at Ming Dong and said, “I got lost in the painting. I hope I didn’t waste too much time.”

“No problem, no time was wasted. We’re just browsing,” Ming Dong replied, his nose slightly flushed. He glanced back at the painting and then at Guihua, who still seemed reluctant to move. He couldn’t help but ask, “Do you like paintings?”

“Yes,” Guihua responded shyly. “I studied a few years with a teacher when I was younger.”

Ming Dong suddenly remembered that Guihua came from a wealthy family, but in such a crowded place, he didn’t dare to ask too much. They continued to follow the crowd deeper into the store. The First Department Store was packed with a variety of goods, from cheap items like sewing needles to expensive items like watches and bicycles. Unfortunately, the money Grandma Li had given him was only for buying wedding-related items. After a few months of school, Ming Dong had saved very little allowance. Apart from buying wedding essentials, there wasn’t much left for other purchases, so they could only window-shop.

The crisp autumn days were perfect for weddings. The harvest was in, and after a year of saving up cloth and industrial coupons, it was time to buy everything needed for a wedding and set off firecrackers to celebrate. In rural areas, weddings usually had to wait until winter when things slowed down, but it was hard to go out because of the cold. Now, however, it wasn’t too cold, so people could walk around, even if they couldn’t buy anything, just to enjoy the sights. Guihua noticed that many young couples in front of her were shopping for wedding items, causing her ears to turn slightly red.

Ming Dong didn’t pay much attention to this. He noticed a counter crowded with women buying “gala oil¹” for hand lotion, and he subconsciously glanced at Guihua’s hands.

In fact, Guihua’s hands weren’t bad. Compared to many girls her age, they were quite nice—long, slender fingers with fair skin. She took care of them by soaking them in hot water every morning and night, making them soft and delicate. However, since Guihua often did the household chores, her fingertips had some calluses from the daily work.

When the group of women finished buying their “gala oil” and left, Ming Dong hurried over. “How much is one box of this gala oil?”

Guihua immediately pulled Ming Dong aside, her face flushed. “Grandma gave us a fixed amount of money, we can’t buy this.”

Ming Dong looked at Guihua’s flushed face and felt a warmth in his heart. “I know, I just wanted to use my allowance to buy it for you.” Guihua froze for a moment. Her hand slowly slid down Ming Dong’s sleeve. He pulled out some money from his pocket and said, “You know, I’ve never bought you anything before. The school gave us some allowance, so I thought I’d buy something for you.”

Ming Dong spoke hesitantly, but to Guihua’s ears, it sounded like sweet music. She looked at him, unsure of what to say. After a long pause, she tried to say thank you, but as soon as she spoke, tears began to fall.

This was the first time Ming Dong had seen her cry since she was nine and had come to live with Grandma Li. He panicked and hurriedly raised his hand to wipe her face with his sleeve. However, the rough sleeve only made her cheeks redden even more.

Ming Dong gave a silly laugh, scratching his head. Then he remembered the “gala oil” and quickly went over to buy a box, shoving it into Guihua’s hands. “I don’t have much money. I’ll save up for a few months and buy you some snow flower cream.”

“You don’t need to,” Guihua smiled, her mouth curving up. “Just saying that makes me happy.”

Ming Dong smiled awkwardly, unsure of what to say. Although he was eloquent when talking about academic matters at school, when he was with Guihua, he felt tongue-tied and clumsy.

Leaving the counter, they passed by the section selling daily necessities. Guihua immediately noticed a red iron thermos. She tugged at Ming Dong’s sleeve, her face slightly flushed, and pointed at the thermos. “Grandma asked me to buy that.”

Ming Dong glanced at it and felt a little embarrassed. “I was thinking about that too. Let’s get the thermos, along with the basin and the jar. You can use the thermos to warm water for your feet in the evening or just to have something warm to drink.”

Guihua shook her head. “We should use new ones for marriage. How can I use it myself first? That’s not right.”

“It’s fine.” Ming Dong pinched her fingertips. “It’s not for someone else, so what’s there to be afraid of? Besides, when I go away to school, everything we buy now will be for you anyway.”

Guihua was never one to be overly sentimental. She nodded. “Alright, I’ll clean it up before we go home so no one notices.”

Ming Dong couldn’t help but laugh at Guihua’s straightforwardness. He waved at the waiter. “Buy two thermos flasks and two mugs.”

“Three!” Guihua quickly corrected him. “We need three, one for Zhen Zhen as well.”

Ming Dong quickly added, “And a smaller enamel mug.”

The waiter, seeing that these were items for a young couple getting married, immediately brought over two large red iron thermos flasks, decorated with a pair of mandarin ducks, symbolizing happiness.

After buying these items, their hands were full. Ming Dong regretted not bringing along Ming Xi, that silly boy. Holding all these things in his hands was such a hassle.

They returned to school. Ming Dong had Guihua take one thermos, one mug, and one basin upstairs, while he carried the rest back to the boys’ dorm. As soon as he entered the room, Ming Xi jumped up from his bed, bouncing over to Ming Dong. “Why did you leave me behind? Where did you go?”

Ming Dong shoved the items into Ming Xi’s arms. “Just buying some things. Grandma asked me to.”

Ming Xi immediately hugged the things tightly, carefully placing them on the bed. Then, without warning, he jumped onto Ming Dong’s back and shook him vigorously. “Why didn’t you take me with you? Didn’t you worry I’d get lost?”

“Who could possibly kidnap you?” Ming Dong tossed Ming Xi off and looked at his angry expression with a calm face. “Didn’t you tell me you wanted to date Guihua first? Well, I went on my date.”

“Why can’t I come along on the date?” Ming Xi said, looking dejected. “I was just waiting to go home and tell Grandma how you two were getting along.”

Ming Dong burst into laughter, which made Ming Xi so mad that he stretched out his leg to kick him. Ming Dong quickly pulled out a steamed bun from his bag and tossed it into Ming Xi’s arms, then dashed out.

Ming Dong ran straight to the girls’ dormitory, sitting on the cement ping-pong table downstairs, lost in thought, recalling the moments he had shared with Guihua over the years. In fact, it had been ten years since Ming Dong and Guihua started interacting. When Guihua was brought back by Grandma, Ming Dong knew right away that the pretty little girl would grow up to be his wife.

Looking at the girls from neighboring families, and then at Guihua, Ming Dong, though still a young boy, could already tell that Guihua was far more beautiful than most girls. During school, there were always mischievous boys who would pull her braids or put bugs in her pencil case to get her attention. At that time, Ming Dong’s only thought was, “If you dare bully my wife, I’ll beat you up.” He and Ming Xi had ended up teaching those boys a lesson, allowing Guihua to finish her elementary school years in peace.

Ming Dong couldn’t pinpoint when his feelings for Guihua had changed. Before high school, he thought it was only natural that he would marry her. But in his second and third years of high school, after seeing many classmates dropping out of school to marry, he instinctively started to resist arranged marriages. It wasn’t until he came across some forbidden books his classmates had been secretly sharing that he realized that, in Western countries, people always fall in love before marriage, much like the new youth’s pursuit of marriage freedom.

Ming Dong always saw himself as part of the new youth, wanting to pursue a romantic love and free marriage. He yearned for the kind of poetic and romantic love described in books, not the plain path into marriage. So, he avoided Guihua’s straightforward gaze, but once he left home and thought about her disappointed eyes, he felt an emptiness in his heart, like something was missing.

Ming Xi’s words helped him see through his own excuses, and in the end, he gathered enough courage to hold Guihua’s hand and run. In that moment, the soaring joy made Ming Dong realize how he had been fooling himself. It turned out love was not as unattainable as he had thought.

In the girls’ dorm, Li Xian put down her book, watching Guihua holding the enamel mug she had brought back with great affection, and smiled lightly. “Is this for your wedding?”

Guihua blushed and nodded. “The rest, Ming Dong took back to his place. He told me to use this one first.”

“Wow, I didn’t expect Ming Dong to be so thoughtful,” Li Xian said with a smile. “You’re late. There’s no hot water now. Go to the water room and wash your mug. I’ll get you a cup of tea.”

“Thank you, Li Xian.” Guihua quickly washed the mug and returned. But the table was full of books. Li Xian told her to put the mug on the windowsill. As the hot water slowly flowed into the mug, Guihua suddenly turned and ran out of the dorm.

A few classmates, who had been reading, were startled and looked outside. “What’s going on with her?”

Li Xian smiled and pointed outside. “Ming Dong is sitting downstairs.”

Ming Dong was lost in thought when he suddenly saw Guihua running out of the dormitory. He quickly jumped off the ping-pong table and, somewhat embarrassed, looked at Guihua, who was out of breath. “I just came out for a walk, didn’t expect you to come down.”

Guihua smiled and said, “It’s fine. I also wanted to walk around.”

Since they were already outside, Ming Dong took Guihua around the school. The sky wasn’t completely dark yet. They walked one in front of the other, gradually walking side by side, but neither of them spoke first. Ming Dong felt the need to say something to break the silence, but his mind went blank and he didn’t know what to say.

“Do you like that painting in the First Department Store?” Ming Dong suddenly remembered their visit to the First Department Store in the afternoon and asked.

Looking at the empty playground with only the two of them, Guihua softly replied, “When my family was doing well, my mom used to say that a girl should read books, learn many things, and have grace. So when I turned five, I started practicing calligraphy and drawing with a teacher, and also learned to play the piano.”

Ming Dong thought back to when Guihua first came to live with his family. “I remember when you went to school with us, you understood everything the teacher said, and your handwriting was even better than ours. It’s a shame you didn’t go to junior high. You should have continued your education back then.”

Guihua smiled. “Actually, living a peaceful life isn’t so bad. I didn’t think much about anything else.”

“Have you always liked drawing?” Ming Dong couldn’t help but ask.

“Yes! I think drawing is something that makes people happy.” Guihua chuckled self-deprecatingly. “Actually, my mom really loved painting. She was good at it. As for me, I’ve only studied it for a short time and don’t have much feeling for it yet.”

“Actually, this isn’t my first time in Ice City,” Guihua suddenly said. “When I was little, I came here with my parents. At that time, the biggest place in Ice City was the Qilin Department Store. There was an old Russian man wearing a black suit and hat, opening the door for customers. Inside, there were beautiful chandeliers, and you could buy all kinds of delicious sausages, dark chocolate, bread rings, and pickled cucumbers in glass jars. That was the first time I tasted black caviar, but I didn’t like the taste. My dad liked it though.”

GuiHua stopped and looked at Ming Dong seriously. “Actually, I know that you’ve been avoiding our marriage issue for a long time. Grandma didn’t say it, but she noticed too. So, I thought I’d come to Ice City and ask you what you really think. Honestly, I know that my family background isn’t great. I lived a capitalist lifestyle when I was young, and that might drag you down. Plus, you’ve already entered university, but I’ve only finished primary school. When it comes to education, I’m not your match. Ming Dong, to be honest, I really like you, but I don’t want you to marry me out of obligation.” She glanced at Ming Dong’s silent side and forced a strong smile. “Our family raised me for ten years, but we can’t let you sacrifice your lifelong happiness for me.”

“I thought I made it clear already,” Ming Dong suddenly spoke. “If I didn’t want to get married, why would I buy you galala oil and a thermos? That stuff isn’t cheap, and it costs industrial tickets.”

Guihua bit her lip, revealing a shy smile. “Actually, I’ve felt that you’ve been unusually close to me since today, but I’m afraid I’m overthinking it.”

“You didn’t overthink it, I’ve figured it out,” Ming Dong scratched the back of his head. “I always wanted to chase the kind of unattainable love depicted in books, but when you stop and take a look, you realize that love was always right beside you.”

Guihua was blushing from Ming Dong’s straightforward words, but she still raised her head and looked at him earnestly. “Are you sure? Once you decide, you can’t go back on it!”

“I won’t go back on it!” Ming Dong puffed out his chest. “If I regret it, that little brat Ming Xi will definitely steal you away. I’m not going to let that happen.”

Back in Beicha, the house was buzzing with activity. The absence of Ming Xi and Guihua as workers made everything chaotic. After the beans were picked, they were blanched and stored in the warehouse to dry, and the soybeans were either sent to exchange for soybean oil or used for making soy paste. Each cabbage had to be washed carefully in preparation for pickling. The work was so overwhelming that people were running around in a frenzy.

Winter arrived early in Beicha. Though the harvest had just been gathered, the weather was gradually turning cold. Zhenzhen watched the day shorten and the yard full of drying crops, feeling a bit anxious for her family. She had secretly tried several times to see if she could bring more sunny weather, but it seemed her ability was connected to the earth. While she could control flying birds, things like wind, rain, or the sun were out of her reach.

Zhenzhen focused her efforts on her ability to help with the crops, trying to extract extra moisture from the grain and have the earth absorb it. However, the crops were drying right under her nose, so she didn’t dare overdo it. It wasn’t until half a month later, when Ming Xi and Guihua returned from Ice City, that the grain had dried sufficiently.

Ming Xi and Guihua came in with large bundles, and as soon as they got home, they collapsed onto the heated bed. Grandma Li, leaning on her cane, looked around, shaking her head and sighing. “You’re exhausted just from this little walk. Not long ago, when we were harvesting the crops, that was real hard work. We should ask Ming Bei to come look and see how dark it’s gotten.”

Ming Xi rubbed his waist. “It’s mainly because we had so much stuff, and it took up space. I was worried people would steal it on the train, and I had to keep an eye on it day and night.”

“Alright, I know you’re tired,” Grandma Li patted Ming Xi’s thigh. “Tell your mother to steam some sorghum rice for lunch.”

When sorghum rice was mentioned, Ming Xi’s eyes lit up. He forgot all about his aching back and hurried to get up from the bed. “Grandma, when I entered the door, I was shocked. Why is there so much grain in our house? Does this mean we won’t go hungry next year?”

“We won’t go hungry!” Grandma Li smiled happily at Ming Xi. “Earlier this year, your father cleared a few extra acres of land, and with the seeds sent by your uncle, we planted some fine grains. We didn’t expect much from it, but it turned out pretty well. This year, we won’t be short of rice and flour for the New Year.”

“Really? You planted rice and wheat? Up on the mountain?” Ming Xi was so happy he forgot his exhaustion, getting up and heading out to take a look. Grandma Li stopped him, tapping him with her pipe. “Sit still, wait till later to look.”

Ming Xi said, “Grandma, you don’t know. When I went to my brother’s school, I heard them say that only a few farms in our province have paddy fields. The rice we used to get for the holidays used to be shipped from other provinces. But I heard that my brother’s farm has it too. They not only grow rice in the water but also on the land.”

“They even grow land rice?” Grandma Li almost let the secret slip, but quickly recovered and said, “Yes, yes, the variety we have grows on land, and it’s not bad!”

In the kitchen, Wang Sufen took out the white sorghum rice collected earlier, steamed a big pot, and cut a piece of salty wild pig meat. She also made a pot of stewed oil beans. Soon, the smell of the steamed sorghum rice and the stewed beans mixed and filled the whole house.

Though Zhenzhen was still breastfeeding, she ate a lot of other food. The milk powder was bought, and she drank it twice a day. The meals at home were also good enough to eat a little. Of course, the food at the Li family was so soft that she could bite it.

The fragrant sorghum rice steamed in a pot. Ming Xi took a bowl, shoveled half a bowl of rice with a single chopstick, and devoured it. Zhenzhen, sitting across from him, stared in shock, even forgetting to eat the egg custard Wang Sufen had brought to her mouth.

After eating two bowls, Ming Xi finally felt full. While continuing to eat, he couldn’t help but complain, “Grandma, I need to tell you, my brother is so heartless.”

Grandma Li instinctively glanced at Guihua, who was smiling, and then looked back at Ming Xi. “What’s so heartless about your brother?”

“The day after I got there, he just threw me out on the street. I couldn’t see him most of the time, and he left me alone in the dorm with idiots. His classmates were laughing, saying I was messing up his romantic life.” Ming Xi rolled some fresh wild vegetables in soy paste and stuffed them into his mouth, grumbling. “How did I mess things up? If he’d taken me shopping, I could’ve helped carry the stuff! And going to parks or movies, why couldn’t I go too? Grandma, let me tell you, my brother and Guihua watched three movies, and not once did they take me along.”

Zhenzhen couldn’t stop laughing at Ming Xi, the poor rejected third wheel. After venting, Ming Xi felt much better. He looked at Zhenzhen, who was laughing so hard she nearly fell over, and pinched her cheek. “You ungrateful little thing. You’re laughing at your brother, but I brought you good stuff!”

Zhenzhen immediately turned to look at Grandma Li. Grandma Li tapped the table with her chopsticks. “What good stuff?”

Ming Xi reluctantly got up from the bed, opened his bundle, and pulled out a piece of floral cotton fabric. “My fourth uncle gave it to Zhenzhen. He said it’s for her to make a jacket.”

Zhenzhen immediately beamed. “Finally, I can wear a new piece of clothing!”

———
Author’s Note:
Ming Dong and Guihua’s characters are based on my uncle and aunt. To this day, my aunt fondly recalls how she bravely went to Harbin alone to claim her love. At that time, my uncle, like Ming Dong, had entered university and hoped to choose his own marriage, so he wrote home to cancel the engagement. My aunt, still a child bride, saw the letter from my uncle, asked for money from my great-grandmother, and went straight to Harbin. What happened after that, I don’t know much, but the result was my uncle happily returning home with her, and later they had two sons and two daughters~~~

————

—”Gala oil” in hand lotion likely refers to an oil-based ingredient, possibly derived from Gala apples or a similar botanical extract, used to hydrate and nourish the skin.