Chapter 26

The lively scene lasted until it was almost dark, and everyone finally left. Wang Sufen swept the sunflower seed shells and cigarette butts on the floor, wiped the kang mattress twice, opened the inner and outer doors, and let in a few minutes of cold air to dissipate the messy smells inside the house.

After a full day of work, there was no need to make new dishes for the evening. Liu Xiulan had already taken the four dishes from lunch, put them into a basin, and stored them in the cupboard. All that was needed was to heat them up for dinner. To avoid Zhenzhen complaining about having the same dishes twice, she steamed a bowl of egg cake just for her.

Zhenzhen, who had never experienced such a lively event, followed the adults around, enjoying herself in a daze. The women chatted about family matters, most of which were things Zhenzhen had never heard of. Her eyes widened as she listened, and she couldn’t stop staring, refusing to nap in the afternoon. It wasn’t until she was so sleepy in Grandma Li’s arms that she could hardly keep her eyes open, that Wang Sufen carried her to the east room.

Mingdong and Guihua didn’t feel much during the day when there were many people around, but by evening, when only the family remained, they sat side by side to eat. It was then that they realized they were already married.

The stove in the back room had been lit five days ago to warm the kang, and the room was already warm and toasty. When Li Mulin’s family returned from Ice City, Grandma Li didn’t arrange for them to sleep in the back room, but instead drew a curtain in the west room and had them sleep on the large kang on the south side.

After dinner, the young couple sat together, blushing. Although they were both tired, neither of them dared to mention going to the back room to sleep. Grandma Li, glancing at the newlyweds, couldn’t help but pull Wang Sufen over and ask her softly, “Have you talked to them about how to handle that matter?”

Wang Sufen, in her forties, was suddenly embarrassed by Grandma Li’s question. She looked at Grandma Li awkwardly and whispered, “How should I say it?”

Grandma Li thought for a moment and wasn’t sure how to bring it up. “Do you remember what your mother told you when you got married? Just say it like she did. Oh, and did you prepare a cloth sheet for Guihua? Their room has a new mattress, and it would be hard to wash in the winter if it gets dirty.”

Wang Sufen had prepared for this. She had already cleaned and folded a torn old sheet into a small mattress. She called Guihua to the east room, handed her the small mattress, and Guihua, holding it in her hand, looked at it and asked, “Is this a new pee pad for Zhenzhen?”

Zhenzhen sat on the kang, feeling a mix of frustration and helplessness. I don’t want this either, but my body is too small, and sometimes I just can’t control it!

“No, uh, this is for you.” Wang Sufen said, feeling awkward.

Guihua seemed to understand. “Is this for me to use as a mattress?”

Wang Sufen was flustered and stammered, “This is for tonight, for you and Mingdong. Put it under you so the new mattress doesn’t get dirty.”

Guihua looked at Wang Sufen with an innocent expression. “But I just finished… the good thing, I don’t need this.”

“No!” Wang Sufen nearly lost her mind. She couldn’t figure out how to explain, so she desperately recalled what her mother had said when she first got married and tried to gently tell Guihua, “Well, tonight you have to sleep on the same kang as Mingdong…”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Guihua’s face turned as red as a furnace, almost steaming. Seeing her daughter-in-law so embarrassed, Wang Sufen became even more uncomfortable. “It might hurt a little, but bear with it. It’ll be fine soon. Just don’t dirty the new mattress.”

Guihua lowered her head, covering her face, and her ears and neck were flushed. Wang Sufen felt that she hadn’t explained it well, so she hurriedly went to find Grandma Li for help. Zhenzhen, who had witnessed the pre-marriage education, was nearly laughing herself silly. She put down the pine nuts in her hand, wiped her hands and mouth with a handkerchief, and then lazily walked over to Guihua, stretching her hand to hug her neck.

Feeling Zhenzhen’s little hand around her neck, Guihua finally let go of her hands and hugged Zhenzhen, whispering, “This is so embarrassing.”

Wang Sufen went back to the west room and discussed the matter with Grandma Li. “Guihua, as a girl, doesn’t really understand this. Maybe it would be better if Dongzi’s father talks to Mingdong.”

“That works.” Grandma Li tapped her pipe, cleared her throat, and said, “Mu Wu, you go talk to Mingdong.”

“What should I say?” Li Mu Wu, a straightforward man, never understood anything beyond his direct instructions. Grandma Li sighed, looking at him helplessly, “Talk to him about the wedding night.”

Li Muwu and Li Mulin, the two brothers, burst into laughter, making Mingdong feel awkward. Li Mu Wu, who had always been slow-witted, looked embarrassed and said, “What’s there to say? Once you’re in bed, you’ll know everything.”

Mingdong couldn’t take it anymore. He stood up, about to leave but hesitated. Grandma Li waved her pipe and gave them each a tap on the head, “Go quickly to the back room, and once you’re done, tell Mingdong and Guihua to go to bed. They’ve been up all day, aren’t they tired?”

When the head of the family spoke, the father and son could only reluctantly put on their shoes and go in. Not long after, they came back out, though it was unclear whether Li Mu Wu had explained it properly.

The new mattress was laid out, and two new quilts were brought out from the kang. Guihua laid out the bed and sat in it, not daring to look at Mingdong.

“Uh, Guihua, let’s sleep.” Mingdong swallowed nervously, his palms sweaty.

Guihua, blushing, took off her cotton jacket and pants and placed them at the foot of the bed. Wearing only her inner clothes, she climbed into the quilt. Mingdong turned off the light, took off his own clothes, and crawled onto the kang in the dark.

The couple lay in their respective quilts. Although the room was pitch black, both of them kept their eyes open, but neither dared to move. The room was silent except for their breathing. Slowly, Guihua’s drowsiness took over, and she yawned, her eyes drooping.

When Mingdong heard Guihua was about to fall asleep, he became anxious. His hand, which had been resting on his quilt, reached out cautiously into Guihua’s quilt and grabbed her hand.

Guihua, who had been about to fall asleep, was startled by Mingdong’s touch. Feeling his hand burning with heat, her face turned red again.

When Mingdong saw Guihua didn’t pull her hand away, he boldly slid into her quilt, wrapped his arms around her, and Guihua lay blushing in his embrace, too shy to move.

After such a long relationship, this was the first time Mingdong held Guihua. Feeling her warmth and soft body in his arms, Mingdong realized that love wasn’t really about talking or gazing at each other; it was about holding her close.

The warm kang, the crackling stove, the thick cotton quilt, and Mingdong’s tight embrace made Guihua sweat all over. She gently pushed against his chest, her voice barely audible, “Mingdong, I’m hot.”

Mingdong loosened his arms and, estimating the direction, leaned in to kiss her. Just as Guihua raised her head, they bumped into each other, and the pain almost brought tears to Mingdong’s eyes.

Rubbing his chin, Mingdong heard Guihua giggling in the quilt, and immediately felt the pain go away. He held her face with both hands, found the right spot, and finally kissed her. As Li Mu Wu had said, there was no need for teaching; it all came naturally. Mingdong kissed her lips and moved down to her neck…

Sometimes, relying solely on instinct wasn’t enough. After struggling for a while without figuring out what was going on, Ming Dong, feeling embarrassed and frustrated, got out of bed, turned on the light, and stood naked. Guihua, feeling shy, buried her head deep into the blanket. Ming Dong jumped onto the bed and said, “Let me see, where do I put it?”

—

In the blink of an eye, spring had arrived with warm weather and blossoming flowers. Zhenzhen took off her thick winter clothes and put on a brand new pink floral jacket, eagerly running out the door for the first time in over five months. Standing in the yard, Zhenzhen stretched her arms and legs, circling around the yard once.

After spending the whole winter, not only were Zhenzhen’s legs more agile, but her speech also improved, and she could string words together. Luckily, since Zhenzhen’s birth, Grandma Li had always been proud of how clever and quick-witted she was, so the Li family had long gotten used to how fast Zhenzhen picked up words.

“The river is thawing, brother, let’s go fishing!” Ming Bei, who had been going to school like it was a daily grind since the new year, had been looking worried and frowning every day. Finally, he counted the days until a break and, early in the morning after breakfast, he ignored his homework and began thinking about how to go out and play.

Ming Nan, bored in the yard, heard this and immediately became excited. He grabbed the fishing rod, picked up the bucket, and urged Ming Bei to hurry up. Zhenzhen, finally feeling agile, was also thinking about going out for a walk. Seeing Ming Nan and Ming Bei about to head out, she ran over and hugged Ming Bei’s leg, raising her chubby face to look at him. “Brother, I want to go too.”

Ming Bei pinched her puffed-up cheeks, squatted down, and coaxed her, “Baby, stay at home and play nicely. When I catch big fish, I’ll bring some back for you.”

Zhenzhen, in turn, wrapped her arms around his neck and used her little legs to climb up. “I want to go, I want to go, I want to go!”

Ming Bei, seeing that his patience was wearing thin, trembled while squatting. “If I take you out, Grandma will definitely beat me to death. Please, for the sake of your brother loving you, spare my life, okay?”

Zhenzhen buried her little head in his arms, holding on tightly with both hands, her posture indicating she wasn’t letting go. With no other choice, Ming Bei stood up and carried her inside. “Grandma, my brother and I are going fishing, but Zhenzhen insists on coming along.”

Grandma Li immediately picked up her smoking pipe and walked over. Seeing the situation, she tried to take Zhenzhen out of Ming Bei’s arms. But Zhenzhen clung to him tightly and quickly blinked her eyes, squeezing out a few tears and looking at Grandma Li pitifully. “Zhenzhen wants to go!”

Having lived a long life, Grandma Li wasn’t afraid of much, but when it came to her little granddaughter’s tears, she couldn’t resist. When she saw Zhenzhen crying, her heart softened. “Fine, fine, if you want to go, go ahead.”

With Grandma’s approval, Ming Bei had no choice but to bring Zhenzhen along. He carried the chubby little girl in one arm and grabbed the bucket in the other as they headed out. Just as they were about to leave the gate, he stopped and turned to ask Grandma Li, who had followed them out, “Grandma, why are you coming?”

“I’m just going fishing too,” Grandma Li replied. “What if you drop Zhenzhen in the river? Someone has to watch her.”

Ming Nan and Ming Bei’s faces fell. Since they were two or three years old, they had been running around naked by the river, and they’d never seen any of the local kids bring their grandmother along when they went out to play. But with the precious little one in his arms, Ming Bei couldn’t say no. If he didn’t bring Grandma along, Zhenzhen might get hurt, and Grandma would definitely punish him harshly.

When it came to his life, Ming Bei thought that his reputation didn’t matter at all.

Although Zhenzhen had passed by the river many times in her mind, this was the first time she had been to the riverbank. Now that spring had come and the weather was warm, everyone who had been cooped up at home during the winter came outside. At this time, there were no wild vegetables on the mountain, and the animals, who had gone hungry all winter, were the thinnest they had been all year. Unless the family was desperate for food, most people didn’t go hunting in the mountains. Beicha was mostly mountains and rivers, and since the mountain didn’t have much to offer, the kids from nearby families had all gathered by the river. Each with a fishing rod they had made themselves, they brought along some homemade bean cakes as bait, adding a little water to make it work.

For many years, Grandma Li had been busy with household chores and mountain work and hadn’t had the time to sit by the river watching the kids fish. Zhenzhen quickly climbed off Ming Bei’s arms and squatted down by the river, reaching into the still-cool water.

Grandma Li, nervous, stayed close, afraid Zhenzhen would fall into the water if she wasn’t careful. But Zhenzhen seemed completely unfazed, playing joyfully.

Gradually, small fish, no bigger than her fingers, seemed to sense her presence and swam over to gather around her hands, pecking and nibbling at her fingers. Zhenzhen widened her eyes in surprise, happily teasing the little fish.

Grandma Li, squinting her eyes, saw only a dark mass in the water. She bent down to get a closer look and was startled to realize it was a group of fish. “Where did all these little fish come from?”

Zhenzhen pulled her hand out of the water, and the fish scattered in all directions. Grandma Li pulled out a handkerchief to wipe Zhenzhen’s hands, her curiosity getting the better of her. “Did you call these fish over?”

Zhenzhen, remembering that Grandma Li had always protected her since she was born, didn’t want to hide anything. She felt that her abilities might not be useful for much else right now, but they could definitely help improve the family’s meals. After all, when she got older, she would be able to go to the mountains and rivers, and the things she brought back would be more than just these little fish. It was better to let Grandma Li gradually accept these abilities.

Zhenzhen smiled sweetly and deliberately waved her hand in front of Grandma Li, and immediately, several large fish, weighing around seven or eight pounds, swam from a distance, occasionally popping their heads above the water and circling around the area.

Ming Nan, Ming Bei, and the other children, about ten meters away, saw the fish jumping out of the water and immediately started cheering as they rushed over with their fishing rods.

Ming Nan and Ming Bei were the fastest, finding a flat spot in front of Zhenzhen and casting their rods. Although they usually caught some fish every year, this time was different. Almost as soon as they cast their rods, they caught big fish. They caught quite a few, and the other children soon followed suit, each catching three or four fish. Only then did Zhenzhen quietly disperse the fish.

Ming Nan and Ming Bei were grinning ear to ear, each holding a bucket and showing them to Grandma Li. “Grandma, look how good we are.”

Grandma Li rolled her eyes at them, mumbling to herself, “What’s so special about you two? It’s obviously my granddaughter who’s amazing!”