Chapter 1

The north wind howled, and thick goose-feather snowflakes drifted down from the sky. Grandma Li sat in the kitchen, feeding firewood into the stove while puffing on her tobacco pipe, a look of concern etched across her face. Suddenly, the heavy cotton curtain was lifted, and the third and fourth sons of the Li family, Li Mingnan and Li Mingbei, rushed in from outside, bringing with them a gust of cold wind and a flurry of snow.

As soon as he saw Grandma sitting by the stove, Li Mingbei, still wearing his thick gloves, shouted, “Grandma! My brother and I caught two fish!”

Before the words even finished, the old woman sprang up from the stove, tapping the ashes out of her pipe against the heel of her shoe, grinning broadly. “Really? Quick, let me see! It’s been ages since I’ve seen any fish!”

Li Mingnan handed over the two carp, each weighing over two jin, strung on a hemp rope. Then he picked up a dipper, scooped half a ladle of cold water from the water jar, and drank it down in gulps.

“We didn’t even catch fish this big in the summer,” Grandma Li said, turning the fish over in her hands, grinning so widely her mouth could barely close. “Just in time—your mother’s about to give birth, and your big brother is tired from studying. I’ll stew the fish to nourish them both.”

Li Mingbei responded with a hum, then asked, “Do you think Mom will give us a little sister this time?”

Thinking of her long line of grandsons, Grandma Li sighed with worry and said, “Let’s hope it’s a girl. Just looking at you bunch of little rascals who eat like starving wolves gives me a headache.”

Li Mingbei chuckled and called over Li Mingnan to squat in front of the stove and warm themselves. Suddenly, the boys wrinkled their noses and exchanged a look. Grabbing the fire hook from the floor, they quickly dug out two roasted, fragrant potatoes from the ashes. Not caring that they were still hot, the boys hurriedly picked them up, placed them on the stove counter, and began peeling them while blowing on their hands. Once the skin was loosened a bit, they leaned in and took big bites.

Grandma Li turned around and saw that the roasted potatoes had already been half eaten. Normally, she would’ve scolded them, but since they’d brought home two big fish today, she wasn’t angry. Instead, she laughed and said, “What do you two look like! Go eat in the west room. Call Guihua out to stew the fish.”

The boys responded, juggling the still-hot potatoes in their hands as they yelled, “Sis-in-law! Grandma says come cook!”

A girl with a shiny, black braid walked out from the west room. She looked about seventeen or eighteen, full of youthful energy. As she washed her hands, she asked, “Grandma, what are we making tonight?”

“Stewed fish! And cabbage with potatoes!” Grandma Li banged her cane on the floor and declared loudly.

Although the two boys called Guihua “sis-in-law,” Wu Guihua wasn’t yet married to the Li family’s eldest son, Li Mingdong. Wu Guihua came from a landlord family, and due to her bad social class status, life had been hard. When Guihua was seven or eight, her family was so poor they couldn’t even feed themselves. They thought about selling her to get some food, but none of the potential buyers were acceptable. Just then, Grandma Li happened to be passing through their village on a visit and saw that Guihua had a good appearance and a lively personality. The Wu family knew the Li family was kind and trustworthy, so they struck a deal—half a sack of soybeans in exchange for Guihua, who came to live with the Lis as a child bride.

Guihua had been with the Li family for ten years. When she first arrived, she attended school for a few years and learned some characters. By the time she was thirteen or fourteen, she had stopped studying and helped with cooking, cleaning, and housework.

Grandma Li sat on a small stool in the kitchen, watching Guihua skillfully clean and scale the fish. When Guihua poured a bit of oil into the pot, the old woman stood up, satisfied, and said, “Make it tasty. Dongzi hasn’t had any meat for a while.”

Guihua responded crisply and flipped her long braid behind her as she began slicing potatoes quickly. Just then, a sudden cry of pain came from the east room. Grandma Li forgot her cane and rushed over with quick strides, asking anxiously, “Dongzi’s mother—is it starting?”

“It’s been hurting for a while. I think it’s about time,” replied Wang Sufen from inside, gripping the quilt beneath her and adjusting her breathing through the pain.

“Oh heavens, why didn’t you say something sooner?” Grandma Li peeked in, then immediately shouted, “Mingbei! Go get your third aunt to help!”

Li Mingbei grabbed his fur hat and dashed out into the snow, wrapped tightly in his coat. Back in the kitchen, Guihua heard the commotion and quickly boiled a kettle of water, bringing in all the prepared items.

Beicha District was a small town nestled in the mountains. Though the Lis lived in the town, the sparse population meant homes were quite spread out. Fortunately, Li Mingbei was quick on his feet, and before long, he arrived at his third aunt’s house.

Grandma Li’s third daughter-in-law, Liu Xiulan, was stirring a pot of corn porridge. Hearing a chorus of dog barks in the distance, she stood up and tossed chopped cabbage stems into the pot, calling out to her son, “Guangzi, see if that’s your second uncle’s boy coming.”

Li Mingguang opened the door and peeked outside, just in time to see Li Mingbei push the gate open. He turned back and said, “Mom, it’s Brother Beizi.”

“Then it must be that your second aunt is going into labor,” Liu Xiulan wiped her hands on her clothes and called to her eldest son, “Mingrong, watch the pot—I’m going to your grandma’s!” She hurried off with Mingbei.

Although Wang Sufen had already given birth to four children and was older, her labor progressed quickly. By the time Liu Xiulan arrived, she was nearly ready to give birth.

After a quick wash, Liu Xiulan came in and felt Wang Sufen’s belly. “Mother,” she said to Grandma Li, “you go rest—I’ve got this.”

Grandma Li sat down on the heated brick bed, giving her daughter-in-law space, wiping sweat from her brow. “I’m too old for this now. When your second sister-in-law had Beizi, I was the one who delivered him.”

“That was eight years ago,” Liu Xiulan said, gently pressing on Wang Sufen’s belly. “That feels like a lifetime now.”

Wang Sufen wanted to laugh but didn’t dare waste her strength. She bit her lip and bore down hard.

The intense pain made her groan, and sweat soaked her hair and stuck it to her face. Just when she thought she couldn’t go on, a wave of warmth surged through her body, flowing with her blood. Her strength slowly returned, and her spirit lifted.

“Waa! Waa!” A clear, crisp cry echoed through the mud-brick room. Liu Xiulan caught the red, wrinkly baby, took one look, and grinned widely. “Mother, it’s a girl!”

“Really? Let me see!” Grandma Li leaned over. Liu Xiulan quickly cleaned the baby, wrapped her in a soft cotton quilt, and handed her over.

Peeking inside the blanket, Grandma Li beamed. “It really is a little girl! I gave birth to four sons and thought I’d never have a daughter. One grandson after another—I figured I’d never get to hold a granddaughter.”

“Second sister-in-law is blessed. Her daughter will dote on her in the future.” Liu Xiulan smiled and tidied up Wang Sufen, then washed her hands and picked up her coat. “Mother, I’ll leave you to it. I’m heading back.”

“Don’t go—stay and eat with us.” Grandma Li didn’t even look up from the baby in her arms. “There’s probably nothing left in your pot by now. Today, I had Guihua stew cabbage and potatoes, and we made some corn mush too.”

Wang Sufen lay under the covers and chimed in, “We’re all family here, no need to be polite. Sister-in-law, just eat here.”

Liu Xiulan had only had a few sips of thin porridge in the morning, and her stomach was already growling. She had always been straightforward, and she got along well with Wang Sufen, so she didn’t stand on ceremony. Smiling, she said, “Sorry for the trouble, Second Sister-in-law.”

“What’s the big deal?” Grandma Li said indifferently. “In the past, when something this important happened, we’d at least cut up some meat to make dumplings to satisfy our cravings. Sigh, it’s just that the past couple of years haven’t been good. We haven’t received our full grain rations for months. If we hadn’t cleared some land and grown vegetables, we might not even have enough to fill our bellies.”

“Exactly,” Liu Xiulan sighed along. “I heard from Li Musen that although the countryside produced a lot of grain this year, most of it was diverted outside the mountains. That’s why we didn’t get our rationed grain. If it weren’t for Mom suggesting we plant a little land too, we might not even have corn porridge to eat right now.”

Grandma Li had lived through the old society and grew up in hardship. She had a deep sense of unease and yearning when it came to food. Although everyone in the Li family had household registrations and could collect rationed grain each month, she still didn’t feel secure. Years ago, she had taken her sons and grandsons to clear a flat patch of land in the mountain valley, where they planted corn, soybeans, cabbage, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. In times of abundance, these crops helped improve their meals, and now that food was suddenly in short supply, their family managed to avoid hunger thanks to what they had grown.

In the kitchen, Guihua had already finished cooking. She stewed a pot of cabbage and potatoes, made a basin of cornmeal porridge, and baked a pan of cornmeal pancakes.

The two brothers from the north and south had caught some fish, which were stewed with tofu and glass noodles into a fragrant, oily dish. One remaining fish was made into a big bowl of creamy white soup — this was for Wang Sufen to drink to promote lactation.

When Li Muwu came home from work and heard his wife had given birth to a girl, he immediately took off his heavy coat and went to the east room to see his wife and newborn daughter.

Guihua brought the fish soup over, helped Wang Sufen sit up, then scooped a bowl and handed it to her.

Seeing his daughter’s little face filled Li Muwu with contentment, and his voice turned noticeably gentler than usual. “Drink more soup. The more milk you have, the fuller our girl will be.”

Wang Sufen forced a smile. “I’m not that young anymore. I barely produced any milk when I had Beizi. We only managed to raise him because we brought back a goat. Tomorrow, while you’re at work, ask around and see who’s raising goats. Let’s buy some goat milk every day. It’s still better than feeding her porridge.”

Li Muwu grunted in his usual rough voice and said, “Tomorrow I’ll register our daughter’s household record. See if I can get some baby formula and brown sugar too.”

Wang Sufen ate half a bowl of fish soup and, turning her head, saw Li Muwu poking their daughter’s soft face with his rough fingers. The baby was sleeping soundly, and worried he’d wake her and make her cry for milk, Wang Sufen hurried him out. “Don’t hang around here, go eat.”

Li Muwu stood up with a smile. “For a happy event like this, I have to bring out the liquor I’ve been saving. I must have a drink with Mom.”

Outside, the table was already set, and the whole family was gathered around. Li Mingnan and Li Mingbei were staring fixedly at the dishes, gulping hungrily. Li Muwu came out of the east room, grabbed the wine pot, and Li Mingdong quickly took it from him. He pulled out two small two-ounce cups and poured a glass each for Grandma Li and Li Muwu.

Grandma Li took a small sip first, then pointed to the fish dish. “Dongzi, eat more fish. It’ll help your brain. College entrance exams are coming soon.”

Li Mingdong adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose and gave a gentle, bookish smile. “We haven’t seen any meat in this house for a while. I can’t eat it all myself. Grandma, you eat first.” As he spoke, he picked up a piece for her, then tried to offer some to Liu Xiulan.

Liu Xiulan quickly held up her bowl to dodge it. “I’m not going to school or anything. Don’t waste good food on me. I’ll just have a bite of the glass noodles to get a taste later.”

When Li Muwu saw his son trying to give him fish too, he quickly waved his hand. “Just give me the fish head — that’s best with wine. Leave the meat for you kids.”

Only then did Li Mingdong pick up a bite for himself, and his three younger brothers followed his lead, each eagerly grabbing a big chopstickful to eat with great relish. Li Muwu took a sip of wine, then a bite of the fish head. Just as he had picked the fish head clean down to the bones, the soft cries of a newborn baby rang out from the next room. Li Muwu couldn’t help but laugh. “My daughter’s awake.”

—

Note:

1)In 1960s, landlord families in China faced significant challenges due to land reforms, political persecution, and the drastic societal changes brought about by the Communist Party’s policies.

2)In 1960s China, the government implemented a food rationing system to control the distribution of essential resources. People received ration tickets for basic food items like rice, wheat, oil, and meat, which were allocated based on need and location. The system aimed to ensure fairness, but it often fell short, particularly during times of scarcity, leading to food shortages. Urban areas had somewhat better access to supplies, but rural areas faced more severe shortages. The system was a response to the challenges of food production, especially after the Great Leap Forward’s failures.