Accidentally-Born_C04

Chapter 4

The three brothers dejectedly returned home with the turtle in a bucket. Grandma Li was in the kitchen smoking her dry pipe, and when she saw her grandsons walking in, their faces downcast, she couldn’t help but grin, revealing a gap in her teeth. “Didn’t catch any fish, huh?”

Li Mingnan and Li Mingbei nodded, feeling wronged, and placed the bucket in the kitchen. “We only caught a turtle, don’t even know if it’s alive or dead.” Grandma Li stood up, took a quick look into the bucket, and immediately laughed. “Well, at least you caught something. I’ll make dumplings for you tomorrow. Let’s have a good Little New Year¹.”

The disappointment on Li Mingnan and Li Mingbei’s faces disappeared instantly. They threw their big cotton coats on the cupboard door and rushed to the east room to share the good news with Wang Sufen. Li Mingxi, being a few years older, thought something was off. He couldn’t help but ask his older brother, Li Mingdong, who was reading, “Brother, why is Grandma being so nice today?”

Li Mingdong glanced at him and replied, “We haven’t had any meat for over three months. Plus, tomorrow is Little New Year. If you brought back a bucket of water, Grandma would still make dumplings for you.”

Li Mingxi regretted it immediately. “Grandma tricked me again. You don’t know, I almost froze my brains out this afternoon while squatting on the ice.”

Hearing this, Grandma Li, who had just entered, couldn’t resist and smacked Li Mingxi’s bottom with her cane. “Who tricked you? Stop making up stories about me behind my back.”

Li Mingxi jumped away, clutching his bottom, and awkwardly laughed as he hurried to leave. “Uh, I’ll go check on my sister.”

Grandma Li chuckled and, after he left, sat next to Li Mingdong. “Mingdong, your fourth uncle sent a letter last month. When did he say he’d be home? Was it Little New Year?”

Li Mingdong opened a drawer, took out a letter, read it for a moment, and then replied, “He left after Little New Year. He won’t be back until the 28th of the 12th month.”

“He’s been married and never brought his wife back, nor did he bring his kids to visit. After all these years, now he’s finally coming back, but it’s so late,” Grandma Li said, a bit angrily. “It seems like he doesn’t even think of me as his mother.”

Li Mingdong saw the sadness flash across Grandma Li’s face and quickly comforted her. “It’s just that it’s far, and he’s busy over there. Plus, train tickets are hard to get.”

“Alright, alright…” Grandma Li softened a little, recalling her younger son who had been gone for nearly ten years. She waved her hand weakly. “As long as he’s coming back, that’s enough. Tomorrow, go heat up the bed in the back room. They’re not used to this cold in Ice City.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll do it first thing tomorrow,” Li Mingdong promised.

Grandma Li was reassured, knowing her oldest grandson could be relied on. She reminded him a couple of more things before leaving.

On the morning of Little New Year, Grandma Li, who usually woke up the earliest, had not gotten out of bed. Li Mingbei, who had been thinking about the dumplings all night and couldn’t sleep, jumped out of bed first. “Grandma, look, it’s already light outside!”

Grandma Li, still half asleep, was startled by his loud voice and nearly had a heart attack. Holding her chest with one hand, she grabbed her cane and struck Li Mingbei. “What are you yelling for early in the morning? Go outside and start the fire!”

Li Mingbei, using the morning light, quickly put on his cotton coat and pants, then ran to the kitchen to get firewood. He first filled all the stoves with firewood, then went to the kitchen to light the fire.

In the northern region, where it’s winter for about five months, the Li family’s stoves were kept burning 24 hours a day in the colder months. When cooking, the big stove connected to the heated bed was used, and when the cooking was done, the fire would be extinguished, but special stove holes under the heated bed were used to keep the fire going. Li Mingbei’s rough work soon woke everyone up.

Zhenzhen, disturbed by the noise, woke up as well. She couldn’t hold it in and wet herself, feeling so embarrassed she almost wanted to hit the bed. Losing control was so humiliating! Tearfully, she couldn’t stand the dampness beneath her, so she had no choice but to hum a little. Hearing this, Wang Sufen immediately got up and changed Zhenzhen’s wet diaper.

Zhenzhen, feeling helpless about her situation, sighed and muttered to herself, “Life is always so difficult.”

Wang Sufen, hearing her daughter’s sigh, couldn’t help but laugh and poked Zhenzhen’s face. “Little baby already knows how to sigh. You’re the luckiest in the whole family, just eat and sleep, no worries.” She then lifted her clothes to nurse Zhenzhen.

Zhenzhen had become so accustomed to breastfeeding that it felt natural. She drank until full, let out a small burp, and couldn’t keep her eyes open. Before falling asleep, she thought, “Mom’s right. The days where I can eat when I want and sleep when I want are so happy. I think I can sleep a little longer…”

In almost no time, Zhenzhen fell asleep. Wang Sufen placed her in the hanging cradle and then dressed to go out and help prepare for the New Year.

Grandma Li, seeing Wang Sufen washing her hands and getting ready to knead dough, scolded her with a glare. “The house can’t run without you, huh? Xiu Lan will be here soon, and with her and Guihua, there’s no need for you to worry about this.”

Wang Sufen hurriedly said, “Helping with dry food on the bed won’t tire me out. I feel more exhausted just lying there than when I’m working.”

“Won’t enjoy the blessings,” Grandma Li muttered, shaking her head. “If you’re that bored, go take Zhenzhen for a walk in the room. You can’t tire yourself out now. If you make my granddaughter thin, what will I do?”

Liu Xiulan entered just as this was said and couldn’t help but laugh. “Looks like Mom really likes girls. When we gave birth to all these boys, you weren’t this concerned. It’s only because of my good temper. If it were anyone else, they wouldn’t be happy.”

Grandma Li laughed and, taking a puff of her pipe, said, “No way around it. I just like granddaughters. Who told you to only have boys?”

Guihua, hearing the commotion, stood up, wiped her hands on her apron, and came out of the kitchen to greet them. “Third Aunt is here. Have you eaten yet? Let me get you some steamed buns to fill your stomach.”

“No need to hurry, I’ve already eaten.” Liu Xiulan handed the basket hanging on her arm to Guihua. Inside were ten eggs and a piece of meat. “The eggs are for Second Sister-in-law to nourish her body, and the meat is for Mother.” Guihua took it, showed it to Grandma Li, and then put it away.

Watching Guihua’s quick and efficient movements, Liu Xiulan couldn’t help but admire her. “Our Guihua is really diligent and capable. Mother, you sure have a good eye, finding such a wonderful wife for Dongzi.”

Grandma Li smiled contentedly. “I’m thinking of holding their wedding once Mingdong gets into college.”

“That’s great.” Liu Xiulan glanced at Guihua, who blushed with embarrassment, and teased her with a smile. “Once you’re married, Guihua, you’ll give Mingdong a chubby baby girl, and your mother-in-law will treat you like royalty.”

Guihua bit her lip, showing a shy smile. She tossed her long braid over her shoulder and turned back to the kitchen. As she added firewood to the stove, she kept one ear tuned to the conversation outside.

Liu Xiulan peeked into the kitchen and lowered her voice. “Mother, have you talked to Dongzi about the wedding?”

“Not yet.” Grandma Li took a puff from her pipe. “I’m thinking of arranging it next winter when things settle down.”

Liu Xiulan spoke even softer. “It’s better to mention it to Dongzi early. If he’s willing, then we can start preparing. He’s read so many books—what if he has other ideas?”

“I know. Don’t worry about it. Next year, help me find a good carpenter to make a big wardrobe and two wooden trunks for Dongzi. That’s more important.” Grandma Li frowned slightly and took two more hard puffs from her pipe. “I hope next year’s harvest is good. Dongzi is the eldest grandson—we can’t let his wedding be too shabby.”

“You’re right, Mother.” Liu Xiulan nodded in agreement. “Luckily, we have plenty of red pine trees around here. Making furniture won’t be a problem. My Mingrong told me that in Beijing, you need special coupons to buy wardrobes and wooden trunks—they’re hard to come by.”

“Maybe it’s the fancy designs people like. Honestly, as long as it holds stuff, that’s all that matters.” Grandma Li tapped her pipe against the sole of her shoe to clean it out.

In the kitchen, Guihua didn’t catch everything Third Aunt said, but she clearly heard Grandma mention preparing wedding furniture. The thought of marrying Dongzi in a year filled her heart with joy and sweetness.

Liu Xiulan chatted with Grandma Li for a while before heading to the kitchen to wash her hands and knead dough. With Liu Xiulan helping, the housework went much faster. Soon, two trays of sticky rice bean buns were ready to be frozen outside, and batches of steamed sweet potato cornbread were set out to cool.

On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, it was Li Mulin’s homecoming day. Early in the morning, Li Muwu and Li Musen went to the train station. It wasn’t until after noon that they finally saw the train from Bingcheng² arrive.

After ten years apart, the brothers felt a bit dazed seeing each other again. Li Mulin wore a faded Zhongshan³ suit with a thick cotton jacket over it, oilcloth shoes, and carried two large bundles on his shoulders. As soon as he got off the train, he spotted his two brothers in plain cotton clothes and called out to them from afar.

Li Muwu snapped out of it and quickly walked over with Musen to help carry the luggage. Both smiled awkwardly, unsure what to say. Knowing his brothers hadn’t gone to school and weren’t good with words, Li Mulin introduced his wife and children. “This is my wife, Zhang Chunhua, and these are my two sons—Mingshu, the older one, and Mingxin, the younger.”

“We know! Dongzi and Mingxi read us your letters before. Mother always talks about the kids. Now that you’re home, you must stay for a while.”

Hearing this, Zhang Chunhua tugged at the hem of Li Mulin’s coat, but he just smiled and brushed her hand away. He then urged his sons, “Greet your second and third uncles.”

Though Mingshu and Mingxin wore patched clothes, their fair faces and delicate features stood out. But when asked to greet their uncles, they both hid behind Zhang Chunhua, too shy to speak.

Seeing this, Muwu and Musen quickly smoothed things over. “They’re just not used to strangers—it’s fine. Let’s hurry home. Once they’re familiar with everyone, they’ll start talking.”

Feeling a little helpless, Li Mulin glanced back at his silent wife and sons. Worried that his brothers might feel offended, he quickly changed the topic, asking about their mother’s health and the family’s situation.

As they chatted, the group left the train station. Zhang Chunhua instinctively looked around for the trolleybus stop, but after scanning the area, she saw no sign of one. Just as she turned to ask, she saw Li Muwu loading their two large bundles onto a rickety ox cart.

Her face immediately turned pale.

Notes:

1. “Little New Year” is the common translation for “小年” because it refers to a pre-Lunar New Year festival in Chinese culture, marking preparations for the main celebration.
2. “Bingcheng” (冰城) is a nickname for Harbin, known as “Ice City” due to its cold climate and famous ice festivals. It likely refers to Harbin in this context.
3. The Zhongshan suit (or Mao suit) is a Chinese jacket introduced by Sun Yat-sen in the early 20th century. It features a high collar, four pockets, and five buttons, symbolizing discipline and political values. Initially formal wear, it later became associated with Mao Zedong and the Communist Party. Today, it represents heritage and is worn on formal occasions.