Chapter 90: Going to the Capital

In a sense, Xiaomei was the third child in the family. When she was still young, Wen Jiajia paid more attention to Wen Chun and Wen Xuan, fearing that they might feel neglected with the arrival of Xiaomei.

Wen Jiajia would frequently visit the sisters’ room to watch them do their homework or read picture books with them.

At first, Wen Chun and Wen Xuan were thrilled, but soon their aunt’s affection became overwhelming.

Her aunt’s attentiveness extended their homework time by at least half an hour. Math problems had to be neatly written; if not, they had to rewrite them.

And as for picture books… Wen Jiajia had read all of them, and even though the girls were tired of them, they had no choice but to listen.

The two sisters now wore expressions of despair. They could smell the food outside and wanted to finish their homework quickly to eat, but their aunt’s supervision delayed them.

Summer wild rice was in season, but the family usually bought less of it. The two girls didn’t even know what the dish was when it was served.

Zhong Huisheng explained, “It’s called ‘茭白’ (jiao bai), a vegetable that grows in water. It’s the young stems of wild rice. We grow wild rice next to our farm; you can see it even from your school.”

Wen Jiajia understood that the water chestnuts on the table were probably picked by the aunt.

Curious, she asked, “Is anyone else picking them?”

Zhong Huisheng smiled and said, “There are plenty! I went to pick them up because Xiaobao next door asked me to. When I got there, most of the ones near the water were already picked. We might be able to get another batch tomorrow, but they’ll be gone by the day after at the latest.”

_

Just like the lake, where fishing had become less regulated, the fish population had dwindled. In the past, one could catch several fish in a single night with a fish basket, regardless of their size.

But now, it’s very difficult. Even after leaving the basket out for three or four days, there might be no catch at all. When you finally retrieve it, you usually only find some minnows.

What use are these tiny, bitter fish? Ducks won’t even eat them because their bitter taste contaminates the meat.

Wen Jiajia felt that fishing in this lake would soon be banned again.

“Uncle, come and eat!” Wen Chun called out to the yard.

“Okay! You all eat first,” Wei Dai replied, feeding his daughter carrot puree.

Though Comrade Xiaomei was small, she had a big temper and insisted on eating outside.

Wen Jiajia ignored the father and daughter, set the dishes and chopsticks on the table, and let Wen Chun and Wen Xuan serve themselves.

Her appetite, suppressed by the cookies, was rekindled by the aroma of the meal. After receiving her portion, she scooped up some egg custard, mixed it, took several mouthfuls, and then enjoyed the water chestnuts.

It had been a long time since she last ate them, and she found them delicious.

Wen Chun and Wen Xuan eagerly accepted the water chestnuts, seemingly enjoying them more than the fried lean meat. They picked up the water chestnuts frequently, indicating their preference for the tender green vegetable.

After they finished their meal, Wei Dai fed the child and ate up the three large bowls of rice from the rice bucket with the leftovers.

No matter how many times she saw it, Wen Jiajia was always astonished by Wei Dai’s appetite. How could his stomach hold so much?

At night, early summer’s wildness was not very quiet, with insects outside making rustling sounds.

Fortunately, Wen Jiajia had planted catnip, mosquito-repellent grass, fragrant wood, and rosemary at the base of the wall last year. They were planted in a circle around the house and trimmed regularly, so the plants thrived.

Thanks to these mosquito and insect repellents, there were no flying insects entering the house this year.

Wen Jiajia had originally wanted to grow lavender, which not only repels insects but also produces essential oils that aid sleep. 

However, lavender seeds were difficult to find. She had visited several supply and marketing cooperatives and seed stores last year but was unable to purchase any.

Wen Jiajia opened the window, and the scents of various plants and trees drifted into the room.

The strongest scent was from Aoki, but fortunately, she liked it.

The moon hung just above the yard, visible through the window. It resembled a jade plate but wasn’t perfectly round, as it wasn’t yet full. Nonetheless, it was exceptionally bright, visible even from the residential area and the opposite mountains.

After taking a shower, Wen Jiajia stood by the window for a while, enjoying the fragrant night breeze and letting her hair dry before turning in.

The lights were off because Xiaomei had fallen asleep, soundly nestled next to her father.

The little girl needed someone to play with before bed and was also practicing rolling over. She would lift her arms, push with her calves, hold her breath, and push hard. She could manage to flip over about once out of three times.

After rolling over, she couldn’t turn back and had to learn to crawl. When she got tired of crawling, she needed help, otherwise, she would cry.

Children have limited energy and fall asleep quickly after playing.

Wei Dai adored his daughter and said he could never get enough of her in this lifetime. However, Wen Jiajia suspected he might be in for a surprise when she grew up and became rebellious, as many children do during a naughty phase.

Wen Jiajia patted Wei Dai on the bed and said, “Take your daughter to her bed.”

“The bed is so hot; how will she lie down later?” 

That’s how things were in this era. Whether it was hot or cold, you had to rely on yourself to adjust. Wen Jiajia found the summer more uncomfortable than the cold winter.

Wei Dai carefully placed his daughter in the crib next to him and covered her with a mosquito net.

Wen Jiajia was pedaling her air bike on the bed when Wei Dai suddenly placed his hand on her waist. “Are you getting used to working?”

Wen Jiajia sighed, “I’ve adapted, but I’m really tired. After being almost bored at home, it takes time to get back in shape.”

Recalling something, Wen Jiajia asked, “Oh, by the way, did you know that Fang Hongjun is getting married?”

Wei Dai nodded, “Yes, I know.”

“Oh, you know? Did he tell you? If he did, why did he tell me again today?” Wen Jiajia put down her legs and turned to Wei Dai, puzzled.

Wei Dai smiled and said, “He lives in your factory dormitory now. I haven’t seen him since the end of last year. My mother mentioned it in a letter. She said that Red Army’s mother had asked her about the dishes we had at the banquet that year, and that’s how she found out.”

Wen Jiajia suddenly realized, “I see! Speaking of which, I know his wife quite well. She is an educated youth from our team.”

Wei Dai said, “That’s good. Educated youth are originally from the city and can adapt to urban life.”

In fact, it’s very difficult for rural people to adapt to city life, especially the housing situation. If Wen Jiajia were asked to live in a high-rise building, she would also struggle to adapt.

Moreover, buying every scallion in the city can be a shock for someone used to rural life. Even buying vegetables can be painful, especially when you have a vegetable garden at home.

Wen Jiajia asked, “How much gift money should we give when the time comes? I heard Fang Hongjun is having the wedding in his hometown. How much did he give us at that time?”

Wei Dai thought for a moment and said, “I’m not sure. I’ll ask Mom. I’ll have her help me prepare it when the time comes.”

Wen Jiajia agreed, “That sounds good.”

Then he turned over again.

After a while, Wen Jiajia thought of something else and turned the page again, laughing. “Our factory is going to the capital for a solo exhibition. I wonder if people from our department can go.”

Wei Dai perked up at the mention of the capital. “The capital?”

She was so surprised that she managed to keep her voice low enough not to wake Xiaomei, who was sleeping next to her.

Wen Jiajia hummed in acknowledgment. “Our department has been busy with this recently. I happened to be caught in the middle of it. Director Gao pulled me in like a donkey.”

Wei Dai said, “Take care of yourself. Have you been feeling dizzy lately? Carry candy and biscuits with you. If Director Gao assigns you too many tasks, you must refuse them. Don’t be afraid of offending anyone. Your health is the most important thing.”

Since giving birth, Wen Jiajia has struggled with low blood sugar and has gone to the hospital several times without finding a solution. Dr. Peng, who was out of town during that period, later prescribed medication for half a month, which significantly improved her condition.

Wen Jiajia replied, “Of course, I wouldn’t joke about my health. The body is the capital of the revolution. Didn’t you notice that I leave work on time every day? There’s no one in the factory who leaves on time better than I do.”

This was true. Even the security guard joked that seeing her was like seeing a clock—those who entered after her were late, and those who left before her were leaving early. He kept track of it in a small notebook.

Wei Dai was relieved and shifted the topic back to the capital, sounding quite envious. “If your department can go, you should try to go, and we can go together later.”

“Oh, and bring back a roast duck,” Wei Dai added.

Wen Jiajia was puzzled by the special fondness people had for roast duck. “If I do go, it will be hot, and the roast duck will spoil in the car. Besides, doesn’t it taste better when it’s freshly roasted?”

She felt the roast duck was somewhat average, especially compared to the more famous ones from later establishments like Siji Moufu.

However, the roast duck at that time might be different. The ducks weren’t fed ducks, the charcoal was real fruit charcoal, and even the sauce was made from genuine ingredients. The taste would likely be much better than it would be decades later.

“That’s true,” Wei Dai said, not pressing the issue. “But you could bring back some cakes from Daoxiang Village.”

Wen Jiajia agreed. She thought some of the cakes from that shop were quite good and wondered if they had developed any new products.

But no matter what, she had to go.

That night, the couple both had pleasant dreams about traveling to the capital, only to feel a sense of loss when they woke up the next day.

_

May passed, and June arrived.

The weather was getting hotter, and the family had prepared several palm-leaf fans. Wei Dai even made two small ones that could fit into school bags for Wen Chun and Wen Xuan to take to school.

Moreover, with the hot weather came more mosquitoes, especially since the area near the mountains and water had even more insects.

Every day, as Wen Jiajia passed by the river on her way home, she saw mosquitoes swarming in circles on the water’s surface. Although small, mosquitoes were very irritating. Their bites caused red bumps that itched terribly and took a long time to heal.

Whenever the two sisters came home, they always had red bumps on their legs or arms. Wen Jiajia felt distressed and bought some floral water from the department store, which helped a lot.

That wasn’t enough, though. Wen Jiajia later made some peppermint essential oil for them to apply, which made them smell like peppermint for a while. It was said they even got a new nickname—Peppermint Candy.

The first solar term in June is Grain in Ear.

During the rainy season, every household experienced rain, and frogs were everywhere in the grassy ponds.

The “yellow plum season” in Zhao Shixiu’s poem refers to April and May in the lunar calendar, which corresponds to May and June in the Gregorian calendar.

Locally, the yellow plum season begins after Grain in Ear. The plums are red, and the rainfall has recently increased.

Villagers checked the weather and picked bayberries as soon as they ripened, never waiting for the rain. Who knew how long the rain would last? If it rained for a month or two, the taste of the bayberries would suffer.

Wen Jiajia took Lin Yunfei and others to the village early to “exchange” for bayberries.

What did she offer in exchange? Fabric.

As a major buyer of fabrics, Wen Jiajia used other tickets to obtain fabrics from Lin Yunfei and others, who then used the fabric to get bayberries.

At that time, cloth was in short supply, and a few feet of fabric could be traded for a basket of bayberries. Even so, the villagers felt they were making a profit.

Comparing the prices of the two items decades later, Wen Jiajia found that there was not much difference in value. It seemed the villagers had their own standards in mind.

Wen Jiajia exchanged for three baskets of bayberries: one for home, one for friends in the family compound, and Dong Qi and others in the factory. The remaining basket was used to make wine.

She had long craved bayberry wine but couldn’t drink it while breastfeeding. However, she would be able to enjoy it after weaning at the end of the year, perfectly timed with the fresh bayberry wine brewed this year.

After making the bayberry wine, the Dragon Boat Festival was approaching.

Three days before the festival, Wen Jiajia caught the scent of rice dumplings on the street. Following the aroma, she discovered a state-owned restaurant selling dumplings.

She learned they had both red bean paste and meat dumplings. Regardless of the price, Wen Jiajia bought five of each flavor.

Her decision proved correct, as the dumplings sold out quickly. The waiter at the state-owned restaurant said it was their first time making dumplings, so they didn’t prepare many. Once this batch was gone, they were gone.

Wen Jiajia was fortunate to buy 10 dumplings just as they were fresh out of the pot.

After buying the rice dumplings, Wen Jiajia hurried away, as she had bought the most, and others looked at her with envy.

When she got home, she placed the rice dumplings on the table.