Chapter 7

Lin Youqing lifted her onto the crossbar of the bicycle while He Guijuan took a seat at the back. The three of them set off toward the market.

On the way, they encountered many villagers, most of whom were heading out to work with hoes in hand. The villagers greeted Lin Youqing and his wife warmly, but their eyes widened in surprise when they noticed Jiang Jiang sitting on the front bar.

“Secretary Lin, is this the daughter of Jiang Fusheng?”

Lin Youqing looked at the villager and chuckled, not hiding anything. “We don’t have any children, so my wife and I plan to raise Jiang Jiang.”

As soon as Lin Youqing spoke those words, the villagers looked at Jiang Jiang with a hint of envy.

She was truly lucky; both Lin Youqing and his wife were cadres, and their family was well-off. Jiang Jiang would surely enjoy a life of comfort following them.

“Can’t chat with you all anymore; we still need to get to the market.”

“Alright, Secretary Lin, take care!”

The journey from Dongxi Village to Luling Commune was over ten miles long. The last time Jiang Jiang had come here was two years ago with her father. He had carried her on his back and sold their homegrown pumpkins at the market, using the money to buy her candy and some salt and soy sauce for cooking.

Lin Youqing parked the bicycle in front of the supply and marketing cooperative and lifted Jiang Jiang down.

“Jiang Jiang, are you tired?”

Jiang Jiang shook her head and reached out to help Lin Youqing wipe the sweat from his forehead. All the way up the hill, Lin Youqing had not let them get off, insisting on pushing the cart himself. Despite it being winter, sweat glistened on his forehead.

Lin Youqing smiled and patted her head, saying, “Jiang Jiang is really good.”

“Let’s see if there are any nice fabrics at the supply and marketing cooperative. We can get some to make new clothes for the kids.”

The sales clerk had encountered many parents bringing their children to buy fabric for clothing. Seeing that they did not dress like poor people, she pointed to a nearby selection. “This is a new batch of polyester-cotton fabric. The quality is very good, perfect for making coats. It’s warm, but the price is a bit higher.”

“Then let’s take this one. Get a roll of this red fabric and another roll of that beige one,” Lin Youqing decided.

It was Lin Youqing and He Guijuan’s first time taking the children out, and they were not stingy. After having the sales clerk help them cut a roll of red fabric, they also got a roll of beige. He Guijuan thought Jiang Jiang would look beautiful in that color.

After cutting the fabric, He Guijuan weighed out some milk candies, which were all big white rabbit milk candies, each stamped with a small blue rabbit.

She also bought Jiang Jiang two pairs of thick cotton socks and a pair of white cloth shoes with plastic soles. The shoes sold here were not as good in quality as those in the county, but they were inexpensive, enough for now. They could buy new ones for the child when they got to the county.

While she was at it, she also weighed out a few catty of egg cakes. These egg cakes were made with fresh eggs, white sugar, sesame oil, and flour and baked until golden, shiny, and soft, looking delicious.

After this outing, she felt it was necessary to bring back some snacks for her nephews and nieces at home.

After coming out of the supply and marketing cooperative, Lin Youqing had his hands full with bags of items. Jiang Jiang followed along as He Guijuan held her hand, and they headed to the state-run canteen in the market.

The canteen had been established with state funding. A small square sign, about two feet across, hung at the entrance, with today’s menu written in chalk, detailing the staple foods and dishes available.

Lin Youqing guessed that it was Jiang Jiang’s first time eating at a place like this. He wanted her to try a variety of dishes, so he ordered a plate of sweet and sour pork, garlic-flavored lettuce, sesame pancakes, rose cakes, and three bowls of shepherd’s purse wontons.

It was the first time Jiang Jiang had seen such a lavish spread.

“It’s been a long time since breakfast; you must be hungry. Go ahead and eat,” He Guijuan said, playfully pinching her nose with a smile.

Only then did Jiang Jiang pick up her chopsticks to eat. Concerned that it might be inconvenient for her, He Guijuan even asked the cook for a small spoon so she could scoop the wontons.

Jiang Jiang popped wontons into her mouth one after another. Although the shepherd’s purse wontons were small, they had thin skins and generous, glistening and translucent fillings. They were particularly delicious. The sesame pancakes, just brought to the table, were crisp and fragrant while still hot, and the rose cakes were delightful, too. They were essentially flaky pancakes, but the added rose jam made them especially tasty.

After leaving the state-run canteen, Lin Youqing and his wife took turns trying to hold onto the child, not wanting to let go.

“There’s a vendor selling malt candy over there. Go get some for Jiang Jiang to snack on on the way,” He Guijuan suggested.

With the year-end approaching, many adults in the commune were out shopping with their children, and the vendor selling malt candy was surrounded by a large crowd. Lin Youqing frowned. “Didn’t you just buy some candy at the cooperative?”

He Guijuan shot him a look. “The milk candy I bought is not the same as malt candy! Just go and get it,” she insisted.

With no choice but to accept his fate, Lin Youqing headed over to the vendor.

Taking advantage of Lin Youqing’s absence while he went to buy malt candy, He Guijuan bent down to give her daughter a little warning. “Jiang Jiang, your grandma can be a bit stubborn and hard to get along with. She might say some harsh things. When we get home later, if she scolds you, don’t take it to heart. You are Dad and Mom’s precious daughter. We won’t treat you poorly because of her.”

She continued, “Dad and Mom have another home in the city. After the New Year, we’ll take you back, and from now on, it will just be the three of us living together.”

Since Jiang Jiang had officially become their daughter, they would no longer let her stay alone in that dark and dreary house.

Thinking of Lin Laotai’s attitude, He Guijuan couldn’t help but sigh.

Jiang Jiang nodded and said, “Mom, I’ll remember that.”

He Guijuan couldn’t help but kiss her on the cheek. “Jiang Jiang is really understanding.”

“What are you talking about with the child?” Lin Youqing returned with the malt candy just as they finished their conversation.

The sweet and crispy malt candy was threaded onto bamboo skewers. Lin Youqing had bought two in total, one for his wife and one for their daughter.

“Nothing much,” He Guijuan replied, shaking her head and choosing not to mention the earlier conversation. There was no way she would speak ill of his mother in front of him.

Though she didn’t say anything, Lin Youqing had a pretty good idea of what she might have told Jiang Jiang. He leaned down to pat their daughter’s head and asked, “Jiang Jiang, is the malt candy tasty?” What child wouldn’t like candy? Jiang Jiang licked the malt candy and nodded vigorously, her eyes squinting in happiness. “It’s delicious.”