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“Mom, how are you feeling? If you’re not feeling well, you can wait for us on the shore,” Zhang Lan expressed her concern, worried that her mother might not be up to the task of clamming after just getting up.
“I’m fine, feeling good. Besides, it’s cooler by the shore, and it lifts my spirits. Tomorrow, leave Qianqian with me. Let your daughter keep me company for a couple of days. When someone comes by, I’ll have them bring her over,” Geng Lianhua replied.
Since her mother cherished her children’s company, Zhang Lan didn’t object. “Alright, Mom. Let Qianqian stay with you. You two can keep each other company at home.”
After filling their baskets and catching enough crabs, Zhang Weiguo also gathered some seaweed from the rocks for Zhang Lan to take back the next day.
On the way back, even without using the flashlight, the moonlit path was clear. The family returned home together, carrying their bountiful harvest.
To prevent the crabs from escaping, Geng Lianhua placed them in a basin and covered them with a torn fishing net. That night, the mother and daughter slept in Zhang Weiguo’s mosquito net, while the elderly couple slept in the larger one. After a tiring day, the mother and daughter quickly fell asleep.
The next morning, Zhang Lan returned home early, leaving her daughter to sleep in.
“Qianqian, it’s time for breakfast,” Geng Lianhua called out. Wang Qian, who had enjoyed a rare lie-in, was already awake, but it was already late in the morning.
After washing up, they started their meal. Wang Qian noticed that the blisters around her grandmother’s mouth had started to heal overnight. Geng Lianhua’s spirits were much improved compared to the day before. Seeing her grandmother regain her former vitality, Wang Qian felt relieved. “Grandma, what do you usually do at home?”
With a smile, Geng Lianhua replied, “Later, I’ll take you to the seaside to gather some things and make crab paste for your mom. When you come back, it’ll be ready to eat.”
In her previous life, Wang Qian had seen crab paste being sold in supermarkets and on the streets, but she had no idea how to make it. This was a perfect opportunity to learn from her grandmother.
The grandmother and granddaughter tidied up and headed to the shore to go clamming. Today, they mainly caught small crabs, locally known as “shilengzi,” which were hidden under the rocks. It wasn’t too difficult to catch them. Wang Qian also found many soft-shelled crabs, which had just molted and were soft all over. They used a stick to collect them. After filling nearly a bucket, Geng Lianhua collected some seaweed to feed the chickens, ducks, and geese at home. Wang Qian also picked up many conches and sea snails from the rocks. She also found some kelp and sea lettuce, planning to dry them and take them home to eat.
Of course, she didn’t miss the chance to collect sea cucumbers, which she planned to use to nourish her mother’s body when the time was right. However, it wasn’t the right time to eat them yet.
“Grandma, in the future, if you come across sea cucumbers, pick some more and sun-dry them at home. They’re good for my mom’s health. You and Grandpa should eat more too. This stuff is much better than eating good food. Remember that, okay?”
Afraid that the old lady might not understand, she couldn’t help but bring up the whole story about the “Red Plum” her mom had mentioned and explained it to Geng Lianhua.
It was the first time the old lady had heard about the miraculous effects of sea cucumbers. “Qianqian, today is the first time I’ve heard about the great benefits of sea cucumbers. I’ll have your grandpa and your uncle pick more in the future. Your mom should eat more of it. You can look around and pick some more. I’ll sun-dry them for your mom for you to bring back.”
When the old lady learned about the health benefits, she was determined. There were many sea cucumbers by the sea, and people didn’t like to eat them. She made up her mind to come and pick them every day. It was better than taking medicine. They could just eat these.
However, only Geng Lianhua believed her granddaughter. If it were someone else, who would believe a seven-year-old’s words?
Wang Qian searched around and picked a lot. She stored the extra in her space since she couldn’t carry it all. She planned to wash and sun-dry them when she got back. With the good weather, they would probably dry in a day.
The grandmother and granddaughter first sun-dried the sea cucumbers, then took the steamed soybeans from the pot. They loaded the small crabs and soybeans onto a handcart and brought a clean bucket and a cooking spatula. They went to a place with a grinding stone.
The grinding stone was in an open area not far from her grandmother’s house, and there was no one there that day.
Geng Lianhua fetched a bucket of water from a neighbor’s house, cleaned the grinding stone, and poured the soybeans and small crabs onto it. Wang Qian watched from the side as Geng Lianhua started grinding.
Whenever a crab tried to escape, Wang Qian used the cooking spatula to sweep it back. She followed behind Geng Lianhua. After the grinding, when the liquid started to flow, Wang Qian used the cooking spatula to collect the liquid, which was the crushed juice of the crabs and soybeans. It was good stuff.
When everything was ground into a paste, the old lady used a cooking spatula to sweep everything into the bucket. “Alright, we’ll add a little salt and wait for it to ferment at home. Qianqian, are you tired?”
Wang Qian didn’t feel tired, but seeing the old lady sweating profusely, she shook her head and said, “Grandma, you should rest first. We can continue later. Look, you’re all sweaty.”
She wiped the sweat from her grandmother’s face with the towel she had brought, showing her care for her grandmoter. The old lady was quite pleased.
“Hey, what are you doing, in-law?”
A little old lady approached from a distance. Wang Qian recognized her from her appearance and knew who she was. She looked just like her aunt, with a cold and indifferent expression.
Although Geng Lianhua was dissatisfied with this in-law, she managed to maintain a decent demeanor. “I’m making crab paste. What are you doing here?”
“Oh, what can I do? Your grandson is craving some snacks, so I’m going to the cooperative to buy some for him. This little girl must be Zhang Lan’s daughter, right? She’s so lovely. You can’t help but like her.”
Since Wang Qian knew who the person was, she couldn’t pretend not to know her and had to speak up. “Hello, Grandma.”
The little old lady smiled and said to Geng Lianhua, “This child is good. She knows her place. That’s good.”
Although Wang Qian heard the old lady’s praise, she felt that the woman’s eyes lacked warmth. Despite her smile, it seemed superficial, not genuine. Such a person was not to be trusted, Wang Qian made a judgment about the old lady in her heart.
Watching the in-law leave with a forced smile, Geng Lianhua also smiled wryly. If her son hadn’t insisted on marrying into their family, she would never have become in-laws with such a person in her lifetime.
The old lady’s wry smile didn’t escape Wang Qian’s notice. “Grandma, don’t mind her. The more you indulge such people, the more problems they cause. Let her worry about it. Your grandson, my uncle, is still surnamed Zhang, even if he’s close to her. If she’s capable, she should change her surname to ours. That’s real capability. But look at my uncle’s appearance. I reckon his son will turn out just like him in the future. You just focus on living your life well. You still have my uncle, right? Uncle Zhang Weiguo won’t let you down.”
Geng Lianhua had been feeling a bit down, but her granddaughter’s teasing actually made her feel better. Yes, if a child could see things clearly, why should she keep worrying?
Geng Lianhua realized this and couldn’t help but pinch her granddaughter’s tender little cheek. “You understand everything, huh? Who taught you? Even adults aren’t as perceptive as you.”
Wang Qian couldn’t say that she was already an adult and had grown up watching people’s expressions. She could only smile and act cute. “Grandma, isn’t it smart to be perceptive? Smart people can see through things, so I can understand.”
Geng Lianhua was thoroughly amused by her. “Alright, our Qianqian is a smart child. In the future, be more shrewd and don’t let your grandmother’s people bully you again.” Speaking of the Wang family, Geng Lianhua sighed heavily. “What can I say about your grandmother? She was unreasonable when she was young, and she’s become even more unreasonable as she’s aged.”
She still didn’t know that her daughter had almost died at their hands. Everyone had kept it from her, so Wang Qian didn’t bring it up. However, she was quite informed in the outrageous behavior of her grandmother.
” Grandma, what terrible things did my grandmother do when she was young?”
The old lady was full of resentment when talking about this in-law. “I’m not just saying this to ruin her face, but your grandmother, even though she has a grandson, why didn’t she take care of any of you? You don’t know that from the day your older brother was born, your grandmother never took care of him for a day. Even during your mom’s postpartum period, I had to take care of her. Even then, we had to bring our own food. Your grandmother is really cruel. When your mom went to work, your uncle helped take care of him. When your brother was weaned, we finally brought him over to be taken care of. But when your uncle helped take care of your brother, he was often bullied by your younger uncle. I even wanted to give him a good beating. He was raised in a poorly by that family, and that’s how he turned out.”
The old lady was filled with resentment when talking about her son being bullied. Wang Qian didn’t know about this incident. “Grandma, why didn’t you let my mom divorce my dad back then, so she wouldn’t have been bullied by my grandmother?”
Wang Qian was no longer the same person she used to be, so she didn’t feel burdened by saying this. She was just stating the facts.
Geng Lianhua patted her granddaughter’s head. It seemed that the child was still young. “Silly girl, do you think divorce is that easy? Setting aside your mom and dad’s feelings, it’s difficult to find another young man after a divorce. It’s not easy for a woman to enter one family and leave another. Besides, there’s your brother to consider. We can’t let the child grow up without a father. Your dad, apart from listening to your grandmother, is a good person overall. Considering how good he is to us, I couldn’t let them divorce. Otherwise, where would I find such a well-behaved granddaughter like you today? Fate plays a big role in people’s lives.”