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After lunch, Zhang Lan and her mother-in-law inquired about the location of the purchasing station. They went out to handle their business and planned to return to pick up Zuo He.
When they arrived at the purchasing station, it was quite deserted. The staff were all sitting inside chatting. Zhang Lan went in to inquire about the prices, while Wang Qian took out the piece of iron they had brought with them in the yard.
When the staff followed Zhang Lan to the yard and saw the large piece of iron, they were quite surprised. Nevertheless, they took out a magnet to test if it was indeed iron. As expected, the magnet was firmly attracted to it, and it was quite difficult to remove.
“Comrade, you’re really something. You managed to find such a large piece of iron. However, I can’t handle this alone. I need to call someone to help weigh it,” said the staff member.
The staff member hurried back inside to call for assistance. “Mom, how much is the iron per pound?” Wang Qian was still concerned about how much they could sell the iron for and how much it would help with their debts at home. She chose to sell it in the city rather than in the countryside to avoid unnecessary trouble that could arise if they made too much money. The staff at the supply and marketing cooperative were all from nearby villages, and it was inevitable that someone might turn this matter into a topic of conversation. Therefore, she preferred to take the long way around.
“I asked, and it’s five cents per pound.”
After seeing several people with crowbars following the person who had gone inside earlier, Zhang Lan estimated that they had come to help. However, considering the large lump of iron in the yard, she realized that they wouldn’t be able to weigh it properly with their current scale. After some discussion, they began to break down the iron piece and then weighed it piece by piece. In total, it weighed 531 pounds. The mother and daughter sold it for 26 dollars and 50 cents. It was a considerable amount of money. Zhang Lan collected the money and hurried back to Zuo’s small courtyard. Grandma Zuo had already packed up her grandson’s belongings and was waiting for their return.
Due to the delay at the purchasing station, the mother and daughter didn’t dare to stay too long at Zuo’s place. They hurriedly took Zuo He to the station. Fortunately, they managed to catch today’s bus.
Once they were on the bus, everyone’s hearts finally settled. When they arrived at the station, Zhang Lan took the two of them off the bus. She first asked her daughter to take Zuo He to see his grandfather and then instructed them to return home for dinner.
When Grandpa Zuo saw his grandson, he knew that something must have happened in the city. Otherwise, why would the child come on a Sunday?
“Zuo He, tell Grandpa what’s happening in the city.” Zuo He, sitting in his grandfather’s lap, recounted everything he had heard and seen in detail. Old Wu and the others listened attentively, lost in thought. “Old Zhan, I feel like the situation might be changing. There seems to be internal division. I have a feeling this is the calm before the storm.”
Old Zhan also had the same feeling. This situation marked a positive beginning. He hoped that they would cause a commotion, as only then could they distinguish between the loyal and the treacherous.
Understanding the key to the situation, a smile appeared on his face. “Zuo He, stay with your aunt’s family. Attend classes with Mingyuan and come over for study sessions in the evening.”
After settling things with her grandson, Wang Qian was truly exhausted. So, after returning home with Zuo He, she took a short nap on the kang. Zuo He also lay down with her for a while. When Mingyuan and the others returned and saw Zuo He, everyone was excited. They were looking forward to taking Zuo He to school again.
With Zuo He around, Mingyuan was quite popular among his classmates. Zuo He was adorable, and many children liked to play with him. This naturally elevated Mingyuan’s status. Although the children of that era were innocent and didn’t understand love and affection, they were particularly fond of beautiful children. Zuo He had the unique fair and clean temperament of city children. He was polite to his classmates and didn’t look down on the rural children just because he was from the city. So, since he left, the children would often ask Mingyuan about Zuo He’s whereabouts.
“Zuo He, look at these delicious treats,” Mingyuan pulled him up.
Zuo He looked at the red and pink berries in Mingyuan’s hand and shook his head. “These are sour cherries, sweet and sour. Try one.”
Wang Xuan picked a red sour cherry from her brother’s hand and put it in Zuo He’s mouth. It was soft but had a delightful sweet and sour taste.
Zuo He enjoyed it and his eyes squinted into a crescent moon. “Mingyuan, it’s really delicious. Where did you get these? Take me next time, and I’ll pick some for Grandpa to eat.”
Wang Qian was awakened by the conversation between the two. Seeing the cherries in Mingyuan’s hand, she couldn’t resist and picked one to eat. It was indeed delicious.
“Brother, tomorrow is Sunday. Let’s go pick some. It would be great to come back and make some refreshing drinks,” she suggested.
The children thought it was a good idea. Drinking something like that in the summer would be nice. Mingcheng knew where these cherries were picked.
“Sister, I know where there are cherries. Let’s go pick them tomorrow. By the way, Zuo He, why did you come today?”
Wang Qian explained Grandma Zuo’s request, and Mingyuan was quite happy to have a little brother following him around every day.
During dinner, when Wang Zhenhe heard from his wife about the situation in the city and learned that Zuo He would be staying long-term, he thought for a moment and said, “Alright, the day after tomorrow, I’ll talk to the principal at the school. The child can stay here with peace of mind. Zuo He, in the future, if you need anything or want to eat something, don’t hesitate to ask. Your aunt is kind, although sometimes I may not be able to take care of everything. Don’t be shy.”
Zuo He nodded and with wide eyes said, “Uncle, if I do something wrong in the future, tell me, just like you do with Mingyuan and the others. I won’t be fussy.”
Having been through so much, even though Zuo He was only nine years old, his maturity was beginning to show. Zhang Lan affectionately patted his head. “Zuo He, take your time eating. This is your home. After dinner, we’ll go see your grandfather.”
At the Wangs’ home, Zuo He didn’t consider himself a guest. He felt that there wasn’t much difference between this place and his own home. With the kind uncle, the amiable aunt, and a few playmates, he was happy to stay there.
After dinner, Wang Zhenhe personally escorted the children over to Grandpa Zuo’s place. The old man was ready, and as soon as the children arrived, he began teaching. Wang Zhenhe even brought a bottle of kerosene to ensure the children had enough light.
A few of the elderly men and Wang Zhenhe chatted outside. At that moment, Zhang Qiang walked over and, seeing Wu Changyong and the others chatting, slowly joined them. “Uncle Wu.”
Wu Changyong glared at Zhang Qiang. “You little rascal, I recognized you a long time ago. Luckily, you haven’t disappointed me. Just keep doing what you’re doing, and don’t let it affect your work. Just make us, your older brothers, some good food when you have time. By the way, how are your parents doing now?”
“Uncle Wu, they’re doing fine. Last time my dad scolded me, but don’t be mad. I’ll buy you some wine tomorrow.”
Seeing that it wasn’t convenient for Zhang Qiang to be present during their conversation, Old Wu spoke up. “Zhang Qiang, in the future, maintain your previous demeanor in front of others. Your parents have had it tough. Take good care of them. You can go now. I’ll find you if I need you.”
After seeing Zhang Qiang off, the group resumed their lively conversation. “Old Wu, is he a relative of yours?”
Everyone was quite curious about Zhang Qiang’s relationship with Old Wu. Men’s gossip is no less than that of women, especially among these restless old men.
“He’s a distant cousin, but our families got along well in the past. We helped each other out to some extent. It’s as simple as that.”
Expecting some thrilling news, the group was somewhat disappointed by Old Wu’s nonchalant response. Wu Changyong noticed their keen interest and couldn’t help but chuckle. “You old folks are almost as gossipy as the ladies. Why don’t you let Old Zhan tell you about our war stories? It’ll be like receiving revolutionary education.”
Everyone laughed and urged Old Zhan to tell stories. Old Zhan didn’t hold back and recounted the events of the past. Wang Zhenhe sat nearby, listening. He hadn’t realized that Old Zhan and Old Wu were so formidable. Back in the day, they were both renowned heroes. However, seeing them now, he couldn’t help but feel emotional.
As the group chatted outside, the children finished their lessons inside and packed up their bags. They thanked the three elderly men before heading out.
“Grandpa!” Zuo He affectionately rushed into his arms, and the old man lovingly spun him around. After exchanging pleasantries, Wang Zhenhe took the somewhat weary children back home.
The next day, the five of them headed to the location mentioned by Mingcheng. It was the same mountain where they had picked chestnuts before, but the spot was different. Mingcheng had taken his siblings to the place mentioned by his classmate. There, they found numerous low bushes covered with tempting red cherries, hanging from the branches. Without hesitation, they all began picking the cherries.
Mingcheng reminded them, “Be careful and watch out for snakes.”
The memory of the large snake they had encountered last time was still fresh in their minds. So, as they picked cherries, they kept an eye on their surroundings. They didn’t see any large snakes, but Mingcheng did scare away a few small ones. To prevent his younger siblings from getting bitten, he deliberately stirred the grass with a stick, a tactic known as “beating the grass to startle the snake.” With their older brother watching over them, the younger ones could pick cherries without worry, occasionally popping a few into their mouths.
“Mingcheng, try some. When they’re ripe, they’re sweet and not sour at all.” Zuo He handed Mingcheng a few ripe cherries he had picked.
“Yum, they’re delicious,” Mingcheng nodded repeatedly and joined in the picking.
The siblings mostly picked the ripe cherries, leaving the unripe ones untouched. They didn’t want to waste anything that couldn’t be eaten. After filling about half a basket, they stopped. They had picked the best ones, the rest would be picked when it is ripe enough.