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Not long after, Zuo He hurriedly ran in from outside. “Qianqian, ice carting is so much fun. Come with me and I’ll show you how to do it.”
Wang Qian was touched that Zuo He remembered her halfway through his play.
“Little girl, go play with your brother Zuo He. You hardly ever go out to play, so let’s play for a while today.”
Hao Lianchun gently nudged the lazy little girl in her arms. She was a good child in every way, except that she was unwilling to play. To not disappoint Zuo He, Wang Qian allowed Zhang Lan to dress her warmly before going out.
“This child is afraid of the cold. Whenever she goes out, she must be bundled up tightly. Otherwise, she won’t go out at all,” Zhang Lan explained.
As a mother, she understood her own child the best. Her daughter was someone who enjoyed life, but because of their poor conditions at home, she had taken on the unusual role of finding ways to earn money for the family.
As Zuo He arrived at the riverbank, the atmosphere was already lively. Most of the village children had gathered there, enjoying themselves on the ice, whether they had ice carts or not.
At that moment, Mingcheng handed his ice cart to the elderly Wu Changyong to play with. Zuo He and Wang Qian watched as Wu Changyong, though unfamiliar with the activity, quickly became engrossed. His movements captivated the group of children sliding around nearby. Wang Qian had seen a modern version of “God of Gamblers” and now, in a real-life scenario, Wu Changyong’s movements on the ice were comparable to those in the movie.
“Well done, Old Wu! Do you want a tip?”
Zuo Zhanshan clapped his hands and teased his old comrade, “You old Zuo, do you realize the skill level required for this? Ordinary people wouldn’t be able to do it.”
Wu Changyong was sweating profusely after his turn with the ice cart. He then handed the cart to Zuo He. Zuo He let Wang Qian sit on it, and he stood behind her, holding her body and pushing her forward. Mingyuan followed behind on his own ice cart. Laughter and shouts filled the air on the ice. Sitting on the cart felt amazing, like a thrilling ride. Hearing Zuo He panting behind her, Wang Qian asked him to stop. They then shared a cart, with Zuo He in front and Wang Qian sitting behind, holding onto him tightly. It was a simple game, but it kept the children entertained.
Now that Mingcheng had an ice cart, he invited the children from the village who didn’t have one to come and have fun. The most frequently heard words on the ice were “Brother Mingcheng.” Mingcheng was becoming a favorite among the children.
The elderly men spent the whole afternoon playing with the children before heading back. On the way, Zuo Zhanshan led Zuo He. The little one was so excited, he kept saying, “Grandpa, next time we’ll bring Grandma to play. Ice carting is really fun. Grandma must not have played it before.”
Wu Changyong laughed and said to Zuo Zhanshan, “Old Zuo, according to your grandson, we should invite Hao Lianchun to play next time. I wonder if your old lady’s back can handle it. We wouldn’t want her to strain herself.”
“Grandpa, Grandma won’t strain her back. I’ll be pushing her from behind, so she’ll be fine,” Zuo He assured.
Zuo Zhanshan lifted his grandson and said, “Old Wu, did you hear that? Look at how filial my grandson is. He’s so young, yet he already wants to push his grandma. You should be envious.”
“Zuo Zhanshan, just you wait. In the future, my grandson will push me around too,” Wu Changyong said.
Wang Qian quietly listened to the banter between the two elderly men. In terms of banter, Wu Changyong was definitely no match for Zuo Zanshan. However, it was unknown who would win in a physical fight. At present, there was no way to confirm it.
Seeing everyone return, Zhang Lan hurriedly asked them to warm up by the kang. It had been a cold day, and she didn’t want anyone catching a cold.
For dinner, Zhang Lan reheated the leftover dishes from lunch and made a cold dish with shredded sea moss and cabbage. The main course was steamed white buns and steamed bean buns. In this region of Northeast China, the bean buns had an additional layer of sticky cornmeal inside the dough, giving them a chewy texture. The elderly people particularly enjoyed this taste, as it reminded them of the past.
“Auntie, why are the bean buns sweet? I don’t think red beans are this sweet,” Zuo He asked after taking a bite of the bean bun.
Zhang Lan hadn’t made bean buns before, so it was understandable that Zuo He would ask. She smiled and explained, “It’s because I added artificial sweetener to it. That’s why it tastes sweet. But I have to tell you, we can’t add too much of it, or it will become bitter.”
Zuo He nodded, indicating that he understood. “Auntie, you should eat more. We’ve all been busy all afternoon, and we didn’t come to help.”
Zhang Lan was touched by Zuo He’s thoughtfulness. “You’re such a good boy, Zuo He. Here, let me give you some meat to eat.”
After dinner, Wang Zhenhai and his wife, who hadn’t been seen for a long time, came to visit. The brothers discussed when to pay the elderly care fees. Wang Juan sat on the kang and chatted with Zhang Lan about the recent news she had heard.
“Sister-in-law, you don’t know. Yesterday, Wang Mei had someone deliver a lot of pig offal to our mother-in-law. I don’t know where she got it from. I heard she even gave her a pig’s head. If I hadn’t gone over and seen it, she wouldn’t have given me anything. But she only gave me a pig intestine. Did she give any to your family?” Wang Juan asked.
Zhang Lan smiled and replied, “Sister-in-law, she only gives it to those she encounters. She wouldn’t give it to us, especially to our men. How could she? Well, if she doesn’t give it, she doesn’t give it. It won’t make a difference to our family. Did she give any to your second brother?”
Wang Juan nodded. “I went over, but Wang Zhenguo took some to our second brother’s house. It’s probably related to the money Han Cui lent to Wang Mei last time. She’s probably using this to silence people.”
Wang Juan’s gossipy nature was turned up, and she whispered to Zhang Lan, “Sister-in-law, you don’t know. When the second brother agreed to lend money, Wang Mei and her husband drew up a promissory note. Our mother-in-law even put her fingerprint on it. I’m starting to wonder, if Wang Mei doesn’t repay the money, should the second brother demand it from Wang Mei or from our mother-in-law? It’s quite strange. I’ve never heard of relatives lending money and drawing up a promissory note. This is a first. But it’s no surprise. Wang Mei is quite mysterious. If it were me, I wouldn’t have the courage to lend to her. Han Cui probably saw that Wang Mei was doing well and had some ideas, which is why she lent the money.”
“Sister-in-law, isn’t Han Cui afraid that Wang Mei won’t repay the loan?”
“She often does this sort of thing. It seems quite mysterious. Even if our mother-in-law admits to it, what then? It’s not easy to demand money from our mother-in-law,” Wang Juan replied.
Zhang Lan didn’t say much more, as she really didn’t approve of Han Cui’s actions. It was too much of a rush for quick success, and some things could turn out quite the opposite.
“By the way, sister-in-law, are you planning to give our mother-in-law a gift for the Lunar New Year? I don’t plan to. We only have a little money at home, and we have to pay the elderly care fees and save for next year. I’m worried it won’t be enough. If you want to give a gift, just pick something inexpensive. Otherwise, don’t bother. After all, she’s not good to you,” Wang Juan said.
Zhang Lan felt a bit awkward, because the Wang family didn’t plan to give gifts. “Sister-in-law, Wang Zhenhe and I haven’t discussed this yet. I’ll talk to him tonight and say that your family isn’t giving gifts.”
Now that Wang Juan had mentioned it, if Zhang Lan’s family gave a gift, it would seem improper for the Wang family. Wang Qian glanced at her mother and couldn’t help but think that she was quite cunning, clearly stating her position and leaving the choice to their family. Just by looking at her mother’s expression, it was clear that she was in a difficult position.
After seeing off the couple, Zhang Lan discussed the situation with her husband, and Wang Zhenhe frowned, unable to come up with a good solution.
“How about we don’t give a gift either? If they don’t give one, it would be awkward for them,” he suggested.
Wang Qian chimed in, “Dad, Mom, why don’t you deposit the money for the gifts in Grandpa’s name first? If they have anything to say in the future, we can use it as proof. Besides, if we end up not giving gifts, we can use it for ourselves. It’s safer to keep it than to have it at home.”
The couple suddenly realized, “That’s right. We can save the money for gifts separately. If they have any issues, it will be a preparation. Daughter, let’s do as you suggested.”
With a plan in place, the couple stopped worrying about the matter. Zhang Lan also mentioned that she would be going out the next day. Wang Zhenhe nodded in understanding and didn’t ask where she was going. After a busy day, the family quickly went to bed. The elderly man who had been brought over from the production team was asked by Zhang Lan to sleep in Wu Changyong’s room.
The next day, after packing up, the mother and daughter bought some eggs and set off. In the city, they encountered familiar faces and some new ones, likely the children of the familiar faces. Zhang Lan and Wang Qian sold all the eggs and vegetables they had brought, and even some grapes from their farm were bought by those with better means. In the middle of winter, being able to eat such fruits was a sign of status. Additionally, many households had pregnant women, so most of them bought a little.
Zhang Lan was particularly pleased with the sales that day. The buyers seemed eager, as if they weren’t spending money at all. They were in a rush to make purchases, as if afraid that the goods would run out. Even after some items were sold out, there were still people interested. By noon, the mother and daughter had made arrangements to bring more goods the next day for those who missed out.
Arriving at the small courtyard of the Zuo family, the house was covered in a thick layer of dust due to being unoccupied. Zhang Lan boiled some water and had her daughter start cleaning while she prepared the meal.
For lunch, the mother and daughter made a stew of potatoes and green beans. The taste of fresh vegetables was truly exceptional. “Mom, this time when we go back, let’s say we bought these in the city and let our family taste them,” Wang Qian suggested.
Zhang Lan also wished that the children at home could taste the vegetables grown in the space. However, in order to keep the secret, she generally refrained from using the produce from the space without a solid excuse.