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Finally, the farce had come to an end, but Zhang Wanyou’s back issue was a serious matter. Geng Lianhua massaged his back while complaining, “You fool, don’t you know your back is not well? You let Jiabao ride on your back. Are you trying to shorten your life? If your back has a problem, who will take care of you when you’re old? You just seem to become more clueless as you age. I’ve long given up hope on them. What’s the use of having grandchildren who lack virtue and filial piety?”
Zhang Wanyou lay on the kang and let his wife vent, then explained, “Dear, I didn’t ask to carry him. I was just sunbathing in the yard when Jiabao jumped on my back from behind. I tried to persuade him to get down, but he wouldn’t listen. I allowed him to ride out of fear of upsetting our daughter-in-law. Who knew it would lead to this?”
Hearing her husband’s explanation, Geng Lianhua couldn’t help but hit his head, saying, “What can I say to you? Let him be obstinate. Why fear him? Even if we discipline him daily, we may not win anyone’s favor. From now on, remember to live our own lives. Don’t expect anything from them. At worst, we still have Guoguo, our daughter, and our grandsons and granddaughter, who are better than them.”
Geng Lianhua was pragmatic. While she was strong-willed, she understood that not everything could be improved by sheer determination. Take Zhou Ping, for example. As long as she clung to her mother, she would never change her ways.
After massaging her husband’s back to no avail, Zhang Lan had to go to an elderly lady’s house in the village to get some ointment. Living by the seaside, everyone often suffered from backaches and leg pains, and they would visit Granny Wu, who would provide them with ointment for free. Granny Wu’s ointment had a good reputation in the area.
After applying the ointment, the elderly man dared not move and could only lie on the kang, chatting with Wang Qian and the others.
Upon learning the purpose of Zhang Lan’s visit, Geng Lian Hua felt a pang of reluctance. She also cared for the children from the Zuo family. Just observing their camaraderie today was enough to show how much those children were cherished.
“Lan’er, if Zuo He and the others leave, you’ll surely miss them. But they shouldn’t stay with others. After all, their real parents are here. Children should live with their own parents. No matter how well we treat them, we can’t substitute a parent’s love. By the way, when you go back this time, bring some things from home. At least they can enjoy our seaside delicacies up north.”
Geng Lianhua noticed that her daughter not only brought cooking oil but also meat and noodles, as well as clothes she had made for the elderly couple.
“It’s not easy for you to earn a living, my child. The days of spending money will lie ahead when the children grow up. Save up well for the future. Your father and I can manage.”
As the mother and daughter chatted in the kitchen while preparing food, Wang Qian and the others engaged in a lively conversation with the elderly man. Perhaps feeling lonely for a long time, the old man’s smile never faded upon seeing the children.
“Grandpa, if they cause trouble again, you don’t have to endure it. Don’t be afraid of losing face. If they don’t fear you, just go straight to the authorities for help. I refuse to believe that in our socialist country, they can still act recklessly. If they dare to provoke you again, we’ll come help you deal with them next time. Please don’t get angry or upset,” Wang Qian reassured.
The granddaughter chattered on, and the elderly man particularly enjoyed listening. Their family lacked a child who would talk to him like this.
Wang Qian could empathize with the elderly couple’s loneliness. In her past life, her grandmother used to do the same, holding her and talking endlessly about past events.
“Grandpa, when your back gets better, why don’t you come to our place for the New Year? It’s lively there. Celebrating New Year at home alone isn’t much fun. Besides, look at what happened today. I bet your daughter-in-law won’t forget it,” she suggested.
Zuo He held the elderly man’s hand and said, “Grandpa, in the future, you should also come up north with us. My brother and I will show you around. My brother said they make ice lanterns there in winter. I’ll take you to see them.”
Zhang Wanyou patted Zuo He’s cheek. He had just bonded with the children, and now they were leaving. “Zuo He, if you ever want to eat seafood up north, Grandpa will send some to you by mail. Don’t forget.”
Upon hearing this, Zuo Yu became excited. He loved the seafood from there. “Grandpa, I’ll definitely remember. You shouldn’t forget either. We can’t get the seafood from here up north. You and Grandma should dry some more seafood, just like Auntie sent us last time. My dad’s colleagues said it was delicious.”
The time spent together was always brief. After sharing a meal with the elderly couple, Zhang Lan and her family left.
On February 4th, 1975, the Lunar New Year’s Eve, while the family was having lunch, the radio suddenly turned on. Wang Qian was puzzled since it was rare to hear news during mealtime, as the announcers would also be home for their meals.
“Comrades, fellow villagers, we are broadcasting an urgent announcement. According to the Seismological Bureau’s prediction, there will be a strong earthquake this afternoon or tomorrow. The specific seismic zone is in the area of Haicheng and Yingkou. To ensure everyone’s safety, it’s best to evacuate outside now.”
Upon hearing this, Wang Qian immediately recalled her past life, having seen similar news during the Wenchuan earthquake. She vividly remembered that the Haicheng earthquake was of magnitude 7.4, occurring around 7:30 in the evening. The accurate prediction of this earthquake reduced human and property losses, astonishing the world, as it was, apparently, the only successful prediction at the time.
Upon hearing the news, Wang Zhenhe and the others no longer had the appetite to eat. They grabbed the children and were about to rush outside.
However, Wang Qian intervened, “Dad, don’t rush. The earthquake hasn’t arrived yet. Listen to me and quickly finish your meal. Pack up everything in the house and take it outside. You and grandpa can set up the earthquake shelter, and we’ll all stay there tonight. Don’t worry, even if an earthquake comes, there will be signs. Look, even the chickens and ducks are staying calmly in their pens outside.”
Everyone had some understanding of the precursors to an earthquake. The messages about this had been broadcast on the radio, so everyone had some idea about it.
“Zhenhe, let’s eat quickly.” Without lifting his head, Zuo Zhanshan hurriedly shoveled food into his mouth at a speed comparable to Lao Wu’s.
In just a few minutes, everyone finished their meal. Zhang Lan led the siblings to help move small items outside. Their family’s grain was stored in the granary, so they didn’t need to move it. With many men in the household, they carried chests and bedding outside. Wang Zhenhe removed the large pot from the stove and set up a makeshift stove outside. The entire village was in a state of panic, but fortunately, the team leaders and the captain were going from house to house, providing guidance and reassurance.
By the afternoon, all the families in the Wang village had set up shelters. These shelters were not as good as the small plastic houses they used to live in. They were constructed using corn stalks. By simply putting two stalks together, they created a small shelter, crude and straightforward, with a cloth curtain at the entrance.
While the adults were busy, the children in the village, not understanding the situation, joyfully ran around in the new surroundings, creating a unique scene amidst the tense atmosphere. Perhaps influenced by the children’s emotions, those who had moved outside were no longer as anxious.
In the evening, the family cooked an early meal and then entered the shelters. It was the bitter cold of the coldest part of winter, and even inside the shelters, they shivered from the cold.
Seeing the children in this state, Wu Changyong and Zuo Zhanshan decided to take them to an open area to practice running, with Zuo Xiangcheng leading the way.
Unable to stay inside the shelters, groups of adults gathered outside, chatting. Suddenly, a rumbling sound was heard from afar, and a glowing phenomenon appeared in the low sky. The lights seen near and far differed in color and appearance, with long white bands visible nearby, and flashes of red, yellow, blue, white, and purple in the distance.
Seeing this phenomenon, Wang Qian knew the earthquake was imminent. Several adults held the children close, waiting quietly for the sound to pass. Before long, the buildings began to shake violently, followed by a return to calm. It was as if nothing had happened.
Those who had been outside quickly returned to the shelters. The adults, having spent a sleepless night, held their children close, covering them with blankets. Aftershocks continued throughout the latter part of the night.
Fortunately, their village was far from the epicenter, and the impact was minimal. Some older houses had developed cracks in the walls, but it didn’t pose a significant problem. A fresh layer of mud would easily conceal the damage on these small adobe houses.
When Wang Qian woke up in the morning, she felt the chill. A light northern wind blew through the shelter, making the temperature inside almost as cold as outside. As per her recollection, their generation hadn’t been significantly affected.
The villagers, having spent a sleepless night, were all fatigued and lacked energy. The children, excited about sleeping in the shelters for the first time, seemed undeterred. Despite the cold, they felt different. During the day, the little ones continued to play carefree outside, unaware of any concerns.
The elderly man and Wang Zhenhe seemed a bit exhausted. Wang Qian looked at them with concern. “Dad, why don’t you all go inside and take a nap? Your eyes are bloodshot. I think the earthquake should be over by now. You can go rest on the kang, and I’ll stay here and watch. Everything will be fine.”
Wang Zhenhe simply patted his daughter’s head. “Qianqian, it’s okay. We’ll take a nap around noon.”