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“You two are quick about things. I traded thirty eggs, and with the twenty I already had, that makes exactly fifty.”
“Thank you, Sister Chen. I’d also like some potatoes.”
“Sit down for a moment. I planted plenty of potatoes. If it’s not enough, I’ll fetch more from another household.”
She was a woman of action. Before long, she had filled both baskets to the brim.
“Sister, how much do I owe you? I’ll pay now, and my husband will collect the rest this evening.”
After calculating, she took six yuan. The eggs were five cents each fifty made two yuan and a half. The two baskets of vegetables plus a big pumpkin cost only three and a half. Enough to feed Xingchen and Momo for a whole month.
“Sister Chen, you’ve been such a help today. I’ll be sure to come back next time.”
“No trouble at all. Come by whenever you can. Pretty girls like you don’t show up often, having you here is my gain.”
“Exactly! Walking beside Momo, even I feel a little more important.”
Both women teased her, while Momo smiled politely, her toes curling in embarrassment inside her shoes.
On the way back, the bicycle was heavy with supplies, so she rode carefully. By the time they reached home, she had forgotten her earlier awkwardness.
“We’re back! What a workout. Next time I’m not hauling so much at once.”
Sister Xu had stayed with her the whole way. Since Momo couldn’t stash things into her space in front of others, she carried everything the hard way. She wasn’t used to such labor, and it showed.
“Sister, I’ll go sort the groceries in the kitchen. You rest in the living room. For lunch, I’ll make zhajiang noodles.”
“No need for something so fancy. I’ve got flatbreads at home we could just fry some shredded potatoes.”
“But in this hot weather, cold noodles are refreshing. I brought sauce from the capital, it’s delicious. And I have authentic pickles to go with it.”
In Beijing, aside from roast duck and pastries, the most famous staples were the rich bean pastes and pickles that every household stocked up on. Her second aunt had bought jars and jars, now neatly stacked on the floor.
“Then I’ll be lucky indeed. We make fermented paste here too—it’s a must for every family. Next spring, I’ll teach you how. Tomorrow, I’ll even bring you some of ours to taste.”
**“Thank you, Sister.
Tomorrow I’m heading to the supply co-op for meat. Xingchen also said he’d invite someone in the evening to help build a toilet and bathhouse. We’ll have a small gathering then—not a proper banquet, that’ll wait until the house is fully in order.”**
She brought it up to hear Sister Xu’s opinion.
**“You’re right not to rush. A banquet must be done well—better to wait than serve a poor spread.
A few years back, a deputy battalion commander’s wife hosted a meal only three days after arriving. Ten people came, comrades and families. The best dish she served was scrambled eggs. Everything else was just vegetables or eggs dressed up as meat.
The men didn’t complain—they were comrades, after all—but the wives? They whispered. Everyone else served at least two meat dishes. That family became the laughingstock, and the poor officer lost a lot of face.”**
The story was well known, though it hadn’t happened in their regiment.
“You’re right. I’d rather wait until everything’s set, instead of inviting people into a mess and losing courtesy.”
Momo spoke as her hands kept working, organizing the groceries. Sister Xu sat on the little stool the carpenter had delivered yesterday, watching.
Momo had a touch of perfectionism: everything had to be neatly sorted and placed. Perhaps it was her medical training. Thankfully, she was fastidious but not obsessive.
“You really have a way with order. Laid out like this, the vegetables look even more appetizing. So much better than leaving them piled on the floor.”
Sister Xu couldn’t help but admire her. She had never seen a kitchen kept this spotless.
**“I also ordered shelves from the carpenter. Once those are in, it’ll be even tidier. You can come see, and if you like them, you can ask him to make some for you too.
A clean house makes life more enjoyable. I just love organizing.”**
“You city folk really are different. I’ll have to learn from you. Let me see those shelves when they’re done. I might get some myself.”
The more Sister Xu thought about her own house, the more it seemed like a pigsty. She had thought it fine before, but now she wanted to rush home and scrub.
“Sister, eat more noodles at lunch. This afternoon, I’ll trouble you to teach me the sewing machine.”
**“No problem. My family had one when I was young, and I’ve used it plenty. With your smarts, you’ll learn quickly.
I just can’t believe you bought a sewing machine without knowing how to use it.”**
At the time, almost all women sewed their own clothes. Ready-made garments were expensive, so everyone bought cloth instead. Whether in the city or the countryside, sewing was a basic skill.
But Sister Xu didn’t know Momo’s background. In the Su household, her clothes had always been custom-made or store-bought. Even her grandmother only did simple mending.
“I have enough clothes myself. But my Xingchen apart from his uniform, he has nothing. I want to make some for him.”
**“Tsk, tsk. Little Lin really found himself a good wife.
He’s an orphan, no parents to care for him. But now he has you, someone who knows how to look after him.”**
Most soldiers received packages from their families. Xingchen had no one, which was why he lacked so much. Momo understood that loneliness. Back in college, she had only two outfits to rotate, while others went home on break, and she had nowhere to go.
“I’ll be relying on you this afternoon, Sister.”
“Gladly. But first, let me help you boil the noodles.”
Momo’s zhajiang noodles weren’t simple. Along with sauce and noodles, she added shredded cucumber and carrot, and mixed in bacon, peppers, and eggs. The noodles themselves were pure white flour.
Sister Xu swallowed hard. Usually, they mixed white flour with cornmeal or dark flour. Pure white noodles were a rarity, eaten only on New Year’s Eve.
By the end, the bowls were polished clean. Momo had served more to Sister Xu, but for herself, a small bowl was enough.
“That was delicious, but far too extravagant. Meat, oil, eggs, such luxury! I haven’t had this much white flour since New Year’s dumplings.”
“You’ve helped me so much, Sister. Please don’t be polite with me.”
After lunch, they moved to the guest room where the sewing machine stood. Sister Xu demonstrated it once, and Momo picked it up quickly. Before long, two vests were finished.
A good student made teaching rewarding. Sister Xu beamed with satisfaction. With such enthusiasm, the afternoon flew by.