Chapter 32

To welcome the New Year,

the cooperative organized various events.

There were yangge dance performances, open-air movies, shadow puppetry, ice spinning top contests, homemade sled races, revolutionary paper-cutting art, and more.

If it weren’t for living in the moment, participating firsthand, surrounded by pure joy, Xu Wanchun wouldn’t have realized that poverty did not prevent ordinary people from having a rich spiritual life.

The whole Xu family village was thoroughly stirred up by the public events.

After all, those contests all had prizes.

The top prize was an enamel basin or a fancy notebook.

Even just participating, everyone would get two old-fashioned Cuban candies.

Who wouldn’t be tempted? Who wouldn’t be envious?

Even the family matriarch, Madam Xu Wang, had set her sights on an enamel basin stamped with the words “Labor is the most glorious.”

Since the supply and marketing cooperative announced the contest details, the old lady grabbed scissors, pulled out red paper, and began quietly pondering window paper-cutting designs.

Determined to become the most skilled paper-cutting granny in the entire commune!

After many unsatisfactory attempts and with New Year’s Eve just a day away, she asked her youngest son to pull the sled and take her to the village’s smartest person… Xu Wanchun, to ask for advice.

Xu Wanchun didn’t understand paper-cutting but had an art background and had even published a picture book as a young artist.

Combining the current political themes, she designed a draft featuring a female tractor driver, wheat seedlings, and five-pointed stars.

When the old lady happily climbed onto the sled pulled by the third son and left, Xu Hehua looked at her daughter somewhat disapprovingly:
“This… isn’t this cheating?”

Xu Wanchun smiled and replied,
“The commune never clearly said you can’t get outside help. How do you know the other contestants didn’t get advice from others?”

Xu Hehua was speechless and didn’t know how to reply.

Seeing this, Xu Wanchun laughed holding her belly.

If everything were done strictly by the rules, without six months of running around in advance, and without Xu Jingjun’s background of having once run a distillery in the county seat, her mother wouldn’t have become the village accountant.

Rules… are just shackles for honest people!

Now Xu Hehua realized she hadn’t thought it through earlier. She was about to scold her daughter who was laughing so hard tears were nearly coming out, and poked her, “Is it really that funny?”

“Phew…”

“What’s wrong?” Xu Hehua was bewildered, “Laughing until your belly hurts?”

Xu Wanchun paused for a moment, then shook her head: “It’s not that I’m laughing, it’s probably because my period is coming soon, my lower belly feels uncomfortable.”

This was the first time her daughter was having her period. Xu Hehua slapped her thigh happily and said, “My little Taohua is growing up! Wait here, I’ll get you some sanitary pads.”

Seeing her adoptive mother rush out in a flurry without giving her a chance to speak, Xu Wanchun curled up on the kang, feeling both amused and exasperated.

She only felt it was coming soon, it hadn’t actually started!

=

On New Year’s Eve,

Almost every villager went to the cooperative.

Either to join competitions or cheer for their relatives.

Many also went to watch the yangge dance performances.

In short, the atmosphere was lively and festive.

Xu Wanchun was one of the few exceptions.

Not because she wasn’t interested, but her body didn’t allow it—her period had started.

Although it wasn’t too painful, the cold weather outside was harsh for women on such days.

Also, even though Xu Wanchun had been “luxury-level” using toilet paper as padding, she dared not move too much.

So she had to decline her friends’ invitations and stay curled up on the kang, passing time by studying medicine.

“…You shouldn’t be studying at a time like this; the first day is always the hardest. Skipping some work won’t hurt,” Xu Hehua said as she came in carrying a bamboo basket, seeing her daughter lying on the kang writing and drawing.

Xu Wanchun looked up, “It’s not that serious. What’s in the basket?”

Seeing her daughter’s complexion was actually good, Xu Hehua didn’t nag further.

She placed the basket on the kang table, then pulled back the tiny thermal blanket covering it, revealing an aluminum lunchbox: “I know your period’s come, so Aunt Wu made some sweet soup.”

Saying this, Xu Hehua quickly took out the still piping hot lunchbox and opened the lid.

Xu Wanchun grabbed her adoptive mother’s hand and saw her fingers weren’t red, then frowned: “Couldn’t you wrap it in a cloth before bringing it? What if you burn yourself?”

“My palms are all calloused; it’s not so easy to burn me,” Xu Hehua waved it off and urged, “Drink it quickly, the honey dates are good stuff Jingliang sent.”

Xu Wanchun sighed but took the spoon from her mother. Looking at the full lunchbox of pumpkin, brown sugar, and honey date soup, she didn’t hurry to drink it.

“Bring a bowl too, I’ll share half with you.”

“Forget it, Aunt Wu made a whole pot, one more mouth won’t matter.”

Since it wasn’t just for herself, Xu Wanchun stopped refusing and scooped a spoonful, blowing on it before sipping and immediately closing her eyes in enjoyment.

Xu Hehua laughed, “Good, isn’t it?”

Xu Wanchun gave a thumbs up and after swallowing the rich sweetness said, “Aunt Wu’s cooking is the best!”

Xu Hehua started folding the thermal blanket back over the lunchbox, “I’m going to help your teacher’s wife now. Don’t worry, I’ll pass on your praise to Aunt Wu.”

Just as Xu Wanchun was immersed in her soup, she glanced at her wrist to check the time and asked, “What’s the yangge team performing today? You’re going to the cooperative now, you might still catch it.”

“I heard they’re performing ‘The White-Haired Girl’ again. I’ve seen it so many times, might as well help Aunt Wu and Sister Nan prepare the New Year’s dinner.”

As she said this, Xu Hehua already slung the basket over her arm.

Actually, Xu Wanchun wasn’t interested in ‘The White-Haired Girl’ either, not because she had issues with the play—it simply wasn’t her place to have opinions.

Mainly, every time it was performed, some villagers who couldn’t distinguish reality from acting would rush the stage to beat the actors playing villains.

The more restrained would throw mud onto the stage.

Xu Wanchun had witnessed this once and couldn’t bear to watch a second time.

Seeing her adoptive mother getting ready to leave, she joked, “I thought you were worried about me and that’s why you’re not going.”

Xu Hehua looked back and gave her a side glance, “Don’t flatter yourself.”

Xu Wanchun: “…”

Around 3 PM,
After the revolutionary paper-cutting competition ended, Grandma Xu Wang was eager to leave.

She completely ignored her sons’ wishes to continue watching the performances and insisted on going straight to her granddaughter’s house—immediately, without delay!

Her sons, being filial, couldn’t refuse such a big honor: Grandma had just won first prize in the whole commune’s paper-cutting contest.

So the third son hitched her onto a sled and pulled her off to his elder sister’s place.

Of course, Grandma’s ultimate goal was to see her granddaughter, Taohua.

When she saw Taohua, her face lit up with joy. Without waiting for any questions, she rattled off all the exciting moments from the competition, especially the part where she went on stage to receive the award—talking about it over and over for more than ten minutes.

At the end, she handed the enamel basin she was holding to her granddaughter, proudly showing it off: “Look, isn’t it beautiful? And here’s the certificate.”

Xu Wanchun, who was already a big fan of Grandma, perked up even more hearing about the certificate: “Grandma, where’s the certificate?”

Grandma Xu pulled a piece of paper from her bosom and, carefully handing it over, warned, “Be careful, don’t tear Grandma’s certificate.”

“I’ll ask Uncle to cut a piece of glass and frame it in wood, so it won’t get ruined for decades.”

Grandma Xu felt happy inside but embarrassed to say so out loud: “Won’t people gossip about it?”

Xu Wanchun didn’t care: “This is your own honor, you have to show it off. Anyone who talks behind your back is just jealous you have good luck.”

“Oh my, you’re such a sweet talker!”

Naturally, Xu Wanchun giggled and coaxed Grandma a little more. Seeing her smile full of wrinkles, she lowered her eyes to look at the certificate.

It wasn’t anything special—a thin white sheet with black characters, only the red stamp added some color.

But… “Grandma, is your name Wang Ximei?”

This was the first time Xu Wanchun learned her grandma’s name.

Hearing this, Grandma Xu sighed: “Yes, Wang Ximei. If that calligrapher hadn’t asked me, I might have forgotten my own name.”

That was the times they lived in. Xu Wanchun sighed silently but soon laughed coaxingly: “The big leaders say times are progressing, women can hold up half the sky now. If anyone asks your name in the future, just say Wang Ximei.”

Grandma focused on the wrong point, proudly saying, “How come our Taohua is so clever? You talk just like that calligrapher.”

“Do you think what we say makes sense?”

“Grandma doesn’t understand, but if it’s from the cultured folks, it can’t be wrong.”

“Don’t forget, Grandma, your name is Wang Ximei.”

“Yes! I’m Wang Ximei, not just ‘Xu Wang Shi’!”

=

In the Cao family kitchen,

Xu Hehua was completely unaware of the conversation between mother and daughter.

She was busy making fu-character pancakes with Aunt Wu while chatting about gossip.

As they talked, Xu Hehua mentioned which families in the village were planning weddings after the New Year.

Weddings meant gift-giving again, and she couldn’t help but complain: “Every family has so many kids, each one’s wedding means I have to give money. I don’t know how much I’ve lost over the years, always giving and never getting back.”

Wu Yuzhen, who had remained single her whole life and had few social obligations, felt for her.

She placed the pitted red dates, sugar, and sesame oil into a container, crushing them and suggesting: “When Taohua gets married, have a big wedding and get everything back.”

“Can’t get it all back, and besides, that’s a long way off. Taohua only turns 15 tomorrow.” Talking about her daughter lifted Xu Hehua’s spirits.

She then shared about how many people had noticed her daughter in the city recently, wanting to set her up: “Having a daughter everyone wants is a blessing, but Nan Jie and I worry… the world’s unstable, and if she’s too eye-catching, it might bring trouble. So we plan to start looking for a match after the New Year.”

Wu Yuzhen added some walnuts to the container for flavor: “So soon?”

Xu Hehua rolled the pastry dough into balls: “Better to choose carefully. Good men aren’t easy to find; might take years… If we’re lucky and find a good one early, getting engaged sooner could avoid lots of unnecessary trouble.”

Wu Yuzhen agreed and said she liked Taohua a lot, but… “You talk so easily now, but what if when she really marries, you can’t bear to let her go?”

Xu Hehua was proud: “Taohua said she’ll bring me when she marries… and it’d be even better to bring Nan Jie and Doctor Cao too. Our two families are like one. Just afraid the groom’s side might not be happy if there are too many of us.”

Wu Yuzhen laughed: “It’s reasonable to bring you, but bringing the master and mistress? They’ve got sons themselves… Wait, maybe it’s not impossible.”

Without looking up, Xu Hehua instinctively asked: “Not impossible?”

Seeing clearly, Wu Yuzhen got to the point: “Jingliang—such a good boy. If he married Taohua, wouldn’t you all live together forever?”

Xu Hehua, never having thought of that before, was stunned.