Chapter 44

Back when she was still illiterate—

Xu Hehua once believed that being able to read would make her a cultured person.

But after toiling for seven or eight years, learning to recognize most Chinese characters and earning her junior high diploma…

She realized that even now, she was still worlds away from being truly cultured.

And getting that diploma had already taken every ounce of strength she had.

That’s why she knew so clearly: she’d never truly become a “cultured person.” No need to make life harder for herself.

She hadn’t even had a few days to enjoy her newfound freedom—when her daughter started pushing her to study again.

Xu Hehua practically felt her hair stand on end from fright.

Xu Wanchun didn’t expect her mom’s reaction to be so dramatic and couldn’t help but laugh, “This time it’s a fun one.”

This rascal of a daughter had always been full of tricks. Xu Hehua didn’t fully believe her, but her mouth slipped before she could stop it:
“Really fun?”

Xu Wanchun stifled her laughter.
“Really! I’ve looked into the factory night school. As long as you get a recommendation letter from your supervisor, you can attend. You should pick accounting—it’s a perfect match. You already understand the basics, so it’ll be easy!”

Her daughter went on at length, but Xu Hehua only latched onto one thing:
“We’ve only been in Shanghai for three or four days, and you already found this out?”
Clearly, her daughter had been scheming about this school thing for a while.

Xu Wanchun waved it off.
“Come on, don’t focus on the unimportant details. The point is, you already know accounting. This is basically a free vocational diploma. Not going would just be silly.”

Xu Hehua smacked her lips, then nodded.
“…That does make sense.”

“Then it’s settled! Aiya, my mom is amazing—you’re gonna be a top student in no time!”

“Hehe, don’t sweet-talk me like that.”

Standing nearby, Su Yang had witnessed the entire exchange… He got married late and only had one mischievous son, who was four years old. In the future, if the boy ever got out of line, maybe he could ask Little Peach Blossom to help out.

=

Su Yang had left that morning with an empty bicycle.

When he returned to the Public Security Bureau residential compound, he brought back a large cloth bundle.

Inside the house, Tang Moli had just gotten their son to sleep. Hearing noise outside, she stepped out—only to see her husband placing a coarse-wrapped parcel on the table.

She had short, clean-cut hair, thick black brows, and her slightly soft features were enhanced by her sharp demeanor, giving her a striking presence.
“What’s that? And? How’d everything go?”

Having biked for half an hour under the midday sun, Su Yang was sweaty and flushed. He washed his face with cold water as he replied,
“Pretty smooth. If she passes the health check in three days, she can start work. She passed all on her own—I barely helped at all.”

After drying his face and dumping out the dirty water, he continued,
“They were too polite. Wanted to take me out for a meal. But I’m a grown man—just me and two women? Not appropriate. So I turned them down. But they insisted on giving me these dried veggies… Didn’t seem expensive, so I brought them home.”

“Not expensive? You didn’t open it, did you?”
Tang Moli had already unpacked the bundle, and when she saw all the mushrooms and a marinated rabbit, she didn’t even know what to say to him.

Su Yang wiped his face again, dumbfounded.
“I really thought it was just dried veggies. Didn’t expect all this good stuff.”

He recognized dried porcini mushrooms. Without food coupons, they went for at least two to three yuan per jin.

There had to be around ten jin in there. And then a whole rabbit on top of that…

Tang Moli said,
“They’re relatives—sending it back would just be awkward. Look, we’ve got a spare bicycle ticket. Let’s give it to them instead.”

Su Yang readily agreed.
“Alright, I’ll take it over tomorrow. Having a bike will make commuting easier anyway… Let’s give some of the mushrooms to Mom and Dad.”

Though rough around the edges, Su Yang was thoughtful and extremely filial. He always remembered his in-laws when it came to good things. Tang Moli couldn’t help but smile a little.
“Then you go deliver it. Show off a little while you’re at it.”

Love was mutual. Su Yang had lost his parents early, and her own parents treated him like their own son. So, being filial to them was only right. He leaned over and kissed her cheek.
“My Moli always treats me best.”

Tang Moli instinctively glanced toward their son’s room. Not seeing him, she rolled her eyes.
“The kid’s getting older—he repeats everything he hears now. Watch what you say.”

Su Yang was already rummaging in the kitchen. He called back casually,
“Alright, alright. Whatever you say.”

It was clear he wasn’t taking it seriously. Tang Moli wasn’t the nagging type, so instead, she pulled out several cloth bags and started sorting the mushrooms.
“We should find time soon to invite them over. Let them get familiar with the place. If they ever run into trouble, they’ll know who to turn to.”

Su Yang wasn’t surprised—his wife might seem cool on the outside, but she had a warm heart.
“No rush. Peach Blossom starts school the day after tomorrow. You know how Military Medical University is—hard to get in, even harder to get out.”

Tang Moli was currently working on a case. The fact that she was even home now meant she had carved out a rare bit of time. She’d have to leave again soon. Regretfully, she said,
“Then let’s wait until I have a day off. We’ll make a proper visit to the Xu family.”

“It’s only right we do that,” Su Yang nodded, then told her more about the mother-daughter pair’s story.

Tang Moli was deeply impressed—and she couldn’t help but grow curious.
“So, Comrade Xu Hehua isn’t even forty yet? Is she planning to remarry?”

Su Yang didn’t really care about such things, but he didn’t want to dampen his wife’s mood.
“You two have similar personalities. Once you get to know her, just ask. If she’s open to it, maybe you can ask Mom to help her find someone decent.”

That, Tang Moli could agree with.
A woman like Xu Hehua—with that kind of character—definitely deserved someone good.

=

At the same time—

Coincidentally, just after lunch, Xu Wanchun brought up the topic of bicycles with her adoptive mother.

Xu Hehua was squatting in a corner of the courtyard, planting scallions in an old broken ceramic pot. Since planting directly in the ground wasn’t allowed, even growing a single scallion meant turning a pot into a makeshift planter.

She was still feeling a bit down when she heard her daughter mention buying a bicycle.

She didn’t rush to refuse. In fact, she was already thinking that since Peach Blossom wouldn’t be allowed to leave campus often, she could ride over with some good food every now and then to visit. So she nodded.
“Buy it then. I’ll ask your shimu later, see if we can get a bicycle ticket.”

Xu Wanchun was surprised—she’d thought she’d need to put in some convincing. But since her mom agreed, even better. She added,
“We’ve been in Shanghai for a few days now and haven’t even taken a walk downtown. Let’s go out this afternoon and look around. Mom, you need a haircut, too, and maybe a new pair of leather shoes. Oh, and we should figure out a way to get a radio ticket for Grandma Wu so she can listen to opera.”

Sitting nearby, fanning herself leisurely with a banana leaf fan, Wu Yuzhen was surprised,
“For me?”

Xu Wanchun looked at her like it was obvious,
“Once my mom starts working during the day and going to night school, won’t you be alone at home? It’ll get boring. We’ll also buy you a rocking chair—put it out in the yard so you can relax and listen to the radio.”

It would be relaxing. Wu Yuzhen was already picturing the scene in her head and was moved by the child’s thoughtfulness.

But moved as she was, radios weren’t cheap. She didn’t want to burden the children. Just as she was about to say she’d pay for it herself, she heard Hehua completely on board:

“Peach Blossom and I are on the same page!”

Xu Wanchun giggled,
“Of course! Who do you think raised me?”

Xu Hehua was even more pleased now. She got up, dusting the soil off her hands as she urged,
“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go! You need a ticket for a radio, but not for a rocking chair.”

And just like that, off they went.

Xu Wanchun also stood up and grabbed the still-dazed Grandma Wu. With money and tickets in hand, the three of them set off with great energy…

=

In the streets of Shanghai in 1958, a few private shops still lingered.

Although the three had just eaten, they still couldn’t resist spending a few cents on snacks from a street stall—each picking out their favorites.

Afterward, clutching their full bellies, they headed to the state-run department store to check prices on bicycles and radios.

Very expensive. But with the Xu family’s savings, still manageable.

After wandering through the whole store, only Xu Hehua bought a pair of shoes. They left with a few packs of pastries and headed to the secondhand market on the street.

Along the way, they saw someone putting freshly washed milk bottles into a special wooden crate. Xu Hehua sighed a little.
“If you weren’t about to enter closed-off schooling, I would’ve subscribed to this for you. Powdered milk hasn’t helped you grow—maybe fresh milk would.”

“Who said I haven’t grown?” Why bring that up now? Xu Wanchun grit her teeth.
“I’m already 161 cm tall! That’s a whole centimeter taller than last year!”

Xu Hehua was unimpressed.
“Who can even tell the difference of one centimeter? You’re still a tiny thing.”

Xu Wanchun protested,
“I’m only 16, by lunar age! I can still grow!”

Xu Hehua humored her,
“Yes, yes, still growing.”

Xu Wanchun: “……”

With that, the two bickered their way into the secondhand market.

There, the three of them not only found a nearly brand-new rocking chair, but also picked up many useful items—including a stone-slab-top table that would fit perfectly in the courtyard.

Xu Wanchun wasn’t sure about others, but she loved treasure hunting in places like this.

Before they realized it, the cart they’d hired to help carry the goods was stacked to the brim…

“Peach Blossom, let’s head back. We’ve got enough.”
Seeing her daughter still crouched over a pile of secondhand stuff, Xu Hehua could only urge her helplessly.

Xu Wanchun checked her wrist instinctively—only to find it was already four o’clock. She jumped up,
“Wow, it’s so late already? Let’s go, you still need to get your hair cut.”

Xu Hehua replied,
“Haircut can wait—let’s take all this home first.”

“True. Let’s go then.”

The secondhand market was only a few hundred meters from their home.

They walked the short distance and in just a few minutes, Xu Wanchun spotted their familiar little house.

But to her surprise, a man in military uniform was standing at their front door, chatting with their neighbor Aunt Liu.

Xu Hehua spotted him too.
“Doesn’t look like your shifu. He’s shorter.”

Xu Wanchun shook her head.
“Not Shifu…”

As the mother and daughter wondered who it could be, Grandma Liu (Liu Juan) noticed them and greeted them with a smile:
“Oh, been to the secondhand market, have you? You’ve got a visitor.”

The man in the military uniform, who’d had his back to them the whole time, finally turned around.

He smiled at them first before locking eyes with the youngest girl in the group.
“You must be Peach Blossom, right? Hello! I’m your—ahem—I’m your childhood friend, your partner-in-crime, your fiancé’s classmate and buddy… Li Xiang.”

Xu Wanchun: “……”