Chapter 35 – Fu Mingze: I Have a Friend

It was the weekend, so the students were on break, and the gates of the commune elementary school were locked. When Shen Mo’er arrived, no one was there yet. She had probably come a bit early, but she wasn’t in a rush and waited under the shade of a tree not far from the gate.

Before long, the school gate opened and two people who looked like teachers came out in a hurry, chatting as they walked.

The taller one said, “The higher-ups are so impulsive—it’s always one idea after another. It’s not just our Liuqiao Commune Elementary School; even across the entire county, how many kids actually know how to draw? Why not just have the kids from Dongfanghong Elementary participate?”

The slightly shorter one replied, “I heard a high-ranking leader gave a number of important directives while inspecting the south, and now the province is demanding vigorous learning and publicity campaigns across all sectors. But you know how it is—over the past few years, a lot of people in propaganda have been sent down for re-education. So now they’re turning their attention to the schools.”

“Exactly,” said the taller one, who looked like he wanted to complain more but wisely held back. He quickly changed the subject, “Let’s go to the kiln factory first. Didn’t they say their publicity department just got someone new who’s great at drawing? We can go make contact, then have the principal talk to the factory and try to borrow the person to give the kids a crash course.”

He sighed. “Cramming at the last minute—let’s just hope we don’t embarrass ourselves too badly.”

The shorter one clearly had more inside information. “I heard Yangliu Brigade managed to secure an extra teaching position this term—a part-time teacher just for art class. Political education can’t slack for a moment, and without the right talent, it’s all just empty talk. The commune’s finally felt the pinch, so they approved the application.”

The taller one shook his head. “It’s a brand-new course this term, so the kids have only learned the basics. Besides, this competition is only for schools at the commune level; the brigade schools don’t even need to participate.”

As they continued talking, the two gradually walked away, leaving Shen Mo’er deep in thought as she watched their retreating backs.

“Excuse me, are you Comrade Shen Mo’er?” came a man’s uncertain voice.

Shen Mo’er turned around. When she saw who it was, her eyebrows lifted slightly. She had seen this person not long ago at the Sparrow Market—it was the son of that unreasonable middle-aged woman. Only now did Shen Mo’er recall that the person she was meeting for a blind date today was named Zhang Junliang. So, this must be the “Junliang” in question.

She nodded. “I’m Shen Mo’er. Hello, Comrade Zhang Junliang.”

Zhang Junliang was slightly surprised. He had noticed this girl back at the market—though her clothes were a bit worn, she was strikingly beautiful. He hadn’t imagined she’d turn out to be his blind date.

He quickly nodded. “Hello, Comrade Shen Mo’er.”

After hesitating a moment, Zhang Junliang said, “About what happened at the market earlier, I’m really sorry. My mother’s used to being frugal, and she can be a bit stubborn. Of course, it’s also my fault—she was just trying to save money for me.”

Shen Mo’er didn’t hold it against him. After all, he hadn’t acted unreasonably like his mother had, and he seemed polite and considerate. So she simply said, “It’s nothing.”

Zhang Junliang glanced around and suggested, “Shall we take a walk nearby?”

Shen Mo’er looked him over and nodded.

He had a decent appearance and a gentle temperament. Based solely on his own qualities, Shen Mo’er found him acceptable. However, his mother was clearly difficult and unreasonable, which could spell trouble for future mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relations.

She got straight to the point. “The matchmaker said your family has three sons. The older two are already married, and you’re the youngest. So, after marriage, you’re willing to live with your father-in-law?”

Xu Weiguo had mentioned that the Zhang family had three sons and tight living conditions. Although Zhang Junliang had a secure job, he was still young and might not get his own housing allocation for a while. That’s why he was willing to live at the bride’s house after marriage. It wasn’t technically matrilocal marriage, but practically speaking, it was close enough.

Xu Weiguo had tried to convince Shen Shaoyuan that finding a good son-in-law was difficult, and a young man who agreed to live with them—whether or not it was officially “matrilocal”—was already hard to come by. He’d said that since Shen Mo’er was an only child, her father’s future care would naturally fall to her and her husband, which was essentially the same as matrilocal marriage.

That’s how Shen Shaoyuan had eventually been persuaded.

Zhang Junliang looked at Shen Mo’er and nodded. “Housing is tight at home. Even if I wanted to live there after getting married, there wouldn’t be room.”

His family had originally planned to rent an extra room after he got married. Some households with small children were willing to free up a room or two in exchange for some money.

A few days ago, his aunt came over and mentioned a young lady. She said the girl was an only child, living with her father, and the two of them depended on each other. The key point was that her father worked in the publicity department at the kiln factory. Although he was currently a temporary worker, the department head had hinted that after a year, he’d likely become a permanent employee.

The girl herself worked as a privately hired teacher at the brigade’s elementary school, earning twelve yuan a month.

Their house was in the countryside, but the Yangliu brigade was close to the commune, so commuting by bicycle was actually quite convenient.

Moreover, if her father became a permanent worker, then he would hold a cadre position in the publicity department. The kiln factory was building many housing units for staff, and it was likely they would be allocated one before long.

Looking at it this way, they wouldn’t have to live in the countryside for too long.

Even if they didn’t get a house right away, once they had children, the kids would need to attend elementary school in the commune. At that point, whether they rented a place or found another solution, her father—who had money—would surely support the young couple.

His aunt and mother whispered back and forth for quite a while, and in the end, they came to a unanimous decision that this marriage prospect was a good one. As long as the girl’s family didn’t insist on him marrying into her family, there would be no stigma of becoming a live-in son-in-law, and he could still benefit from her father’s support. All in all, it was better than marrying the daughter of an average commune household.

Zhang Junliang had been a bit hesitant initially, but after meeting the girl in person, his last bit of hesitation disappeared.

The two of them strolled casually along the commune’s main street. Zhang Junliang had originally planned to invite Shen Mo’er to lunch at the state-owned restaurant, but upon learning that she would be taking the brigade’s donkey cart back soon, he instead offered to buy her two buns from the state-owned restaurant to take with her.

Buns at the state-owned restaurant required ration coupons, but they were cheaper than those sold by Sister Qiao. Zhang Junliang bought six, but Shen Mo’er only took three.

Though the ration coupons came from Zhang Junliang, Shen Mo’er insisted on paying with her own money, not taking advantage of him.

Just as the two of them walked out of the state-owned restaurant, they ran into Zheng Jiamin, who was carrying several bags.

Zheng Jiamin cheerfully waved a small bundle in his hand and called out, “Comrade Shen Mo’er!”

“Comrade Zheng,” Shen Mo’er stopped in her tracks and glanced at the packages in his hands. “Did you buy a lot of things?”

Zheng Jiamin smiled, “Oh, not bought—these were sent from home. The Mid-Autumn Festival is coming, so of course the family had to send some food.”

Shen Mo’er knew Zheng Jiamin’s family was fairly well-off, so it wasn’t surprising they’d send him things. But for some reason, it made her think of Fu Mingze. She realized she’d never heard of his family sending him anything.

Zheng Jiamin gave Zhang Junliang a puzzled glance. He wasn’t the type to keep his thoughts to himself, so he asked directly, “Comrade Shen Mo’er, who is this?”

Shen Mo’er then introduced them, “This is Comrade Zheng Jiamin, a sent-down youth stationed at our brigade. And this is Comrade Zhang Junliang from the textile factory.”

Zheng Jiamin looked Zhang Junliang up and down with curiosity, then greeted him in a friendly manner, “Hello, Comrade Zhang.”

Zhang Junliang gave a reserved nod. “Hello.”

Seeing that Zheng Jiamin was struggling with all his packages, Shen Mo’er took her leave from Zhang Junliang and offered to help carry some of his things. Zheng Jiamin didn’t hesitate and immediately shoved the smallest bundle into her hands.

Zhang Junliang frowned slightly and quickly caught up with Shen Mo’er to ask, “Comrade Shen, if you’re free next Sunday, would you like to go to the county to watch a movie together?”

Shen Mo’er was actually quite interested in the idea. The original Shen Mo’er had only seen a movie twice in her life, both times outdoor screenings by traveling film teams. What Zhang Junliang was referring to must be watching a movie in the county’s indoor theater.

At the moment, she didn’t have a bad impression of Zhang Junliang himself. His unreasonable mother, as long as they didn’t live together, wouldn’t be much of a problem. So she was open to further contact with him.

However, remembering the conversation she overheard outside the commune elementary school, Shen Mo’er thought for a moment and then said, “It’s hard to say right now about next Sunday. How about I have my father send a message to Director Xu in advance? Would that work for you?”

Zhang Junliang hadn’t expected her to not agree immediately. He felt a little uncomfortable but still nodded. “Alright. I’ll wait to hear from you.”

After Zhang Junliang left, Zheng Jiamin couldn’t contain his curiosity. “Comrade Shen Mo’er, are you and that Comrade Zhang seeing each other?”

Shen Mo’er didn’t hide it and said it was someone introduced by her father’s factory director—it was their first time meeting today.

Zheng Jiamin nodded, then shook his head, somehow feeling uneasy. “On paper, Comrade Zhang seems like a good match, but I don’t know… I just feel like he’s not good enough for you.”

Zheng Jiamin knew his own thoughts were a bit strange.

In this day and age, the urban-rural divide was huge. City dwellers who ate state-distributed grain usually didn’t want to marry rural people. This Comrade Zhang was even a technical worker at a textile factory. Since Zheng Jiamin’s family also had many workers, he knew that technical workers earned more than ordinary workers. Plus, Zhang looked decent and seemed to have a good personality… By all accounts, it should be Shen Mo’er who was marrying up.

But Zheng Jiamin had known Shen Mo’er for quite a while and just felt that she wasn’t like the average female comrade. No matter how good Zhang Junliang was, he still felt the guy wasn’t a match for her.

Still, although Zheng Jiamin was friendly by nature, he wasn’t someone without boundaries. After letting that one comment slip, he didn’t say more.

Shen Mo’er didn’t mind. She had a decent impression of Zhang Junliang—just average. It wasn’t to the point where she felt she must marry him, so she didn’t care much about whether he was a “match” or not.

By the time they got back to the donkey cart with their bundles, everyone else was already there. Once the two of them organized their things and climbed aboard, Uncle Liu cracked the whip and the cart started moving.

—

At noon, when the sun was at its hottest, Zheng Jiamin returned to the sent-down youth residence, carrying all his bundles.

Fu Mingze was reading under the eaves. When he saw Zheng Jiamin enter the courtyard, he put down his book and got up to help.

Zheng Jiamin peeked inside and asked in a low voice, “Everyone’s inside?”

Fu Mingze gave a small nod, and Zheng Jiamin said, “Let’s go to the kitchen.”

The others had already eaten lunch, so the kitchen was empty. As Zheng Jiamin raised a kitchen knife to open the parcels, Fu Mingze brought out a bowl of vegetable porridge that had been kept warm in the pot. It was for Zheng Jiamin’s lunch. The vegetables were a bit yellowed from being steamed too long, and the dish didn’t look very appealing.

Zheng Jiamin finished opening his packages. Along with mooncakes, malted milk, candies, and biscuits, there was a very thick wool sweater and a pair of cotton shoes.

He was already quite hungry. He tore open the mooncake wrapper, took one for himself, handed another to Fu Mingze, then stood there noisily slurping the porridge as he ate.

After eating about half full, he finally had time to speak. “These mooncakes are from Yuelaifang, a well-known brand in our Shanghai. Their mooncakes are really delicious.”

Fu Mingze nodded, not stingy with his praise. “They really are good.”

Zheng Jiamin: “…”

He had never seen anyone eat mooncakes from Yuelaifang with such a calm and composed expression. To be honest, Zheng Jiamin sometimes suspected that Fu Mingze was some fallen nobleman who had once lived in immense wealth and luxury, which was why nothing he saw or ate could stir even the slightest ripple in his demeanor.

“Aiya, I should’ve saved two mooncakes for Comrade Shen Mo’er to try,” Zheng Jiamin suddenly recalled.

Back when they were building the house, he had freeloaded quite a few meals at the Shen residence. Though he had done some work, Zheng Jiamin was very self-aware and knew full well that the bit of labor he contributed wasn’t worth the large, meat-heavy meals he was given—he had simply benefited from others’ efforts.

Fu Mingze looked up. “Comrade Shen went to the commune too?”

Zheng Jiamin nodded. “Yeah, we took the team’s donkey cart together.”

As he spoke, he suddenly glanced left and right, lowered his voice sneakily, and said, “Don’t go spreading this, but I ran into Comrade Shen Mo’er on a blind date at the commune. The guy’s a skilled worker from the textile factory—not bad looking, but honestly, I don’t think he’s quite a match for Comrade Shen Mo’er. I mean, she’s really something—good-looking and capable. That Comrade Zhang is okay, but just average…”

Fu Mingze furrowed his brows slightly and interrupted, “Didn’t you say her Seventh Uncle wants to find a live-in son-in-law for her? A skilled worker at a textile factory—would he really be willing to marry in?”

Zheng Jiamin scratched his head. “That I don’t know. Not like I could just ask.”

Fu Mingze gave a short laugh. “There are things you’re too shy to ask?”

He was clearly smiling, but Zheng Jiamin somehow felt he didn’t seem too happy. Before he could say anything else, Fu Mingze tossed out a curt “Clean up yourself,” and turned to leave the kitchen.

Zheng Jiamin muttered, “So weird,” and quickly finished the remaining porridge, scooped up some water to wash the dishes, packed everything up with a cloth bag and some kraft paper, and carried it all back into the house.

Fu Mingze left the kitchen and sat down under the eaves, intending to continue reading. But after sitting there for a long while, he hadn’t even finished a single line. He thought for a moment, then simply got up and walked out.

It was midday and the village road was empty. Occasionally, he would pass an older woman carrying a basket back from the private plot, or a child dashing home. They would all pause to greet him.

When had the villagers started greeting him so proactively? It must have started after he helped build the Shen family’s house.

Fu Mingze couldn’t help but recall how, before he came to the countryside, his elders had warned him over and over again to curb his temper, keep a low profile, and never draw attention. After arriving at Yangliu Production Brigade, he had done just that—he rarely interacted with the commune members and kept his distance even from the other educated youths.

Who would have thought that helping build just one house would change everything?

Lost in thought, he unconsciously walked to the entrance of the village. Facing the newly built Shen family gate, he hesitated for a moment, then raised his hand and knocked lightly twice.

Shen Mo’er’s clear voice soon came from inside. “Who is it?”

Fu Mingze answered, “It’s me.”

The words came out low and hoarse. Afraid she hadn’t heard, he cleared his throat and raised his voice. “It’s me!”

The courtyard gate opened, and Shen Mo’er smiled when she saw him. “Oh, it’s you, Comrade Fu. Come on in.”

Fu Mingze stepped into the yard. Shen Mo’er opened the gate fully, kicked a stone to wedge it open to keep the wind from blowing it shut again.

She was deliberately leaving the door open to prevent gossip. It was a perfectly normal action, and they’d done the same many times before, but today, Fu Mingze felt inexplicably unsettled by it.

“Have you eaten, Comrade Fu?” Shen Mo’er asked casually as she went into the kitchen, grabbed a bowl, and filled it with mung bean soup. She had left it simmering on low heat before going out that morning, and when she came back, she didn’t cook a full meal—just reheated a few buns from the state-run restaurant and ate them with the soup.

The “autumn tiger” heat was more unbearable than the height of summer. Shen Mo’er found the kitchen too stuffy, so she moved a small table under the eaves where the cross breeze made it much more comfortable.

“I’ve eaten,” Fu Mingze replied.

Shen Mo’er placed a small stool in front of him. “Then have some mung bean soup. It won’t fill you up.”

Fu Mingze sat down. He’d just eaten a mooncake and walked all the way from the village—he was indeed a bit thirsty. Without further fuss, he took the bowl and began drinking slowly.

Shen Mo’er picked up the half-eaten bun and continued eating.

Fu Mingze glanced at the bun in her hand and couldn’t help but ask, “That bun—isn’t it from Sister Qiao’s place?”

Even though they were all buns, everyone wrapped them a little differently, and the sizes varied too.

Shen Mo’er gave a hum of acknowledgment. “I bought them from the state-run restaurant at the commune. Cheaper than Sister Qiao’s, but you need ration coupons.”

Fu Mingze knew that all of her household’s ration coupons had been used up during the house construction. And now wasn’t payday or ration day either. Linking it with what Zheng Jiamin had said, it was obvious where the coupons had come from.

Suddenly, the mung bean soup didn’t taste sweet anymore.

Shen Mo’er quickly finished eating, and before she could move, Fu Mingze had already reached out to take the dishes. “I’ll wash them.”

Shen Mo’er glanced at his hand. Fu Mingze followed her gaze, then smiled slightly. “It’s already healed.”

So she didn’t argue and said, “Then I’ll trouble you, Comrade Fu.”

When Fu Mingze came out of the kitchen after washing the dishes, Shen Mo’er brought out a rattan box from inside the house. “I saw this at the market today. It’s really sturdy—and the best part is, it can be locked. Didn’t you lose something before? I thought this kind of lockable box would be perfect for you.”

She smiled. “You did a lot for our house, Comrade Fu—especially the bathroom, it’s been really convenient. I’ve been meaning to prepare a thank-you gift, but hadn’t found anything suitable until today.”

Fu Mingze hadn’t expected her to prepare a gift for him—especially one that was exactly what he needed.

When he first came to the countryside, to better match his “poor boy” persona, his family didn’t let him bring any suitcases or bags. Instead, they gave him a cloth sack stitched together from old clothes.

There were over ten people in one room at the educated youth point. Putting your things in a cloth bag was the same as leaving them out in the open. He had gone to great lengths just to hide his money and ration coupons.

Buying a box around here was nearly impossible—not only were they hard to find, but it wouldn’t suit his identity.

But if someone gave it to him, then it would be perfectly reasonable to use it.

At another time, he would’ve been delighted by this gift. But today…

Looking at her clear and bright eyes, Fu Mingze felt both touched and frustrated. He frowned slightly and said, “I didn’t help all that much. Comrade Shen, you really didn’t need to go to such trouble to get me a thank-you gift.”

After a pause, he couldn’t help adding, “If you feel that it might be inconvenient for us to stay in contact going forward, you could’ve just told me.”

No need to go out of your way to give a gift just to draw a boundary.

Shen Mo’er looked a little stunned. “Why would you think that, Comrade Fu?”

Fu Mingze stared at her with his clear, cool gaze. “I heard you were on a blind date. I thought maybe you felt it would be better to keep a certain distance from others. And as for building your house—I didn’t help all that much, and you already provided meals for a long time. You really don’t owe me anything.”

Shen Mo’er opened her mouth but in the end only said, “That really wasn’t my intention.”

Fu Mingze lowered his gaze and, after a while, said, “Then maybe I misunderstood.”

After a few seconds of silence, he added, “I came over today to confirm—are we starting the high school curriculum tomorrow?”

Shen Mo’er gave an affirmative hum. Then Fu Mingze said, “Alright, I’ll come again tomorrow.” With that, he turned and walked away without hesitation.

After leaving the Shen house, Fu Mingze walked all the way back to the educated youth point. Inside, Zheng Jiamin had already finished packing his things and was stuffing all the food and supplies into the suitcase he’d brought from home. When Fu Mingze entered, he was bent over trying to shove the case under the bed.

Fu Mingze glanced at him coolly, then walked straight to his own bed and lay down flat without even taking off his shoes.

Zheng Jiamin looked at him strangely. Fu Mingze was usually very particular about cleanliness, and now he didn’t even take off his shoes before lying down. Though his feet were hanging off the bed and not dirtying the bedding, it still seemed totally out of character.

Zheng Jiamin shuffled over and whispered, “Something happened?”

Fu Mingze looked at him. Although he knew Zheng Jiamin’s brain wasn’t exactly made for good advice, his heart was in such a mess that he did want someone to talk to. So he got up from the bed. “Let’s talk outside.”

A few minutes later, the two of them stood behind the educated youth point in the vegetable garden. Fu Mingze considered for a moment before saying, “I have a friend. His family’s well-off, but their political background isn’t great. He recently met a girl from a poor peasant background, and he’s worried that his family situation might implicate her, so he’s been hesitant.”

He paused, then added, “That girl just went on a date with someone who’s fairly decent.”

Zheng Jiamin felt like there was something off about this story, but couldn’t quite put his finger on what. So he scratched his head and said, “Well, if that’s the case, and the girl already has a decent match, your friend should probably give up.”

Fu Mingze’s face immediately darkened. “…”

As expected, with a brain like Zheng Jiamin’s, he really could only come up with useless advice.