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Everyone ate until their mouths were greasy, even wiping the last drops of sauce from the plates with steamed buns.
“So good! I haven’t had this much meat in ages. The pig’s head meat is my favorite.”
“I like the potato stew best.”
“Comrade Su, could I have my wife learn this intestine recipe from you?”
Momo was so young that calling her “sister-in-law” still felt awkward to them. Besides, most of them had once been on equal footing with Xingchen; only later did he become deputy regimental commander. Switching to “sister-in-law” felt strange.
“Of course. We’re planning to host another meal at the end of the month. I’ll cook it again then.”
After resting a while, everyone got back to work. Having eaten so well, they felt embarrassed not to give their best effort.
Inside, Sister Xu sat with her children and Momo in the living room. It was dusty outside, and none of them wanted to get covered in grime.
“What you have here is unique in our whole family compound. Just having a private toilet is already rare—let alone a bathroom.”
It wasn’t actually hard to build. With the bricks bought, a group led by Xingchen could finish in a single evening. But it cost money and time, so very few were willing.
“I’m used to bathing regularly. In winter, it gets too cold here, and with no bathroom, it’s inconvenient. The public toilets are too far, and once it snows, it’s hard to get there.”
Sister Xu sighed. “I’ve gotten used to it. When I was little, I’d fall on the ice every year. Now I manage, but with two kids, I have to be frugal. Don’t think my husband’s salary is high—it gets eaten up quickly. From the start, I agreed with my family that I’d send twenty yuan home every month. It’s been years, and I’ve never missed it. But I’d rather give the money than deal with them. Paying keeps the peace.”
Hearing this, Momo understood. Every household had its burdens. Commissar Xu was from the countryside; back there, even elderly parents rarely got more than ten yuan a month. Twenty was already generous. A city temp worker only made eighteen a month.
“With two kids in school, books and fees cost a lot. Then there’s food and daily expenses. If I don’t budget carefully, it won’t stretch far.”
Momo realized then: what seemed like a high salary could vanish quickly in a large household. Once she was settled, she’d have to find work too—maybe as a translator, maybe at a hospital. She had money saved, yes, but not earning anything didn’t feel right.
Meanwhile, Goudan and Hutou sat nearby doing homework. One was in grade three, the other in grade one. The assignments were simple, but at least half their answers were wrong.
“Hutou, Goudan… are there lessons you don’t understand in class?” Momo couldn’t hold back from asking. She’d always been top of her class, never muddled like this.
“Aunt Su, how did you know? Sometimes we don’t get it, but the next day the teacher’s already on to something new.”
“Because you’ve made a lot of mistakes here. I can explain them to you—ask me whenever you don’t understand.”
Both boys were sensible. They knew their parents worked hard to send them to school, so they didn’t dare complain when they struggled. Hearing that Momo would teach them, their eyes lit up. They ran over with books and notebooks.
Sister Xu was deeply touched by watching her. She began thinking she should make some bean buns or sponge cakes to send over. It was a debt of gratitude she couldn’t ignore.
Outside, the sound of hammers and bricks clanged late into the evening. Even next door, they could hear it.
“So noisy! Just moved in and already stirring up trouble.”
“It’s their house. Let them do as they please. Why are you so bothered?”
Their neighbors were from the 3rd Regiment. Relations between regiments weren’t great, especially since the 1st Regiment had both Xingchen and Tingjie, overshadowing everyone else.
Rumors had already spread around the compound: the deputy regimental commander of the 1st Regiment had found a wife even more beautiful than the star of the cultural troupe. Before Momo arrived, the 3rd Regiment’s deputy commander’s wife had held the title of “prettiest in the compound.” Now the comparison was inevitable—and unfortunate, since they lived next door.
“See? They’re building bathrooms and toilets. Why can’t you? I’ve been asking you to fix ours for years. You’re always ‘too busy.’”
“And when it’s done, who’s going to clean it? Isn’t the public toilet just fine? Don’t make a fuss.”
Xingchen’s devotion to his wife was already sparking jealousy among the neighbors.
By nine that night, the bathroom and toilet were finished.
“We’ll head home now. Sister-in-law, next time you host, we’ll be there.”
“Of course. I’ll cook even more next time.”
Everyone left in high spirits. Momo and Xingchen inspected the new facilities.
“I’ve arranged for an old comrade to get us some glass panes. He’ll bring them next time he’s on leave.”
Glass was hard to come by, but scraps would be enough.
“Good. But for now, since there’s no light, should we use candles?”
“We could wire a lamp, but electricity’s unreliable. Better to use candles.”
The thought of the lights cutting out mid-bath or mid-toilet made candles seem safer.
“Alright. You’ve worked hard today.”
That night, Momo made sure to “reward” her husband for his efforts.
Xingchen decided such rewards should come more often. They hadn’t gone all the way yet, but it was close enough. By morning, he woke up refreshed and cheerful.
Momo, on the other hand, groaned sleepily. “Ugh… I’m exhausted. Don’t touch me.” She pushed his hand away from her face.
He kissed her forehead, then left for work.
When Momo finally woke, it was already nine o’clock, the sun blazing outside.
“Ow…” She pressed her sore waist with a wince. For the first time, she wondered nervously: if he ever truly “ate meat,” would she even be able to get out of bed?
She made herself a bowl of noodles in stewed broth, then picked up her basket and headed to Sister Xu’s. Together, they went into the mountains to gather wild vegetables.
“Come on, let’s call Sister Ling too, the regimental commander’s wife.”
The three women climbed the familiar hill together. Though different in temperament, they got along well.
“What Xiao Lin did is already the talk of the compound. Everyone knows how much he dotes on his wife.”
“Of course. I even heard there was a quarrel. That deputy regimental commander next door, his wife has been nagging about building a toilet for years, but he always brushes it off. It’s been several years with no progress. Now you’ve just arrived, and Lin got it all done in days. No wonder she’s furious.”
Sister Xu chuckled, more than a little schadenfreude in her tone.