Chapter 30: Little Duck

On Sunday morning, Zhou Jianhai’s cousin arrived.

The news was told to Lin Wei by Wang Fangli, who was very interested in gossip. After breakfast and while washing the dishes, she saw Zhou Jianhai bringing a young woman she didn’t recognize into his house, and immediately began whispering about it to the neighbors.

However, because Deng Xiangyun, due to her background, didn’t interact much with the neighbors, they couldn’t figure out what was going on by talking about it.

Since Wang Fangli thought that Lin Wei and Deng Xiangyun were close, she assumed Lin Wei might know something about it. After finishing her chores, Wang Fangli went to visit Lin Wei to inquire.

At that time, Lin Wei was fiddling with a flower pot that had been brought down from the second floor. Although it was called a flower pot, it was actually a rusty enamel basin. The previous tenant had filled it with dirt and used it as a flower pot after a section of its edge broke off.

After the previous tenant moved out, no one took care of the flowers in the basin, and they had long since died. Lin Wei had always wanted to make use of the pot, but there were no flower markets in Yaxian, and she didn’t know where to buy flowers, so it had been left aside.

It was only when she discussed this with Zhao Li yesterday that Zhao Li said, “If you had said you wanted to raise flowers, I know a military wife who grows many. If you’d like, I can ask her if she’s willing to give you a couple of plants.”

Lin Wei immediately agreed, saying, “Okay, please ask her if she’d be willing to sell them.”

Zhao Li was efficient, agreeing in the morning to ask, and by evening, she brought good news: the woman was not only willing to give Lin Wei two Yuanyang Jasmine plants for free.

Now, Lin Wei just needed to clear out the enamel pot and fill it with soil suitable for growing Yuanyang Jasmine. Once the preparation was done, she could go to the woman’s house to transfer the plants.

When Wang Fangli mentioned that Zhou Jianhai had brought back a young woman, Lin Wei immediately guessed that Zhou’s cousin must have arrived.

Seeing Lin Wei remain silent, Wang Fangli asked, “Do you know who this girl is?”

Lin Wei knew Wang Fangli liked to gossip. If she didn’t mention that the girl was Zhou Jianhai’s relative, she wasn’t sure what kind of stories Wang Fangli might invent. But since she wasn’t sure about the details, Lin Wei didn’t confirm anything, only vaguely replied, “I think she’s Instructor Zhou’s sister. How old is she?”

“I’m not sure, but she has two thick braids, and she looks quite young,” Wang Fangli said, then suddenly remembered, “Wait, isn’t Instructor Zhou an only child? How could he have a sister?”

Lin Wei responded, “Cousin, half-sister—aren’t they all considered sisters?”

Wang Fangli thought for a moment and agreed, but added, “But why would she come all the way here by herself? Don’t you think it’s strange? Can her family really trust her?”

Although Lin Wei also felt that Zhou Jianhai’s cousin’s family was quite bold, she still said, “What’s there to worry about? Zhou Jianhai is her brother. Who could bully her if she’s here?”

Wang Fangli, however, thought that even if it’s her real brother, without the protection of parents, wouldn’t she still have to depend on her sister-in-law? Especially since they aren’t direct siblings.

But knowing that Lin Wei was close to Deng Xiangyun, she didn’t voice these thoughts. Instead, she said, “That’s true, but still, a girl like her suddenly coming here… Could it be that she’s here looking for a husband?”

Lin Wei replied indifferently, “I haven’t heard Xiangyun mention anything about that.”

Wang Fangli became more convinced and said, “It must be the case. I mean, it’s a good idea. After all, we have a lot of unmarried young people on the island.”

There were many male soldiers at the Sanlin base, but few female soldiers. However, whether male or female, most were stationed in the military and didn’t have much time for dating, so unmarried youth were abundant. Wang Fangli wasn’t wrong in saying that.

However, Lin Wei thought that it was better to find someone you knew well to marry. At the very least, they should come from the same county or city, close enough that if anything happened, your family could support you. Although there were many unmarried young people on the island, they came from all over the country, and it wasn’t easy to find someone from the same city, let alone the same province.

Only military dependents at the rank of deputy battalion or higher could accompany their spouses, and most of the higher-ranking officers were already married. If she were to marry someone lower-ranked, she’d have to move to his hometown after marriage. Who knew how life would turn out?

That being said, Lin Wei didn’t continue the conversation with Wang Fangli because looking for a spouse was just Wang Fangli’s speculation, and speculation often led to rumors.

And once rumors were spread, they gradually became “facts” in people’s eyes.

For a young girl like Zhou Jianhai’s cousin, carrying the reputation of coming all this way just to find a husband wasn’t a good thing.

Lin Wei’s expression turned serious as she said, “You can talk about it here, but don’t spread it outside. She might just be here visiting relatives, and if people start to gossip and make her look like she’s come all this way for a husband, it won’t be good for anyone.”

Although Wang Fangli knew Lin Wei was right, she mumbled, “I was just saying it offhand. It’s not that serious, is it?”

Wang Fangli’s attitude was typical of someone who didn’t realize the consequences until it directly affected her. If she had been talking about someone else, or if it hadn’t been in front of Lin Wei, she wouldn’t have cared. After all, it was her own fault if rumors spread.

But Lin Wei still advised, “You may have said it offhand, but when enough people repeat it, it becomes different. Rumors can easily turn into facts, and once that happens, it’s hard to undo the damage.”

Wang Fangli, who had only completed elementary school, wasn’t the least bit educated compared to the other military wives. After finishing elementary school, she hadn’t touched a book since, and many words had slipped her mind. It was only after she joined the army that she had started to study to increase her chances of securing a job.

Though the idiom Lin Wei used wasn’t obscure, it wasn’t something Wang Fangli encountered often, and she didn’t fully understand it. She didn’t want to ask for clarification either, so she just muttered, “Okay, okay, I won’t talk about it outside.” After that, she quickly made an excuse to leave.

As she walked out of Lin Wei’s house, Wang Fangli thought to herself, “Talking to a cultured person is so exhausting—so much big talk! I can’t stand it!”

…

After lunch, Deng Xiangyun came over with Xiao Shitou.

At first, Lin Wei thought something was wrong. But after seeing the three children go out to play, she poured Deng Xiangyun a cup of cold tea and asked, “Why did you come over?”

“I made two hats in my spare time, one for Ruirui and one for Mingming,” Deng Xiangyun replied as she took two black hats out of her handbag and handed them to Lin Wei. “How do they look?”

Lin Wei immediately said, “I didn’t pay for the hat you gave me before, and now you’re making hats for the two kids? I can’t accept this!”

Deng Xiangyun said, “It didn’t cost much, and the three hats together didn’t use up much fabric. It’s not even as much as the tuition you paid me, and you’ve been helping us take care of Xiao Shitou for free. If we really calculate it, I’m the one who’s getting the better deal.”

“I haven’t done much to take care of Xiao Shitou. If anything, the three kids have been helping each other,” Lin Wei waved her hand and said. “And don’t even mention the tuition. I’ve only taught them the vowels and consonants for almost a month. If I’m charging for that, being a teacher would be too easy.”

“So, now we’re both in the same situation— you think you haven’t done much, and I think I haven’t spent much. So let’s just be clear and not stand on ceremony,” Deng Xiangyun concluded. She opened the folded hats and said, “Take a look and tell me if there’s something wrong with them. If there is, I’ll fix them.”

Lin Wei couldn’t argue with that and agreed. She lowered her head to examine the hats in Deng Xiangyun’s hands.

When Lin Wei saw this, she smiled: “How did you come up with this idea?”

The two hats Deng Xiangyun had recently made were similar in style to the one for Lin Wei, but because they were for children, she chose brighter colors—goose yellow.

On the hats, she had embroidered a pair of black eyes and an orange-yellow flat mouth. Though not highly realistic, it was clear they were two little yellow ducks.

Very childlike.

Lin Wei immediately liked them, picked one up, and touched the black eyes and then squeezed the flat mouth. “So cute.”

Seeing Lin Wei’s approval, Deng Xiangyun stood up and said, “Then I’ll call Mingming, Ruirui, and the others to come try them on.” She went outside and called the three kids into the room.

Although the kids hadn’t started their game yet because the time was short, it was the hottest part of the day, and the kids were sweaty with a bit of sand on their hands and bodies.

After the kids entered the room, Lin Wei first asked them to wash their faces. Once they were cleaned up, she called the two kids to try on the hats.

The hats Deng Xiangyun made were still very attractive to the children. Mingming and Ruirui both liked them at first sight and immediately started shouting that they wanted to wear them.

Lin Wei took the hats and put them on their heads. They were a little big, but not to the point where they covered their brows or eyes. The edges of the hats were also secured with fine wires, allowing for adjustments without affecting walking.

Mingming loved to play around. After putting on the hat, he pressed both hands tightly against his body, palms outward, waddling like a little duck while saying, “Quack, quack, I’m a little duck.”

Ruirui couldn’t do such a thing, but after putting on the hat, he kept touching the flat mouth on the hat and asked Lin Wei, “Mom, is this hat really for me?”

“Yes, these two hats were made by Aunt Deng and given to you personally,” Lin Wei nodded, then asked, “What should you say now?”

“Thank you, Aunt Deng.” The voices of the two children were always synchronized at times like this.

Deng Xiangyun smiled and said, “You’re welcome. If you feel uncomfortable with the hats, just let me know, and I can make adjustments.”

Mingming shook his head and said, “It’s very comfortable, no need to change!”

Ruirui then turned to ask Xiao Shitou, “Didn’t you bring a hat?”

Xiao Shitou didn’t say anything but bit his lip and looked at his mother.

Deng Xiangyun reached out and stroked his head, saying, “Xiao Shitou’s hat isn’t finished yet, but once it’s ready, he can wear it with you.”

Ruirui opened his mouth in surprise, paused for a moment, then asked, “When will his hat be ready?”

Deng Xiangyun thought for a moment and said, “In three or four days.”

Ruirui let out a sigh, took off his hat, and said, “Then I won’t wear it. I’ll wait until your hat is ready, and we can wear them together.”

Mingming also took off his hat. “Then I won’t wear it either. We’ll wear them together, and then we’ll be three little ducks, quack, quack, quack!”

Seeing Mingming waddling like a little duck, Xiao Shitou couldn’t help but laugh and nodded heavily. “Okay, we’ll wear them together.”

The three of them made a pact and handed their hats to the two adults, holding hands as they went outside.

Holding the hats and watching the three kids’ backs, Deng Xiangyun sighed, “Ruirui is very thoughtful, and Mingming is very sensible.”

Lin Wei said, “Xiao Shitou is very sensible too.”

In fact, many children can be possessive, and conflicts arise when siblings have things the others don’t, so it was inevitable. Moreover, Deng Xiangyun was Xiao Shitou’s real mother.

It was clear that while Mingming and Ruirui were trying on the hats, Xiao Shitou felt a bit wronged. But he didn’t cry or throw a tantrum. When Deng Xiangyun said she would make him a hat, he quickly forgot the unpleasantness.

Deng Xiangyun was slightly stunned when she heard this, then recalled what had just happened. She admitted her mistake and said, “I didn’t consider things carefully this time.”

She had been thinking of returning Lin Wei’s care for the children, so after making the two hats, she immediately brought them over. But she hadn’t considered how Xiao Shitou might feel when he noticed that both Mingming and Ruirui had hats, but he did not.

“It’s okay to overlook something once, just be more thoughtful next time,” Lin Wei comforted her, picking up the hat. “What do you think it’ll look like when the three of them walk out wearing these hats?”

Before Deng Xiangyun could speak, Lin Wei continued, “The other kids in the family area will definitely be envious.”

Deng Xiangyun smiled, pursing her lips. “Is it really that exaggerated?”

“Why not? Just the hat you gave me before, when I wore it out, people couldn’t stop looking. Sister Liu and the others even asked me where I bought it, so they could get one too. Later, when I told them it was made by you, they even wanted to pay you for making one.”

Although Lin Wei didn’t mention why it didn’t happen, Deng Xiangyun could guess.

She guessed, and that softened her heart. She said, “I’m working now, so I might not have enough time to take orders for hats. But if they like it, I can tell them how to make it.”

“Wouldn’t that be a bit inappropriate? After all, the design is yours.”

Deng Xiangyun’s hats might not seem special decades from now, or perhaps you could find similar designs worldwide, but in this time and place, they were definitely unique.

If time skipped ahead a few years, Lin Wei believed that Deng Xiangyun could make money just from this hat.

But even if time didn’t skip ahead, if she kept the design a secret until the reform and opening up, it was possible to make money from it.

On the other hand, if she taught others how to make it now, the other military wives in the family area would definitely learn, and more and more people would wear these hats. The residents in the family area were transient, so these wives might be transferred with their husbands. In a few years, this hat might not be special anymore.

Lin Wei didn’t mention the reform but suggested, “If in a few years you change your mind, what would you do?”

Deng Xiangyun laughed and said, “You’re talking about the capitalist world, but our country is socialist. How could we let people open businesses? And even if that day comes, I probably won’t be around to see it.”

“What if you do see it?” Lin Wei asked.

“Even if I do see it, I probably wouldn’t regret my choice now. You must have heard that I come from a capitalist family…”

Deng Xiangyun started but stopped halfway. The smile on her face slowly faded as she lowered her head and whispered, “Even if that day comes, I wouldn’t want to make money. Just like now, with the family safe and sound, that’s enough.”

Lin Wei fell silent. She understood very well why Deng Xiangyun felt this way.

In fact, she used to think the same: having a job, a husband, and children, living a stable life with the family—this was the best.

But the dream during the journey with the army broke her peaceful and stable life, and at the same time, she learned many things about the future.

Three years later, the college entrance exams would resume.

Four years later, the reform and opening up would begin.

Their generation would enter an era full of opportunities.

Their lives would have many choices.

But Deng Xiangyun didn’t know any of this, so she now sought stability. As for Lin Wei, after dreaming of the original plot, she had already lost the chance for peace and developed some “ambition.”

If she survived, she wanted to go to college, get a better job, and earn more money.

Because of her changing mindset, she saw the business opportunity in Deng Xiangyun’s hats, which made her worried about how Deng Xiangyun might suffer from her current choice in the future.

But Lin Wei couldn’t directly tell Deng Xiangyun about the changes coming in the next few years; she could only subtly remind her, “What if in a few years, you change your mind?”

“Even if I change my mind, I probably won’t regret it.”

In fact, these hats were made by Deng Xiangyun based on designs she had previously drawn, and the reason she drew those designs wasn’t for anything special, she simply enjoyed it.

She started learning to draw at the age of five, but by the time she was in middle school, her family was already facing difficult circumstances. To be cautious, her parents stopped her from continuing her art studies and chose a more practical path for her.

It turned out her parents were right. If she had continued with her studies, attending high school and preparing for university, during the Cultural Revolution, she would have certainly been labeled a “counter-revolutionary” and targeted. Instead, even though she was affected, her life is still manageable.

For the sake of a stable life now, Deng Xiangyun hasn’t picked up a paintbrush in many years, but she still enjoys painting. To relieve this longing, she began designing patterns.

Whether it’s for clothes or shoes, she would have to sketch out the designs, so it was common for families to keep a few sketches of patterns. Even though her family background wasn’t ideal, if she drew too many patterns, there wouldn’t be any problem even if they were discovered.

“Since I can come up with these designs now, I’ll always be able to think of other ones in the future. If one day I regret my current choices, that would be truly sad.”

Lin Wei smiled and said, “What you said makes sense. Later, I’ll ask Sister Liu and the others. If they want to learn, I’ll let them come to you.”

Deng Xiangyun nodded, “Okay.”

After talking about this, Lin Wei put away the little yellow duck hats she made for the two children and casually asked, “I heard from Wang Fangli that Instructor Zhou’s cousin has come?”

“Wang Fangli said?” Deng Xiangyun teased.

Lin Wei honestly confessed, “She saw Old Zhou picking up his cousin and bringing her home when she was washing dishes, so she came over to ask me about it,” and she shared Wang Fangli’s guess.

Lin Wei said this to remind Deng Xiangyun that although Wang Fangli had said she wouldn’t gossip, her tone clearly showed she didn’t take it seriously. If Wang Fangli thought about it more after going home and chose to stay quiet, that would be the best. But if she decided to talk, it would be better for Deng Xiangyun to be prepared, especially since it involved relatives.

To Lin Wei’s surprise, Deng Xiangyun didn’t say anything after hearing this. Her expression was very unusual.

Lin Wei had a feeling something was off. She replayed what she had just said in her mind before hesitantly asking, “The reason Instructor Zhou’s cousin came here, could it really be to find a husband?”

Deng Xiangyun remained silent. She picked up the enamel cup on the coffee table, brought it to her mouth, then stopped. After putting it back down, she sighed, “There are some thoughts in that direction, but that’s not the only reason she’s here.”

Wang Fangli actually guessed right!

Lin Wei was surprised and couldn’t help but say, “There are many young men of marriageable age on the island, but they come from all over the place. Do her parents really trust her to marry one of them?”

“Don’t mention her parents,” Deng Xiangyun sighed. “It’s just that…”

Deng Xiangyun was a cultured person, and although she looked down on those two people, one of them was Zhou Jianhai’s aunt. Eventually, she just sighed and said, “Eighth Sister was left with no choice.”