Chapter 15

Zhou Changhuai lowered his gaze, thought for a moment, then stuffed the money back into his mother Shen Qiujü’s hands.

“Mom,” Zhou Changhuai said, “I’ve already saved up a thousand yuan—enough for my wedding. You should keep this money. Tomorrow morning, give some to my brother so he can buy extra meat.”

“As for the rest, save it for Zhiyong and Xiaojü’s tuition. They should study hard, go to college someday, and see more of the world. If you ever get the chance, you should all come visit Xiaoqiao and me on Nanya Island. The climate there is perfect for retirement.”

Shen Qiujü sighed and shook her head. “At my age, who knows if I’ll live to see that day. Fine, I won’t argue with you. I’ll give your brother two hundred yuan tomorrow to buy meat and some wedding candies and cakes. I’ll keep the rest for you. When you and Xiaoqiao have children, I’ll return it to you.”

Seeing how stubborn his mother was, Zhou Changhuai smiled. “All right, you can hold on to it. But if you ever need money at home, just use it. Don’t scrimp too hard on food, clothing, or daily needs.”

Shen Qiujü nodded. “I know. Don’t worry. With your older brother and sister-in-law around, we won’t go hungry. Anyway, it’s late—you should get some sleep. Aren’t you taking Xiaoqiao to the brigade office tomorrow morning to get your paperwork and letter of introduction?”

“I already told your sister-in-law we’d make steamed buns for breakfast. You can take a few to Xiaoqiao.”

“Thanks, Mom—and please thank Sister-in-law too,” Zhou Changhuai said.

“What’s there to thank us for? You’re hardly ever home. In a couple of days you’ll be leaving again, and who knows when we’ll see you next…”

As she spoke, Shen Qiujü lowered her head and wiped her tears.

Zhou Changhuai reached out and hugged her. “Mom, I promise—when there’s a chance, I’ll bring you to Nanya Island to live out your later years.”

She pushed him away lightly. “Good, I’ll wait for that. Now hurry up and sleep.”

When Wen Jiao woke up, she found herself alone in the room.

Everyone else had gone out, and the bedding had been neatly folded at the foot of the bed. She figured they must have gone to work.

Since she would be leaving for the south with Zhou Changhuai the day after tomorrow, she didn’t care about earning work points anymore.

She wanted to sleep a bit longer, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t fall back asleep. Remembering she still hadn’t packed, she got up, pulled out a travel bag, and started sorting through her clothes.

She decided to take the quilt with her to the Zhou family—quilts were precious in these times. As for pots, bowls, and other household items she couldn’t take along, she’d leave them for the Zhou family to use.

The original owner hadn’t owned much, so Wen Jiao finished packing in less than half an hour.

Then she remembered she hadn’t washed her clothes last night. Carrying a basin of laundry to the door, she opened it—only to see Zhou Changhuai standing outside.

“Brother Zhou, when did you get here? Why didn’t you knock?” she asked in surprise.

“I just arrived,” Zhou Changhuai replied. “I didn’t want to wake you, so I waited here. I knew you’d get up sooner or later.”

Wen Jiao glanced at the bowl in his hands and smiled. “What goodies did you bring me?”

“Mom and Sister-in-law made steamed buns this morning. They asked me to bring you some,” Zhou Changhuai said. Noticing the clothes in her hands, he added, “Are you going to wash clothes? Eat the buns first—I’ll wash them for you.”

Wen Jiao blushed slightly; her undergarments were in there. “No need, I’ll do it myself. I can wash them later. Come in and sit, Brother Zhou—I’m starving. Did you eat already?”

Zhou Changhuai followed her inside, set the buns on the table, and said, “I ate already. Go ahead while they’re still warm.”

Wen Jiao set down her laundry basin, pulled Zhou Changhuai over to sit, and opened the lid of the bowl. The delicious aroma of the buns filled the room. She couldn’t resist biting into one immediately. “So good! Auntie and Sister-in-law really can cook.”

“Then eat more,” Zhou Changhuai said with a smile. “If you like them, they’ll make them for you every day until we leave.”

As Wen Jiao chewed, she suddenly remembered, “Oh no, I forgot to brush my teeth… ah well, too late now. I’ll just brush and wash up after. It’s such a hassle here—you have to pump your own water. If only there was running water.”

“And no water heater either. I had to bathe in cold water last night—I thought I’d freeze to death.”

“A water heater?” Zhou Changhuai asked, puzzled. “What’s that?”

Wen Jiao froze. Oops, another slip. “It’s… something that heats water for bathing. Haven’t you heard of it?”

“No,” Zhou Changhuai replied seriously. “I’ll make a note of it. When we get back to Nanya Island, I’ll ask someone to find one.”

“No, no, forget it!” Wen Jiao said quickly. “I just made that up. They probably don’t exist yet—maybe someday they will. Anyway, I’m thirsty. I’ll pour some water. Want some, Brother Zhou?”

“I’m fine,” he said. “I already had buns and soup at home. I wanted to bring you some soup too, but it was hard to carry.”

Pouring hot water into the cup left by the original owner, Wen Jiao said, “Plain water’s fine for me—no need to trouble yourself. Oh, by the way, I’ve packed everything already. Let’s move my stuff to your house later.”

“Do you have a lot?” Zhou Changhuai asked.

“Not much. Just a travel bag of clothes I need to take. The quilt and household items I’ll leave with Auntie for your family to use.”

“Good. Let’s move it all over,” Zhou Changhuai agreed.

After breakfast, the two of them carried everything in one trip—including her dirty laundry and the clothes she’d borrowed from Zhou Suwei.

Shen Qiujü helped carry things into Zhou Changhuai’s room.

“Mom, just leave them here for now,” Zhou Changhuai said. “Xiaoqiao and I need to go to the brigade office for her paperwork and letter of introduction. We’ll tidy up when we get back.”

“Go on then,” Shen Qiujü replied.

Wen Jiao had planned to wash two sets of clothes, but Zhou Changhuai reminded her about the paperwork, so she set the laundry aside and went with him.

When they arrived at the brigade office, they happened to run into Brigade Leader Hu Qinghui coming out.

Seeing the two of them together, Hu Qinghui paused briefly, then smiled. “Morning, Changhuai. Comrade Wen. What brings you here?”

“Good morning, Captain,” Zhou Changhuai said. “We need a certificate and a letter of introduction, and Xiaoqiao’s personnel records. I’m taking her with me the day after tomorrow. We’ll register our marriage on Nanya Island.”

Hu Qinghui didn’t dare be careless. “All right, come inside. I’ll take care of it right away.”

Zhou Changhuai and Wen Jiao exchanged glances and followed him into the production team office.

Hu Qinghui asked the accountant to pour them two cups of hot water, then went off to locate Wen Jiao’s records and start the paperwork. While working, he apologized:

“Xiaoqiao, I didn’t sleep at all last night. I’ve already given my wife a stern talking-to. What she said yesterday was out of line. I sincerely apologize on her behalf and have done some deep self-reflection.”

“As brigade leader, I’ve made plenty of mistakes—too many personal considerations. As parents, we hate to see our children upset, you know what I mean?”

“The matter of the urban-return quota—that was my fault. I just called Director Wu of the county revolutionary committee to resign. He approved it. Today’s my last day on duty here.”