Chapter 127: Target Practice (Part 1)

In December, those who had gone up the mountain to dig holes had returned. The ground was frozen, making it impossible for them to work, so they had to wait until the spring to start again.

Zhang Lan began preparing clothes for the family for the upcoming Chinese New Year. Old Zhou’s family had sent him new cotton-padded jackets, clothes, and shoes. Only Old Chen and Old Cui’s families had not sent anything. Zhang Lan and Hao Lianchun didn’t expect anything to be sent from their families, so they quickly went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy cotton shoes, cotton, and fabric for the two men. The two women then started sewing at home.

During this time, the elderly men had earned a good amount of money from selling iron. Zhang Lan didn’t expect the elderly men to earn money to support their family, but she wanted to find work for them. She didn’t have time to think about other things, and having work to do would make the elderly men feel like they were still contributing to the family.

In just two days, the two finished making cotton pants and padded jackets for the elderly men. When Old Chen and Old Cui found out that the clothes were made for them, the two brothers hugged each other and shed tears.

Although Zuo Zhanshan and Old Wu’s eyes had been tempered by the trials of life. The two brothers’ red eyes had already betrayed their emotions. However, no one mentioned it. It was okay to cry. They had been holding it in for so long, and it was good to let it out. They had to continue living their lives.

“Wang Zhenhe, there’s a parcel for your family,” Xiao Bai’s familiar voice rang out again. During this time, the Wang family had been dealing with the post office the most.

Zhang Lan quickly put down the corn cob she was holding and ran outside. This time, Xiao Bai had brought a parcel slip and a remittance slip with Zuo Xiangqian’s name on it. Zhang Lan knew that it was sent by the eldest brother of the Zuo family.

“Thank you, Xiao Bai,” Zhang Lan said, holding the two slips as she excitedly entered the house. “Auntie, your eldest son sent a remittance and a parcel. I’ll go pick it up this afternoon.”

Hao Lianchun had been smiling continuously for the past few days. She had received a parcel and a remittance slip from her second son a few days ago, and now it was her eldest son’s turn. She was feeling really happy.

Wu Changyong sighed and said, “Old Wu, I envy you. Look at your sons. Then look at my bunch. Except for my wife, none of those brats even think about their old man still suffering here.”

Although Zuo Zhanshan was feeling happy, he continued to console Wu Changyong. “Old Wu, be content. If the children don’t come, it means they are busy. It’s a good thing for children to be busy. It’s better than those who are always fooling around. If you take those who are always shouting about loyalty and take them to the front lines to fight the enemy, I guarantee they would be scared out of their wits. Loyalty isn’t just about shouting it out; it’s about actions. So, as long as your son cares about you, that’s enough. Don’t complain so much.”

Old Chen and the others chuckled on the side, because Wu Changyong had his head down and couldn’t see Zuo Zhanshan’s expression when he said this. His grin was almost ear to ear.

“Alright, let’s go out and work. Earning more money for a good year is the right thing to do. Let’s go, brothers,” Zuo Zhanshan said.

Everyone put down the corn cobs they were shelling, put on their old padded jackets, and went out together. After observing them for some time, Hao Lianchun noticed that the spirits of the elderly men had improved since they started collecting scrap.

“Niece, I think it’s a good thing for them to collect scrap. Look at your Uncle Chen and the others; they seem to be in better spirits, and they’re smiling more. Despite getting dirty every day, their mood is getting better. I’m genuinely happy for them,” Hao Lianchun said to Zhang Lan.

Zhang Lan remembered something. “Auntie, do you know how to knit? I want to use the yarn that Zuo He’s mother sent to knit sweaters for the five children. We couldn’t afford it before, so I never learned how to knit.”

Hao Lianchun stared at Zhang Lan in surprise. “Lan, this yarn was bought for you and your husband. Why don’t you wear it?”

Zhang Lan lowered her head and said, “Auntie, it doesn’t matter what the adults wear. Our family didn’t have good conditions, and the children have suffered a lot. I just want them to have happy memories, not just memories of hardship.”

Even Hao Lianchun couldn’t help but admire Zhang Lan for her decision. It’s no wonder she raised such good children.

“Lan, since you’ve decided, I’ll knit for the children. But I’m sorry to trouble you and your husband,” Hao Lianchun said.

Zhang Lan smiled and replied, “Auntie, it’s not a trouble. With the children and all of you in this home, I feel content. A happy and lively family life is what matters. A little hardship and fatigue are nothing compared to that.”

Hao Lianchun was deeply moved by Zhang Lan’s simple and sincere words. She hadn’t misjudged this person. She was truly a kind-hearted child.

At that moment, an announcement came over the radio. “Attention, all community members. Attention, all community members. There will be a militia marksmanship exercise this afternoon. Please keep an eye on your children. The shooting range is near the South Dam Port. Please make sure your children stay away from the area.” The announcement was repeated three times.

Zhang Lan muttered to herself, “I need to remind the children not to go there in the afternoon. I don’t want them to get hurt.”

Hao Lianchun, while shelling corn, said, “It’s okay. Our children are sensible. It’s fine for them to watch from behind, but we just worry about them running around. It’s dangerous when they get to the shooting range. Zuo He knows about this, and besides, your daughter is there. She’s very clever and definitely won’t do anything dangerous.”

Zhang Lan didn’t know why the elderly lady was so confident in her children, but she still planned to remind them at noon to be on the safe side.

When Wang Qian and the others, who were picking up scrap iron in the garbage dump, heard the news, they were excited. Shooting was a favorite activity for boys, even Wang Qian is  especially for curious. She also wanted to see how the militia trained at this time.

“Brother, let’s go take a look at noon. It must be very interesting,” Mingcheng said.

Mingcheng also wanted to go, but he hesitated a bit. “It’s dangerous for Qianqian to come. Let’s tell Mom when we get home.”

Zuo He, on the other hand, excitedly said, “Mingcheng, it’s not dangerous. As long as we watch from a distance behind them, it’s fine. I’ve seen my dad and others shoot before, and nothing happened.”

The children hadn’t heard the sound of gunfire for a long time, and they really missed the days when they used to watch people shoot at the military shooting range.

In order to see the militia training, the siblings finished work early and hurried home after selling the last batch of scrap iron. They wanted to have dinner early and watch the shooting.

As Zhang Lan began to cook, she saw her five children running into the yard. “Mom, can we go watch the shooting?”

Before Zhang Lan could instruct the children, they made their request. “Mingyuan, it’s really dangerous to watch the shooting. Haven’t you heard the radio announcement asking children not to be near the area?”

Zuo He chimed in, “Auntie, it’s okay. We’ll stand behind them and watch from a distance. I’ve seen my dad shoot before, and my grandpa has taken me to watch shooting too. I promise it will be fine.”

Zuo He’s earnest assurance and hand gesture amused Zhang Lan. She crouched down, took Zuo He’s hand, and asked, “Zuo He, are you sure it’s safe? I’m worried about your safety. I can’t explain to your parents if anything happens.”

Zuo He eagerly assured her, “Auntie, it will be fine. We won’t go near the target. The gun can’t turn around and shoot at us. If that happened, they wouldn’t be fit to be militiamen. That would make them even worst than my brother.”

Zuo He’s earnest expression greatly pleased Zhang Lan. She picked him up and said, “Alright, I’ll ask your grandmother and see what she says. If she agrees, then I have no objections.”

Hao Lianchun, of course, had no objections. Their children had been taken to the shooting range to watch people shoot since they were young. Their family was a revolutionary family, and it was inconceivable that their descendants had never seen shooting.

“Lan, it’s fine. Let the children go. It’s rare for them to have some fun. This time, let them broaden their horizons and see how shooting is done. With Zuo He and Qianqian watching over them, it will be fine,” the elderly lady said.

With the elderly lady’s approval, Zhang Lan naturally relented. With her daughter watching over them, she had nothing to worry about. She felt reassured about the children.

When the elderly men returned home after lunch, they discussed the shooting. Wu Changyong’s excitement grew as he talked about it. It had been a long time since he had held a gun, and the urge was irresistible for someone who had been shooting all his life.

“Old Zuo, why don’t we go and watch it live?” Wu Changyong suggested.

Zuo Zhanshan had the same idea, and when old Wu brought it up, he was more than happy to go. “Alright, we’ll go and see how these young folks handle their guns this afternoon.”

Learning that the elderly men were also going to watch, Zhang Lan felt completely at ease. With the two of them there, nothing would go wrong.

After lunch, the elderly men rested at home for a while before heading out to collect scrap iron. Zhang Lan also had to go to the post office. She went there with a handcart, as the package was said to be quite large.

The children gathered around Wu Changyong, asking about shooting. The two elderly men enthusiastically explained the essentials of shooting, and Wu Changyong even demonstrated the action on the ground.

After the discussion, it was time to go watch the shooting. The two elderly men led the five children towards the South Dam Port. Many community members had gathered to watch the event, as there were usually not many entertainment activities. Anything lively was worth watching.

Zuo Zhanshan and Wu Changyong stood with the children as the militiamen ran a lap around the open space before commencing the shooting practice. The targets were set up on the opposite slope.

After the shots were fired, old Wu couldn’t help but express his disappointment. The shooting skills were subpar, with one shot missing the target completely, and the best shot only hitting the outer ring. Wu Changyong was visibly upset. “This is terrible. The bullets deserve better,” he said angrily.