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Zhu Qiyu glared at the departing families, feeling frustrated as she looked at the seemingly worthless lot she had drawn. She had hoped for her son to draw a good lot and select a good piglet, but it didn’t turn out as expected. Wang Zhenguo, feeling impatient, said, “Mom, I have to go back first. Fenqing is returning home today, and I need to hurry back to tidy up and visit my in-laws. They’ve already arranged work for me, and it wouldn’t be appropriate to arrive late. I’m leaving now.”
Without looking back, Wang Zhenguo walked away, leaving only Wang Deshan and his family behind.
Zhu Qiyu was about to say that her in-laws lived nearby and there was no rush, but her son didn’t give her a chance to speak and left.
“That rascal, couldn’t he have helped us carry the piglet back before leaving? Zhi, go find your second brother. Their number is ahead of ours. When they’re done, ask him to come and help,” Zhu Qiyu instructed.
Wang Zhi didn’t want to carry the piglet back on her own, so he immediately ran into the crowd to find Wang Zhenjiang.
The Wang family returned home with their chosen piglet, excitedly setting up a temporary pigpen in the yard.
“Zhenhe, this afternoon, we’ll go out and pick some stones to build a sturdier pigpen. It will provide a better space for future pigs. Also, for the pig trough, will we make it out of wood or carve one out of stone?”
After looking at the pigpen, Wang Zhenhe pondered for a moment. “Uncle, why don’t we make a wooden trough? It will be more convenient to move in the future. A stone trough would be quite laborious. We still have some leftover boards at home. I’ll go borrow some tools, and you two can quickly build one.”
As Wang Zhenhe went to borrow tools, Mingyuan and the others stood outside, watching the piglet that now belonged to their family. They curiously observed the piglet in the pen, which seemed a bit restless, running around and squealing.
“Brother, is the piglet hungry? Look at how it’s squealing,” Zuo Yu said. Their family had never raised pigs, so the sound of the piglet made him feel a bit anxious.
At that moment, Zhang Lan found a broken basin, which had been damaged when Wang Mei visited last time. Fortunately, it was still usable, and she decided to use it as a temporary trough for the piglet.
She mixed some cornmeal and bran with warm water in the basin. The piglet, which had been squealing, stopped making noise when it smelled the familiar scent and obediently lowered its head to eat.
Seeing and hearing the piglet eat, the family couldn’t help but feel envious of its hearty appetite. They wondered if the food smelled that good.
“Auntie, when will the piglet grow big?” Zuo He asked, already craving the delicious pork.
Zhang Lan smiled and replied, “The piglet will grow quickly. By winter, we can slaughter the pig and have pork. I’ll make blood sausages for you all to enjoy. But when the grass in the fields starts growing, you’ll need to gather pig feed for them. That way, the piglet will grow faster, and we’ll be able to enjoy the pork by the end of the year.”
The children didn’t mind gathering pig feed. Grass grew everywhere on the mountainside and along the riverbanks, so they could easily gather enough for the piglet to eat.
With the borrowed tools, Wang Zhenhe and the others began to work on building a simple pig trough in the yard. With the expertise of old Wu and the others, it was a straightforward task. Wang Zhenhe could only hand over tools and assist, as there was no need for him to do much else.
While the villagers were happy about raising a pig, they also worried about the shortage of food. If there wasn’t enough food for people, how could they feed the pig? When the grass started to sprout, families with children could be seen gathering wild vegetables.
A few days later, Zhang Weiguo came with good news. He had enlisted in the army, and all his medical tests had passed. He would be leaving with the troops in a short while.
Upon hearing that her younger brother was joining the army, Zhang Lan felt a mix of joy and sadness. She was happy for him, but she also felt sad, knowing that he would be going far away, and she wouldn’t be able to see or touch him. She was also concerned about how a young boy like him would cope with the hardships of being away from home.
Seeing his sister’s emotions, Zhang Weiguo felt uneasy. He held Zhang Lan’s hand and said, “Sis, I’m joining the army, so I’m entrusting our parents to you. Our brother isn’t reliable, and you know how frugal and stingy our sister-in-law is. I can only rely on you. If anything happens at home, I won’t be able to come back. You and your husband will have to bear more responsibility. When I return, I’ll make sure to repay you and your husband properly.”
Zhang Weiguo’s words brought tears to Zhang Lan’s eyes. “Silly little brother, they are our parents. What do you need to repay? Just go and rest assured. We’ll take care of things at home.”
Wang Zhenhe also assured him, “Weiguo, go to the army with peace of mind. We’re here at home, and I promise to take good care of our parents.”
Zuo Zhanshan and old Wu called Zhang Weiguo into a room for a private conversation, but no one knew the details of their discussion, and he didn’t reveal anything when asked.
On the day Zhang Weiguo joined the army, the elders, including old Chen, repeatedly reminded him not to neglect his studies, even when he was in the army, as it would be useful in the future.
“Uncle, you can rest assured that I won’t neglect my studies wherever I go. Thank you all for your guidance during this time, and please take care of my sister’s family,” Zhang Weiguo said, bowing deeply to everyone.
During this period, Zhang Weiguo’s family had no major issues, likely due to the influence of the elders. The Wang family members dared not provoke them, and Zhang Weiguo felt grateful to those who had helped him.
The elders embraced the young man tightly, feeling his diligence, hard work, humility, and gratitude. They were confident that they hadn’t misjudged him.
“If you encounter any difficulties in your studies, write to us, and we’ll help you. Take care of yourself out there,” the elders advised Zhang Weiguo.
On the day Zhang Weiguo joined the army, Zhang Lan personally took her family to see him off. Dressed in military uniform with a red armband, although he didn’t have any shoulder insignia, he looked spirited and handsome. Wang Qian thought highly of her uncle, especially when he was dressed so smartly.
While old Wu and Zuo Zhanshan didn’t show much emotion, the other elders had tears in their eyes. Over the past year, they had been grateful to Zhang Weiguo for bringing them food, which had helped them maintain their health. The most emotional farewells were from Zhang Lan and her mother, who began to cry as they bid farewell to Zhang Weiguo as he boarded the army truck.
Wang Qian couldn’t help but shed tears herself. The scene was heart-wrenching, and the other families bidding farewell were similarly emotional. They all cried after their children left, feeling the pain of unexpectedly parting with the children they had raised for so many years.
Especially in rural areas, when an adult male leaves, it means the loss of a strong laborer. Although joining the army is an honorable thing, every child is the mother’s flesh and blood. Even if a mother doesn’t show favoritism, if one child leaves, it breaks her heart.
Zhang Hua and Hao Lianchun, with tears in their eyes, tried to console Geng Lianhua. Geng Lianhua knew that it was an honor for her child to join the army and gain experience outside. However, she couldn’t help but cry. She had only one obedient child left at home, who eagerly took on all the hard work and didn’t let her, as a mother, worry. Her eldest son, who knows where his heart lies, was nowhere near as dutiful.
Now that she had sent her precious son to join the army, she truly felt reluctant. She didn’t know if her child would have enough to eat or if he would suffer from the cold.
“Mother, we can’t cry anymore. If you keep crying, it will affect your health. How can Weiguo be at ease in the army? For the sake of our child, we have to take care of ourselves and not let him worry,” Zhang Hua said.
Geng Lianhua cried hard to vent her emotions and slowly stopped her tears. “I’m fine. I just feel uneasy. I don’t know when my child will return. He has never been away from me for so many years. I’m afraid he won’t adapt to being away from home for the first time.”
Seeing her grandmother like this reminded Wang Qian of an old saying: “A son travels a thousand miles, and the mother worries a thousand miles.” Geng Lianhua’s current state was a perfect illustration of this saying.
As Zhang Weiguo entered the army and immersed himself in the revolutionary furnace, life at home had to go on as usual.
Summer was approaching, and the weather was getting warmer. Mingyuan and Zuo Yu would bring back a bunch of grass after school, which was enough for the piglet to eat and grow strong.
As the days grew longer, after school, Mingyuan and Zuo Yu would play with the neighboring children. There weren’t many entertainment activities in the countryside, so the children had to find their own fun.
Playing Pai Zi involves using flat stones that can stand upright. The children are divided into two teams. One team stands their own stone upright, while the other team stands a few meters away and tries to knock down the opponent’s stone. If they succeed, it’s considered a victory; otherwise, they are eliminated. The game continues until one team has eliminated all the players of the opposing team.
However, this game was too simple for Zuo Yu and the others, as they had been well-trained by their grandfather during their daily outings. Therefore, they always ended up winning. Nevertheless, this didn’t dampen the children’s enthusiasm for the game. They enjoyed it, and Wang Qian would simply watch from the sidelines, returning home when she felt tired.
In the evening, Wang Zhenhe found two iron hoops from a garbage heap and took Mingyuan and Zuo Hao out to play with them. After teaching the children how to play, he left them to enjoy themselves.
After dinner, Wang Xuan used a worn-out kitchen knife to prepare food for the chickens, ducks, and geese. Zhang Lan was afraid of losing the poultry she had raised with so much effort, so she hadn’t dared to let them out. For now, she had to feed them manually.
In addition to Pai zi, children in the 1970s also played a game were they would fold old paper into four-cornered cards and use another card to flip the ones on the ground. If they succeeded in flipping a card, it would belong to the opponent.