Chapter 56: Target Practice  

After preparing their tools, the group headed to the seaside. Along the way, Zhang Lan greeted acquaintances, while Wang Qian followed her grandfather and younger uncle.

By the time they reached the shore, the tide had already receded, leaving behind various items. Zhang Lan collected seaweed in a small basket, and the receding water had washed many sea cucumbers onto the shore, a valuable ingredient for nourishing her mother’s health.

At that time, people’s understanding of sea cucumbers was not as extensive as in later years, so no one competed with her for this treasure. On the beach, Zhang Lan saw her daughter bustling around like a busy bee, standing out as the most active. While others stayed in one place, she scoured the area, observing the ebb and flow.

Once Wang Qian had collected most of the sea cucumbers from the beach, her small basket was full. She discreetly transferred the contents of the basket into the space’s basin, also collecting some seawater to keep the seafood alive.

After finishing this task, she began to search for ingredients suitable for cooking. Sea lettuce could be used to make cold noodles at home, and chicken claw vegetables could be stir-fried. Anything edible was gathered, as there were no vegetables left at home.

When Zhang Lan’s basket was full, she approached her daughter and had her transfer the contents into the space. Unbeknownst to others, the mother and daughter had already placed many items in the space. By the time Zhang Weiguo and his father finished collecting the clams, the tide had begun to rise.

Geng Lianhua carried a large basket of clams over and, seeing her daughter’s full basket, nodded in approval. “Not bad. Even though you’ve married outside the mountains, your skills are still sharp. Let’s head home. It’s time to tidy up and return.”

The family, laden with their bountiful harvest, headed back. Geng Lianhua’s neighbor greeted her with a smile. “Sister, did you catch so much today? Will you be able to eat it all?”

Geng Lianhua replied with a smile, “We won’t be eating these ourselves. My daughter’s family is building a house and doesn’t have anything good to offer the helpers. So, we’re gathering some things to take back to them.”

The neighbor kindly said, “Building a house is a big deal. Do you have enough? Take these with you. I’ll come over tomorrow to gather more.”

Zhang Lan hurriedly declined, “Sister, it’s not easy for you to come all this way. I can’t accept it. Next time, my younger brother will bring some over when he comes.”

The neighbor was insistent. “Zhang Lan, I can’t help with your house, but I can gather some seafood. We can’t let it go to waste by the shore. Take it, or I’ll get angry.”

Unable to refuse the neighbor’s  kindness, Zhang Lan finally accepted what she offered.

After returning home, they returned the neighbor’s basket and packed up. Geng Lianhua put the gathered seafood into two large baskets and had her daughter carry them back.

Concerned about her child traveling at night, Geng Lianhua quickly sent them off after preparing everything. Zhang Lan carried the two heavy baskets of seafood, while Wang Qian looked around. Once they were out of the village and saw no one around, they transferred the items into the space.

With no more burdens, they hastened their steps back. They still had one more thing to do, which was to catch some wild game in the mountains.

When they reached the small road between the mountains, Wang Qian pulled Zhang Lan into the bushes. Once in the woods, Zhang Lan realized how difficult it was for a child to navigate. “Qianqian, did you get lost last time you came here?”

In the woods, Zhang Lan had lost her sense of direction, especially as a seven-year-old child.

“It’s okay, Mom. It’s all in the past. I’m not afraid now that you’re with me,” Wang Qian reassured her mother.

Zhang Lan tightly held her child’s hand. Some words were no longer meaningful, so she could only express her presence through this action.

Wild chickens and rabbits were not easy to find in the jungle. They had to search for them, and the two of them ventured deep into the forest. Fortunately, luck was on their side that day. They soon spotted a wild chicken foraging. With a thought, Wang Qian brought it into the space. To prevent the chicken from causing trouble in the space, they tied it up before bringing it in. The wild chicken was obedient in the space, and they caught it without any trouble.

Afterward, they continued searching until it was getting dark. They emerged from the woods with a total of six chickens and five rabbits. Additionally, they found wild grapes on the mountain and took some vine cuttings to propagate in the space.

Exiting the woods, they found themselves near the home of He Zhengkui. They were familiar with the route, so they could return home more quickly.

Wang Zhenhe and the others were about to go out to look for them as it was getting dark, when the door was pushed open.

“We’re back.”

The mother and daughter entered the house, each carrying a few items.

“Mom, you’re finally back. We were just about to come find you,” Mingyuan happily rushed over.

Zhang Lan quickly reached out to catch him. “Good boy, missed Mom? Have you all eaten?”

“We’ve all eaten. Are you both hungry? The food is still in the pot,” Wang Zhenhe said, coming over to pick up his younger daughter. “Qianqian, are you tired?”

He had missed his daughter after not seeing her for a day. “Dad, I’m not tired, just missed you a bit,” she replied.

Zhang Lan almost burst out laughing at her daughter’s persuasive words. Wang Zhenhe’s eyes turned red upon hearing that his daughter missed him. “Yes, Dad missed our little Qianqian too.”

He put his daughter on the kang and personally helped her take off her shoes. “Qianqian, do your feet hurt?” he asked, using his rough hands to gently massage her feet.

After walking such a long way, Wang Qian’s feet were indeed quite sore. However, after her father’s massage, the pain lessened. “Dad, it feels really comfortable now. I’ll soak them later, and they’ll feel even better.”

Zhang Lan and her eldest daughter had already set the table again. Seeing the children’s eager expressions, Zhang Lan brought the bowls and chopsticks to the table. “Children, come and eat. Mom and your sister aren’t feeling well. It’s more comfortable to eat together with you.”

After serving the children, they didn’t eat much for dinner, wanting to save more for Mom and her sister. Even Wang Zhenhe ate very little.

With Zhang Lan’s call, the family gathered again to eat. Wang Zhenhe said as he ate, “It’s only when the family eats together that it feels good. It doesn’t feel right when you and our daughter aren’t at home. The four of us can’t enjoy the meal.”

Mingcheng and his elder sister nodded in agreement with their father’s words. “Mom, Dad said we’ll start target practice tomorrow.”

Mingcheng’s revelation surprised Zhang Lan. “Zhenhe, have you already discussed this with the team leader?”

Wang Zhenhe nodded. “Yes, and we’ll start digging the foundation tomorrow. The day after, we’ll start laying bricks and stones. I’ve already informed my sister-in-law and a few others to come and help with the target practice. We’ll be able to live in a big house in the future.”

The family was full of anticipation for living in a real house, as their current living conditions were quite challenging.

The next day, the people who came to help gradually arrived. Wang Zhenhe had already brought sorghum poles from the team. The women squatted on the ground, chatting as they skillfully connected and arranged the sorghum poles, long enough to cover the length of five rooms. These targets would be placed on the roof beams. Only after setting up the targets could the tiles be laid. Otherwise, there would be nowhere to place the roof tiles.

House construction techniques in the 1970s were not as advanced as in later years, especially in rural areas, where traditional methods were still followed.

The news of the Wang family building a house was met with joy by everyone, except for one person—Wang Zhenhe’s birth mother.

The old lady didn’t expect her son’s family to start building a house so soon, and she heard that it would be a five-room brick house. In the countryside, the concept of building a five-room brick house was a sign of considerable wealth. However, the old lady knew better than anyone how much money her son’s family had. She felt uneasy about the situation. It seemed like a show-off, as they had just moved out, and now a big house was going to be built, even better than their own.

The yard was occasionally filled with sounds, either from a bucket falling or from the old lady scolding the chickens. Zhu Qiyu could only vent her dissatisfaction in this manner.

However, Zhang Lan didn’t mind these actions. She had grown accustomed to her mother-in-law’s behavior over time.

The other women who were helping, however, were not pleased. “Zhang Lan, look at your mother-in-law’s attitude. It’s one thing not to come and help, but now she’s making noise with everything in the house. I can’t stand having a mother-in-law like this.”

The other women continued to comment on the matter, but Zhang Lan remained silent, listening quietly. Although the women were talking, their hands were deftly working, and one target after another was securely bound with hemp rope.

“By the way, Zhang Lan, why hasn’t your younger sister-in-law come out to help? It’s her brother’s house being built. Why isn’t she showing her face?” asked Han Cui, the second sister-in-law, who was helping out.

Everyone in the village agreed with Han Cui’s words. Wang Juan, the eldest sister-in-law, glanced at the yard and noticed a figure moving. She whispered, “Sister-in-law, keep your voice down. Be careful not to let anyone in the yard hear.”

Han Cui didn’t care. “Am I afraid of her? Let her hear. I don’t expect her to live with us. It’s good enough if she doesn’t come to freeload at our house.”

Zhang Lan quickly changed the subject, and Wang Qian, holding the sorghum poles, handed them to the people setting up the targets, saving them the trouble of getting up.

Seeing Wang Qian bustling around, even the helpers admired her. “Zhang Lan, you’re really lucky. Look at how capable your daughter is. If my child were half as good as yours, I’d be over the moon.”