Chapter 63: Feng Qiufeng

Feng Yi, in his early years, learned pinyin while attending school with Jiang Liyun. However, their teacher at that time struggled even with standard Mandarin, let alone pinyin. With only three years of education, Feng Yi faced difficulty recognising all characters while reading.

Determined, Feng Yi diligently noted unfamiliar words in his textbooks, planning to ask Jiang Lihai for help in the evening.

After studying until 3 p.m., Feng Yi packed up his books and, accompanied by Feng Qiufeng, went to sell fried chicken at a stall.

By the time the chicken was sold out around 5 p.m., he rode a tricycle loaded with various tools and Feng Qiufeng back to their shop.

The carpenter arrived in town to work around 6 a.m. and left by 4 p.m. As darkness fell early, around 5 p.m., Feng Daifa, though Gu Lanlan had left after lunch, was still in the shop, diligently applying paint to a table, when Feng Yi and the others returned.

“Why don’t you turn on the lights, little uncle?” Feng Yi asked.

“No need for lights; it’s a waste of electricity,” Gu Daifa chuckled.

“It won’t use much electricity. Feel free to turn them on if needed,” Feng Yi said, switching on the lights.

Gu Daifa smiled but remained silent.

Understanding that he likely didn’t pay much attention, Feng Yi could only say, “Little uncle, we’re heading back.”

“Alright,” Gu Daifa nodded and carefully sealed the paint can.

Feng Yi unloaded the tricycle, then said to Feng Qiufeng, “Aunt Qiufeng, once we leave, close the door and put the table and chairs behind it.”

Feng Qiufeng nodded repeatedly.

Only after they left did Feng Qiufeng close the door, secure it with a heavy bolt, move some tables and chairs behind it, and then start preparing her dinner.

The lunch was prepared by Jiang Lamei and her husband, who intentionally made a bit extra for Feng Qiufeng’s dinner.

The coal in the stove hadn’t burned out yet. Feng Qiufeng placed a small iron pot on it, poured some oil used for frying chicken, added the leftover rice, and began to stir-fry. The aroma of fried rice soon filled the air.

She believed the oil used for frying chicken could be reused indefinitely, but after a few uses, Jiang Liyun would insist on discarding it, citing its potential harm to health.

Disliking waste and not minding the health impact, Feng Qiufeng secretly kept the oil to use for frying rice.

She even made her own oil lamp.

Taking a small dish meant for vinegar, she filled it with the oil Jiang Liyun intended to throw away. She then twisted the cotton thread she took from a flour sack into a thick wick, soaked it in the oil, and lit it—a simple homemade oil lamp.

Using an electric light consumed too much electricity, so having an oil lamp sufficed.

The stove’s fire was not strong, so it took a while to heat the rice. Once done, Feng Qiufeng added the leftover dishes, giving them a quick stir-fry.

Labelled as leftovers, these were actually leftovers from the lunch saved for her—an indulgence of braised pork and stir-fried vegetables.

Now, turned into fried rice with vegetables and topped with a piece of braised pork, Feng Qiufeng sat at the table with her bowl, taking a big mouthful. At that moment, she felt incredibly content.

Such richly flavoured fried rice was something she could never have dreamed of enjoying before!

She hadn’t expected to be living such good days—no beatings, getting full at every meal, and even having meat every time!

Previously, Jiang Liyun had asked Feng Qiufeng if she felt scared living alone. Feng Qiufeng wasn’t afraid at all; living alone, why would she be scared? At home, she couldn’t sleep soundly, always on guard against someone suddenly entering and grabbing her hair to beat her—that was truly frightening!

She often struggled to sleep at home, sometimes staying awake until dawn. Even on the rare occasions she slept well, she would wake up suddenly.

Thinking she had a sleeping disorder, she realised these days, when she securely locked the door and had the entire house to herself, she didn’t know how well she could sleep.

After finishing her meal, Feng Qiufeng couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

The dimly lit house, with only one oil lamp, suddenly echoed with laughter, a somewhat eerie scene. But Feng Qiufeng only felt joy; her current life was unbelievably good. The only issue was that she missed her own children a bit.

However, not being at home was better for her children. They lived with their grandparents, went to bed early, and her man wouldn’t harm them. When she endured beatings, her children would come out and stop her man from hitting her.

During those times, her children would also get beaten. She didn’t want them to suffer, so she endured the pain quietly, but her man would continue to scold her while hitting, waking the children, and they too would get beaten. Sometimes, she wished she could just die, which would be better for the children.

But now, she didn’t want to die. Even if she had to hand over fifty yuan every month, she could still save thirty. Saving thirty each month would accumulate to over three hundred in a year. She wanted to save money for her children.

The night had fallen, and with nothing else to do, Feng Qiufeng extinguished the oil lamp and went to bed early in the loft.

Tomorrow morning, she had to wake up early.

On the other side, Feng Yi, riding his tricycle, first took Gu Daifa home and then hurriedly returned to the Jiang family.

When he arrived at the Jiang family, Jiang Liyun had just returned and was washing her face.

Taking a bath in winter was troublesome. When Jiang Liyun was young, she often went the entire winter without bathing, just using a hot towel to wipe her body. After her rebirth, she couldn’t stand it and would occasionally take a bath, usually during the day.

There was a small shed behind their house for bathing. She planted three bamboo poles in the muddy ground, hung a plastic film to create a makeshift tent, and then bathed in the sealed “small room” created by the plastic film.

With the plastic film blocking the heat, it wasn’t cold, but the concentration of water vapour inside could become too high. After a while, it would be hard to breathe, and that’s when she had to pull the plastic film for ventilation, or she might faint.

Now it was already evening, and Jiang Liyun didn’t feel like taking a bath. She just washed her hands and face carefully, changed clothes, and had her dinner.

After eating, she soaked her feet in hot water, took out the money box and account book that Feng Yi had given her, and calculated her accounts while soaking her feet.

Not having to knead dough or chop meat in the evening made things much easier.

Jiang Liping peeked, wanting to see Jiang Liyun’s account book.

Seeing her, Jiang Liyun frowned. “Jiang Liping, if you have time, go help Little Yu with her homework. Don’t come over here.”

Jiang Liping pursed her lips. “Do you think I’m interested in seeing yours?” Jiang Liyun might make decent money with her shop, but she definitely didn’t earn as much as Sun Jinshan!

When she marries Sun Jinshan, she can count on even more money!

After asking Jiang Liping to leave, Jiang Liyun continued counting the money in her hands. Once finished, she turned to Feng Yi, saying, “Feng Yi.”

“Big sister Liyun,” Feng Yi immediately rushed to Jiang Liyun’s side.

Jiang Liyun handed him twenty yuan, saying, “Feng Yi, this is your pocket money. You can buy whatever you want to eat with it.”

Previously, Jiang Liyun hadn’t specifically given money to Feng Yi, and since Feng Yi wasn’t someone to take money from the cash box, he had always had little money.

Back then, Jiang Liyun didn’t find it necessary. They were poor, and distributing money evenly maximised their benefits. Plus, she was always with Feng Yi, and if he needed anything, she could directly help him buy it without the need for extra money.

However, now that Feng Yi was running the shop alone, he couldn’t go without any money.

Business income needed to be accounted for, but this pocket money was for personal use, and Feng Yi could spend it however he wanted.

“Big sister Liyun, I don’t need pocket money,” Feng Yi said.

“Take it. We’re not wealthy yet. I’ll give you twenty each month, and when we have more money, I’ll increase it for you,” Jiang Liyun insisted.

Feng Yi felt he didn’t need to spend money, but since Jiang Liyun insisted, he accepted it.

He could save it and buy clothes for Jiang Liyun!

Jiang Liping witnessed this scene and admired her sister immensely!

In terms of being formidable, it was still her sister who was formidable.

She married Li Xuyang, but she couldn’t touch Li Xuyang’s salary. What about her sister? Feng Yi worked hard day and night to earn money, and all the earnings were handed over. Her sister only gave Feng Yi a small allowance.

When she got married later, she would learn from her sister!

Jiang Liyun was unaware of Jiang Liping’s plans to learn from her. After finishing the accounts, she discussed the engagement with Jiang Lihai.

Earlier, she had asked Jiang Lihai to enquire with the He family about when they wanted to have the engagement. They had spent money to consult a fortune-teller, and after expressing their desire for a mid-December engagement, the fortune-teller calculated and suggested the auspicious date of the twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month.

It was the same date she had picked herself after looking at the calendar.

Initially, Jiang Lamei and her husband were a bit uneasy, fearing the chosen date might not be good. However, they were now relieved.

Even the fortune-teller said the date was good!

The two were discussing, and Feng Yi brought over Jiang Lihai’s old textbook, asking, “Brother Lihai, how do you pronounce this character?”

Jiang Lihai looked at the character, pronounced it directly, and added, “This ‘掷’ means to throw something, and there are related idioms like ‘孤注一掷’ and ‘掷地有声.'”

Jiang Liyun felt uneasy hearing Jiang Lihai’s non-standard Mandarin.

Jiang Lihai’s Mandarin was too off!

He pronounced “掷” as “自,” and “孤注一掷” as “孤租一自.”

Jiang Liping then commented, “Brother, your Mandarin is not standard!”

Looking at Jiang Liping, who had attended junior high school in town, Jiang Liyun expected her Mandarin to be more standard. However, she said, “It’s not ‘租,’ it’s the fourth tone, not the first!”

Even Jiang Liping’s Mandarin carried a noticeable accent, not much better than Jiang Lihai’s.

Jiang Liyun sighed. “Feng Yi, let me teach you.”

Her Mandarin was much better than Jiang Lihai’s and Jiang Liping’s.

In her previous life, when her son was studying, the school emphasised Mandarin, and speaking dialect would result in deductions.

Her Mandarin wasn’t good, and her son disliked it. So, she learned pinyin while helping him with homework.

Feng Yi sat in front of Jiang Liyun, and she said, “The character ‘掷’ is pronounced with a retroflex; let’s start with pinyin.”

She then turned to Jiang Liyu, saying, “Little Rain, you should learn along with us!”

Jiang Liyu, who attended primary school in the 1980s in the countryside, also had non-standard Mandarin.

She believed her Mandarin, though not as good as professional broadcasters, was definitely better than the village school teachers’.

Jiang Liyun, facing a shortage of qualified teachers, began teaching Feng Yi pinyin, reading them aloud.

Her proficiency in pinyin came not only from tutoring her children but also from using it to type on the computer.

Feng Yi quickly learned pinyin, while Jiang Liyu struggled.

As for Jiang Lihai and Jiang Liping… They were bewildered.

Although their Mandarin wasn’t great, exposure to radio broadcasts made them familiar with standard Mandarin.

Jiang Liyun’s Mandarin, however, was exceptionally standard!

After some thought, Jiang Liyun said, “Feng Yi, in the future, when I talk to you, I’ll try to use Mandarin so that you can learn faster.”

“Okay!” Feng Yi nodded earnestly.

Jiang Lihai looked at Feng Yi, feeling a sense of urgency rising within him.

He, too, needed to find time to study; otherwise, Feng Yi might surpass him one day.

That evening, the atmosphere at the Jiang family’s home was good, and it was the same in other households in the village.

Gu Dafa was dropped off by Feng Yi at his doorstep, in a hurry to enter his house. As soon as he stepped inside, he smelled the aroma of meat and exclaimed, “Are we having meat today?”

“Not meat, we’re having chicken heads,” Jiang Xiaogu said, bringing out a plate of braised chicken heads and “chicken blood soup with added chicken intestines.”

Things like chicken liver, gizzard, and heart were frozen by Jiang Liyun, but she didn’t freeze the chicken intestines, letting people in the village pick and take them.

Jiang Xiaogu said, “I’m now responsible for cutting chicken meat at Liyun’s place, getting paid based on the number of chickens cut. It’s great—taking care of the family and earning money. We brought back quite a bit today!”

The plate of braised chicken heads brought by Jiang Xiaogu still had chicken skin and intestines mixed in, and the chicken blood soup also contained chicken intestines.

Wealthier families might disdain such items, but for ordinary families in the village, these were considered good things!

Gu Dafa had been eating well in Jiang Liyun’s shop these days, but he still enjoyed well-cooked chicken heads.

As the Gu family enjoyed their meal, other households in the village were doing the same.

Jiang Honghai was still drinking tonight, but unlike before, when he could only pair it with pickled vegetables, there was now a plate of steamed chicken heads on the table.

Jiang Honghai’s mother, despite her age, was still doing various chores. After a long day, she didn’t feel like braising the chicken heads; instead, she just steamed them for Jiang Honghai to dip in soy sauce.

Jiang Honghai used chopsticks to pick up a chicken head, dipped it in soy sauce, took a sip of wine, and savoured it.

However, he had some complaints: “Xiaofeng went to town, and we can’t see her anymore! The house has been a mess lately!”

Jiang Honghai’s mother said, “She’s there to earn money; she can’t come back every day.”

“But why does Gu Dafa come back every day?” Jiang Honghai was dissatisfied.

His mother replied, “Didn’t they say? She kneads dough at night and wakes up at three in the morning to make dumplings. If she stays here, she won’t make it to town for work.”

Jiang Honghai finally stopped complaining.

Jiang Honghai’s father changed the topic: “These chicken heads are really delicious; let’s go pick some more tomorrow.”

“Yes, let’s get more, and we can pick extra chicken intestines to braise,” Jiang Honghai said as he immersed the entire chicken head in soy sauce, then sucked a bit of meat.

Drinking too much had intensified Jiang Honghai’s taste buds; what others found salty, he considered bland.

Jiang Honghai’s thirteen-year-old daughter looked at him with cold eyes.

She and her younger brother each received two chicken heads, but they only ate one each. After finishing their meal, they took the remaining chicken heads off the table.

Using a clean, old packaging bag, they packed the chicken heads. Jiang Fenlan looked at her younger brother, Jiang Anshu, and said, “Anshu, let’s go to town tomorrow to find Mum.”

Jiang Anshu nodded seriously.

At ten years old, he was no longer considered young in the countryside, and he understood many things.

For example, although their grandparents seemed kind to them, their father was the one who cared about them the most.

Mum was the one who treated them the best.

They didn’t know how well Mum was doing in town—whether she was working from dawn to dusk.

They wanted to go and see her. The chicken heads they ate today were brought back so that their mum could taste them too.

The two children agreed and went to sleep.

Lately, at night, their father would go crazy after drinking, but luckily, Mum wasn’t here, so they wouldn’t be beaten.

The next day.

After hiring help, Jiang Liyun no longer needed to get up early to fry dumplings. She woke up at five, quickly made scrambled eggs and fried rice for herself, and then Feng Yi drove her father, mother, and Gu Dafa to the town to open the shop. She headed to the abandoned temple to make preparations.

Though three people were in the vehicle, Feng Yi’s tricycle was still quite fast. When they arrived in town, Feng Qiufeng, who slept and woke up early, had already lit the oil lamps and made many dumplings.

In fact, Feng Yi was aware that Feng Qiufeng had secretly kept the oil that Jiang Liyun intended to discard. However, when Feng Qiufeng claimed it was for lighting lamps, he didn’t say much. He just advised her to be careful not to ignite anything unintentionally.

After moving various items for setting up the stall, Feng Yi and Gu Dafa went to sell pan-fried dumplings, while Jiang’s parents joined to make more dumplings.

Jiang’s parents had already made enough pan-fried dumplings to sell, so Feng Qiufeng didn’t need to join in the busy work. She stayed in the shop, painting tables.

In no time, she finished painting the tables.

Feeling a bit awkward with nothing to do, Feng Qiufeng suddenly saw her daughter peeking at the doorway.

Startled, Feng Qiufeng asked, “Fenlan, why are you here? Aren’t you supposed to be in school?”

Jiang Anshu came out from behind Jiang Fenlan and said to Feng Qiufeng, “Mum, we came to see you and brought you something delicious!”

Feng Qiufeng felt a warm feeling in her heart, but when she saw that the delicious thing they brought was just two chicken heads, her eyes teared up again.

“Enjoy them. Mum is eating well here. It’s getting late; you should go to school. Come back on Saturday afternoon when you don’t have to go to school, and Mum will prepare something delicious for you then,” Feng Qiufeng said.

She had only been in town for a week, busy trying to prove herself and afraid of her husband, so she hadn’t gone back to see her children.

She didn’t expect her children to miss her so much.

In the next few days, she could save some good food for them. When her children came to see her on Saturday, she would have something special for them.

What she received was much better than chicken heads. This morning, the Jiang family brought her a whole lunchbox of egg-fried rice!

[CORRECTION]

• The Chinese character ‘掷’ is pronounced as “zhì” and it means “to throw” or “to cast.”
•
1. ‘孤注一掷’ (gū zhù yī zhì): This idiom means “to risk all in one attempt” or “to make a desperate gamble.”

2. ‘掷地有声’ (zhì dì yǒu shēng): This expression translates to “resounding success” or “a highly successful endeavour,” often used to describe an achievement that attracts attention and praise.

•
‘掷’ (zhì) was mistakenly pronounced as “自” (zì).
– ‘孤注一掷’ (gū zhù yī zhì) was mistakenly pronounced as “孤租一自” (gū zū yī zì).

These errors suggest mispronunciations of both the individual character and the idiom in Mandarin.

• The Chinese character ‘租’ is pronounced as “zū,” and it means “to rent” or “rental.” In the context you provided earlier, there was a pronunciation mistake where it was mispronounced as “自” (zì).