Chapter 20: Gluing the Shoe Soles

After chatting with Sister Zhang for a while, Meng Yufei took Xia Qinqin back home.

Xia Junshan had already prepared the bathwater, and the three of them took turns bathing. Afterward, they all lay on the big bed in their comfortable pajamas.

The nightly routine before bed was telling Xia Qinqin a story, and tonight, it was still Xia Junshan telling the story, this time about his childhood when he used to herd cattle.

“When Dad was young, he worked as a cowherd for the landlord’s family in the village. They had a big blue cow. Every morning, I would lead it to the mountain to graze. My hometown’s mountain is really big, and there were many fruits on the trees. Each time, I would pick a few, lie down on the grass at the foot of the mountain, and let the cow graze nearby. It was very gentle, and it would walk around me in circles…”

“Dad, were the fruits delicious?”

“They were delicious, sour and sweet.”

“Wow~ Can you pick some for me next time?”

“Of course, when we get the chance, I’ll take you to my hometown and pick lots of fruits for you.”

“Dad, could you ride the big blue cow?”

“I could, but in the countryside, it’s needed for plowing and hauling goods, so people didn’t want to ride it.”

“Oh~ Dad, why does the big blue cow only eat grass? Doesn’t it eat candy?”

“It doesn’t eat candy, but it does eat beans, corn, and wheat.”

“Dad…”

—

As he spoke, Xia Qinqin’s voice gradually grew softer, and before long, she had fallen asleep.

Meng Yufei gently patted her daughter’s shoulder and whispered, “Didn’t you tell me before that you used to sneak and ride the big blue cow when you were herding?”

Xia Junshan smiled and replied, “If I said that, do you think tomorrow Qinqin would want me to take her to ride the big blue cow? Where on this island would I find a big blue cow for her?”

Meng Yufei chuckled softly and said, “You really know Qinqin well.”

Xia Junshan raised an eyebrow and replied, “Of course, she’s my daughter.”

He then turned to look at her and said, “By the way, I reported the snake situation in the family compound to the commander today. The commander has decided that the day after tomorrow, Sunday, we will organize a ‘pest control’ operation for the residents of the compound.”

“That sounds good. The weather here is hot, and the air is humid, so it’s perfect for preventing summer mosquitoes and insects.”

“I was actually planning to take you all off the island, to the city for a visit,” Xia Junshan said with a hint of regret in his tone.

Meng Yufei replied, “Then we’ll go next week, there’s still plenty of time.”

Xia Junshan held Meng Yufei’s hand. The bright moonlight shone through the window, and as their eyes met, they smiled at each other. Xia Junshan softly said, “Right, we still have plenty of time.”

At 7:10 in the morning, Meng Yufei woke up Xia Qinqin.

“Mom, do we have to go to work today?” Xia Qinqin asked, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

“Yes, do you want to come with me again?” Meng Yufei replied.

“Okay~”

Meng Yufei took Xia Qinqin to the faucet in the yard to wash their faces and brush their teeth. Fortunately, the weather here wasn’t cold, so they could simply turn on the faucet and use the water.

If they were in Haishi, they would have to heat the water in advance, especially in the current month. The water would need to be boiled the night before and stored in a thermos for use the next morning.

After washing up, the mother and daughter went into the bedroom, opened the wardrobe, and took out the clothes they would wear for the day.

They hadn’t brought many clothes when they arrived, so today Xia Qinqin was wearing the same outfit she wore when they first arrived on the island: blue overalls paired with a pale yellow floral top and white sneakers.

The weather here was such that clothes and shoes dried the same day after being washed.

Meng Yufei was also wearing the same outfit she wore when they first arrived on the island: a blue shirt with black pants and white sneakers.

She grabbed her handbag, which was filled with Qinqin’s drawing paper, colored pencils, a few candies, a military-style flat water bottle, and several lunch boxes. The bag was packed to the brim.

She also took some small change and coupons. The mother and daughter were ready to leave at exactly 7:30.

They walked toward the cafeteria, greeted by the rising sun and the sea breeze. Xia Qinqin was often distracted by the flowers and plants along the roadside, trying to pull her hand away to run and play, but after yesterday’s incident, Meng Yufei couldn’t bear to let her go. She held onto her hand tightly, not letting her wander.

Fortunately, they arrived at the cafeteria in five minutes.

For breakfast, there was fresh soy milk, filling the air with a strong bean fragrance. Meng Yufei bought a bowl for two cents.

She also bought a sugar-filled pastry and a vegetable bun. They were both large, and the fillings were generous.

After finishing breakfast, the time was exactly 7:50.

Meng Yufei had asked Xiao Zhang yesterday, and the work time at the logistics office in the morning was 8:00.

They left the cafeteria and went upstairs to the logistics office from the west side. The third room on the left was the finance department. Meng Yufei took out the key the Comprehensive Department had given her yesterday and unlocked the door.

The first thing she did upon entering the room was open the window to let in fresh air. She let Xia Qinqin sit at the desk from yesterday, taking out her pen and paper to let her play by herself.

Meng Yufei grabbed a basin and rag from the shelf by the door, went out to fetch water, and returned to carefully wipe down the tables. She then grabbed a broom and swept the floor clean.

After finishing her tasks, Meng Yufei sat down in the chair and looked around the now much fresher room, nodding in satisfaction. A good environment makes people feel better, after all.

Xia Qinqin propped her chin in her hands, lying on the desk, pondering what to draw today.

Suddenly, her eyes brightened, and she turned to her mother, excitedly saying, “Mom, can I draw our new house?”

“Sure.”

Hearing her mother’s agreement, Xia Qinqin happily picked up her pen and began to draw.

Seeing her daughter seriously drawing, Meng Yufei began her work. She planned to reorganize an account book to record in detail the coupons to be distributed to the families every month.

She first designed a table, with column headers for the names of the coupons to be distributed, and row headers for the criteria for receiving them—such as how many to receive based on different ages, occupations, ranks, etc.

From now on, the people distributing the coupons wouldn’t have to remember everything or flip through documents like Accountant Zhou did before, they could simply take out the table and everything would be clear.

Furthermore, those receiving the coupons could quickly check which coupons their family was entitled to, which would help avoid many disputes.

Of course, creating this table required an accurate understanding of the coupon information. She took out the documents that Xiao Zhou had previously found and carefully looked through them while noting down the details of each coupon.

—

After finishing breakfast, washing the dishes, and doing the laundry, Sister-in-law Zhang went next door to find Han Jianhong.

At this time, Han Jianping was at middle school, and Wei Shufang had taken Han Jianbao to kindergarten, leaving Han Jianhong alone at home.

Sister-in-law Zhang had been living here for a while, and she was very familiar with the schedule of the families in this row, so she came at this time on purpose.

Hearing the knock on the door, Han Jianhong, as expected, was the one who answered. She was a bit surprised when she saw Sister-in-law Zhang at the door.

“Auntie, is there something you need when you came over? Come in and talk.”

Sister-in-law Zhang waved her hand. “I just came to ask what your shoe size is.”

She looked down at Han Jianhong’s shoes and, as Meng Yufei had said, noticed several patches on the toes.

Poor thing, she sighed inwardly.

“Shoe size?”

Han Jianhong was stunned for a moment, then followed Sister-in-law Zhang’s gaze and looked down at her shoes, subconsciously curling her toes.

Sister-in-law Zhang continued, “Yesterday, your Aunt Meng discussed with me that she wanted to make you a pair of shoes to thank you for saving the two girls. She just so happens to have some scraps for shoe soles, and I have some shoe uppers. So, I came to ask your shoe size.”

Han Jianhong was stunned. She hadn’t expected that someone would want to make her a pair of shoes.

Sister-in-law Zhang, lost in her own thoughts, kept talking. “I guess you don’t realize this, but look at the shoe uppers. They’re pushed up really high, which means the shoes are too small for you. Come on, take your shoes off, and I’ll measure your size.”

She bent down and started to undo Han Jianhong’s shoes.

After measuring her foot size, Han Jianhong’s face still looked a bit blank. Sister-in-law Zhang knew that the girl was quiet and didn’t find it strange. She left her with a reminder, “Don’t worry, they’ll be done in two or three days,” and then went back home.

Han Jianhong stood at the gate, watching Sister-in-law Zhang’s retreating figure. Just as she did, she caught a glimpse of Qi Huiying leaving next door. Her gaze froze, and her fingers, gripping the wooden door, turned slightly pale.

After Sister-in-law Zhang got home, she boiled a small bowl of paste, grabbed scissors and cloth scraps, and went out.

At Battalion Commander Cao’s house, a few women came over after breakfast, just as they finished eating. One of them was carrying a half-made vest, intending to bring it over to chat while continuing to sew.

“Hey, did you hear? Yesterday, Director Wang dragged Sun Dahua to apologize to Accountant Zhou.”

“Who’s Sun Dahua?”

“Tsk, you don’t know her? She’s the wife of Battalion Commander Qin.”

“Oh, the one who yelled at people in the finance department last time.”

“That’s her. Yesterday, just before dinner, I saw Director Wang dragging her to Accountant Zhou’s house.”

“Didn’t they say she’s the most stubborn in our row of houses? But she still went and apologized honestly.”

“Yeah, and Accountant Zhou’s husband is also a battalion commander, not higher in rank than her husband. How come Sun Dahua just went and apologized so obediently?”

“Didn’t you hear that it was Director Wang who insisted? You all don’t understand Director Wang, do you?”

“I heard there’s a newcomer in the finance department, and they’ve already calculated the coupons for her family.”

“A newcomer in the finance department?” Everyone suddenly became interested. “Looks like the coupons will be distributed soon. My family’s grain coupons aren’t enough to get us through this month.”

“Who’s family isn’t like that? My family hasn’t had any meat to eat this month.”

By the time Sister-in-law Zhang arrived, several people had already repeated what was discussed yesterday, and they were talking about the new family of Regiment Commander Xia from the finance department.

“Hey, what brings you here today?” The family of Battalion Commander Cao greeted Sister-in-law Zhang as she entered, moving a stool for her and inviting her to sit down. “We were just talking about your new neighbor who moved in next door.”

As soon as Sister-in-law Zhang sat down, someone noticed the things she was holding and casually asked, “Who are you making shoes for?”

Sister-in-law Zhang answered, “For Han Jianhong, from Regiment Commander Han’s family.”

“Who?”

“Jianhong? Why are you making shoes for her?”

Sister-in-law Zhang explained, “Yesterday, my little one and Qinqin—oh, that’s the daughter of Regiment Commander Xia, who just moved in next door—were playing by the roadside near the grass when a snake appeared. Fortunately, Jianhong showed up and caught the snake.”

The family of Battalion Commander Cao patted their chest and said, “Oh my, I was wondering why Old Cao suddenly came back last night talking about ‘pest control’ on Sunday. Turns out there really was a snake!”

The others nodded, “I heard my husband say the same thing. We need to be careful around the family compound, there are so many kids here.”

“Exactly. Luckily Jianhong was there this time. I didn’t expect her to be so brave, to catch the snake like that.”

The family of Battalion Commander Cao said, “You all forgot, Jianhong grew up in the countryside. Which kid from the countryside hasn’t seen a snake? Catching one is nothing.”

Sister-in-law Zhang added, “Still, we should thank her.”

The others agreed, “That’s right, we should thank the girl. But why did you decide to make her shoes? That must take a lot of effort.”

Sister-in-law Zhang, skillfully gluing the shoe soles, explained, “It was Xiao Meng who noticed Jianhong’s shoes. There were several patches on the toes, and we guessed her shoes were too small. So we decided to make her a new pair.”

Someone raised an eyebrow and said, “Oh, if the shoes are too small, that’s no good. You can patch up a hole, but if they’re too small, they’re unwearable. It must be uncomfortable to walk in them. How could her mother be so careless?”

The person across from them cleared their throat, and the family of Battalion Commander Cao exchanged a glance before speaking up, “You forgot, Regiment Commander Han is remarried. His wife is Wei Shufang.”

“Wei Shufang! The good stepmother from our compound!”

“That’s her.”

“Ah? This…”

For a moment, everyone looked at each other, their expressions rich with meaning.

Sister-in-law Zhang spoke at the right moment: “When I went to measure Jianhong’s foot size this morning, you guys don’t know…” She shook her head repeatedly. “Her big toe is deformed from being squeezed, and the little toe has several layers of skin torn off. Tsk, tsk…”

The family of Battalion Commander Cao frowned. “Wei Shufang really isn’t paying attention.”

Someone guessed, “Maybe she didn’t notice?”

“Yeah, that’s possible. Jianhong usually doesn’t talk much, so she probably felt awkward since she’s not her biological mother and didn’t dare to say anything.”

The family of Battalion Commander Cao rebutted, “How could she not notice? A child’s feet don’t grow overnight! Regiment Commander Xia’s family just moved here and they noticed after just a few encounters, yet Wei Shufang, who lives with her every day, didn’t realize?”

“Maybe she did notice but did it on purpose… You see, she brought her own daughter, and the clothes they both wear are the same. We all thought she was treating them equally, but we didn’t pay attention to the details with the shoes.”

“Could it be that Jianping’s shoes are also too small?”

The person next to them rolled their eyes and sneered, “Do you think so? Next time you see her, take a good look.”

“Eh, looks like the stepmother is just a stepmother after all.”

“Who says it isn’t true? This cruel stepmother, usually, they’re bad in a way that’s obvious. Who would’ve thought that Wei Shufang is good at pretending on the surface but is sneaky behind people’s backs?”

“Exactly, poor Jianhong, she seems so honest, but we don’t know how much she’s been bullied in private…”

The family of Battalion Commander Cao grumbled, “What about Regiment Commander Han? He doesn’t even care about his own biological daughter.”

“Regiment Commander Han is a big man, he wouldn’t notice these things.”

“So what if he’s a man? Isn’t the child his own flesh and blood?”

“It seems Wei Shufang is also very crafty. Not only does she control Regiment Commander Han at home, but she also maintains a good reputation outside.”

“Who says it isn’t true?”

—

Sister-in-law Zhang focused on making shoe insoles, listening to the lively discussion around her. She figured it wouldn’t take long before everyone in the compound would know about it—the fact that Wei Shufang made her stepdaughter, Han Jianhong, wear small shoes.

The people at Battalion Commander Cao’s house today were all well-informed and loved to spread news.

Battalion Commander Cao’s house was like a small ‘^[1]“little gossip hub” means a small place where people gather to share and spread news, rumors, and information, especially informal or unverified ones.little gossip hub’ in the family compound.