Chapter 33: Qinqin Is a Face-Con

At noon, Xiao Zhang pulled Zhou Wenqian along to the cafeteria for lunch.

Meng Yufei held Xia Qinqin’s hand as they went to get food, so the four of them ended up walking to the cafeteria together.

Walking in front, Xia Qinqin kept glancing back from time to time. Meng Yufei couldn’t help but remind her, “Qinqin, watch where you’re walking, or you’ll trip and fall.”

“Oh.”

After getting their food, Xiao Zhang and Zhou Wenqian stayed in the cafeteria to eat, while Xia Qinqin reluctantly held onto her mother’s hand, saying goodbye to the pretty auntie.

As the mother and daughter walked home, Xia Qinqin looked up and asked, “Mom, that Auntie Wenqian is so pretty! Will she be coming over this afternoon?”

Meng Yufei smiled. “Do you like that auntie a lot?”

“Mhm, mhm.” Xia Qinqin nodded eagerly. “She looks just like the doll at Lily’s house. So beautiful!”

Zhou Wenqian had delicate, petite features, fair skin, big eyes, and long lashes—she really did resemble a porcelain doll.

Meng Yufei said, “She’s Auntie Xiao Zhang’s friend. She came today to apply for a kindergarten teacher position, so she probably won’t be coming this afternoon.”

“Ah…” Xia Qinqin sighed regretfully, then asked, “Mom, can we go to Auntie Wenqian’s house to play with her?”

Meng Yufei found her daughter’s love for good-looking people amusing. Xia Qinqin had always preferred playing with pretty people, especially beautiful older sisters and aunties.

“Auntie Wenqian and Auntie Xiao Zhang are good friends. Next time, we can ask Auntie Xiao Zhang to take us to visit her.”

“Oh…”

Meanwhile, in the cafeteria, Xiao Zhang kept piling food onto Zhou Wenqian’s plate. “Look how thin you’ve gotten—eat more.”

Zhou Wenqian smiled. “Stop giving me food. My appetite is small now, I can’t eat that much.”

Xiao Zhang sighed. “Alright, but you really need to start eating properly. If this keeps up, your body won’t be able to take it. Your health is the foundation of everything!”

Zhou Wenqian nodded. “You’re right. No matter what, I shouldn’t neglect my health. I was being foolish before, but after coming out today, I feel a little clearer.”

Hearing this, Xiao Zhang beamed. “I’m glad you think that way. No matter what, your priority now is to take care of your health. Everything else can wait.”

Zhou Wenqian’s fingers tightened slightly around her chopsticks, her gaze lowered as she calmly said, “Yes, it can wait.”

Back at home, Meng Yufei emptied the food from the lunchbox onto plates and set the table.

Xia Junshan returned from work and asked as soon as he walked in, “How’s Qinqin’s hand today?”

Xia Qinqin ran over, raising her hand. “Dad, look! Mom said it’s scabbing over and will heal soon.”

Xia Junshan crouched down to check his daughter’s hand. A thin scab had formed over the wound from yesterday, with a dark purplish bruise standing out against her fair palm.

“Does it still hurt?”

“Nope, not at all!”

Meng Yufei said, “Go wash your hands and eat.”

Xia Junshan nodded. “Alright, I’m coming.”

Since Xia Qinqin couldn’t get her hand wet, Meng Yufei dampened a cloth and carefully wiped her hand, avoiding the scab. She said, “Once this scab falls off, it’ll be completely healed. Be careful while playing these next few days, and don’t pick at it.”

“Mhm, mhm! It’ll hurt!” Xia Qinqin nodded earnestly.

After cleaning her hands, Meng Yufei led Xia Qinqin to the dining table. Xia Junshan came over and lifted his daughter onto the chair. “Dad will feed you again today.”

For lunch, they had steamed egg with minced meat. Xia Junshan scooped some into Xia Qinqin’s small bowl, spooned it over her rice, and mixed it so the egg blended well with the rice.

“Here, open your mouth. Ah—”

Xia Qinqin lowered her head and took a bite. Xia Junshan smiled and asked, “Does it taste good?”

“Mhm! So yummy! Qinqin loves rice with egg the most!”

“Then eat some more.” Xia Junshan happily continued feeding her spoonful by spoonful.

From time to time, Meng Yufei would pass over a piece of green vegetables. Knowing she couldn’t refuse her mother, Xia Qinqin obediently lowered her head and ate them too.

After the meal, Xia Qinqin slid down from the chair and ran to her room to look through her drawings. She wanted to pick the one she was most satisfied with and give it to the pretty auntie.

Only after feeding their daughter did the couple start eating their own meal.

Xia Junshan asked, “How did the recruitment go today?”

Meng Yufei said, “More people signed up than I expected.”

Xia Junshan scooped some steamed egg into Meng Yufei’s bowl and said, “There aren’t many job opportunities on the island. Whenever a new job opens up, of course, a lot of people will apply.”

Meng Yufei lowered her voice. “Qí Huiying came to register today. I was the one who handled her paperwork.”

Xia Junshan’s hand holding the chopsticks paused. He asked, “Did you notice anything unusual?”

Meng Yufei said, “I can confirm that she doesn’t like me. But it’s not just me—she has a condescending attitude toward most people.”

Xia Junshan said, “She sees herself as superior. I heard her family used to be capitalists—probably a remnant of that capitalist arrogance. But this is the new society. The working class and peasants are in charge now. With her bad background, she should know to restrain herself, or she’ll get into trouble sooner or later.”

Meng Yufei said, “I noticed something today—her walking posture isn’t ^[1]“duck-footed” refers to a walking posture where the feet point outward, resembling the stance of a duck. It’s often used to describe someone whose feet turn outward while walking, which … Continue readingduck-footed.”

Xia Junshan understood her implication. “That only proves that the footprints by the pond weren’t hers. It doesn’t completely rule out the possibility that she was there.”

Meng Yufei said, “From my interactions with her, I feel like if she really wanted to harm Qinqin, she would’ve done it directly. She wouldn’t bother catching a snake and bringing it over.”

“…” Xia Junshan said, “We don’t have any other leads for now. We’ll have to investigate slowly.”

Meng Yufei said, “I hope we’re just overthinking it. Maybe it really was just an accident that day.”

Xia Junshan said, “Let’s hope so. But for Qinqin’s sake, it’s only right for us as parents to be more cautious.”

Meng Yufei nodded in agreement.

—

Mrs. Zhang made an announcement at the dining table.

“This morning, I signed up for a kindergarten childcare worker position.”

Regiment Commander Ma was stunned for a few seconds before he reacted. He asked, “Why are you applying for a childcare job all of a sudden? It’s not like we need the extra salary. Just stay home and take care of the household chores.”

Her eldest son, Ma Weidong, nodded in agreement while eating. “Yeah, Mom, you’re not young anymore. Why go out and work? It’ll be tiring! I’m about to join the army, and I’ll have a monthly stipend. I’ll send all of it to you.”

Mrs. Zhang held her bowl and didn’t even lift her eyelids at his words. “It’d be great if you can cover your own expenses. I’m not counting on your money.”

Ma Weimei snickered. “It’s because this troublemaker is finally leaving that Mom has the time to go to work. Do you know how much trouble you cause at home? We have to cook and wash clothes for you.”

Ma Weidong frowned in dissatisfaction. “Mom doesn’t just cook for me. You eat too, don’t you?”

Ma Weimei replied, “You’re the eldest, the oldest, and you eat the most!”

Ma Weidong: “….”

Mrs. Zhang said, “Alright, both of you, hurry up and eat! I just signed up. I don’t even know if I’ll get selected yet.”

Ma Weimei smiled. “If you don’t get chosen this time, it’s fine. You can try again when there’s another job opening.”

Regiment Commander Ma frowned. “What’s the point of all this fuss? You’re not young anymore. If you go to work, who’s going to take care of the vegetable garden at home? Who’s going to wash the clothes? Who’s going to cook?”

Mrs. Zhang replied, “I heard from the neighbor, the wife of Regiment Commander Xia, that the kindergarten starts at eight in the morning. I can wake up earlier to wash the clothes and even drop Fangfang off at school on the way.”

Ma Weimei agreed. “Fangfang really should start school. We used to think the town’s kindergarten was too far, so it wasn’t convenient. But now that we have one in the family compound, it’ll be good for her to make friends her age. She barely talks at home—she might turn into a little mute if she keeps this up.”

Mrs. Zhang patted her second daughter’s shoulder. “Don’t say nonsense.”

Fangfang, who had been quietly eating, mumbled, “I’m not a little mute.”

Ma Weimei stuck out her tongue. “Alright, alright, I misspoke.”

Regiment Commander Ma asked again, “Then what about meals at home?”

Ma Weimei turned her head. “We’ll eat at the cafeteria. The family compound has a cafeteria—it’s there for people to eat at, isn’t it? Dad, even the Chairman said that women hold up half the sky and encouraged them to step out and contribute to building the new society. Mom is just responding to the call of the times. What, are you against it?”

Regiment Commander Ma was momentarily speechless. His daughter’s words sounded like a political study session with Commissar Yu, leaving him a bit stunned. He said, “You little girl, talking in such big slogans at your age.”

Ma Weimei grinned. “So you agree with me, huh? That means you support Mom getting a job! See, Regiment Commander Ma, no wonder you hold the highest position in our family. Your awareness is so much higher than certain people!”

Regiment Commander Ma: “…”

Certain people, Ma Weidong: “…”

—

In the afternoon, as soon as Xia Qinqin entered the office, she asked Xiao Zhang, “Auntie Zhang, will Auntie Wenqian come this afternoon?”

Xiao Zhang replied, “She went home.”

Xia Qinqin asked again, “Next time you visit her house to play, can you bring me and my mom along?”

Xiao Zhang nodded and said, “Sure.” She bent down, staring into Xia Qinqin’s round, bright eyes, and smiled as she asked, “Qinqin, why do you like Auntie Wenqian so much?”

Xia Qinqin answered seriously, “Because Auntie Wenqian is pretty!”

Xiao Zhang pinched her soft, chubby cheeks and chuckled. “You little girl, so young yet already knowing who looks good.”

Aesthetic sense is innate—babies can already distinguish between beauty and plainness while still in swaddling clothes.

People in this era preferred handling matters in the morning, believing it was better to be early than late. As a result, few people came to register in the afternoon, and Meng Yufei returned to the finance department.

Although the pretty auntie wasn’t there in the afternoon, Qinqin’s mother was in the office, so she happily lay on the desk, humming a nursery rhyme while looking at the illustrations in her book.

Her hand injury hadn’t healed yet, so her mother wouldn’t let her draw.

In the afternoon, Meng Yufei drafted the financial budget for the next quarter, leaving space for the specific amounts, including expenses for the kindergarten staff.

Salary grading was handled by the personnel department, while the finance department was only responsible for disbursing payments.

Speaking of which, Meng Yufei’s own salary still hadn’t been determined. Back in Haishi, she was a level 19 cadre, earning 72 yuan per month based on Haishi’s salary standards.

The salary standards here were definitely lower than Haishi’s, and since she had transferred positions and switched to a different system, she wasn’t sure how the personnel department would classify her rank.

“Xiao Meng, are you busy?”

Meng Yufei looked up and smiled when she saw the visitor. “Director Wang, what brings you here? Please, have a seat.”

Wang Cuilan waved her hand. “No need. I just came to get Doctor Huang’s ration coupons from you.”

“Alright, I’ll get them now.” Meng Yufei opened a drawer, took out a stack of ration coupons, and handed them to Wang Cuilan. “Doctor Huang is back?”

Wang Cuilan nodded. “Yes, she just got back from the hospital this morning. I happened to run into her at the gate when I got off work, so I told her I’d bring her coupons over this afternoon.”

Meng Yufei asked, “Do you need me to go with you?”

Wang Cuilan said, “No need, you’re busy here. I have something to discuss with her anyway.” With that, she took the ration coupons and left the finance department.

Before the end of the workday, Section Chief Chen came over to inform Meng Yufei that there would be a selection meeting for kindergarten staff at 9 AM tomorrow in the conference room.

At 5:30, work ended on time.

Xiao Zhang slung her military satchel across her shoulder and smiled. “Work’s over—another day done.”

Xia Qinqin stuffed her book into her mother’s satchel and grinned. “Work’s over—time to go home!”

At the cafeteria, they happened to run into Zhou Wenqian, who was there to get dinner. Xiao Zhang quickly walked over and said, “Wenqian, you’re the one getting dinner today?”

Zhou Wenqian nodded. “Yeah, nothing to do at home, so I thought I’d come out for a walk.”

Xiao Zhang smiled. “I smelled the scallion oil chicken from upstairs this afternoon. Perfect! If I remember correctly, you love chicken, right?”

Xia Qinqin eagerly chimed in, “Qinqin loves chicken too!”

Zhou Wenqian looked down at the little girl with a bright smile, reached out to stroke her hair, and said with a gentle smile, “Really? Then we have the same taste.”

“Hee hee~” Xia Qinqin giggled happily. The pretty auntie touched her hair—so happy~

Xiao Zhang chuckled. “Qinqin, you sure have a lot of favorite foods.”

Meng Yufei tapped her daughter’s forehead lightly. “She’s just a little foodie.”

Xia Qinqin hugged Meng Yufei’s leg and acted cute. “I’m Mom’s little baby, not a little foodie.”

Meng Yufei smiled. “Alright, alright, you’re Mom’s little baby.”

Watching the affectionate mother and daughter in front of her, a hint of envy flashed in Zhou Wenqian’s eyes. She said warmly, “Being able to eat well is a blessing. Little ones need to eat properly to grow tall.”

Xia Qinqin nodded seriously. “Dad and Mom say the same thing. Every day, Qinqin eats soooo much!” As she spoke, she stretched her arms wide to show how much, looking absolutely adorable. The adults all watched her with amused smiles.

Meng Yufei took out a lunchbox and got Xia Qinqin’s favorite scallion oil chicken, along with a portion of stir-fried pea shoots and a bowl of kelp soup. As always, the staple food was half a pound of rice.

That night, Xia Junshan had to work overtime again. After waiting for a while and seeing that he hadn’t come back, Meng Yufei set aside a portion of food on a plate for him and left it separately. Then, she and Xia Qinqin ate first.

After dinner, Meng Yufei went to heat up the bathwater. By now, she had become quite skilled at lighting the fire.

Once she finished bathing Xia Qinqin, she took a bath herself.

In the living room, mother and daughter sat on the sofa as Meng Yufei read to her. It was the same collection of Lu Xun’s essays from yesterday. Tonight, she was reading ^[2]A Chang and The Classic of Mountains and Seas is likely a story that combines a character named “A Chang” with themes from the ancient Chinese text Shan Hai Jing, which contains myths, … Continue readingA Chang and The Classic of Mountains and Seas.

Xia Qinqin lay comfortably on her mother’s lap, listening to her warm and gentle voice narrating the story.

Children get sleepy easily. Before long, Xia Qinqin’s little head started nodding off. Seeing this, Meng Yufei quickly put down the book and carried her to bed.

By the time Xia Junshan returned, Xia Qinqin was already fast asleep. In the bedroom, Meng Yufei heard the sound of the front door opening and got up to come out.

“You’re back. Why so late today?”

Xia Junshan took off his hat and hung it behind the door. “The recent tasks have been a bit tricky. Is Qinqin asleep?”

“Mm, she just fell asleep.”

Meng Yufei knew that much of his work was confidential, so she didn’t press further and instead asked, “Have you eaten? I saved some food for you. It’s on the coal stove, still warm.”

Xia Junshan patted his stomach and smiled. “I had a little something earlier, but I’m actually getting hungry now.”

Meng Yufei headed toward the kitchen. “I’ll bring it out for you.”

Xia Junshan stopped her. “I’ll get it myself.” He then went into the kitchen, took the plate from the pot, and placed it on the dining table in the living room.

Meng Yufei followed him and said, “That plate was sitting in the pot staying warm. Why didn’t you use a cloth to hold it? Didn’t it burn your hand?”

Xia Junshan chuckled nonchalantly. “My skin’s thick—it’s nothing.”

Meng Yufei took his hand, checked his palm for burns, and gently touched the calluses. “You should still be more careful in the future.”

Her hand brushed against his palm, sending a tingling sensation through Xia Junshan. He wrapped her hand in his and smiled, “Alright, I’ll remember that.”

Meng Yufei nudged him. “Hurry up and eat. Weren’t you hungry?”

Xia Junshan asked, “Do you want to have some too?”

Meng Yufei shook her head. “I’m not hungry. I’ll just sit with you for a while.”

Xia Junshan smiled. “Okay.”

Under the warm glow of the light, the couple sat at the dining table, eating and chatting softly.

—

Zhao Zhengliu worked late that night. When he arrived home, he was surprised to see the lights on inside. For a moment, he felt a sense of daze—how long had it been since the lights at home had been left on waiting for him?

Pushing the door open, he saw Zhou Wenqian sitting on the living room sofa, reading a book. The warm yellow light cast a gentle glow over her, making her look both beautiful and serene. It reminded him of the first time he saw her—dancing gracefully on stage against the backlight. He had fallen for her in that instant.

The person on the sofa looked up, saw him, and put down her book. “You’re back. Come eat. I brought food from the cafeteria.”

Zhao Zhengliu was momentarily stunned. “Oh—okay!”

Qianqian actually took the initiative to talk to him today!

Sitting at the dining table, Zhao Zhengliu grinned. “I was actually planning to have lunch with you today, but Xiao Zhang got to you first.”

Zhou Wenqian picked up her bowl and said, “I haven’t had a meal with her in a long time.”

Zhao Zhengliu nodded. “It’s good to go out and see friends. Eating at the cafeteria every day gets dull. How about we take a trip off the island this weekend?”

Zhou Wenqian’s hand paused slightly while holding her chopsticks. She responded lightly, “Let’s talk about it next time.”

Zhao Zhengliu felt a bit disappointed but still smiled. “Alright, we’ll go whenever you feel like it.”

They ate in silence for a while before Zhou Wenqian suddenly said, “I signed up today.”

Zhao Zhengliu was caught off guard for a second but quickly responded, “I know. Don’t worry, you’re so capable—you’ll definitely be selected.”

Zhou Wenqian replied, “It doesn’t matter if I don’t get selected. I just see it as a chance to get out for a bit.”

Zhao Zhengliu nodded. “Right, just take it as a break. Once I’m less busy, we can go for evening walks by the sea. The view along the coast is beautiful. Oh, and every Saturday afternoon, the families on base go clamming at the shore. If you’re interested, we could go too—I heard there’s a lot of fresh seafood to be found…”

As he spoke, he got more and more excited, imagining their future together. For the first time, he felt that life on this island wasn’t so bad. They could enjoy their time as a couple, away from any disturbances.

It seemed like Xiao Zhang had done a good thing by encouraging Wenqian to look for work this time!

Zhao Zhengliu smiled, scooped up a mouthful of rice, and thought to himself—just for today, he’d forgive Xiao Zhang for stealing his wife’s lunchtime.

After all, a man should be magnanimous.

—

At Commander Xue’s house, the family sat around the dining table. Old Lady Xue picked at the only meat dish—stir-fried cabbage with pork slices—with her chopsticks.

She picked out a few large pieces of fatty meat for her own bowl, then fished out the remaining meat and placed it into Commander Xue’s bowl.

His wife, Yin Guixiang, was already used to her mother-in-law’s behavior. Without any expression, she quietly spoon-fed rice porridge to her infant daughter, who was not yet a year old.

Beside her sat their two young daughters, one five years old and the other three, both staring eagerly at their grandmother’s chopsticks, eyes fixed on the pieces of meat.

Commander Xue frowned, picked up the meat from his bowl with his chopsticks, and placed it into his daughters’ bowls. “Didn’t we just get the meat ration coupons for this month? We should buy more.”

Yin Guixiang said coldly, “Mother keeps all the ration coupons.”

Old Lady Xue shot her son a displeased look. “Eat it yourself. Why do those two girls need to eat meat? Having white rice to eat is already a blessing from their past lives, being lucky enough to be born into a good family like ours.”

Yin Guixiang took a deep breath, barely holding back a retort. But before she could speak, Commander Xue cut in, “The children are still growing. What’s wrong with them eating a little meat?”

Old Lady Xue’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh? So now you dislike your own mother eating meat? Oh heavens—” She dramatically slammed her chopsticks down and clapped her hands in exaggerated despair. “Dear heavens, I raised you, fed you, changed your diapers, and now that you’re an official, you think I don’t deserve to eat meat?”

Commander Xue’s temple throbbed with frustration. Suppressing his temper, he said, “Can we just eat in peace? Do you want the Women’s Federation to come to our house again?”

Old Lady Xue wiped at her completely dry eyes and said stubbornly, “I want people to know how unfilial you are! A military officer who won’t even spare his mother a piece of meat!”

Commander Xue was furious. “Aren’t all the ration coupons in your hands? What more do you want?”

Old Lady Xue scoffed and said self-righteously, “I’m your mother. I should be the one in charge of this household. Go look around the village—whose household isn’t run by the mother-in-law? As long as I’m alive, I’ll be the one calling the shots!” With that, she picked up another piece of fatty meat and stuffed it into her mouth, chewing greedily as oil dripped from her lips.

Yin Guixiang watched their argument with cold indifference.

Last year, after giving birth to their third daughter, it was her own mother who had come to take care of her during her confinement. But during the New Year, when Commander Xue—who hadn’t been home for years—finally returned to visit, he brought Old Lady Xue back with him.

As soon as this mother-in-law arrived, she immediately drove Yin Guixiang’s mother away, insisting that she would personally take care of her granddaughters—saying she would be even more dedicated than if they were her own daughter’s children. This even caused a commotion that reached the Women’s Federation at the time.

For the past few months, Old Lady Xue had done absolutely nothing around the house. She demanded the best food and drinks every day, and the moment something didn’t go her way, she would throw a tantrum—literally rolling on the ground!

She even went to the Women’s Federation multiple times to stir up trouble. Because of her, their family had become a laughingstock in the residential compound—it was utterly humiliating!

That night, in the bedroom, Commander Xue said to his wife, “How about we ask your mother to come back?”

Yin Guixiang snapped, “After all the horrible things your mother said back then? I have no face to go back and ask her!”

Commander Xue scratched his head awkwardly. “I wasn’t home at the time…”

Yin Guixiang rolled her eyes. “Oh? You’ve finally had enough? Weren’t you the one who brought your mother here in the first place?”

At that, Commander Xue looked a little embarrassed. Truthfully, he had his own reasons for bringing his mother over.

He was the second child in the family, the one who had always been neglected. Growing up in a poor rural household, he had been the least favored child—but also the tallest and the one who ate the most.

Because of that, his parents often resented him. When he was sixteen or seventeen, in order to have enough to eat, he joined the army. After years of hardship and struggle, he eventually became a battalion commander—a position that brought honor to his family back home.

So when his mother, Old Lady Xue, mentioned wanting to come along and “see the world” during his visit, there had been a hidden sense of pride in his heart. He agreed, partly out of a desire to show off. Deep down, he wanted to prove something to her—to tell her: The child you liked the least is now the most successful. You were wrong about me.

Sighing, Commander Xue said, “I had no idea she would be like this now. I originally thought she’d help you take care of the kids, so you’d have an easier time.”

The truth was, she hadn’t changed. Maybe time had just softened his memories.

Yin Guixiang scoffed in exasperation. “You really thought your mother would help me take care of the kids? I’d have an easier time if she left.”

Commander Xue was momentarily speechless. “But isn’t that exactly why she refuses to leave? She keeps saying she’s here to take care of the grandkids. If I send her back, people will say we’re unfilial—and that would just embarrass us.”

“Hah!” Yin Guixiang snorted. “Do we even have any dignity left in this residential compound? Go ask around—everyone knows about the mess in our house!”

“If you really care about saving face for our family, then find a way to send your mother back as soon as possible.”

What Yin Guixiang didn’t say was that she had already applied for a job as a childcare worker. If she got hired, then even if Old Lady Xue didn’t leave, she and the three kids would be at the kindergarten during the day—far away from home and all its misery.