Chapter 021

Spring light filled the trees.

Clusters of flowers, their color impossible to name, weighed down the branches.

A few birds flew off from the treetops, scattering cherry blossoms across the ground.

Sunlight filtered through the curtains like shimmering fragments of gold.

Zhenzhen stretched lazily in bed, then got up, dressed, tidied up the bedding, and went to the window to draw back the curtains.

A broad swath of sunlight streamed in, casting a bright streak across the blanket at the head of the bed.

It had been nearly two months since Zhenzhen arrived in the city.

She had now adapted to city life and no longer felt as unsettled as she had when she first arrived.

Most days were devoted to studying. If she had spare time after finishing her assignments, she would help Wu Dafeng tend her vegetable garden, do some needlework, or play with Dabai. Sundays were her day off.

Shi Huaiming didn’t interfere in most areas of her life, but when it came to studying, he was exceptionally strict and demanding.

Naturally, during the learning process, she made mistakes and occasionally failed to grasp certain things well, which led to frequent criticism.

Sometimes, if she failed to memorize a character correctly, Shi Huaiming would make her copy it multiple times as punishment.

Of course, being criticized was never pleasant.

Her brain had been wound tight all week.

Today was Sunday—finally a chance to fully relax.

After washing up, Zhenzhen hummed a song as she made breakfast, her face and heart full of light-hearted joy.

Just as she finished cooking, Shi Huaiming returned from morning training.

As they sat down to eat, he asked, “Do you have any plans for today?”

Zhenzhen had none, so she said straightforwardly, “I thought I’d go chat with Sister Dafeng. She gets lonely on her own.”

Shi Huaiming figured she probably wanted a break—after spending every day with him, being pushed to study constantly, she likely needed someone else to talk to and unwind with. So he simply nodded. “Okay.”

Zhenzhen did need a change of pace.

After breakfast, she said goodbye to Shi Huaiming and headed out to find Wu Dafeng.

But she had only walked a few steps when she suddenly heard Li Shuang calling her.

Zhenzhen usually didn’t take the initiative to bother Li Shuang, since she was busy with work, had a loving husband to talk with, her own close friends and hobbies—a full life.

Unlike Wu Dafeng, who needed someone to chat with to relieve the boredom of daily domestic trivialities.

Zhenzhen turned around and asked, “Sister-in-law, what is it?”

Li Shuang waved her over and said in a low voice, “Did you forget? When we went out for dinner last time, I said I’d help you change for the better.”

That had been said just before she was fully drunk—Zhenzhen still remembered it.

But it had been one of those things said in the heat of the moment, so she hadn’t taken it seriously and had forgotten about it entirely.

Zhenzhen smiled. “You still remember that?”

Li Shuang looked at her. “Of course I remember what I said. I wasn’t drunk. So—do you still want to become someone that even Shi Huaiming would feel unworthy of? If you do, grab your money and ration coupons and come with me.”

Zhenzhen paused to process. “We’re going shopping?”

Li Shuang nodded. “Yes, Awen and I already made plans. First, we’re giving you a makeover.”

The last time she’d taken Zhenzhen shopping, they only bought essentials. And when they went window-shopping last time, Zhenzhen followed her and Awen around without spending a cent—she was too frugal to even part with a single coin.

Zhenzhen hesitated. “Should I ask Third Brother first?”

Li Shuang nodded. “Go ahead. Once you’re done, come find me.”

Zhenzhen gave her a nod and turned back toward home, skipping the visit to Wu Dafeng’s.

When she entered the house, she saw Shi Huaiming sitting in the room reading.

Though Shi Huaiming was highly educated, back in the village he had limited access to books and magazines. So ever since he returned from the army, he’d been reading whenever he could to make up for lost time.

Zhenzhen felt a little bad about interrupting him.

“I’m thinking of going out with Sister-in-law Li Shuang for a bit,” she said.

Shi Huaiming trusted Li Shuang, so without hesitation, he pulled out some money and ration coupons from the drawer and handed them to Zhenzhen.

All their household funds and coupons were kept in that drawer—anyone who needed something could just take what they needed.

Zhenzhen took them and asked, “Can I… use them however I want?”

Thinking about how she’d gone out with Li Shuang the previous week and returned empty-handed after hours of browsing, Shi Huaiming didn’t say much—he simply nodded. “Yes, you can.”

Zhenzhen felt reassured.

After speaking with him, she went next door to get Li Shuang, and the two of them left together.

Wu Dafeng saw them heading out again and called from her door, “Zhenzhen, where are you off to now?”

Zhenzhen turned and replied, “Sister, I’m going for a walk. I’ll come by and hang out later.”

Watching her walk away with Li Shuang, Wu Dafeng mumbled to herself, “Off shopping again. Li Shuang’s going to ruin her sooner or later. And that Shi Huaiming doesn’t even step in. If this keeps up, how are they supposed to have a proper life?”

She shook her head, sighing deeply with concern.

–

Zhenzhen and Li Shuang headed out, stopping by Awen’s house to bring her along too.

After drinking and sharing their hearts last time, they were now officially friends—and it showed as they walked side by side.

Today, Li Shuang and Awen weren’t shopping for themselves—they were there to help Zhenzhen.

The two of them took her to the department store and led her through the various counters, showing her all sorts of beautiful things.

Awen held a hair clip up to Zhenzhen’s head. “This one looks better—not too flashy, and it suits you.”

Li Shuang nodded in agreement. “Yeah, it definitely suits you more. Just don’t wear it behind your ears.”

It was pretty, yes—but Zhenzhen felt it was unnecessary.

The hair clip seemed unnecessary. So did the leather shoes Li Shuang and Awen had picked out for her.

Sensing her hesitation, Li Shuang leaned in and said, “The money Shi Huaiming earns is meant to support the household. Why are you so reluctant to spend it? You two don’t even have kids—if you don’t spend it on yourself, who are you going to spend it on?”

Zhenzhen thought about it and realized that Li Shuang was right.

So she made an effort to overcome her reluctance to spend money and bought the hair clip and the little leather shoes.

Li Shuang and Awen later took her to buy some pretty hair ties, some new fabric, and even helped her make two new outfits.

As they walked out of the tailor’s shop, Awen said to Zhenzhen, “With how Li Shuang dressed you up today, you’re a real beauty now. Those clothes you brought from the countryside do look a bit old-fashioned—wearing them makes you look dusty and plain.”

Li Shuang added from the side, “Now that we’ve made you some new clothes, don’t just stash them away like you’re afraid to wear them. You’ve got two more sets now—you can wear them day-to-day and rotate them.”

Zhenzhen said a little shyly, “I do feel a bit reluctant to wear them.”

She usually only wore the new clothes when she absolutely had to go out. After wearing them, she’d wash and store them carefully. As for the blue floral dress they made earlier, she still hadn’t worn it once.

Awen laughed, “They’ll get old even if you don’t wear them.”

–

After shopping, Li Shuang, Awen, and Zhenzhen didn’t eat out.

The three of them went home together, just as they had gone out.

Before going into her house, Li Shuang turned to Zhenzhen and said, “Come find me after dinner. I’ve got something good to show you.”

Zhenzhen figured it was probably something new or interesting.

She liked looking at new things and replied with a cheerful, “Sure!”

After saying goodbye, they each went their separate ways.

Through the window, Wu Dafeng saw Zhenzhen and Li Shuang coming back from outside.

As she sat at the table eating, she said to Old Zhou, “Tell me, isn’t that Li Shuang something else? Any free moment she gets, she’s out playing. Doesn’t cook, doesn’t take care of her husband or kid. That Commander He sure had bad luck marrying someone like her. And it’d be one thing if she were just being unruly on her own, but now she’s dragging Zhenzhen into it too. I’m telling you, Zhenzhen’s bound to get led astray by her sooner or later.”

Old Zhou wasn’t one for gossip and just replied, “Mind your own business.”

Wu Dafeng said, “I’m not meddling. I’m just saying.”

Old Zhou: “Say less too.”

Wu Dafeng stared at Old Zhou chewing silently.

She wasn’t done venting. “So I’m dead now, huh? Can’t even breathe anymore?”

Old Zhou glanced at her impatiently and said nothing more.

–

By the time Zhenzhen got home, dinner was already on the table.

She took the things she’d bought to the bedroom and put them away, then came out to wash her hands and eat.

She wasn’t used to spending money like that, so she felt a little uneasy. Softly and carefully, she explained to Shi Huaiming what she’d bought today.

They were all things for women, which Shi Huaiming didn’t really understand, so he didn’t comment much.

He simply said, “As long as you like them, that’s all that matters.”

Hearing that, Zhenzhen couldn’t help but smile and reached out with her chopsticks to give him a piece of chicken.

Shi Huaiming paused, looked down at the chicken in his bowl, then glanced up at Zhenzhen.

Meeting her bright, sparkling eyes, something inside him seemed to clear up as well, like his heart had become lighter.

But he didn’t show much emotion and just said, “Let’s eat.”

Then he lowered his head and ate the piece of chicken she gave him.

Zhenzhen said nothing more and finished her meal with a heart full of warmth and contentment.

After dinner, she rested at home for a while before heading next door to knock on Li Shuang’s door.

It was He Shuo who opened it.

He Shuo greeted her with a smile, “Xiaomianhua, come on in.”

Zhenzhen explained, “I told Sister-in-law Li Shuang before dinner that I’d come find her afterwards.”

He Shuo nodded, “She’s been waiting for you.”

As Zhenzhen followed He Shuo into the house, she couldn’t help feeling a little nervous.

This was her first time actually entering He Shuo and Li Shuang’s home. Before, she’d only ever spoken to them at the doorway.

The layout of their place was the same as hers.

The furniture was similar too, but the arrangement and atmosphere were entirely different.

Li Shuang’s home was warm and neatly kept. White lace pads covered the wooden sofa, and the tablecloth was clean and lovely.

The walls were decorated with numerous framed photos—family portraits of the three of them.

Compared to Li Shuang’s home, Zhenzhen felt the only thing her own house could match in was cleanliness.

If she hadn’t come to see it for herself, she wouldn’t have known that some people really lived like this.

Zhenzhen couldn’t help but look around curiously.

A moment later, Li Shuang came out of the bathroom and greeted her, “You’re here!”

Zhenzhen smiled and turned to her, saying, “Sister-in-law, your home is really beautifully arranged.”

Li Shuang didn’t think much of it and laughed, “It’s nothing special.”

They hadn’t lived there for very long, so she hadn’t really decorated that much—just added some dust covers to the furniture and gradually brought in a few items from home.

As they chatted, Li Shuang led Zhenzhen to sit on the sofa.

He Shuo was busy in the kitchen. A moment later, he came out carrying two delicate cups, each steaming hot and with a short silver spoon inside.

He bent down to place the cups on the coffee table, told Zhenzhen to enjoy herself, and turned to Li Shuang, “I’ll leave you two to your girl talk. I’m heading next door to find Huaiming.”

“Go ahead,” Li Shuang responded, “Take He Ziran with you.”

He Shuo called He Ziran out from his room, and the two of them headed next door.

He knocked on Shi Huaiming’s door and said, “Your wife and my wife are having a date next door, so I’m here to pair up with you. Brew some tea—let’s play a game of chess.”

“Come in,” Shi Huaiming said, ushering them into the house.

He made tea for both of them, gave He Ziran a few snacks, then took out the Chinese chessboard and pieces, set it up by the window, and sat down with He Shuo to drink tea and play chess.

He Ziran sat nearby, idly watching the commotion. As he watched, he started to feel sleepy and eventually curled up on He Shuo’s lap and dozed off.

He Shuo and Shi Huaiming were deeply focused on their game of Chinese chess. After contemplating a move and placing a piece, He Shuo casually started chatting. He glanced at Shi Huaiming and asked, “So, are you and your wife planning to keep sleeping in separate rooms forever?”

Shi Huaiming, still pondering his next move, replied without looking up, “That’s not the plan.”

After settling on a move, he picked up a “chariot” piece and advanced it straight toward He Shuo’s side.

He Shuo studied the board as he continued, “Being your wife can’t be easy. You and Xiaomianhua have been living together for some time now. Are you still not feeling anything for her?”

As soon as he asked the question, a flicker of Zhenzhen’s smiling eyes, her occasionally flushed cheeks, and that unique girlish sweetness flitted through Shi Huaiming’s mind. His heart stirred slightly.

But after a brief pause, he responded calmly, “Right now, I just want to teach her how to read and write as soon as possible.”

He Shuo made his next move, glanced at Shi Huaiming, and chuckled.

“I think Xiaomianhua should stop trying to be your wife. She’s better off as your student or your little sister.”

Shi Huaiming, eyes still on the chessboard, replied, “That’s how I’ve been treating her—from the beginning.”

He Shuo just smiled.

“Well, I’m curious to see how long you can keep treating her like a student or a little sister.”

–

Next door.

After He Shuo left with He Ziran, the space was left entirely to Li Shuang and Zhenzhen.

There was no need for small talk between them. Li Shuang stood up from the sofa and walked over to a tall side table nearby, calling Zhenzhen over: “Come take a look. I had He Shuo bring this over from home especially for you.”

“What is it?” Zhenzhen followed with curiosity, getting up and walking over.

On the table, there were only two wooden boxes of different sizes. She looked puzzled—what could be so special about plain wooden boxes?

Li Shuang kept her in suspense, saying nothing at first. She simply opened the larger box.

Inside was a circular object and a small arm-like piece.

Before Zhenzhen could ask what it was, Li Shuang opened the smaller box.

Inside were several yellow paper-wrapped items. She picked through them, selected one, and carefully peeled it open.

From the wrapper, she took out a black vinyl disc. It had a small hole in the center, with a red ring around the hole, and it was covered in fine, concentric grooves.

Still smiling, Li Shuang placed the disc onto the round turntable inside the large box.

The disc began to spin slowly. Zhenzhen stared in surprise.

Li Shuang then gently set the small arm down onto the record. Instantly, music began to play—it was a sweet, melodious tune.

The moment the music began, Zhenzhen’s eyes widened in disbelief. She stared at the wooden box, astonished—it was truly magical!

Then a beautiful, lyrical voice emerged from the speaker:

The moon drifts through clouds like white lotus flowers…
The evening breeze carries joyful songs…
We sit beside a tall stack of hay…
*Listening to Mama tell stories from the past…*¹

As she listened, Zhenzhen sat frozen for a long moment before finally snapping out of it. She quickly turned to Li Shuang.

Li Shuang smiled and said, “This is a phonograph, and that’s a vinyl record. Pretty fun, right?”

Zhenzhen nodded vigorously. “It’s my first time seeing a box that can sing. It’s amazing.”

In the countryside, things like this were unheard of. Even getting to see a movie once or twice a year was a rare treat.

The phonograph continued to play, its music tender and elegant.

Li Shuang led Zhenzhen back to the sofa and picked up a cup from the coffee table. “This is coffee. Try it.”

Coffee?

That was a new word for Zhenzhen. She mimicked Li Shuang, picking up the cup and awkwardly using the small spoon to stir.

Li Shuang took a sip first, then said casually, “Nothing special—it’s just like tea.”

Zhenzhen nodded and lifted the cup to her lips, taking a tiny sip.

The bitterness hit her instantly, and her face crinkled up.

Li Shuang burst out laughing at the sight.

Zhenzhen, a little embarrassed, quickly tried to relax her expression. “I’m just not used to it.”

Li Shuang grinned. “Everyone feels that way the first time.”

She stood and went to the kitchen, returning with a small jar.

Opening it, she placed it in front of Zhenzhen and said, “This is sugar. Add a bit more.”

Zhenzhen followed her advice, added some sugar, and stirred it carefully.

This time, when she took another sip, it was indeed a little better.

She nodded, “It’s not as bitter now.”

Li Shuang said, “Take your time. You’ve got to savor it.”

Zhenzhen nodded again, sipping slowly, imitating Li Shuang’s graceful manner.

After a few more sips, her tongue seemed to adjust, and the flavor became more palatable.

Drinking coffee and listening to music, Zhenzhen’s gaze drifted toward the window.

The breeze fluttered the curtain. Outside, sunlight spilled into the room, bright and warm.

The whole moment gave her a feeling she couldn’t quite describe—no words in her vocabulary seemed to fit.

Just then, Li Shuang smiled and said, “If you could read, then on a warm, sunny afternoon like this, we could each brew a cup of coffee or tea, put on some music, and sit down with our favorite books. We’d read and chat as we go—don’t you think that’d be beautiful? Romantic?”

Romantic?

Zhenzhen pictured it as Li Shuang described, and slowly nodded. “Yes… it does sound beautiful.”

Li Shuang looked at her and continued, “It’s not just about how beautiful it looks or how beautiful it feels. The world in books is especially beautiful. In books, there’s love, family, friendship, revolution, dreams… so many things you’ve never seen or thought about before. There are countless beautiful, sorrowful stories, and each one gives you a different perspective on life, a different experience. They help you understand more people and more things.”

Zhenzhen looked at Li Shuang, listening intently, her eyes slowly filling with longing and desire.

When Li Shuang finished speaking in a gentle tone, Zhenzhen also slowly opened her mouth and said, “I’m going to work hard to learn how to read, so I can discover these beautiful stories.”

Li Shuang smiled. “You’re going to get better and better.”

Zhenzhen nodded with a bright smile. “I’ll work hard to keep getting better.”

Zhenzhen spent the whole afternoon at Li Shuang’s, listening to music.

That evening, as she returned home to make dinner, the melody of that song still echoed in her mind—

The moon floats among clouds like white lotus blossoms…
The evening breeze carries joyful songs…
We sit by the tall haystacks…
Listening to Mama tell stories of the past…

Zhenzhen loved every song she heard that afternoon.

But her favorite was still the very first song played on the phonograph.

Li Shuang had told her the song was called “Listening to Mama Talk About the Past.”

In her later years, every time Zhenzhen heard that song again, it would bring her back to this moment in her youth.

And her eyes would well with tears.

---

Author’s note:
①② “Listening to Mama Talk About the Past” is a song performed by the Children’s Choir of the Central People’s Broadcasting Station, with lyrics by Guan Hua and music composed and arranged by Qu Xixian. It was released in 1957.