Chapter 24

After two weeks of obediently staying home and cutting plastic, Zhang Hongxing couldn’t sit still any longer.

The wound on his toe had healed, and he was getting restless again.

A boy in his teens just couldn’t stay cooped up at home every day—it was unbearable.

Summer was sweltering, and the house was only comfortable when the occasional breeze passed through. Most of the time, everyone was soaked in sweat.

Zhang Hongxing started pestering Zhang Hongying to take him to the market.

Li Xiaofang thought that might not be a bad idea. At the market, at least his sister could watch over him. And he might even get a free meal out of it. Surely Master Wang wouldn’t throw her little brother out before feeding them?

Zhang Hongying started to panic. If Zhang Hongxing went to the market, it’d be hard to keep certain things secret. Like the fact that she was eating well every day at noon. People these days loved to gossip. If they saw her brother there, they’d definitely say things like:
“Your brother’s here—why aren’t you giving him something good to eat?”
Or: “Now that your brother’s around, why are you two still eating better than him?”

Hoping for silence from them was impossible.

But there was no excuse to stop Zhang Hongxing from going.

When Shen Jianzhen heard about it, she said, “That’s easy—once he starts junior high, it’s even farther from home. And there’s a bike lane on the way. Tell your parents to get him a bicycle.

Boys with bikes get obsessed with riding around and don’t have time to hang out at the market.”

Bikes were becoming popular, but they were still a new thing, and accidents were common.

Pedestrians didn’t know how to dodge them, and cyclists didn’t know how to avoid people—swerving left and right until they’d often crash into each other.

While bike accidents weren’t as severe as those involving motorcycles or cars later on, the commune had still heard of elderly women being killed in crashes.

So many people were reluctant to buy their kids bikes.

In her previous life, Zhang Hongying only got a bike after starting work—she was considered an adult then. And since commuting on foot was exhausting and time-consuming, Li Xiaofang didn’t object.

Zhang Hongying worried her parents wouldn’t agree to buy one. Shen Jianzhen couldn’t believe how clueless she was:
“I knew how to get what I wanted when I was six. Just make your little brother ask—or ask for him.

Say he’s starting junior high and needs to learn how to ride.

The school and the market are in the same direction. The bike would help him get to school and you get to work.

If you save time on the road, you can help your mom more at home.

Riding saves twenty minutes each way—that’s forty minutes a day. You can get a lot done in that time.

If you put it like that, your mom might even buy it for you herself.”

Zhang Hongying: …You and my brother are the same. Always full of excuses.

Sure enough, Zhang Hongxing started whining:
“Mom, buy me a bike. If I learn to ride, I can run errands for you when you need something from town.

And I won’t have to stay in the dorm for school—I can come home every day to see you and Dad.

Wouldn’t you rather see me every day than once a week?”

Li Xiaofang was convinced. The very next day, she and Zhang Xiaoshu went to Baizhen and brought back a bike.

Neither of them knew how to ride, barely knew how to push it. In the end, they carried it back on their shoulders.

Zhang Hongying couldn’t help but be touched by how much they doted on their son. If they’d let her go buy it, she could’ve ridden it home.

But they didn’t even want her to make the trip—were they afraid she’d claim it for herself?

Zhang Hongxing was thrilled with the bike and spent every day pushing it around, totally forgetting about going to the market with Zhang Hongying.

The market was hot and stuffy—nowhere near as fun as riding a bike.

Young people learn fast. After just one afternoon, Zhang Hongxing had mastered riding.

He was smug about it too, with a crowd of kids around him yelling to take turns.
“Give me a ride!”
“Take me around once!”

He rode around and around the threshing ground, weaving between straw piles while his friends screamed excitedly behind him, forgetting all about the summer heat.

But the fun didn’t last long. Despite dodging all the straw piles, Zhang Hongxing ended up crashing hard on a flat patch of ground, suffering a comminuted fracture in his leg.

Later, someone came running to Zhang Hongying:
“Hurry to the hospital! Your brother’s broken his leg!”

Zhang Hongying was stunned:
“What did you say?”

Riding a bike—how could that break your leg?

It made sense for older folks to break bones—especially women. Li Xiaofang had fractured her wrist, ribs, and collarbone before. The rib fracture came from a grandchild kicking her while she was babysitting.

But breaking your leg from biking? Zhang Hongxing really had rotten luck!

When Zhang Hongying got to the hospital, his leg was hoisted up in traction, and he was howling in pain, soaked in sweat.

When he saw her, he wailed pitifully,
“Jie, it hurts so much!”

Zhang Hongying had no sympathy at all. Why was he always getting into trouble? Maybe it was because the more he acted out, the more their parents coddled him—and the closer they got?

The doctor explained that the bones had to be pulled apart and properly aligned—or they might heal crooked. He couldn’t move, even if the pain made him cry.

If you gave in now, it’d be worse later when it had to be re-broken.

Zhang Hongying half-heartedly comforted Zhang Hongxing, then asked Li Xiaofang for money to buy bones—for soup to help him heal faster.

Zhang Hongxing heard and, despite the pain, shouted,
“Make sure there’s lots of meat on them!”

Meat was still a rare treat back then.

Zhang Hongying added,
“Give me the bike key too, so I can deliver the food faster. No need for you two to sit here waiting around.”

Li Xiaofang hesitated.
“Don’t go wrecking your brother’s bike.”

Zhang Hongying was furious. She walked so many miles every day and didn’t even get a bike. Her brother hadn’t even started school and already had one.

And now that he’d broken his leg, she was using the bike to bring him food, and they still didn’t want to let her touch it?

“I know how to ride,” she said through gritted teeth.

“When did you learn?” Li Xiaofang was suspicious.

“During my tailoring apprenticeship. Master Wang had a bike. I used to ride it when I had free time. Don’t worry, I won’t crash.”

“If you still won’t hand it over, I’ll just walk back and forth. With making bone soup and delivering it, that’ll take four or five hours. Don’t blame me if you get tired of waiting.”

Zhang Hongxing, in pain, urged her:
“Mom, just give her the key already! It’s not like the bike’s going anywhere—it’s either me or her using it. What’s the point of hiding the key? You don’t even ride!”

Zhang Hongying wanted to laugh.
Such a simple thing—riding a bike—and yet such a big deal?

She was still a minor. She couldn’t leave without consequence yet. But the moment she could buy a household registration and ID card, she’d be gone in a heartbeat.

She couldn’t bear this life another minute.

Reluctantly, Li Xiaofang handed over the bike key like she was parting with her own heart.

Zhang Hongying rushed to the market—there were still three meaty bones left at the butcher’s stall.

She thought for a moment and bought all three.

Back at the market, she borrowed a stove to light a fire and cook bone soup.

Pork was high quality in those days. The marrow turned white, and the soup came out thick and rich.

She served up one bone and a full bowl of soup, and added two ladles of boiling water.

While it was cooking, she went to call Shen Jianzhen:
“Come, come. Have some soup. Eat some meat.”

Shen Jianzhen was surprised:
“Aren’t you saving it for your brother? Bone soup helps bones heal. The more he eats, the faster he recovers.”

Zhang Hongying spat:
“They don’t deserve it!”