When Xu Ning rode her bicycle to Zhao Jianshe’s house, both Zhao Jianshe and Su Hongmei were not at home. Su Hongmei’s mother was helping take care of their child. After handing over the mountain goods she had brought, she planned to visit the shoe factory in the city to see if she could sell a couple of military coats.

In her space, she only had a few bed sheets and military coats that could be exchanged for some money; the rest was barely enough for her family to return to the city.

Xu Ning wandered around the family compound of the shoe factory and knocked on the door of a small courtyard. An elderly woman emerged, accompanied by a child who was wearing clothes without a single patch. The child’s rosy cheeks indicated they were well-fed and clothed. The old woman, not recognizing Xu Ning, asked, “Little girl, who are you looking for?”

Xu Ning smiled and replied, “Auntie, I was passing by and got thirsty. May I ask for a cup of water?”

At that moment, a woman’s voice came from inside the courtyard. “Mom, who is it?”

“A passerby, wants a bowl of water,” the old woman called back. Shortly after, a woman in her thirties stepped out. She was fair-skinned and had a neat bob haircut.

She glanced at the large basket on Xu Ning’s back and then at her bicycle, saying, “Mom, let her in for some water!” After that, she went inside.

The old woman looked outside, and Xu Ning followed her gaze to see an elderly woman in her fifties standing not far away, looking this way. The old woman sighed and said to her grandson, “Da Bao, go to the kitchen and bring a steamed bun for Grandma Wang.”

The boy, named Da Bao, nodded and ran to the kitchen, returning with a bun made from two parts flour, which he delivered to the elderly woman. She patted Da Bao’s head, her lips moving, but Xu Ning was too far away to hear what she said.

After a while, Da Bao returned without the bun, and the elderly woman walked off toward a nearby courtyard. Da Bao said, “Grandma, she didn’t want it.”

The old woman sighed again and told Da Bao, “If she doesn’t want it, just take it back to the kitchen.” Then she beckoned Xu Ning to come inside for water.

As Xu Ning drank from the bowl, she asked, “Auntie, what was going on with Grandma Wang just now?”

The old woman replied, “It’s just the way things are nowadays. Their family used to be well-known and wealthy around here.”

“This area we live in, including the shoe factory, used to belong to their family. They later donated the factory and the houses, leaving them with only the small courtyard where they now live,” the old woman explained. “Now the couple has been assigned to sweep the area, and in exchange, they receive a small amount of coarse grains each month.”

Xu Ning asked, “But don’t they have any children?”

The old woman’s tone grew heavy as she replied, “Their child went to the army in 1950 and never came back. We don’t know if he’s dead or alive.”

“1950 was twenty years ago, and he hasn’t returned. Most likely, he’s no longer with us,” she sighed.

Xu Ning placed her bowl on the table and turned to the middle-aged woman nearby who was knitting. “Sister, my brother sent a military coat from the army, but we can’t bear to wear it at home. My second brother needs money for his wedding, so I’m going to sell it. Do you know anyone who might want to buy a military coat?”

As she spoke, she opened her basket and pulled out a brand-new military coat.

The middle-aged woman set her knitting aside, walked over to examine the coat, and ran her hands over it. After inspecting it from front to back, she asked, “How much do you want for it?”

Xu Ning said, “Sister, if you want it, I’ll let it go for 50 yuan. If my family didn’t really need the money, my parents wouldn’t have allowed me to sell it.”

The sister seemed to know the value of military coats, as she didn’t haggle and promptly handed Xu Ning the 50 yuan. Xu Ning then shouldered her basket and pushed her bicycle back through the alley she had come from.

As she reached the elderly woman’s doorstep, the door opened from the inside. The elderly woman glanced around and, seeing no one, whispered to her, “Girl, do you have any grain? I can trade you something for it.”

Xu Ning’s heart stirred at her words. “Grandma, what kind of grain do you need?”

Upon hearing that Xu Ning had grain, the old woman invited her inside. She introduced herself, saying her husband’s surname was Wang.

Xu Ning took a look around the small courtyard, which had only three rooms and a toilet. The elderly woman led her into the house, where a man in his fifties lay on a chair to the right. He looked very thin, and as soon as he saw Xu Ning, he asked his wife, “Old woman, who is this?”

Before she could answer, he erupted into a severe coughing fit.

Wang Dama hurriedly poured a glass of water for her husband, saying, “This girl has grain, and I want to trade for it to help you get better.”

The old man sighed and replied, “What’s the point of trying to improve my health? Just trade something; you should eat more and try to live a few more years. See if you can wait for our son to come back?”

“What are you talking about, old man? We both need to stay healthy and wait for our son’s return,” she said, wiping her tears before going into the back room.

Xu Ning listened to their conversation, feeling a pang of sadness. In this peaceful era, so many lives had been sacrificed for their tranquility.

Wang Dama returned from the inner room holding a small yellow croaker. “I’d like to trade this little yellow croaker ^[1]Ancient gold bar coin for some fine grain,” she said to Xu Ning.

Xu Ning looked at the gold, thinking about how much would be fair for a trade. “Grandma Wang, how much do you want in return? Would rice or flour work?”

“Just give what you think is fair! Whatever you have, just trade for that!”

Xu Ning pondered for a moment and replied, “I don’t have much with me today. In my basket, I have ten pounds of rice, twenty pounds of white flour, two pounds of brown sugar, and a pound of pork.”

“Please take these items for now, and I will bring the rest during my next visit. You can pay me afterward.” Xu Ning said, thinking it would be weird if she had brought too many things, after all, her basket can’t hold too many things.

The old man on the chair waved his hand dismissively. “We’ll keep the goods; just take the little yellow croaker with you!”

Grandma Wang handed the small yellow croaker to Xu Ning, saying, “Take it home!”

Xu Ning accepted it without hesitation, placing the items down and planning to return in a few days. As she pushed her bicycle out the door, she turned to glance back at Grandma Wang, who stood at the entrance.

They had donated their property to the state, and their son’s fate was unknown after going to the army. Now, they were reduced to sweeping the streets and receiving a meager amount of coarse grains each month.

Xu Ning thought to herself, though she wasn’t a saint overflowing with compassion and didn’t have much to offer, she could do her part since their paths had crossed. At the very least, she wanted to bring a glimmer of hope to their dim lives.