Chapter Forty: Life
The next day, Su Xiangdong went to report for duty and was assigned to work. The farm manager was Zhou Dalin's old foreman, and they had spoken to each other beforehand. He wasn't friendly on the surface, but the work he assigned wasn't heavy or dirty.
Shu Yao has already reported that she has many ailments, so working is not mandatory. If the higher-ups are strict and there are inspections, then she should go to work. If not, then it's unnecessary.
Her husband went to work, so she stayed home and aired out the bedding and washed the clothes. When she ran out of water, she carried buckets to fetch more herself.
"Tangtang, Mommy is going to fetch water. You stay here and play by yourself. Don't run around."
The little girl had just been washing clothes with her, and now she was squatting there playing with ants, holding a blade of grass. Hearing this, she turned around, got up, and ran over to her.
"Mom, I'll go with you. Dad said I should go with you."
Shu Yao chuckled: "Mom went to fetch water, she'll be back soon."
"Then I'll stay with you."
"Okay, let's go then."
The mother and daughter went out. She had heard Su Xiangdong say yesterday that the well was to the east, so she headed east. She quickly saw the well with its windlass and carried her buckets over. There were no buckets on the rope, so she needed to tie the buckets she had carried to the rope.
Because she wasn't used to this way of fetching water, she only managed to fill the bucket halfway after several attempts. Somewhat frustrated, she muttered, "Really, how come Su Xiangdong can fill it like this? He hasn't used this in years, has he?"
"Don't you know how to fetch water?"
A pretty female voice rang out. She turned around and saw a young woman with two long braids and bright features. Her eyes lit up when she saw her face clearly, and she reached out to take the bucket of water from the woman's hand.
"Are you new here?" Seeing her nod, the girl took the initiative to introduce herself. "My name is Wang Cuiling. You must be older than me, right?"
Yes, definitely.
Shu Yao is thirty, but she has lived a relaxed life and taken good care of herself over the years, looking radiant and remarkably young. The girl glanced at Tangtang beside her, but still managed to ask a question.
"My name is Shu Yao, and I'm a newly arrived worker sent down to the farm."
“Oh, my dad said a whole family came yesterday.” The girl didn’t shy away from this, but still glanced around. “You’re all so kind. Many of you came alone, and some of you were even injured.”
"Thanks."
While they were talking, the girl filled the bucket with water for her. She put the bucket down for her and then Shuyao took the carrying pole to fetch more water.
"You're welcome," the girl said with a smile, then her eyes darted around. "Is that how it's called? We country folk don't care about these things. I heard that 'thank you' is the equivalent of this."
Shu Yao smiled but didn't answer, finding her amusing. It wasn't anything special, just polite small talk.
"Hey, sister, be careful."
Shu Yao hadn't done this kind of work for many years, and she was a little unsteady. In her previous life, she could carry more than 100 pounds on her shoulders, but now the water wasn't that heavy, yet she felt a heaviness on her shoulders and her feet began to float.
"Thank you, it's okay, I'll get used to it."
The girl noticed she swayed quite a bit at first, but gradually regained her balance. Of course, it still looked like she was struggling. But that's understandable, considering she's from the city and hasn't done heavy physical labor before.
Shu Yao carried two buckets of water, filling the small water vat almost to the brim. She had brought rice, flour, oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar, but no fresh vegetables. Carrying her basket, she planned to exchange some with a local farmer. After walking a hundred or two meters, she saw a house with lush, green vegetables in its yard and stood at the gate, gazing inside.
"Is anyone there? Hello, I'm a neighbor from nearby."
The door was opened, and a young girl came out. Even from a distance, it wasn't hard to see clearly; her clothes and figure were exactly the same as the one she had encountered while fetching water.
"Hey girl, is this your house?"
"Yes, I live nearby." The girl warmly opened the door for her and invited her in.
"Um, we just arrived and there's no food yet, so could we..."
"Sure. There are so many vegetables in the yard, feel free to pick them."
Before she could even finish speaking, the girl readily told her to pick as many as she wanted, and she waved her hand with a smile. "How could I? I meant, could I have some instead? I'll pay the price at the vegetable shop."
"Don't worry about money." The girl waved her hand. "Go ahead and pick. We have green beans, eggplants, cucumbers, peppers, everything. Pick whatever you like."
Shu Yao hesitated, taken aback by the enthusiasm. She thought, "You don't seem like the head of the household. Shouldn't we ask the family?" Just as she was about to say something, another woman came out of the house. She looked to be around forty years old, with a similarly kind face.
"Excuse me, ma'am, can you sell me some vegetables?"
The woman smiled and walked towards her: "You must be Su Xiangdong's wife?"
"yes."
"Oh, don't be so formal. My brother and your brother are comrades-in-arms. I was just saying I'd send you some. Pick whatever you like."
Although farmers held a high social status, being sent down to the countryside during this period still led to alienation. Shu Yao never expected that this deputy farm manager would be so unconcerned about appearances. Or perhaps this was just something done behind closed doors. But regardless, it was already very good. With them secretly taking care of her, her life wouldn't be too bad.
"Thank you, thank you so much."
Shu Yao picked some vegetables here, and seeing that she was hesitant, her sister-in-law simply went down to the field to pick them for her herself. Originally, she thought it would be enough for two meals, but this basket should be enough for a week.
Potatoes keep well, and green beans, cucumbers, eggplants, zucchini, and peppers are all exceptionally fresh. They're so crisp and appealing.
"Just come if you need anything, no need for formalities."
Shu Yao nodded, already having made her plan to buy from someone else next time. While it might be difficult to publicly interact with them, everyone was eager to make money. Besides, it was easy money; it was the season for abundant vegetables.
With vegetables ready, she made noodles for lunch. Mixed grain noodles with a topping of water chestnuts and chili peppers. Su Xiangdong had worked all morning, and after lunch, he and several other exiled workers returned together. Only then did he realize that people actually lived nearby. Fortunately, after some subtle inquiries, everyone shook their heads about last night, and no one mentioned anything about meat, which put his mind at ease.
"Old Su, what are you going home to cook? You just arrived, you probably don't have any rice, noodles, or vegetables. Why don't you come to my place and grab a bite to eat, we can make some porridge together."
"No need, my wife's home. She's probably cooked." He smiled happily; after all these years, he knew his wife's character. No doubt, she'd cooked. Even if there weren't any vegetables, she'd definitely find a way.
"I...you actually have a wife with you?"
"Um."
“There are five of us in this house, all divorced and living alone. And you, kid, actually have a wife with you... this…”
"Aren't you envious?"
"More than that, it's envy, jealousy, and hatred."
"Ha ha,"
Su Xiangdong laughed heartily. For a while, no one would be watching them; they didn't have to worry about being scolded or causing trouble. He took a different route home, and sure enough, the aroma of food filled the air as soon as he entered.
"Noodles, come on, come on," he said, washing his hands and standing next to his wife, trying to take the rolling pin from her hand. "I'll roll it."
Shu Yao refused to give it to him: "Sit there and rest for a while, I'll roll it out."
He smiled easily, seemingly genuinely, indicating he hadn't suffered much. "It wasn't tiring, just weeding in the fields. No one was watching, so I could slack off."
"Then sit there and rest for a while. I'll be fine soon."
"You did the laundry and cleaning at home too. By the way, where did you get the vegetables? I was just thinking of asking someone to get some for lunch, and we can also clear out the yard. It's a good time to plant radishes and cabbages now."
"Okay, I'll go find some seeds."
"No need, I have seeds."
Shu Yao folded the dough off the rolling pin and picked up a knife to cut it. "Where did you get the seeds?"
"Have you forgotten what I used to do? Although the situation is different now, there are still some people worth befriending. I'm prepared; I even have the vegetable seeds I need to grow myself."
“Okay,” she said with a smile, putting the noodles into the pot. “Looks like I was overthinking it.”
Because of her savings and the secret help she received, her life in the countryside seemed largely the same, even though she had moved from the city. Shu Yao was a restless woman; after taking care of the household chores, she would go to work with the other women.
This is the time of year for weeding, and she doesn't earn many work points; she just carries a basket and pulls weeds every day. A few work points a day isn't much, but this way, people won't gossip, and she has something to do. Tangtang stays by her mother's side; the little girl is very sensible and never runs off on her own.
"Mom, it's my uncle."
When she got home from work, she saw a familiar figure standing at the door. She smiled and went to greet him, opening the door first. "What brings you here?"
Zhou Dalin reached out and picked Tangtang up: "I took a day off this weekend. Sis, are you all doing alright here? Didn't you say you didn't have to work? Why did you go to the fields? I'll go find you..."
"No need," Shu Yao stopped him and poured him some water from the thermos. "I did it myself, otherwise I'd be bored. Your old squad leader takes good care of us, and I was just thinking about how to thank him."
"No need. We have a very good relationship, there's no need to be so polite."
"That's true, but your comrade's sister and daughter have helped us a lot. We'd feel really bad if we didn't do something in return."
He frowned, looking somewhat troubled, but Shu Yao immediately noticed the fish he was carrying. "Is the fish for me?"
"Yes." They were caught in the reservoir; both were large grass carp, weighing seven or eight pounds each.
"Then let's give one away."
"Okay." Zhou Dalin scratched his head: "How could I have forgotten about this?"
"In that case, I won't go. It's best for us to keep our distance from people openly right now. You go over there and give the things to the person."
"good."
Fish, rabbits, pheasants—as long as such things were available and the opportunity presented itself, Shu Yao would secretly reciprocate. The farm manager and his sister's family were both very kind people, and with the added bonus of reciprocity, they helped each other both openly and secretly.
"It's getting cold. Does that mean there's no work in the fields during winter?"
“Reclaiming land and cultivating crops is actually a good thing, as it provides work to do in winter.”
Shu Yao understood immediately; people can't be too idle. They weren't afraid of working, but what they feared most these days was exercise. Without exercise, working was a piece of cake.
"Most of the women aren't participating; they're staying home to take care of the kids and do needlework. You don't need to go either. Take some time to go back to the city; I'll write you a letter of introduction to ask for leave. Go back and see how our two kids are doing."
The elderly father worries about his two children. He's alright when the younger one is around, but he's constantly on his mind when the older one isn't. He often blames himself, feeling that he's the one who's burdened his family.
"Okay, I'll go back and take a look."
Of course she could go back; she was worried about her two children. Once the work in the fields was completely finished and everyone was less busy, she finally got the chance to go back by claiming she was sick and needed to go to the hospital.
After a whole day of travel, we finally arrived home. As soon as Tangtang saw the door, she grabbed her things and ran inside, shouting excitedly, her face flushed.
"Brother, sister, I'm back."
The twins were doing their homework inside when they heard a noise and immediately put down their pens and ran outside. He Xu reached out and picked up his younger sister, He Yi, while He Yi ran to take the things from her mother's hands.
"Mom, I miss you so much."
She patted her eldest daughter's head: "Mom misses you all so much. How are you doing at home?"
The twins nodded together: "We're both fine, but we miss you and Dad. How's Dad doing? We heard from others that being sent to the countryside is terrible, and we're all very worried about you."
"It's not that complicated." We shouldn't put unnecessary pressure on the child. "Dad is fine too, but he has work to do on the farm, so he can't come back."
"oh."
My third aunt had gone out to visit neighbors, and when she heard that I was back, she rushed back home. The first thing she did upon entering was hug Tangtang, the child she had raised herself; she loved all three of them dearly. She had been missing the youngest day and night since she'd been away.
She hugged and kissed the child repeatedly. "Baby, Grandma's not here, are you and Mommy and Daddy doing well?"
Tangtang is also close to her grandma, and obediently replied, "Everything is fine."
Auntie observed the little one carefully: "She's grown up a bit. This child looks more and more like her grandmother."
"Right. Su Xiangdong said the same thing. He didn't expect Tangtang to look so much like her grandma."
He Yi came over and hugged her mother's arm: "Mom, I look like you, right?"
"Yes, like your mother, like your grandmother."
He Xu also joined in the fun: "Mom, then I guess I look like my dad, I'm a boy."
"Yes, like your dad."
Neither the twins inherited any traits from the Sun family, neither in appearance nor personality. He Xu actually resembles his uncle quite a bit, but since no one has met him, no one notices. He, on the other hand, was raised by Su Xiangdong from a young age, and his mannerisms and speech were modeled after his father, making him remarkably similar to him—they clearly belong to the same family.
She went home, and the twins were overjoyed, chatting with her until very late that night. The next day, Su Juan heard she was back and rushed over. Like her third aunt, she asked about the details.
"Don't worry about things at home, my husband and I are here."
"Thank you." Since Su Xiangdong's accident, none of his cousins have been seen. Su Juan, on the other hand, has come several times; she also came to see them off when they left. Because of her presence, they felt at ease leaving the twins and their third aunt at home.
"Are you two alright?" Su Juan looked unwell, as if she had something on her mind. In her past life, Su Juan's husband later became a rebel; he was the kind of person who loved to take shortcuts. He died in an accident in the early 1970s, or something like that, she couldn't remember clearly.
"Oh well, whatever. I don't care anymore. He can come home or not, he can do whatever he wants."
Auntie San knew about it too, and frowned helplessly. They all just wanted a peaceful life, and this situation was clearly not what they wanted. But they couldn't do anything about it, and didn't even dare to say anything. Those people were in the limelight; a single word from them could condemn you.
"Let's not talk about him. We'll just get by for now. It's been like this for so many years, and I'm used to it. Fortunately, the children are all grown up, especially the eldest, who has taken over his job at the factory and can take care of the family."
Shu Yao nodded: "Then does the second son have to go to the countryside?"
"Yes. They've all registered and will leave next spring. Oh well, let them go. There are no jobs in the city, so they can go to the countryside to farm. They're all grown up now, let them walk their own path. I can't worry about them for them."
"yes."
The tide has turned, and no individual can change it; let things take their course. She didn't say a word more to her cousin-in-law. Those people are riding high these days, and they can't be easily persuaded by a few words. One wrong move, and they might even turn around and accuse you of sabotage.
Shu Yao stayed at her home for five days, and the two children were reluctant to leave. Everyone thought that being sent down to the countryside would mean suffering, but in reality, with her prior arrangements and Zhou Dalin's help, their life on the farm was no different from before.
Su Xiangdong hadn't done much manual labor in recent years, but he adapted very quickly. He was healthy and strong, and had a down-to-earth and hardworking nature. As long as he didn't exercise, he could work every day without any problem.
Zhou Dalin missed them and would visit them whenever he had time. He brought them New Year's gifts in advance and also delivered two pheasants to the old sergeant's house. The old sergeant looked at him, frowning as if he wanted to say something but hesitated. The two had spent more than a year together in the army, and their camaraderie made him feel he had to speak.
"It's best to keep your distance from Su Xiangdong and his group. At this time, be careful not to get implicated."
"It can't be that bad," Zhou Dalin said with a smile, though he was also somewhat worried. He was well aware of the seriousness of the situation, but was it really true that even contact with others was impossible?
"Of course it's that bad. Haven't you seen many couples getting divorced, drawing a clear line between them? That's what's going on right now."
Zhou Dalin didn't answer. After delivering the gifts, he left the old squad leader's house. Unexpectedly, Shu Yao also warned him before leaving: "Come less often in the future, don't get implicated."
"Sister, I'm not afraid. At worst, I'll farm with you."
"So we'll all be eating coarse food and being passively controlled, completely losing our initiative?"
"But if I cut ties with you, what kind of person would I be?"
"As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn." Su Xiangdong patted him on the shoulder. "What matters is providing real, tangible help; what's the point of all that empty talk?"
Dalin nodded silently, taking everyone's words to heart. After that, the lookout was all done discreetly; he began making frequent trips to the old squad leader's house. He would ask the old squad leader's niece to pass on anything, and the two thus had many more interactions.
The following autumn, Shu Yao learned that he and Cui Ling had gotten married. They secretly met outside at night and congratulated each other.
Da Lin chuckled憨厚ly; he hadn't expected to find his wife here. Cui Ling was truly a wonderful girl; she had been helping him a lot these past few days.
"Live well after getting married."
"Yes, I know." He was finally going to have his own family. Having grown up in that environment after his mother's death, he longed for a family of his own. He vowed to treat his wife and children well, to give them everything he hadn't had before.
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