Zhang Hongmei handed one to each of them, and picked one up for herself. She had to admit, the caramelized sugar buns were quite delicious, crispy on the outside and sweet on the inside.
The two grown men ate one in just a few bites, not even planning to have a second one; they wanted to save the good stuff for her. It was Zhang Hongmei who insisted on putting it in their hands.
Both of them wanted to finish eating quickly so they could ask about Zhang Aiguo's situation.
"Hongmei, did you get through on the phone?" Zhang Hongqi asked, staring at Zhang Hongmei after finishing his meal.
“Uncle Zhang, I got through. Their battalion commander answered the phone. He told me that my parents were killed by a landmine. He has already sent people to bring back my parents’ ashes and belongings, and they should arrive around this week.”
Zhang Hongqi and Liu Maocai were both deeply saddened to hear the news. Their good friend and childhood friend had sacrificed himself, leaving behind a ten-year-old girl. This little girl even knew to prepare food for them; her thoughtfulness was heartbreaking.
"Would you two like some more water?" Li Juying asked, seeing that they had finished eating and were staring blankly at each other. She wanted to break the somber atmosphere.
"No need, Comrade Li. We've been drinking water all day. Hongmei, let's go back. It's already 4:15. We still need to go to Comrade Li's house to borrow books. We won't get home until after 6 o'clock."
"Yes, let's go. I took the carriage here myself. I'll be going now. Hongmei, your aunt and I will come to see you tomorrow."
"Uncle Zhang, it's alright. You go ahead with your work, I can manage on my own, don't worry."
"Let's go, Old Zhang, there's no rush. I'll take care of the children." After saying that, Liu Maocai put on his hat and went out. He had finished feeding the cattle the fodder he had given them before the meeting. He hitched up the cart, let Zhang Hongmei and Li Juying get in, cracked the whip, and headed home.
It was twenty minutes later when we arrived at Li Juying's house.
"You two go inside and wait a moment. I'll go find the books. I'll be right there. Our eldest son is very careful; he's gathered all the books together."
"No need, Aunt Li, we'll just wait outside."
"Okay then." Li Juying hurried off to find the book.
"Hongmei, do you want to go to school?"
"Yes, Aunt Li told me that people need to be educated. She knows the school principal and promised to ask if I could keep my student status. I will study at home and take the exam."
"That's one way. If it doesn't work, you can go too. I'll help you with any work."
"No need. Uncle, if it doesn't work out, I won't go. I'll just stay home and learn to read, so I won't be illiterate in the future."
"How did you learn this on your own?" Liu Maocai felt a headache coming on as he watched this girl speak so impulsively. Although she used to be quiet, she was honest and straightforward. Now she's got a clear mind.
"Uncle, I've thought it through. My dad has taught me most of the characters, and I'll look up the ones I don't know in the dictionary. I have one at home, and my mom taught me that too. I'll learn math by myself from the book."
"Now that you've made up your mind, that's fine, but you have to stick to it."
"Don't worry, Uncle, I will definitely study hard and won't neglect my work in the fields."
As the two were chatting, Li Juying came over, carrying a large stack of books. Yes, two books a year, twelve books in six years. "Hongmei, your elementary, junior, and senior elementary books are all here. There's also a copy of 'Biographies of Great Men,' take it home and read it. As for the school, I'll ask tonight. Don't worry, the school will take care of you in your situation."
Liu Maocai took the book. "Thank you, Comrade Li. Shall I come back tomorrow to wait for the letter?"
"You don't need to come. If it works out, I'll have someone tell you. If it doesn't, I won't go. We can find another opportunity later."
"Thank you so much, Aunt Li. You've worked so hard."
"It's not hard work, and I won't say anything more. It's getting dark, so I won't keep you two any longer. Hurry up and go, the road is slippery."
Zhang Hongmei, bundled up tightly, sat on the oxcart, head bowed, lost in thought. She had transmigrated to a fictional world, a parallel universe. She wondered if it would be the same as her previous life. Hopefully, it wouldn't; even if her ability to foresee the future was gone, she didn't want people to suffer.
The two didn't speak a word the whole way, and it was already 6:30 when they arrived in the village. After driving the oxcart into the brigade headquarters, Liu Maocai unloaded the cart while talking to Zhang Hongmei, "Hongmei, come to my house for dinner. It's been a whole day, and it will be slow for you to cook at home. The house is cold, and you'll suffer."
Zhang Hongmei jumped off the car, picked up the stack of books, and said, "Uncle, I'm not going. I'll go back by myself. I'll just grab whatever I can find. My parents just left, so I can't go to someone else's house. I'm leaving now."
Zhang Hongmei turned and ran away before Liu Maocai could speak. She genuinely didn't want to cause trouble for others. She had her own space, so what suffering was there to endure? She couldn't squander other people's sympathy; there were still many days ahead, and if she eagerly clung to them now, it would only annoy them.
Finally home, Zhang Hongmei put the books inside, took off her military overcoat and cotton hat. She quickly went to lock the gate to the yard. Although the people were generally kind and honest these days, she was an orphan, so it was best to be careful in everything she did.
They quickly gathered firewood and started a fire, turning the house into a freezer. Even if they didn't sleep inside, they had to put on a show. In the dead of winter, if the chimney wasn't smoking and everyone was alive and well, that would be a problem. It would arouse suspicion.
I washed the pot, added water, and lit the fire. I wasn't planning on cooking; I was going to eat something good in my space later. But the fact that the food at home never seemed to run out was a hassle.
Now that I've been transported to a parallel universe and no longer have the ability to foresee the future, I'll just have to take it one step at a time. However, I absolutely must attend school. The school should be lenient given my situation, as long as the principal isn't someone like Wang Jianguo.
Her background was still worthy of sympathy, and according to that, the government should give her a pension. In Xiao Hongmei's memory, her father was a company commander, earning 28.5 yuan a month, and her mother earned 25.5 yuan a month. She just didn't know if they would give her a pension like in later generations. Actually, Zhang Hongmei was also afraid of giving too much money. Money can be tempting, and wouldn't a child holding so much money attract unwanted attention?
Thankfully, she didn't have any awful relatives. If she were surrounded by the kind of awful relatives described in novels, Zhang Hongmei wasn't sure she could have survived. In her previous life, she had lived a smooth and easy life for over forty years, spending almost all her time studying. She didn't really understand social etiquette or the ways of the world. Her mother was very strong-willed and managed everything at home. Back then, she didn't care about these things and focused solely on her studies. Even after entering the workforce, she sometimes needed her mother to remind her about social interactions.
Thinking about this makes me miss my mother even more, that mother who is tough on the outside but soft on the inside, that mother who always grants my every wish.
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