PCJ – Chapter 160 A Quiz Before Independence

Zhang Jiaohua opened his eyes and instinctively called out, “Mom!”

Footsteps approached, but it was not Liu Qiaoye, it was Ma Donghua.

“Jiaohua, are you hungry? You made quite a fuss yesterday,” Ma Donghua said, shaking her head sympathetically.

Zhang Jiaohua hadn’t caught up with the bus and cried all the way until he was exhausted. Zhang Manyin carried him home on his back, with his cries not stopping at all. No matter how much Zhang Manyin tried to scold him, it had no effect. His voice became hoarse from crying, and when they finally got home, he refused to eat dinner. He only quieted down when he fell asleep from exhaustion.

Zhang Jiaohua quietly dressed himself and went outside to practice his stance work.

“Wow, this child,” Ma Donghua was worried that Zhang Jiaohua would cause another scene upon not seeing his parents. She didn’t expect him to be so quiet. At just seven years old, he was without his parents’ care. Ma Donghua really didn’t know how Zhang Jiaohua’s future would turn out.

Zhang Jiaohua practiced his stance work for twice as long as usual today. Normally, he would only stand for 20-30 minutes, but today he stood for nearly an hour. Jin Hu and the others watched anxiously. Only they knew that Zhang Jiaohua was still immersed in the sadness of his parents’ departure.

“Jiaohua, why don’t you move into the old house? That way, your grandparents wouldn’t have to travel back and forth every day,” Ma Donghua suggested while Zhang Jiaohua was still quiet.

Zhang Jiaohua shook his head, “I can take care of myself. I can cook and do laundry. You don’t need to worry. How about this, I’ll do everything myself for the next few days, and if I manage, I’ll stay in my own house. If not, I’ll move to the old house.”

Ma Donghua knew her grandson was strong-willed and couldn’t be forced, so she agreed.

In fact, Zhang Jiaohua had already mastered these chores before Liu Qiaoye went to Guangdong. Otherwise, Liu Qiaoye would never have agreed to let Jiaohua live alone.

After finishing his stance work, Zhang Jiaohua was drenched in sweat, as if he had been soaked in water. He took a carrying pole and carried two small iron buckets. These buckets were specially prepared for him after his parents went to Guangdong, for fetching water. The original buckets at home were too tall for a child like him.

Seeing her little grandson going to fetch water by himself, Ma Donghua felt a pang of sadness. “Jiaohua, let your grandpa and me fetch the water for you every day. You just need to do the other chores,” she said.

“No need, Grandma, I can manage,” Zhang Jiaohua replied, swaying the two iron buckets, which creaked all the way.

In Meizi Village, there were two options for fetching water: a mountain spring at the village entrance or a well in the middle of the village fields. The mountain spring was closer, while the well water was warm in winter and cool in summer. Many villagers used the mountain spring water for laundry and the well water for cooking and drinking.

Zhang Jiaohua fetched water mainly for bathing and laundry, so he chose the closer mountain spring.

Ma Donghua worried about Zhang Jiaohua falling. At his age, other children were still prone to tripping, yet he was fetching water.

“Jiaohua, where are you going?” Zhang Jiwang asked with interest.

“To fetch water,” Zhang Jiaohua replied. He hadn’t mastered the technique yet, and the buckets kept swaying and hitting things on both sides of the road.

“You’re not even as tall as the buckets. Don’t bathe on the road,” Zhang Jiwang joked.

“His parents went to Guangdong, and he refuses to live with us. He insists on staying at his own home and doing everything himself. I told him his grandpa and I would fetch the water, but he wouldn’t let us,” Ma Donghua explained helplessly.

“Let him be. This child has ambition. He’ll achieve great things. There’s no one in his generation in Meizi Village who can compare to him,” Zhang Jiwang praised Zhang Jiaohua highly.

“Second Brother, don’t praise him too much, or he won’t listen to us,” Ma Donghua said, though she was happy to hear her grandson praised.

“I’ll say this now: you’ll see in the future,” Zhang Jiwang said with a laugh and went back to his work.

At the village entrance, the stream flowed continuously from the mountain. Zhang Jiaohua placed his buckets under the flow to wash them clean and then filled them. He hooked the buckets onto the carrying pole like an adult and began the journey home. Even though the buckets were small, they still weighed 40-50 pounds—a heavy load for a seven-year-old.

Ma Donghua followed, worried, but Zhang Jiaohua carried the water home without complaint. Ma Donghua quickly checked his shoulders, which seemed fine. She couldn’t believe the strength her young grandson had.

“Does it hurt?” Ma Donghua asked, rubbing his shoulders.

“Not at all,” Zhang Jiaohua replied, shaking his head. He used the water to bathe and wash his clothes, hanging them out to dry.

Soon it was time to make breakfast. Zhang Jiaohua chopped a cabbage and a piece of cured meat, making a stir-fry with chopped chili peppers and a simple stir-fry with the cabbage. One meat, one vegetable, and he even prepared a dish for Ma Donghua, inviting her to stay for the meal.

Ma Donghua’s eyes welled up as she tasted the food her grandson had cooked. She realized he really could take care of himself.

“Jiaohua, if you want to live in your own house, Grandma won’t stop you. But if you need anything, tell your grandparents. We’ll come check on you every day. Your grandparents are your family; don’t think of us as outsiders. Your grandpa used to favor Yuanbao, but now he loves you just as much,” Ma Donghua said emotionally.

“Okay, Grandma. If you need help with anything, let me know,” Zhang Jiaohua replied politely.

Ma Donghua smiled, “We know you’re strong. When your grandparents can’t move anymore, we’ll rely on you.”

After passing Ma Donghua’s test, Zhang Jiaohua finally got to live alone in his house. At first, Ma Donghua and Zhang Manyin would come by every night to check on him and remind him to lock the door.

Time flew, and soon it was the 15th, almost time for school to start. Before school began, Zhang Jiaohua had one more thing to do—he wanted to go to town and change his name.

He wanted to start the new semester with his new name—Zhang Jiaohua.