WRS – Chapter 55

There were so many dishes that one table couldn’t hold them all. Commissar Zhu went next door to bring over their large dining table, and the two tables were joined together.

He Yan and Yang Yingxiong followed behind him, each carrying two stools in their hands.

Jin Xiuzhu and Fang Min had already fed the two babies, coaxed them to sleep, and laid them side by side in the main room. Before dinner, Commissar Zhu somehow produced a camera—he wanted to take a group photo of everyone.

Seeing this, Jin Xiuzhu and Fang Min even went back to the room to carry out their sleeping little ones. Commissar Zhu took one photo for everyone, then swapped with Jiang Mingchuan so another could be taken.

Both families sat together—Jin Xiuzhu and Fang Min held their children in the front row, while the older kids stood beside or behind them. Everyone’s faces were bright with smiles.

After the group shot, they each took a family photo as well. Perhaps the noise was too loud, because Fang Min’s son woke up and started crying loudly. In a panic, Fang Min instinctively reached out to cover his mouth—right as the camera clicked, capturing the moment.

Meanwhile, the baby Liuliu in Jin Xiuzhu’s arms slept soundly, the corners of her lips curling into a little unconscious smile—adorably peaceful.

Once the photos were done, Jin Xiuzhu and Fang Min put the children back to bed.

Fang Min, seeing her son asleep again, let out a breath of relief. “This kid has such a temper—can’t be provoked at all. I’m really afraid of him.”

Jin Xiuzhu gave her a sympathetic look. It was true—her son was not easy to handle.

Maybe it was because of the constant exhaustion from her son, but Jin Xiuzhu felt Fang Min’s expressions had become much more vivid lately.

Once the two women came back out, dinner began. There was no alcohol in the house, so they replaced it with tea, chatting and laughing as they ate.

Later, the three older kids began to grow restless—it was almost six o’clock, and there was a movie showing from six to eight. They wanted to go see it.

Knowing what they were thinking, Jin Xiuzhu told them, “Eat up quickly and then you can go.”

At that, He Yan and the others immediately began shoveling food into their mouths, eating as fast as they could. Jiang Mingchuan hurriedly said, “What’s the rush? You’ll make it in time! Don’t choke!”

Beside him, Bai Jingzhi silently picked up her pace as well.

By five-fifty, Jin Xiuzhu let them go. The three kids, along with Bai Jingzhi, each carried a stool out with them.

He Yan even brought along snacks—sunflower seeds, pastries, and water—clearly well-prepared to enjoy himself.

Once the kids left, the house instantly quieted down. Jin Xiuzhu and the others quickened their eating too. Afterward, she and Fang Min went to check on the children; they were still asleep.

Fang Min whispered, “I think I’ll stay. I’m not one for crowds anyway. You all go watch. I’ll keep an eye on Liuliu for you.”

Jin Xiuzhu shot her a look. “What’s the point of staying home during the New Year? It’s meant to be lively! We’ll just carry the babies with us.”

Fang Min hesitated.

But Jin Xiuzhu had already pulled two blankets out of the cabinet. Copying how the soldiers’ wives had carried babies to literacy classes before, she asked Fang Min to give her a hand. She tied Liuliu securely against her chest, then helped Fang Min tie Fanfan the same way. Fanfan frowned a little but soon snuggled in and fell asleep again.

Fang Min supported her son’s bottom with her hands, finding it more comfortable than holding him in her arms.

“Let’s go,” Jin Xiuzhu said cheerfully.

Fang Min smiled and followed behind her.

Outside, Jiang Mingchuan and Commissar Zhu had already washed the dishes. Jiang Mingchuan was wiping the tables while Commissar Zhu moved his table back home—it was blocking the way.

When Jiang Mingchuan saw the two women come out, he picked up a couple of stools and a flashlight.

Next door, Commissar Zhu was also packing a small bag, imitating He Yan earlier by stuffing in water and snacks.

Jin Xiuzhu and Fang Min walked ahead, each carrying a baby, chatting as they went toward the assembly hall.

When they arrived, Jiang Mingchuan immediately spotted his son and pointed, “There, that’s him.”

Following his hand, Jin Xiuzhu saw the three older kids sitting there, completely absorbed in the movie, hands full of snacks they’d forgotten to eat, eyes wide and fixed on the screen.

Jiang Mingchuan went ahead to clear a path, while Jin Xiuzhu and Fang Min followed behind. When they got close, the kids finally noticed them. Their daughter’s eyes lit up, and she waved excitedly for them to sit down.

He Yan, seeing his mother and aunt come over, quickly scooted over to make space.

Yang Yingxiong and Wei Ningqing sat beside him and were squished so tightly they could barely move. An adult on the other side complained, “Stop pushing! There’s no more room!”

The two boys ducked their heads in embarrassment, pretending not to hear.

Jin Xiuzhu and Fang Min thickened their skin and squeezed in anyway. Commissar Zhu and Jiang Mingchuan didn’t sit—they stood off to the side to watch. Commissar Zhu placed the bag of snacks at their feet. “If anything happens, come get me up front.”

Fang Min nodded.

Jin Xiuzhu’s eyes were already glued to the screen; she didn’t even notice when Jiang Mingchuan tried speaking to her—twice. Finally, he gave up and left with Commissar Zhu.

Beside Jin Xiuzhu, Fu Yanyan whispered to her mother about what had already been shown. Jin Xiuzhu cracked sunflower seeds from her pocket, eating as she watched intently.

The movie ended around 7:50 p.m. When the lights came on, many people got up to use the restroom while stagehands began setting up for the next event.

He Yan and his two friends dashed out to pee, and before long, they came running back. Fu Yanyan suspected they hadn’t actually gone at all—but He Yan’s shameless grin gave nothing away, and after spending so much time with him, the other two boys weren’t as well-behaved as they used to be either.

More and more people arrived, and soon the assembly hall was packed. Jin Xiuzhu couldn’t help whispering to Fang Min, “So many people didn’t go home for the New Year.”

Fang Min spat sunflower seed shells into a small cloth pouch and nodded. “Some people live too far away, so they don’t go back. This year’s crowd is actually smaller. In past years, there wasn’t even standing room left.”

Jin Xiuzhu was surprised. “That many?”

Fang Min nodded again. “Oh yes. When the Commissar was stationed in the northwest, I went to visit—so many people, you could barely move.”

Jin Xiuzhu listened with wide eyes. She often found this world fascinating. It was poor, truly poor—by all appearances, Jiang Mingchuan was an official, but his clothes were worn, the house small, and the food simple. In Dajing Dynasty terms, even a lowly yamen clerk lived better.

Yet in other ways, this place was astonishingly advanced—its weapons, its education, even its “carriages.” Ordinary children could study without ruining their families. Soldiers’ families never went hungry, and once a soldier reached a certain rank, his wife could even live with him on base—something unimaginable in Dajing.

Jin Xiuzhu watched as a man in uniform took the stage with a microphone. His voice echoed clearly through the entire hall.

She’d long grown used to such things—clear amplified voices no longer surprised her.

The host gave a few flowery words before inviting a middle-aged couple on stage to sing.

The evening gala continued with songs and dances, the atmosphere lively and warm.

By ten o’clock, many of the children in the audience were struggling to stay awake, yawning while trying hard to keep their eyes open.

Sensing that everyone was getting tired, the host came back on stage and dropped a bombshell:

“Thank you all for joining us tonight! It’s New Year’s Eve—may everyone enjoy peace, health, happiness, and success in the coming year. Finally, we have a brand-new lucky draw segment! Each household, please send one child to the stage to draw a prize. The first prize is… a book personally gifted by our Great Leader!”

“Wow—!”

The whole hall erupted in cheers.

The host raised his hands to calm them. “Everyone, decide quickly who’ll go up! Once you’ve chosen, please line up in front of the stage.”

The moment he finished speaking, children dashed forward eagerly.

Some families had several kids who all wanted to go, sparking noisy squabbles. The hall quickly filled with chatter and chaos.

He Yan, however, had enough self-awareness to shout to his sister, “Yanyan, go up!”

Then, turning to his friends, he bragged excitedly, “My sister’s super lucky! Last time, she drew our apartment number—everyone said the third floor was best, and she got it right away!”

Fu Yanyan gave him a glare, thinking he had a big mouth.

Jin Xiuzhu also urged her daughter, “Go on, it’s just for fun. Doesn’t matter if you don’t win.”

He Yan was even more excited than his sister—he rushed forward to make a path for her, shouting as he went, “Make way! My sister’s going to draw!”

Yang Yingxiong and Wei Ningqing tagged along, laughing and cheering, waving their arms like little rascals escorting a young master out on a whim.

Jin Xiuzhu had to stifle her laughter, hand over her mouth. Fang Min chuckled too—it was indeed a funny sight.

Jiang Mingchuan and Commissar Zhu, standing by the door, noticed the kids coming over and called them for a few words. No one knew what they said, but soon Fu Yanyan and Wei Ningqing went to join the queue.

Yang Yingxiong egged them on, “You have to win something!”

He even told Wei Ningqing to rub his sister’s head for luck.

Wei Ningqing, taking it seriously, reached over and gave his sister’s head a good rub before she went up on stage.

Fu Yanyan: “…”

Fu Yanyan had already stepped up a few stairs, so it wasn’t easy to turn around and snap back. She held her temper and kept walking upward until she reached the lottery box at the center of the stage. She reached in at random and grabbed a slip.

All the children who had drawn their numbers stood on the stage, looking at one another’s slips.

Before long, the drawing was complete, and the host began announcing the winners.

“The first prize goes to… number fifty-four!”

A little boy burst out excitedly, shouting, “It’s me! It’s me!”

The audience in the hall erupted into cheers. Several parents stood up clapping, their faces glowing with pride.

A young soldier in uniform walked up to the stage holding a book. The host handed the book to the boy and told him to treasure it well.

The boy’s face was bright red with excitement as he shouted, “I will!”

When he stepped down, the host began to announce the second prize. He deliberately drew it out, opening the note in his hand and then passing it to an older girl beside him with a teasing tone:

“My eyesight’s not so good—why don’t you help me read who the second prize goes to?”

The girl craned her neck to look. When she saw the number written on the paper, disappointment flashed across her face, but she still said aloud, “Number seventeen.”

As soon as her voice fell, all the children on stage lowered their heads to look at their slips. When they realized it wasn’t theirs, they turned to look around.

Fu Yanyan hadn’t thought she would win. She never considered herself particularly lucky—the last time she’d won something was pure coincidence—so she had remained calm the whole time.

When she heard the number “seventeen,” she didn’t even react right away.

It wasn’t until Wei Ningqing beside her asked, “What’s your number?” that Fu Yanyan opened her slip to show him.

Wei Ningqing’s eyes lit up. Even more excited than Fu Yanyan herself, he grabbed her hand and raised it high, shouting loudly, “Number seventeen is here!”

Fu Yanyan blinked in surprise.

Down below, He Yan saw it happen and let out a whoop before turning around to brag loudly, “Didn’t I say my sister’s lucky? She won!”

“Look, that’s my sister!”

Jin Xiuzhu and Fang Min also saw it, the two women clasping hands in delight.

Bai Jingzhi couldn’t sit still either—she hurried up closer to the front.

The host had the prize brought up to the stage, and to everyone’s amazement, the second prize turned out to be a brand-new radio.

The whole hall erupted again, all eyes turning toward Fu Yanyan on stage, admiring her luck.

Fu Yanyan herself was stunned. She couldn’t recall whether this had happened in her previous life too.

But back then, she had been far too young; she couldn’t remember much. What she did know was that in her memory, until Jin Xiuzhu and Father Jiang divorced, there had never been a radio in their home.

The radio was too big for Fu Yanyan to carry, so He Yan and Yang Yingxiong hurried up to help, each holding one side.

When they came down from the stage, Commissar Zhu insisted on taking a photo for them.

The three boys grinned widely, their faces filled with joy, while Fu Yanyan stood between her brothers, the corners of her lips slightly curved, her eyes shining with quiet pride.

Many years later, when they had all grown up and looked at that photo again, they could still feel the happiness and satisfaction of that moment.

It was one of the clearest, brightest memories of their childhood.

The third prize went to an eleven- or twelve-year-old boy—it was a bicycle.

As Fu Yanyan looked back at the children stepping off the stage, she suddenly realized that most of the ones who had gone up were boys. Only a few girls had made it on stage, and even those few were there mostly because their families didn’t have sons.

On the way home, He Yan and the others were overjoyed. Jiang Mingchuan was happy too, but he kept telling them to slow down, reminding them not to drop the radio.

As soon as they got home, the first thing Jiang Mingchuan did was pull a wire from the living room light to connect the radio. After adjusting a few knobs, a crackling voice suddenly came through.

“There it is! There it is!” He Yan shouted.

Yang Yingxiong leaned in curiously to watch the radio.

Jin Xiuzhu had heard plenty about these things called “radios,” and the moment she heard the sound, she rushed out from the bedroom, leaving the baby behind, to see it for herself.

The whole family crowded around, chattering excitedly, marveling at the machine.

Only Fu Yanyan sat calmly off to the side, sipping from her cup, thinking to herself, This is just the beginning—one day there’ll be televisions, computers, and even mobile phones…

She absolutely refused to admit that she, too, was secretly delighted—never imagining that something she did could make everyone this happy.

Upstairs, when Yang Yao came home, he could still hear the noise from downstairs.

Zhao Yun, who was already in bed, had been woken up by him and frowned irritably. “What’s all that noise downstairs?”

She hadn’t gone to the movie night or the performance. There were too many people, and she still hadn’t lost enough weight—she didn’t want others seeing her like this.

Yang Yao didn’t hide anything. “There was a lottery after the performance. Someone downstairs won a radio.”

Zhao Yun froze. “A radio?” she asked in disbelief.

Yang Yao nodded. “Jiang Mingchuan’s daughter drew the number. That girl’s got real luck—she was the one who picked their apartment last time too. Picked the best one on the third floor, and now she’s won a radio.”

He didn’t just say it—he meant it. He’d never thought much of it before, but now it seemed to him that Jiang Mingchuan was far luckier than he was.

He used to think Jiang Mingchuan was foolish—throwing away Zhao Yun to marry some rural woman. But now that “rural woman” could earn money, and she’d brought him a daughter lucky enough to win a radio.

And radios weren’t cheap. Who could afford one these days?

Zhao Yun said nothing, but she felt sour inside, regretting not letting her daughter go to the event tonight. Maybe she could’ve won something too.

When Yang Yao got into bed, she lay down as well, but sleep wouldn’t come. After a long while, she couldn’t help asking, “What were the other prizes?”

Yang Yao was half asleep already. “A book by the Great Leader… and a bicycle,” he mumbled.

Zhao Yun’s eyes widened in the dark—sleep was now impossible.

Those were all good things.

Even one of them would’ve been worth it.

——

The next day, Qian Yufeng and Wang Ling came over to see the new radio.

It gleamed brightly, with big letters on the front: “Workers, Peasants, and Soldiers — Seven-Tube, Dual-Band Semiconductor Radio.”

Neither of their families had gone back to their hometowns this year—they’d be returning to work right after the sixth day of the new year. Compared to spending the holiday back home, work was more important.

Especially for Wang Ling—the county’s textile factory now had a better reputation than even the city’s. She couldn’t take her eyes off it for a moment, afraid city officials might come and steal her workers away.

Maybe it was just Jin Xiuzhu’s imagination, but she thought Wang Ling didn’t look well—her complexion was a bit yellowish.

Jin Xiuzhu couldn’t help asking, “Are you overworking yourself lately? You don’t look too well.”

Wang Ling sighed. “I don’t know—maybe from all the late nights. The city leaders have been putting pressure on us, and I’ve probably offended all of them this time. My head’s been spinning.”

“No matter how busy work gets, health comes first,” Jin Xiuzhu said seriously. “Go to the hospital for a check-up, take care of yourself. If you work yourself sick, all your effort will be for nothing.”

Wang Ling nodded. It wasn’t just Jin Xiuzhu who’d said she looked unwell—her husband Old Yan and even her son had mentioned it. She’d brushed it off before, but Jin Xiuzhu’s words carried more weight.

Qian Yufeng chimed in from the side, “She’s right. You don’t look good. You should see a doctor—or at least go to that old Chinese doctor over in the Third Team. He’s got real skill; we all went to him when we were kids.”

Wang Ling nodded, saying she’d remember.

Qian Yufeng had brought her eldest daughter, Da Ya, along. She’d heard Bai Jingzhi was tutoring the two younger children at home, so she thickened her skin and brought her daughter over too.

She didn’t bother to hide her intent either. “I heard from someone in the cafeteria that Sister Qin’s niece graduated from university, got a good job, married her boss’s son, and brought her parents to the city to enjoy life. I think my Da Ya’s got that kind of luck too—she’s much better in school than her brother.”

Her son had gotten only two points on his math exam last term. When she scolded him for not being as good as He Yan, he’d snapped back that He Yan only did well because Bai Jingzhi secretly tutored him. So, here she was—her son was hopeless, but her daughter still had potential. Da Ya had placed third in class and even got a certificate.

Qian Yufeng hoped her daughter could one day be as capable as Bai Jingzhi—pretty, well-educated, and able to go to college and live in the city.

She no longer thought only of her son. Working in the cafeteria with all the other women, she’d heard too many stories about domestic troubles. They’d all agreed—raising daughters was better. Daughters were caring and filial, unlike sons, who caused endless trouble once they married. And if the daughter-in-law turned out ungrateful, life would be miserable.

Raise a daughter well, and she’d be no worse than a son.

After hearing that over and over, Qian Yufeng had begun to believe it.

Last year, she’d even taken her daughter to visit the city. Everyone who saw her said she was polite and well-behaved. She’d proudly told them her daughter always ranked near the top of her class, and they’d all praised her for having such good fortune. It made her so proud she didn’t even want to talk about her son anymore—too embarrassing.

Da Ya blushed at her mother’s words, but thinking she could study with Sister Bai, she stayed anyway, though her face was red as an apple.

Amused, Jin Xiuzhu called Bai Jingzhi out from her room and asked her to study with the girl.

Da Ya greeted her shyly, “Hello, Sister Bai.”

“Hello,” Bai Jingzhi smiled, taking her hand and patting her head. “Come on, let’s study together.”

Da Ya nodded, cheeks still flushed.

She had a lot more confidence now. When she’d gone to the city last time, her mother had shown her around, even to the big department store. They’d only bought two hair ties in the end, but it had been the happiest day of her life.

On the morning of the sixth day of the new year, Zhang Qiulai came back carrying several large bags.

Aside from her own clothes, everything else had been packed by her older brother and sister-in-law—new shoes her sister-in-law had made for the children, jars of homemade pickled vegetables and chili sauce. Her brother had even made toys for the kids—a rattle drum and a spinning top.

She’d been worried that Jin Xiuzhu and Fang Min, both talented and capable women—one could paint, the other wrote books—wouldn’t think much of these simple gifts. She and her sister-in-law were ordinary people, always counting every penny, saving for the children’s future, never sure when they might lose their jobs.

But to her surprise, Jin Xiuzhu and Fang Min loved the gifts, immediately having the children try on their new shoes. Jin Xiuzhu didn’t know how to make such hand-sewn soles herself—too much work—so her kids usually wore rubber-soled shoes.

The children surrounded Zhang Qiulai, smiling and thanking her sweetly.

She was overjoyed.

He Yan clutched the new toys his younger siblings had gotten, playing with them so happily he didn’t want to let go.

In high spirits, Zhang Qiulai used the pickles and chili sauce she’d brought to cook a big meal for lunch.

After eating, the children eagerly dragged her over to show off their new radio.

When Zhang Qiulai learned they’d won it in a raffle, she couldn’t stop praising Fu Yanyan, looking at her as though she were some kind of little hero.

Fu Yanyan tried hard to keep a straight face, pretending to be calm and composed.