Chapter 46: Storm Brewing (Part 1)

That night, Zhang Guoqing remained alert as ever. Around two in the morning, his son stirred awake. Before the baby could even let out a cry, Zhang Guoqing had already rolled out of bed, scooped him up, prepared the formula, checked the temperature, and quickly placed the bottle in Ping’an’s mouth.

“Good boy, Ping’an. Let Mommy sleep. Once you finish eating, Daddy will sleep with you. If you eat well, you’ll grow up fast. When you’re bigger, Daddy will take you out to play. In spring, we’ll go for walks in the fields and pick wild vegetables; in summer, we’ll go swimming and fishing; in autumn, we’ll go to the mountains to pick wild fruits; and in winter, we’ll build snowmen and ride sleds. Be a good boy and grow up quickly, sweetie. Time to sleep.”

Soon enough, his son drifted back to sleep. Zhang Guoqing truly believed that little Ping’an could understand him. If his grandfather could see them from heaven, he’d be happy too. At least, he’d passed away without regrets. It was only after his grandfather’s passing that their family was able to leave that world behind. Otherwise, if the elders had to keep burying their children, the pain would have been unbearable.

He carefully pulled his son over to his side, wrapping an arm around him protectively. He’d read too many news stories—children shouldn’t sleep in the middle. When winter came, he’d have to think of a solution.

He woke up again at dawn, as if by instinct. At this hour, his father would already be in the backyard, checking if the pigs were hungry, making sure the chickens were safe, looking for signs of weasels, and inspecting the walls for any signs of thieves. Then, he and his sons would check the family’s private plot—if there was work to be done, they’d squeeze it in before heading off to work; if not, they’d turn the soil to ensure a good harvest next year, or tend to the vegetable garden in the backyard. There was always a mountain of chores: besides farm work, there was twisting hemp rope, weaving straw sandals and baskets, chopping firewood—all of it had to be done before heading out for the day.

In the countryside, the men of the Zhang family were known for being hardworking and considerate toward their wives. Unlike most rural families, where women did everything—giving birth, housework, farm work—up before dawn to cook, feed the animals, wash clothes, fetch water, tend the garden and fields before work, while the men slept in until breakfast was ready, then went off to work, only to return in the afternoon to eat, cook, wash, tidy the yard, and feed the livestock. That’s why the women in the village all envied the Zhang family’s daughters-in-law.

This time of year, as usual, they needed to harvest the sweet potatoes from the backyard, then store the white radishes and cabbages in the cellar. The cabbages and radishes from the private plot had already been pickled into jars of sauerkraut and pickled radish. The storage room was packed with jars of pickles, dried beans, and vegetables, all ready for the winter and for next year. In one corner of the yard, the last batch of cucumbers was being carefully tended—these too needed to be stored before the first frost. In the Northeast, every household kept cucumbers and scallions on hand year-round.

After washing up at the well, Zhang Guoqing changed into his patched jacket and pants, then joined his father and older brother in the backyard. The four of them worked together, digging up the sweet potatoes from the eight mu of land behind the house. By breakfast, they’d managed to harvest half, and would finish the rest after work.

Breakfast was a rare treat: white rice porridge with red dates and sweet potato cakes. The whole family sat together, sipping the porridge as if it were New Year’s. While eating, little Mai Miao sighed, “If only we could have white rice porridge every day.”

Zhang Guoqing felt a pang in his heart. He watched as little Mai Sui licked her bowl clean, afraid to waste a single grain. He took a few sips from his own bowl, then poured the rest into the children’s bowls. The two little ones beamed and thanked their uncle. When his mother tried to serve him more, he refused—she probably counted every grain of rice when making the porridge. If he ate less, his parents, brothers, and their children could have more. He’d thought about asking his mother to make more, but decided against it. She’d been running the household for years and had her own way of doing things—this was her domain, her authority. No need to make things difficult for her. Besides, if he was still hungry, he could always ask Jiaojiao for something to eat.

As they left, the second brother and his wife hurried out first. By the time their father and eldest brother finished eating and got up, the couple was already gone—clearly not afraid of stirring up trouble.

Everyone laughed. Zhang Guoqing took the two little girls back to the west wing. Zhou Jiao had already finished breakfast and was nursing their son. She was delighted to see the girls—she’d been bored alone in the room, and now she had company to play with.

Zhang Guoqing put the diapers in the washbasin and took them outside to wash. Not seeing his mother in the front yard, he quickly washed them himself, using soapberry instead of soap or ash to avoid irritation. Once he was sure they were clean, he hung them up to dry. With nothing else to do, he went to sit beside Jiaojiao to rest for a bit—he’d been up early and was already tired from the morning’s work.

“Why don’t you lie down and get some sleep? Make sure to wake me up tonight—I didn’t even hear Ping’an cry last night, slept straight through till morning,” Zhou Jiao said, worried, noticing the dark circles under his eyes and his exhaustion.

Zhang Guoqing didn’t want her to misunderstand. He was only taking care of their son so she could rest well during her confinement, afraid that if the baby cried, it would wake her up and she wouldn’t get proper rest.

“I didn’t wake you on purpose, so you could sleep soundly. As soon as Ping’an made a peep, I got up and fed him. While he’s still asleep, you should get some rest too. He probably won’t wake up until ten. There won’t be time to rest this afternoon.” He chuckled at the thought.

“Is there anything you want to eat? Brother, if you have time, you should buy some picture books for us to read. Otherwise, it’s really boring,” Zhou Jiao said, a bit glum.

Mai Miao thought for a moment, but decided not to ask for anything—her mother had told her that whatever her aunt had was for her little brother.

“No need, I just had rice porridge, and Auntie gave me candy I haven’t finished yet.”

Zhang Guoqing gave them a thumbs up and praised, “Good girls! Next time Uncle goes to town, I’ll buy some snacks to keep at home, so Grandma can give them to you.”

Thinking there was nothing else to do, Zhang Guoqing said, “Jiaojiao, I’ll go harvest the rest of the sweet potatoes in the backyard while it’s still early and I’m not busy. Mai Miao, you and your sister stay here and keep your aunt company. If you need anything, just call for Uncle—I’ll be in the backyard.”

Leaving the two girls with Zhou Jiao, he went out back, found a hoe, and started digging up sweet potatoes by himself. When his mother saw him, she quickly finished her own chores and came to help. The two of them worked together—one digging, the other gathering the sweet potatoes into baskets—chatting as they went. Before long, they’d finished harvesting the rest of the field."