Chapter 9: Good Father, Kind Mother

“Grandpa, Dad, Mom, are you all doing well in heaven? I have a son now. You must take good care of yourselves. I think the reason our whole family was able to come to this place must be because you’re watching over us. We’ll definitely live happily and make the most of our lives together.”

Zhou Jiao glanced at the redness in Zhang Guoqing’s eyes, reached out to tug his hand, and said playfully, “Brother, doesn’t your son look just like a little piglet, eating and sleeping all day? Help me move him to the left side, you sleep on my right. Let’s get some rest early—we’ve got things to do tomorrow.”

“Okay, I’ll go to the main room and let Mom know she doesn’t need to come over tonight. We’ll feed him every two hours. Why don’t you try giving him some newborn formula and a bottle tonight, see if he’ll take it? Oh, and take out a dozen diapers, two pig’s trotters, a pound of red dates, two packs of formula, and a bottle. As for the other meat, just take a little—before dawn I’ll go out and circle back on the main road. Those old rags Mom treasures, don’t throw them away. Just bundle them up for me. I think Second Brother’s kid will need them.”

Zhou Jiao knew that her second brother’s little daughter had just turned two and still needed diapers. In her memory, that little girl had been neglected by Lin Juhua, never properly cared for or fed. It was their grandmother, soft-hearted as she was, who would cook rice porridge to feed her. A few times when the family finally made some egg custard for the child, Lin Juhua would eat it all herself as soon as Mother Zhang turned her back, leaving Mother Zhang fuming but helpless. The little girl was raised rough, like a chick. Thinking of this, Zhou Jiao couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

When Zhang Guoqing went to the main room, the kerosene lamp was still burning. Kerosene cost a few cents a night, so in the countryside, people only lit lamps when absolutely necessary; otherwise, they just made do in the dark. So Zhang Guoqing was a bit surprised—were they planning to stay up late on watch tonight?

“Mom, the baby’s already been fed and is asleep. You and Dad haven’t had a break all day, so you should get some rest now. No need to get up tonight—be careful not to catch cold. I’ll be alert tonight, don’t worry.”

Mother Zhang nodded sleepily and told Zhang Guoqing to wake her if the baby cried—she was afraid they wouldn’t know how to take care of him. Father Zhang, seeing he wasn’t needed, undressed and went to bed too. Zhang Guoqing carefully blew out the lamp and closed the door behind him.

At 2 a.m., the baby woke up crying. Zhang Guoqing immediately picked him up, made some formula, and the little one quieted down as soon as he had something to eat. He didn’t wake up Jiao Jiao—after childbirth, she needed as much rest as possible. After changing the diaper, the little rascal slept soundly again. Unlike other babies who fussed and cried, he really was his father’s son—so clever.

At 5 a.m., it would be time for breastfeeding. From now on, he’d train the baby to have formula at midnight and once during the day, so Jiao Jiao wouldn’t get too exhausted from nursing.

Half-awake, Zhang Guoqing sensed movement in the yard. He got up and, in the faint light of dawn, got himself ready.

He headed to the kitchen, where his eldest sister-in-law was already making breakfast. Rural folk always got up early. Without a watch, he guessed it was just after five. As the eldest sister-in-law, she’d been busy like this for over a decade—no easy feat.

As for his second sister-in-law, she’d have to get up soon to cook pig slop. If she waited until the pigs started squealing from hunger, Mom would have words with her.

After breakfast, the men would go to the backyard to tend the vegetable garden or take care of the family’s private plots. No one idled about—that was for loafers. The women had to hurry to finish laundry, tidy the house and yard before heading to work at 6:30. After work in the afternoon, they’d gather pigweed.

Zhang Guoqing couldn’t find his mother and wasn’t used to shouting. He greeted his eldest sister-in-law, grabbed two vegetable buns for breakfast, and stepped outside. Just then, Mother Zhang came in from the backyard with a basket of freshly picked vegetables.

“Mom, I’m heading into town to see if I can find anything to help with lactation. I’ll stop by my sister’s to share the good news, and then swing by the Zhou family to tell them too, haha.”

As he spoke, Zhang Guoqing winked at his mother, who knew exactly what he meant and scolded him with a smile, “You rascal, always up to something. You’re a father now!”

“Mom, if the baby wakes up, remember to have Jiao Jiao nurse him. He had a bottle at 2 a.m.”

“Got it. I’ll get her breakfast ready—there’s some old hen soup from last night, perfect for noodles when she wakes up.”

“Oh, Mom, your youngest son’s been replaced! Now that you’ve got a grandchild, you don’t care about your son anymore. I’m heartbroken! Haha. Is there anything you want me to pick up in town?”

“Go on, who needs you, you rascal. The sooner you go, the sooner you’ll be back. There’s nothing we need—red sugar and eggs are all ready. You haven’t eaten yet, so take a few cornbread buns for the road. If you see any steamed buns or bread in town, buy some to eat.”

“Got it, I’m heading out now.” Zhang Guoqing waved and rode off on his bicycle. Mother Zhang watched him until he turned the corner and disappeared before returning to the kitchen.

Zhang Guoqing was very fond of his mother—she was sensible and decisive. Rural women lived frugally, always counting every penny.

After all, it had only been a few years since liberation, and people still struggled to get enough to eat. Even though Zhangjia Village was in a good location with fertile soil and rich mountain resources, few families had any real savings. The best off, like their family, didn’t worry about going hungry.

Many families in the village who relied on work points really only had two meals a day—thin vegetable porridge. Every spring, when the snow melted, old and young alike would go out digging wild vegetables just to get by. Even if you had money, you couldn’t buy grain; the high prices were out of reach for everyone.

In the Zhang family, breakfast and lunch were always porridge, and dinner was sweet potato rice—already considered well-off. They’d close the doors when eating, not wanting others to gossip—envy existed everywhere. Anyone who’d lived through those years knew not to show off their wealth.

Father and Mother Zhang were shrewd and capable, and with help from their two daughters, they’d exchange their share of fine grain for coarse grain in town every year. The two pigs they raised were sold at the end of the year, providing the family’s only cash income besides work points. Only at year’s end, when they slaughtered a pig, would they get to enjoy some meat, saving about 20 jin for New Year’s and gifts.

The dozen or so chickens’ eggs were bartered for daily necessities, and every so often the younger kids would get a treat. Of course, Zhang Guoqing was included—after all, in his mother’s eyes, her youngest son was still just a child.

If it weren’t for his feelings for Zhou Jiao, he wouldn’t have married so early. At 18, Zhang Guoqing was tall and strong, nearly 1.8 meters, well-built thanks to his mother’s care. With his strength, he often went hunting in the mountains, earning quite a bit of extra money and bringing home fresh meat.

Life hadn’t been easy. Zhang Guoqing’s parents had split from the extended family early, and with young children, those years were full of chaos—Japanese soldiers or bandits everywhere. Fortunately, Zhangjia Village was near the mountains, so they could hide in the hills. The elderly, women, and children would gather wild goods, while Father Zhang and the other able-bodied men hunted together, sneaking into town at night to sell wild game and mountain produce. Compared to other places, this was a blessed spot.

When the invaders were finally driven out, the whole village could return to the valley. Their homes had been ruined by the enemy, but with the money earned during those hard years, every family helped each other rebuild houses and reclaim land.

After liberation, when the People’s Commune was established and most landlords’ and rich peasants’ property was redistributed, Zhangjia Village, with its small population and abundant land, was much better off than other villages.

Other villages had thatched huts, and only a few had brick houses. But Zhangjia Village, thanks to the nearby mountains, built their homes from local stone, saving money and labor. Those who could afford it bought tiles for their roofs; those who couldn’t made do with thatch."