Reborn in 1966

Chapter Thirteen Entering the Village

Before Third Grandma could even sit down to eat, Shen's mother heard Peijun say that he had brought Jinhua home first. She asked Peijun and Peizhi, who said that Third Grandma had helped wipe Jinhua's face and fed her water, and that she was going to the backyard to make food. Shen's mother quickly went to the backyard to help Third Grandma make food.

Jinhua hadn't eaten dinner and was starving from shock and exhaustion. Third Grandma brought in a bowl of corn porridge, while Shen's mother carried a bowl of pickled vegetables in one hand and a small wicker basket of noodles in the other. Third Grandma said, "Jinhua, your family has all come looking for you. They probably haven't cooked. Have something simple to tide you over."

Jinhua took the food and wolfed it down. As she ate, large tears fell into the porridge bowl. Third Grandma and Shen's mother exchanged a glance. Third Grandma said, "Good child, it's alright. When your mother comes back, just apologize to her properly. All these years, your mother has always treated you like the apple of her eye."

Before long, there was a series of anxious footsteps outside the window. As soon as Aunt Shengquan entered the room, she saw her daughter sitting at the kang table eating. She hugged her tightly and burst into tears.

She cried as she said, "You stubborn girl! I just said a few words to you and you ran away. What will your mother do if something happens to you?"

Jinhua also burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably. Between sobs, she said, "Mother, I was wrong. I will never do it again. Please don't be angry."

Grandpa Shengquan followed them in and said to the mother and daughter who were crying and hugging each other, "Alright, alright, it's good that the child is back. There's still a child on the kang (heated brick bed), don't scare the child."

Aunt Shengquan wiped away her tears. Shen's mother, who was following behind her, smiled apologetically. Shen's mother went over to check on Peiyin, who was pretending to be asleep with her eyes closed. Shen's mother said, "It's alright, Peiyin sleeps well. She usually doesn't cause any disturbances."

Several villagers were helping to look for the child. They saw Shen Jinhua on the kang (a heated brick bed) at Pei Yin's house, and then she went out when she had nothing else to do.

Jin Hua's grandmother was overjoyed to see her granddaughter on the kang (heated brick bed) in the Shen family's house. She and her husband took Shen Jin Hua home.

Pei Tian and Pei Zhi were taken to bed by their grandmother. Pei Hua and Pei Jun sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) with several adults from both families. Grandpa Sheng Quan pulled out a puff of his eyelid and asked Pei Jun, "Pei Jun, where did you find Jin Hua?"

Peijun said, "It's on the ridge behind the village. There's a small depression there. Jinhua and I saw it when we went to herd cattle. We often went there to play after that. There are also a lot of wild vegetables nearby."

Shen's father looked at Shengquan's sister-in-law, who was bowing her head and weeping, and said, "If anyone in the village asks about it tomorrow, just say that you and Jinhua were digging for wild vegetables until late, understand?"

Peijun nodded and said, "I understand. When I carried Jinhua back, I met a few people at the village entrance. They asked me where I found Jinhua. I told them that Jinhua and I went to the back ridge to dig for wild vegetables. Jinhua sprained her ankle, and we walked a long way. It was quite a struggle for us to get back."

Shen's mother looked at Peijun with approval, and Aunt Shengquan said with tears in her eyes, "Peijun, thank you."

As they were going to bed, Shen's mother said to Shen's father, "I never knew Peijun had such a cunning mind."

Mr. Shen said, "Our mother told us to tell Peihua and Peijun to keep the villagers' backs when they were looking for Jinhua, and to say that they had been with Jinhua the whole time when they were walking home after finding her."

Mother Shen said, "Having an elder in the family is like having a treasure. Our mother always thinks ahead of us."

Mr. Shen said, "Yes, otherwise, wouldn't a little girl like Jinhua be the subject of gossip and rumors in the village? It's hard to say whether such a young child can withstand those rumors."

Shen's mother said, "I don't know if Jinhua can still feel as close to Sister-in-law Shengquan as before."

Mr. Shen patted Mrs. Shen's hand and said, "People can only grow in adversity. Once they grow up, they will know how to be grateful. Don't worry."

As the weather gets warmer, Grandma sometimes takes Peiyin to bask in the sun under the big locust tree at the village entrance. They chat with the elderly women in the village who, like Grandma, don't have to work during the off-season. Of course, every elderly woman carries a needle and thread, either sewing shoe soles or mending old clothes, to cook for those who are going to work to earn work points when they are about to finish their work and go home.

Pei Yin lay in a shallow basket woven from wicker. Sometimes her grandmother would wrap her in a small blanket and let her sit for a long time, but not for too long, because a child's spine is not yet fully developed and sitting for such a long time is not good for her health.

Peiyin loves going here with her grandmother, where she can hear a lot of gossip from the villagers. These past two days, Shen Jinhua and Peijun have become the main characters in the gossip, but because her grandmother is there, the gossip isn't too harsh. Thirteen or fourteen years old is still a child, and everyone has children, so there's no need to say anything too hurtful. Her grandparents have made many friends in Shenjia Village, and because her second grandfather has some knowledge of art, people usually ask him to take a look at minor illnesses. Therefore, everyone's attitude towards the Shen family is still very friendly.

Within a few days, Pei Yin won the hearts of the village's elders. According to local custom, if a child cries when they see an elderly person, it means that person will not live long. Pei Yin, however, would show her two newly grown little teeth to anyone who came near her, squint her eyes, and make a cheerful sound. When she needed to poop or pee, she would grunt a few times, and her grandmother, who knew the routine, would come over to help. Therefore, this well-behaved, obedient, and endearing child won the hearts of most people.

Hong Gen's wife is not one to suffer a loss, and Hong Gen's mother is no pushover either. It was Hong Gen's wife who stirred up such a big commotion for Jin Hua, but Hong Gen's mother acted as if nothing had happened. Sometimes when she met Jin Hua's grandmother under the locust tree, she would greet her warmly, without mentioning anything about Hong Gen's wife's inappropriate remarks.

Pei Yin lay in the wicker basket, looking at the clear blue sky through the mottled leaves, with the chattering of the grandmothers around her. When she was extremely bored, she would think about the affairs of this large family.

My second uncle, Shen Shengqin, will soon need to find a wife and get married. If he finds a reasonable and well-educated woman, the whole family, including the elderly and children, can live in peace. But if he finds a woman like Hong Gen's wife, who is unruly and irresponsible, then things will be in trouble. It is estimated that there will be chaos and unrest in the future.

Several people have brought this up with my grandma these past few days, and her reply has always been to go home and discuss it before making a decision. In reality, she's waiting for Aunt Shengquan to find a suitable match for her.

Jinhua's matter was quickly forgotten by the villagers because a major event had occurred in the village.

The Red Guards criticized and denounced this person and that person every day. No one knows who gave them the information, but they set their sights on the rightists who had been sent down to Shenjia Village.

Hong Gen's family has a young man who is about the same age as Pei Hua. He and Tian Aiguo from Secretary Tian's family both passed the entrance exam for the county's No. 1 Middle School. He is now a minor leader in the commune's Red Guards and is said to be a person who is very progressive in his thinking.

The commune's Red Guard organization was now out of control for the commune leaders. These young men and women, aged sixteen, seventy, seventeen, and eighteen, went from house to house every day with their Little Red Books to conduct inspections and raids. In order to actively respond to the central government's call, the commune leaders even had to attend the Red Guards' denunciation rallies. That morning, Tian Honggen's son, Tian Aiwen, led a group of Red Guards dressed in green military uniforms and wearing red armbands into the village.

Such a grand spectacle attracted the attention of those who were about to go to work, and a group of children even followed behind them. When they saw them storm into the cowshed where the old professors lived, the clever ones quickly went to call the elders of the Shen family.

A group of enthusiastic young people were pushing and shoving several elderly people, their arms tied behind their backs, towards the edge of the village. They hadn't even reached the old locust tree at the village entrance when the elderly people stopped them.

The third grandfather of the Tian family, leaning on his cane, looked at Tian Aiwen, who was walking at the front of the group holding the Little Red Book and shouting "Lipstick!", and asked with a dark face, "Aiwen, what are you trying to do?"

With a serious expression, Tian Aiwen said, "Chairman Mao taught us that all reactionaries are paper tigers. Third Grandfather, I am no longer called Tian Aiwen. I am now called Tian Weidong. I swear to defend the great leader Chairman Mao to the death. We are here to denounce and struggle against these reactionaries."

My third grandfather said, "These reactionaries are receiving education from us poor and lower-middle peasants here, and the education is very effective. Are you here to overthrow the fruits of our labor?"

Held in her grandmother's arms amidst the crowd, Pei Yin smacked her lips upon hearing her third grandfather's words. The old man was truly shrewd; despite not being particularly athletic, he had devised the safest solution in the shortest time. The Red Guards were children from several nearby villages, and her third grandfather held considerable prestige there. With this rebuttal, she wondered how Tian Aiwen would respond.

Tian Aiwen, now renamed Tian Weidong, thought for a moment after hearing what her third grandfather said and said, "Third grandfather, we want these reactionaries to participate in our movement and confess their crimes at the meeting. Only through self-criticism can they make progress and reform themselves as soon as possible."

Third Grandfather said, "These were all reforms carried out in our Shenjia Village. Aiwen, are you negating us poor and lower-middle peasants? Are our nightly study sessions just a formality? Are you negating your grandfather, your father, and your fellow villagers' struggle against rightists?"

A barrage of questions left Tian Weidong somewhat bewildered. He glanced at his comrades, some of whom hesitated, while others seemed at a loss under the watchful eyes of the surrounding Shenjia Village residents.

Tian Honggen and Tian Baogen pushed through the crowd and walked to Tian Weidong's side. Tian Baogen said, "Chairman Mao taught us that without investigation, there is no right to speak! Without a correct investigation, there is also no right to speak. Comrade Tian Weidong, these comrades who have received education have received very good education here. They conduct self-criticism at the village meeting every day. I think you don't need to take them to the commune for education anymore."

Tian Honggen was an honest and simple farmer. Seeing that his son had angered his third uncle and his own brother, the village secretary, and that all the villagers, young and old, were watching, he was both angry and anxious. His face turned red and his neck thickened as he hissed at his son, "Stop meddling here. Go do what you're supposed to do. You're trying to act tough right here at your own doorstep."

Seeing his father's attitude, Tian Weidong was somewhat displeased. Before he could speak, a woman's voice came from the side: "My son is doing something important, something serious. Tian Honggen, what kind of attitude is this? Are you trying to scare the young revolutionaries?" The person who came was Tian Honggen's wife, followed by Tian Honggen's daughter, Tian Xiaoni, who was the little girl who envied Shen Jinhua's bed sheets.