Reborn in 1966

Chapter Two: New Life

Seeing Peihua's mother asleep from exhaustion, Peihua's grandmother looked panicked, tears welling in her eyes, and whispered to Aunt Hua, "Aunt Hua, look at this child..."

Aunt Hua said, "Sister-in-law, Peihua's father has been sent to labor camp for so long, and Peihua's mother is about to give birth and is still doing such heavy work in the team. Sigh, if those Red Guards from the commune weren't watching over us, we could have helped. But those people just stood there watching a pregnant woman work, and I was afraid it would affect the baby in Peihua's belly. And it did affect the baby. Sigh... Sister-in-law, Second Sister-in-law, let's try anything now, even if it's a long shot. Go find some hair oil, and I'll rub it on the baby and see how it goes."

Grandma Peihua, with tears in her eyes, nodded and found some things to bring over.

Aunt Hua looked at the baby girl in her arms, whose body temperature was slightly low. On the bare kang (a heated brick bed), she laid the child down. The little body lay stiffly on the kang, and the slight flaring of her nostrils indicated that the child was still alive. Aunt Hua suppressed the sadness in her heart, gritted her teeth, tied her hair into a bun, dipped it in the sesame oil in the bowl, and began to rub it on the child's skin.

Some purplish skin turns red when rubbed, and slowly you can see some black stuff coming out of the skin, which is shocking.

After rubbing her once, the little body was red, and the child would cry softly like a newborn kitten. Aunt Hua breathed a sigh of relief, felt the child's body temperature rise, soaked the child in the water that was no longer so hot, washed the child, wrapped her in a small blanket, and said to Peihua's grandmother, "Sister-in-law, we have done our best for the child, let's see if she can stay with us."

Grandma Peihua nodded, wiped away her tears, and said, "I know, thank you Aunt Hua." Then she lifted the corner of her overcoat, took out a few banknotes, and said, "Aunt Hua, don't think it's too little."

Aunt Hua grabbed Grandma's hand and whispered, "Sister-in-law, what are you doing? Giving me this is like slapping me in the face. Our children are all thanks to Peihua's father. Now that your family is in such a difficult situation, I'll feel guilty for the rest of my life if I take this money. Sister-in-law, please put it away quickly."

Grandma Peihua sighed and said, "Ever since the movement started, our family has become like rats crossing the street. Alas, Peihua's mother was doing well at school, but she was dragged away by the students to be criticized and denounced. She was pregnant, and I was afraid that something might happen to her and I wouldn't be able to explain it to Peihua's father. I was so scared. Aunt Hua, you know, Peihua's father and mother didn't do anything wrong, so why did they suffer so much? When Peihua's father was taken out, it was still so hot. It's almost December now. Apart from the two quilts and a few cotton clothes that I sent last time, I don't know if they're cold there. Alas, I don't know how Peihua's father is now. There are old people and young people in this family."

Aunt Hua whispered to Grandma, "Sister-in-law, I heard from the team leader that the men who went to the construction site will be back in a day or two. You said it's almost December, and the soil on the construction site is frozen so hard that it's hard to work. We need to invite them to come home to prepare for the New Year. You should let Peihua's mother rest easy and take good care of herself and the children. There are still several children of all ages at home."

Grandma's face lit up with joy. She clasped her hands together and bowed, saying, "Oh my, thank goodness! After being away for more than half a year, we're finally coming back."

Aunt Hua busied herself packing her things, and after finishing, she took out a few banknotes from her pocket, stuffed them into Grandma's hand, and said, "Keep these to buy some millet. Look at the children in the family, they're all skin and bones from hunger."

Grandma hurriedly declined, but Aunt Hua whispered, "Sister-in-law, please don't say that. Our second son wrote this time saying that if it weren't for Peihua's father pushing him to study those books back then, he wouldn't have gotten any promotion this time. I think it's more important for a person to be literate and understand principles. With Peihua's parents here, even if things aren't going well now, your family's good days are yet to come."

Aunt Hua and the three grandmothers cleaned up Pei Hua's mother and moved her to the thick quilt. They also cleaned up the things on the kang (a heated brick bed). Aunt Hua went to the outer room, looked at the children sitting in front of the stove, touched Pei Zhi's hair, and said to Pei Hua, "Pei Hua, your mother has given you a little sister. You must take good care of your mother and these younger brothers and sisters."

Peihua nodded, stood up, took the bundle from Aunt Hua's hand, and said, "Grandma Hua, I know, thank you!"

Aunt Hua nodded and said to Grandma, "Your children are so polite. Sister-in-law, I'll head back now. If anything happens, just come and call me."

On the cold, snowy ground, Peihua helped Aunt Hua carry the bundle and walked ahead of her. After walking for a while, Peihua turned around and asked Aunt Hua, "Grandma Hua, is the little girl alright? I heard her crying very softly, and there were tears in her eyes when you came out to look for something."

Aunt Hua thought to herself, "What a perceptive child! He's smart, ambitious, and well-mannered. It's just a pity that his family's class background is bad, so he can't go to school, and I heard he can't join the army either. If the world continues like this, his life will be ruined."

Aunt Hua said carefully, "Your mother worked too hard while pregnant, and the baby was born with a lot of internal heat. But Grandma Hua helped by rubbing it with sesame oil, and it's much better now. Your father will be back in a few days. You can stay home and take care of your younger siblings and help Grandma take care of your mother."

Peihua responded softly and asked Aunt Hua, "Grandma Hua, was the work my father did during his marriage tiring?"

Aunt Hua said, "Where in the marriage procession is there any work that isn't tiring? But this time it was your fourth grandfather who took you. Your fourth grandfather has always loved your father since he was little. With your fourth grandfather there, how could your father be tired? You're just a little kid, don't think too much about it."

Peihua said in a low voice, "Grandma Hua, if I hadn't helped people draw comics, my father wouldn't have been sent to be a husband. It's all my fault."

Aunt Hua stopped and took Pei Hua's hand, saying, "Good child, you're not wrong. Your father was sent back home for labor reform. The cartoons you drew weren't the reason he was sent to be married off. Besides, being married off isn't necessarily a bad thing. Look how many times those people from the commune have come these past few days. I heard that several people from Xujia Village were taken to Xiping City for criticism meetings. If your father were home, wouldn't he be there too? Last time I went to Xiping City, I saw a criticism meeting where people were pinned to the ground with their hands tied behind their backs. It hurt me to see that. Pei Hua, if you ask me, your father's going out this time isn't a bad thing. You're still young, and some things aren't what you think."

Watching Aunt Hua enter the house, Pei Hua took a deep breath. The crisp, cool air filled his chest, and his mind became much clearer. From now on, he would have to discuss everything with his parents first. He used to think he was already an adult, but look at him now, wearing a red armband and becoming a Red Guard. Wherever he went with those people, he was flattered. Everyone said that these teenagers had grown up. Sigh, he was still being used. From now on, he would never think that joining the Red Guards made him an adult.

Thinking back to the days when I followed the Red Guards on their mass movement, I find it somewhat amusing. We were all just kids, yet we had to act like adults. Peihua followed the Red Guards to the provincial capital, which was the first time I had ever traveled so far alone. But after coming back, I couldn't help but feel bored.

Under the influence of others, Peihua drew a few satirical cartoons, which resulted in the faction that satirized him dragging out his own father to be criticized. He originally thought he was very powerful, but when he saw his father being pressed down on the stage with his head bowed amidst the thunderous slogans, he felt so insignificant, smaller than a speck of dust on the ground.

After my father was criticized and denounced, he went with other men from the village to dig a reservoir in a faraway place. My mother, heavily pregnant, struggled to support the family and their children. Later, the rebels from the county came to the village and wanted to hold a denunciation meeting for my mother. The villagers said that my mother was pregnant and that she might die if things went wrong. The rebels refused to listen. In the end, several elderly people from the village stepped forward and guaranteed to the rebels that they would supervise my mother's labor reform. So the rebels sent people to supervise her. My mother worked hard with her pregnant belly until yesterday. She finally gave birth to my little sister, but my little sister is not healthy. It's all my fault.

This sixteen-year-old boy, who had been sent down to his rural hometown with his parents, matured overnight. Many years later, Shen Peihua would still recall that cold, snowy night, standing alone near Aunt Hua's house. The bright moonlight shone on the snow, casting a cold glow. The harsh reality forced him to grow up quickly. In the future, whenever he encountered difficulties, he would think of that night, the snowy night, with the occasional bark of a dog bringing a hint of warmth. No hardship could stop a young heart from growing rapidly.

When Peihua got home, he arranged for the children to sleep, and then leaned against the headboard of his parents' kang (a heated brick bed) to watch over his mother and his newborn sister. The little sister was curled up in a small swaddle blanket, with her mother lying on one side, looking exhausted.

In the middle of the night, Peihua's mother slowly woke up and looked at the little baby girl in her swaddling clothes under the dim oil lamp. Her two tiny fists were tightly clenched and placed against her cheeks, her brows were furrowed, and her little nose was twitching. Peihua's mother couldn't help but smile. She wondered what troubled such a small child with such a furrowed brow.

Peihua, who was sitting against the wall, was dozing off when she heard the noise. She woke up abruptly and saw her mother trying to sit up. She quickly helped her up and said, "Mother, why are you getting up?"

Peihua's mother said, "Let me look at your sister. Look at her, she's frowning. I wonder what's bothering her. Hehe."