Reborn in 1966

Chapter Twenty-Five: Ruolan

The kitchen purchases have all been handed over to Sixth Grandfather. The pork needed for the banquet was finally obtained with the help of a comrade from the county's meat processing plant, who was also given a lot of pork bones. Grandma and Shen's mother salted them and put them in the cellar where the food was stored. After some time, they would make soup with the bone broth, which would be delicious and nutritious whether used to cook cabbage or radishes.

Relatives from the family must be invited to the wedding ceremony on the wedding day, so people from the village must start inviting them early to the wedding feast. My great-uncle cut a notebook out of red paper and wrote down who came and how much money they left as a gift. My grandmother would then use this notebook as a basis for preparing return gifts when other families have events.

After breakfast, Grandpa Liu, along with two helpers, began preparing for the lunch banquet. They inquired about the number of tables and considered how much food they needed. Grandpa Liu used all his best skills to prepare the food, from frying and boiling to steaming and stewing.

Not far from Shenjia Village, there is a village with a large area of ​​lotus roots. Peiyin had heard Peijun mention that in the summer, Peijun and his friends went to pick lotus leaves, and Sixth Grandpa helped them buy some lotus roots there. They cut them into chunks and stewed them with thick slices of pork belly until they were very tender. They were sandy in the mouth and had a sweet lotus root flavor. When this dish was served yesterday, Peiyin was fed two pieces of lotus root. She guessed she would be able to taste this delicious food again today.

Pei Yin, a quiet, obedient, and smiling pseudo-loli, is someone that everyone who comes to help likes to tease. Some even take out some treats and stuff them into Pei Yin's hands.

Around 11 o'clock, the villagers who had been notified began to head towards the Shen family's courtyard. Fourth Grandfather was waiting at a table set up outside the gate with a small notebook in his hand. The people who came first paid their bills, and then sat down at the table as arranged by Fourth Grandfather, the head steward, and waited for the wine and dishes to be served.

There were people who carried special food boxes made of wooden planks, square in shape and painted red. Each box could hold four plates. The young men would carry these to the table, and the special attendants would place the dishes on the table. I once heard a classmate who had a wedding in his rural hometown say that his in-laws' village was very big, and his uncles and brothers lived quite far away. It was tough being a waiter, as it felt like running a marathon after a single meal.

The people who carry the dishes are usually young men, and Pei Hua and Pei Jun are the best choices. Pei Yin noticed that Tian Aiwen, who brought the Red Guards to denounce several professors, was also standing with Pei Hua with a square food box. She guessed that if it weren't for her sister Tian Lingling being the bride, Tian Aiguo would have also come to help carry the dishes.

Shen's mother and grandmother were too busy to hold Pei Yin in their arms. After playing by herself in the wicker basket, Pei Yin looked at the busy crowd and felt that this busy but orderly scene had an indescribable joy. It was truly a lively scene.

Pei Yin sat idly in the wicker basket, watching others busily working, occasionally offering her opinions on a few. When she got tired, she would lie down in the basket, close her eyes, and bask in the sun. The autumn sun wasn't too strong, and sunbathing could even help her get some calcium, right? Little did she know, a chubby little girl, with her eyes slightly squinted, basking in the warm autumn sun, occasionally yawning, rubbing her sleepy eyes, and grinning contentedly, Pei Yin's lazy little appearance was a sight to behold in the eyes of others.

Because of her widowed status, Third Grandma didn't even dare to enter the east wing room when Shen's mother was in confinement. She would tend to the vegetable garden in the backyard all the time, secretly raising a few chickens and a pig. Third Grandma didn't want to come out for Shengqin's wedding, but Grandma persuaded her, saying that there were many elderly people in the village who were also single and attending their children's weddings, and that many things would need help. In the end, Grandma was persuaded to come out of the backyard and help tidy up some things.

Seeing that it was getting late, Third Grandma went to the kitchen to ask Sixth Grandpa to serve some easily digestible vegetables in a small bowl, including lotus root chunks. Peiyin was now able to eat by herself, so Third Grandma used a spoon to cut the lotus root into small pieces and watched Peiyin eat with a smile on her face.

After the lunch banquet ended, we had to clean up the dishes and tidy up. Aunt Shengquan helped wash the plates and bowls from her two tables and brought them over. Everyone should get a good rest tonight, because we have to continue tomorrow.

The standard of living in Shenjia Village is generally good. As long as you work hard, you can have enough food at home. However, meat, which requires money and coupons to buy, is not something you can eat often. So, some villagers bring their children when they come to a wedding, and the host family is considerate of the children who don't usually eat such good food, so they don't say anything when they bring their children.

The food at the banquet was eaten very cleanly. When Pei Yin was clearing the dishes, she noticed that each plate had only a little bit of soup left, and some of the soup had even been wiped clean with two steamed buns.

The Shen family spent the afternoon washing, cleaning, and tidying up. For dinner, Shen's mother reheated the leftovers from the daytime kitchen, steamed some buns, and made porridge. The family ate some and then prepared to rest.

As they were going to bed that night, Shen's mother secretly nudged Shen's father's arm and whispered, "Shengsi, I hear some noise in the yard."

Mr. Shen quietly got up. It was the end of the month, and the sky was full of twinkling stars. He leaned on the windowsill and looked out. He could vaguely see a figure moving around in the kitchen, which was built against the south wall.

Before going to bed, all the meat and vegetables were moved to the main room. There wasn't much food in the kitchen, but it was still quite upsetting to have a thief break into the house.

Mr. Shen got up and dressed, but Mrs. Shen grabbed his arm and said, "Shengsi, you can't go out alone."

Mr. Shen said, "It's nothing. I just saw a figure and I quietly went over to take a look."

Mother Shen hurriedly got up and dressed, and grabbed two sticks from the bellows in the outer room. She kept one for herself and handed the other to Father Shen. The two of them gently moved the door-blocking sticks aside, opened the door, and went to the courtyard.

Hearing the noise, Pei Yin saw that her parents had gone out, so she climbed onto the windowsill and looked out.

Mr. and Mrs. Shen quietly walked to the kitchen with sticks in their hands. They didn't hear Mr. Shen say anything. A short man slowly stood up. They didn't know what the three of them were talking about. Mr. and Mrs. Shen then led him back to their room.

Mother Shen took a match from the outer room and lit the oil lamp in the room. Pei Yin looked over and saw a figure about the same height as Pei Jun. He was very thin, with short, messy hair covered in dry grass. His face was dark and he couldn't make out what he looked like, but his eyes were very bright in the dim light.

Mr. Shen went to the outer room to get a washbasin, poured some water, and said, "Wash your face first, and your aunt will bring you something to eat later."

After leading the person in and lighting the oil lamp, Madam Shen went outside to find something to eat. There were also some food items in the east wing.

When Shen's mother came in with a bowl of leftovers and two steamed buns, the water in the basin had turned black. Shen's father also picked the withered grass off the person's head. Shen's mother quickly went to the cabinet to find a comb and helped her comb her hair. Then, a pretty girl with fair skin appeared in front of Pei Yin.

Mother Shen placed the steamed buns and vegetables on the kang table, then brought over a bowl of water. She then held Pei Yin, who had already woken up and was sitting on the kang, in her arms. The little girl had washed her face and stood somewhat awkwardly in front of the kang. Mother Shen said, "Ruo Lan, hurry up and get on the kang to eat."

The little girl, Ruolan, glanced at the things on the kang table. Peiyin saw her swallow, but she remained standing on the ground without moving.

Mr. Shen put the washbasin in the outer room, came over and saw that the little girl was still standing there without moving. He sighed and said gently, "Ruolan, eat something first. Uncle will take you to find your grandfather when it gets light."

The little girl lingered on the kang (a heated brick bed). Seeing the gentle expressions on Mr. and Mrs. Shen's faces, she grabbed a steamed bun and took a big bite. Mrs. Shen said, "Eat some vegetables and drink some water. Don't choke, eat slowly. Auntie has more here."

The little girl, Ruolan, wolfed down two steamed buns in a flash, wiping the plate of food clean with the buns. Only after she had filled her stomach did she tell Mr. and Mrs. Shen about her ordeal.

This girl's name is Meng Ruolan, and she is the granddaughter of Professor Meng, who lives at the village primary school.

Professor Meng studied biology in France in his early years. A few years after returning to China, his son and daughter went abroad, leaving his granddaughter, Meng Ruolan, behind. Professor Meng's wife passed away some years earlier. Devoted to academia, Professor Meng lived with his granddaughter, Meng Ruolan, in the faculty dormitory at the university. When the political movement began, Professor Meng was beaten by students and sent to Shenjia Village for labor reform, leaving his granddaughter Meng Ruolan alone at home. Now, Meng Ruolan, who should be in Beijing, has gone to Shenjia Village, a thousand miles away from the capital, which is quite strange to the Shen family.

Mr. Shen said, "Ruolan, why don't you stay here and sleep with your aunt and get some rest? We can talk about other things tomorrow, okay?"

Meng Ruolan looked at the neat bedding spread on the kang (a heated brick bed), lowered her head and said, "Uncle Shen, I think I'll stay outside for the night. I have lice."

Pei Yin found Shen's mother's expression somewhat strange, a little incredulous, but mostly heartache, with no sign of disgust.

Mrs. Shen said, "Alright then, I'll go and tidy up the room next door so Ruolan can stay there for the night."

In order to help Peihua and Peijun grow up, Grandpa cleaned out the room in the east wing that used to store grain, preparing for the two brothers to live in. Although there was only one room, it was quite spacious. Moreover, when the Shen family's courtyard was built, it consisted of a north-facing room and east and west wing rooms.

There were also two small houses built together in the backyard. They weren't very conspicuous from the outside, but they were made of blue bricks covered with a layer of yellow mud, while the inside was plastered with white lime several times.

The room is almost ready now. While making furniture for Uncle Shen, Grandma also made two single beds and a desk for the two brothers.

Mother Shen carried the oil lamp to the other room, helped Ruolan take off her tattered clothes and put on a fine cotton nightgown before returning to her room to continue sleeping.