Reborn in 1966

Chapter Four: Daily Life

These words made the atmosphere in the room fall silent again. Peihua's mother said, "Times have changed. We don't know what the children are thinking anymore."

After a moment of silence, Hu Jiming said, "Look at me, we finally get to meet and I keep bringing up these heavy topics. Shengsi and Yueran, you two need to take good care of the children and live a good life. When we can meet freely again, our class will have a big reunion. I'll take care of everything, and you can bring the children with you."

Wonderful daydreams always bring joy. Peihua's mother said, "Great! There must have been about thirty people in our class back then. Apart from those who went abroad, most of the ones who stayed are in Beijing."

Hu Jiming said, "Well, many of them are going back to their hometowns to work, just like you. Yueran, you must take good care of these children; they are our hope."

Peihua's mother smiled and said, "Okay, I will definitely take good care of the children. By the way, Jiming, you weren't married when we left, were you? Are you married now?"

Hu Jiming said, "No, I have a lot of things to worry about right now, and I don't have time to think about these things. I'll definitely come and tell you when I'm ready to get married."

The three adults were talking in hushed tones. They were all veterans of the War of Resistance against Japan and the War of Liberation, and they had all experienced those brutal struggles. If they spoke loudly, someone might overhear them and they might be accused of something they hadn't done.

Peihua's father said, "Peihua's mother, the teachers who came this time were all bullied by the students. It was only because Ji Ming knew that the two of us were here that he managed to get the teachers here. Yueran, see if there's anything else in our family that the teachers can use, and let your mother find it and send it to them."

Peihua's mother said, "Let's just send it over secretly. We're still here for reform. If those people find out, there will probably be more trouble."

Peihua's father nodded and said to Hu Jiming, "Our Shenjia Village isn't big, and most people share the same surname. Although clan consciousness has faded a lot, village matters are still discussed and decided by the elders. I was persecuted and sent back to the village for labor reform, but the villagers have treated our family fairly well. Tomorrow, you come with me to find the elders of our Shenjia family and talk to them about these teachers. The elders still respect educated people, and with them keeping the younger ones in check, the teachers will suffer less."

Hu Jiming nodded and said, "That's for the best. Alas, the situation is unclear, so we all have to keep a low profile."

When Liu Ru heard about the "Great Cultural Revolution," she recalled her meager historical knowledge and mentally counted on her fingers. It must have been 1966. Sigh, there were still ten years to go. Her childhood would be spent in such an absurd era.

She fell asleep without knowing when, and when she woke up the next day, it was already bright. As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw her older sister, Peizhi, with pigtails. Liu Ru smiled at Peizhi, and Peizhi immediately called out to her mother, who was lying to the side, "Mom, Mom, come and see! My little sister smiled at me!"

Peihua's mother laughed and said, "My little sister was just born, how could she be smiling? You must be mistaken."

Peizhi pouted and said, "She was clearly smiling." As she said this, she gently poked Liu Ru's cheek with her finger. Peihua's mother quickly stopped her, saying, "Peizhi, you can't poke your sister's face with your hand. She was just born, and her skin is still very tender."

Pei-Chih pouted and said, "I want my little sister to smile again for Mom."

Peihua's mother smiled and patted Peizhi's little braids, saying, "How about Peizhi comes to make her little sister happy when she's a bit older? She's too young now and doesn't understand anything."

Peitian lifted the curtain and went into the room, saying to his mother, "Mother, my eldest brother told my second brother that my father came back last night. Is that true?"

Peihua's mother said, "Yes, your father is back, but he and your Uncle Hu have gone to the brigade for some business. When they come back, you should greet your Uncle Hu and your father."

The two nodded solemnly. Peitian said, "I need to ask my dad if he's been eating well these days. Jianjun said that his dad went to the barn last time and didn't get enough to eat. When he came back, he was so hungry he could barely walk."

Peizhi said, "Mom, do we have any good food left? Let's take it out and cook it for Dad. Dad needs to be well-fed to stay healthy."

Grandma carried a willow basket filled with soybeans into the house and said, "Okay, let's make something nice for your dad. Grandma will go get some tofu later, and how about we have cabbage stew with tofu for lunch?"

Peitian and Peizhi cheered. In this day and age, being able to eat some tofu is something that a child can be happy about for a long time. Liu Ru felt a little sour.

At noon, the children were as happy as if it were New Year's Day because of a meal of stewed cabbage and tofu, which made Peihua's parents and Hu Jiming feel very uncomfortable.

After lunch, Hu Jiming said to Pei Hua's parents, "The teachers have been settled, and I have to go back to report. Sheng Si, Yue Ran, take these two tickets and the money, and use them to make some good food for the children and the teachers."

Peihua's mother said, "Jiming, this is not acceptable. You should take it back quickly."

Hu Jiming said, “These things are not only mine, but also secretly given to me by the leaders when I came here. These teachers are highly respected and indispensable talents in their respective industries. I have already made arrangements with the elders in your village. Although it is a transfer to the countryside, it is also to protect them. These things cannot be brought out in the open, so I can only entrust you two to take good care of them.”

Peihua's father lowered his head and pondered for a while, then took the things from Hu Jiming's hands and said, "Jiming, don't worry, I will definitely take good care of the teachers."

Hu Jiming held Pei Hua's father's hand and said, "Sheng Si, I know your character. I will come again before the New Year. Your county magistrate is an old subordinate of my leader. This time, I will make good use of this connection. Sheng Si, you must remember that when the situation is unclear, it is risky to go ahead and it is dangerous to go behind. You must protect yourself and your children discreetly."

Peihua's parents nodded. The fact that Hu Jiming was telling them these things during this extraordinary time showed that their old classmate Hu Jiming truly didn't consider them outsiders.

Hu Jiming left, leaving behind several teachers. Peihua's mother carefully put away the grain coupons and money, then called Peihua into the house.

After entering the room, Peihua first looked at his little sister, who was wide-eyed and kicking her arms and legs, then sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and asked, "Mother, what do you want to see me about?"

Peihua's mother said, "Peihua, you're all grown up now. I think you understand a lot of things. There are some things I want you to know so that you'll know what you should and shouldn't do in the future."

Peihua lowered his head and remained silent for a long time before saying, "Mother, I'm sorry to my father. I shouldn't have gone with them to make connections, and I shouldn't have helped them draw cartoons to satirize people. If I hadn't been so ignorant, my father wouldn't have gone out to dig a reservoir in the freezing cold." A few drops of crystal-clear liquid dripped onto the kang mat and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Peihua's mother said, "Good child, your father and mother don't blame you. It's true, your father's departure to marry was arranged long ago. Our family is going back to the countryside to participate in labor reform. You must not feel burdened. Your mother has something else to tell you today."

Peihua wiped away her tears and said, "Mom, I will definitely think things through before I do them in the future. If I don't understand something, I will definitely ask you and Dad. I will not act on my own like this again."

Peihua's mother said, "Peihua, the fact that you can think like this shows that you've grown up. You're the eldest child in the family, and your father and mother may not have time to take care of your younger siblings in the future. You need to help your father and mother take good care of them. Don't cry, Peihua is the most sensible child in your mother's heart."

Peihua nodded and asked, "What does Mother want to see me about?"

Peihua's mother said, "When your Uncle Hu left, he left some grain coupons and money for Dad and Mom. These things belonged to the teachers who came from the village. Why don't you secretly go to the city and get some grain to send to them later?"

Peihua nodded and said, "Okay, Mom. Our home is less than ten miles from the county town. I can make it back and forth very quickly. Besides, I've already talked to Peiming from the production team. If I collect scraps, I can sell them at the recycling station in the city. Then I can bring the grain back with me."

Peihua's mother said, "Okay, I'll leave this matter to you from now on. Also, no matter what happens in the future, we shouldn't take the lead or fall behind others. We came back to reform, so it's better to just do our own thing conscientiously."

Peihua nodded and said, "Mom, I understand. In the future, when I take my younger siblings out, I will talk less and observe how others behave."

Peihua's mother nodded, sighed, and said, "Peihua, I'm sorry to have troubled you."

Winter days are short, and due to scarcity of resources, rural people turn off their oil lamps and go to sleep early.

After Shen's father returned, he slept in the same room as Shen's mother, while the grandmother went back to her own room. The children, full of energy, couldn't fall asleep early in the night and ran to their parents' kang (a heated brick bed) to ask their father to tell them stories.

In these extraordinary times, many long-standing stories can no longer be told. Peihua's father racked his brains to tell stories of heroes from the War of Resistance Against Japan and the War of Liberation. Liu Ru listened quietly along with him. Thinking back to her own generation, with television, mobile phones, and the internet, adults and children were all busy with their own things and no one had time to pay attention to anyone else. Although material things are not abundant now, spiritual things are very rich. Her father was telling stories to his children like this. When the children grow up, these will be childhood stories that are very worth remembering.

Time did not speed up because of the hardships of the environment, nor did it slow down because of the children's anticipation of the New Year. The days passed slowly for more than ten days.

Liu Ru gradually adapted to this poor and abnormal society, and also felt the love of her family little by little. Her older brothers and sisters would come to see her when they had time. Even the smallest gesture of her youngest sister would be talked about for a long time. Her originally rosy skin became more and more fair, and she became more and more adorable.

After the child was born, relatives came to deliver rice. Because of the "Destroy the Four Olds" campaign, no one dared to continue these old customs. On that day, however, Grandma secretly cooked two extra red-skinned eggs with Shen's mother.