Reborn in 1966

Chapter Eight Constraints

After seeing Aunt Xuan off, Grandma and Mother Shen talked in the west wing.

Grandma said, "Your sister is stubborn but soft-hearted. You'll have to be more tolerant of her if anything happens in the future."

Mother Shen nodded and said, "Mother, you don't need to tell me, I know. Peihua's father and I have been back for several years now, and I know what everyone in the family is like. We are family, and we can't talk like strangers whether the door is open or closed."

As they were talking, Pei-Tian and Pei-Chih ran in.

Peitian said, "Your Majesty, look! This is milk candy!"

Looking over, Shen's mother saw a piece of milk candy with its wrapper still in its packaging in Peitian's hand.

Shen's mother said, "Oh my, it really is milk candy! Peitian, where did you get it?"

Peizhi said, "Mother, look, I have one too. It was given to me by Sister Jinhua. My eldest brother and second brother both have them."

Mother Shen said, "Why are you asking for Jinhua's things again? Does Auntie know that Jinhua is giving them to you?"

Peitian said, "I know, Aunt Shengquan said she made a bellyband for Peiyin, and she gave it to her at the party."

Grandma said, "Your family only has one child, Jinhua. From now on, you all need to help your sister Jinhua with chores, understand?"

The two children nodded, and Shen's mother said, "Go play outside."

Watching the two children leave the house, Grandma sighed and said, "Your sister-in-law, Shengquan, is a capable woman, but she has no children of her own. She's taken Jinhua as her precious daughter, but who knows what the future holds for her."

Shen's mother said, "Sister-in-law Shengquan's needlework is really good. I don't think we can find anyone like her in our village."

Grandma said, "Your sister-in-law, Shengquan, was raised by her parents as a lady from a respectable family. Before Liberation, her family had a business in Beijing. When the public-private partnership was implemented, the business was handed over to the public, and their land was distributed to those in the village who had no land. It's fortunate that they have someone in their family who knows how to handle things."

Mother Shen said, "Mother, who in Sister-in-law's family knows how to handle things?"

Grandma said, "You should know about Sister-in-law Zhang's eldest brother. The Zhang family is a well-known wealthy family in the area. They've always been involved in building bridges and roads, and they even helped their neighbors during famine years. Zhang's eldest brother studied in Beijing, just like Peihua's father. Later, he took over their family business in Beijing, and as soon as liberation, he handed the business over to the government. He also instructed Zhang's father to distribute all the family's land. Look at their family's class status now! Later, even if someone wanted to rebel against the Zhang family, the villagers would stop them first. People always remember kindness."

Mother Shen nodded and said, "That's really true. No wonder Sister-in-law Shengquan looks so impressive. Mother, how come Brother Shengquan, who looks like a farmer, has so many wives?"

Grandma said, "Your father and I know this best. The year the Japanese came, Old Man Zhang went to the provincial capital and encountered them on the way. He was shot by the Japanese. It was your brother Shengquan's father who carried him back. Seeing that it was the Japanese who shot him, he didn't dare to make a fuss. He called your father to go find a doctor. It was only with great difficulty that his life was saved. Old Man Zhang is a grateful man. Seeing that your brother Shengquan is a reliable person, he married his daughter to him."

Mother Shen said, "Old Man Zhang is a good judge of character. I can tell that Brother Shengquan is very considerate and obedient to Sister-in-law Shengquan. If you ask me, you won't find another man in our village who loves his wife as much as he does."

Just then, Peizhi ran in again and said happily to her grandmother, "Grandma, Grandma, look! Auntie gave me another piece of milk candy, so I have two now!"

Grandma stood up and went to the doorway to greet the Sheng family who had just entered the courtyard. She said, "Sister-in-law, why did you give the child another piece of something so precious?"

A cheerful female voice laughed and said, "Auntie, it's just a piece of candy. Please don't keep nagging me. The two little ones have been thanking me for ages, and I'm getting a little embarrassed."

Grandma said, "Come inside and warm up."

Shengquan's wife took off the square scarf folded into a triangle from her head, rubbed her hands and face, and said with a smile, "Let me see our little girl first."

As she spoke, a woman in her forties with a pretty face and a small bun at the back of her head bent down to look at Pei Yin lying on the kang (a heated brick bed).

Looking at Pei Yin, her beautiful face bore the marks of time, and there were fine wrinkles around her smiling eyes. Because it was cold outside, her face had a slight blush when she came inside.

Shengquan's wife laughed and said, "Oh my, this little guy knows how to tell people apart now."

Grandma laughed and said, "What does she know? She just stares at herself all day without really looking at anything, just having a good laugh."

Pei-Yin felt extremely wronged. "Grandma, I wasn't just laughing for no reason."

Shengquan's wife smiled and teased Peiyin, sitting on the edge of the kang and said, "Her maternal grandfather wasn't feeling well a few days ago, and I've been staying at my parents' house. I only came back two days before the New Year and didn't have time to come and visit. Please don't mind, Auntie."

Grandma said, "No, is Grandpa Jinhua alright?"

Shengquan's wife said, "It's nothing. It's just that my second brother got into that mess in the provincial capital, which made the old man very anxious. Now that my second brother's family is back, he feels at ease and his illness has gotten better."

Grandma said, "Your second brother is back too?"

Shengquan's wife said, "I'm back. Nowhere is as good as home. My father asked around and managed to get my second brother's whole family back. Auntie, I think all the hardships my brother Shengsi endured in the past few years were worth it. He's so safe at home now. My second brother said that many people have already lost their families."

The atmosphere in the room was somewhat heavy. Shengquan's wife said, "My second sister-in-law is a teacher at the provincial middle school. She is such a gentle person. Before the New Year, her students shaved her head in a half-shaved style. If my second brother hadn't stopped her and persuaded her, she would have almost hanged herself. When she came back, my father said, 'Don't complain about the hard work in the fields. Being alive is more important than anything else.'"

Grandma said, "Your father is a sensible man. It's good that your second brother is back. Living a good life at home is better than anything else."

Shengquan's wife said, "Look at me, I keep saying things that make people uncomfortable. I came here today to bring something to Peiyin, my own needlework, so don't complain about how bad it is."

Grandma said, "If you still complain about your needlework, then your eyes will grow on the top of your head! Oh my, look at these embroidered flowers, they look just like the real thing!"

Pei Yin looked over and saw a padded coat, a single coat, and a red satin bib. Grandma was holding the bib, on which a lifelike little duck was embroidered with yellow silk thread. Shen's mother said, "Sister-in-law's needlework is unparalleled."

Shengquan's wife laughed and said, "Don't flatter me. If you need any more sewing or mending work in the future, just let me know. I'm not good at anything else."

After seeing off Shengquan's wife, it was time to prepare dinner. Shen's father entered the house with a somewhat grim expression.

Seeing that her husband's face was pale, Mrs. Shen asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?"

Mr. Shen took a breath and said, "I just saw the Party Secretary. He told us to keep an eye on Shengqin. It seems that the Party Secretary doesn't approve of his daughter's relationship with Shengqin."

Shen's mother asked, "Does our father know about this?"

Mr. Shen said, “I don’t know. I went to talk to Shengqin, and he said he had no interest in the Party Secretary’s daughter at all. It was just a one-sided crush on her. Can you believe that’s what a human being would say? You clearly had no interest in her, and you knew the girl was interested in you, so why didn’t you just tell her? Now look what’s happened, the girl’s father has come to me. Can you believe how pathetic I am?”

Looking at her father's expression, Pei Yin knew that the village secretary must have had a problem with his attitude when he spoke, otherwise, given her father's composure, he wouldn't have been so angry that his face turned pale.

Shen's mother said, "Don't be angry. After you finish eating, talk to your parents and tell them to find Shengqin a wife as soon as possible. I think once Shengqin gets married, the Party Secretary's daughter will give up her hopes."

Mr. Shen nodded and said, "That's what I was thinking too. I saw Sister-in-law Shengquan on the street just now. I'll ask her to help me find a suitable girl. Sister-in-law Shengquan knows more about the surrounding villages."

What the Shen family didn't know was that things weren't peaceful at the home of Tian Baogen, the village secretary of Shenjia Village, at this very moment.

Most people in Shenjia Village are surnamed Shen, and another common surname is Tian. Tian Baogen joined the Eighth Route Army when he was a teenager and experienced the War of Resistance Against Japan, the War of Liberation, and was wounded during the Huaihai Campaign when he fought in Xuzhou. He then returned to his hometown. After liberation, he was elected as the Party Secretary of Shenjia Village and has served as the Party Secretary of Shenjia Village for more than ten years.

The Tian family has only one son and one daughter. Their daughter, Tian Lingling, is already twenty years old. It's said that Secretary Tian secured a spot for her in one of the county's factory recruitment drive; she'll be working in either a textile factory or a machinery factory. Regardless of which factory she goes to, she'll be a state-employed worker, and the working class is highly sought after these days. Their son, Tian Aiguo, is seventeen years old and entered the county's top middle school last year. It's said he participated in the Great Cultural Revolution, went to Tiananmen Square, and was received by Chairman Mao; he's now the pride of the village.

Party Secretary Tian was in his forties, a man of few words, and always had a serious expression. His wife was a gentle woman, and she was currently comforting her daughter, who was sitting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) wiping away tears.

Tian Lingling's feelings for Shen Shengqin, the second uncle of the Shen family, were beyond question. Since she was a child, she liked to follow this boy who was five years older than her. Although the second uncle was unreliable in his work, he was proficient in playing musical instruments and singing. He was also the "warm man" type, caring for everyone. If it weren't for the fact that everyone knew about the village secretary's daughter's feelings for Shen Shengqin, there would probably be several girls in the village following the second uncle around.

Party Secretary Tian Baogen took a puff of his pipe, frowned, and said to his sobbing daughter, "You'd better give up on this idea as soon as possible. Don't you know that Shen Shengqin's older brother is a rightist? You still insist on marrying Shen Shengqin. You try marrying him and see if I don't break your legs."

His decisive and efficient style clearly comes from the military.

Tian Lingling's eyes were red and swollen. She raised her head and shouted at her father, "This is a new society. Love is free. You are interfering with young people's freedom of marriage and insisting on the old feudal system of arranged marriages."

Enraged, Party Secretary Tian threw the pot with the eye bags on the table, stood up and said, "You've really gone too far! Let me tell you, if I push you too far, I'll send you to the army. I thought you were my pampered daughter, and I was afraid you'd suffer there. I thought you could find a job nearby, find a husband in the city, and live a good life. But you, you've done this to me."