Reborn in 1966

Chapter Ninety: Memories

This jar of wine was a gift from an old friend who also made wine. It has a high alcohol content and a very pure taste. It comes in a large, round wine cup, and everyone was given a cup. Grandpa said, "Try it, everyone. This wine was brewed by an old friend of mine. My old friend has loved brewing wine all his life. Don't be fooled by the fact that it's sorghum wine; the taste is very mellow."

Whether they knew how to drink or not, everyone picked up their wine cups and took a sip. Peijun took a sip and stuck out his tongue, saying, "Ugh, it's so spicy, Grandpa, this wine is too spicy."

Grandpa chuckled and said, "The sorghum we brew here is really strong. How can it be called good wine if it's not spicy?"

After taking a sip, Qi Xiangnan said, "Grandpa, I've never drunk alcohol before, but I've heard people say that the alcohol in our northern region has to be spicy to be strong enough."

Grandpa said, “It’s cold here in winter. A sip of sorghum liquor warms you up. Back when the Japanese devils drove us into Qinghe Mountain, we all carried a gourd of liquor with us. It was so cold in the mountains that we would drink a sip of this when we couldn’t stand the cold anymore.”

Mr. Shen said, "I still remember it. That year, I was freezing cold, and my second uncle gave me a sip of this. I was drunk for a whole day."

Pei Yin was already intoxicated by the aroma of the boiled fish.

Since being born in this place, she had never eaten anything so delicious. The delicious memories kept swirling in her mind, and her stomach kept growling. She was so hungry. After her grandmother picked up her chopsticks and took a bite, Pei Yin couldn't wait to pick up a piece of milky white fish with tempting red chili oil on it. Before she could even smell the aroma, she stuffed it into her mouth.

The numbing sensation of Sichuan peppercorns combined with the spiciness of chili peppers and the flavor of garlic creates a unique aroma. Pei Yin couldn't help but close her eyes and savor this nostalgic taste.

I did a combined bachelor's and master's degree in college and stayed in one place for many years. By then, my grandparents had passed away, and my divorced parents had remarried and had children again. I felt like an extra person, and my heart couldn't find a place to rest. One year during the Spring Festival, I really didn't want to go anywhere else, so I stayed at the school.

There was a snack street next to the school, and on the street was a small shop that specialized in boiled fish. The shop was run by an elderly couple. Pei Yin became a regular customer there because she liked boiled fish. She knew that the elderly couple opened the shop because their child was abroad, and seeing the students who came to eat gave them a sense of comfort. After learning about Pei Yin's background, the elderly couple took good care of her. Pei Yin spent that Spring Festival with the elderly couple.

After the New Year, the elderly couple were taken abroad by their children, and the taste of boiled fish became a memory. Today, the boiled fish made by Grandma San tasted very similar to the taste of that year. So, with her eyes closed, Pei Yin shed tears for the first time because of her longing for the past.

Sitting next to Pei Yin, Pei Tian looked at the tears on Pei Yin's cheeks as she closed her eyes and said to Shen's mother, "Oh dear, Mother, look, Pei Yin is crying because of the spiciness."

Peitian's voice was loud, and everyone quickly stopped eating. Grandma picked up Peiyin, wiped away the tears on Peiyin's cheeks, and said, "Oh, Peiyin, it's all Grandma's fault. It's so spicy, I didn't rinse it before you ate it. Quickly drink some fish soup to wash away the spiciness in your mouth."

Pei Yin could no longer contain her emotions and hugged her grandmother's neck, crying loudly.

Those eating in the main room also put down their wine cups and chopsticks and went inside to see what was going on.

Grandma said, "It's nothing, it's nothing. I just ate a bite of the fish and it was spicy."

Grandpa said, "Quickly drink some cool boiled water. You need to drink cool water to reduce the spiciness of chili peppers."

Shen's mother had already brought over a small bowl of water and said softly to Pei Yin, "Pei Yin, come on, have a sip of water. It won't be spicy after you drink the water."

Peihua came over, picked Peiyin up from her grandmother's arms, and said, "Peiyin, don't cry. Look at you, you've cried like a little kitten. The fish is too spicy, so let's not eat it. Let's drink some fish soup instead. Fish soup is delicious."

Pei Yin felt that being cared for by so many people was a wonderful thing. She wiped away her tears and said to Pei Hua, "Brother, it's okay. I can still eat. It's not spicy at all."

Pei-Tian said, "She cried so loudly even though it wasn't spicy."

Peijun gently patted Peitian's head and said, "It's not spicy at all. Peiyin, eat more later. Grandma's fish is so delicious."

Pei Yin cried until her nose was bright red. She said to her third grandmother, "Third grandmother, I'm not crying because of the spiciness. I'm crying because of the aroma of the fish you made. I feel happy eating the fish you made, so I cried."

Everyone was amused by Pei Yin's words. Third Grandma said happily, "Oh dear, then Third Grandma will cook more fish for Pei Yin in the future. Children should eat more fish, it will make them smarter."

Many years later, when Qi Xiangnan and his fellow educated youth gathered, they ordered boiled fish and reminisced about the reunion. They all said, "Peiyin was right! Grandma's boiled fish was so delicious! Peiyin, at such a young age, was moved to tears by the delicious food; she clearly knew her stuff." So many years have passed, and they've never tasted boiled fish that tasted exactly like Grandma's again. The flavor of Grandma's boiled fish can only be slowly recalled in their memories.

That night, Pei-Yin had a dream.

She dreamt of her magnificent home. When she was seven, her father, a corporate executive, and her mother, a lawyer, were fighting each other over their divorce. Little Pei-Yin huddled on the sofa, trembling with fear as she watched her once loving parents argue heatedly over the divorce. The two, who had treated Pei-Yin like a princess, were now fighting over custody of her. Little Pei-Yin felt like an unwanted person. As a primary school student, she didn't want to go out or talk to anyone.

Later, Grandma came and took Peiyin, who no one wanted after the divorce, back to their rural hometown. Grandma said to the couple, "Your relationship is a matter between the two of you, but the divorce is a matter between the three of you. You two will never be able to forgive your child for your own sake."

Grandparents raised two children: Pei-yin's father and an aunt. The aunt went abroad early on and was helpless with her younger brother. Before they became wealthy, the couple were loving and affectionate, but as their circumstances improved, they started to dislike each other. The younger brother had an affair, and his wife, who was always eager to please, also found a younger lover. Later, the mistress got pregnant and forced the younger brother to break up with his family. This caused Pei-yin and the child great suffering. Pei-yin's mother didn't want her, feeling that she was a child of the Liu family and shouldn't be given to her after the divorce. So, Pei-yin didn't want either of them during the divorce. At that time, Liu Ru, who is now Pei-yin, couldn't understand why her parents didn't have any feelings for her. Fortunately, she still had her grandparents who loved her.

Pei Yin's aunt returned to China to visit her parents and Pei Yin when Pei Yin's parents divorced. She returned again after Pei Yin's grandparents passed away, but never came back after that.

At that time, Pei-yin was a somewhat withdrawn child. Her grandmother would stay with her every day, talking to her about village gossip and the crops in the fields. Her grandfather would carry a large pipe to the fields every day and bring Pei-yin some fresh fruits and vegetables when he came back. Sometimes it was peaches from the tree, sometimes fresh strawberries from the field, and sometimes cucumbers or tomatoes just picked from the vegetable garden. Her grandfather would always hand them to Pei-yin with a smile and say, "This was given to me by so-and-so in the village. They said our little Pei-yin is a good child, and these delicious treats are for good children."

That summer, the elderly couple painstakingly tried to comfort little Pei-yin until she could smile at them. Only then did Grandma wipe away her tears and breathe a sigh of relief.

The well-behaved and sensible Pei-yin accompanies her grandparents. The elderly couple worked hard for their two children when they were young, but their children grew up and could not come back for a visit. So Pei-yin became the spiritual support for the elderly couple.

Peiyin remembers that when she was a freshman in college, she received a call from the village saying that her grandparents had passed away. Peiyin rushed home as soon as she received the news. She still doesn't remember how she got back from that 200-mile journey. It wasn't until she knelt in front of her grandparents' graves that she regained her senses. After a good cry, she finally accepted the fact that she was alone again.

The villagers all said that the old couple had been together their whole lives and were even going to die together in their old age. They didn't know how many lifetimes they had accumulated to deserve such a blessing.

Pei Yin's father also returned with his newlywed wife and his sister, who was seven years younger than him. When he saw Pei Yin's small figure kneeling in front of the grave, crying uncontrollably, Pei Yin's father felt sorry for her. However, seeing his wife and youngest daughter, he hardened his heart and did not inquire too much about Pei Yin's current situation. As soon as his parents' funeral was over, he hurriedly rushed back to the city.

Her aunt tried to persuade Pei-yin to go abroad with her, but Pei-yin, who was already disheartened, refused. She returned to school, attended classes, and studied until she met the elderly couple who ran the boiled fish restaurant.

The elderly couple made the boiled fish very well. They said their children loved it, so they came here to cook it for the children. Seeing Pei Yin and the others enjoying their meal made them happy too.

Later, the taste of that boiled fish became an eternal memory for Pei Yin. And later still, she became Pei Yin, the Pei Yin loved by many.

Pei-yin, her face streaked with tears, was gently awakened by her mother. Pei-yin opened her eyes and glanced at her mother, but because she was still immersed in the sadness of her dream, she did not respond and closed her eyes again.

Shen's mother held Pei Yin, who had her eyes closed, in her arms, humming softly and patting Pei Yin's back. Shen's father stood to the side and whispered, "What's wrong? Why is she crying so hard in her sleep?"

Grandma stood by the kang (a heated brick bed) and said in a low voice, "Could it be that it was frightened? Why don't we ask your Aunt Hua to help call back its soul?"