Chapter 29
◎I’ll Treat You to a Soda◎
Zhang Chunni wanted to strike up another conversation, but Tangtang had already come out with the flower patterns.
“Sister Chunni, I’ve brought you five. You can pick one you like to trace.”
Zhang Chunni was a little annoyed that Tangtang’s untimely appearance had ruined her good intentions. She forced a smile and took the flower patterns. “Oh, they’re drawn so well… Then I’ll go back first.”
She glanced reluctantly at the boy on the ground, then saw that Tangtang had already picked up the water ladle and was about to continue watering the vegetables. She gritted her teeth and finally asked, “Can you teach me how to draw flower patterns?”
Zhang Chunni was not interested in these flower patterns at all, let alone learning how to draw them.
She just wanted to find more opportunities to get close to Zhou Shunian.
Tangtang thought for a moment and nodded readily. “Alright, Sister Chunni. I’ll find all of my dad’s books tonight, and then I’ll teach you how to draw.”
“Then I’ll come and find you tonight.”
Zhang Chunni got a satisfactory reply, and a smile finally appeared on her face. She left, looking back every three steps.
…
After dinner, Tangtang took a bath and found several more illustrations that she hadn’t traced yet. Hearing a knock on the door, she eagerly ran to open it. “Sister Chunni.”
“Achoo—” Smelling the pungent fragrance on Zhang Chunni, she couldn’t help but sneeze.
“Have you had dinner?”
“I’ve eaten.” Zhang Chunni walked into the room with a small basket, her body swaying. As soon as she entered, her eyes couldn’t help but light up. In the corner was an exquisitely made wooden bed, a dark brown standing wardrobe, and on the desk in front of the window was a bouquet of purple irises picked from the mountains. The whole room exuded a bright, warm, and tidy atmosphere, much better than the old Su family’s old house.
She secretly clicked her tongue. She had heard that Tangtang’s biological mother had abandoned her when she was six, and Su Laosan and Yu Juanfang had picked her up and raised her. She didn’t expect this couple to be so good to a child they had picked up.
But she was also a little regretful. If her aunt, Zhang Guixiang, hadn’t divided the family with the third branch, the Su family’s eldest branch would also have a share of this house. Not many families in Yuhuai Village could afford to build such an impressive house.
Tangtang let Zhang Chunni sit at the desk. She took out the pencils and white paper from the drawer. “Let’s trace this butterfly and peony flower pattern today.”
“Let’s not rush to draw the flower patterns.”
Zhang Chunni pulled out a white stone pendant from her collar. “Look, this is a stone pendant that my dad picked up from the river and polished for me. The red string on it was braided by my mom. Is your mom as good to you?”
Tangtang nodded seriously, her eyes smiling into crescent moons. “My mom is also very good to me. She buys me a lot of delicious food, makes me new clothes, and even takes me to the state-run noodle shop to eat.”
Every time Tangtang thought of Yu Juanfang, her heart felt warm.
“I’m not talking about your adoptive mother. I’m asking about your biological mother in Waguan Village.”
Hearing this name again, Tangtang’s face inevitably turned pale.
She pursed her lips, her nails digging deep into the soft flesh of her palm. Even the sound of the kerosene lamp burning began to sound harsh. After a long while, Tangtang finally swallowed. “I don’t have a biological mother. I only have my mom, who holds me to cool off, mends my clothes, and takes me to the commune on her bicycle.”
In Tangtang’s heart, she had long regarded the Su family as her only home. When she heard Zhang Chunni use the term “adoptive mother” to describe Yu Juanfang, she felt an indescribable resistance.
“Was your biological mother not good to you?” A look of sudden realization appeared on Zhang Chunni’s face. “How was she not good to you? Did she not give you food and beat you?”
Zhang Chunni was a little smug, a faint sense of superiority on her face. She felt as if she had gotten a hold of some of Tangtang’s secrets. Even if Tangtang was now wearing a nice new set of clothes, living in such a good house, and her adoptive father was a commune cadre, she was still just a pitiful creature abandoned by her biological parents.
Zhang Chunni enjoyed this condescending and prying pleasure. Seeing Tangtang lower her head and say nothing, she urged her impatiently, “Hurry up and tell me, how did your biological mother treat you?”
Tangtang bit her lower lip tightly. After a long while, she finally said, “She would hit me with a rattan cane as thick as her wrist. One year, I was late in feeding the chickens. She pulled a fire poker from the stove, and the embers on it splashed onto my arm, leaving a very obvious burn scar.”
“Which hand is the scar on? Let me see…”
Tangtang glanced at her, rolled up her left sleeve, and revealed a burn scar the size of a saucer. The burned skin was like tree bark that had been repeatedly licked by flames, with a dark red edge. The scar was already several years old, but from its size and the depth of the scar, the burn must have been very severe at that time.
She clicked her tongue twice. “This scar is scarier than a blacksmith’s branding iron. How painful must it have been back then? You must work diligently in the Su family now. Otherwise, if your adoptive parents don’t want you anymore and send you back to your biological mother’s house, you’ll be in for a hard time.”
Tangtang almost subconsciously retorted, “My mom won’t abandon me.”
“You’re so stupid. Blood ties are the most reliable thing in this world. At home, I am my parents’ biological child. I can act spoiled and throw tantrums at them because I know that I am their biological child, and they will never kick me out no matter what. But you’re different. Besides, your adoptive parents have three sons. You, an adopted daughter, are dispensable to them. You should be more careful.” After saying that, she even poked Tangtang’s forehead with her red nail.
Tangtang was poked and leaned back. The burn on her arm had healed for many years, but for some reason, it felt a little hot.
Zhang Chunni’s prying desire was satisfied, and the corners of her mouth couldn’t help but curl up. She looked around the room. This was much better than the narrow and dilapidated south room of the old Su family’s house. An idea came to her mind. “Tangtang, how about I move in with you? We can keep each other company, and I can also take care of you. We’re all relatives, and you even call me sister. You won’t refuse, right?”
“I’m afraid that’s not possible.” Tangtang now saw that Zhang Chunni hadn’t come over to learn how to draw flower patterns from her. She pulled her hand out of Zhang Chunni’s. “My mom has argued with Eldest Aunt several times. She won’t agree to let you stay here.”
Tangtang directly brought up Yu Juanfang. Zhang Chunni thought of the disagreements between her aunt and Tangtang’s mother and could only give up the idea.
Zhang Chunni looked around for a long time and finally remembered the purpose of her trip. “Are your brother and Zhou Shunian not here?”
“Oh, oh, the students are having a bonfire activity. They probably won’t be back until very late.”
Zhang Chunni instantly lost interest. She curled her lip and said faintly, “I suddenly remembered I have something else to do, so I’ll go back first. I’ll come and find you to learn how to draw flower patterns another day.”
…
After Zhang Chunni left, Tangtang put the books she had taken from Su Huimin back in their original place. After taking off her shoes, she lay down on the bed to sleep.
The weather had warmed up in April, but she was still covered with a thick winter quilt. She stuck her two legs out from under the quilt to cool down. Perhaps because she was feeling uncomfortable, she tossed and turned for a long time without falling asleep.
She threw off the quilt, put on a blue shirt, and planned to go to the latrine.
Just as she left the room, she happened to run into Zhou Shunian, who had already returned from the bonfire activity. He was holding a toothbrush and a cup, looking like he was about to wash up.
She called out to him, “Brother Shunian.”
“What’s wrong? Are you in a bad mood?” Zhou Shunian immediately noticed her low spirits.
Tangtang was indeed feeling a little uncomfortable, but she subconsciously denied it. “No.”
“Do you want to drink a soda?”
Tangtang’s eyes widened. It was the first time she had heard this new term. “Soda? What is soda?”
“Soda is a kind of carbonated fruit-flavored sugar water. It’s cool and refreshing to drink.”
“Sugar water?” No child dislikes sugar, and Tangtang was no exception. The same went for sugar water. In the summer, it would be so comfortable to have a bowl of mung bean sugar water. But the supply of sugar was limited in those days. Yu Juanfang had gone to the supply and marketing cooperative several times last month but couldn’t buy any sugar.
“Then it’s a deal. I’ll treat you to a soda tomorrow night.”
…
Dinner was steamed sorghum rice with elm money and stir-fried pumpkin shreds. Since their guest, Zhou Shunian, was not there, Yu Juanfang cooked according to their usual meal standards.
The Su family still mainly ate coarse grains on a daily basis.
Su Huimin’s monthly salary was thirty yuan. Su Juesheng was in high school at Yuanlin Middle School, with a tuition fee of fifteen yuan per semester and a monthly food expense of ten yuan. Su Juexiao was in junior high at Hongqi Commune, with a tuition fee of eight yuan per semester and a monthly food expense of five yuan. Tangtang and Su Juesheng didn’t have to pay for food and ate at home. They only had to pay a tuition fee of three yuan per semester. Occasionally, they would buy some stationery and other miscellaneous things. The family had to support four students, which was a considerable pressure.
In addition, another major expense was buying grain. Yu Juanfang worked in the production team, and the grain allocated at the end of the year was not enough to eat. They could only find ways to buy supplements from elsewhere.
Ever since he started high school and realized the pressure on the family, even Su Juesheng, who originally didn’t like to study, had started to study hard, determined to get a high school diploma.
After dinner, Tangtang rushed to help clear the bowls and chopsticks. “Mom, I’ll help you wash the bowls.”
“I don’t need you. You can go out and play!” Yu Juanfang pushed her out of the kitchen.
Tangtang was pushed out of the kitchen. Su Juesheng was using a stick to herd the chickens back into their coop. Su Huimin was reading the newspaper in the main hall. She didn’t know why, but the feeling she had when she first came to the Su family’s home surged up in her chest again.
Bewilderment, helplessness.
Tangtang didn’t know what to do, so she simply walked to the courtyard gate and watched a few fireflies flying around in the grass.
Zhou Shunian was just returning from Yuhuai Village Primary School.
“Brother Shunian.”
Zhou Shunian opened his schoolbag, took out a bottle of soda, and handed it to her. “Here, I said last night I would treat you to a soda.”
Tangtang’s gaze fell on the yellow liquid in the glass bottle before her. The words “Arctic Ocean” were printed on the glass wall. Zhou Shunian pried open the bottle cap and handed it to her.
Tangtang took a careful sip.
Her eyes lit up with a whoosh. The fine bubbles fizzed between her teeth. A clear, sweet taste, wrapped in a cool and refreshing sensation, spread from the tip of her tongue to her limbs. It bubbled and fizzed, sweet and cool, with a very rich fruit juice flavor.
This was so delicious! It was the first time Tangtang had drunk this thing called “soda,” and she couldn’t help but let out a happy sigh.
The two of them, one big and one small, sat on the bluestone slab, a vast field before them, with fireflies dancing around.
“Now can you tell me why you were unhappy yesterday?”
Tangtang lowered her eyes. “Brother Shunian, do you think that blood ties are the most solid thing in this world?”
Zhou Shunian thought seriously for a moment and shook his head. “Of course not. Father and son turning against each other, brothers turning against each other, such situations are common. Sincere and passionate feelings between people are the key to maintaining a family relationship.”
Although he was talking to Tangtang, a fourth-grade student, Zhou Shunian’s attitude was not perfunctory at all. Instead, he thought even more seriously.
“Sincere and passionate feelings between people are the key to maintaining a family relationship.” She repeated Zhou Shunian’s words in her mind.
Tangtang felt the gloom in her heart instantly dissipate. She thought that if blood ties were really that solid, her eldest uncle and the others would not have asked for their third branch to be separated when her dad’s leg was injured.
The two sons of the old Li family in the village had fought until they were bloody over an extra portion of their private plot. The son of the old Wang family had angered his own father to the point of vomiting blood over the old house.
Her mom would make her a lot of delicious food, make her new clothes, and even take her to the state-run noodle shop to eat. This was much more precious than any blood tie.
“I understand now. Thank you, Brother Shunian!” A brilliant smile finally appeared on Tangtang’s face. She took another large gulp of the soda, and the gloom in her heart also dissipated, leaving her feeling enlightened.