Chapter 54

Chapter 54

Pei Yufeng nodded. "Okay."

Ji Yunshu sat on a chair holding her teacup, with Huajuan purring in her lap. Shen Shen jumped down from the windowsill, padded silently to her feet, rested his chin on her foot, and flicked his tail lazily. She looked down at the two cats, and a thought suddenly struck her.

"Brother Pei, shouldn't we take a photo and send it back home? Mom, Dad, and Grandma haven't seen what we look like here. It's been a year already—we only took photos when we got married, but we haven't taken any since we came here!" Ji Yunshu looked at the two cats and added, "Huajuan and Shen Shen have grown up too. Back then they fit in the palm of one hand, and now I can barely carry them. Since we're not going back this summer, let's at least take a photo and send it back, so they can see how we're doing here and what the cats look like now."

Pei Yufeng paused what he was doing, turned to look at Ji Yunshu, then at Huajuan curled into a round ball on her lap and Shen Shen sitting aloof at her feet, flicking his tail. "There's no photo studio in the family compound, and the supply co-op doesn't do photography. But there's one next to the state-run department store. On our day off, we can bring Huajuan and Shen Shen there, get the photos taken, and do a bit of shopping at the store while we're at it. Though these two cats have never left the compound—I wonder if they'll be scared of strangers."

"Huajuan should be fine—she rubs up against everybody. Shen Shen might be a bit nervous, but that's okay. As long as we hold them tight, they won't get away." Ji Yunshu scooped Huajuan up from her lap and kissed her fluffy forehead. Huajuan lazily opened one eye to look at her, then contentedly licked her nose, tail held straight up.

"I'll get two bamboo cages to put them in." Pei Yufeng found a solution after a moment's thought. "A lot of villagers use bamboo cages for chickens and ducks—they should work for cats too."

"Great, that'll work!" The cages would be easy to carry, so the cats wouldn't get spooked and run off.

On the morning of their day off, Ji Yunshu was woken by Huajuan stepping on her chest. Huajuan sat on her chest, gently patting her chin with one paw and meowing to get her up.

Ji Yunshu opened her eyes and found the spot beside her empty—Pei Yufeng had already gotten up without her noticing. From the kitchen downstairs came the smell of fried eggs and the soft clatter of a spatula against a pan.

After washing up and going downstairs, Ji Yunshu found that Pei Yufeng had already laid out breakfast: millet porridge, a plate of shrimp and egg omelette, a plate of oyster omelette pancakes, and a cup of cooled brown sugar egg drink. The cats' bowls were also filled with cat food. Huajuan had her head buried in her bowl, gobbling away noisily, while Shen Shen crouched on the windowsill, first eyeing today's meal carefully with his green eyes, then slowly lowering his head to eat only after he saw Ji Yunshu sit down and pick up her chopsticks.

After breakfast, Pei Yufeng loaded the two cats into separate bamboo cages, lining each with a piece of fabric cut from an old bedsheet to keep bamboo splinters from hurting their paws.

Huajuan didn't fuss in her cage at all—she curiously poked a paw through the gaps in the door to bat at Pei Yufeng's fingers. Shen Shen was the complete opposite: he huddled at the back of his cage, shrinking into a wary sea cucumber shape, his green eyes glowing like two little bulbs in the dark, a low growl rumbling in his throat as if protesting this undignified cat-napping.

Ji Yunshu tucked a small piece of his favorite chicken breast into the cage, but Shen Shen didn't even look at it, continuing to express his displeasure with just his eyes. In the end, Pei Yufeng fetched an old blanket Ji Yunshu usually used from the bedroom and draped it over the cage, blocking out all light. Only then, catching the familiar scent, did Shen Shen relax a little—though he stayed on high alert.

The shuttle bus from the family compound to the city rattled along for more than an hour. The two cats behaved completely differently on the ride. Huajuan lay at the cage door, pressing her nose against the gaps to sniff the outside air, occasionally letting out a short, curious meow. Shen Shen stayed curled at the very back the whole time, only occasionally revealing the tips of his ears and a pair of wary green eyes through a gap in the blanket.

Ji Yunshu reached into the cage and gently scratched under his chin. Shen Shen's throat rumbled with a purr, but he still wouldn't come near the cage door.

At the photo studio, Pei Yufeng pushed open the door, carrying the two cat cages. The studio was small—only one room wide—but it was kept very clean. Several black-and-white portrait samples hung on the walls, and a row of wooden shelves along the wall displayed frames and albums in various sizes.

A middle-aged man in a gray work uniform was sorting negatives behind the counter. When he saw them come in, he set down his work and came over to greet them. When he noticed the two cat cages in Pei Yufeng's hands, he blinked in surprise, then crouched down with a smile to look at Huajuan and Shen Shen through the cage doors.

"A family portrait, huh? This is the first time I've had cats come in for a shoot. But that's fine—as long as they don't make a fuss, they'll photograph even better than people do. Mind if I let them out first so we can get acquainted? Otherwise they might get nervous during the photo shoot." the photographer asked.

Ji Yunshu crouched down and opened the cage door. Huajuan immediately scrambled out, pranced around the studio in a little catwalk, rubbed her tail against the photographer's pant leg, sniffed the pothos plant in the corner, then hopped onto an empty chair, curled into a round ball, and lay there as if she owned the place.

The photographer bent down and gently stroked Huajuan's back. She immediately rolled over to show her belly and grabbed his finger with both front paws, pulling it toward her mouth. The photographer laughed and pulled his hand back, saying, "Your calico here isn't shy at all."

Shen Shen, meanwhile, took nearly ten minutes just to poke his head halfway out of the cage. First he swept the entire studio with his green eyes, seemingly checking the positions of all doors and windows and every possible escape route, before finally stepping out and crouching at Ji Yunshu's feet. When the photographer approached, Shen Shen darted back into the cage in alarm—but he didn't hiss at him. Once the photographer moved away, he slowly came back out and crouched at Ji Yunshu's feet.

"He doesn't bite, he's just cautious." Ji Yunshu bent down and scooped Shen Shen onto her lap, gently scratching behind his ears. Shen Shen squinted, purring deep in his throat, his body still tense but not struggling.

"Then you'd better hold him tight, comrade. The flash and shutter sound might scare him." The photographer kept his distance and told Ji Yunshu.

"Okay." Ji Yunshu held Shen Shen in her arms like a baby.

For the formal photo, the photographer had Ji Yunshu and Pei Yufeng sit side by side on a rosewood bench in the center of the studio. The backdrop was a dark gray velvet curtain, with soft lighting overhead. Pei Yufeng placed Huajuan on his lap, and she immediately sat up perfectly straight on his thigh, tail draped neatly over her paws, striking a textbook pose as if she'd been trained for it all her life. Shen Shen, meanwhile, was held tightly in Ji Yunshu's arms. Unlike Huajuan, he didn't relax—he poked a little cat head out from the crook of her arm, his claws still digging into her dress.

Ji Yunshu felt helpless: why was he so scared of people?

"Good, very good—don't move—" The photographer ducked his head under the black cloth of the old wooden view camera, one hand on the magnesium flash trigger, the other steadying the camera. The flash popped with a bright burst, freezing the moment. Ji Yunshu sat on the right side of the bench, Shen Shen's face caught in a startled expression at the sound of the shutter. Pei Yufeng sat on her left with Huajuan perched on his knee, one front paw raised mid-lick at her nose. Ji Yunshu tilted her head slightly, lips curved upward, leaning gently toward Pei Yufeng's shoulder. Pei Yufeng sat with his back straight and posture proper, his right hand not resting on his own knee but hanging naturally at his side, his fingers interlaced with Ji Yunshu's.

For the second photo, they changed positions. Pei Yufeng stood behind Ji Yunshu, one hand on her shoulder. Ji Yunshu held both cats in her arms—Huajuan lay in the crook of her left arm, tail dangling and swaying gently; Shen Shen was reluctantly cradled in her right arm, both front paws braced against her wrist, leaning back slightly with a deeply unenthusiastic expression.

The third photo was a solo portrait that Ji Yunshu requested—she and Pei Yufeng each took a half-length shot to send to Wang Wanru and He Qiuxia, so they could see how good she looked here.

Pei Yufeng initially didn't want to take one, but Ji Yunshu said, "If you take one, I can send it to Mom too, so she can see how handsome her son-in-law is." Only then did he sit down for the photo. His expression during the photo was exactly the same as when he sat in on briefings at the camp—serious, focused, and unsmiling.

The photographer poked his head out from under the black cloth and said, "Comrade, could you smile a little?" The corner of Pei Yufeng's mouth twitched, but it barely made a difference. Ji Yunshu made a funny face at him from the side, and finally the corner of his mouth curved into a barely noticeable smile. The flash popped, and the photographer pressed the shutter quickly.

After the shoot, the photographer said the photos would take a week to develop and they could pick them up then. Pei Yufeng paid the deposit, folded the receipt and put it in his pocket, then put the two cats back into their cages.

As they came out of the studio, Ji Yunshu stood on the steps of the department store entrance and suddenly felt that something was wrong. She looked up at the sky—half of it was clear blue, but the other half was turning gray. The air felt noticeably more humid, clinging stickily to her skin, and even breathing felt heavy and oppressive. Most importantly, the wind had stopped completely—utterly still, nothing like the gentle breeze before.

Ji Yunshu had grown up in the capital and was used to the north's sandstorms and torrential rains, but she had never seen weather like this—it was still afternoon, yet half the sky had darkened as if night were approaching. The evening air was so stuffy it was hard to breathe, and there wasn't a breath of wind. It felt unsettling, as if something was about to happen.

"Why did it suddenly get so stuffy? It was fine when we came—there was even a breeze. Now there's not a breath of wind. Look at that tree—the leaves aren't moving." She switched the cat cage to her other hand and tugged on Pei Yufeng's sleeve.

Pei Yufeng followed her gaze and looked at the sky, frowning slightly. He stood on the steps and stared toward the distant horizon for a few seconds, then turned, switched Shen Shen's cage to his other hand, and took Ji Yunshu's wrist with his free hand. "A typhoon is coming. I thought we still had two or three days, but it looks like it'll hit sooner than expected. Let's head home first—I'll explain when we get back."

Pei Yufeng's voice was steady, but Ji Yunshu could hear the urgency in his voice. His stride was noticeably longer than usual—one hand carrying the cat cage, the other pulling her along briskly toward the bus stop. He wasn't running, but it was the fastest he could move in public without attracting attention.

On the ride back, Ji Yunshu watched out the window as the sky grew darker and darker. The coconut palm leaves began whipping violently in the wind—the wind had started. The sea in the distance, which had been a calm blue, had turned an uneasy dark gray, and waves were rolling toward the shore one after another, their crests more than twice their usual height. The bus driver had clearly noticed the change in weather too, speeding all the way back toward the military base. A tense silence filled the cabin—no one spoke, and everyone quietly watched the darkening sky outside.

Back home, Pei Yufeng carried both cat cages inside, closed and locked all the doors and windows, then took out a metal bucket and filled it with water from the well. He retrieved a flashlight from the other bedroom, checked the batteries, took out two kerosene lamps from the cabinet, wiped the chimneys clean, filled them with kerosene—placing one on the nightstand in the bedroom and one on the dining table downstairs.

Ji Yunshu helped him put all the pots, pans, and dishes from the kitchen into cabinets, and moved the potted plants from the yard to under the eaves.

Just as they finished, someone knocked urgently at the gate. Pei Yufeng went to answer it, and Commander Lin stood outside. "Yufeng, the typhoon preparedness order has come down—all officers are to report to the camp immediately. This typhoon is stronger than predicted. The weather station says it's the first super typhoon of the year. The commander has ordered all unit leaders to report immediately to organize typhoon preparations. Everyone stays on base overnight—no returning to quarters."

Pei Yufeng nodded. "Understood. I'll be right there."

He closed the door and turned around, his expression more somber than usual. Ji Yunshu fetched his military uniform jacket from the bedroom and handed it to him.

Pei Yufeng took the jacket and put it on, giving her instructions at top speed while fastening his collar buttons. "I'm taking you to Sister Huang's. I don't feel comfortable leaving you alone at home during a super typhoon. Typhoons usually last four or five days—if you're together, you can look out for each other."

"Is it that serious?" Ji Yunshu said to Pei Yufeng. "Then let me bring some food—I don't want Sister Huang to have to take care of me the whole time."

"Good." Pei Yufeng pulled a bag from the drawer, packed the rice and flour from home, plus two pounds of pork belly they'd bought but hadn't gotten around to eating yet, and had Ji Yunshu bring the basket of oysters she'd gathered from the beach. Ji Yunshu loaded the two cats into their cages, and Pei Yufeng headed out with a bag in one hand and a cat cage in the other, Ji Yunshu following behind as he walked her to Huang Paimei's house.

It was only a few steps from their door to Huang Paimei's, but the sky had already darkened considerably. The wind was picking up, bending the coconut trees along the road into bows, tearing leaves off and whipping them into the air like a flock of frantic green birds. Pei Yufeng shielded Ji Yunshu from the wind with his body as they reached Huang Paimei's door and knocked.

Huang Paimei's face was a little tense when she opened the door, but she calmed down immediately upon seeing them. She took the bag and both cat cages and brought them inside. "Deputy Regiment Commander Pei, don't worry—Comrade Ji will be safe here. You take care of yourself."

Pei Yufeng nodded, then turned to face Ji Yunshu. He reached out and tucked the windblown strands of hair behind her ear, his thumb pausing on her cheekbone for a moment, then leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"This is your first typhoon. Don't be afraid—everything will pass. I'll come get you as soon as I'm done. Stay here and listen to Sister Huang. Don't open the doors or windows, and stay away from the glass. I'll bring over two more buckets of clean water in a bit." With that, he lowered his hand, turned, and headed back home to fetch the water.

Huang Paimei's water vat was already full, but Pei Yufeng brought over two more buckets of clean well water, along with two kerosene lamps and some leftover homemade cat food. Once everything was arranged, he turned and strode off toward the camp.

Ji Yunshu stood at Huang Paimei's doorstep watching him leave, watching him disappear around the corner of the slope. She took a deep breath, turned, and walked into Huang Paimei's courtyard.

Huang Paimei had already reinforced all the doors and windows—wooden boards nailed firmly over the windows, old cloth strips stuffed into every gap around the door. Two kerosene lamps were lit inside, casting a warm yellow glow. The kids were squeezed together on the sofa—Xiaogong and Xiaocheng, for once not bickering, sat quietly side by side reading picture books. Duoduo sat on a small stool hugging her little pillow, her two braids hanging over her shoulders, looking a bit tense—but when she saw Huajuan poke her head out of the cat cage, her eyes lit up and she whispered, "Huajuan's here."

Li Shu had also come with Niuniu and was helping Huang Paimei move the kitchen dishes to higher shelves. Liu Aimin was the last to arrive—she'd just finished securing her own home. Liu Mingzhe had been urgently recalled to the camp and told her to stay with familiar families. She'd thought of Ji Yunshu, found her not at home, and after asking around learned she was at Sister Huang's, so she came over with a basket of vegetables and a change of clothes.

Huang Paimei told everyone not to panic, saying she'd lived on the island for years and been through many typhoons—as long as the doors and windows were sealed tight and they had enough fresh water and food, they'd be fine. Her voice was still that soft, gentle tone, but in the growing howl of the wind that night, that calm had a strangely steadying effect.

Before the typhoon hit, Huang Paimei fired up the stove and made dinner. She rolled up her sleeves, cut the pork belly Ji Yunshu had brought into chunks, and cooked it with the oysters into a big steaming pot of congee with oyster and pork. She also stir-fried two vegetables and steamed a pot of mountain rice. She said no one knew how long the typhoon would last, so they should eat well first to keep up their strength.

Dinner was spread out in Huang Paimei's main room, the kerosene lamp casting a warm glow over everyone's faces. The congee was thick and fragrant—the oyster juices had melted into the rice broth, the pork belly was braised until tender, and every grain of rice had absorbed the rich flavors, practically melting on the tongue.

Ji Yunshu drank two big bowls and had half a bowl of mountain rice with the stir-fried vegetables. She'd thought she wouldn't be able to eat—the wind outside was growing louder, the windows rattling in their frames, the distant roar of waves crashing against the reef—but she found she was genuinely hungry, and Huang Paimei's cooking was simply too good.

Liu Aimin ate plenty too, praising Sister Huang's cooking between sips of congee, saying it was a tragedy she'd never tasted it before. Li Shu remarked that every time she came to Sister Huang's to mooch a meal she gained two pounds and got teased by Commander Lin about it on the way home.

The atmosphere gradually relaxed in the lamplight, with the adults chatting and laughing at the dinner table, and the children visibly loosening up as well. Xiaocheng even started telling Niuniu a story he'd read in his picture book.

After dinner and cleaning up the dishes, it was completely dark outside. The wind howled in from the distant sea, growing louder and shriller, like countless beasts roaring in the sky. The rain intensified too, as if someone had tipped over an entire cauldron in the heavens, sending a torrential downpour crashing down. Raindrops pounded against the roof tiles and wooden window boards in dense, violent bursts.

Duoduo was so startled she jumped off the sofa and ran barefoot to Huang Paimei, burying her face in the woman's arms. Huang Paimei lifted Duoduo onto her lap, gently patting her back while humming a soft tune in the Li language—a soothing melody that worked wonders. Xiaogong and Xiaocheng abandoned their picture books, huddling together as Xiaocheng covered his ears and Xiaogong placed his hand over his younger brother's.

Liu Aimin and Ji Yunshu shared a bed, sitting together on the wooden bed against the wall, their backs against the cool surface and an old blanket Huang Paimei had brought draped over their knees. Huajuan had been let out of her carrier—she rarely got scared, but now she curled into a tight ball on Ji Yunshu's stomach. Shenshen, startled by the loud noises, refused to come out of its carrier and let out anxious cries from time to time.

Just as Ji Yunshu reached for the enamel cup on the nightstand for a drink, a deafening crash erupted from outside the window—whether a courtyard wall collapsing or a tree being uprooted, it was impossible to tell. The sound was so loud that the floor seemed to tremble, and the lamplight flickered violently, nearly going out.

Huang Paimei steadied the lamp base and said, "It's fine. Probably something outside fell over. Things'll be cleaned up after the typhoon passes. Don't be scared."

Ji Yunshu gave her a knowing smile. Liu Aimin, a local who was long accustomed to typhoon weather, said to Ji Yunshu, "Comrade Ji, if you're not used to it, you can close your eyes and try to sleep early. Once you're asleep, you won't know anything."

But how could Ji Yunshu possibly sleep at a time like this? She was safe at home, but Pei Yufeng was still on the front lines. The tremendous noises outside made her worry about his safety—whether he was safe. Typhoons and waves could really sweep people away, and Ji Yunshu was deeply concerned for Pei Yufeng's well-being.

Huang Paimei seemed to notice Ji Yunshu's anxiety. She walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, and tried to comfort her: "Don't worry. The soldiers know how to protect themselves. They'll just be busy after the disaster. If you're feeling tense, I still have some rice cakes at home. Eat something sweet to settle your nerves."

"No need, thank you, Sister Huang. It's just my first time experiencing this—I'm just not used to it yet." Seeing how earnestly both women were trying to comfort her, Ji Yunshu forced a smile. "Save the rice cakes for Duoduo. We can't go out for days, so us adults need to take care of the little ones."

At that moment, another thunderclap split the sky, and it sounded like a tree had snapped and slammed against the window.

Huajuan was so startled by the noise that she flinched, let out a sharp yowl, and sprang up from beside Ji Yunshu, her tail puffing into a bristled brush. Her front paw instinctively swiped at Ji Yunshu's hand, leaving a faint red scratch. Shenshen, meanwhile, jumped straight out of the carrier, its four paws gripping the floor, body pressed low, ears flattened into airplane ears, and a hissing warning escaping its throat... It had never been this terrified before.

"Huajuan, Shenshen, come to Mama." Ji Yunshu, ignoring the sting, leaned down and picked up the old blanket they'd brought from home. It was the one she and Pei Yufeng had used before, carrying the familiar scent of both of them. She spread it over her knees. Huajuan caught the familiar scent, hesitated for a few seconds, then slowly curled into a ball, burying her nose in the folds of the blanket. Shenshen came over too—it didn't relax as quickly as Huajuan, but it rested its chin on the blanket, closed its eyes, and took several deep breaths, though its ears remained pinned back as it warily scanned its surroundings.

Ji Yunshu wrapped both cats in the blanket and held them close, feeling their body heat seep through the blanket and her nightgown, and her taut nerves began to ease slightly.

Outside, the wind continued to howl, and the rain hammering the roof grew denser. Liu Aimin, wrapped in her quilt, scooted closer to Ji Yunshu. She was probably nervous too—her husband was also out on disaster relief duty, leaving her to wait at home. But her way of expressing tension was completely different from Ji Yunshu's—Ji Yunshu was silent; Liu Aimin couldn't stop talking.

Once Liu Aimin started talking, she couldn't stop. Her voice was light and quick as she chattered on and on to Ji Yunshu, as if using an unbroken stream of words to fight against the terrifying typhoon and the roaring outside.

She first mentioned a boy in her class named Xiaohu, who would secretly stuff half a steamed bun into his pocket every lunchtime. When the teacher asked why he wasn't eating it, he said he wanted to take it home for his little sister. Later, she learned that Xiaohu had three younger sisters at home, and he saved his own rations every day to share with them. She said that from then on, she deliberately gave Xiaohu an extra half scoop of food at every meal, pretending it was a mistake.

She also talked about a girl in her class named Ahua, who had to hold her arm to fall asleep during naptime. The moment Liu Aimin pulled her arm away, Ahua would wake up and cry, so every afternoon Liu Aimin had to lie in one fixed position, her arm going numb but not daring to move.

Then there were twin brothers, Dahai and Xiaohai, who looked exactly alike and even sounded the same—the only difference being that Dahai had a mole behind his left ear. It took her an entire semester to tell them apart, and her method was to walk around behind them and check their ears before speaking to them. Eventually, the two little rascals figured it out and started deliberately switching places to mess with her. Every time she circled around to check an ear, the other would sneak to the front, and when she turned back she'd realize something was off, while the two of them doubled over laughing beside her.

As Ji Yunshu listened, a smile unconsciously curved at the corners of her mouth. She could hear from Liu Aimin's words that she genuinely loved her job—she spoke of the children's good qualities and their mischief alike, and she cared for and educated even the naughty ones with equal dedication.

Ji Yunshu recalled something from her dream and asked on impulse, "Comrade Liu, do you really like children?"

"Yes, I dream of having a child of my own, but my health isn't good, and the doctor said it would be very hard for me to get pregnant." Liu Aimin pressed a hand to her lower abdomen. Perhaps the terror of the typhoon night had stirred a strong urge to confide, because she leaned against Ji Yunshu with a despondent look and said, "Before Mingzhe and I got married, I told him about this—that if he married me, we might never have children. But he didn't care at all! His parents, of course, objected, which is why we dated for over two years before marrying... In the end, Mingzhe ignored his parents and directly filed the marriage report, and that's how we finally got married..."

Hearing this, Ji Yunshu finally understood why Liu Mingzhe in her dream had been so anxious about the pregnant Liu Aimin—because this child was so hard-won, and might be the only one they'd ever have!

"You will have your own child." Ji Yunshu took Liu Aimin's hand, and in this moment of shared hardship, she found boundless courage. "Really, and it will definitely be a child as kind and wonderful as you."

"Well, I'll take your good wishes, Comrade Ji." Liu Aimin smiled faintly. She knew Ji Yunshu was trying to comfort her, but she still didn't hold out much hope.

Author's note:

None