Chapter 62

Chapter 62

The fish soup simmered on the stove for another hour. When the lid was lifted, the whole room filled with the sweet aroma of fresh fish.

Pei Yufeng brought the fish soup to the table and served two bowls of Shanlan (mountain-grown) rice. The steamed rice came out with each grain distinct, glistening with a warm sheen of oil.

Besides the fish soup, Pei Yufeng had also stir-fried a plate of vinegar-sautéed potato shreds and a plate of lettuce. On the table were two more small dishes—one of pickled radish cubes and one of pickled long beans, both brought back from the capital, pickled by He Qiuxia. The radish cubes were crisp and spicy, and the pickled long beans, though a bit tart, were especially appetizing with rice.

Ji Yunshu first ladled a bowl of fish soup. The broth was milky white, with fish balls gently bobbing on the surface. She picked one up and bit into it—the fish ball was tender and springy, with no fishy taste at all, only a faint hint of ginger and the natural sweetness of the fish itself. The soup wasn't heavily seasoned, but Ji Yunshu's palate had been craving stronger flavors lately, so she scooped a spoonful of pickled long beans into her rice, poured some fish soup over it to make rice soaked in fish soup, and dug in with the fish balls and potato shreds.

The Shanlan rice grew more fragrant with each chew, the pickled long beans whetted the appetite and cut through the richness, and the fish balls went down one after another without stopping. Ji Yunshu finally finished two bowls of soup and two bowls of rice, leaned back in her chair, patted her belly, and let out a satisfied sigh.

"I'm stuffed." Ji Yunshu looked at the half pot of fish soup still remaining, a note of regret in her voice. "Heat this up tomorrow morning and cook some noodles in it for me. Fish soup noodles—just thinking about it makes my mouth water."

"Alright." Pei Yufeng nodded, took away her empty bowl, and poured her a glass of warm water, setting it on the table.

Ji Yunshu leaned back in her chair, tilting her head to watch him clear the dishes. She spoke up again: "Brother Pei, when you have some free time, deep-fry some meatballs at home. I'm craving fried meatballs again. Her grandmother used to make fried radish balls that were so delicious—I suddenly really want to dip them in the chili sauce she gave me."

"Sure. Anything else you want?" Pei Yufeng asked.

"Hmm... shrimp balls would be good too—they're great in soup. Lotus root balls would be nice as well, but it's not the season for lotus root! Oh right, and stuffed eggplant—I want that, the ones stuffed with minced pork!"

None of these were difficult for Pei Yufeng, and he agreed readily.

"Brother Pei, how do you make your meatballs so springy?" Ji Yunshu was still savoring the taste even after eating her fill. The meatballs were smooth and bouncy, bursting with juice with every bite.

Pei Yufeng washed the dishes as he answered: "Last time Mom taught me to make Jingjiang-style shredded pork, she said fish balls and shredded pork follow the same principle—when you mix the filling, stir in one direction until it becomes sticky, and the meatballs will turn out springy. Frying the fish bones before simmering makes the soup whiter. And those Beijing dishes you love—Mom taught me all of them, and I've remembered everything."

"What have you remembered?" Ji Yunshu asked curiously.

"Jingjiang-style shredded pork—must be washed twice with scallion-ginger water to remove the fishy taste, since you don't like strong fishy flavors. Kung Pao chicken without cucumber, but extra peanuts. Fried stuffed eggplant must be coated in a layer of egg white, and the eggplant shouldn't be too thick—about half a thumb thick is best." He counted off on his fingers for each dish he named. "Mom also taught me roast duck. Next time you want it, I'll make it for you again. Last time the skin wasn't crisp enough—I didn't control the heat well. Mom walked me through it again: brush an extra layer of maltose syrup on the duck skin before roasting, let it air-dry longer, and it should turn out better than last time."

Ji Yunshu watched him count off on his fingers one by one, suddenly remembering the very first roast duck he'd ever made for her—some parts of the skin were burnt, some parts were still pale, and the meat was a bit dry. But when she saw him standing by the bed holding a plate of that lopsided roast duck, she burst into tears. Even now, thinking about it made her eyes sting. She lowered her head and blinked, forcing back the tears that welled up, then stood and walked over to the sink. She wrapped her arms around his waist from behind and pressed her cheek against his back.

"Pei Yufeng, how can you be so good to me? You're so busy with work, yet you still cook for me, brew tea for me, help me find out about my older sister, and act as guarantor for my parents—I really think marrying you was the best decision I ever made."

Pei Yufeng's hands, mid-wash, paused. He didn't turn around, but the tips of his ears turning red was clearly visible under the warm yellow kitchen light. He rinsed the last bowl, dried his hands, turned around, and pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head. "I just want you to be happy."

Ji Yunshu buried her face in his chest, taking a deep breath of the smell of soap and sunshine on him, and whispered, "I'm already happy."

After the New Year, life on the island returned to its usual rhythm. Because the revolutionary Spring Festival was being promoted, there were no lanterns or decorations in the residential compound this year, no lively firecrackers or temple fairs. Everyone simply nodded and wished each other "Happy New Year" on the morning of the first day—and that counted as celebrating.

On New Year's Eve, Pei Yufeng had made six dishes—a few more than usual. Ji Yunshu ate until she was completely satisfied and leaned back on the sofa watching him wash the dishes, thinking that such a simple New Year's Eve was just perfect.

One evening after the New Year, Pei Yufeng came home from work with a letter in hand.

"Why are you late today?" Ji Yunshu looked up and smiled at him. "Let's hurry to the cafeteria for dinner—they have twice-cooked pork today, and I want some."

"I have something to tell you. I'll make it quick." Pei Yufeng first took Ji Yunshu's hand, then paused for a moment before speaking. "There's news from Big Brother."

Ji Yunshu's hand froze mid-count as she was counting meal tickets. Ever since Meng Chongwen and Gan Tang had been sent to the countryside in the northwest, Ji Yunshu had heard nothing about them. After Wang Wanru and Meng Guangze had publicly disowned their son, they had truly cut off all contact—no inquiries, no concern, not even a single letter exchanged, let alone a phone call.

For Yuanyuan's health and safety, Wang Wanru and Meng Guangze had no choice. But Ji Yunshu knew they must still be thinking of Meng Chongwen and Gan Tang in their hearts. She too sometimes wondered how they were doing, whether they had suffered greatly.

"Tell me. Did you find someone to help, Brother Pei? How are things over there? Has Sister-in-law's health improved at all?" Ji Yunshu walked over and asked in a very soft voice, afraid someone might overhear.

"I asked a comrade to help me get in touch with someone at the local commune. I've been keeping tabs on Big Brother since he was sent down, but the northwest isn't where I was stationed—I don't know many people there. It took months of working through contacts to find someone to look after them." Pei Yufeng handed her the letter, his voice lower than usual. "Big Brother was singled out as an example because he had hidden valuables, so he's under close watch at the commune. But Sister-in-law had just given birth and was weak, and the northwest has harsh conditions—they couldn't let her health break down for good. So Big Brother has been doing twice the labor alone. They've... been through a lot."

Hearing this, Ji Yunshu knew that Meng Chongwen and Gan Tang's situation was far worse than she'd imagined. Her voice trembled as she asked, "How is Sister-in-law's health? Can we send her any medicine? The medical care there isn't good..."

"Sister-in-law has a strong constitution. She hasn't fully recovered, but I hear she's about sixty or seventy percent better. She's well-educated and works diligently—she submits her ideological reports seriously every month. And since Big Brother took all the blame onto himself, everyone knows she was implicated because of him. Coincidentally, the commune cafeteria had an opening for a temporary bookkeeper, so I asked my contact to recommend Sister-in-law. She worked hard too—the proposal she put forward saved the commune cafeteria a lot of money on food supplies, so she was hired. She was transferred from manual labor in the production brigade to working as a temporary bookkeeper at the commune cafeteria."

"A bookkeeper? Didn't Big Brother's situation affect that..."

"The local education level is generally low. Sister-in-law is a secondary school graduate—she can do arithmetic and writes beautifully. She counts as scarce talent there. And she's on a work-point system, with wages settled at year-end. She's not the main bookkeeper at the commune cafeteria—there are four bookkeepers and two accountants there. Sister-in-law mainly writes menus, copies announcements and documents, and occasionally helps the accountants with bookkeeping. It's still busy, but she doesn't have to work in the fields anymore. The commune people say her handwriting is the best in the area, and they've also had her copy content for the bulletin boards." Pei Yufeng's tone was steady, meant to reassure her. "She's doing well and looks more spirited. You don't need to worry too much."

"And Big Brother?" Ji Yunshu asked quickly.

Pei Yufeng was silent for a moment. "Big Brother is still doing manual labor. He's under key supervision, but he's been diligent and never slacks off. Like Sister-in-law, he submits his ideological reports seriously every month. After Sister-in-law was transferred to the cafeteria, his workload didn't decrease, but he still finishes his own share and then helps the elderly and weak with theirs. The production team members have seen how honest and hardworking he is, and their attitude toward him has softened compared to the beginning—at least they no longer curse at him to his face."

"That's good..."

"Don't worry too much. I had someone bring Big Brother two cans of meat, a bag of White Rabbit candies, and some basic medicine. I didn't dare send too much—I was afraid it might be discovered and cause him more trouble. He sent word back through someone after receiving them." Pei Yufeng said.

"What did he say?" Ji Yunshu's voice tightened.

"He said the biggest regret of his life is not listening to you, that he kept holding onto wishful thinking, believing hiding a few things wouldn't cause problems. He knows he was wrong now, and he feels guilty about getting angry at you over the fixed-interest payments. He said if he ever has the chance to return to Su City, he will sincerely apologize to you." Pei Yufeng paused here, his voice even lower than before. "He asked you to take care of Mom and Dad, to tell them not to miss him. He said he made his own mistakes and will bear the consequences himself, and that it's best they don't contact him."

Ji Yunshu lowered her head and pressed the back of her hand against her nose. She didn't cry out loud, but tears fell one by one, dripping onto her clasped hands and soaking through the gaps between her fingers.

"When did you start looking for help? Why didn't you ever tell me?" Ji Yunshu wiped her tears with the back of her hand and looked up at him. The sky was gradually darkening, and the living room lights were off. Only a small patch of warm yellow light spilling from the kitchen door fell on Pei Yufeng, illuminating his profile in half-light and half-shadow.

"I started the day Big Brother was sent down." Pei Yufeng took out a handkerchief and gently wiped Ji Yunshu's tears. "I didn't know anyone directly in the northwest, so I had to go through my comrades' connections. It took some time."

"You never told me, just quietly did so much on your own. Acting as guarantor for my sister, finding connections for my parents, arranging help for Big Brother and Sister-in-law—Pei Yufeng, where do you get all that energy and connections? You never ask anyone for help with your own affairs, but for my family's sake, you've reached out to everyone you possibly could." Ji Yunshu didn't take the handkerchief; instead, she reached out and grasped his fingers. His fingers were dry and warm, just like the man himself—steadfast and gentle.

"Your Big Brother is my Big Brother too." Pei Yufeng turned his hand over and held hers, his thumb gently stroking the back of it.

"Then why didn't you tell me sooner? Let me share the burden with you." Ji Yunshu muttered.

"You shouldn't worry too much during this time. The doctor said the first three months require rest. Now that three months have passed and Sister-in-law's situation has stabilized, I decided to tell you." Pei Yufeng's hand moved from her hand to her cheek, his fingertip gently wiping away a tear that hadn't yet fallen from the corner of her eye. "I promised you before that I wouldn't carry things alone—I just didn't want you to worry. This time it's because you're pregnant—special circumstances call for special handling. Of course, you can't carry things alone either."

"You're using my own argument against me." Ji Yunshu was momentarily stumped by his words. Tears still clung to her lashes, but the corners of her mouth curved up involuntarily. She lightly thumped his chest. "When did you learn to be so smooth-tongued?"

"I'm not being smooth-tongued—just stating facts." Pei Yufeng caught the hand she'd used to thump his chest and pulled her forward, letting her lean against his shoulder. He lowered his head and his lips gently brushed the top of her hair.

"We can't call Mom about this. Phone calls go through operators who can hear everything, and Mom and Dad have nominally cut ties with Big Brother—we can't let them be caught holding onto anything. But Mom must want to know how Big Brother and Sister-in-law are doing. She won't say it, but she's definitely been thinking about them." Ji Yunshu lifted her head from his shoulder, looking at his sharply defined features, and said seriously.

Pei Yufeng: "Write it on paper, tuck it inside a milk powder can, and mail it over. Tell Mom and Dad to burn the letter after reading it and never mention it again."

"Alright. And from now on, you have to tell me things right away—no carrying things alone. Whether it's good news or bad, you have to tell me. If you keep things from me like this again, I'll—" Ji Yunshu paused, as if searching for a sufficiently threatening consequence, "—make Huajuan and Shenshen ignore you forever."

The corners of Pei Yufeng's mouth curved slightly. "That is indeed a serious threat." He pulled Ji Yunshu up, pressed his palm against her back, and gently guided her toward the door. "Let's go eat first. And there's good news—Ji Yunting called to say he earned a second-class merit in the army. The award hasn't been officially announced yet, but I'll report to you the moment it comes through."

"He didn't even call me." Ji Yunshu stamped her foot. She and Ji Yunting had bickered since childhood, but when apart, she missed him. Ji Yunting never liked writing to her—whenever he had anything to say, he had Pei Yufeng relay it.

"Did you tell him I'm pregnant?" Ji Yunshu asked.

"I did. He said when the baby is born, he'll give a big red envelope." Pei Yufeng smiled.

Only then did Ji Yunshu nod with satisfaction. "That's more like it. That stingy guy—getting money out of his pocket is harder than climbing to the sky."

--

"Have you heard? Fang Xue and Ye Zifeng are together now."

Li Shu said this while sitting on the sofa at Ji Yunshu's house, shelling peanuts. She placed the shelled peanuts into an enamel dish, kept a small handful for herself, and pushed the rest toward Ji Yunshu.

Ever since Ji Yunshu became pregnant, Li Shu and Liu Aimin often came over to visit. The three women, sometimes joined by Huang Paimei, would sit together chatting and drinking tea, passing the days in easy comfort.

Ji Yunshu leaned against the armrest at the other end of the sofa, a thin blanket draped over her knees, with Huajuan curled up on the blanket dozing. She was nearly five months pregnant now—her belly had begun to swell slightly. She was still quite agile, though she tired more easily than before.

"Fang Xue? The Fang Xue from Political Commissar Fang's family?" Liu Aimin was sitting on a small stool helping Ji Yunshu fold the dried cat bed padding. She looked up at the question, the cloth half-folded in her hands pausing mid-air. "Is that the Fang Xue who works at the co-op?"

"That's her. The one at the co-op—how many Fang Xues can there be on our island?" Li Shu tossed a peanut into her mouth, chewed a couple of times, her expression hovering somewhere between gossip and reflection. "Her mother's been setting up blind dates for her for a while now, you didn't know? Political Commissar Fang and Bai Qiumei asked several acquaintances to go through all the eligible single cadres on the island, lining them up one by one for meetings. A buddy from back home in the Political Department said Bai Qiumei ran herself ragged over this—the list of candidates alone filled several pages. But none of them worked out—either Fang Xue didn't fancy them, or they didn't fancy Fang Xue. Anyway, not a single match. And then, all of a sudden, she's with Ye Zifeng."

"Ye Zifeng? The one from the Artillery Regiment who pulled that cheap shot on Brother Pei during the martial arts competition?" Ji Yunshu had been feeling drowsy, but at the name she opened one eye. "How did those two suddenly end up together?"

"Nobody knows, they just suddenly got together. A couple of days ago someone saw Ye Zifeng waiting outside the co-op for Fang Xue to get off work, holding a bag of tangerines, and the two of them walked off toward the beach together. I heard Ye Zifeng's changed a lot lately—that guy used to be so full of himself, but now he picks Fang Xue up and drops her off every day, carries her things, and talks to her in a voice that's noticeably softer than usual." Li Shu tossed the peanut shells into the small bamboo basket on the table and brushed the crumbs off her hands.

Liu Aimin placed the folded cloth into her sewing basket and said thoughtfully, "Actually, when you think about it, it's not that surprising. Fang Xue's got a lot going for her—she works as a salesclerk at the co-op, has a stable job, and comes from a good family. It's just that before—" She stopped mid-sentence, shot a quick glance at Ji Yunshu, and swallowed the rest.

Ji Yunshu knew what Liu Aimin was about to say. It was that Fang Xue had once had a bit of a thing for Pei Yufeng. On the day of the beach martial arts competition, Ji Yunshu had even seen Fang Xue standing on her tiptoes, craning her neck toward the competition area with that nervous, hopeful look on her face. But Ji Yunshu simply took a sip of tea from her enamel cup and said in a flat tone, "That's good. If two people end up together, that's fate. Ye Zifeng was a bit impulsive before, but if he can truly change his temper and settle down with Fang Xue, that's a good thing."

Ji Yunshu didn't care about those two. Whether they got together or not had nothing to do with her. As long as Ye Zifeng didn't deliberately report Pei Yufeng again like last time, and Fang Xue didn't cause her any trouble, they could get married and have a dozen kids, for all she cared—she wouldn't have anything to do with them.

Li Shu and Liu Aimin both breathed a sigh of relief. They both knew Fang Xue had once had feelings for Pei Yufeng, and Ji Yunshu knew it too. They'd meant for Ji Yunshu to enjoy the gossip, but she hadn't even gone down that path—instead she'd genuinely offered her blessings.

"You're taking this way too well." Li Shu couldn't help but remark, then switched gears. "But Xiao Ji, have you ever been curious about something?"

"What?"

"Aren't you curious what blind dates are like on the island? You grew up in the capital—the young people there must date completely differently than they do here!"

Ji Yunshu set down her enamel cup, tilted her head in thought, then honestly shook her head. "I don't really know much about how young people date in the capital. When I lived in the compound I was still young, and then I married Brother Pei and moved with him to his post. I've never been on a blind date. Brother Pei and I grew up together—that doesn't count as a blind date."

"Now that you mention it, you've never been on one—why did I even ask!" Li Shu slapped her thigh, her face full of envy. "Childhood sweethearts—that's the best."

Liu Aimin laughed from the side, pulling the conversation back. "Blind dates on the island are actually very simple. Not like the big cities with parks, movie theaters, and department stores to stroll through. Here there are just a few options—take a walk along the beach and chat; have a meal at the cadre cafeteria; or take a stroll around the compound. If the two of you take a liking to each other, you start writing letters. Don't let the island's small size fool you—love letters are flying everywhere. Writing paper at the co-op sells faster than anything else."

"Writing letters?" Ji Yunshu perked up, pulling the blanket on her knees a little higher. Huajuan shifted in annoyance and went back to sleep. "Is that how you all courted back then?"

"I couldn't do that—I can barely read and write, how could I write letters!" Li Shu leaned back against the sofa, sounding sweetly nostalgic. "Old Lin and I went on blind dates for two months before we got married. He was a military cadre, and of course I was willing when I was introduced to a cadre. After two months I felt Old Lin was an honest man—no bad habits except he liked to drink—so I went and registered our marriage with him. Two years after that, Old Lin got transferred here, and I followed as a military spouse."

"Ming Zhe and I wrote letters. His handwriting wasn't good, and he often made typos—I'd correct his spelling in every letter I wrote back. Later he told me that every time he received a letter from me, he'd read it several times over, and look up any characters he didn't recognize in the dictionary." Liu Aimin lowered her head with a smile, her tone equally nostalgic. "But those are all things of the past. Now we see each other every day, so there's no need for letters. Still, I've kept all of them, stashed at the bottom of a trunk."

"The Political Commissar and the Commander are also really invested in the young cadres' love lives." Li Shu peeled another peanut and continued. "Every year they have the Family Committee organize social events, bringing together all the eligible unmarried young women and single cadres on the island—though married folks can come too. They hold a tea party or a get-together where everyone sings, plays games, and chats, and the married folks help the singles with advice. Last National Day they held one, in that small auditorium at the edge of the camp. I heard it was quite lively."

"Last National Day?" Ji Yunshu blinked. "Wasn't I helping out at the Family Committee last National Day? How did I not know about any social event at all?"

"You didn't know? It was on October fourth, two days before the holiday ended. Weren't you at the Family Committee altering performance costumes before National Day? Bai Qiumei was the host—" Li Shu stopped mid-sentence. She tossed the peanut shells into the bamboo basket and said in a tone of "I knew it," "That means Bai Qiumei never told you. She was in charge of organizing the event, and she had to notify all Family Committee members several days in advance to help set up the venue and prepare the name lists. It's not like she thought you were too pretty and was afraid you'd steal the spotlight from the other single women, is it!"

"Did her daughter go to last year's event too..." Liu Aimin asked.

"I think so. I'd planned to go check it out myself, but I got so mad helping Niuniu with her homework that I lost track of time and missed it." Li Shu shrugged helplessly.

Ji Yunshu thought back. Last National Day she'd been run off her feet backstage, altering several performance costumes, with no idea the Family Committee was also hosting a social event. Though, to be fair, Bai Qiumei had still regarded her with that scrutinizing, critical attitude back then, so it made sense she wouldn't have wanted her there.

"Bai Qiumei is way too petty! The social event wasn't just for unmarried people—plenty of married folks went along to liven things up and help introduce people. You'd only just arrived on the island then, and it was the perfect chance to meet people. She deliberately didn't tell you because she didn't want you there." Li Shu said.

"It's fine, I missed it, no big deal. Will there be one this year? I'd actually like to see how people on the island do blind dates—I could go help set up the venue." Ji Yunshu smiled, unconcerned.

"There should be one this year, though the date hasn't been set yet. That depends on when Bai Qiumei organizes it—she's always been in charge of the social events. If you go, I'll go too and give you commentary—see that one, that's so-and-so from the logistics department, and the one next to him is so-and-so from the medical unit."

Liu Aimin chimed in with a smile: "I heard this year it'll be around May Day or National Day, held together with the Labor Day or National Day celebrations. That's how they've always done it—saves money and adds to the festivities."

"Then I'll go check it out too. But my belly's already showing now, so even if I go I'll just have to sit on the sidelines as a spectator—I can't exactly be an advisor." Ji Yunshu pointed at her slightly rounded belly. "Sister Li, save me a good spot. I want to sit in the front row."

"The front row is for leaders and the host. You take the second row—the view's just as good there." Li Shu waved her hand grandly. "I'll go talk to Auntie Wang. She probably assumed Bai Qiumei had told you and forgot to mention it herself. She's busy all day mediating disputes in the family quarters—you wouldn't believe it, that wife of so-and-so from the Artillery Regiment and her mother-in-law argue every three days and fight every five. I don't even live next door and I hear them going at it every day... Anyway, enough of that. I'll definitely bring you to the social event this year."

"Fine, second row works too. I just want to see everything clearly—I've missed a whole year and a half of social events, so I need to catch up." Ji Yunshu said with a laugh.

Author's note:

None