A century of poverty

Chapter 60 Kindness

The sound of a toddler crying often comes from the zookeeper's quarters across the street. In the morning or evening, we often see this little girl, who is poorly dressed, dark-skinned and thin, hugging her father's leg at the door, crying "Mommy—Mommy—", which we find very puzzling.

After getting to know him, I learned that the stable boy, Fu Jianlou, had lost his wife after giving birth to their daughter. He had single-handedly raised his two children, a boy of six or seven and a girl of a little over one year old. The team took care of him by having him feed the horses at the stable. Although he had managed to raise both children, the girl was extremely weak and had suffered from an eye disease, losing sight in one eye. She was very dependent on him; if he moved his foot, the child would cling to his leg and cry, repeatedly calling out, "Daddy—Daddy—," which sounded very much like she was calling for her mother. The three of them were dressed in jet-black clothes and had jet-black skin. The little boy was very well-behaved and often came to my house to play.

Hearing about their plight, their mother felt extremely sorry for them. She would always give them a bowl of food and have her younger brother bring it to them, and she often helped them with needlework. Moved, Fu Jianlou said, "Auntie, you're even better than my mother. If my mother were half as good as you, Xiaoya's eyes wouldn't be ruined."

In autumn, the rice ears are full of grains, the dry canals stop flowing, the water level drops, and fish appear in the large and small canals. Xiao Qian from West Street often comes to Shuang Lai to catch fish. The two of them take shovels, basins, buckets, sieves and other tools, cut off a section of the small canal and drain it, and they can catch several basins of fish and shrimp.

Squeezing fish became a troublesome task, and often, in the time before making dinner, Mom would ask my third sister to help her squeeze the fish.

My third sister said, "I don't like the fishy smell, I won't squeeze it!"

Mom then said to my fourth sister, "Fourth sister, come and help me squeeze."

Fourth Sister said hesitantly, "I don't like coming here. I feel uncomfortable, and I can't squeeze in."

My mother then said to me, "You're the fastest worker, come and help me squeeze the bags."

"Okay!" I agreed without hesitation and got to work.

The basin was filled with countless tiny crucian carp, barely an inch long. You pinch off their heads and squeeze out their guts and gallbladders. One by one, you have to be quick and steady. In no time, a layer of white bubbles floated to the edge of the basin, the water becoming murky, reddish, and sticky. Then you change the water and continue.

You have to squat for one or two hours at a time, your hands will be soaked white, your legs will be numb, and sometimes you'll get pricked by fish fins and bleed, but you have to endure it all. If you can't finish squeezing before sunset, it's even more uncomfortable. Annoying mosquitoes will buzz around you and launch attacks, especially on your face and neck. You can't hit or scratch them with your dirty hands, you can only shake your head and shrug your shoulders to drive them away.

When I stood up after squeezing, my body was stiff.

When Mom cooked the small fish tails and served them on the table, watching the whole family eat with relish, I felt a great sense of accomplishment. Those who didn't mind the fishy smell or the discomfort no longer felt bothered and ate with great relish.

Even Li's mother, a tall, hunchbacked woman with gray hair, came in after smelling the aroma: "You're cooking fish again? It smells delicious."

Her mother handed her a pair of chopsticks: "Here, have a taste." She took the chopsticks without hesitation, picked up a few bites, and put them in her mouth.

Back when we didn't have vegetable gardens, stewed small fish was a good side dish to accompany rice.

Wang Fa: He is less than 1.65 meters tall, with a well-proportioned figure, regular facial features, a sullen personality, and lacks the masculine vigor of a man.

His wife, Wang Huaying, had a dark, freckled face, small, single-lidded eyes, and a pouting upper lip that seemed to reveal another small mouth underneath. She was illiterate and had a rude personality. She and Wang Fa were from the same hometown, having married there before moving to Hebei. Upon arriving at Wang Fa's home, she found herself penniless and deeply regretted her decision. She didn't want to continue living with him and did nothing but constantly seek opportunities to fight with him, which terrified Wang Fa.

Ever since Wang Fa and his wife, along with my mother and brother, arrived in Jinhai on the same train, Wang Fa has relied on my mother. He comes to our house every few days to borrow things, even though they have nothing. He borrows everything and never pays it back. If we can't find something, it's always at Wang Fa's house! We have to go there to get it, and telling him is useless. He won't leave if he sees a poorly prepared meal, and we'll politely offer him some. Behind his back, we younger kids often complain about him. My mother always advises us, "Don't be like that. Wang Fa is pitiful. He lost his mother when he was young, came to Hebei from Shandong with my sister, and then my brother-in-law sent him to Liaoning. We came on the same train; it's only right that we take care of him. Don't be so petty."

Sure enough, he came sneakily again. As soon as he entered the house, he said, "Auntie, I'm begging you again. Someone gave me a folk remedy. They told me to cut off my toenails and use them as a medicinal ingredient for Wang Huaying to eat to cure her infertility. I don't dare to do it at home, so I'm begging you to help me think of a way. This stuff can't come into contact with metal, and it has to be boiled in a clay pot until it's soft, ground into powder, and then she has to drink it."

The mother pondered, "What can we use this for? It has to be fireproof." Looking at the furniture in the house, her gaze fell on the earthenware box. Yes, wouldn't the earthenware box lid fit perfectly? The mother told Wang Fa, "Go outside and find some bricks, find a sheltered place to build it up."

Wang Fa: "Okay, Auntie, you still need to find me the scissors." He then took off his socks and started cutting his toenails.

His mother handed him another piece of paper: "Wrap your toenails properly. They're so small, it'll be hard to find them if you lose them."

Wang Fa wrapped his toenail, went out to find three bricks, and placed them under my window. "Auntie, what are you burning?" he called out loudly.

Mom: "There's a bundle of dried tree branches over at the woodpile north of the house!"

His mother watched as he cooked the food, but it was burnt, and a nauseating smell wafted into the house. She then ground it into powder and wrapped it up. Wang Fa didn't leave, smiling as he said to his mother, "Auntie, you still have to take this to Hua Ying for me to take." "Why?" his mother asked. Wang Fa replied, "If I let her eat this, I can't help but laugh, and if I laugh, she can't eat it." His mother agreed, "Okay!" She then took it to his house and gave it to his wife.

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the harvest began. Men, women, and children were all mobilized, and those who were able to work were all sent to the fields to try to finish the harvest before the first frost.

As the ground gradually freezes and becomes sturdy enough to stand on, the grand autumn transport season begins. Locomotives, horse-drawn carts, men carrying loads and women shouldering them—men, women, young and old—all mobilize, contributing their share of warmth and light. On the main roads leading to the threshing grounds are locomotives and animal-drawn carts, while along the main routes are the male laborers carrying loads on their backs, their pace quick as they swing their poles. Those carrying loads on their backs and shoulders don't bother with finding their own way; they take shortcuts, crossing fields and small ditches, jogging towards the threshing grounds.

Transport lines brought the rice stalks to the threshing ground, where experienced elders stacked the grain, and people worked tirelessly from dawn till dusk. One stack, two stacks, three stacks... After more than twenty days of transporting, rice stacks about five meters wide, more than twenty meters long, and more than ten meters high were erected, numbering about thirty stacks. From a distance, they looked like a mountain range. It was the first time I had ever seen such a massive cluster of grain stacks.

The entire team, men, women, and children, gathered in the threshing ground to work. Five threshing machines were running simultaneously, with able-bodied young men on the machines and older, less agile men doing the peripheral tasks. In the occasional power outage, the twelve-horsepower machine was used to start the machine.

Another battle has begun.

Someone was threshing rice in front of the threshing machine. The rice grains were not noticeable in a day, but after a few days the pile of rice grains grew rapidly, and after more than ten days it was no longer possible to thresh them. After stopping for half a day, the five threshing machines connected to the machine were moved back along with the worktable to make enough space, and then the machines were stabilized and continued.

Threshing is a dirty and tiring job. The female laborers all wear masks, partly to protect themselves from the dust, and partly because the rice grains sting their faces like they're being shot at. They wrap their heads and braids tightly with hats and headscarves, not only for hygiene but also for the safety of their long hair and personal safety. Tight-fitting sleeves constrict their wrists, and even with this covering, they sometimes feel a sharp pain from the piercings. Then, they turn the rice over and the grains come out.

An older, single male laborer continued to work despite the pain in his eye from being hit by a grain of rice. A week later, his eye became red and swollen and difficult to open. Team leader Liu suggested that he go to the hospital for treatment. The doctor's examination revealed that a grain of rice had sprouted in his eye.

As soon as the machines were turned on, five large, toothed wheels whirred and spun at high speed, generating tremendous power. Rice stalks and grains fell with a whoosh, and a thick cloud of dust enveloped the rice harvesters. By the end of the day, their masks were covered in a thick layer of dust, and the muddy marks from their lips and nostrils were clearly visible on them. The mud seeped inside, tasting gritty. For over a month, especially for the girls, no matter how unwell they felt, they had to grit their teeth and persevere. The team leader wouldn't give them any leave, and they weren't allowed to miss any work.

The male laborers didn't wear masks; they weren't afraid of the rice grains hitting their faces, nor did they care about eating dirt that covered their faces. Jiang Lang even boasted, "This is the true nature of the working people."

A few days later, after threshing a certain amount of rice, they went to winnow it, deliver the grain to the state, and leave the smoky threshing machine behind. Their work was still not easy. The grains were scooped out very quickly. Two people worked together: one person opened the sack and laid it on the ground, while the other held a shovel and stepped on one corner of the sack opening. A few shovels were enough to scoop out most of the grain. The person opening the sack would lift it up, and with one or two more shovels, the sack would be full. In no time, a large batch of grains would be scooped out. While one person was holding the sack closed, the other person would use several straws to tie the opening tightly. Each sack weighed 130 or 140 pounds. They carried it on their shoulders and loaded it onto the truck without anyone's help. They really had strength. At the grain depot, after weighing, they carried the sacks one by one to the conveyor belt to untie and dump them onto the conveyor belt. Sometimes, when the farm's large trucks came, two people would ride with them, each carrying dozens of sacks per truck, a task that would last for a month.

The remaining small portion was enough to feed the entire team.

If the straw that had been removed was stacked together, it would definitely be much larger than a regular rice stack. Since the threshing ground couldn't hold it all, horse-drawn carts were used to deliver straw to each household to make room in the threshing ground.

After unbundling the rice and threshing it, shaking off the tangled weeds, the work on the threshing floor was extremely complicated, and once you were busy, it was almost the end of the year.

After winter set in, on moonlit nights, Qu would come back to my house to find my fourth sister so we could go play on West Street together. The first house down the main street was Liu Shunian's. She was the same age as my fourth sister. Unlike us, they wouldn't play hide-and-seek outside; they would play whatever they liked inside or chat. Her younger sister, Xiao Shuling, and younger brother would come out with us to the street. If we called out, Xiao Shuzhi and Xiao Shuyan from the west courtyard would come out and lead us into her house. At this time, Zhang Chunhong and Xiao Guiling from the back street, and Jiang Hong and Jiang Yan from the old Jiang family on the main back street were already there, along with their younger siblings—no fewer than a dozen people. Once everyone was there, we started to leave, but Shuzhi's mother was still calling from inside, "Wait a little longer, just a little longer! Come again tomorrow!"

Outside, these people split into groups, one group hunting, the other searching. Later, Jiang Hong, Chun Hong, and others objected: "Qinglian and Qu Hui can't be in the same group; they must be separated." The reason was that once, the two of us, along with our group, hid the small cat in Captain Liu's pile of rafters, telling them not to move, and then the two of us hunted. The other group searched for us all night without finding it; they hadn't caught the cat and searched everywhere, but couldn't find it. The two of us hid behind them, hunting in the places they had just searched. Finally, when it was time to go home to sleep, we made a "cough!" sound to lure them over, and that meant we had found it.

After we dispersed, Xiao Shuling and her younger brother went home, and Fourth Sister came out. We escorted Qu Hui across the second field and stood on the main drainage line, watching her until she reached her doorstep before saying, "Go home!" Only then did we go home. We quietly entered the house, bolted the door, and without even turning on the light, went to the kang (heated brick bed) and found our own quilts to lie down.

For the past few days, I've been experiencing some pain in the inner part of my left thigh. When I take off my cotton pants, I press on this area and there's a hard lump; it's this lump that's causing the pain. The lump can also slide around if I apply a little pressure. I had my mom take a look during the day; the lump is slightly protruding, but it's not red or swollen, and it doesn't hurt when I press on it. I don't experience any physical exertion or pain during the day, so I didn't pay much attention to it.