RBI1960 Chapter 11

Jiang Dahai came home at noon, carrying a hoe over his shoulder, humming a revolutionary tune with a grin plastered across his face. His father had gone to the educated youth station early that morning—who knows what name he ended up giving his youngest grandson? Eager and excited, Jiang Dahai walked as if the wind were pushing him forward.

“Look at that fool Jiang Dahai. Had a son and now he’s a different man,” joked one of the men walking behind him after finishing their shift together.

“Can you blame him?” another burly man laughed. “Besides him, every family in the village’s got nothing but girls.”

“I’ve had it with Jiang Dachuan’s lot,” another muttered. “That guy’s more naggy than a woman. Now that Dahai has a son, let’s see how long Dachuan can keep strutting around like he’s something special.”

The two Jiang brothers couldn’t have had more different reputations in Qingshan Village. Jiang Dahai was hardworking and loyal; whenever folks needed help, they’d go to him first. Jiang Dachuan, on the other hand, was sly and lazy, always scheming to take advantage of the commune. Yet his family ate better than anyone else in the village. Naturally, people resented that.

“Dad, Mom.”

As soon as Jiang Dahai stepped into the house, his eldest daughter, Dani, brought over a basin of well water for him to wash his face. The sun was brutal at noon, and after a whole morning of labor, he was soaked in sweat and stank to high heaven.

The freshly drawn well water was refreshingly cold. He dunked the towel in, didn’t even bother wringing it out, and slapped it on his face, wiping down his sweat-streaked skin and the grime on his back while glancing over at his parents.

Halfway through, his movements slowed. Something was off—his parents sat there, faces stiff and unreadable. Had someone upset them? It felt like the atmosphere had reverted to what it was before his son was born. Jiang Dahai’s heart skipped uneasily. Did one of the girls do something wrong?

His eyes drifted to the steamed cornbread bun sitting on the table. Wasn’t that the one he gave his daughters last night? How had it ended up with his mother?

“Ma, that bun was for Dani and her sisters. I didn’t tell you… if you’re mad about it, blame me.” Thinking his parents were upset about the food, he stopped wiping his face and gave Dani a quick look—she was frantically signaling him with her eyes—then took the blame.

In their household, all food was rationed by Old Lady Miao. Everything earned had to be handed over. Anyone caught hiding something would face a storm.

“Ah, you fool,” Old Lady Miao sighed and walked into the kitchen without another word.

“Dani! Go get Erni to help out. You think you’re some rich miss from the old days, lounging around like that?” she barked.

Dani quickly grabbed her second sister and rushed into the kitchen to help.

Seeing his mother act this way, Jiang Dahai scratched his head, confused. She didn’t seem angry about the bun… so what was going on? He glanced at his father, who sat stony-faced. That look made him too intimidated to ask.

Inside the kitchen, Dani lit the fire while Erni kept an eye on it. Dani then dragged a chair over to stand on and stirred the pot of mixed grain porridge with a big spoon.

This porridge was made by boiling mashed sweet potatoes with cornmeal, sorghum flour, and wild greens—nothing fancy. The more water you added, the more it swelled, making people feel full faster… though it didn’t last long. You’d be hungry again soon.

It needed constant stirring or the flour would stick to the pot, leaving a burnt taste and making cleanup a nightmare. It wasn’t easy, but Dani was used to it. After all, she cooked pig feed in three giant barrels daily, and the method wasn’t all that different.

At least the porridge smelled better than pig slop. If she had to choose, Dani would happily stir mixed grain porridge for a lifetime.

Luckily, Old Lady Miao didn’t know her granddaughter thought that. She was busy shaping small corn buns, each about the size of a baby’s fist, carefully brushing the cornmeal off her hands and placing the buns into the steamer.

She even picked up the dusty bun from last night, rinsed it clean, and placed it inside the steamer as well.

Erni bit her lip hard as she watched. If only they’d just eaten the bun on the mountain… now that Grandma had it, there was no way they’d get even a bite.

As if to twist the knife, Old Lady Miao began carrying all the food out one by one.

“Dahai, tell Dongmei to bring the baby out. We’ll eat together as a family tonight,” Jiang Cheng, the old man, said from his seat at the head of the table.

“Huh?” Dahai blinked. “Should I bring out Sanni and Sini too?”

“Of course!” Jiang Cheng slammed the table. “They haven’t married yet. They’re still part of our Jiang family!”

He was already annoyed, and now his blockhead son had to test him again. Jiang Cheng felt like whacking him with his tobacco pipe to knock some sense into him.

“Yes, sir!” Jiang Dahai answered cheerfully and ducked into his room.

Inside, Jiang Laidi—the baby—was lying on the kang bed next to her fourth sister, while Sanni crawled around, kissing and patting each of them in turn, full of energy.

Gu Dongmei sat at the low table, sewing clothes while keeping an eye on her children.

“Dad wants you to bring the baby out,” Jiang Dahai whispered as he picked up his son, who was no longer red and wrinkly, now slowly opening his eyes. “I think he got a name from Comrade Zhang and wants to see what everyone thinks.”

Laidi, just over two weeks old, could only see clearly within half a meter. Everything else looked like it was behind frosted glass. Suddenly, a big face filled her vision, and she got a fright.

“Dongmei, I’ll take the boy out first. You bring the girls later,” Jiang Dahai said, beaming as he held his son, completely oblivious to the baby’s protest.

Sanni sucked on her fingers, a little envious. She was four now and remembered that her sister had once told her younger siblings should be given more care, just like how Dani always gave her and Sini the best fruit. But still, it made her sad. She lowered her head.

Sini didn’t understand any of it yet. She just lay there, arms and legs sprawled, staring at the ceiling like it was entertainment enough.

Gu Dongmei noticed Sanni’s pitiful expression and picked up both girls, one on each side. Sanni let out a surprised squeal, then burst into a smile. To her, it didn’t matter—Dad held the baby, Mom held her and her sister. Everyone was loved. That was enough.

Seeing his youngest grandson, Jiang Cheng’s mood lifted. His two other grandsons had been spoiled rotten. This one mustn’t turn out the same.

Everyone gathered at the table. The Jiang family table was homemade from timber cut on the mountain. It was square and sturdy, though one corner was worn and propped up with old newspaper. Benches were arranged on all four sides.

Jiang Cheng sat at the head. Old Lady Miao was on his left, while Dahai and his wife sat on the right—a subtle cue to the family hierarchy.

Dani held Sini, and Erni held Sanni. The three of them shared one bench. The food smelled amazing, and Sanni’s mouth watered, but Grandpa’s stern expression made her sit motionless.

“Before we eat, let me tell you the name I got from Xiao Zhang.”

Jiang Cheng pulled a slip of paper from his chest pocket. He couldn’t read, and though Dahai had attended school for a few years, he wasn’t bright and had forgotten most of what he learned. His younger sister Dazhen, on the other hand, had a good head on her shoulders, so he gave her his chance to study. That’s why she respected him so deeply.

Jiang Cheng couldn’t read the paper, but he had memorized what Comrade Zhang said and practiced reciting it all the way home.

Laidi was curious. In her past life, Grandma had randomly named her “Laidi” in hopes of having a boy next, but after her birth, her mother never conceived again. The old lady blamed her, believing childbirth had ruined her daughter-in-law’s health and had disliked her ever since.

Now that she was reborn as a boy, what kind of name would she get?

“I told Xiao Zhang the name couldn’t be too common. You shout something like ‘Aiguo’ or ‘Jianguo’ around here, and three kids will turn their heads. But it can’t be too bourgeois either—that gets people talking. Xiao Zhang’s a high school graduate; you can tell he’s educated. I think the name he picked is great.”

Jiang Cheng placed the note on the table.

“Dad, just say it already. I remember our family name is Jiang, and the middle character is ‘Yi’. What’s the rest? Stop keeping us in suspense!” Dahai urged.

“‘Liu.’ It’s the character for ‘liu,’” Dani said softly.

Jiang Cheng looked at her in surprise. “You recognize that character?”

With everyone staring, Dani blushed and nodded. “Sister Xianghong from Team Leader Mo’s family taught us. That character was in one of our lessons.”

Mo Xianghong was one of only two girls in the village still attending school. Like her parents, she had a warm heart. On her days off, she would teach village girls who couldn’t afford school how to read. Dani would always go after finishing her chores and had learned a lot over the years.

Watching her older sister, Laidi, clenched her tiny fists. In their last life, Dani had envied her sisters for getting the chance to study while she had already been married off and working endlessly, beaten often. This time, she vowed her sister would get the education she deserved—and live a different life.

“Yiliu. Jiang Yiliu. That’s a good name—better than those second-rate ones,” Dahai said proudly, certain his son was destined for greatness.

Old Jiang gave his son a withering look. “It’s not liu as in ‘stream.’ It’s liu as in ‘to keep’—as in keeping this child safe and sound.”

He’d had the same misunderstanding until Comrade Zhang explained. No way he was admitting that now, though.

The baby was still small. Who knew what the future held? What mattered most was health and safety. As far as Jiang Cheng was concerned, “Yiliu” was a fine name.

In his heart, the child silently repeated: Jiang Yiliu. This life, he would be Jiang Yiliu—and never again the Jiang Laidi of his past.