A century of poverty

Chapter 101 Full Moon

After I gave birth, my father-in-law noticed I was smiling more often and would always say with a smile, "You must take good care of the child!"

I said, "I've already prepared everything. I bought baby bottles, formula, diapers, and other baby supplies."

Father-in-law: "You can buy more other things, but don't buy the milk powder yet. Your uncle gave me a box of milk powder for the New Year, and there are still several bags left."

"Okay, then let's not buy formula for now," I said.

Besides the baby formula, I bought everything else I needed. The shop business can't stop either; I need to get the business license done as soon as possible.

The custom-made shelves and counter were pulled back and placed facing the entrance. In one corner of the room was a small heated kang bed, and next to the stove was a door leading to the courtyard.

Yang Xing, who lives in the backyard, is Yang Liu's younger brother and Su Kai's classmate. Whenever he goes in or out of the alley, he always stops by the house to take a look. If he sees the shelves are already set up, he says, "Fourth Brother! I'll take you to get the goods. We'll bring a whole truckload, and she'll have to deliver it. We can't even set the price too high."

Zhiqiang: "Okay! I'll trust you. Let's go get the goods."

Sure enough, the nearby "kerosene company" store in Daosai loaded a truck full of goods and delivered them to my home, along with a reference price for selling the goods.

We arranged our goods: cigarettes, candy, and snacks were placed in the glass display cases at the front, while heavier items like alcohol and beverages were placed on the shelves at the back. The aisle in the middle, where we stood to sell our goods, led directly to the gate leading to the courtyard.

Zhiqiang rode his bicycle to the wholesale market in town to buy some new goods. I set up the goods at home, and put the child on the small kang (heated brick bed) for easy care. At night, I lit a stove to make sure the kang didn't get cold.

Zhiqiang would watch over the cooking three times a day while I cooked in the big pot in the outer room of the main house. After the cooking was done, my father-in-law would eat first. We took turns cooking, so we heated the kang (a heated brick bed) for my father-in-law and took care of him.

The child is very well-behaved, doesn't cry or fuss, and falls asleep after eating.

On the seventh day, my third sister came to visit the child. As we looked at the child's face, I asked, "The child's face looks a little yellow today."

Third Sister said, "The baby has been jaundiced for seven days, don't worry, the baby is perfectly healthy, nothing's wrong!" Just then, Zhiqiang returned from the street and entered the door, exclaiming, "Third Sister's here!"

"Ah!" I came to check on the child. Are you all capable of taking care of him? I was worried, so I came to check on him!" said the third sister.

Zhiqiang: "You've come at the right time!" He said, opening an old cloth bag on the kang: "My second aunt brought this for me. She said she was worried we wouldn't know how to take care of the child, since there's no grandmother or maternal grandmother. She made a small cushion for me, with both thin and thick ones, and two small clothes."

I said, "My second aunt is so thoughtful; why are all these things old?"

The third sister said, "The old ones are softer and easier to use; they're fine for kids! That's what they say."

I exclaimed in surprise, "Yes!"

Two weeks later, the business license, industrial and commercial registration certificate, and tax registration certificate were all issued. As the staff had said, they were hung on the wall. Store name: Jiujiu Store. Legal representative: Zhang Qinglian.

Officially open for business!

After closing the shop that night, I said to Zhiqiang, "The shop is quite famous! We should also give the child a name. How about Su Zhangyuan?" It's a homophone.

Zhiqiang: "It doesn't sound good, it sounds like a girl's name. I'll come up with one: how about Su Guang? Su Long, that's Su Long."

I said, "Su Long is a good nickname, but the formal name should be Su Zhangyuan: Zhang means 'article' and Yuan means 'fate,' implying that you are destined to be with us and to be associated with literature, and that you will grow up to be a cultured person."

Zhiqiang: "Okay!"

"Business is booming, boss lady!"

As I was engrossed in wiping the glass floor in front of the counter, a familiar voice spoke loudly.

I looked up and saw that it was none other than Wang Na, the village women's director, and Chen Shuxia, the team leader in charge of our area. I roughly understood why they had come.

He replied, "Xinglong! Thank you for your kind words! Come! Come! Sit here. You must be very busy people; you must have come today for something!"

Wang Na: "We've come to see if you have a new baby. Is it a boy or a girl?"

I answered, "Boy."

Wang Na: "Can you not have any more children? The current 'family planning' policy advocates one child per couple, and couples who have a boy as their first child are not eligible for a second child."

Me: "Oh!"

Wang Na: "Just saying 'oh' won't do. Usually, you have to apply for a quota before giving birth. I need to hurry up and get you a quota. Remember, you can't miss any of the procedures, otherwise you won't be able to register your child's household registration."

Chen Shuxia: "You also need to undergo sterilization procedures and checkups for women of childbearing age; you can't miss a single one!"

I agreed: "Okay! Okay! I'll do whatever you say!"

Wang Na: "Then we'll be going, we'll have other teams next!"

Me: "Okay. Take care, you two." I said, and saw them to the door.

Four weeks later, we celebrated the baby's "full moon" celebration.

Su Zhijuan arrived, craned her neck to look into the house through the window, and then went with Su Zhichun to Su Zhiqian's house in front.

Hei Xingan and Wang Liqiu came from the south and went directly to Zhang Guo's house when they arrived at the entrance.

Su Lihua, Su Lirong, Su Yi, Su Zi and a group of other girls around twenty years old also hid with their mother.

Su Zhiwei and his friends were playing mahjong at Su Lei's house.

My sister-in-law, third sister, second sister-in-law, fourth sister, and sister-in-law Jiang Xiaoyu from the Liu family also came to celebrate the baby's one-month birthday. Seeing that there was no one else there except my daughter and me, it was cold and deserted.

The third sister asked, "Where have all the Su family members gone? Not a single one of them came!"

I replied, "I don't know, but don't worry, everyone will be there when we eat."

My sister-in-law tugged at my sleeve: "Look what I brought you!"

As she spoke, she opened the covered cage, which was full of steamed buns: "Qiulian, go and get a basin."

Fourth Sister went to the outer room and found a large rice bowl. Eldest Sister-in-law picked out the steamed buns one by one. Sixty-five, sixty-six, and the last one was an extra-large steamed bun. Then she took out a piece of red cloth.

I asked, "What does this mean?"

Sister-in-law: "Fine! I don't really understand the customs, but that's how it's done back home. Your brother told me to do it too. People dote on their nephews, so they all do it this way!"

Second Sister-in-law laughed and said, "It looks to me like a marshal leading troops, and there's a red flag."

Sister-in-law: "Hey, hey, look what it looks like, it looks exactly like it!"

Fourth Sister looked around and said, "I see the vegetables for the outer room have all been bought, let's get started!"

Jiang Xiaoyu: "I'll team up with you two."

Jiang Xiaoyu followed her fourth sister, and the two hurriedly prepared the lunch for the guests in the outer room.

Zhiqiang's second aunt and uncle, who lived in the neighborhood, came over. They went to the outer room and saw that the people cooking were unfamiliar to them. Muttering to themselves, "Where have all the people gone?" they turned and went back to the shop.

Zheng Mei arrived and didn't leave; she helped out in the outer room.

The people who usually eat, drink, and enjoy themselves here are all hiding to the side, waiting to see me make a fool of myself.

Lunch was served at noon. There were two tables inside and two tables outside.

The elders sat at a table inside the house, and after finishing their meal, they all left politely.

Those of the "Zhi" generation were still holding their wine glasses, trying to find something to talk about.

Cao Qingxue pretended to be serious: "Have you chosen a name for the child? Zhang Qinglian."

I replied, "It's settled. His formal name is Su Zhangyuan, and his nickname is Su Long."

Cao Qingxue scoffed, "That's right, we have to include your Zhang name in it." I replied, "My name includes my maternal family name, so it'll be easier to raise me."

Su Zhijuan looked at me and said, "Qinglian, Li Kongjue has opened a hospital, and Lihua still doesn't have a job. Go find Li Kongjue and talk to him about letting Lihua work for him!"

I thought to myself, given how you behaved today, I shouldn't have interfered. But then I remembered what Dad always said: one should be honest and kind. I won't follow their example; I should still treat relatives well and help them if I can.

I replied, "I'll go take a look when I have some free time."

After a busy period, I settled things at home and went to the staff quarters of the Second People's Hospital of the city to find Li Kongjue's home. I knocked on the door, and his wife, Su Zhe, opened it. She was over sixty years old, with a sallow complexion and a bloated upper body. Her distinctive double-lidded eyes also seemed to have a sluggish gaze.

"Come, come." She ushered me into the house and then turned back to the kitchen to tidy up.

I followed her into the kitchen and stood to one side.

As she tidied up, she spoke to me slowly: "I'm over sixty and useless now, and I also have diabetes. Even though I'm useless, I still have to work. What else can I do? There's no one to replace me."

Her three sons are all married and living separately. Her two daughters, the elder one is also married and has a daughter who is a few years old. As for her youngest daughter, Xiaodong…

I asked, "Where's Xiao Dong?"

Then they heard murmuring voices coming from the inner room.

After Su Zhe finished cleaning up the kitchen, he picked up a half-eaten bun and led me to the living room while eating it.

In the living room, the wooden sofa and glass coffee table looked old. We sat down, and there were constant murmurs from the inner room. Su Zhe: "Xiao Dong, are you here for postpartum confinement?" He said, getting up to lead me to the inner room.

Xiao Dong, chubby and wearing a gray coat with the buttons undone, was sitting on the bed changing the baby's diaper.

"Auntie's here." With that greeting, she continued tidying up the child.

I stepped forward, took out two fifty-yuan bills from my inner pocket, and said, "I didn't know I wasn't prepared. Don't think it's too little; it's a token of my appreciation. Please accept it." I tucked the money into the corner of the bed and left.

Once in the living room, Su Zhe sat down opposite me. "Second sister-in-law," he said, "I've come today to ask you for a favor. My eldest brother's daughter is quite pretty and has a stable job, but she's still unemployed. I heard my second brother owns a hospital. Could you see if there are any openings for her?"

Su Zhe: "What can she do? Is she a nurse, or what?"

I had no choice but to tell the truth: "She's not a nurse. She doesn't have any special skills; she's just an ordinary young woman."

Su Zhe: "Then—where can we put it?"

Seeing Su Zhe's disappointed expression, I regretted it. I shouldn't have come. A hospital, such a specialized place, and this is a private company. What use is a private company to me if I have no expertise?

I got up to say goodbye.

As I rode my bicycle back, I kept thinking about how reckless I had been. I'd rushed out after hearing Su Zhijuan's suggestion, leaving my children and shop behind to run errands for her, only to fail and even lose money. A few days later, Su Zhijuan came, and I told her about it; she didn't even acknowledge it.