First Birthday
Liu Sheliang and Chen Li shared the same room, and ever since Chen started dating, he had been walking on air every day, much to Liu Sheliang’s dismay. Jiang Meihui, being a cook, often brought Chen Li snacks, and as a result, Chen Li had started gaining weight and always looked radiant.
But what irritated Liu Sheliang the most wasn’t the food or snacks—it was the fact that Jiang Meihui had a brother who was a regiment commander. Liu Sheliang had joined the hospital at the same time as Chen Li and had always been ahead of him in every way. Yet now, Chen Li was marrying the commander’s sister and living a cushy, well-fed life.
Jealousy consumed Liu Sheliang day and night until it finally exploded one day.
“Something’s wrong! They’re fighting! They’re fighting over there!”
In the hospital’s most intense room, typically used for stitching wounds, tensions had flared. Dr. Chen and Dr. Liu had gotten into a physical fight. Inside the room, besides the two doctors glaring at each other, stood a tall man. Liu Sheliang and the man were both glaring at Chen Li, and Liu Sheliang had a bruise on his face—clearly from Chen Li.
A crowd had gathered at both doors to watch, with even patients on IVs or crutches craning their necks like giraffes to get a better view.
“The two doctors are fighting?”
“Is this the kind of show you get when you come to the hospital?”
“I heard it’s over a woman…”
Someone with a bandaged hand, carrying a medicine bag, rushed over to join the commotion, unable to squeeze through the door, so he tried peeking in through the window.
Watching a fight was always good fun.
“What’s going on over there? Why’s everyone crowding around?”
The hospital staff noticed the commotion, and Nurse Lanlan and Nurse Liu rushed over to check it out. After glancing through the window, Lanlan exclaimed, “This is bad—they’re really fighting. I’ll go find the deputy director.”
She quickly ran off to find Zhan Aiping.
Meanwhile, inside the room, Liu Sheliang spat on the ground. “You dog, shameless! You dare hit me? Everyone, look—he hit me first! He’s shameless and violent.”
Chen Li, usually quiet, was now cornered and shouted hoarsely, ” Liu Sheliang, you’re the real piece of trash here!”
Outside, a patient chuckled, “Look at them—one has a big head, one has a small head, and they’re both calling each other trash. Isn’t that something?”
“What’s the deal, you two doctors fighting over a woman?”
Liu Sheliang sneered, “He’s nothing but a bootlicker.”
Furious, Chen lunged forward and grabbed Liu Sheliang by the collar. “What are you spouting nonsense about?”
The tall man beside Liu Sheliang, Sun Zhang, pulled Chen Li off and shoved him to the ground, spitting on the floor. “I called you shameless! How can you praise that ugly woman, comparing her to a red rose? You disgust me, man. I lost my appetite because of you. I came here today just to teach you a lesson.”
Sun Zhang, a notorious local troublemaker and the son of a martyr, had a personal grudge against Jiang Meihui’s brother, the regiment commander. He had come deliberately to stir up trouble and humiliate Jiang Meihui as a form of revenge.
Liu Sheliang and Sun Zhang had teamed up, causing a ruckus, knowing that the loudest complainers always got what they wanted.
Sun Zhang continued taunting, “Ugly men, ugly women—you’re just sucking up to those in power. You’re licking the boots of the commander’s sister, trying to get ahead. Just like your deputy director—disgusting.”
“Move aside!” Jiang Meihui heard what was happening and squeezed into the room. She helped Chen Li up, saying, “What are you trying to do? Causing trouble in a hospital? The police will arrest you for this.”
“Ooh, so scary! I’m terrified!” Sun Zhang laughed. As the son of a martyr, he’d always been able to act with impunity, and the community had always shown him leniency, not daring to provoke him.
Though his family was dirt-poor, Sun Zhang believed that poverty made him more righteous, and anyone who challenged him was ideologically wrong.
Turning to the crowd, he shouted, “Look, everyone, this is the commander’s sister using her power to bully people! This hospital is shameless!”
Someone in the crowd asked, “What’s so shameless?”
Sun Zhang replied, “She’s forcing someone to marry this ugly woman. If they don’t, their future is ruined.”
“Isn’t that disgusting?”
The crowd outside was stunned. “They’re forcing people to marry?”
Sun Zhang pointed at Jiang Meihui, “Yeah, and look at her—fat and tacky. Just because she’s the commander’s sister, she’s picking a husband from the hospital. If anyone refuses to marry her, she and the deputy director will crush them.”
“Dr. Liu has been bullied terribly by them.”
“Is there no justice anymore? How shameless.”
“And that Dr. Chen—he’s praising this tacky woman, calling her beautiful, all to suck up for his career. In this dump of a hospital, hard-working doctors get no recognition while sleazebags like him thrive.”
“Tell me, is this fair or not? Shouldn’t we cause a scene?”
The crowd, not fully understanding the situation, looked at each other, and someone raised their hand. “This isn’t fair! Let’s cause a scene!”
“How can an ugly woman force someone to marry her? How old is she, anyway? Must be an old leftover.”
Hearing all this, Jiang Meihui’s face turned white. Liu Sheliang looked smug, satisfied with how things were escalating. He wanted the situation to spiral out of control—at worst, he’d be transferred, or he could report the incident to higher authorities. Either way, with Sun Zhang’s help, he stood to gain.
Liu Sheliang couldn’t tolerate Chen Li getting special treatment from Dr. Qin, stealing surgery opportunities, and certainly not marrying the commander’s sister to secure a prosperous future.
“Shut up! Shut up!” Chen Li, red-eyed with rage, lunged at Sun Zhang and punched him square in the face. Sun Zhang, caught off guard, staggered back. “You dare hit me?”
Delighted that things had escalated, Sun Zhang retaliated with a punch to Chen Li’s face, sending him sprawling. Medical instruments and alcohol bottles scattered across the floor, glass shattering everywhere.
“Bang! Bang!”
The glass shards flew, and the crowd outside recoiled in shock. This had really turned into a serious brawl.
Sun Zhang sneered, “You can’t even handle a little criticism?”
“Move aside!” Just then, Zhan Aiping arrived, having heard Sun Zhang’s derogatory comments. The crowd parted for her, stepping aside to let her through.
One woman in the crowd cautioned, “Dr. Zhan, don’t go in there—they’re fighting. You might get hurt.”
“Why isn’t any of the hospital staff stepping in to stop this?”
“Who’d dare? It’s turned into a real brawl, and there are even knives in there… If they get desperate, things could get really dangerous.” This room, used for treating wounds, resembled a large classroom with doors at both ends, red patient beds in the centre, and cabinets lined with medical instruments along the walls.
Inside the room, sharp objects like needles, scalpels, tweezers, and scissors were scattered among the shards of broken glass on the floor, along with dried blood spots from previous patients. The sight was chilling, made worse by the cold, antiseptic smell lingering in the air.
“Dr. Zhan, don’t go in there!” a woman from the crowd called out, trying to stop her.
Zhan Aiping was well-known in the nearby communes. Her medical skills, friendly demeanour, and past scientific work had earned her the admiration of the local villagers, especially the women. Several of them were worried she might get hurt if she went in.
“Why isn’t there a man stepping in to break this up?”
Zhan Aiping, dressed in a white lab coat, had her black hair tied up, a straight, elegant nose, rosy lips, and a slender neck. Under her white coat were delicate ankles and simple, graceful black shoes.
Seeing her, Sun Zhang couldn’t help but gulp. Women like this weren’t something he came across every day. He had only heard of the famous Deputy Director Zhan but had never seen her in person before.
Despite her beauty, Sun Zhang wasn’t one to be dazzled by it. Earlier, he had been cursing her, and others were egging him on. But once Zhan Aiping showed up, he realized many people in the crowd were actually siding with her.
He had heard rumours about Zhan Aiping—that she was a seductress who bewitched men and even consumed placenta for its supposed mystical properties.
Could she really have such powers of seduction?
Zhan Aiping’s cold voice cut through the tension: “What’s all this commotion about?”
Sun Zhang stared at her face, feeling a twisted desire. In the village, he loved harassing pretty women, but with Zhan Aiping, he wanted more than just teasing—he wanted to bully her, humiliate her until she cried.
“You want to know what this is about? It’s about you people being scum! You’re using your power to force a man to marry an ugly woman, a worthless tramp!”
His words were harsh and echoed through the room.
—”Slap!” The sharp sound rang out as Zhan Aiping’s hand struck his face. “Watch your mouth.”
Everyone watching gasped in shock.
Sun Zhang was furious. He had been slapped by a woman! “You filthy woman! How dare you hit me!”
His eyes flashed, and he raised his hand to grope Zhan Aiping’s chest, intent on not just groping her chest but also grabbing her behind to take full advantage.
But before he could, Zhan Aiping caught his hand and, with a quick twist, wrenched it painfully. Sun Zhang had barely processed the pain when Zhan Aiping kicked him hard in the rear, sending him stumbling forward and crashing onto the broken glass on the floor.
“Ahhh!”
The crowd winced at the sight. One woman couldn’t help but chuckle. When the others looked at her, she said, “Serves him right.”
The crowd erupted into laughter. “Hahahaha!”
Most of the onlookers were there for the entertainment, not afraid of trouble—only of having none to watch.
“Stop laughing!” Sun Zhang yelled, but the shards of glass had already pierced his backside, and he pulled one out, angrily flinging it toward the door. The crowd scrambled back in fear.
Nurse Lanlan had already gone to call the police. Zhan Aiping warned, “Keep it up, and you’ll end up in jail. The police are on their way.”
Sun Zhang laughed maniacally, “Who dares to arrest me? My father was a martyr! I’m the son of a martyr! You hit me, and I’ll make sure you pay! I’ll fight you until you’re dead!”
This was his usual tactic. People feared him because his father had died a hero, and his family’s poverty only added to his so-called “honourable” status. He had nothing to lose, so others dared not cross him.
“You’re the son of a martyr? Well, I’m the daughter of one,” Zhan Aiping said as she rolled up her sleeves. “If your father knew you’d turned out like this, he’d strangle you himself.”
“Exactly! Sun Zhang, you’re a disgrace to your father!” someone from the crowd called out. “You’re nothing but a lowlife!”
Sun Zhang’s face turned red with rage as he zeroed in on the person who had spoken. With a wild scream, he charged at them, but Zhan Aiping stuck out her leg, tripping him. He fell flat on the ground, and his frustration boiled over. “I’ll kill you all! I’ll kill you all!”
Zhan Aiping’s voice remained icy. “You think you can insult others, but no one’s allowed to say anything about you? Where’s the justice in that?”
At that moment, two police officers, Chen Yiming and Zhou Xiong, arrived and quickly restrained Sun Zhang.
Chen Yiming, seeing Sun Zhang again, gritted his teeth in anger. “You again, causing trouble!”
Sun Zhang was notorious for his petty crimes, constantly causing chaos, and Chen Yiming had long wanted to put an end to his antics.
“When Dr. Zhan’s mother died, she was younger than you are now, just a girl. Her father remarried, but she still worked hard and got into medical school.”
Chen Yiming added with a sigh, “Same background, same circumstances—yet one becomes a lifesaving doctor, and the other becomes a no-good scoundrel.”
Sun Zhang flinched at the words.
Zhan Aiping then turned to Liu Sheliang. “Dr. Liu, care to explain when exactly our hospital forced you to get married?”
Liu Sheliang, feeling cornered, stammered, “You asked me…”
“I asked if you wanted to meet someone, and you said you weren’t interested. Did I ever say anything after that? Did I pressure you even once?”
Liu Sheliang shouted defensively, “You didn’t force me, but you’ve been excluding me ever since! Just because I refused to date the commander’s sister, you’ve been shutting me out!”
“I’m the most diligent here, my skills are the best, but because Chen Li sucked up to the commander’s sister, you’re favoring him! You’re pushing me aside, even denying me opportunities to perform surgeries!”
“Why? Because I wouldn’t submit to you, so now I don’t get any chances? Dr. Qin favours Chen Li, but has he even noticed me? And all because Chen Li’s willing to marry that pig!”
“I practice my surgical techniques every single day. I practice from morning till night. The sheep’s lung I bought? I practiced on it until it was in shreds, but I couldn’t bear to throw it away. I’ve been honest and hardworking—why should I lose out to a sycophant?”
Liu Sheliang’s eyes reddened as he yelled, “Why? Of course, it doesn’t hurt you, because you’re not the one missing out!”
“This hospital isn’t your personal playground, Zhan Aiping! Why are you oppressing your own doctors?”
Liu Sheliang’s outburst left the crowd in silence.
But Zhan Aiping found it absurd. She laughed coldly, “Dr. Liu, do you know why Dr. Qin doesn’t like you?”
“It’s because you lack medical ethics.”
“Dr. Qin has mentioned it to me several times.”
“Everyone in the hospital has seen how you behave. Yes, you practice your ‘skills’ every day, but you dump all the dirty, exhausting work on Dr. Chen. Your ‘skills’ are more important than treating patients, right? You think they aren’t worth your time?”
“Do you have patience with your patients? You’re stitching up human skin, not sheep lungs. People feel pain, they suffer—have you ever thought about that when you remove stitches?”
“Liu Sheliang, ask yourself honestly: how have you treated your patients in the past?”
“As a doctor, your role is to alleviate your patients’ suffering. But look at what you’ve been doing every day.”
Nurse Lanlan chimed in from the side, “Patients always ask when Dr. Chen is on duty to come for their stitch removals.”
“You think you’re so skilled, don’t you? You must believe your shifts are light because no one comes in for stitch removals or dressing changes when you’re here. Have you ever wondered why? Oh, no, you haven’t. You just assume you’re lucky and free to practice your techniques all day long, right?”
From outside, the crowd of onlookers began to chat among themselves. “Exactly, every time I come to the hospital for my meds, it’s always Dr. Chen who’s working.”
“Once, I saw a patient with a cactus thorn stuck in his skin, and the wound was full of spines. Dr. Chen patiently removed each one, one by one.”
“Say what you want, but Dr. Chen is really patient.”
…
Liu Sheliang’s face turned deathly pale.
The two policemen took Sun Zhang away, and not long after, they returned to take Liu Sheliang as well. “Dr. Liu, Sun Zhang claims you bribed him to cause trouble.”
When Jiang Meihui’s brother, the regiment commander, learned of the incident, he went to confront Sun Zhang. The grudge between them stemmed from a time when the commander had caught Sun Zhang stealing and bullying the elderly and infirm. Even though Sun was the son of a martyr, the commander had given him a harsh beating, which Sun had never forgiven.
Sun Zhang’s father had died a hero, and his mother had remarried. The commune took care of him, providing him with monthly government subsidies. Despite the support, Sun squandered everything. The commune even helped him build a house, and although he avoided work and harassed women, people turned a blind eye out of fear, letting him get away with his behaviour.
“Thank you, Dr. Zhan,” the regiment commander said, genuinely grateful this time. He appreciated how Zhan Aiping had defended his sister. “Sorry for the trouble.”
Zhan Aiping shook her head. “I’m the deputy director of this hospital. This is part of my job.”
With Liu Sheliang taken away, it was clear that even if he returned, he would never come back to Yanxin Health Clinic. For now, Dr. Chen Li was the only surgeon on duty, and a new doctor wouldn’t arrive until the following month.
In the meantime, Jiang Meihui and Chen Li’s relationship blossomed. They had decided to get married. Jiang Meihui approached Zhan Aiping, saying, “Dr. Zhan, thank you for everything… We’re planning to get married next year. When we do, could you give me one of your roses on my wedding day?”
Zhan Aiping smiled, “The rose seedlings in my garden are growing well. I’ll give you a whole rose plant.”
Jiang Meihui teased, “Afraid of your husband, are you?”
Zhan Aiping raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“I said you’re afraid of your husband! Not even willing to give me one rose,” Jiang Meihui emphasized with playful boldness.
Zhan Aiping crossed her arms. “Reverse psychology won’t work on me. Call it what you want. If I’m ‘afraid of my husband,’ then so be it. My husband prides himself on being a loving and devoted spouse.”
Jiang Meihui: “…”
Zhan Aiping patted her on the shoulder. “I’ll make you a dress for your wedding instead. Consider it a gift to celebrate your marriage.”
Jiang Meihui hesitated. “With my figure? I’m not sure I can wear a dress.”
“Every figure can wear a dress,” Zhan Aiping reassured her. “Eat what you want. Don’t let others’ opinions get in the way.”
Jiang Meihui had been dieting recently, to the point of feeling lightheaded. After just a few days, her complexion had turned pale and unhealthy.
Biting her lip, Jiang Meihui sighed, “I…”
“How about you start exercising instead?” Zhan Aiping suggested. “I’ll give you a diet and exercise plan. Follow it daily, and I’ll even give you a meal guide. We can take it slow, and you’ll see results.”
Jiang Meihui blinked. “You really think it’ll work?”
Zhan Aiping nodded. “Don’t overdo it with running—it’ll hurt your knees. Wait until you’ve lost some weight before increasing intensity. You can’t rush weight loss, just like you can’t rush gaining weight. Why not set your wedding date for next fall? That’ll give us plenty of time to make you a beautiful bride.”
With a smile, Zhan Aiping added, “You’ve got a great foundation. Once you slim down a bit, you’ll look stunning.”
Jiang Meihui nodded eagerly. “Dr. Zhan, you promised! When I lose the weight, you’ll make me that dress.”
“Of course. It’s a deal.”
Zhan Aiping put together a personalized diet and exercise plan for Jiang Meihui. She knew her well enough to tailor it perfectly, and Dr. Chen was enlisted to supervise her progress.
Now that Jiang Meihui was focused on healthy cooking, she often sent out tofu and other healthy dishes to friends, including plenty of five-spice tofu to Zhan Aiping.
Back at home, Zhan Aiping handed some tofu to Gu Sheng. “We’re having stir-fried tofu again today.”
She loved tomato stir-fried tofu and couldn’t resist sharing her thoughts. “These days, people don’t eat much meat. Most diets lack protein and calcium, which are important for children’s bone development, especially for their height. We should make sure our kids get enough eggs, milk, tofu, and other proteins.”
Smiling, she added, “Let’s make sure our son grows taller than the neighbour’s boy, Big Pork Elbow. Unlike you, our son will stay ahead from the start.”
Gu Sheng laughed. “I thought you said we weren’t going to compare our kids to others. But look at you, secretly competing.”
Ah, the mindset of a mother.
Zhan Aiping said, “I’m just looking out for our kids.”
After washing his hands, Gu Sheng replied, “You came home and started talking about this right away. By the way, I picked up our mail on the way home. Someone sent you a book.”
“A book? What kind of book?”
Gu Sheng teased, “People say you get more forgetful as you age. But you’re not even old yet, Zhan Daping, and you’re already forgetting.”
“Oh!” Zhan Aiping laughed. “It must be the sample copy from the publisher?”
After a year of hard work, her book was finally going to be published.
Gu Sheng nodded. “That’s right. Our Aiping is becoming a big author, just in time for the kids’ first birthday. Their mother is officially a published writer.”
Zhan Aiping beamed with happiness, too excited to mind any teasing. It was a rare achievement to publish a book in this era, and she had done it in the 1970s!
“It’s something to be proud of,” Zhan Aiping said with a smug smile. “Comrade Gu, I now give you permission to call me ‘Great Author Wife’ from now on.”
“Sure thing, ‘Great Author Wife,’ just wait a bit and take a look at your masterpiece. We’ll eat soon.”
“Where did you put it?”
“Over there on the table.”
Zhan Aiping, filled with joy, gathered her two chubby little ones in her arms and went to look at her newly published sample book. With one plump child in her left arm and the other in her right, she held them close as they sat together on the bamboo bed. She opened up her book, ‘Scientific Stories’.
“Your mom is a great author now!”
But neither of the little ones seemed to care. Instead of looking at the book, they turned and crawled away, trying to escape their mom’s embrace to find their little tiger toys.
“You two aren’t interested in my masterpiece?”
Annoyed, Zhan Aiping watched the two mischievous children. She put the book down and picked up the cloth tiger toys to play with them instead. “Say ‘Mama.’”
“Mama!” cried Guobaorou, loud and clear.
“Mama, Mama,” Xiaotangyuan repeated, liking the sound of single syllables.
Zhan Aiping smiled with narrowed eyes. “Such good children, my sweet babies. Come, let Mama help you walk.”
Though they could walk now, the two kids weren’t steady on their feet yet and would often stumble and fall, eager to run before they had fully learned to walk.
“By the time you see your grandparents, you’ll be running,” she said.
..
In late November 1972, the two children celebrated their first birthday. Zhan Aiping called her younger brother, Zhan Mingzhao, at her workplace. “Your uncle has gone to the capital for a performance. It’s far away, but one day, I’ll take you to visit. When we answer the phone, you have to say, ‘Uncle,’ okay?”
“Uncle! Uncle!” The two little ones, with exaggerated pouts, called out loudly, spitting as they tried to speak.
Zhan Aiping wiped their mouths. “Can you be a little more polite?”
On the other end of the line, Zhan Mingzhao, holding the phone, exhaled sharply, “Phew, phew, it’s so cold here. Can you hear the north wind blowing? It’s freezing this year, and it’s started early.”
“Big Sis, I’ll be performing in the capital for the New Year celebrations, so I won’t be coming home.”
Zhan Aiping smiled. “I figured as much. You’ve been preparing for so long. It’s all for the Spring Festival, right?”
“My little brother is amazing. You’ve even made it to perform in the capital! I knew I made the right choice sending you to the arts troupe. But of course, if you’re talented, you’ll always shine.”
Zhan Mingzhao laughed. “Just lucky, all luck.”
He sighed. “And not just for the performance—I’ve also been selected for a movie.”
“Really?” Zhan Aiping was surprised. “You’re going to be in a movie too? What’s it about? When your nephews grow up, I’ll have them watch their uncle’s movie.”
Zhan Mingzhao said, “It’s nothing glamorous. Don’t bother showing them.”
“Oh, playing a revolutionary soldier? That sounds great.”
“No, I’m playing a simple farmer, Brother Aniu, who herds cattle.”
“…That’s still great. I like milk, and so do your nephews.”
“Big Sis, stop twisting things. Let me talk to my niece and nephew—I can already hear them shouting ‘Uncle, Uncle’ in the background.”
Zhan Aiping held the phone up, and Guobaorou and Xiaotangyuan kept shouting “Uncle” loudly.
“Uncle!”
“Hey, my sweet little ones. What big voices you have! Is that my little nephew? And what a sweet voice my niece has…”
After letting them babble for a while, Zhan Aiping picked up the phone again. “That’s enough, you can’t eat the phone.”
Guobaorou looked confused and curious. “Uncle?”
Why is there only a voice, but no uncle?
Zhan Mingzhao asked, “Sis, are you coming home for the New Year?”
“Maybe. I think we should take the kids to see their grandfather. He’s still our father, after all.”
“By the way, if you come back, you might run into Zhan Aijia. Did you hear? She’s getting married, and like her mother, she’s going to be a stepmother.”
“What? A stepmother?” Zhan Aiping was genuinely shocked. In her previous life, Zhan Aijia had found a first-marriage man in Shanghai. Now she was marrying a divorcé.
“Yeah, she’s marrying a regiment commander with three kids. He’s in his thirties. I bet our brother-in-law is younger than her new husband by ten years.”
Zhan Aiping was speechless. “She found someone that much older?”
“And she’s going to be a stepmother to three kids.”
“Yeah, I don’t know all the details, but maybe she’s trying to compete with you by marrying a regiment commander.”
“Let her do as she pleases. That’s her choice.” Zhan Aiping wasn’t concerned about Zhan Aijia’s decision to be a stepmother. “And Father agreed to this? He doesn’t think it’s embarrassing?”
Zhan Mingzhao scoffed. “Having a regiment commander for a son-in-law? He’s probably pleased as punch.”
Aiping chuckled, “I doubt he’s that happy. You know how much he cares about appearances.”
“Anyway, enough about them. Since I’m in the capital, do you want me to buy anything for the kids that you can’t get over there?”
“Don’t go overboard. Be frugal,” Zhan Aiping replied with a smile.
“How could I not? My little nephew and niece are turning one, and even though their uncle can’t be there in person, I have to send gifts. Right, Youyou and Yuanyuan? Call out for your good uncle again.”
…
After finishing her call with Zhan Mingzhao, Zhan Aiping returned home and made a call with Gu Sheng to his parents, Gu Ze’an and Qin Ying. As soon as Gu Ze’an answered, he eagerly asked, “Have you set a date? When are you coming back? Are you coming home for the New Year? You have to bring my two little grandchildren so we can finally see them.”
“They’re already a year old, and their grandpa and grandma haven’t even met them yet.”
Zhan Aiping urged the kids, “Go on, say Grandpa and Grandma.”
Gu Ze’an held his breath, and before he could say anything, two small voices came through the phone, “Grandpa—”
Before he could savour the moment, Qin Ying grabbed the phone, cutting him off, “My sweet grandchildren, call Grandma instead! No more Grandpa.”
“Grandma?”
“Grandma is here…”
“Say it again, call Grandma.”
Xiaotangyuan obediently shouted, “Grandma!”
“Oh my, such clear speech! My sweet granddaughter has such a lovely voice!” Qin Ying gushed.
Gu Ze’an looked on enviously, “Isn’t it my turn yet? Isn’t it my turn?”
“The kids have already called you Grandpa several times,” Qin Ying said, jealous. “They called you first, so now they can call me Grandma a few more times. What’s the harm?”
“Move aside!” Qin Ying pushed him away, stubbornly holding onto the phone.
Finally, Gu Ze’an managed to wrestle the phone from her. “Be good, Grandpa’s little ones.”
But then, Gu Sheng’s voice came through coldly, “It’s me.”
Gu Ze’an’s face fell. “It’s you? Why is it you? Get off the phone! I don’t want to hear your voice!”
Gu Sheng teased, “Aren’t I your favorite youngest son?”
Gu Ze’an replied, “I only love my grandkids.”
“I don’t care if you can’t take leave. What matters is my daughter-in-law and grandkids are coming home.”
Gu Sheng coolly responded, “If you beg me, I might bring them home for the New Year.”
Gu Ze’an, exasperated, huffed, “Just try not coming home!”
Zhan Aiping took the phone. “Dad, don’t worry, we’re coming home.”
“Good! Everyone’s coming—your second and third brothers will be there. It’ll be lively.”
Zhan Aiping hesitated. “…Oh.”
She liked Gu Sheng’s eldest brother the best—he was reliable. But as for the second, third, and fourth brothers, well, each had their own complexities.
“Your eldest brother has some business to attend to, and the youngest won’t make it back because he’s performing out of town. But it’ll still be nice for the rest of us to gather.”
Zhan Aiping handed the phone back to Gu Sheng. “Stop messing around. Just beg me, and I’ll come.”
Gu Ze’an shot back, “Don’t come!”
Gu Sheng playfully threatened, “If I don’t come, you won’t see your grandkids.”
Gu Ze’an relented, “Fine, come then! Let my grandkids bring you along, too.”
“Now get lost and let me talk to the kids! So, it’s my little Guobaorou and Xiaotangyuan, right? One sweet, one salty. How on earth did you two come up with those names? You two are college graduates, and this is what you came up with?”
“Sweet and Sour Pork? Why not Big Plate Chicken or Big Pork Elbow? How about Little Chicken Stew with Mushrooms?”
Gu Sheng laughed, “The neighbours already have Big Plate Chicken and Big Pork Elbow, so our kids got named Sweet and Sour Pork instead.”
Gu Ze’an: “…”
“Well, at least Little Dumpling sounds sweet.”
“Move aside, I want to hear the kids call me Grandpa again.”
…
After the call, Gu Sheng and Zhan Aiping each held one of the little ones as they headed back. But the kids didn’t want to be carried, so the couple let them wobble along like little ducks, holding their hands as they toddled back home.
Once they got there, Zhan Aiping sighed, “My back is killing me from all that bending over.”
Gu Sheng chuckled, “I had to resist the urge to just pick up your son and carry him.”
Zhan Aiping burst out laughing, “You’ve got it rough, Comrade Gu.”
Taking care of kids was exhausting work.
“Once they’re a little older, it’ll be easier. Right now, they can barely walk without tripping.”
Soon after they got home, Gu Xiangyi, Gu Sheng’s sister, came over, full of excitement. She rushed to hug her two little nieces and nephews, “Kids, your auntie is here! Come greet your Auntie!”
The two little ones tilted their heads, looking at their aunt with confused expressions.
Don’t understand?
“Your Great Sage Gu is here, kids! Come greet me, come, come, cluck, cluck, cluck—”
Zhan Aiping: “…?”
She turned to Gu Sheng, “Your sister is a little strange.”
Gu Sheng chuckled coldly and warned Gu Xiangyi, “Don’t act up.”
Gu Xiangyi shot back, “I’m not the strange one, it’s my big brother who’s got the problem! Haha, are you scared now? You used to bully me when we were kids, so now I’m getting back at your son and daughter. You owe me, and your kids are paying it back.”
She then turned to Zhan Aiping, “Sister-in-law, you wouldn’t believe it, but when we were little, my brother used to trick me into playing the role of his monkey army while he pretended to be Sun Wukong, the Monkey King.”
Zhan Aiping: “…You two sure had some interesting games as kids.”
Gu Sheng: “That never happened.”
Gu Xiangyi laughed, “Of course it did! Even our mom remembers it clearly. You used to pick on me because I was younger.”
Gu Sheng replied, “You enjoyed it back then and acted your part well.”
Gu Xiangyi huffed, “I was just a silly kid back then.”
Zhan Aiping: “…”
“Alright, alright, enough of that. You two siblings better not teach my kids any weird stuff.”
She looked at her children and said, “Youyou and Yuanyuan, don’t learn from them. We’re a loving family, not pranksters.”
Later, they all sat down for a meal together, and Gu Xiangyi mentioned going home for the end of the year. “I really need to head back for a visit. It’s been nearly two years since I last went home. Time flies.”
Zhan Aiping nodded in agreement. “It sure does.”
Gu Xiangyi added, “I hear our second and third brothers are coming home too.”
Their family’s eldest was in politics, the second was in the military in the northeast, and the third was in the navy. They were all spread across the country and rarely had time to come home, so this reunion was special.
Zhan Aiping: “…”
“My second brother is bringing his girlfriend back home too. I wonder what she’s like. Looks like we’re gaining another sister-in-law. My parents are thrilled—finally getting two of their bachelors married off.” Gu Xiangyi was excited about the prospect of a lively family reunion and thought about how, in a few years, she might have even more nieces and nephews.
She imagined a group of kids running around calling her “Auntie,” and she’d be the “Monkey King” with her army of little monkeys.
“Two grandkids, two daughters-in-law, all going home. It’s going to be great. Dad’s going to be so proud—he used to be teased about it.”
Zhan Aiping teased back, “You better watch out, though. Your mom’s probably planning to set you up for a matchmaking session.”
“Matchmaking? No way, I’m not doing that!” Gu Xiangyi shook her head. “I’m still young, no rush to get married.”
“Brother, sister-in-law, let’s all go home together!”
Gu Sheng said, “You’re on your own for that. We’re taking the kids to her parents’ house first.”
“Oh,” Gu Xiangyi sighed, disappointed that she’d be making the trip alone.
Zhan Aiping offered, “Why don’t you come with us to visit my parents first?”
But Gu Xiangyi decided to stick to her original plan. “No, I’ll head home and wait for you guys.”
With the decision made, Gu Sheng prepared to take time off, and Zhan Aiping also arranged for a break, hoping they could time it before the New Year so they could celebrate with family.
Gu Sheng suggested, “Maybe we’ll stay at your parents’ place for a few days?”
Zhan Aiping shrugged. “We’ll stay a day or two. But be careful—my sister, Zhan Aijia, is marrying a man who’s a regiment commander and already has three sons. She’s trying to make a splash by marrying someone of that rank—probably to one-up you.”
Gu Sheng replied, “Why should I be worried about her being a stepmother?”
He grinned mischievously, “You should be more worried about me going home and finding your old diary.”
She flashed a playful smile, baring her teeth. “Say one more word, and see what happens.”
“I’m a great author now, and I’m taking my sample book to show your family.”
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