Translation: Unless a sow can climb a tree.
Ever since Su Xiaoman brought the sewing machine into her room, Xu Yanlan had been scheming to buy a radio for herself. After pestering her husband and child endlessly and convincing Xie Weiqiang and Xie Yaozu to coax Sun Mei, she finally got Sun Mei to agree to buy a radio for their family.
When the radio arrived, Xu Yanlan was bursting with pride. Before even bringing it into the house, she made a big show of it, stirring up quite the commotion in the village. In less than half an hour, everyone knew the Xie family had bought a radio.
Curious villagers—mostly aunts and children—gathered at the Xie household to marvel at the new gadget.
“Is this the radio?”
“Play something for everyone to hear!”
“Take it up the mountain during work hours so everyone can listen!”
“The Xie family is really living the high life lately.”
The Xie family courtyard was packed with people, all eager to see the new radio. Meanwhile, Sun Mei stayed in her room, feeling her heart ache at the cost. Every time she thought about the expense, her resentment towards Xu Yanlan grew.
That extravagant daughter-in-law! Her ambitions are growing wilder by the day.
At least Su Xiaoman’s sewing machine was a refurbished old piece. But Xu Yanlan went and got her husband and child to wrangle a brand-new radio. And it doesn’t stop there—radios need batteries! The ongoing cost of batteries isn’t like a foot-powered sewing machine; it’s real money—her money.
Sun Mei vowed to teach Xu Yanlan a lesson.
“Hey, hey, don’t mess around with it,” Xu Yanlan said smugly as she basked in the attention. “Just listen from the side—careful, don’t press any buttons. Take it up the mountain? Are you going to buy the batteries? You think it runs on air?”
Xie Huadong’s wife, Zhou Xiaohui, watched coldly from the side, growing increasingly bitter. A while back, her family had been in trouble, and she’d asked Sun Mei for a loan. Sun Mei had refused to part with even ten yuan. Yet now, she had money to buy a radio.
“Alright, alright, no need to argue. Let’s leave. It’s just a box that sings,” someone grumbled.
“What’s the fuss? Let’s go and listen to Old Zhang belt out a tune instead.”
At that moment, the radio was playing a traditional opera—an old model performance that wasn’t particularly exciting. After satisfying their curiosity, the villagers dispersed.
Xu Yanlan carried the radio back to her room, planning to enjoy it with her husband and child in the evenings. She turned the volume down low, determined to make others beg her if they wanted to listen.
But Sun Mei emerged from her room with a cold expression. “Second daughter-in-law, go wash the clothes your father and brothers changed out of.”
Xu Yanlan was stunned. “Me? Wash them?”
The dirty clothes of the Xie men were usually handled by the first or third daughters-in-law, never her. Xie Lao Wu mostly washed his own clothes. Xie Weiqiang, Xie Huadong, and Old Man Xie’s clothes, however, were always handled by someone else. The thought of dealing with their muddy, sweat-stained clothes made her stomach turn.
“Not me—why me?” Xu Yanlan protested.
Sun Mei shot her a glare. “If not you, then who? Aren’t you a daughter-in-law of the Xie family?”
“But Su Xiaoman doesn’t wash clothes either!”
“We didn’t spend a single penny on Su Xiaoman’s marriage. If you’re so righteous, why don’t you cough up the money you cost us?”
Sun Mei was determined to make this wasteful daughter-in-law pay her dues. Spoil her? Not a chance!
Left with no choice, Xu Yanlan begrudgingly went to the well to wash the men’s dirty clothes. Later, when Xie Weiqiang came home, she complained tearfully, saying Sun Mei had forced her to do the washing.
“I’ve been married into this family for so long and barely ever washed clothes!”
Xie Weiqiang went to confront Sun Mei.
But Sun Mei, who had just returned from the educated youth station, was in high spirits after meeting Jiang Yantang. When Xie Weiqiang brought up Xu Yanlan, her mood soured immediately.
Once, Xie Weiqiang had been her favorite, the child she was most biased towards. She thought he was the most like her—smart and cultured, the most outstanding of her sons. But now, compared to her youngest son, Jiang Yantang, Xie Weiqiang was nothing.
Jiang Yantang was destined for greatness—university, city jobs, and a bright future. Meanwhile, Xie Weiqiang was just a substitute teacher scraping by in a village elementary school.
Sun Mei tore into Xie Weiqiang, leaving him stunned. “You still have the nerve to talk about this? Why aren’t you out earning work points if you have no classes? Sitting around eating for free? Even Yaozu is picking up your bad habits!”
Xie Weiqiang was shocked. Sun Mei, who used to dote on him, now nit-picked at everything. He realized the radio had made her furious, and he was caught in the crossfire.
Annoyed, Xie Weiqiang cursed Xu Yanlan silently. This is what you wanted—deal with it yourself!
That night, Xu Yanlan hugged the radio in her room with her family, waiting for someone to knock on the door out of curiosity. But no one came.
First daughter-in-law went to bed early with her three kids, and so did Second daughter-in-law. Sun Mei and Old Man Xie weren’t interested in modern gadgets. Xie Mingtu and Su Xiaoman, meanwhile, were busy translating articles.
“Xiaoman, do you want a radio?” Xie Mingtu asked earnestly.
Su Xiaoman shook her head. “Let’s wait for the future. For now, let’s focus on our work tonight.”
Xie Mingtu nodded, returning to his transcription.
Su Xiaoman watched him work, her curiosity piqued. “Is Second Sister-in-law using the radio now? Can you hear what’s playing?”
Xie Mingtu set his pen down and paused. “I can hear it. Xiaoman, do you want to know what it’s playing?”
Su Xiaoman chuckled and shook her head. “No need, I don’t want to listen. But when you do, be careful not to pick up any weird stuff.”
With hearing as sharp as Xie Mingtu’s, he could easily gain an advantage in many ways.
Su Xiaoman couldn’t help but envy the experience of being a real-life “eavesdropper.” Thinking back to how Xu Yanlan flaunted her radio all day and now no one cared about it, Su Xiaoman imagined her probably fuming with frustration. Xu Yanlan wanted people to beg her for a chance to listen, but Xie Mingtu could simply hear it directly.
The radio mostly played news, music, movie scores, or traditional operas. Su Xiaoman worried a little—what if her “dog” secretly learned to sing love songs to her?
Xie Mingtu looked puzzled. “Weird stuff?”
Su Xiaoman nodded. “Just don’t pick up odd things.”
“Xiaoman, if you don’t listen, I won’t either.” Xie Mingtu resumed writing. When he focused on something, outside noises simply faded away.
Under the cool autumn breeze, Su Xiaoman leaned closer to him. While one of them flipped through books and drafted content, the other edited his handwriting, correcting sentences and admiring the energy and uniqueness in his calligraphy.
Xie Mingtu had already read the books borrowed from Wang Huaixian, even making notes on several pages. Su Xiaoman glanced at them and realized they were beyond her comprehension—likely advanced physics topics surpassing high school-level material.
As a liberal arts student, Su Xiaoman wasn’t sure what academic level Xie Mingtu had reached, nor did she have a test to measure his knowledge.
But she knew one thing for sure: Xie Mingtu’s knowledge was growing rapidly. Even without a privileged background or connections, when the national college entrance examination resumed in 1977, he would undoubtedly excel. He had the potential to rise above others and shine as a genius in his field.
He wouldn’t need family ties or social standing—just his natural talent and hard work.
Right now, Jiang Yantang was widely seen as a gifted “son of heaven,” while Xie Mingtu appeared to others as a mere rural peasant. Su Xiaoman wondered how Jiang’s family would react to suddenly gaining a son like Xie Mingtu.
She worried because of her own experiences. She’d grown accustomed to her adoptive parents’ indifference, but even her biological parents…
Sometimes, it was better not to reunite at all.
In the original story, Xie Mingtu was described as inferior to Jiang Yantang in every way, disliked by the Jiang family, and seen as far less capable than Jiang’s second uncle.
But was Xie Mingtu really less capable than Jiang Yantang?
Not at all. He simply didn’t benefit from their bias.
For now, they needed to focus on improving themselves and living well in the present.
—
When they handed their translated draft to Wang Huaixian, the old man reviewed it and couldn’t help but praise them. “Excellent, excellent. This is even better than some of my former students’ work.”
“The handwriting is good too, though it could use a bit more polish. Who wrote this? There’s not a single correction mark!”
“Mingtu wrote it.” Su Xiaoman couldn’t help but feel admiration for her “dog.” Even she would occasionally make mistakes while writing, requiring crossed-out corrections. But not Xie Mingtu. Unless she distracted him with a surprise hug or kiss, he never wrote a single word wrong.
Truly focused, her “dog” was the epitome of dedication.
Focused men were undeniably attractive.
“By the way, are you two a couple?” Wang Huaixian asked.
“Xiaoman is my wife,” Xie Mingtu immediately declared, quick to claim his territory.
“You’re married?”
Su Xiaoman nodded. Technically, they were married—even though they didn’t have an official certificate yet.
“This draft is excellent—you’ve done me a great favour.” Wang Huaixian handed them ten yuan for their work, thanking them for their help.
“Mr. Wang, if you need more assistance in the future, we’re happy to help.” Ten yuan wasn’t much, but for them, it was a legitimate and meaningful way to earn money.
“That’s wonderful. I’ve got plenty of work to translate.” Wang Huaixian also wanted to help these talented young people. Earning money in the countryside wasn’t easy.
“Oh, and I got you something.” Wang Huaixian handed them a library card for the city library. “With this, you can borrow books now.”
“Thank you so much, Mr. Wang!” Su Xiaoman and Xie Mingtu were ecstatic.
Initially, Su Xiaoman had planned to ask her second brother to help get a county library card. But now, with a city library card, they could borrow books directly. Although, a county card might still be useful since they weren’t based in the city, and one card could only borrow three books at a time.
Xie Mingtu read books so quickly that multiple cards would save them frequent trips.
Leaving Wang Huaixian’s house, the couple headed to the city library, borrowed three books, and placed them in a public locker before heading out to explore the city.
—
It felt like a regular date for any young couple.
The city had tall buildings and wide roads. Xie Mingtu observed the bustling traffic, listening to car horns and the ringing of bicycle bells. He saw many new things—plush sofas, flush toilets, and other urban novelties.
He’d once thought of giving Su Xiaoman a house like the Zhou family had. Now, his aspirations had shifted.
They strolled down a quiet ginkgo avenue, where golden leaves blanketed the ground like a soft carpet. Young couples rode bicycles through the golden pathway, the wheels making a soft rustling sound as leaves fluttered down onto their shoulders.
Su Xiaoman stood at the roadside, her eyes filled with envy. Xie Mingtu quickly ran off and returned with a borrowed bicycle, stopping it in front of her with a smile.
“Where’d you get this bike?” Su Xiaoman asked as she climbed onto the back, wrapping her arms around his waist.
“I borrowed it.”
“Just like that? Aren’t they worried you won’t return it?”
As she hugged him, Xie Mingtu’s smile deepened. “I told them I needed it to woo my wife. If I didn’t, she might leave me.”
Su Xiaoman playfully smacked his back. “Let me remind you—you don’t have a wife yet. I’m just your fiancée.”
“Xiaoman is my wife.” Xie Mingtu grinned. “Whoever’s hugging me from behind is my wife.”
Xie Mingtu rode his bike, carrying his wife through the ginkgo avenue strewn with golden leaves. The autumn breeze carried a faint chill, brushing against their faces and refreshing their spirits.
He wore only a thin black long-sleeve shirt, and when Su Xiaoman hugged his waist from behind, she could feel his firm, toned abs through the fabric. His muscles were solid and unyielding, no matter how much she poked at them.
Dressed in a light jacket, Su Xiaoman felt the autumn wind seep through her sleeves as they rode. She couldn’t help but pull her sleeves tighter to ward off the chill.
She envied her “hot-water-bottle-like” Xie Mingtu, who radiated warmth from head to toe. When she asked him multiple times before leaving if he felt cold, he confidently replied no. Hugging him now, she realized he truly wasn’t cold, emanating heat like a living heater.
Holding his waist tightly, Su Xiaoman rested her cheek against his back. A sweet and romantic feeling blossomed in her heart, and she couldn’t suppress a soft laugh.
“Manman, there’s a slope ahead.”
“Then be careful. But if I fall you won’t have dinner tonight.”
In her arms were not only the translation drafts but also a piece of paper—the results of a test they had just received.
Before heading back to Qiao Xin Village, they stopped in the city to buy some malted milk powder, milk candies, and chocolates. Chocolates, being a rare delicacy, could only be found in the city. Su Xiaoman unwrapped a piece of White Rabbit candy and held it to Xie Mingtu’s mouth.
He lowered his head and ate it but wrinkled his brow slightly—it was too sweet for his liking.
“What’s wrong? Don’t like it?” Seeing his expression, one might think he’d swallowed bitter medicine instead of sweet candy. Su Xiaoman, on the other hand, loved the soft, fragrant sweetness of milk candies.
“It’s a bit too sweet,” Xie Mingtu said softly. “You eat it, Xiaoman.”
“Then try this bitter one,” Su Xiaoman teased as she unwrapped a piece of chocolate and held it to his lips. Chocolate was high in calories and could replenish energy. Plus, with Xie Mingtu’s physique, there was no need to worry about him gaining weight.
Every bit of his muscle was lean and firm—tight, defined tendon flesh. She often found herself envious of his long legs, especially when he walked toward her, and her gaze uncontrollably drifted to them.
While chewing on the fragrant White Rabbit candy, Xie Mingtu felt full. He wasn’t a fan of sweet things, but when Xiaoman fed him, how could he possibly refuse?
The bitter chocolate melted in his mouth, transforming into a rich sweetness that felt even more indulgent than before.
“Want another?” Su Xiaoman teased, shaking the candy in her hand. She figured he probably hadn’t eaten much candy as a child, so now was the perfect time to make up for lost opportunities.
Xie Mingtu hesitated, then said, “If Xiaoman feeds me, I’ll eat.”
Amused, Su Xiaoman smiled and said, “Alright, let me feed you another milk candy.”
Xie Mingtu closed his eyes and nodded like he was bracing for a challenge.
“It’s just candy! Why are you acting like you’re heading into battle?” Su Xiaoman chuckled and popped the candy into her own mouth.
She had barely bitten into it, leaving two teeth marks on the candy, when she suddenly widened her eyes in shock—Xie Mingtu had swooped in, pressed his lips to hers, and deftly stolen the candy with his tongue.
Su Xiaoman stared at him in disbelief.
“Didn’t you say you’d feed me another piece?” Xie Mingtu asked with an innocent look, as if his actions were entirely reasonable.
“Want to feed me again?” His voice carried a playful tone. If being fed like this was the norm, he thought, he could happily eat candy every day for the rest of his life.
“No more!” Still tasting the lingering sweetness on her lips, Su Xiaoman glared at him and kicked his leg lightly. “You’re turning into a sly dog!”
“Xiaoman, don’t be mad.”
“Fine, you can carry me back home,” Su Xiaoman huffed.
—
Returning to Qiao Xin Village, they didn’t go straight to the Xie family but stopped by Su Xiaoman’s family home first. They handed the malted milk powder and candies to Liu Shufeng as filial offerings.
Holding the bag of items, Liu Shufeng was stunned.
“This… is for me?”
“Yes, Mother. Try this—it’s chocolate.”
“Where on earth did you get this?” Liu Shufeng couldn’t wrap her head around how her daughter and son-in-law had come by such luxuries. A sudden thought struck her, and she shivered. “You two aren’t involved in anything shady, are you? Don’t you dare do business in secret!”
She feared they might be following in Zhang Lili’s footsteps—engaging in private trade to make money. No, that couldn’t happen. If they got caught, it would mean public criticism and labour reform for the entire brigade.
“Tell me honestly—where did you get the money for this?”
Su Xiaoman smiled reassuringly, prompting Liu Shufeng to scold her with a few glares. “Don’t just laugh! You don’t understand how serious this is.”
“Mother, you can relax. The money was earned honestly.” Su Xiaoman explained as she handed over a stack of neatly bound foreign manuscripts. “Last time we were in the city, we met an old professor who needed translation work. We helped him translate some articles and earned a little money.”
“What? You?” Liu Shufeng was stunned. “You can do translations?” She would sooner believe pigs could climb trees.
Faced with Liu Shufeng’s incredulous expression, Su Xiaoman pulled her aside and patiently explained, “Mother, Mingtu is really talented—he’s a genius when it comes to learning. He can memorize entire texts after just two or three readings. Even though he hasn’t studied foreign languages formally, he’s flipped through a few dictionaries and memorized them.
“If he gets the chance to study properly, no one—not Educated Youth Jiang or Lin—will be able to compare to him.”
“Mother, you picked a husband for me with incredible potential. Even the professor praised him!”
—
Liu Shufeng’s expression turned increasingly bewildered. She seemed lost, struggling to reconcile this revelation. It felt like she was hearing an outlandish fairy tale.
Was the sun still shining today? Or was this all a dream? Her daughter and son-in-law had come to her, telling her things that sounded too unbelievable to be true.
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