pjbooks Chapter 22: Shoes
Chapter 22: Shoes
"Zhenghong, you rest, I'll air it out myself. Why did you bring so much stuff back again? Didn't Dad tell you last time to save it up?"
Although her sister-in-law complained, she was all smiles. She had seen it when she came back and went into the house to make tea for her brother-in-law; there was even a cloth inside.
"I brought the fish back from Andong. Although it was marinated, the weather is getting warmer and it can't be stored for long. Let's cook it and eat it in the next few days. It's a good opportunity for you to nourish yourself while you're pregnant."
Tang Hongxin, with a sweet tooth, kept staring at the fish and biting her fingers: "Sister-in-law, shall we eat fish today?"
"I want to eat it, but we'll have to wait for Dad and Mom to come back and tell me. Zheng Hong, are you a policeman now?"
"Yes, not local police, but railway police, responsible for safety issues during train operation."
Meng Laidi's smile widened. When she married into the Tang family, her relatives objected. Being the eldest son's wife meant a heavy burden in the future. Moreover, among the families that had arranged the marriage, they were the poorest. However, she and her parents were quite optimistic about the marriage, as they were both from poor peasant families and honest people.
"Railway police are police too. Now our family has someone working for the government. When did you buy this bicycle? Wasn't the one you rode last time borrowed?"
"Just recently, I asked a projectionist at the theater to inquire about buying an old one, but it looks new."
"I really didn't notice. I thought you bought a new one. It's just that it got quite dusty after riding it back. I'll wash it with water."
Just then, Tang Weijun came running back, panting heavily: "Sister-in-law, let me do it, let me wipe the car."
He had a purpose, after all. On the way back, he bragged to his friends that he had borrowed his second brother's bicycle after dinner to learn how to ride it.
Tang Zhenghong immediately saw through his younger brother's plan and didn't stop him: "Have Dad and Mom returned?"
Tang Weijun grinned and stroked the bicycle with satisfaction, not even bothering to reply to his second brother.
"Your second brother is asking you a question. Be careful, don't break his bicycle."
Tang Hongxin acted like a little patriarch, reversing the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches.
"I'm back. I'm walking behind you. It's sturdy and won't break. Second brother, can I learn to ride a bicycle after dinner? Gangdan from our class can ride a bicycle."
"What if you break it, Second Brother? You can't let him ride it."
"How are your grades this semester? Why didn't you come to school today?"
When asked about his academic performance, Tang Weijun blushed and stammered, "The school teachers went to some kind of study meeting, so we only got a day off, and we had to make up for it on Saturday. My test... I did pretty well."
"Okay, I'll teach you how to ride after we've eaten."
"Second brother is the best."
"Zhenghong, I've made up the kang for you. Go and rest for a while. I'll call you when the food is ready."
Over the past few years, my father has built three mud-brick houses. Two of them belong to my eldest brother and his wife, and one was used as a kitchen.
The room where the eldest brother and Wei Jun used to live has been converted into two smaller rooms, so Tang Zhenghong won't have to stay at someone else's house tonight like he did when he was a child.
Tang Zhenghong casually replied, finding it quite amusing to watch his younger sister running around the yard like a madwoman.
The chicks followed behind Tang Hongxin with great effort, like little shadows. Only when Tang Hongxin stopped did they catch their breath and, like Wangcai, huddle around their little master.
A little chick started to peck at food, nodding its head. It pecked at Tang Hongxin's big toe, but it's unclear whether it tasted anything.
The younger brother, who was washing the bicycle, was wearing shoes that were even worse than the original ones. There was a long patch on the back, but two holes were showing at the heels. I don't know what he was using to pad them, but they were mixed with mud and couldn't be seen for a while.
"Heart, come here."
When Tang Hongxin heard her second brother call her, she ran over like a whirlwind. This time, the clucking cats didn't follow; they were exhausted and were all searching for food on the ground to replenish their energy.
Wangcai was still wary of Tang Zhenghong. The little creature hid behind Tang Hongxin's legs, hopping and skipping as if it was gathering strength to sprint towards Tang Zhenghong, but it was also rather timid. It tried to pounce on him several times but did not dare to. It whimpered and reminded its little master not to get too close to this person.
"Wangcai, this is my second brother, don't call him that."
The little guy was quite clever. He cautiously went up and sniffed the scent to remember it. After Tang Zhenghong petted his head for a while, he happily surrendered, wagging his little tail as if he was about to take off.
"Come here, second brother, take a look at your shoes. Aren't they too tight?"
"It's not crowded at all. There's a wad of cloth in front. Mom said it can be patched up next year and we can still wear it."
Hongxin's feet weren't big, and she didn't wash her little feet when she went to play by the river. She was embarrassed when her second brother stared at her and picked at her toes.
"Wei Jun, what size shoes do you wear?"
Tang Weijun was cleaning the bicycle with extra effort. When he heard his second brother ask him a question, he scratched his head, stopped, and looked at his feet: "I wear a medium size."
In rural areas, shoes are usually made using patterns of large, medium, and small. If they are too big, you can pad the front so they can last for several years; if they are too small, you can add a section at the back. There are no specific sizes.
Tang Zhenghong was wearing size 3 shoes, which is equivalent to size 40 sold by Neiliansheng.
"Come here and let me take a look."
After gesturing with his hands for a while, I realized that this kid isn't very tall now, but his feet are quite big, probably size 37.
"Second brother, are you going to find someone to make shoes for me?"
Tang Weijun looked delighted, while Hongxin didn't care at all about what she was wearing, as long as she had something good to eat.
"Okay, I'll bring you two pairs later."
He was interrupted before he could finish speaking: "Why bother with this? He can't help with anything all day, he just runs around and wears out shoes. His last pair was just made last spring, look at the state they are now. Never mind him, let him go barefoot and go crazy when they're worn out."
It turned out that my parents and eldest brother had returned. It was my stepmother who was speaking, and as soon as she got home, she began to scold my third brother without holding back.
Tang Weijun pointed at the bicycle as if to take credit: "Mom, I helped my second brother clean his bicycle today, and I didn't ask you to do it."
"You've really gone too far! Do you think we can't handle you? If you don't go to school next time, you'll have to come with us to help in the fields. When your older brother was your age, he could do all kinds of farm work."
The cheapskate father interrupted the mother's spellcasting: "Alright, you've been nagging as soon as you get back. Go to the kitchen and cook. Third son, the family is supporting your education, so you should spend your free time reading. Otherwise, you'll end up like us, only able to do hard labor."
"Second son, while you talk to your father, Mom will go cook."
My little sister was very observant. She toddled over to the well and scooped up a ladle of water, saying, "Dad, have some water."
Tang Aiguo hadn't seen his younger brother during the last militia training, but seeing him dressed as a policeman now made him even happier than when he got married.
"Zhenghong, you've grown strong and taller than me. Dad, our family now has someone who works for the government!"
Actually, the eldest brother is about the same height as Tang Zhenghong, but he has been bending over since he was a child while working on the farm, so he has become a little hunchbacked.
Tang Shun was pleased to see how much more energetic his son looked in this outfit, but he still complained, "Why did you come back dressed like this? It's so flashy. Did you buy the bicycle?"
"I bought a used one; it looks new, and it wasn't expensive."
Tang Shun muttered under his breath about wasting money, but he also felt a pang of envy when he saw the bicycle.
The older brother, though not old, had been a heavy smoker for years. He tucked the cigarette his younger brother had given him behind his ear and skillfully pulled out a tobacco pouch from his father's waist to roll one for himself.
"Wei Jun, take these pickles and fish to the kitchen. We'll cook the fish for the next few days if we can."
The cheapskate father didn't say anything this time. He glanced at the sky and knew that his second son wouldn't be going back to the city that night: "Have your mother cook a fish."
Tang Hongxin was so excited about eating fish that she ran to the kitchen to report it as soon as she heard about it.
Upon entering the house, seeing a large bag on the table, Dad frowned: "What did you buy this time? You're just wasting your money."
"I sent you and my brother two pairs of shoes from Andong, and also two feet of coarse cotton cloth."
It was considered inappropriate for people in the village to wear leather shoes, so Tang Zhenghong brought his father and older brother Liberation Shoes, which were sturdy and suitable for both summer and winter.
"Anyway, it's your life, how you save and spend money is none of my business, it's up to you."
Afraid that his father would hurt his younger brother's feelings, Tang Aiguo took out the shoes, tried them on, and smoothed things over: "They fit perfectly. Dad, you should try them on too."
"Just leave it there; it'll be a waste to wear it in the fields."
Tang Zhenghong explained, "Dad, nowadays you need coupons for a lot of things. I reckon in a couple of years we might need coupons to buy shoes too, so I brought two pairs. It also saves Mom from having to light an oil lamp to sew shoe soles when she comes back from the fields, which hurts her eyes."
"My son really cares about me. If he doesn't want to wear them, he'll alter them and I'll wear them. Second son, don't buy shoes next time, it's a waste of money. You bring back so many old clothes, you won't have to worry about making shoes for years."
The eldest sister-in-law is filial. Her mother-in-law had been busy in the fields all day, so she took over the cooking duties and told her to go back to the room to rest. Just then, she overheard the old man complaining about his son.
The old man was a little embarrassed and took a couple of puffs of his cigarette: "I also brought you two feet of cloth. Now stop complaining all the time about not giving the eldest son's daughter any fabric if she gives birth."
"Zhenghong, are you doing well in the city? When my dad and I visited your courtyard, we felt that the people there weren't as welcoming as they are in the village."
"It's going smoothly. Sigh, this is perfectly normal. Don't think that city people are comfortable just because they have a fixed allowance. Some of them are not necessarily better off than us villagers, so there are quite a few petty people. If you can't get along with someone, just ignore them. I'm a railway policeman now, and I haven't encountered any unreasonable people yet."