Courir partout et jouer des rôles mineurs

Chapitre 2

The Qiu family still lived in a village in the town when they were young. A village in the town means that it was a small town, but there were villages on the edge of the town center. It makes sense, since the city wasn't particularly prosperous in the 1990s.

The village was divided into Upper Village and Lower Village, separated by a grove of trees. The Qiu family lived in Lower Village. Years had passed, and Upper Lin had long forgotten the exact location of his home, so he had no idea how to get home. Embarrassed, he grabbed Lower Lin and shouted, "Go ahead!"

He obediently led the way.

Teaching? Education?

After walking through a grove of trees and stepping over a high threshold, Shang Lin looked at the newly built houses and the dilapidated houses in the western corner, which stood in stark contrast, and felt a pang of sorrow in his heart.

Yes, this is Qiujiaxia Village. This is where my grandparents built their house. My uncle got married at the beginning of this year. He married the daughter of the Zhang family from the neighboring village. The head of the Zhang family works at the supply and marketing cooperative and is considered a prominent figure in the village. Their family is also wealthier than others. It's considered a "downward marriage" for the Li family's daughter to marry into the Qiu family! They didn't dare to feel wronged and built a new house according to the other family's requirements. They also renovated my grandparents' main house and my uncle's north house. Only the Shanglin family couldn't afford the subsidies and had no say. While the whole family was happily renovating their new house, they silently lived in their dilapidated house.

At this time, no one was in the old house; everyone was either at work or in the fields, and even the eldest cousin from the eldest uncle's family had gone to school. Seeing that Qiu Xialin was as dirty as a mud monkey, Xialin, who was used to being clean, couldn't stand it anymore. He fetched a basin of water, pressed him against the edge of the basin, and scooped water to give him a quick rinse.

Although Xia Lin was mischievous, she was still only three years old and weak. After being frightened by Shang Lin, she dared not resist and obediently let her do as she pleased. Fortunately, it was summer, and although it was well water, it was quite cool when poured on her. Shang Lin was thoughtful and worried that the well water was too cold, so she specially added a little hot water to make it lukewarm and thoroughly washed Xia Lin clean.

His clothes were obviously ruined, so we found two clean sets of clothes in the house, changed him into them, and sent him off to play. He just couldn't leave the hospital.

Squatting at the doorway, Shanglin stared blankly at the courtyard.

She had no interest in treasure hunting at home. What treasure was there to find? They were dirt poor, the four of them crammed into one room, with no room for chairs even with a table, and they'd brush against each other if they turned around.

Shanglin said he was three years old, and I was a year older than him, so I was four. If my memory serves me right, three years later, my mother, unable to bear the friction between her sisters-in-law and the favoritism of my grandparents, resolutely moved out of the old house and into a house next to my father's workplace. At first, there was no place to live, so we had to squeeze into a room even smaller than the west wing, next to the outhouse, and next to the pigsty.

After two years, a vacant room finally became available, and people gradually moved out. They moved around in the large courtyard, living in two rooms on each side.

This situation continued until she was eleven years old. The printing factory built a new building, and her family borrowed money to buy a two-bedroom apartment. They moved in happily, but the good days only lasted three years. When Qiu Shanglin was fourteen, her parents divorced due to debts, poverty, and other problems. Xia Lin stayed with her mother, while she stayed with her father. However, her father remarried six months later, and she was sent to a boarding school, where she rarely returned home until she graduated from university.

Dad's life wasn't going well either. His new wife had another daughter, the printing factory's business gradually declined, and Dad lost his job, making a living by doing small business. Mom was doing relatively well; she married a town official who had lost his wife, and they had some money. Mom had to take care of Xia Lin and her daughter there, often secretly slipping her some money, and helping her pay for school fees when they couldn't. But Xia Lin was a disappointment; he was a bad student from a young age, often stealing and doing petty theft. After his parents divorced, Mom couldn't take care of him, and he caused trouble at school, dropping out of school after junior high and hanging out with a bunch of local hooligans, rarely coming home.

He was a frequent visitor to the police station. After turning sixteen, he got into a fight out of loyalty, accidentally injured someone, and was imprisoned for two years before being released. He finally settled down a bit. As soon as he turned twenty, he found a girl to marry and began a somewhat unsettled life. His mother worried so much about him and shed so many tears!

As for Qiu Shanglin herself… she gave a bitter smile. Her maternal grandmother didn't care for her, and she was left to fend for herself, yet she fared the best among her relatives. She graduated from university, worked for a foreign company, and aside from relationship troubles, she had no worries about material life.

She's always been afraid to get close to people, using a cold exterior to mask her true feelings—isn't it because she's afraid of getting hurt again? After all, she's an unwanted child.

My family was poor when I was a child, and we lacked material comforts. Now that I'm grown up and earn my own money, I have no worries about food or drink, but I have no one to care for or love me. Looking back on my 27 years of life, it really feels like a failure!

She had thought countless times what if her father's printing factory hadn't gone bankrupt; what if her parents hadn't divorced; what if Qiu Xialin had been obedient and sensible; what if... but it was all wishful thinking.

Is God trying to make amends? By sending her back to her childhood and starting over!

She was too young and powerless before. Now that fate has given her this opportunity, she will seize it! She will absolutely not let history repeat itself; she will change herself, change her parents, change Qiu Xialin, and change their unhappy family!

Clenching my fist, I swore an oath to the heavens, raised my hand to my eyes, then hesitantly lowered it. Hmm, I should probably start by improving my hygiene! Looking at the grime under my fingernails, then at the cramped and messy room behind me, the unwashed dishes from lunch, the unmade bed, the dirty clothes soaking in a large basin, the fallen leaves and trash mingling in the yard…

With a long sigh, she resignedly began her work. First, she washed and set the dishes aside, then folded the blankets and made the bed, wiped all the accessible furniture until it shone, and diligently swept and mopped the floor. While keeping an eye on Qiu Xialin playing, she also worked hard on the laundry. That little rascal couldn't stay still; from the moment she started tidying the room, he was jumping around her, trying to sneak out several times, but Shanglin's sharp eyes spotted him and firmly stopped him. Finally, after cleaning her own house, she picked up a large broom and swept the yard thoroughly, throwing the trash outside the gate. Looking at her newly renovated home—she nodded in satisfaction—then, her eyes widened, and she roared:

"Qiu Xialin, you little rascal, are you itching for a beating again?!"

Qiu Xialin, who was trying to sneak into the main house, turned around, munching on her thumb and chuckling, "Sis, I'm hungry."

"Why go to the main house if you're hungry!" He was always irritable when he spoke to her.

"There's a sponge cake in Grandma's room. My great-aunt brought it over yesterday." The little one's eyes lit up when she talked about food.

It's better not to mention it, because mentioning her makes me angry! Why has this kid been so bad since he was little? It's all because Grandma spoils him! Even though Grandma favors my uncle's and my eldest uncle's families, she still loves the glib-tongued Qiu Xialin. She won't let my parents discipline him when he makes mistakes. Instead of protecting him, she blames them for not knowing how to raise their child.

His habit of stealing chickens and dogs was also developed from stealing delicious food from his grandmother's room when he was a child!

Grandpa had many sisters, three or four great-aunts, and they all married relatively close by, so they visited each other frequently. Grandma's room was often filled with gifts of biscuits, sponge cakes, and other irresistible treats for the children. Four families lived in the same courtyard, and the children would scatter after school, making it difficult to distribute them all. Grandma was stingy and rarely allowed the children to eat the snacks in her room. Qiu Xialin would steal some while the adults were at work. Whenever Grandma caught him, she would yell at his parents for raising a thief, yet she would also protect Qiu Xialin, the thief, in her arms, forbidding her to hit him. Add to that the instigation and sarcastic remarks from his aunt, and nine out of ten days were filled with unrest.

Thinking of this, and looking at Qiu Xialin's restless hands, she made up her mind: even if she had to chop them off, she would never allow it to happen again!

Despite her harsh words, they were still blood relatives, and besides, she was only four years old and didn't have the strength to chop off his hand. So she coaxed him and went into her own house to get him some steamed buns.

Qiu Xialin turned her head away disdainfully: "I won't eat it!"

Shanglin was furious. Looking at the steamed bun in his hand, he wished he could sew that picky mouth of his shut!

In 1986, China had entered the era of market economy, but not every family was very wealthy, especially families like theirs. Although the father had a job and was paid by the government, and received a fixed amount of food rations every month, it was not enough to feed the family of four, and they also had to give the grandparents their old-age food every month!

There were a few cornbread and cornmeal buns on the steamer. She had specially brought out white flour steamed buns to coax Qiu Xialin, but he dared to say he wouldn't eat them!

Approaching, he demanded, "Are you going to eat or not?"

Looking at her suddenly fierce older sister, then at the steamed bun in her hand, and then at the sun, calculating that her parents should be home by now, she turned her neck and said: "I won't eat it, I won't eat it, I'd rather die than eat it, it's dry and tasteless, I can't swallow it!"

Shanglin was delighted to hear this. "You think it's bland? I have a solution!"

She deftly pulled out a large white bowl, broke the steamed bun in half, rinsed it with water, poured in soy sauce, vinegar, salt, chopped green onions, and, steeling herself, added a little sesame oil, all to appease him.

"Look, doesn't this taste better? Let me tell you, this is a new way of eating it, called mutton stew with bread, it came from Xi'an. Do you know where Xi'an is? It's ancient Chang'an, the place where your favorite characters Li Jing and Cheng Yaojin lived. Even the emperor loved it! Li Shimin, the emperor who was so majestic with his spear!" Xia Lin loved listening to storytelling, especially the Romance of the Sui and Tang Dynasties!

Qiu Xialin looked at his sister suspiciously, picked up a piece to taste, and it didn't seem bad, so he obediently ate and drank, not forgetting to retort: "Li Shimin doesn't use a spear, he wields a broadsword! He's not the emperor yet!"

"Big sword, big sword!" echoed. As long as you behave, I wouldn't mind if Li Shimin threw an atomic bomb at me, let alone spears and swords!

With a smile, Shanglin watched him drink the soup and water in one gulp, wiped his mouth, and asked, "Was it delicious? If you're hungry again next time, tell your sister, and she'll make you something delicious!"

After eating and drinking to her heart's content, Qiu Xialin was satisfied. While savoring the taste, she picked up a toy water gun and said, "It's delicious, but sis, why is it called mutton stew? There's no mutton in it!"

Sweating at Shanglin Waterfall. This kid is really hard to fool. I casually took the bowls and chopsticks to the yard to wash them, teasing him as I did so:

"You know what mutton is, but you've never eaten it!"

Xia Lin stiffened his neck and perked up: "I've eaten it, at Third Grandmother's house, it was a gift from her aunt, I've eaten it!"

Is it delicious?

"It doesn't taste good, it has a gamey smell! It's not as good as pork!"

"That's because they don't know how to cook it. I'll cook it for you later, I guarantee it'll be delicious! I'll make you stir-fried lamb with garlic, it won't have any gamey smell at all, it'll be so fragrant!"

Xia Lin Kaixin: "Really?"

Nodding, "Yes, I won't lie to you, but you have to promise me you'll never sneak into Grandma's room to take food again! Otherwise, I won't cook anything for you!"

Qiu Xia Lin's little brain was working at lightning speed as he scrutinized this very different older sister. He wavered between the same old sweets and temptations he had never tasted before. When Shang Lin saw that he was not nodding, her face immediately darkened, and her hand was itching to slap him. If he dared to say no, she would immediately have a close encounter with his little bottom.

Observing the expressions and sensing something was wrong, he quickly nodded: "You keep your word, only a dog would lie!"

He held out his finger to make a pinky promise and get a stamp. Shanglin was taken aback, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. He stubbornly waited, so Shanglin had no choice but to make the pinky promise and get his hand wet in the process. Xialin didn't care about that. As long as he got his goal, he happily wiped his hands on his clothes. Xialin didn't have time to stop him and watched as he wiped his wet hands on his pants. He looked up to the sky and sighed. It was just impossible to guard against!

Qiu Xialin didn't care about any of that. He secretly glanced at the main house. Hey, if we don't let him eat secretly, he'll just take advantage of the time when you're not around and sweet-talk his grandma. It'll be a piece of cake for him!

He was calculating with great enthusiasm, but unfortunately, not long after, something happened that his little brain could never have imagined. His scheme failed. Fortunately, in the years that followed, Qiu Shanglin kept his word, and he indeed ate many things he had never heard of before.

Arguing? Conflict?

Li Hongwei paused for a moment as soon as she entered the courtyard. She felt that something had changed, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. Her little rascal called for his mother and rushed over. When she picked him up, she noticed subtle changes. Her little rascal had been playing all day, yet he was so clean? His clothes weren't the same ones he wore that morning, and the ones fluttering in the wind on the yard's tarpaulin were the clothes she had soaked in the basin.

It was a hot summer day. By mid-afternoon, Shanglin's washed clothes were completely dry. She stood on a small stool, tiptoeing, as she was collecting the clothes when she heard Qiu Xialin, who was holding the stool for her, call out "Mom!" and "Mom!" and rush off. Feeling flustered without someone to help her, she quickly took off her clothes and carefully climbed down from the stool. Li Hongwei was already there, scolding her:

"Be careful! How tall are you? Why are you climbing on the stool to collect the clothes? What if you fall? Don't wait for me to come back!"

Shang Lin chuckled: "I was just worried that you'd get tired from work."

Li Hongwei was taken aback again. His daughter was timid and cowardly, and he couldn't get her to say a word even if he hit her hard. When did she start talking sweetly?

Qiu Shanglin turned to her younger brother in her arms: "I told you to hold onto the stool, why did you run? What if the stool tipped over?"

The one in charge is back. Qiu Xialin was about to show off and resist when she heard this. Oh, why is she still so arrogant even though her savior is back? She huddled in her mother's arms, feeling wronged.

"Mom, Qiu Shanglin is bullying me!"

Li Hongwei gently patted his son on the shoulder: "Shanglin is right, what if the stool gets crooked!"

He twisted his body in dissatisfaction: "Mom, Qiu Shanglin bullied me!"

Shanglin glared at her: "You dare call me Qiu Shanglin? You have no manners! I'm your older sister, people will laugh at you when they see you! Be careful, or the teacher won't let you go to school!"

In a child's mind, going to school is a very interesting and glorious thing. Just look at your older cousins; they carry their little schoolbags every day, have a penny for pocket money, colorful textbooks, and magical pencils that they treasure and won't let anyone touch! Qiu Xialin was full of anticipation for going to school, but as soon as he heard that he wasn't allowed to go, he immediately wilted and obediently stopped talking, only tugging at Li Hongwei's hair.

Shanglin said again, "Get down! Mom's been working all day, and you're still causing trouble!"

Under Li Hongwei's astonished gaze, Qiu Xialin broke free and stood obediently on his own.

It's only been an afternoon, how come the daughter and son have changed so much, like they've switched places? At lunchtime, Xia Lin was still bossing his sister around without any politeness, while Shang Lin didn't say a word and just kept eating!

When they got to their own room, they were even more shocked, standing at the door hesitantly, unable to believe it.

It was definitely her own home, but it looked so different, she almost didn't recognize it. The blankets were neatly folded, the sheets were perfectly smooth without a single wrinkle, the tables and chairs were spotless, and everything was in its proper place—even her son's toys were arranged tidyly. A vase of wildflowers sat vibrantly on the bedside table. This small room was the cleanest, tidiest, and most beautiful it had ever been since her wedding!

While she was still in a daze, Shanglin had already carried branches and leaves outside, and then carried coal in a winnowing basket. She was not strong, so she could only carry a small amount at a time, and it took her three or four trips to carry enough for dinner. Then she directed Qiuxialin to help her carry the chimney to the coal stove, and asked naturally:

"Mom, what are we having for dinner?"

Qiu Xialin was no longer hungry and didn't care about dinner. After finishing the chores his sister had assigned him, he grabbed the water gun and went to play in the yard. Shanglin chased after him, shouting:

"Qiu Xialin, if you dare to get your clothes or the yard dirty, I won't teach you to write!"

Li Hongwei frowned: "When did you learn to write?"

Shanglin casually fiddled with the firewood, lit some leaves, stuffed them into the stove to start a fire, and said, "Oh, Qiu Ru, the older sister at the village entrance, is on holiday from school. I learned a few words from her this afternoon."

Qiu Ru is in junior high school this year and lives at school, only coming home once a week. Don't worry about your mother asking, she did see Qiu Ru today, but only from a distance!