Early in the morning, Bai Lan shivered as she opened her door and headed toward the public restroom.
If there was one worst thing about living in a shared courtyard, it was that there were no toilets or bathing facilities. Bathing wasn’t so bad—you could wash at home in the summer and go to the public bathhouse in the winter. But the toilet situation was truly inconvenient.
The public restroom was unsanitary enough, but on top of that, you had to queue up during peak hours. Sure enough, before Bai Lan even reached the restroom, she could hear voices coming from that direction.
It was amazing—people were standing in line at the crack of dawn, chamber pots in hand, freezing in the cold wind, and still finding the energy to chat.
Bai Lan quietly walked to the end of the line and pricked up her ears to listen to the aunties and married women chatting.
One would talk about how unfilial her daughter-in-law was, another about how her mother-in-law mistreated her. In short, they chattered away, each with their own opinions, and both sides always sounded reasonable.
“Hey, Auntie Qian. You’re all smiles this early in the morning. Did you find a treasure or something?” Widow Hu’s loud voice sounded from behind. Bai Lan didn’t turn around, but soon heard Widow Hu calling out to her: “Bai Lan! Didn’t your Bai Ping bring back a cartload of winter vegetables the other day? Is your family going to join the courtyard to get winter vegetables today?”
In previous years, getting winter vegetables was something the whole courtyard did together. The women were responsible for lining up at the vegetable station, and as soon the big truck arrived, they’d rush to grab the vegetables. The men would quickly pull their carts over, and together, they’d haul everything back to the courtyard.
But Bai Ping and Song Guoping had delivered a cart of napa cabbage a couple of days ago. Her dad hadn’t wanted to accept them, just like with the coal before. But in the end, he kept them. After all, a cart of napa cabbage cost twenty yuan at most. Her dad said that since they’d raised Bai Ping all these years, it was only right she treated them to a cart of vegetables.
Plus, Grandma and the eldest maternal uncle had also brought another cart, so the family had more than enough vegetables this year.
“No, we’re not going. We have enough vegetables this year.”
“That’s true. No matter how disloyal Bai Ping was, stealing your prospect, at least the napa cabbage was a filial offering to your parents.”
Widow Hu’s words were especially grating. Bai Lan replied coolly, “Comrade Song has nothing to do with me. Auntie Hu, you should watch what you say. Also, Auntie, keep it down when you’re fighting with Gao Qingqing. Don’t let it blow up and get reported to the street office again.”
Ever since consummating the marriage, Gao Qingqing hadn’t settled down either. She seemed to think that now that she’d slept with Hu Aimin, the Hu family was even more obligated to find her a job.
At Bai Lan’s words, Widow Hu instantly shut her mouth.
Auntie Qian tried to smooth things over: “Oh, even lips and teeth bump sometimes. Family harmony brings prosperity. Family harmony brings prosperity. Bai Lan, your third sister has had a hard life too. She’s been living away from home since she was young, and I hear her job isn’t going well. But now she’s found a good prospect—at least she’ll be taken care of in the second half of her life. You only have one third sister. Get along with her and don’t throw tantrums.”
Bai Lan didn’t want to listen to this preachy nonsense. In fact, ever since Bai Ping brought Song Guoping home that day, quite a few people had started talking like this. Hearing it again from Auntie Qian’s mouth so early in the morning felt like bad luck.
Her own parents weren’t forcing any of the sisters to change their attitude toward Bai Ping. Who were these neighbors to lecture her?
Still, Bai Lan didn’t say anything. Auntie Qian and her husband lived alone; their only daughter had married and moved away. There was no point in Bai Lan picking a fight with such empty-nesters.
—
After coming out of the restroom, Bai Lan went home and, while eating breakfast, told her family about the preachy things Auntie Qian had said.
The main point was that after Grandma’s visit, her mom had completely come around. But people outside didn’t know that—they still thought the whole family was opposing Bai Ping. They kept coming to play peacemaker, and it was getting annoying.
Bai Lian reached out and tapped her youngest sister’s head. “Just listen and nod along when they talk. Once something new comes along, this will all blow over.”
The family was chatting and laughing when they heard someone in the courtyard yell, “Bai Ping is back home early again!”
Bai Lan rolled her eyes and looked toward the yard. There was Auntie Qian, the very same woman who had been talking at the restroom, happily pulling Bai Ping across the moon gate and heading toward their house.
Bai Ping was enjoying Auntie Qian’s enthusiasm and was also pleased by the neighbors’ surprise. She pressed down a smile. “Yes, work isn’t busy lately, so I’m coming home more often to spend time with Mom and Dad.”
“Oh my, now that you have a prospect, you should be going out with him instead.” Auntie Qian spoke like someone who knew the ropes and patted Bai Ping’s arm.
Bai Ping didn’t mind. Among all the neighbors in the courtyard, Auntie Qian was the nicest to her.
“My prospect is busy tidying up the house these days.”
The statement was deliberately vague, but Auntie Qian beamed. “Oh, that means the happy occasion is near!”
Widow Hu was standing at her door holding a steamed corn bun, watching the spectacle. Hearing this, she shouted gleefully, “Oh, Bai Ping is about to get married!”
As she spoke, Widow Hu deliberately yelled a few more times toward the Bai family’s direction. Her manner made it clear she was saying it specifically for them to hear.
But the Bai family had already made peace with the matter. No one paid it any mind.
—
Bai Lan, meanwhile, grabbed two steamed buns and walked right past Bai Ping, heading straight for Xu Jianbei.
That’s right—Xu Jianbei had now moved into the courtyard. He stayed here about three or four days a week. The rest of the time he stayed in the apartment the factory had given him. It depended on his work schedule.
“When your family gets the winter vegetables later, do you need to go help?”
Xu Jianbei took the buns and shook his head. “My eldest and third brothers are enough. I won’t get in the way. By the way, I might be taking a trip to Haicheng soon…”
Xu Jianbei had previously made plans to transfer to Haicheng for work. But after meeting Bai Lan, he decided to stay in Beicheng. Still, he needed to make a trip to Haicheng. He would be going with a few master technicians to help calibrate some machines.
Bai Lan’s heart stirred at the mention of Haicheng. Haicheng in the 1970s—she wondered what it was like. She was actually a bit curious to see it. She’d heard that besides Beicheng, Haicheng had the most abundant supplies in the country.
Xu Jianbei continued talking about his work arrangements, then asked, “Is there anything you want? I’ll find time to look for it for you.”
Bai Lan thought for a moment. There wasn’t really anything she was urgently lacking.
They weren’t keeping their conversation from the Xu family. So as soon as Xu Jianbei said this, Su Xiaomei’s ungracious voice rang out: “I’m lacking, I’m lacking…”
Miao Daju shot her a stern glare. “If you’re lacking something, go ask your own husband for it.”
Su Xiaomei huffed, “Hmph, what’s so great about Haicheng? Auntie Qian’s daughter married into Haicheng, and she doesn’t put on airs…”
No one paid any attention to Su Xiaomei’s muttering. Bai Lan heard it but acted like she hadn’t.
But before noon, before the winter vegetables had even been fully hauled in, someone new arrived at the courtyard. And this person was none other than the daughter of Auntie Qian—the one Su Xiaomei had mentioned that morning, who had married and moved to Haicheng.
—
“Oh, Chunyun, what brings you back to your family home at this time of year—it’s not even a festival!”
Bai Lan was sitting at the entrance with Xu Jianbei, a notebook in hand, discussing what to buy in Haicheng, when they saw a small, thin middle-aged woman carrying bags and bundles into the courtyard.
She was wearing a dark blue woolen coat and heeled leather shoes. Her hair had a slight wave to it, but she’d pinned it up so as not to draw attention. Her features were ordinary, but her skin was well-maintained.
All in all, she was a quite stylish woman.
Bai Lan searched her memory and recognized her as Qian Chunyun, Auntie Qian’s daughter. This woman seemed to come back only once every few years after marrying into Haicheng. The rest of the time, the elderly Qian couple would go to Haicheng to visit her. No one expected her to show up out of nowhere at neither a festival nor a holiday.
The people in the courtyard were all thinking along the same lines as Bai Lan.
Qian Chunyun smiled warmly as she greeted everyone. “Oh, it’s just that I haven’t been home in a long time, so I came back to see everyone. The whole courtyard is full of vegetables—looks like I timed it perfectly!”
“We haven’t even finished hauling them all in yet,” Auntie Qian said, overjoyed to see her daughter. She pulled her toward their house.
“Xiao Lan, looks like your mom won’t be sad anymore, not one bit.” Miao Daju’s voice came from behind her. Bai Lan looked at her, puzzled.
Miao Daju explained, “Chunyun and your mom used to be very close! It’s only after Chunyun married into Haicheng that they drifted apart.”
Bai Lan searched her memory and seemed to recall that was true.
But her mom really wasn’t sad anymore. Hadn’t they noticed that when Bai Ping showed up that morning, Mom didn’t even chase her away? That meant she had completely stopped caring about what Bai Ping did outside.
Still, she knew Miao Daju meant well, so she didn’t reject the comment. She smiled and changed the subject. “Auntie, why don’t we have Jianbei bring you back a nice scarf from Haicheng? I hear the cashmere scarves from Haicheng are especially beautiful.”
—
A cashmere scarf from Haicheng wasn’t available yet, but Haicheng pastries showed up half an hour later.
Bai Lan watched Qian Chunyun, who had brought the pastries to their door, and thought to herself that this woman really knew how to handle people.
“Chunyun, you finally came back for a visit, and you brought pastries? They must have been so heavy!”
Bai Mom’s tone carried a hint of familiarity, clearly indicating that their relationship was indeed quite close.
Qian Chunyun smiled. “It’s nothing. Haven’t your family been looking after my parents all this time? There are only so many households in this courtyard. Giving one portion to each family doesn’t take up much space.”
That was true—as soon as Qian Chunyun returned, she went door to door giving out pastries to thank everyone for looking after Uncle Qian and Auntie Qian. The Qians’ winter vegetables had even been hauled in by the courtyard residents together.
Bai Mom smiled and then asked her friend, whom she hadn’t seen in years, “How come you have time to come back this year?”
Qian Chunyun laughed. “Well, some relatives on my husband’s side are getting married. I came back to attend the wedding.”
The two women were catching up. Bai Lan wasn’t interested in listening, so she got ready to go back inside. Bai Ping had exchanged a few words with the family after arriving, then retreated to her bed to lie down. Bai Lan wanted to see what exactly her sister was really back for.
Then she heard her mom asking Qian Chunyun about her in-laws. Bai Lan tuned it out completely.
It wasn’t until dinner that evening that Bai Lan heard her dad muttering, “Didn’t Qian Chunyun look down on the courtyard ever since she married into Haicheng?”
Bai Mom still valued the friendships of her youth. She shook her head. “That’s not it. She married up. Her in-laws are strict.”
Bai Dad: “Even if they’re strict, they could still let her bring the children back. Look at the old Qians—they go all the way to Haicheng every single year just to see their daughter and grandchildren. I bet they’ll be heading to Haicheng again for the New Year this year.”
Bai Ping rarely appeared at the dinner table. Hearing this, she curled her lip. She thought to herself that if she married into a bustling big city like Haicheng, she’d look down on this rundown courtyard too.
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