It’s important to know that many county elementary schools in numerous cities were still far from having the infrastructure to install landline telephones. Wen Yaozu’s hometown was Beijing, the capital. However, the rural area he came from was an extremely impoverished county. It had been an assignment destination for educated youth sent to the countryside in previous years.
“Yes, there’s one in our principal’s office. When the workers came to install it, all the teachers and students went to watch the excitement,” he said.
This morning, he had used the landline phone in the living room to call the military operator, a soldier sister, and asked her to help connect him to the county school. After the call went through, he openly gave his name and asked the principal to find Teacher Li, the computer teacher at the school. He wanted to ask Teacher Li how to operate the computer. He also chatted with his friends still at the school.
She stopped teasing Wen Yaozu and explained with a smile, “Your brother-in-law will be back in a few days. He’ll bring the computer back with him.”
“Okay~”
Wen Yaozu lifted his shirt, revealing his round belly, and patted it twice. “Look, sis, I’ve lost a lot of weight.”
“Have you?”
“Yes, I have.”
A couple of days ago, he had found a grain scale in the small storage room piled with odds and ends and had been weighing himself on it every day.
A proud expression spread across Wen Yaozu’s face. He hitched up his pants and said spiritedly, “I’ve lost over ten pounds! When I go back to school, I won’t be the fat kid anymore.”
“That’s great. Keep up the good work.”
At Wen Yaozu’s age, praise was essential. Once he lost the weight and got his studies back on track, his future would be bright.
Wen Ci noticed he was covered in sweat. “Go take a shower. After that, I’ll take you to the mall.”
“What are we going to the mall for?”
“Go shower first.”
Wen Yaozu understood his sister wanted to buy him clothes. He shook his head. “No need to buy clothes. I’m still losing weight—they won’t fit for long!”
“You are losing weight, that’s true, but you’re still growing. In a couple of years, you might even be taller than me. Clothes in size L should fit you until high school.”
“Oh.”
Boys often have their biggest growth spurt in middle school.
Wen Yaozu had drunk milk and everything since he was young. Though he was overweight, he was much taller than his peers, which partly explained why he became the leader among the kids at school.
Watching Wen Yaozu’s retreating back as he went to his room, Wen Ci’s eyes curved into a smile. She planned to meet a few business owners at the mall and, while there, buy him some new clothes.
The clothes Wen Yaozu had brought with him from school were now loose on him after he’d lost over ten pounds. She would buy him two well-fitting outfits at the mall and a Hero brand fountain pen. Wen Yaozu would be starting middle school soon.
Unlike elementary school, middle school required students to stop using pencils.
In the 1980s, a Hero brand fountain pen was a highly symbolic gift. When key municipal schools held competitions, a Hero pen was often the prize for first place. She hoped Wen Yaozu would strive hard and aim high.
…
Meanwhile, at the Jiang family home.
Jiang Ye sat restlessly on the sofa, her eyes darting repeatedly toward her mother out of the corner of her eye. She bit her lower lip tightly, trying to maintain her composure.
“Mom…”
Seeing that her mother wasn’t responding, she steeled herself, then threw herself to her knees at her mother’s feet. She grabbed her mother’s hand and made it slap her own face, crying bitterly:
“Mom, I was wrong. Even though I was only a few years old when the Wen parents threatened me, wrong is wrong. Please, hit me until you feel better, okay?”
The soft, gentle hand striking Jiang Ye’s face had no real force behind it.
Superficially, Jiang Ye was admitting her mistake, but in reality, she was emphasizing how young she had been, incapable of distinguishing right from wrong.
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