When it came time to divide the food rations, another noisy argument erupted. Second Aunt Mo, in particular, was cursing up a storm, spewing insults like "old coot who won't die" and "freeloader." After a stern warning from Secretary Mo and Captain Guan, the militia battalion commander summoned a few militiamen. They forcibly poured out half a jar of rice from the rice crock, took down last year's corn and sorghum ears hanging from the beams to weigh out a portion for two people, and took some of the small pile of taro and sweet potatoes from the corner. But when they tried to go to the kitchen to ladle some lard and grab a few bowls, Second Aunt Mo blocked the doorway with her life, throwing herself on the ground, rolling around and wailing shamelessly. She absolutely would not let them in!
The sight made everyone shake their heads. In the end, Grandpa waved his hand, telling the militiamen not to bother. To be humiliated to this degree... he would rather give it all up!
Mo Guoqiang and Liu Fengying claimed they had many children of their own and were living hand-to-mouth, with no food to spare for Mo Xiaoman. The militiamen truly didn't find any grain in their house. Only Mo Xiaoman knew the truth. 'The couple had a new, large bed built just last year. The space underneath is sealed, and that's where the grain is hidden!'
'If they lifted those bed planks, who knows what other "surprising" treasures they might find!'
But when she met Liu Fengying's murderous gaze, Mo Xiaoman thought for a moment and decided not to expose their secret.
Grandpa and Grandma only wanted to be able to take Mo Xiaoman with them. Figuring they wouldn't be able to get much grain anyway, they gave up on it entirely.
Mo Xiaoman only took her three pieces of old clothing and a tattered cloth towel full of holes. Her neighbor, Granny Han, came over, saw it, and snatched the ragged cloth, tossing it back into the house. "What do you want a foot-wiping rag for?"
Mo Xiaoman paused, touched her face, and tilted her head as she told Granny Han, "That's not a foot-wiping rag. It's... it's my washcloth!"
Granny Han: "..."
Most families in the village weren't well-off, and everyone had a rough idea of how everyone else was doing. But no matter how poor, no one had ever seen a washcloth so tattered!
The other grannies and aunties nearby were amused by Mo Xiaoman's dazed and innocent look. They laughed until they were doubled over, tears streaming down their faces, but it was also out of heartache for Xiao Man!
Granny Han sighed. She took the old clothes Mo Xiaoman was hugging, shook them out one by one, and, shaking her head, threw them all back into the house. "You're still going to wear these when they're so tattered? You could pass for a beggar! Beggars belong in the city; we don't allow them in our village. Just leave them! I think I have a couple of your sister Jia Ying's old outfits at the bottom of a chest. I'll dig them out for you tonight. They'll probably be a bit long, but you can just shorten the sleeves and pant legs, and they'll be perfectly wearable!"
Life in the countryside was generally hard, but a few families managed to live relatively well. These were families with relatives working as cadres or factory workers in the city, or military families like the Han Family, who occasionally received packages and money orders and could thus live a more decent life.
The other grannies and aunties had nothing to give Mo Xiaoman, but they offered enthusiastic advice. "Jia Ying studies in the city, so her clothes are all made of good material. They're either khaki or from the military uniforms her dad sends back, and they've all been tailored to fit her perfectly. It would be a shame to cut them! Don't cut them, just roll up the sleeves and pant legs. That way, she can wear them for a few more years!"
Mo Xiaosu, who had been sitting under the eaves watching the commotion, heard this and hurried over. "Granny Han," she called out sweetly. "I remember Sister Jia Ying used to have a military uniform outfit. It was so pretty and looked so sharp! I want it too. Granny, please give it to me!"
Granny Han glanced at Mo Xiaosu and pursed her lips. "My Jia Ying's clothes? The kids from my side of the family and all her cousins are already lined up waiting for them. How could it possibly be an outsider's turn? I'm only giving a couple of pieces to Xiao Man because I feel sorry for her. She doesn't have parents who love her, and her Grandpa and Grandma are old!"
Granny Mo, who had been sitting quietly and guarding their pile of belongings, now spoke in Granny Han's direction. "Granny Han, you're such a kind person. Thank you so much! Xiao Man, what are you waiting for? Thank your Granny Han!"
Mo Xiaoman bowed to Granny Han and said, "Thank you, Granny!"
Granny Han smiled. "Look at that! Grandma really knows how to raise a child. She's learned her manners in no time!"
'She's right,' Mo Xiaoman thought, ashamed. 'The Mo Xiaoman of my past life never knew how to bow or say thank you. She wouldn't even greet her elders when passing them on the road!'
Inside the house, Liu Fengying was straining her ears to listen to the women's conversation in the courtyard, seething with hatred.
Having successfully defended the kitchen, Second Aunt Mo turned to see the large gap in the corn and sorghum hanging from her beams. Her heart ached so much she beat her chest. Then she thought about how the old man had lived with them, eating her food and drinking her water, yet had secretly saved so much money, all for it to be handed over to Boss Mo and his wife for free. All her pent-up resentment found an outlet. She stormed furiously into the east room to confront Liu Fengying. The two sisters-in-law erupted into a massive catfight, which started with a screaming match and quickly escalated to fists, hair-pulling, and biting. It was quite the spectacle!
Because of the turmoil from splitting the family, Grandpa couldn't go to guard the reservoir that night. The production team leader told him to settle his family affairs first and sent someone else to cover his post for a few nights.
Watching the raucous fighting between the families of Boss Mo and Mo Er, Secretary Mo shook his head repeatedly. He figured there was no way Grandpa Mo could stay in that courtyard for the night. He took it upon himself to ask the militia battalion commander and his men to help move Grandpa's belongings to his own house. The secretary was fifty years old, only six or seven years younger than Grandpa Mo. He was not only the village party secretary but also a clan brother and had known Grandpa Mo and his wife well since they were young. It was a suitable arrangement for them to stay at his place for a night, so Grandpa Mo and Granny Mo didn't object. As for Mo Xiaoman, she was like a little chick or duckling, just sticking close to her Grandpa and Grandma.
The layout and size of Secretary Mo's courtyard were similar to Mo Guoqiang's, but it was much better kept than what the Mo brothers had. As twilight fell, electric lights turned on in all five of the tiled main rooms and the side rooms. Light spilled from the doorways, illuminating the courtyard and revealing its contents clearly. Everything was neatly arranged, and the ground was clean and tidy. To the right of the gate was a well with a curb built of stone slabs. It used an old-fashioned windlass to draw water with a rope. Despite its age, it made getting water very convenient, saving them the long walk to fetch water with buckets.
Secretary Mo's family clearly knew how to live well. Of course, one also needed a certain level of financial stability to dig a private family well.
Secretary Mo said to Grandpa Mo, "Brother Mo, you all can stay in my younger brother's rooms tonight. They've been empty for a while, but my wife is diligent. She cleans them every few days and airs out the cotton mattresses regularly. They're very clean. You can just unroll the bedding and go to sleep!"
Grandpa Mo quickly replied, "No need, no need! We can just borrow the bed frames. We have our own things—mats and quilts. My wife is a picky sleeper; she needs her own quilt to be able to sleep!"
Secretary Mo took this as a polite refusal and didn't press the issue. He went to call his wife over to make the arrangements.
It was only then that Mo Xiaoman slowly began to recall the details. 'Secretary Mo did have a younger brother who was a worker in the city and had married a city girl. Their whole family had non-agricultural household registrations. Even though they lived in the city, Secretary Mo had still set aside two rooms of the ancestral home for his brother. And even though they rarely came back, he still had the rooms cleaned every few days, keeping them spotless inside and out.'
'Now *this* is what you call true brotherly devotion,' she thought. 'The older brother farms in the countryside and looks after the ancestral home, while the younger brother in the city has surely given his older brother plenty of benefits in return!'
'Just a moment ago in Secretary Mo's main hall, she'd spotted a desktop radio on a table, a round mantel clock under a glass dome, a Forever brand bicycle under the wooden stairs, and in a room with an open door, a shiny sewing machine against the wall—a South China brand!'
'In this era, these were all highly sought-after luxury items. To buy them, money alone wasn't enough; you also needed purchase permits and industrial coupons! And those two things were only easily obtainable for people with urban, non-agricultural household registrations!'
'If Secretary Mo didn't have the support of a brother working in the city, his family could never have owned so many of these scarce goods at once, no matter how capable he was!'
Secretary Mo's family was quite large, however; he and his wife had seven children! The two eldest daughters were married, the third and fourth sons had taken wives and had children of their own, the fifth had graduated from junior high and was farming at home while awaiting a job recommendation, the sixth was in elementary school, and the seventh... was just four years old!
The couple were already grandparents, yet their youngest daughter was younger than their grandchildren!
As they approached the house, several little children rushed over. The secretary picked up his youngest daughter while freeing a hand to hold his granddaughter's. Then two snotty-nosed little boys ran up, one calling him "Grandpa" and the other "Grandpa" as well...
Watching Secretary Mo struggle to handle them all, Mo Xiaoman found the chaotic, happy scene endlessly amusing. She couldn't stop herself from wanting to laugh; she felt almost giddy with it!
Mo Guoqiang's family had plenty of children too, but their home had never given Mo Xiaoman this feeling of joy and happiness. 'Not in two lifetimes. Never!'