Chapter 17

Old Mrs. Chen sewed three school bags, even-handed about it.

Chen Shaoyuan put his on first and swaggered about in front of his brothers.

Chen Dayu and Chen Xiaoyu were quieter in their delight. The two of them held their bags tight in both hands and smiled with their lips pressed together.

Chen Chengzhuang could run and jump by now. It was talking he wasn't clear on.

Zhao Qinhua stood to one side with her arms folded. The cloth in those three bags would have made her son a jacket. She couldn't say so, since the coupons came from the third brother in the county. Then she remembered what her own mother had told her to do.

"Ma, have you any cloth left over? My nephew's starting school this year too and he wants a bag."

Old Mrs. Chen's eyes came round like knives.

"He isn't my grandson. Do I owe you something?" And she turned away, all smiles, and went back to playing with Yuanyuan. She saw it clearly now. The third family was doing the best of all of them this year, her third son was never short of work, and a life like that gave you something to look forward to. The granddaughter they had taken in deserved the credit, and in her mind that was settled.

"Second son's wife, you're cooking tonight. Steam Yuanyuan an egg as well." Old Mrs. Chen arranged it with a smile.

Zhao Qinhua set her teeth and said nothing, gave a snort and went to her own room.

Li Yue'e had no objection. Things were good in the Chen house now. Since the third brother picked up the county work at the start of the year they had lived much better than before. Her own husband was no use, but her husband's brother was, and she was better off for it. If they favoured the child a little, she was willing enough.

Old Mrs. Chen took Chen Yuanyuan by one hand and out they went. Work was over for the day and it was cooler.

Zhao Wanwan went past with the basket on her back. She knew all the Chen children had started school. That was another thing the book hadn't had. Chen Dayu never went to school in it.

"Out for a walk, are you? She'll be walking properly soon, this one." Li Guilan was very taken with Yuanyuan. She was so pretty and so good with it. She put a hand out and Yuanyuan took it.

Chen Yuanyuan was happy to be led along and didn't mind in the least who was leading her.

Old Mrs. Chen wasn't holding her, but she kept her eyes on her.

"I should think so. Chengzhuang was past one and still not walking. She's nearly ten months and nearly walking." Old Mrs. Chen talked and played with her at the same time.

Li Guilan laughed and touched the little cheek, then turned and saw her own daughter come out of the house. Since the fever left her simple, the girl went out sometimes but never where there were people. This was the first time she had come out on her own.

"Out to play, Danju?" Old Mrs. Chen greeted her pleasantly.

Qian Danju didn't answer.

Old Mrs. Chen thought nothing of it. The girl was ill.

It sat heavily on Li Guilan. She looked around at the others talking in twos and threes, saw that nobody was watching them, and frowned as she started.

"You've no idea. Somebody was making a match for Qian Jin, and when they heard he had a sister like this they wouldn't have it. And he's as stubborn as they come. I've told him he needn't see to her, I'll see to Danju myself, and he can go and make a life."

It sat heavily on old Mrs. Chen too. She had watched Qian Jin grow up. He was a good boy. But nobody was doing well these days, let alone with a burden like that on them.

While the two of them were taken up with it, Qian Danju had reached Chen Yuanyuan. She took a sweet out of her pocket and held it out to her.

Li Guilan was astonished. Her daughter never went near anybody like that.

Old Mrs. Chen said nothing, watching what Qian Danju did.

Qian Danju had started out as she always did, standing in the doorway watching people talk. She knew she was ill, in fact, and she could feel clearly enough whether people meant her well or badly. What she couldn't account for was this. The child looked to her as though she were wrapped in a layer of light, and it made her want to come close.

Chen Yuanyuan looked up with her eyes wide, then narrowed them into a smile and took the sweet out of her hand.

When Qian Danju saw her take it, something in her let go, and she couldn't have said why. Then she looked up and found she was being watched, and got up quickly and went.

Li Guilan had seen only that much, and everything in her changed at once.

"Could she, could she get better, do you think?" She looked at old Mrs. Chen with red eyes.

Old Mrs. Chen was startled too. She had thought it herself before, and now, suddenly, something seemed to bear it out.

"Guilan, don't get carried away. One moment like that doesn't tell us anything. We'll have to watch a while longer."

Li Guilan was already wiping her eyes. If the girl really could get well, her whole family would owe the child more than she could say.

Old Mrs. Chen walked Chen Yuanyuan about outside a while longer, then swept her up and took her home.

That night, while Baijia Village slept, nobody noticed a strand of Qian Danju's spirit return to its place.

Li Guilan saw the difference in her daughter the next day. She seemed to follow what was said to her, and she didn't fly into tempers over nothing.

In October 1969 the weather cooled and Baijia Village started bringing in the maize.

Chen Yuanyuan could walk.

The village school broke up.

The Chens were all out in the fields, and even Chen Yougong stopped his work in the county.

Chen Shaoyuan took the younger ones to play at the edge of the field.

Chen Yuanyuan was still unsteady, and nobody else wanted her along.

Chen Chengzhuang was a year and five months and could run fast enough.

At midday Yao Shangqing carried the food she had made up to the embankment. Boiled sweet potato, and with heavy work to do, plenty of cornmeal worked into the buns.

Chen Shaoyuan and the others weren't hungry yet and didn't eat. They stayed playing on the embankment.

"Shangqing, don't forget to boil Yuanyuan an egg." Old Mrs. Chen got it in, as though afraid she would.

Yao Shangqing said yes. She had genuinely forgotten. Half a morning in the field and then cooking at home, and it had gone out of her head.

Old Mrs. Chen nodded.

The grown-ups finished their food, and Yao Shangqing went back to get the children's ready, told the older ones what to do and hurried out to the fields again.

Chen Dayu took the egg out of the basket and gave it to Chen Yuanyuan. She saw nothing wrong in it. Her third uncle earned the money that sent her and Xiaoyu to school, and she was grateful enough. Looking after her little sister made her happy too.

Chen Yuanyuan carried the egg from the kitchen to the room where she slept and put it on the table. She wanted to keep it for her mother.

Chen Chengzhuang had his eye on the egg and came along behind her.

Chen Yuanyuan turned and saw him, and without knowing why, she gripped the egg tighter.

Chen Chengzhuang looked at the egg in her hand and made a grab for it.

Chen Yuanyuan hugged it to her and twisted aside, and Chen Chengzhuang went down against a stool and set up a wail.

Chen Dayu and the others heard it in the kitchen and came out.