1983, Northeast China

Chapter 48 My name is Chen Ting

The kang (heated brick bed) in the old house was heated all night.

The next day, as soon as Chen Shi opened the courtyard gate, he saw Sanzhu standing at the door pushing a small wooden cart with half a hemp rope hanging from the side. His shoulders were covered with frost, indicating that he had been waiting for a while.

"Shizi, didn't you say yesterday that we were moving today?" He rubbed his hands together. "We can't just eat the white steamed buns for nothing; we have to put in some effort today."

"Why didn't you knock on the door? You've been freezing outside." Chen Shi said as he ushered the person into the house.

"There's a postpartum nanny at home, so we're worried about disturbing the baby. She just arrived and hasn't been here long."

While the two were talking, Zhao Defa and Old Scarface arrived.

Old Scarface was carrying two bundles of straw rope. "Don't just pile them on the truck. Make sure the pots and pans are tied up securely, so they don't break on the way."

Zhao Defa was even more direct, waving his hand and saying, "Move the big items first, such as bedding and food. We can take care of the rest of the odds and ends this afternoon."

Hearing the voices outside, Aunt Wang came out of the house. "Oh, you're all here pretty early."

Sanzhu laughed, "I ate white flour steamed buns yesterday. If I didn't come over, I'd feel guilty sleeping tonight."

Ya Ya chimed in, "Are white steamed buns the same as white bread?"

"Yes, we call it steamed buns, but different places have different names for it." Zhao Defa patted Ya Ya. "Let's get busy."

With a few people working together, the move started in a lively and bustling manner.

When they were carrying the old cabinet, the leg of the cabinet bumped. Li Cheng, who was carrying it in front, kept shouting to slow down. Sanzhuzi, who was behind, said that he was all talk and no action.

Even though the pots and pans were wrapped up, they still jingled twice when lifted up.

Chen Xiulan held Xiaoman in her arms, a sewing basket hanging from her arm. "Don't press down on this basket, it was left by my mother."

Aunt Wang's hand, which was reaching for the basket, froze in mid-air. Her voice softened as she said, "If you had told me earlier, I would have made it up for you tonight. If I hadn't done it well, I would have wasted all these years of my life."

Chen Xiulan smiled.

"You stay here for now, I'll go with the car to the old house to tidy up. Do you want to go now, or wait until it's all done?" Aunt Wang asked Chen Xiulan.

Chen Xiulan thought for a moment, "I'll go over now. Xiaoman slept soundly this morning, and I can lend a hand. I'll have to go sooner or later anyway, it's unavoidable."

"Okay, it's up to you. Make sure Xiaoman is bundled up securely. I'll take care of Yaya."

The wooden cart was full of things, and it creaked and groaned when pushed. Huang Er didn't need to be told to walk close to the cart wheels. If any stranger got too close, it would look up and glance at them.

The road was bustling with activity, and people from several houses along the roadside would open their doors and come out to chat for a few minutes.

On a freezing cold day, nobody wants to stand outside chatting, but moving is a big deal, and when familiar faces meet, everyone can't help but take a second look.

"Has the Chen family really moved to their old house?"

"I heard that the people who helped yesterday gave us steamed buns and fish soup."

"No wonder Sanzhu pushed the cart there so early in the morning."

Sanzhu heard this, turned around and grinned, "They're meticulous in their work, so we can't be sloppy either."

"Wang Dahua, why did you go along too?"

"The children are filial. They've adopted a godparent, and now they insist on living together, saying it's convenient... I've refused for ages, but they're still not happy."

"Look at your expression, does it look like you're refusing? You old man, you've suddenly gained a son and a daughter, go and enjoy your life from now on."

The person who spoke smiled and retreated back inside the door.

There weren't actually that many things.

Looking at the pile of jars and pots, I realized that there were very few valuable items when I picked them up.

When Chen Shi pushed open the door to the old house, there was still a faint earthy smell of dried yellow mud inside, and the house was already quite warm.

Dong Licheng followed behind, carrying a roll of straw mat in his arms. As soon as he entered, he sniffed the air and said, "Why does it smell like roasted mud?"

"The newly sealed cracks in the kang (heated brick bed) will disappear after a while of drying. It's better than your ice cellar."

Li Cheng nodded, "Last night when I went back to sleep, I had a dream that we went to dig for fish and I fell into an ice hole."

"Be poor, and you'll have to lay out a mat on the kang (heated brick bed)."

The two tidied up the east room.

The kang mat was old, with two tears at the edges, which Aunt Wang sewed back together with hemp thread last night. After it was laid out, the east room suddenly looked habitable.

Chen Shi placed the bedding used by Chen Xiulan and Xiaoman inside the kang (a heated brick bed).

That spot was the most sheltered from the wind, and it was also convenient to get up at night to breastfeed. Ya Ya's bedding was next to Chen Xiulan's, while the spot near the edge of the kang was reserved for Aunt Wang. Xiao Man's diapers, swaddle blankets, and mugwort packets were all kept in a small wooden box at the head of the kang, within easy reach.

Li Cheng carried his bedding to the west room, sighing as he went.

"I've really become your long-term farmhand now."

"Meals and accommodation included."

"You even guarantee you'll get scolded? Why don't you say that?"

"This is your mother's bag."

Li Cheng thought about it and found he couldn't refute it.

Without needing to be called, Huang Er entered the yard, quickly surveyed its territory, found a comfortable spot, and lay down securely.

Ya Ya followed behind, holding the white tail tip in her arms. The puppy was not fully awake yet, and the white tuft of fur on its tail tip swayed back and forth.

White Tail Tip tucked himself off Ya Ya's arms and, imitating Yellow Ear, ran towards the courtyard gate. However, he slipped, rolled over, and couldn't get up for a long time.

Ya Ya quickly ran over, picked it up, and sternly lectured it, "Little White, don't imitate Yellow Ear yet, learn to walk properly first."

Li Cheng watched from the side and burst into laughter.

As Aunt Wang tidied up her things, she scolded him, "Why are you laughing at it? You walked like that when you were a kid too, big head, legs that couldn't keep up, you walked like a waddling egg."

Chen Xiulan directed several people who came to help to separate the flour, millet, and corn husks, while she herself put the medicine packet away in the cabinet.

Aunt Wang turned to look at her and said, "Well done, you're quite good at making arrangements."

Chen Xiulan was a little embarrassed, "My mother put it like this before I got married."

"Then let's put it there," Chen Shi said.

He noticed that after his sister returned to the old house, she was a little different, like before she got married, and she unconsciously started taking care of things at home.

We ate lunch at the old house.

Chen Shi didn't prepare a lavish meal. The fish soup was yesterday's broth, diluted with some water, and it was still cornbread.

After the meal, the people who had helped left one after another.

Aunt Wang placed the last bowl upside down on the stove and stood in the main room staring at it for a long time.

"I have to say, it really does feel like home."

Chen Xiulan folded Ya Ya's new cotton-padded jacket and looked at the little blue flowers on it. "After the New Year, in another six months, Ya Ya will be able to go to school."

When Ya Ya heard "go to school," she looked up and asked, "Mom, what's going to school for?"

Li Chengfei quickly interjected, "Going to school means getting scolded by the teacher."

"Don't force me to slap you when I'm happiest. Do you think everyone's like you?"

Chen Shi looked at Ya Ya and said, "Going to school means being with a lot of other children, learning knowledge, recognizing characters, being able to write and read letters, and being able to write your own name."

Chen Xiulan put away the little cotton-padded jacket. "Going to school will teach you a lot of things, and you'll be able to tell whether someone is lying to you in the future."

Ya Ya thought for a moment, then said, "I want to go."

"Once you start school, you can't keep calling her Yaya," said Aunt Wang. "You can just use her nickname at home, but at school you'll need a proper name."

"Don't I have a real name?" Ya Ya blinked.

Aunt Wang didn't know how to respond to this for a moment; mentioning Han Changgui at this time was really bad luck.

Chen Xiulan clenched her fist, rubbed her thumb and forefinger back and forth a couple of times, then slowly loosened her grip. "Yes."

Hearing her name called, Ya Ya sat up straighter. "What's your name?"

"You are my child, a child protected by the Chen family, and your surname is Chen." Chen Xiulan stroked Ya Ya's head, her eyes filled with tenderness as she said this.

Ya Ya seemed to understand, but not quite. "Like Mom and Uncle?"

"Yes, just like Mom, and just like Uncle." Chen Xiulan tucked a stray strand of hair from Ya Ya's forehead behind her ear.

"Her name is Chen Ting."

"The character has the radical for 'woman' and the character for 'graceful and elegant'," Chen Xiulan said. "I don't ask for her to be rich or powerful; I just want her to live a peaceful and safe life."

Chen Xiulan hugged Ya Ya in her arms, her voice a little hoarse, "My little Chen Ting."

Ya Ya seemed to understand a little and whispered, "Chen Ting."

After she finished reading, she looked at Chen Shi again.

"Uncle! My name is Chen Ting!"