After playing outside to their hearts’ content, the little twins returned to the main hall with their two older brothers, their heads dripping with sweat. By late May, the weather in Shencheng was already quite hot.
Inside the main hall, right by the entrance, was a stack of a thousand glued-together paper boxes—this was the entire batch Aunt Fen had brought home this time.
Even the little twins knew these boxes would be exchanged for money, and money meant meat and candy. So, never dared to touch them. Whenever they passed by, they’d tiptoe with exaggerated care, their tiny, deliberate movements were so adorable that it was almost impossible not to scoop them up and kiss their chubby cheeks.
It was Sunday, which meant Xiangdong and Xiangxi had no school. Both boys were excellent students and never brought homework home.
They usually completed all their assignments before school ended, giving them free time at home to help with whatever chores they could handle or look after the twins to keep them from bothering anyone else.
This was especially important because their older sister was about to take the college entrance examination. Weekends were her only chance to focus on studying, and during the week, she was already burdened with taking care of the little ones. Now it was their turn to lighten the family’s burden by doing what they could.
“Are you home, little ones? Is you great-aunt there?”
A loud bang bang bang suddenly echoed as someone knocked heavily on the front door.
“We’re here! Yangyang and Nuannuan are home too…” Their tiny voices rang out as they dashed toward the door, eager to greet the visitor.
“Slow down, you two! Be careful, or you’ll trip!”
Xiangxi followed behind at a more measured pace. No matter how fast the little ones ran, they always hit the same obstacle—needing an adult to open the door since they couldn’t reach the latch.
When they reached the door, they exchanged glances, then turned their heads in unison toward Xiangxi, who was catching up. Their intent was obvious.
Seeing their expectant faces, Xiangxi chuckled. “I told you to slow down. What’s the point of running so fast if you still need me to open the door?” He teased as he slid the latch aside, pulled the door open, and greeted, “Hello, Granny Zhang!”
The twins mimicked him, chirping in unison, “Hello, Granny Zhang!”
Granny Zhang, their next-door neighbor, was sixty-five years old. Though more than a decade older than their Aunt, both women shared a similar background, having attended old-style schools where they learned good etiquette and to read and write. They shared similar temperaments—calm, kind, and wise—making them fast friends who always had plenty to talk about.
“Oh, it’s you little darlings! Is your great-aunt home?” she asked, stepping through the doorway with her hands full..
“She and Aunt Fen just finished folding paper boxes and are resting in the living room.”
“These two little ones ran out the moment they heard knocking. I was afraid they’d fall, so we followed them.” Aunt Fen said.
Their Aunt and Aunt Fen came out from the main room. Aunt greeted the visitor with a smile. “Come in, Sister Zhang! When did you get back?”
Then, she cast a disapproving glance at the twins and scolded, “You two are always dashing to the door whenever someone knocks. You run so fast I can’t catch up! What if no one’s paying attention, and you open the door for a stranger? What if someone kidnaps you?”
“They’re sensible kids,” Aunt Fen interjected, defending the children. “They only ran because they knew it was Auntie Zhang. When it’s someone they don’t know, they always come to find an adult.”
Granny Zhang chuckled and chimed in, “Such clever, well-mannered children!”
Their Aunt sighed, shaking her head. “Everyone’s always spoiling them, leaving me to play the bad guy.”
The truth was, the whole family doted on the twins. Everyone felt especially protective, knowing they had lost both parents at such a young age.
The three older children had spent time with their parents and visited them at the army base during school holidays. The two youngest, however, had not seen their mother or father since they were brought back to Shencheng at eight months old.
Luckily, they were so young that they had no memories of their parents and didn’t grasp the concept of loss. Besides, everyone in the family showered the twins with love, making them cheerful, lively, and full of energy.
In the main room, Aunt Fen poured water from the thermos into a glass jar for Granny Zhang. She opened a small cupboard, took out a sugar jar, scooped a handful, stirred it into the glass and offered it to their guest.
“Here you go, Auntie Zhang. Have some sweetened water to freshen up.”
Granny Zhang waved her hand. “There’s no need to fuss over me. Sugar’s so rare these days. You can’t even buy it without a ticket! Save it for the children instead.” She smiled and motioned to the kids.
Aunt shook her head, placing the cup back in front of her friend. “No need to be formal with me, Sister Zhang. Jiajia says too much sugar is bad for your teeth, so we’ve limited it to two pieces a day per child. There’s plenty left.”
The children, sensible as always, nodded in agreement, waving their hands to show they didn’t mind. “We don’t need it. Please enjoy it yourself, Granny Zhang.”
Moved by the children’s good manners, Granny Zhang opened her bag and took out some candied hawthorn skewers wrapped in oiled paper, handing them to the little ones.
“Auntie Zhang, what are you doing?” Auntie hurried to stop her.
“These are from Wenjuan. She asked me to bring them for the kids. Everything in this bag is from her, and she made me swear you’d take it. You mustn’t refuse!”
Hearing this, Auntie nodded at the children, giving them permission to accept the treats. They politely took the skewers and thanked Granny Zhang.
It was the twins’ first time tasting candied hawthorn, and they were immediately captured by the sweet-and-sour flavor. Their eyes narrowed in delight as they licked their tongues across the sticky glaze.
“Alright, just one piece each. Save the rest for later—too much candy will rot your teeth,” Xiangdong said, stepping into his role as big brother. When he saw them reaching for another, he firmly but gently took the skewer away.
Yangyang sighed, eyeing the skewer longingly, but he didn’t fuss or complain.
Nuannuan, always quick-witted, chimed in with a mischievous grin, “Kids who eat too many sweets get tooth bugs and ouchie teeth!”
As she spoke, Nuannuan placed her chubby little hand on Yangyang’s cheek, her expression one of exaggerated pain as if she were suffering in his place.
“Oh no, oh no!” she groaned, dramatically pretending to feel Yangyang’s “toothache.”
She let out exaggerated hissing sounds, her playful dramatics made everyone burst into laughter, even Xiangdong, who rarely cracked a smile, couldn’t help but laugh.
Once the laughter subsided, Auntie wiped away her tears of joy with the back of her hand and turned to Granny Zhang.
“You stayed at your daughter’s house a long time this time—nearly two months! How is everything with Wenjuan’s family?”
Granny Zhang sighed deeply before responding.
“It’s all because of her husband’s second sister-in-law… What a mess!”
She shook her head as she went on, “Wenjuan’s in-laws had some property before liberation. Most of it was donated during the war, but her father-in-law managed to hold back a little. His plan was to divide it between his three sons when life became more stable. He even said if he didn’t live to see better days, the eldest son should keep the valuables safe and wait for better times to share it with everyone.”
“But somehow, the second daughter-in-law got wind of it. She wasn’t happy at all, claiming the old man favored the eldest son and doted on the youngest, leaving their second branch stuck in the middle, neglected. Even though the eldest and second sons share the same mother, who knows how much would actually be left for their branch once the old man is gone? She’d say, ‘Why is it that one brother is a government official, the other a military commander, and our branch just a minor factory supervisor?And that eldest brother never helps his own full-blooded sibling.’”
Granny Zhang mimicked the second daughter-in-law’s bitter tone as she recounted the words before pausing to drink some water.
“Good heavens! Every single day, she’s stirring up trouble at home, making the whole family miserable. This time, since Wenjuan and her husband live on the military base and only visit the old family home on holidays, her sister-in-law accused them of neglecting their duty to care for the elders. She created such a fuss over splitting the property and inheritance that the poor old man collapsed in a fit of rage and had to be rushed to the hospital!”
Granny Zhang grew more and more indignant as she spoke, her face tight with frustration.
“Just thinking about that troublemaker back in Beijing makes my blood boil. And that’s only what I witnessed. Heaven knows how much more Wenjuan had to put up with when I wasn’t around!”
“She figured it was that second son pulling the strings, plotting in the background while sending his wife to do the dirty work. Among the three brothers, he has the darkest heart.”
Granny Zhang sighed and went on.
“When the old man was admitted to the hospital, Wenjuan’s husband was in the army and couldn’t leave, and both of their kids were away—one serving in the military, the other still in school. Wenjuan had to balance her job while arranging shifts with the other families to look after the old man. I felt sorry for my daughter, so I stayed a bit longer to make sure she didn’t have to come home to a cold stove after all that stress.”
Auntie patted Granny Zhang’s hand, her tone soft and soothing. “Don’t wear yourself out, old sister. Thankfully, Wenjuan and her family live on the military base most of the time and don’t have to deal with that sister-in-law too often.” She smiled and quickly changed the subject, her eyes twinkling with curiosity.
“Wasn’t part of your trip about Wenjuan finding a match for Haoxuan? You went to help judge the girl and take a break in Beijing, right? So, what’s the story? Did they meet? What’s the family like?”
It wasn’t surprising that Auntie was curious. Even Aunt Fen, who had been sewing shoe soles, raised her head and listened intently.
Both women knew how important it was to find a kind, respectful daughter-in-law from a good family. This wasn’t just any match, after all, she would become Jiajia’s future sister-in-law and the the family’s eldest daughter-in-law. If her character was flawed, it would be their children who would suffer for it in the years to come.
Believe it or not, comrade Wei Jiajia was engaged. The groom-to-be was none other than Granny Zhang’s little grandson, Zhang Wenjuan’s youngest son. The boy is five years older than Wei Jia Jia, making him 21 this year.
Both families share a deep connection, having fought together as soldiers in the same unit. Wei Jiajia’s father and Zhang Wenjuan were childhood friends.
Father Wei had been particularly close with Zhang Wenjuan’s third brother. The two families lived next door to each other, and the boys walked to and from school together every day. With Wenjuan just a few years younger, she naturally became their inseparable little tagalong. When the war broke out, they all enlisted to fight against the Japanese together.
During her service in the army’s medical corps, Wenjuan met her husband. She cared for the wounded Qiao father, and their shared struggles forged a love that grew under the watchful eye of the revolution. With the blessing of the organization, they wed and soon after started a family.
Jiajia’s parents, on the other hand, had fallen deeply in love from the moment they met. Their love led to marriage, and soon after, to the birth of little Wei Jiajia.
When her husband had to return to his unit, Wei Mother couldn’t bear to be apart from him. Educated and well-read, she was deeply moved by tales of lost battles and national sorrow. Determined to contribute to the cause herself, she left her young daughter in her aunt’s care and joined her husband at the front.
Wei Mother had attended high school and was assigned to a medical corps where educated personnel were urgently needed. That’s where she met Zhang Wenjuan, who was also serving in the medical team.
Because of her close ties to Wei Father, Zhang Wenjuan took great care of the new recruit. Over time, the two women developed a deep friendship, sharing everything with each other.
When Zhang Wenjuan learned that Wei Mother had recently given birth to a baby girl, she was curious. With parents as good looking as the Weis, the child was sure to be beautiful. Since both families were familiar with each other’s backgrounds and trusted one another, Wenjuan began to think about arranging a marriage between her youngest son and little Wei Jiajia.
Father Wei was initially against the idea. However, Mother Wei, influenced by her growing friendship with Wenjuan and her trust in the integrity of her family, found herself persuaded. She believed that her daughter would find happiness there and never face mistreatment from her in-laws.
In the end, Father Wei gave his consent. The agreement was formalized with Wenjuan’s third brother and a commanding officer from the military as witnesses. The two families exchanged symbolic tokens, making the engagement official.
Axolotl Translations 
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