Axolotl Translations

When Wei Jiajia woke up the next morning, Qiao Haoyu had already left. She glanced at the empty space beside her, wondering what time he had returned last night.

She had vaguely felt him massaging her legs in her half-asleep state, but she had been far too exhausted to open her eyes or ask him anything. In the end, she had simply rolled over and drifted back to sleep.

Outside, Nuannuan’s lively chatter echoed through the courtyard. Stretching lazily in bed, Wei Jiajia hesitated for a moment, then gave up on fully enjoying the stretch for fear of straining her belly. Instead, she raised her arms slightly and let out a soft “Mmm,” ending the stretch half-heartedly and reluctantly.

Sitting up, she patted her belly gently and murmured, “You see how much fun Mommy has to give up for you two? If you turn out to be naughty little troublemakers, don’t think your dad can protect you—I’ll still spank those little butts.”

Satisfied with her one-sided warning to the oblivious twins inside her belly, she got up and dressed.

Stepping out of her room, she saw everyone gathered in the main hall, chatting. Xiangxi was animatedly recounting something to them, while the others watched him with amused expressions. Every now and then, the occasional cluck of a chicken chimed in from the side.

“What’s got everyone in such a good mood? What time did you guys get back last night?” Wei Jiajia asked, turning to her younger brother.

“Sister! Did I wake you up?” Xiangxi scratched his head sheepishly before answering, “We got back around eleven. I was just telling great-aunt about what happened in the village last night!”

“From the way you’re beaming, I’m guessing you had quite a successful trip.”

Hearing that, Xiangxi couldn’t resist showing off. He pointed proudly at the chicken coop on the ground. “Sister, look! We traded for five chickens—real laying hens! They lay an egg a day!”

To him, it was an incredible deal. Five chickens meant five eggs a day. How could they ever run out of eggs now?

Wei Jiajia followed his gaze, then turned to great-aunt with a smile. “Not bad! Looks like we won’t have to worry about eggs anymore. We should build them a proper coop, right?”

“This morning, before Haoyu left, he said that once he’s back, he’ll ask logistics for some unused wooden planks and build a chicken coop in the backyard.” Since they didn’t have any extra bricks at home, they’d have to rely on whatever they could find from logistics.

“And aside from the chickens, what else?” Wei Jiajia asked.

Great-aunt smiled. “The three of them got pretty lucky this time. Aside from the eggs, they managed to trade for several animal pelts, a variety of seafood from the coast—dried seaweed, salted fish, all sorts of sun-dried shellfish. There may not have been much grain to go around, but having these is still great. At least we can mix things up in our meals.”

“That’s wonderful. These are all nutritious foods—it’s good to have more of them.” The community supply center did sell seafood, and fresh ones at that, but the selection was limited, and each household had strict rationing. With so many people in their family, it was never quite enough. Now that the weather was getting colder, supplies were dwindling even more.

The villages behind the military district were close to the sea, but arable land was scarce. Because of this, the village had organized a fishing team, complete with designated fishing boats to go out to sea.

Thanks to this, even though the famine had hit them hard and grain was scarce, at least no one had starved to death.

What the villagers didn’t lack were seafood products. Even beyond the rations distributed by the collective, families could gather plenty just by picking along the shore. What they did lack was grain, money, and ration tickets.

Grain shortages were a given, but as for money and tickets—those were needed for everything. Building houses, getting married, sending children to school, paying for medical care, and even eating out required them. Yet for farmers, the only real income they had came at the end of the year when work points were settled, which often fell far short when they needed it most.

That’s why when Qiao Haoyu and the others came to barter, offering cash and ration tickets for supplies, the villagers were more than happy to trade. They had more than enough seafood to spare, and while some were reluctant to part with their chickens, there were always a few willing to make a deal.

“I’m planning to sort through everything they brought back,” great-aunt said as she watched Wei Jiajia eat breakfast. “With the New Year coming up, we should put together a few packages and send them to your mother-in-law and Haoyu’s older brother. It’ll be a nice gesture from you two as a couple.”

After all, as a daughter-in-law, it wouldn’t do to let the occasion pass without showing some goodwill. These seafood items might not seem like much here, but inland, they were a rare delicacy—highly sought after.

“Alright, once I finish eating, let’s sort everything out together. Besides my mother-in-law, let’s also send a package to Aunt Fen and Haoyu’s maternal grandparents.” Wei Jiajia nodded in agreement.

A clear, cheerful voice rang out from the courtyard. “Nuannuan, Yangyang, come outside and play with us!”

Moments later, a young girl appeared at the doorway of the main hall. Seeing Wei Jiajia and the others inside, she showed no sign of shyness. Instead, she greeted them with a bright smile. “Hello, Fairy Auntie! Hello, Grandma! I came to ask Nuannuan and Yangyang to come play with us.”

As she spoke, her grin revealed the obvious gap where her front teeth were missing.

The twins were tempted. They had only met their new friend yesterday, but hearing her invitation, they turned to their sister expectantly.

Wei Jiajia couldn’t help but laugh at their puppy-dog eyes. When had she ever given them the impression that they needed her permission to make friends?

“It’s Rou Rou! Did you come here by yourself?” she asked gently.

“I came with Big Fatty and Goudan, but they were too scared to come inside, so they’re waiting outside the gate,” the little girl immediately ratted out her companions.

“Thank you for inviting Nuannuan and Yangyang to play. Here, take some candy.” Great-aunt pulled a handful of hard candies from her pocket and tucked them into the girl’s coat pocket. “Make sure to share with your friends outside.”

“Thank you, Grandma! Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on Nuannuan and Yangyang and won’t let anyone bully them!” The little girl patted her chest with confidence, making such a serious promise that everyone in the room burst into laughter.

“Go on, then. Have fun and be careful.” Wei Jiajia smiled at the three children.

As Nuannuan and Rou Rou ran out hand in hand, with Yangyang following closely behind, joyful shouts could be heard from the courtyard. It seemed they were eagerly sharing the candy.

“She’s a good kid—not the least bit shy, and she’s got a lively personality. She’s bound to do well when she grows up.” Great-aunt turned to Wei Jiajia with an approving smile.

“She’s a little mischief-maker,” Wei Jiajia said with amusement. “Her parents are researchers and aren’t home often, so she lives here with her grandparents. The first time she met me, she called me ‘Fairy Sister.’ Now that she knows I’m Nuannuan’s sister, she’s upgraded it to ‘Fairy Auntie.’”

The little girl’s name was Chen Rou. Although her parents worked at the local research institute and couldn’t be with her often, her grandparents doted on her, raising her with plenty of love and care.

Great-aunt nodded. She had heard from Jiajia before that the military compound here was somewhat unique—not only did it house military families, but also the families of those working in the military research institute.

Wei Jiajia glanced at her two younger brothers and asked, “Don’t you two want to go out and play for a bit? Didn’t you make any new friends while playing ball yesterday?”

How was it that the younger twins had already made friends, but these two still had no playmates coming over?

“We’ll help you sort out last night’s leftovers first, then head out in the afternoon,” Xiangdong replied. He was puzzled by the hint of sympathy in his sister’s gaze—what had they done to deserve that?

Beside him, Xiangxi nodded in agreement.

After finishing her meal, Wei Jiajia had Xiangdong and Xiangxi bring out the stored food while she prepared several smaller bags to sort everything.

They carefully divided the items to be sent to each family, packed up the remaining portions, and set aside what they would eat soon in the kitchen. Everything else, she instructed the boys to store in the cellar.

“There’s a cellar here?” Xiangxi asked in surprise.

“It’s in the backyard. I’ll take you there.”

She had actually asked Qiao Haoyu to dig it for her. Grabbing a flashlight from the cabinet, Wei Jiajia led the way outside.

They reached the backyard and lifted the wooden board covering the cellar entrance. After waiting a moment, Xiangdong and Xiangxi climbed down the ladder to store the food.

Not long after, Xiangxi’s startled voice echoed from inside.

Wei Jiajia raised an eyebrow. She had expected this reaction—the moment he saw what was inside, he was bound to be shocked.

“What’s that boy yelling about in there? Just put the stuff down and come back up. Don’t you find it stifling down there?” Great-aunt grumbled with mild disdain.

“Leave them be. Let them take their time. We should go back inside,” Wei Jiajia said with a laugh, gently taking Auntie’s arm and turning to head back in.

About ten minutes later, Xiangxi emerged first, walking briskly, while Xiangdong followed behind at a leisurely pace.

Xiangxi plopped down beside Wei Jiajia, a wide, fawning grin on his face.

“What do you want?” she asked.

“Sister, did you rob someone? How else could you have so many good things in the cellar?” Xiangxi whispered conspiratorially.

Wei Jiajia glanced at him, then turned to look at Xiangdong, who was sitting on the other side, quietly flipping open a book. Their faces were identical, yet their expressions couldn’t be more different. Anyone who knew them, even just a little, would never mix them up. One was calm and serious, barely ever smiling. The other—cheerful, carefree, a true mischief-maker. And, of course, the one who always got into trouble.

She let out a scoffing laugh and smacked Xiangxi lightly on the head.

“Ah! Sister, why’d you hit me?” Xiangxi yelped, rubbing his head, his expression pitiful.

“Because you’re spouting nonsense. Who exactly do you think I robbed?” Wei Jiajia shot him an exasperated look.

Xiangxi mumbled under his breath, still sulking. “I was just joking…”

“A joke like that isn’t funny,” Wei Jiajia said flatly.

“Fine, fine, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have made fun of my fairy-like sister.” Xiangxi quickly changed his tune, though curiosity still gleamed in his eyes. “I was just surprised, that’s all. How did you manage to gather so much good stuff? That’s not a small amount, you know!”

Even great-aunt, who had been quietly sewing tiny shoes for the baby in Wei Jiajia’s belly, looked over, intrigued.

Wei Jiajia glanced at them. She knew that since they’d all be living together, there was no way to keep it a secret forever. She had brought these supplies out precisely so they wouldn’t have to worry about food and could eat with peace of mind.

She had already prepared her explanation.

“I got that grain from the black market at a high price. It’s top-quality flour and rice. They say it was smuggled in from the border.” Since the area wasn’t too far from the border, the story was believable enough.

“As for the meat and other dried goods, I got them from the same black-market contact. Apparently, those were collected from nearby sources. The pork, for example, supposedly came from a secret pig farm they set up in the mountains.”

“You’re buying this much—are you sure it’s safe?” Great-aunt asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

Wei Jiajia smiled reassuringly at great-aunt. “It’s fine. He doesn’t even know who I am. Someone I met by chance in the provincial city introduced me to the contact. The goods were transported here by intermediaries. Plus, it was just a one-time deal—I’ve never even met the person face-to-face. There won’t be any trouble.”

“That’s a relief.” The supplies were indeed valuable, but what worried grand-aunt most was bringing trouble to Haoyu. As a military family, they couldn’t afford to break the rules. If they were caught, it could destroy her husband’s career. If that were the case, no matter how good these things were, they wouldn’t be worth the risk.

Seeing that everyone believed her explanation, Wei Jiajia quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

“Sister, can we have dumplings made with white flour tonight?” Xiangxi, now at ease knowing the food was safe, immediately started making requests. Just thinking about white flour dumplings made his mouth water, and he secretly swallowed a bit of saliva.

Watching her younger brother cling to her arm and act spoiled, Wei Jiajia chuckled and nodded in agreement. The moment she did, Xiangxi sprang up with excitement and pulled his older brother toward the backyard, insisting they find the best-looking piece of meat and the freshest radish. Tonight, they were going to have white flour dumplings with radish and pork filling.

“You just spoil him,” great-aunt said with a helpless shake of her head as she watched Xiangxi’s enthusiastic retreat.

“That’s what I bought it for—to let everyone enjoy a good meal,” Wei Jiajia replied with a smile. “Like you said last night, good food makes people happy.”

“You! Using my own words against me,” great-aunt scolded lightly, tapping Jiajia’s forehead with her finger.

“Hehehe…” Wei Jiajia only grinned mischievously and said nothing.

Though grand-aunt chided her, she didn’t stop Xiangxi and Xiangdong. If the children were craving something delicious, they should have a good meal. And Jiajia, carrying a baby, should eat well too.

She made up her mind—when the opportunity arose, she would find a way to trade for more supplies. Then, they could eat freely without having to ration everything so carefully. A simple meal of dumplings shouldn’t feel like a once-a-year celebration.

By the time Qiao Haoyu returned home from work, the moment he stepped into the courtyard, he saw Yangyang and Nuannuan sitting on the doorstep, their tiny hands propping up their chins as they stared expectantly at the gate.

The second they spotted him, their eyes lit up, and they jumped to their feet. Without a word, they split up and ran in opposite directions.

Nuannuan turned and dashed into the house, calling out excitedly, “Brother-in-law is back!” Even her voice was filled with joy.

Yangyang dashed up to Qiao Haoyu, quickly bolted the door from the inside, and eagerly grabbed his brother-in-law’s hand, pulling him toward the house. “Come on, Brother-in-law, we’ve been waiting for you!” he urged as they walked.

Qiao Haoyu set down the wooden planks he’d brought from the depot, leaning them against the wall, and followed Yangyang inside. The rich aroma from the kitchen immediately hit him, making him chuckle as he ruffled Yangyang’s hair. So that was why the kids were so impatient—dinner!

He walked over to where his wife sat on the couch, gently stroking her hair. “What delicious food is great-aunt making? It smells incredible!” he asked with a smile.

Wei Jiajia leaned into his palm, rubbing her head against it like a contented kitten, her eyes half-closed. “We’re having white flour dumplings tonight! Radish and pork filling, and egg and dried shrimp. Plus seaweed soup—it’s going to be so good! We were just waiting for you to get home to start cooking them.”

“Go wash up, Haoyu. Dinner’s almost ready,” great-aunt called out, stepping from the kitchen to hurry him along before diving back into her cooking.

The kids had been looking forward to this meal all afternoon, ever since they started wrapping the dumplings. The moment Qiao Haoyu walked in, Nuannuan burst into the kitchen, announcing they could finally cook them.

Taking advantage of a brief moment when no one was looking, Qiao Haoyu leaned down and gave his wife a quick kiss before straightening up and heading to the washbasin.

Wei Jiajia touched the spot where he’d kissed her, her face glowing. Smiling, she rose from the couch and went to the dining table.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to help cook—they simply wouldn’t let her. She’d managed to wrap a few dumplings after much protest. Great-aunt had done the rest, with Xiangdong and Xiangxi helping. Jiajia’s main job was just to eat.

“Here, take these two bowls to your Sister Huimin,” great-aunt said, placing steaming hot dumplings into large bowls and handing them to Xiangxi.

Each bowl was filled to the brim with both kinds of dumplings—enough for a couple’s meal.

“Okay!” Xiangxi grabbed the bowls and hurried out the door. He wanted to finish the errand quickly and get back to eat.

When everyone finally gathered around the dining table, each with a bowl of plump, steaming dumplings in front of them, the kids couldn’t help but swallow hungrily at the sight.

“Hurry and eat while it’s hot. There’s more than enough dumplings for everyone,” great-aunt said before popping one into her mouth.

Seeing this, everyone immediately grabbed their bowls and dug in. The two little ones lowered their heads, devouring their food so enthusiastically that their small faces were nearly buried in their bowls.

No one criticized their eagerness—after all, everyone else was eating just as voraciously.

“This is amazing…” Xiangxi mumbled, chewing his dumpling with a blissful expression.

Yangyang eagerly nodded in agreement before grabbing another dumpling. As soon as he took a bite, his eyes squinted with delight.

Wei Jiajia smiled at the scene before her and lowered her head to eat as well. Ever since she became pregnant, her cravings had become unpredictable. She used to favor either spicy or mild flavors, but now she had an appetite for everything—sour, sweet, or anything in between. And her appetite had grown significantly; she was eating twice as much as before.

Every time she finished a meal, she would regret eating so much, worrying about gaining too much weight after giving birth and struggling to lose it. Yet, the moment food was placed in front of her, any thoughts of dieting vanished completely.

By the time everyone had eaten their fill, every last dumpling had been devoured.

Leaning back in her chair, Wei Jiajia rubbed her stomach contentedly, letting her food settle. Seeing her do this, Nuannuan and Yangyang copied her, patting their own round bellies with playful grins, eyes squinting in satisfaction.

The three siblings, sharing similar facial features, wore identical expressions of pure contentment, making for an amusing sight.

Qiao Haoyu took it all in, feeling an even greater sense of anticipation for the daughter growing in his wife’s belly. He wanted nothing more than to ensure that she and her mother could continue to eat well and live happily, just as they had tonight. This thought only strengthened his resolve to work harder.

For now, his priority was to finish building the chicken coop in the backyard. After all, that would determine how much fresh food his daughter would have after she was born.

Rising from his seat, Qiao Haoyu went to the front yard and picked up the wooden planks he had left there. Carrying them to the backyard, he chose a spot against the wall and began hammering away.

Meanwhile, after washing the dishes in the kitchen, Xiangdong and Xiangxi made their way to the backyard to help their brother-in-law with the construction.

After an hour of effort, the three of them finally finished building the chicken coop. When Wei Jiajia came outside to take a look, she found that while it was certainly sturdy, it didn’t seem very well insulated.

“This doesn’t look very warm. Won’t the chickens freeze?” she asked.

Qiao Haoyu stood up, inspected the coop, and then went outside to gather some straw. He spread it out over the top of the coop and lined the interior with a thick layer, placing wooden planks over the straw on top.

“This should be good now. It shouldn’t be too cold anymore,” he said, turning to his wife.

Wei Jiajia nodded. “It should be fine… but you’ll have to be the one to replace the straw regularly. Otherwise, if they start pooping in there, it’s going to stink,” she added, wrinkling her nose in distaste.

“Alright…” Qiao Haoyu agreed readily, smiling indulgently. “I’ll take care of it from now on. You just focus on eating the eggs.” Even if she wanted to help, he wouldn’t let her.

She deserved to live a carefree, happy life. Anything dirty or tiring—he would handle it all.

Behind them, Xiangxi stood watching the couple gaze at each other with warmth in their eyes. For some reason, a shiver suddenly ran down his spine.

Is it going to snow? Wei Xiangxi wondered, looking up at the sky in confusion. Why did he suddenly feel so cold?

Beside him, Xiangdong glanced at his clueless younger brother with an exasperated expression. Without a word, he grabbed him by the arm and dragged him back into the house.

If he stayed out here any longer, his foolish little brother was going to get obliterated by this overwhelming display of affection.

Seriously, where did all that sharp wit of his disappear to when it really mattered…?

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