Axolotl Translations

“Do you have everything?v Wei Jiajia turned to face the three children behind her, scanning the items they held. Some were provisions she’d brought for Eldest sister-in-law’s family—food and daily essentials—a token of her gratitude. After all, her three children would likely rely on eldest sister-in-law Qiao significantly over the next few years.

She had intended to give the items to her sister-in-law last night upon their return, but knowing her, she probably wouldn’t accept them. So, Wei Jiajia decided to bring them today; once they arrived with everything in hand, refusal would be difficult.

With everything prepared, Wei Jiajia led the children outside. It took them over ten minutes just to exit the compound and reach the bus stop, where several people were already waiting. She looked around, recognizing no one, so she didn’t bother with small talk, simply finding a spot with the children behind the others.

However, just because she didn’t recognize anyone didn’t mean others didn’t recognize her. As soon as people saw her and the children emerging from the compound, questions began.

“Whose kids are these? I’ve never seen them before,” a woman with a buzzcut remarked, staring intently at the mother and children as she questioned the person next to her.

With siblings this good-looking, if they belonged to one of the compound families, she’d have surely heard something. As for why she assumed they were siblings—the striking resemblance between Wei Jiajia and Qiao Youkang made it obvious. The other two also shared similar features. Even if they weren’t siblings, they could easily be cousins. No one would ever guess they were mother and sons. After all, what twenty-something woman could possibly have kids that big? It just didn’t add up.

The woman she asked looked equally puzzled, shaking her head. “No idea. Probably just visiting relatives. There have been a lot of personnel transfers lately—might be someone from another region visiting a superior.”

The crowd continued to whisper and speculate about Wei Jiajia and her children. Just then, a middle-aged woman, who had waited until Wei Jiajia got a little closer for a better look, finally recognized her.

“She’s the daughter-in-law of Commander Qiao, who lives at the back,” she informed the others.

“Commander Qiao? The one who was just reinstated? His wife’s that chief surgeon at the military hospital—Dr. Zhang, right?”

Everyone turned to the woman in the know.

“That’s the one. This is their youngest son’s wife. She and her husband had been stationed up north until recently,” the woman confirmed. She didn’t know Wei Jiajia personally but had once seen her walking with her husband. The pair had looked like a perfect match—so striking that she remembered them at a glance. After some digging, she found out who they were.

“The commander’s youngest son—is he a late-born child?”

“No, I think he’s around forty?” she replied uncertainly, not sure why the question came up.

Seeing that Wei Jiajia and the kids were standing not too far behind, the woman lowered her voice and asked, “Then… is this a second marriage?”

“Who? Commander Qiao’s youngest son? No, of course not,” the woman replied, looking puzzled, unsure what the other was getting at.

The younger woman looked even more confused. Not a second marriage, already forty—could it be he married late? Maybe a case of an old man chasing a younger woman?

The middle-aged woman caught the sympathetic expression on her face. Realizing what she was thinking, she chuckled and said, “No need to pity her—she’s actually much older than she looks.”

Seeing the confusion deepen, the woman gestured toward the three children standing beside Wei Jiajia and said, “Those three kids—if I’m not mistaken, they’re triplets.”

The women all glanced at the children, who were whispering quietly to each other, and nodded. The resemblance was obvious. But they still didn’t get what the woman was hinting at.

Then the woman dropped the bombshell, nodding toward Wei Jiajia and saying, “She’s their mother.”

Everyone was stunned. They stared at her, then turned to look at Wei Jiajia again. She looked so young—how could she possibly be the mother of those three?

“Don’t be fooled by her baby face. She’s been married for over ten years and is already in her thirties. I even heard she’s a college graduate.”

Most of the people waiting at the stop were women, out shopping or running errands, and they were all a little shaken by the news. It left them feeling a bit inadequate. They were all women—why such a difference?

Wei Jiajia was in her thirties but looked like she was twenty. Meanwhile, they were in their thirties and looked exactly their age—or worse. Some, without careful upkeep, could easily be mistaken for forty. The comparison was discouraging.

After boarding the bus, Wei Jiajia and the children found seats at the back. She felt a bit uneasy—people kept glancing their way, some subtly, some not so subtly. Still, she wasn’t fazed. She was used to being stared at. As long as there was no malice behind it, they could look all they wanted.

After more than forty minutes of a bumpy ride, the bus pulled up at the stop near Eldest sister-in-law’s school. Wei Jiajia quickly gathered the kids and got off, making her way to the school gate—only to be stopped by the guard.

“Who are you here to see?” the old gatekeeper asked, eyeing the four of them curiously.

“Hello, comrade. Could you please call Teacher Qiao for me? She teaches second-year math. I’m her sister-in-law, and I brought the kids today to register,” Wei Jiajia replied politely.

The gatekeeper glanced at the children, a bit surprised, and asked, “It’s nearly midterms—don’t you think it’s a bit late to be enrolling now?”

Wei Jiajia gave a small smile. “Their father just got reassigned, so the kids are transferring schools along with him.”

The gatekeeper didn’t ask any further questions. He simply said, “Wait here,” and walked inside. Not long after, Sister-in-law Qiao came out with him.

“You’re here! Come on in, I’ll take you to the principal’s office. I already explained the situation to him this morning,” she said with a smile, gently patting Aijia on the cheek.

“Sorry to bother you during school hours, sis. Should we just head over ourselves and let you get back to work?” Wei Jiajia said, feeling a bit awkward.

“My class just ended, so I’ve got time. I’ll take you over,” Sister-in-law Qiao said, glancing at her watch. “After the registration, we can head home together. You’ll get to see where I live too.”

Since she’d said so, Wei Jiajia didn’t insist and followed her toward the principal’s office. When they arrived at the door, they knocked. Upon hearing a man’s voice from inside say, “Come in,” they pushed the door open.

“Ah, Teacher Qiao!” the principal greeted them warmly. Seeing the people behind her, he smiled and asked, “These must be the children you mentioned transferring to our school?”

His eyes landed briefly on Wei Jiajia before turning to the three children, who stood tall and straight as soon as they entered the room.

“Yes, and this is their mother,” Sister-in-law Qiao introduced.

“Hello, Principal Wang,” Wei Jiajia said with a smile.

When he heard that she was the children’s mother, Principal Wang glanced at her in surprise. Then, noticing the resemblance between her and the three kids, he smiled and said, “Teacher Qiao already explained everything this morning. The children are transferring because of their father’s job relocation. I completely understand—and we’re happy to have you choose our school.”

Earlier that morning, when Teacher Qiao had first explained the situation, he’d been a bit hesitant. But when she mentioned that the children consistently ranked among the top three in their previous class, that their parents were university graduates from the 1950s, and that they were part of a military family, he’d agreed right away.

“Thank you, Principal Wang. It’s a real stroke of luck for them to be able to attend your school. Don’t worry—they’re good students and won’t bring down the class average,” Wei Jiajia said sincerely. She truly had faith in her children’s academic abilities—even Aijia, the one most obsessed with food and least interested in studying, still managed to score above the passing line on every exam.

Once they left the principal’s office, Eldest sister-in-law led them to the junior high division and found the head teacher for the eighth grade to explain the situation.

The grade coordinator, upon hearing that the principal had already approved everything, made no objections. Instead, he warmly guided them through the registration process—paying tuition, filling out forms, receiving textbooks, and assigning the children to a class. When he learned the three transfer students were triplets, he placed them all in the same class and called over the homeroom teacher to take them to the classroom.

His enthusiasm, of course, was largely due to Brother Qiao’s position. Everyone at the school knew that Teacher Qiao’s husband was a senior officer in the Public Security Bureau—how could they not treat her warmly?

Eldest sister-in-law accepted his attitude with a smile. She had grown used to the sycophantic smiles her colleagues wore whenever they saw her. At first, their excessive enthusiasm had startled her, but over time she got used to it. As long as they didn’t ask her to pull strings or misuse her husband’s position, she didn’t mind.

She glanced at Wei Jiajia, shrugging a little with a helpless pout, as if to say, What can I do when people are too enthusiastic?

Wei Jiajia smiled in understanding. In a society so deeply rooted in personal relationships, this was all quite normal.

They didn’t have to wait long before the school bell rang. Once the children gathered at the school gate, the two women walked home together.

Brother Qiao’s assigned housing wasn’t far from the school—just over ten minutes on foot. It was in a residential compound for families of Public Security officers.

“Come on in. This is the place your big brother was assigned. Back when they were handing out housing, a lot of families fought over it. It’s only because of his high rank and veteran status that no one dared to contest this unit,” said Sister-in-law Qiao as she unlocked the door and welcomed them inside.

She was genuinely pleased with the place, and it showed in her beaming face. A few years ago, they’d lived in the southwest. The climate there was pleasant, yes—but it was still deep in the mountains. No matter how nice it was, it couldn’t compare to Beijing. This was her hometown, where her parents and relatives lived.

In the past, she’d followed the man she loved wherever he went—because that’s what love meant, whether it was “following a chicken or a dog,” as the saying went. She’d gone along as a military spouse without complaint. But now, being back in her hometown and living in such a spacious apartment, she was overjoyed—even if that joy was built on the reality that her husband had been forced to leave the career he loved due to health issues.

Still, she was satisfied with life as it was. No longer did she lie awake at night, terrified he’d be hurt on a mission. No longer did she worry he wouldn’t take proper care of himself while away. Now, every morning when she opened her eyes, she saw his face—and watched him laughing and playing with their children.

Over the past few years, her husband had gradually emerged from his own sense of loss. Serving the country wasn’t limited to being a soldier—his current work was also about protecting the safety and property of the people of this city. He’d learned to adapt and had found a new sense of purpose, throwing himself into his job with renewed vigor. Eldest sister-in-law was genuinely content with their present life—sometimes she even woke up from dreams with a smile on her face.

Because of Brother Qiao’s position, the apartment they were assigned was the largest unit—100 square meters, with three bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom. At the time, there was no such thing as shared/common area deductions; the floor space was exactly as stated. The building was an old-style apartment block, with an external corridor running along one side. It had three stories, and the Qiao family’s unit was at the far end of the second floor.

Eldest brother Qiao had partitioned the largest bedroom into two, so that each child could have their own room. Eldest sister-in-law was very diligent—she kept the place clean and tidy, and had arranged it in a warm, inviting way.

“Should we go pick up You’an and the others? They must be out of school by now,” Wei Jiajia asked, suddenly remembering the two younger children in Eldest sister-in-law’s family. She didn’t want their arrival to cause any delays in picking them up.

“No need—they’ll be back soon. They’re probably outside playing right now, no need to worry,” said sister-in-law Qiao. You’an knew that their mother wouldn’t be home to cook until after work, so he would always pick up his little sister from preschool first, then play with her outside for a while before coming home. After all, they didn’t have a house key, so even if they came back early, they wouldn’t be able to get in.

The elementary school was right across the street from the family housing compound. Many children from the compound studied there, and they would all go to and from school together, so sister-in-law Qiao felt quite at ease about it.

“It’s better to be careful,” Wei Jiajia cautioned. “I’ve heard there are a lot of child kidnappers these days. Kids this age are especially vulnerable.”

“Really? But this is the Public Security Bureau’s family compound—would anyone dare to do something so bold here?” Eldest sister-in-law was a little startled and uncertain.

Wei Jiajia glanced at her and pressed further, “You never know. The kids are still young—what if they get caught up playing and end up separated? You just can’t predict these things. It’s better to be cautious.”

In later years, she had read too many news stories about abducted children. A missing child was a lifetime of grief for the family. If the child was sold to a family that needed one, it might still be tolerable—but what if it was for organ trafficking, or to be crippled and forced to beg on the streets? Best not to test the limits of human nature.

Eldest sister-in-law had never considered this issue before. Back when they were in the Southwest Military District, there had been no such worries—the kids would play outside all day and come home at dusk, and no one thought anything of it.

Since moving back here, because her daughter was still young and both she and her husband worked, they had left the two little ones with her family. Her mother had retired early, passing her job on to her and was just in time to help care for the children. Eldest sister-in-law gave her mother living expenses each month in return.

There was an elementary school in that compound too, and her son had studied there. Her daughter stayed home with her grandmother. Every day, she and her husband would drop them off before work and pick them up afterward. It was only in the past two years, as the children grew older, that she brought them back to enroll in the school across the street. Since it was so close to home and her son could look after his sister, she hadn’t worried much—until now. After hearing what Wei Jiajia said, cold sweat broke out on her back. Thank goodness nothing had happened. If something had happened—how would she go on?

Wei Jiajia was right. If someone really was a trafficker, would they care that it was the entrance of a Public Security Bureau compound? Crime was crime. If there was profit to be made, why wouldn’t they go for it?

Eldest sister-in-law panicked. She immediately put down what she was doing, ready to rush out and look for the children, but Wei Jiajia stopped her.

“Let Youzu take the three of them,” Wei Jiajia suggested. “We’ll stay home and cook. The kids must be hungry after a full morning of class. Once they’re back, have a proper talk with them. Tell them not to talk to strangers. If possible, ask them to wait and play at school after class. When you get off work, you can pick them up then.”

Hearing Wei Jiajia’s suggestion, Sister-in-law Qiao calmed down and nodded in agreement. She then called her eldest son to go find his younger siblings and bring them home.

The two women headed into the kitchen to start preparing dinner. Seeing that eldest sister-in-law was still distracted, Wei Jiajia took the lead in cooking, bringing out the meat, eggs, and vegetables she had brought along, ready to prepare a delicious meal.

“Why did you bring so much stuff with you?” Sister-in-law Qiao asked, disapprovingly.

Wei Jiajia smiled. “I saw someone selling things on the sly, so I bought a bit extra—something different for the kids to enjoy.”

Eldest sister-in-law said nothing more. She knew that the second brother’s household was well-off. Back when they were in the southwest, Wei Jiajia would often send food and supplies for the children. In return, she would send back some local specialties from the southwest. People in the compound used to say they had never seen a pair of sisters-in-law who got along so well, who truly cared about each other. For most families, not fighting was already considered rare.

Sister-in-law Qiao agreed with that sentiment. She had seen plenty of families torn apart by tension between daughters-in-law. Daily fights and chaos were all too common. Her good relationship with Wei Jiajia was rare indeed, mostly because both of them had put in the effort. For the sake of their husbands, they were willing to try.

Not long after, Qiao Youzu came back with his younger siblings. Only then did eldest sister-in-law finally feel at ease. She chatted and laughed with Wei Jiajia as they cooked up a big, hearty meal for the kids.

After dinner, Wei Jiajia got ready to head back. She wanted to go check out their new home; her husband had given her the keys the night before.

As for the triplets, they were now officially enrolled in school. When classes ended later that day, they would take the commuter bus home by themselves.

Sister-in-law Qiao understood she was busy, so she didn’t insist on her staying longer. Besides, she still needed to give the younger kids a quick safety talk—and then, it would already be time for work.

Wei Jiajia stepped out of the building and made her way to a secluded corner. Making sure no one was watching, she quickly disappeared into her hidden space. Inside the supermarket section, she walked to the fruit aisle and looked at the scattered remains of what was once a full stock. With a touch of nostalgia, she sighed. After more than ten years of conserving, most of the food was nearly gone. Only a little grain remained in the warehouse, which she had intentionally set aside.

Fortunately, the economic reforms weren’t far off. Soon, food would be easier to buy.

She quickly grabbed a few apples and pears, tore open a few bundles of dried noodles, packed everything up, and exited the space. Then she took the bus back to the compound.

From now on, bringing things home from the space wouldn’t be as convenient. After all, not everyone was like her husband—unconcerned with the world around him. She would have to be more cautious.

As for whether her husband knew her secret, she wasn’t sure. He had never asked, so she simply assumed he didn’t know. If he never asked, she would never tell. Let this secret remain… a secret.

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