Chapter 19: Sheng Wanze Returns Home
Sheng Wanyan spent the next two days completely at leisure, passing the time by quietly munching on melon seeds or knitting her sweaters.
She didn’t feel the slightest bit guilty or decadent. Your life belonged to you, and it was entirely up to you how you chose to live it. Sometimes, even if you worked yourself to the bone, you wouldn’t reap any extra benefits; you would only attract jealousy and resentment from those around you. It was far better to keep a low profile, avoid unnecessary competition, and live a stable, comfortable life.
Noticing Wu Jiaxiu getting up to use the restroom, Sheng Wanyan put her knitting aside and followed her out into the hall.
“Sister Jiaxiu.”
Hearing her name, Wu Jiaxiu turned around. Realizing what this was about, she quickly pulled Sheng Wanyan into a quiet corner away from prying eyes.
“Wanyan, did you manage to get the fabric?”
“I did,” Sheng Wanyan whispered. “I went to see my friend yesterday. He said he has thirty feet of cloth he can set aside for you.”
“Really? Thirty feet?!” Wu Jiaxiu gasped, visibly excited as she grabbed Wanyan’s hand. “When can I get it?”
Thirty feet of cloth was an enormous haul. It was just enough to tailor two full sets of clothes for her husband, with enough leftover to make a small outfit for her soon-to-be-born niece or nephew.
“I can grab it for you after work today. Come in a little early tomorrow morning and we’ll make the exchange.”
“Perfect. I’ll get the money ready tonight,” Wu Jiaxiu promised eagerly.
“Fifty cents a foot. No coupons required.”
Sheng Wanyan didn’t pull the price out of thin air; she quoted the exact rate set by the state-run Supply and Marketing Cooperative. Selling it coupon-free at the official state price was an incredibly generous deal. Otherwise, as outsiders, they would never have the chance to purchase internal factory “defects.”
In this era, cloth was severely rationed. The state supplied a maximum of six feet of cloth per person annually—barely enough to make one single piece of adult clothing.
“It’s a deal. I’ll bring the cash tomorrow morning,” Wu Jiaxiu smiled.
That evening, Sheng Wanyan returned home, slipped into her space, and measured out exactly thirty feet of high-quality fabric. The only actual “defect” was a slight color bleed near the selvedge edge; otherwise, the material was completely flawless.
Finished with her task, she picked a few fresh fruits from her orchard and ate them alone in the space. She would have loved to share them with her family, but fresh fruit was simply too eye-catching right now. If she brought it out, Father Sheng would be the first to start asking dangerous questions. For her own safety, she resolved to keep the secret of her space entirely to herself for the rest of her life.
The next morning, Sheng Wanyan left for work early. The streets were still quiet. She found an empty alley near the factory, verified no one was watching, and pulled the bundled cloth from her space.
As she approached the factory gates, she spotted Wu Jiaxiu waiting anxiously beside a tall, honest-looking man.
“Wanyan, you’ve worked so hard for us,” Wu Jiaxiu beamed as she approached. “By the way, this is my husband. His surname is Huang.”
The two exchanged polite greetings. Her husband seemed like a genuinely grounded, reliable man.
Sheng Wanyan handed the heavy bundle of cloth to Wu Jiaxiu, who immediately passed it to her husband to take straight home for safekeeping. In exchange, Wu Jiaxiu slipped the cash into Wanyan’s hand.
Sheng Wanyan had effortlessly earned fifteen yuan—nearly her entire month’s salary in a single transaction.
“Come on, Wanyan,” Wu Jiaxiu insisted, looping her arm through hers. “I’m treating you to breakfast at the State-Owned Restaurant.”
“No, really, you don’t have to—”
Wu Jiaxiu didn’t give her a chance to refuse, physically pulling her toward the establishment.
It was Sheng Wanyan’s first time stepping inside a 1970s State-Owned Restaurant. The menu for the day was handwritten in chalk on a blackboard behind the counter. The dining area was Spartan, featuring two large communal tables and five smaller ones, all made of sturdy, unpolished wood.
Wu Jiaxiu asked her what she wanted to eat. Seeing that Wanyan was hesitating, she fixed her with a firm look. The message was clear: If you don’t order, I’ll order the most expensive thing on the board, and you won’t be allowed to complain.
Unable to refuse such genuine hospitality, Sheng Wanyan opted for a simple bowl of pork wontons. Only then did Wu Jiaxiu let her go with a satisfied nod.
“Two bowls of meat wontons!” Wu Jiaxiu ordered at the counter.
“That’s one yuan and twenty cents, plus one pound of grain coupons,” the server replied mechanically, shouting the order toward the kitchen window before taking the cash and coupons. “Find a seat anywhere.”
The two women found an empty table. The kitchen staff was incredibly efficient, and their food was ready within minutes.
“Two bowls of wontons! Come and get ’em!”
Hearing the shout, Wu Jiaxiu and Sheng Wanyan hurried to the counter to collect their bowls. In this era, table service was a bourgeois luxury; if you wanted to eat, you carried it yourself.
Sheng Wanyan looked down at her bowl. It was packed with twelve plump wontons, garnished with shredded chicken and thinly sliced egg crepes, all floating in a rich, golden chicken broth.
She had to admit, the food of this era did not cut corners. The ingredients were genuine and generously portioned. The wontons were packed tight with fresh pork, bursting with savory juices upon the first bite.
After finishing every last drop of broth, the two women hurried back to the factory, clocking into the office with just a minute to spare.
Meanwhile, at the bustling Chengdu railway station, Sheng Wanze stepped off a train. Standing at a striking height of 1.88 meters, dressed in his crisp, green military uniform, he cut an imposing figure.
His hands were laden with heavy duffel bags. Beside him, pushing through the dense crowd, was another tall man of similar build, also in uniform.
“I bet my grandparents, my parents, and my little sister are absolutely dying of missing me,” Sheng Wanze declared out of nowhere, a wide grin on his face.
Gu Tingxiao, the officer standing beside him, glanced at him silently before striding forward without a single word. Sheng Wanze hurriedly adjusted his bags and jogged to keep up.
“Tingxiao, you have to come to my house for dinner tonight,” Sheng Wanze invited enthusiastically.
Gu Tingxiao shook his head. “It would be too abrupt to show up unannounced.”
Moreover, he had come to Chengdu with a specific family mission. His aunt had married into the prominent Ning family of Chengdu years ago. He was here to attend his cousin’s upcoming wedding, serving as the official representative and gift-bearer for his family’s elders. His aunt’s household was likely already expecting his arrival; it would be rude to keep them waiting.
“Then what about tomorrow?” Sheng Wanze pressed. “It’s not every day you come all the way to Chengdu! You have to come to my place and stay for a while.”
Gu Tingxiao considered it for a moment. “Alright.”
“Great! I’ll be waiting for you at home tomorrow.”
Sheng Wanze rattled off his family’s address, and after securing the dinner plan, the two officers parted ways.
Carrying his mountain of luggage, Sheng Wanze finally reached the steel plant’s residential compound. A group of neighborhood aunties were gathered under the large shade tree, knitting and gossiping.
The moment they saw him approach in full uniform, the aunties swarmed him, firing off a barrage of questions. Naturally, the interrogation zeroed in on his marital status and whether he had returned home to attend blind dates.
“Wanze, you remember my Sanya, right? You two used to play together when you were little! Do you want to try courting her?” one auntie pitched aggressively.
“No thank you, Auntie. I already have a partner,” Sheng Wanze lied smoothly without missing a beat.
“What?! You have a partner? Since when?”
The aunties were stunned. They had never heard the Sheng family mention this. Weren’t his parents always sick with worry over his bachelor status?
Sheng Wanze offered a few vague, polite answers before excusing himself and hurrying toward his building. He missed his grandparents terribly and wasn’t about to get trapped in a neighborhood gossip trap.
He strode up to his family’s door, set his bags down, sharply adjusted his uniform jacket, and knocked firmly.
“Who is it?”
It was Grandpa Sheng’s voice, loud and full of vigor. Hearing it, Sheng Wanze grinned. It sounded like the old man was in excellent health.
“Grandma, Grandpa! I’m back!” Sheng Wanze’s deep, powerful voice carried clearly through the wood.
Inside, the two elders froze, staring at each other in shock before scrambling to unlock the door.
“Xiaoze! My dear Xiaoze!”
Seeing her tall, strapping grandson standing at attention in the doorway, Grandma Sheng reached up, cupped his face with trembling hands, and burst into tears, pulling him into a tight embrace.
“You awful boy! You haven’t replied to our letters in months! You scared me half to death!” she scolded, sobbing into his chest.
Sheng Wanze gently patted her back, soothing her. “I’m sorry, Grandma. I’m back now. Please don’t cry, it’s bad for your health.”
Grandpa Sheng looked him up and down. Aside from looking a bit travel-worn and haggard, his grandson was in one piece and completely safe. A massive weight lifted from his chest.
“It’s good that you’re back. It’s so good that you’re back,” Grandpa Sheng murmured, his eyes suspiciously bright. “Alright, let the boy come inside. Go make him something hot to eat; he must be exhausted from the train ride.”
