Chapter 13: Throwing a Shoe
Mi Zehai had received a commendation and a promotion, and his benefits had improved accordingly. The arrangements for his military dependent family were also moved up significantly. According to regulations, since they were stationed in a hardship area, they could apply for a grade skip. This time, Mi Zehai had applied based on those conditions.
Cheng Qing no longer had to rush back with Mi Yang. She immediately went to handle the paperwork. Coincidentally, a batch of personnel had been transferred, freeing up some housing. Next came the allocation of a house and tidying up their new home. By the time they were done with everything, it was already winter, and the Spring Festival was just around the corner.
During the coldest winter months, the old Mrs. Cheng, far away in Shanhai Town, even sent a telegram, telling her daughter not to bring the child home in winter, for fear of her precious grandson catching a cold.
Mi Yang had been counting the days, looking forward to returning to his hometown. But several times, either because of Mi Zehai’s busy work schedule or because Cheng Qing had been assigned a job and needed to familiarize herself with it, the trip was repeatedly postponed.
It wasn’t until he was one and a half years old that he finally made a trip back to his hometown.
That time, by coincidence, Mrs. Bai was also taking Bai Luochuan back to Shanghai. Their trains were only three hours apart. Cheng Qing didn’t want to trouble the orderly with two trips, so she simply traveled with Mrs. Bai.
Little Bai Luochuan already understood what it meant to go on a long journey. He was initially unhappy, but when he saw Mi Yang get on the car, a smile appeared on his little face. He probably thought Mi Yang was going with him. In the jeep, he started to incessantly share his toys with Mi Yang. If Mrs. Bai hadn’t stopped him, he would have eaten all the snacks for the train ride in advance.
Because Mi Yang had always been in the military compound, it had given the little young master Bai the false impression that Mi Yang lived there. He could see Mi Yang as soon as he opened his eyes, and he played happily every day. So, when he was taken onto the train by Mrs. Bai, his face was extremely sour. He didn’t want to leave at all. This was the first time he had come to take a train with a smile, but after getting on and sitting down, little Bai Luochuan saw Cheng Qing holding Mi Yang on the platform, waving at him through the glass, and he knew he had been tricked.
Little Bai Luochuan slapped the window, his brow furrowed tightly. “Together!”
Mrs. Bai patiently educated him, “Little brother is taking another train. He’s going back to his own home too. Be good, okay?”
Little Bai Luochuan wouldn’t listen and continued to slap the window. Mrs. Bai frowned and scolded, “Luochuan, you can’t do that.”
Little Bai Luochuan stopped slapping the window, his little mouth pursed stubbornly. He kept looking at the platform outside, looking even angrier than his mother. After Mrs. Bai opened the window a crack for some fresh air, he took off one of his little shoes and threw it out!
Mrs. Bai didn’t even have time to stop him. She watched helplessly as the little shoe flew onto the platform outside, even bouncing on the ground. The direction was clearly aimed at Mi Yang!
Mrs. Bai was also angry now. “What do you think you’re doing?”
Little Bai Luochuan pointed in the direction of the shoe, his meaning clear. “Want to wear it, want to get down!” He had lost a shoe, so he had to go down and pick it up. And by picking up the shoe, wouldn’t he be able to get off the train? And if he could get off the train, wouldn’t he be able to stay?
Mrs. Bai was at a loss for whether to laugh or cry, not knowing whether to scold him or say he was full of cunning tricks.
However, little Bai Luochuan had underestimated the importance of this trip. Mrs. Bai didn’t indulge him as she usually did. She held him in her arms, took off his other little shoe, and threw it out the window in the direction of the platform. Cheng Qing had been watching Mrs. Bai’s side. She had just picked up one shoe when she saw another one being thrown over. She quickly picked it up and was about to send it over when she saw Mrs. Bai waving at her through the window, shouting, “Don’t come over, the train is about to leave. Keep the shoes for Yangyang to wear!”
Mi Yang, who had been carried to the platform by his mother to wave goodbye, was now the unexpected recipient of a pair of shoes, a look of utter confusion on his face.
Little Bai Luochuan had already started to cry. It was unclear whether he was crying for his shoes or for Mi Yang. He sobbed uncontrollably. For once, Mrs. Bai didn’t show him a smiling face. Seeing that there was absolutely no chance of getting off the train, the little young master started to wail against the glass window, crying so hard he started to hiccup.
Mi Yang watched, utterly amazed, wishing he had a video camera to record it and show it to Bai Luochuan twenty years later.
Compared to the soft-sleeper carriage that little Bai Luochuan was in, Cheng Qing was not so extravagant. She and Mi Yang were in the hard-seat section.
It was truly a hard journey back. The old-fashioned carriage was crowded, and the seats were far from the spacious and comfortable ones of today. Cheng Qing, holding a child and carrying luggage, had a very difficult time. Especially after changing trains, the last seven or eight hours were with standing-room-only tickets. There were truly no empty seats. The aisle was packed with people. Cheng Qing could only hold her child and find an empty spot in the connecting area between the carriages, standing and swaying against the wall of the train.
The journey of three days and two nights was a bit much even for an adult sitting down, let alone a child like Mi Yang.
Cheng Qing had been holding Mi Yang for days, and her arms were so sore she could hardly bear it. When the crowd thinned out a bit, she took a stack of newspapers from her bag, spread them on the floor, and let Mi Yang lie down to rest. She also took the opportunity to squat down and lean against the wall to doze off for a bit. On the first day, Cheng Qing had been too embarrassed to sit on the floor, still a bit shy and wanting to maintain her dignity. But by the last day, she couldn’t hold on any longer. She was already prone to motion sickness, and on this journey, she had only had a few sips of water. She also had to take care of a child. It was truly too much for a young woman who had only been married for three years.
As Cheng Qing dozed, her hand was loosely wrapped around Mi Yang in a protective gesture, ready to be woken by the slightest movement.
Mi Yang tried his best to stay still to let his mother sleep a little longer. Seeing her pale face, his own heart ached. At this time, there weren’t many child traffickers on the train, but there were still many passengers coming and going. A few of them, in their haste, nearly stepped on Mi Yang’s little hand. It was only because Mi Yang was quick-witted and lifted his hand to his chest that an accident was avoided.
Mi Yang didn’t make a sound, just curled himself up as much as possible, hiding within his mother’s protective range, while keeping an eye on their luggage.
It couldn’t be helped. His family was too poor now; they couldn’t afford to lose a single piece of luggage.
The train finally stopped. When Mi Yang was carried off, even the air on the platform felt exceptionally fresh.
Cheng Qing hadn’t walked more than a few steps when she saw several familiar figures. They were all young and beautiful girls, waving and running towards her like a bouquet of fresh flowers. One took the luggage, another took the child, and a third affectionately linked arms with Cheng Qing and said with a smile, “Sis! You’re finally back! We’ve been waiting for a while. They said the train was delayed, it scared me!”
“I know, right? Third Sis didn’t hear the announcement. When she saw the train wasn’t here, she was about to jump up and argue with the station master!”
Cheng Qing tapped the forehead of the girl who had her arm, and then laughed along with the other young girls.
Mi Yang looked at one, then the other. They were all vibrant and beautiful faces. Needless to say, these must be his three aunts. Back then, his grandmother had read a poem she particularly liked and named her children after the four characters “青春如歌 (qīng chūn rú gē).” By a stroke of luck, she had exactly four golden flowers. His mother was the eldest, named Cheng Qing. The ones who came to pick him up at the station were Cheng Chun, Cheng Ru, and Cheng Ge.
The one holding Mi Yang was his second aunt, Cheng Chun. She teased him, “Does Yangyang recognize me? Did your mother show you the photos we mailed? I’m your second aunt!”
This time, without Cheng Qing’s prompting, Mi Yang leaned over and gave his second aunt a kiss on the cheek, giggling happily.
His mother was very close to these three aunts, the kind of relationship where the eldest sister is like a mother. For so many years, it was always his mother who did the scolding. Even when she scolded them to tears, the aunts would stand in the corner and write self-criticisms. He had heard his grandmother talk about it many times. Maybe he could even catch a live performance this time!
Author’s Note:
Little Young Master Bai (with tears in his eyes, clenching his fists): I’ll be back next chapter!
Translator’s Notes
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青春如歌 (qīng chūn rú gē): This is a Chinese idiom that literally translates to “youth is like a song.” It’s a poetic phrase that captures the vibrant and beautiful nature of youth. The mother named her four daughters Qing, Chun, Ru, and Ge, which are the four characters of this idiom.
