Back to 1988 2

Chapter 2: Fruit Purée

As a tiny baby, Mi Yang had absolutely no human rights. He wanted to move his arms and legs, but he was bundled up so tightly that his meager strength couldn’t break free in the slightest. He could only lie on his back, babbling “yi yi ah ahh for ages, trying to express his dissatisfaction.

The two new parents had no idea what he meant. Mi Yang’s father, Mi Zehai, with his youthful and energetic face, proudly declared, “His voice is so loud and clear, just like me!”

Mi Yang’s mother was named Cheng Qing. She looked to be around twenty-five, with a striking figure and appearance. Her oval face was particularly warm and approachable, and her eyes curved when she smiled. She said softly, “His nose is like yours, too.”

Mi Zehai looked from his wife to his son, grinning happily. “It really is. But his eyes and mouth are like yours. They say sons take after their mothers. Our boy is definitely going to be a handsome lad. We won’t have to worry about him finding a wife in the future!”

Cheng Qing gave him a gentle push, saying shyly, “What nonsense are you talking about!”

Mi Zehai said, “How is it nonsense? Back in high school, you were our school’s belle. None of them ever thought I’d be the one to marry you. They were so jealous!” He grew proud again, showing none of the stern and steady demeanor he would have in the future. He picked up Mi Yang, rubbed his stubbly chin against his cheek, and gave him a kiss. “Son, grow up fast and be a soldier like your dad!”

Cheng Qing, protectively hovering behind the baby, chided, “Yangyang is going to military academy in the future, not like you!”

Mi Zehai said, “Hey, you were just praising me yesterday!”

Mi Yang stopped his gurgling and simply closed his eyes, refusing to look at them.

They’re shoving this public display of affection down my throat. I really can’t take any more.

A baby’s body tires easily. Days passed in a blur of eating and sleeping, with no real concept of time.

Mi Yang guessed he was probably only three or four months old at this point. He couldn’t even roll over. A few days ago, he had managed to lift his head while on his stomach, which made his parents clap their hands in delight. But they didn’t let him stay on his tummy for long; most of the time, he was lying on his back. Because he was lying down, his field of vision was limited. It was only when he occasionally caught a glimpse of the calendar that he realized it was now the twelfth lunar month.

Mi Yang blinked his eyes. The twelfth lunar month of 1988. This rewind is pretty thorough. I basically have to live through it all over again.

A few days later, the weather turned even colder. After dark, the military camp was so quiet you could hear the howling wind, which made the windows rattle.

Mi Yang’s mother held him by the window, a worried look on her young face. Mi Yang reached out his small hand to touch her, and Cheng Qing held it, bringing it to her lips to nibble gently. She sighed, “Is Yangyang worried too? Daddy led his team out for training and isn’t back yet. What if the heavy snow seals the mountain…”

Mi Yang blinked. He remembered that his father had been in the field army and only transferred to a local post later due to poor health, but he had still insisted on staying in the military for over twenty years. This time, he should be fine.

But he couldn’t speak yet, so he could only pat his mother’s hand to comfort her.

Cheng Qing played with her son for a while, and her mood improved significantly. She quickly regained her spirits and went to prepare ginger soup and hot water, wholeheartedly waiting for her husband’s return.

When Mi Zehai returned, his clothes were flecked with icy snow. He stomped his feet at the doorway several times before entering the inner room. Just as expected, his ears and face were red from the cold, but his eyes were bright. Seeing his wife and child, he grinned, revealing a set of white teeth. “Qing’er, Yangyang, I’m back!”

Cheng Qing quickly got up. “Wait, I’ll go get you a bowl of hot soup!”

Mi Zehai chuckled. “Pour a few more bowls. I have friends with me.”

Mi Yang curiously looked up, but he was too small. No matter how hard he craned his neck, he could only see a corner of the room. He heard the sound of many footsteps in the outer room, and someone saluted and called out cheerfully, “Hello, Sister-in-law!”

Following that, the same person said enviously, “So what the Deputy Company Commander said is true! It’s great to have a wife who cares for you. There’s even hot soup waiting when you get back at night!”

The voices outside were quite loud. There were probably very few military families visiting the camp, especially in these remote mountains. Seeing another person made them eager to chat. The man continued, “Sister-in-law, you don’t know, we could have been back much earlier. But when we were coming down the mountain, the snow had covered the road. It just so happened that the new Political Commissar wasn’t familiar with the route and drove right into a snowdrift. Aiyo, lucky for them they ran into us. We dug them out, car and all! The Political Commissar’s wife and child were in the car too. The kid’s about the same size as our Yangyang, and his little face was blue from the cold. It was a pitiful sight!”

Cheng Qing was startled and quickly asked, “Where are they? Are they alright now?”

The soldier chuckled. “They’re fine now. The car just broke down halfway. It was the Deputy Company Commander who sent someone to pick them up. Oh, right, the Political Commissar said he’s coming over in a bit to thank the Deputy Company Commander personally!”

Cheng Qing felt a little self-conscious. Although Mi Zehai was a Deputy Company Commander, soldiers were dirt poor. Their small home only had two enamel mugs, which weren’t enough to serve guests, making her feel awkward. She whispered something to Mi Zehai, but he had clearly grown accustomed to the casual ways of the field army. He waved his hand and smiled. “It’s fine. Political Commissar Bai has been in the army longer than I have. Just find any bowl, he won’t care about these things!”

Lying in the inner room, Mi Yang was trying hard to roll over. Hearing this, he frowned. Political Commissar Bai? Why does that sound so familiar?

By the time Mi Yang managed to flip himself over with great effort, Political Commissar Bai had arrived. He wasn’t alone; his wife and child were with him. The child, who had supposedly been freezing, was wrapped in a warm cashmere blanket. A thick, matching little hat covered most of his face, making him look chubby and bundled up.

Cheng Qing poured them two bowls of hot ginger soup. “Commissar, why did you bring your wife and child? What if they catch a cold again!”

Mrs. Bai looked a few years older than Cheng Qing. She took Cheng Qing’s hand and smiled. “It’s alright. You must be the Cheng Qing that Company Commander Mi mentioned. He talked about you several times on the way. Come on, let’s go inside and talk. Let these rough men chat by themselves.”

With that, she walked into the inner room with Cheng Qing. Cheng Qing breathed a sigh of relief upon entering. She really wasn’t good at handling such occasions and felt much more at ease chatting with Mrs. Bai here.

When Mi Yang lifted his head and tried his best to see, he was a bit dumbfounded by the young woman who had walked in with his mother. When he heard her smiling self-introduction, his heart skipped a beat.

“Oh, please don’t call me Mrs. Anything. I’m a few years older than you. My name is Luo Jiangjing. You can just call me Sister Luo!” The woman took off her hat, revealing slightly curled hair that looked very young and fashionable. She placed the child she was holding on the bed and took off his little hat as well, revealing a serious and beautiful little face. His eyes were closed, and he was smacking his lips, his little brow furrowed. She smiled and said, “This is my son, Bai Luochuan. Just like his father, he wears a stern face all day. Not at all as endearing as your baby!”

Mi Yang stared at her blankly and blinked. It can’t be what I’m thinking, right? But the name Mrs. Bai had said, and the stunningly beautiful face before him, were all too easy to superimpose onto the adult Bai Luochuan. That young master had been blessed with good looks; even when he was angry, the fire in his pupils was captivating.

Mrs. Bai came over and stroked Mi Yang’s little face, even using a small handkerchief to wipe the drool from the corner of his mouth. She chuckled, “So cute~”

Mi Yang: “…Ya?”

Mrs. Bai said in surprise, “Learning to talk so soon?”

Cheng Qing smiled. “Not yet. I just have nothing to do here, so I found a book of Tang poems and read them to him every day. He’s probably picked up my habit and become a little chatterbox.”

Mrs. Bai said, “That’s great. Early education is important.”

The room was warm, and the two women quickly became familiar as they chatted and laughed. It was clear at a glance that Mrs. Bai was a well-bred lady from a well-off family, but she wasn’t arrogant. She could carry on a conversation about anything Cheng Qing brought up. Perhaps out of gratitude, she showed extra warmth towards Cheng Qing and her baby. After a short while, someone knocked on the wooden door of the inner room. A steady male voice called out, “Jiangjing?”

Mrs. Bai got up and opened the door. Cheng Qing also picked up Mi Yang, who looked up just in time to see Political Commissar Bai walking in. Seeing that serious, handsome face, which already had faint worry lines between the brows even at a young age, Mi Yang knew this was definitely Bai Luochuan’s family. Political Commissar Bai—Bai Jingrong—looked almost the same as he would twenty years later, still standing ramrod straight with a stoic expression. He came in and said to them, “The car has been brought back. I took a portion of the things we brought.”

Mrs. Bai said happily, “That’s perfect. Bring it over directly.”

An orderly soon brought over a square styrofoam box. Inside was a small container of fresh fruit—quite a few bananas and oranges, as well as several large, red tomatoes.

For months, Mi Yang had eaten nothing but milk formula. Suddenly smelling the fragrance of fresh fruit in the middle of winter, he couldn’t help but twitch his little nose.

Beside him, the little Bai Luochuan, who had been sleeping with a serious face, also moved his arms and legs. He didn’t wake up, but he turned his head, searching for food.

Mrs. Bai said, “This is supplementary food for the baby. It’s not easy to bring much in the winter. I’ll share some of Luochuan’s with your baby. I asked Company Commander Mi on the way here; a three-month-old can eat a little fruit purée.”

Cheng Qing quickly waved her hands, her face flushing. “No, no, how could I? This is too much…”

At this time, greenhouses were not yet common. In the north during winter, the diet consisted mostly of cabbage, radishes, and potatoes. Occasional leafy greens were a novelty, and fruit from the south was even rarer, especially a whole box like this. Cheng Qing was too embarrassed to accept it.

But Mrs. Bai smiled, asked for a small spoon, and cut open a banana to show Cheng Qing how to feed a baby. She was meticulous and gentle. Cheng Qing was a new mother with no elders around to guide her, so there were many things about raising a child she didn’t know. Being taught step-by-step how to feed her baby fruit purée, she couldn’t help but feel a surge of gratitude.

Mi Yang took a bite of the banana purée, smacking his lips. It was incredibly sweet and fragrant.

The other little tyrant next to him, though only half a year old, was already skilled at rolling over. He crawled out of his cashmere blanket, crying “ahh ahh,” and reached for the spoon, looking very protective of his food.

Mrs. Bai poked his nose. “You little glutton. What’s wrong with letting your little brother have a bite? You wait, I’ll feed you when we get home.”

Little Bai Luochuan was not happy and still wanted to eat. Seeing the spoon approach Mi Yang’s mouth, he chased after it, his eyes fixed only on the spoon, nearly chomping down on Mi Yang’s mouth.

Mi Yang leaned his head back, his little face flushing red, and refused to eat anymore—how could he eat? Bai Luochuan’s drool was dripping onto his face!!

***

Author’s Note:
Raising him from childhood. Isn’t it a surprise?