CHAPTER 40: CHAPTER 30: A MOTHER’S LOVE (1)

Pulling out the letters from the space, over 30 remained unopened, and about 10 had been opened. She remembered that they simply told her where the letters were sent from, what events were happening, local scenery and customs, how she was doing, and a breakdown of items mailed. She opened the envelopes in order, extracting the first letter, which started when she was 10 years old.

"Mommy’s darling, Mom can’t face you. Looking at your photo, I can’t help but hate him. He said you were his Jiao Jiao, that he would hold you in his hands for life, watching you grow from babbling to graceful, yet he left without hesitation... He said if a man can’t protect the land under his feet and the woman in his arms, then he isn’t a man. But he protected that land without keeping his promise to protect us.

You must learn to wait, just as I have learned to wait. Now in Yunnan, I’m trying to follow your dad’s footsteps to find his feelings back then. Waiting becomes anticipation. You’re still young, when you grow up and fall in love, you will understand, longing is the most exhausting. Countless times I’ve dreamed of our family together, but waking up to an empty dormitory. Since your dad left, I haven’t had a home. I float around like this, maybe one day when I’m tired of drifting will I return to you, but I can’t do it now; my heart isn’t calm, my mind unsettled..." Zhou Jiao sighed, at 10 she couldn’t have understood, but now she does.

Opening the second letter, along with the letter were about a dozen brand new first edition Renminbi notes, all carefully exchanged for small denominations.

"... Darling, your second uncle’s daughter, Xuezhen, shares the same birth month as you. At 10 years old, your dad said he’d work hard to earn money, preparing dowry starting at 10, but where is he now? I’m following your dad’s footsteps, collecting things according to his wishes...

If one day I still can’t return to you, you too must learn to wait, as I always believe your dad and I breathe under the same sky.

This time, I’ve sent clothes and a sweater according to Little Xuezhen’s height. The rest I’ve entrusted to your grandmother for safekeeping. Your grandfather learned of your situation, so I put some money in this letter, not sure if you’ve received it. Problems that can be solved with money aren’t problems. Use it freely, we don’t lack money at home aside from the regular remittance to your grandparents..."

Zhou Jiao continued to open one letter after another, the earliest containing money, later there were military supply notes, and most recently three remittance coupons worth 200 yuan each. Every letter detailed what was sent, but she hadn’t received anything. Looking at the heap of items, she realized her mother was as neat as she was. The letter paper, money, and notes were all pristine and new.

After reading the letters, she organized the pile of tickets, which fortunately had no expiration date. The remittance coupons were from the provincial city, she wondered how she acquired them? They were only issued at the end of last year there.

"Baby, look at these tickets, all given by your grandma. You must grow up quickly to enjoy delicious food. Your grandma is wealthy, so problems solved with money aren’t problems. Truly foolish with lots of money. Don’t learn this in the future; our baby should be a good child, thrifty and resourceful, do you understand?"

Her mother-in-law tapped lightly on the window, "Jiao Jiao, are you asleep?"

Zhou Jiao glanced at the box containing only letters, nothing else, and felt no need to avoid her, "No, Mom, come in and talk, Ping’an isn’t asleep either."

"Oh my, sweet little darling, awake and not sleeping, what’s on your mind." Mother Zhang entered, first spotting her beloved grandson, "All these tickets were from your mother’s letters, weren’t they? You are so stubborn, only now opening the letters. Looks like your mother was afraid your grandparents would be harsh, secretly giving you money without fear of it getting lost. Such a big heart."

Zhou Jiao wasn’t bothered by these material things since she also had a thick wallet, "Mom, these are all military supply tickets, feel free to use them if you need to buy anything. Those three are the most valuable, each worth 200 yuan.

Go to the provincial city’s Friendship Mall to shop; those are for overseas Chinese and foreigners, cheaper than department stores, called remittance coupons. I have remittance commodity coupons, only available in the provincial city from last year. You’ll need them to enter that Friendship Mall. Take one worth 200 yuan and let Dad take you to see it, I’ve never been there, but classmates said the items are really cheap."

"Child, I just saw Brother Xiao Wu buying lots of yarn and stuff and came to tell you. In the future, when you’re starting your life together, everything requires money, so you can’t spend like this anymore. Use these coupons for yourself, after the confinement month, I’ll go with you to see them." Mother Zhang pushed away the tickets handed over by her daughter-in-law.

Zhou Jiao didn’t insist further, thinking apart from their formal wear when going outside, her parents still wore homemade cloth clothes with patches.

"That’s fine, then just let me know if we’re short on anything for the New Year and ask Brother Xiao Wu to buy it. I plan to use these cotton and fabric tickets to make clothes for you guys."

"No need, keep them yourself, make some for Ping’an, children wear out fabric. I don’t think you should have Ping’an wearing those old clothes, fabric and cotton are never enough." She chuckled, "My Little Ping’an is blessed, even his little jacket is embroidered, and his diapers are snow white."

Zhou Jiao remembered this afternoon, her sister-in-law saw Ping’an changing diapers and her eyes were wide open, luckily she wasn’t talkative, otherwise, the whole village would have come to see the spectacle.

"Mom, have you eaten already, so quickly?"

"Your dad saw the wine and beef and stayed at the table drinking with Xiao Wu, we’ve all eaten and left the table."

Lin Juhua pondered in her room, holding the little girl Xiao Miao, she came out and knocked on the door of the third sister-in-law.

"Jiao Jiao, is Mom there? I’m coming in."

"Second Sister-in-law, come in. Our mom is here."

Mother Zhang quickly wrapped up the money and tickets in front of Jiao Jiao and stuffed them under the pillow, giving Jiao Jiao a look; this girl truly had no guile.

Zhou Jiao smiled at her ingratiatingly, she couldn’t help it, this was her mother-in-law’s love for her, wary that Second Sister-in-law might come in with a jealous heart.

Lin Juhua came in carrying her daughter, "Mom, you’re here, I thought since Jiao Jiao is bored during confinement, and the rest are drinking with Dad, I’d come to chat with her. Jiao Jiao, I helped wash your bed sheets and clothes today, if you have more to be washed later, let Brother Xiao Wu bring them to me. This month, just focus on recuperating, I’ve agreed with the sister-in-law, now our tasks are all light, and soon it’ll be winter, you must take good care of yourself this confinement month."

"I really have to thank you and Sister-in-law, good Second Sister-in-law, you and Sister-in-law have been such great help to me. Put Xiao Miao on the kang, and you can sit down and rest. Mom, could you please make a cup of milk powder for Xiao Miao?"

Zhou Jiao teased the little girl, "Xiao Miao, Auntie is giving you milk powder, won’t you be my daughter?"

Little Xiao Miao sat on the kang, looking at her grandma and mom, shaking her head, "No, I’m my mom’s daughter. Little brother is Auntie’s. Little Auntie, little brother is so little, much smaller than me. My sister said it will take a long, long time for him to grow, now he can only drink milk, can’t even drink porridge, I’m getting impatient."

Hearing those innocent yet mature words, the three of them laughed, "Don’t worry, soon you’ll be able to play together. By then, Xiao Miao has to be a good big sister and play with her brother."

Drinking her milk eagerly, Xiao Miao nodded repeatedly, looking at her little brother’s pretty bottle.