C11 Part2

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Afterwards, the older generation Zhou couple followed the troops directly and after a few twists and turns they ended up joining the People’s Army. The housekeeper stayed behind to live out his old days peacefully and the maid left after getting married. With no burdens in front of them, the couple stayed fighting on the front lines. When their children grew older, they brought them (them as in Zhou Jiao’s eldest uncle and aunt) back to the Zhou family’s ancestral village in the Dong Bei (northeastern) Village. Grandpa Zhou wished greatly that there would still be family members around for him to catch up with.

Later, their youngest son, who is also Zhou Jiao’s father, secretly signed up for the army where he met Zhou Jiao’s mother Lin LiShan and got married to her. They had Zhou Jiao two years later and not too long after the birth of Zhou Jiao, Zhou Jiao’s father secretly left a letter to his wife explaining that he and her older brother will be participating in a secret mission where they will most likely be sacrificed. Lin Lishan almost couldn’t take it—two of her closest family were no longer here with her. In her moment of grief, she was not able to care for the newly born Zhou Jiao. The two grandparents rushed back to take care of this grandchild.

Mother Zhou never got married again. She would always say “if dead I have to see the corpse, if alive I have to see the person.” She firmly believed that they were still alive, that there would be one day when they will return. She refused to accept reality. Not many were able to understand her thinking, besides the yearly funds she would provide the grandparents for taking care of Zhou Jiao, she never participated in Zhou Jiao’s life even when she got married.

In the original Zhou Jiao’s memories, besides a picture of her mother, she has never seen her in person before. Rumors say that she is still by herself and rejecting other’s proposals. Grandpa and Grandma Zhou would regularly comfort Zhou Jiao and explain that her mother does love her, but that she could not accept the loss of both her husband and brother at once. However, deep in Zhou Jiao’s heart, there was still a thorn towards this mother of hers.

When she was younger her friends could all act spoiled towards their mother, but she had no one besides her grandparents and she also had to suffer from the complaints of her oldest aunt towards her existence. Her oldest aunt, Chen Zhao Di, would immerse herself in the money collected overtime from the Lin family , while being jealous of the Lin family and their money. She was envious of Zhou Jiao’s mother and how she was born from a wealthy family and was a total beauty. Her heart turned twisted from all her jealousy and when the grandparents were not around she would secretly bully Zhou Jiao. The funds from Zhou Jiao’s mother would be given to her relatives to sort out and choose the things they wanted and the rest would be given towards the family’s daily allowances.

After much difficulty, Zhou Jiao turned ten and started to understand worldly concepts and knew she had to go find her mother. In the end, they talked on the phone one time and her mother coldly told her that she was performing in the theatres and had no time to see her. She told her to obediently stay with her grandparents and take care of them. With tear-filled eyes, she could clearly feel the pain from the bottom of her heart. From then on, she never mentioned her mother again. She didn’t even touch the letters her mother had sent over with her annual funds. To her, as long as she didn’t see the letters she wouldn’t have any thoughts of missing her mother.

The Zhou family’s village and the Zhang family’s village were separated by a river, one located above the river and the other below the river. A blue stone bridge connects the two villages. The Zhou family’s village was much closer to the mountain. Grandpa Zhou was once a well-known figure in the army, while Grandma Zhou was the army’s nurse. Both of them received the respects of many people.

The Zhou family’s Zhou Jiao grew up to be a beautiful lady with grandparents who were well-known members of the army, several of her uncles were also enlisted, and her mother was once part of the army as well—most assumed she would be living a wonderful life since members of the army were funded pretty well during this period. Besides government officials, the army members food, living, clothes were all provided by the country. They would also be paid every month and were given an army ticket were they could be given extra benefits wherever they go.

Except for the fact that Zhou Jiao’s father died, no one knew that ever since Zhou Jiao understood her situation—she has never seen these so called family members of hers. Besides accepting the clothing given to her from her grandparents and the annual funds from her mother, she has never seen the others. Even when they all said that they loved children, they have never once offered to pick her up or visit her.

Zhou Jiao would only hear about them from the mouth of her aunt. She would hear things like how her father and uncle were both sacrificed, the location of where her uncle was stationed, how much respect her grandparents demanded, who was sick in the family, and etc. Her aunt would complain and mention how her sister-in-law (Zhou Jiao’s mother) was weird-- a lady as beautiful as her, but not willing to remarry or take care of her daughter. She would say what a waste of a good life.

Translated 8/29/20