The sun had been bright these past two days, melting the icicles that hung from the eaves. Water dripped steadily, making the steps slippery and wet. Everyone had to tread carefully when coming and going, lest they slip.
Sunny days meant it was time to air out the bedding. Every household in the shared courtyard had brought out their quilts and blankets, hanging them wherever sunlight touched. The courtyard was full—anywhere the sun reached, quilts fluttered in the breeze.
By late afternoon, when the air began to cool, the quilts were brought back in. The fabric now held the scent of “sun,” warm and comforting. Gu Shunhua folded the freshly aired bedding and laid it on the plank bed in the outer room. She also helped bring in Granny Tong’s quilt.
She was in a good mood.
She had gathered signatures from every household in the courtyard and taken them to the Housing Bureau. Naturally, the bureau had no objections—gave their approval for her to build as she pleased. But they made one thing clear: they wouldn’t be providing any building materials.
Gu Shunhua hadn’t expected them to. With her two children in tow, she rode the bus, strolling along as she went, and eventually arrived at the post and telecommunications office. After a thirty-minute wait, she got through to Ren Jingnian.
When his voice came through the receiver, Gu Shunhua said nothing—just handed the phone to her two children.
They hadn’t seen their father in a long time. The moment they heard his voice, they became excited, shouting “Daddy! Daddy!” and looking around the room, trying to find where he was hiding.
They didn’t understand what a telephone was. To them, if they could hear their father, he must be nearby.
Ren Jingnian, of course, heard them clearly and quickly said, “Manman, Duoduo, Daddy’s here—Daddy’s at the mine.”
Manman, usually a well-behaved little girl, couldn’t hold back this time. Her lips trembled before she burst into tears. “Daddy, where are you? Daddy!”
Duoduo, who normally didn’t speak much, bit his lip, holding back tears. “Duoduo not crying… Duoduo doesn’t like crying…”
Though the children were trying to stay strong, Gu Shunhua’s own tears spilled immediately.
This was exactly why she had hesitated to let the children call their father. Watching them cry now, she couldn’t stop herself either.
Still, she quickly wiped her tears and tried to keep her voice steady and cheerful. “Manman, Duoduo, don’t cry. Talk to Daddy—he’s right there on the phone. He’s talking to you!”
Ren Jingnian hurried to soothe them too, using a playful tone, telling stories from the mine—including one about Uncle Chen’s old mutt.
Gradually, the children calmed down. They chatted excitedly into the receiver, telling their father all about the “honey water” they drank, the big pork ribs and braised meat they ate, and the new friends they had made.
“Daddy, we went to Dashilan! Dashilan has everything! You should come and see it!”
Their voices were sweet and innocent, filled with joy. Their world was full of food, fun, and friendship. They didn’t understand divorce, or household registration, or the tragic labels some file had once marked them with.
Ren Jingnian chuckled softly. “What’s so fun in Dashilan? Tell Daddy!”
The kids began to talk over each other—one mentioned fried dough twists, the other praised jellied meat. Manman was quick with her words, while Duoduo fumbled, eyes wide with urgency, gripping the phone and blurting, “Daddy! Duoduo ate it! Duoduo ate it! It’s yummy! Daddy eat too!”
Ren Jingnian laughed warmly at her babyish voice, full of affection. “Alright. When Daddy comes, Manman and Duoduo will take me to all the yummy places. I’ll rely on you both to show me the way.”
The children grew even more excited, chirping away about where they’d take him. They truly believed Daddy would be here soon.
After a while, Gu Shunhua took back the phone, letting the children play in the phone booth while she spoke quietly to Ren Jingnian.
“You shouldn’t make promises like that. They’ll start asking me every day when you’re coming.”
Children remembered everything. If you said something and didn’t follow through, you might think they’d forget—but they never did. Even if they didn’t speak up, they’d carry it with them.
Given how bleak the future had been marked for her children, she was especially mindful of their emotional needs now. She wanted to protect them from every possible hurt.
But then Ren Jingnian said, “I’ll be moving to Langfang after the New Year.”
She was surprised. “Really? That soon?”
Normally, the transfer and demobilization paperwork took months—half a year at the earliest.
“It’s still processing,” he explained. “That’ll take a while. But the organization already coordinated with Langfang. I’ll be working there on temporary assignment first, and once the paperwork’s done, I’ll be made permanent.”
Gu Shunhua could hardly believe it. Her voice filled with joy. “That’s wonderful! Really wonderful. You’ll be nearby!”
Langfang was only fifty or sixty kilometers from Dashilan. Compared to Bayannur League, which was thousands of miles away, it felt like next door.
Ren Jingnian, hearing her happiness, chuckled quietly. “I’ve already started handing over duties at the mine. The house is being packed. Most of the furniture’s sorted. Even the bed’s been spoken for. As for the chickens—selling them wouldn’t be worth it, so I gave them to the neighbors at the mine. Those two speckled hens still lay eggs, so they were split up.”
Hearing that, Gu Shunhua felt a bit of sadness. That home at the mine had been built piece by piece. It hadn’t been easy getting everything together, and now it was all being sold off.
Sensing her shift in mood, Ren Jingnian added, “I’ve already spoken with Old Xu. He said transporting timber isn’t a problem—not just beams, but extra wood for furniture too. We’ll have all new furniture. The old stuff wasn’t that great anyway. Let it go.”
Gu Shunhua nodded. “I know. It wouldn’t have been easy to bring it all anyway.”
He paused, then said, “It’s almost the twelfth lunar month. That’s a hard time to find furniture makers, and since the house hasn’t been built, there’s nowhere to store anything. I was thinking: once I get to Langfang, I’ll send the wood there. I’ve got a comrade who knows some retirees from PetroChina—he helped me check, and they offer staff housing. There’s space there. I can get the furniture made in Langfang—it’ll be cheaper, and I can help myself. Once it’s done, I’ll send it straight to the capital. That way, it’s easier for you.”
She thought that made sense. With two kids, once the house was built, making furniture in the courtyard would be noisy and disruptive. The kind neighbors wouldn’t mind, but someone like Qiao Xiuya might cause trouble. Better to have everything built in Langfang and delivered. It wasn’t far—a handcart could bring it in no time.
And roof beams could wait—they were for the final stage of construction.
So she agreed. “Let’s do that. We’ll measure for size after the house is up. Don’t make anything too big—just practical, no need for looks.”
“Got it,” he said. “We’ll gather materials through the New Year. Once the ground freezes, we can start building. When the house construction begins, I’ll start measuring for furniture.”
Gu Shunhua nodded. “Once you’re in Langfang, even if it’s a bit far, you can come help on weekends. House-building’s heavy labor—men handle it better.”
Truth be told, men really were better suited for hauling coal, building houses, making briquettes. It was only thanks to her generous neighbors that she had gotten this far. Otherwise, transporting coal to the capital and making briquettes with two kids… she couldn’t even imagine how hard that would’ve been.
If only Ren Jingnian could be there—he was good with his hands. With materials in hand, he could probably raise the house himself.
In her delight, she added, “I plan to ask Lei Yongquan for help getting bricks. The loess we can haul ourselves. We’ll just gather what we need, bit by bit. Once we have enough, we’ll build. Then finally, in the capital, we’ll have a home of our own.”
Even as she said it, her heart swelled with hope.
A home of their own—no matter how small or simple—meant safety. No matter what came, she could shelter her children from the storm. With registered residency and a roof over their heads, nothing could scare her.
Then she added, “Everything went so smoothly thanks to Gao Jun and his coal. Make sure you thank him properly.”
“I already have,” said Ren Jingnian. “I set aside two hens and a few household items—put them on the truck headed his way.”
Gu Shunhua was relieved. Ren Jingnian could be relied on.
They’d had a good relationship with Gao Jun in the past. Asking him for help wasn’t a big deal. But given how limited coal supplies were in the capital, they might need his help again. Best to settle any favors while Ren Jingnian was still in Inner Mongolia.
They chatted about other things too—he mentioned receiving his study materials and trying to squeeze in time to study at night despite being busy.
Eventually, Gu Shunhua glanced at the clock. Time had flown—and phone calls weren’t cheap. With a touch of regret, she said, “Let’s stop here. I’ll let the kids say goodbye.”
She bent down to call them over.
Then Ren Jingnian said something—she didn’t quite catch it.
“What did you say just now?” she asked.
“…Nothing,” he replied quietly.
She didn’t press. She handed the phone to the children.
Knowing the call was ending, they didn’t want to hang up. Their eyes welled up, but they held back their tears.
When the line finally disconnected, the children still looked happy—eager for Daddy to arrive.
As they walked out, Gu Shunhua paused and said, “Don’t mention to others that Daddy’s coming, alright?”
Manman blinked. “Why not?”
“Because we don’t know for sure yet. Let’s wait till he arrives.”
She wanted to minimize the impact of Ren Jingnian’s return. After all, they were technically divorced. Once his job and the house were settled, they could remarry. One step at a time.
The kids didn’t really understand but nodded obediently. “Okay! We won’t tell anyone! Just us!”
Duoduo thought for a second and said excitedly, “It’s our secret!”
Gu Shunhua smiled. “That’s right. Our secret.”
And just like that, the two children bounced along beside her, walking with extra spring in their steps. After all, they were carrying a magical secret.
But even as she smiled, Gu Shunhua couldn’t help but recall that moment.
What was it that Ren Jingnian had said… just then?
Juju’s Note:
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