Salad Days Chapter 1 part1

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Seven year-old Jiang Shen was still too young to go to school, so he stayed at home with his family to help them do farm work.

His family's home was located in a small village within a county, and each of the families in the village contracted with the farmlands and fishing grounds. Not long ago, there were only young stray dogs running amok in the fishing ponds of the fields and across the countryside. Many of the other children like him were able to go to school in the city when they were eight or nine years old, and although their village had a preschool, it could hardly manage the children.

The Jiang family was also much different in comparison to the other villagers, actively responding to the call of their country. In those days, their son, Jiang Shen, was the only one born. That was because his family was truly poor and could not afford to have more children. 

Tan LingLing, his mother, spent years trying to grasp a way to send Jiang Shen to study in the city, but oddly, his father, Jiang LuoShan, didn't favor the idea at all. 

"September's passed and it's just about time to cut the wheat," said Jiang LuoShan, carrying a small basin to the bedside to bathe Tan LingLing's feet. "The boy can help out too."

Tan LingLing wasn't exactly pleased with this, "Let him be, he's not causing any trouble, nor is he frisking about with those mutts day and night."

Jiang LuoShan, "You have to go to the city every week to deliver the vegetables, right? He really lends us a hand at those times."

Tan LingLing didn't speak. She removed her hot, reddened feet from the basin, wiping them until they were completely dry, and climbed into bed. Jiang LuoShan made do with the rest of the water his wife had used for her feet and soaked in it for a moment. He waited until the water had cooled thoroughly, and took the basin out to the yard to dump it. 

When he returned, he passed by Jiang Shen's room, and peaked inside to discover his son was still reading picture books.

Of course, Jiang Shen had also noticed his own father there, the manhua held between his hands uncovered.

Jiang LuoShan's expression chilled, "Are you gonna go to bed?"

Jiang Shen bobbed his head quickly, and with an unusual amount of care, put away the Doraemon volume that he'd spent a week's worth of allowance renting. "I'll do it right now," he said shrewdly. 

Jiang LuoShan humphed, "If your mom sees you with that book, she's gonna tear it up."

Jiang Shen wouldn't dream of arguing with his father, so he covered himself with his quilt and closed his eyes, pretending to sleep. He waited until there were no signs of movement, and only then was he brave enough to dive back into reading, but after mulling it over, felt uneasy, and stuffed the manhua under his pillow. 

Tan LingLing awoke early the next day, unable to be idle on the weekends. She had to bring the vegetables that she'd picked into the city, and Jiang Shen was also aware of this routine. So when he heard the commotion outside his room, no matter how badly he wanted to keep sleeping in, he promptly crawled out of bed. 

When Tan LingLing entered her son's room, she saw him in his wool sweater, eyes half-lidded and his face sluggish.

"Don't wear this one," Tan LingLing brought out something warmer, "There's a terrible cold spell going on this spring, and it's freezing outside."

Jiang Shen obediently replied, "Okay", changed his sweater and went to brush his teeth and wash his face.

Tan LingLing was still boiling the hot water for him, but Jiang Shen couldn't wait, so he quickly made the best of the cold water. He brushed his teeth just fine, but when he was washing, the water felt so cold that his face began to cramp. Shivering, he washed as quickly as possible and entered the kitchen to wait inside for breakfast. 

Tan LingLing said, "What are you rushing for? You'd better not have frostbite still on your face while spring is just around the corner."

Jiang Shen finished eating his porridge, then said carelessly, "No way". Tan LingLing turned around and took out her usual Pechoin cream, spreading and rubbing it on her son's face.

The two of them packed their stuff and were all ready to go. Tan LingLing held a great deal of vegetables, and Jiang Shen helped her carry half the load. There was a shuttle that could take them downtown into the city. It cost 3 kuai per person, and his mother weighed the difference between the cost of the shuttle versus the profit they would make from the vegetable delivery.

Tan LingLing warned her son repeatedly not to doze off, since the bamboo shoots could be damaged. After they got off the shuttle, Tan LingLing bought a bag of white rabbit toffee and stuffed it in the pocket of Jiang Shen's cotton-padded jacket.

 "In a bit, when you start to get bored, have one of these." Tan LingLing walked across the street, and further north, above her head was the great children's palace. "Once we're inside, don't go running around, understood?"

Jiang Shen smiled with the candy between the tip of his tongue and roof of his mouth, "Got it".

The children's palace in the city was incredibly lively on weekends, and people like Jiang Shen, who had been running around in the dirt since they were kids, felt out of place when they entered. Tan LingLing didn't know any skills from here, but she could deliver vegetables to several regulars of hers who were teachers inside the palace. Jogging around in a circle to deliver to everyone, young and old, Jiang Shen's eyes were spinning.

Dance classes were held on the center floor, and when Tan LingLing went there with the vegetable delivery, Jiang Shen stayed behind to wait and see.

He was quite tall, so he didn't have to stand on his tiptoes to watch the scene from the large window of the dance studio. 

In the first class was a continuous stream of little girls who were younger than him. they leapt the parts to "Heroic Little Sisters of the Prairie". The two girls leading the dance had their hair tied in ox horn-like pigtails. Their upper bodies were cloaked in skintight red and green hexagrams, wearing Mongolian caps, and their skirts whirled to and fro like flowers. The dance instructor clapped to the beat, calling out the tempo,  "One, two, three! Wrong turn! Tilt your waists!" 

Girls in green skirts twirled, then the red skirts, but the instructor was still not satisfied enough, "Spread your arms! Work those legs! You call that a turn?" 

Jiang Shen was so mesmerized that he didn't notice Tan LingLing when she came out. He gnawed at the candy in his mouth, the sounds of the glutinous candy smacking against his teeth. 

Tan LingLing patted his head, "What are you looking at?" 

Jiang Shen returned to the living, somewhat embarrassed. 

Tan LingLing glanced in the direction of the studio, "You see how hard everyone works? These little ones come here to learn dance just like this." 

Jiang Shen was a bit confused, "Am I working hard or are they?"

Tan LingLing was dumbfounded and laughed, not giving her son any face, "You try and stretch your legs like that, we'll see who's the hard worker." 

Jiang Shen wasn't sure why he'd gone up to the entrance, sticking his head inside. The dance instructor, who was actually an acquaintance of Tan LingLing's, greeted her with, "Mrs. Ling!"

Tan LingLing gave Jiang Shen a push from behind toward the instructor, "Hi, Coach Lin. This is my son, he's almost eight years old."

Coach Lin beamed, "He's quite tall!"

Jiang Shen had never seen such a beautiful person up to this point in his childhood; she had a fair complexion and fine stature, and as she stood in her dance apparel she looked like a young fairy. He blushed and tried to hide himself behind his mother. Tan LingLing dragged him out again, "Aren't you gonna stretch your legs?"  

Jiang Shen stammered, "N-no, I can't stretch." 

Coach Lin surprisingly didn't mind, "Do you wanna learn to dance? Let's try a warm-up." 

Chapter end