Translator: dapotaturs
Release Date: 03/18/2024
Edited Date: 06/26/2025
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Right after shouting “Catch the pervert!”, Ning Xiaobei turned around and ran.
Those guys were all in their twenties — fully grown and strong. He was just a little kid. If they caught him, he definitely wouldn’t get off easy.
Sure enough, the moment Ning Xiaobei’s shout rang out, a chorus of screams erupted from the women’s bathhouse.
The few hooligans only saw a little kid running away at full speed with his back to them. Without thinking too much, they all jumped down from the windowsill and scrambled to grab Ning Xiaobei.
Ning Xiaobei, small and low to the ground, dodged a few times with nimble agility, narrowly slipping away from their grasp.
“Someone’s peeking at the women’s bathhouse!”
“Quick, catch the perverts!”
Ning Xiaobei shouted as he ran.
The bathhouse had a high, echoing ceiling—like a grand opera house. The more Ning Xiaobei yelled, the more fired up he got. He even felt like belting out a tune or two.
No wonder some people liked to sing or perform during bath time.
Ning Xiaobei vaguely remembered a movie called 《Shower1https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shower_(film)》, where a character liked to sing the Italian opera 《O Sole Mio2“O Sole Mio” is a famous Neapolitan song that translates to “My sunshine” or “My sun” 》 in the bathhouse. Now, he could empathize.
His shouting quickly drew a large crowd of male workers, young and old, who rushed over in the direction of the noise.
“Dad! Help!”
Spotting Ning Jianguo leading the group, Ning Xiaobei was so excited he slipped, lunging into his father’s arms and nearly pulling off the towel wrapped around his dad’s waist.
“Dad! Those guys were peeking at the girls and tried to beat me up when I caught them!”
Ning Xiaobei clung to Ning Jianguo’s shoulders, embellishing his words. Ning Jianguo shielded his son behind him, glaring at the hooligans.
“Darn it3“册那” (cè nà) – A Shanghainese curse word, used like “damn it” or “son of a bitch.”, beat these turtle bastards to death! My wife and daughter are bathing next door! I’ll gouge their eyeballs out myself!”
“Let’s see which workshop these floating corpses4“浮尸” (fú shī) – Literally “floating corpses.” Here it’s a darkly humorous or harsh slang term for lazy or problematic young workers, implying they just float around doing nothing. are from, let the masters come and take them.”
“Take them? Beat them first, then take them to the police station, and finally fire them! Playing hooligans, get ready for a lawsuit!”
Seeing things going south, the hooligans tried to bolt. Someone nearby accidentally kicked over a soapy water bucket, making them all slip and fall like overturned crabs, limbs flailing everywhere.
The men surrounded them indignantly and beat the thugs mercilessly. Despite their attempts to escape and plead for mercy, they were caught and beaten badly.
The incident alarmed the factory leaders. The factory director, the party secretary, and the head of the workshop where the young men worked all rushed back to the factory for an emergency meeting.
In this day and age, there is still the so-called “hooliganism.” Whether these young men would face legal consequences remained to be seen, but they were likely to lose their jobs.
By the time everyone finished giving statements at the police station, they came out of the factory office well past nine o’clock in the evening.
It was only Ning Xiaobei’s first day out of the hospital, and the exertion had worn him out. As soon as they exited the building, he let out a big yawn.
“Xiaobei, you must be exhausted. I should’ve sent you home earlier,” Ning Jianguo said, gently lifting him onto the backseat of his bicycle.
“I’m fine, it was kinda nice,” Xiaobei grinned, resting his hands on his father’s shoulders and whispering, “The factory office has AC. Way comfier than home…”
Air conditioning was still a luxury in this era, and the Ning family’s old house didn’t have it.
Ning Jianguo installed a ceiling fan in the living room and on the second floor. As for the attic, there was only a “Huasheng” brand oscillating fan. Although the old house was warm in winter and cool in summer, it was still incomparable to an air-conditioned room.
Hearing this, Ning Jianguo couldn’t help but smile and ruffled his son’s hair affectionately.
“Jianguo, let’s go.”
Ning Xiaobei turned around, only to see a tall figure walking slowly through the darkness under the starry sky, emerging from a deep shadow.
The man was wearing a white tank top and dark wool-blend trousers. He had a strong, athletic build, and his long legs were almost intimidating.
His eyes had a hint of hazel, his nose was straight and high, and his striking, mixed-race features looked like they had been kissed by Da Vinci’s brush. This was none other than Zhao Jingwen, known as “the Fei Xiang5Fei Xiang
of the Third Shoe Factory,” and Ning Jianguo’s best friend.
Zhao Jingwen bent down as he entered the shed. Seeing Ning Xiaobei staring at him wide-eyed, he chuckled, revealing a set of white teeth.
“Why the expression, Xiaobei? Seeing Uncle is not like seeing a ghost.”
Ning Xiaobei blushed and lowered his head, muttering “Uncle…” like a mosquito.
Back when he was a clueless kid, he didn’t think much of it. But now? Uncle Zhao was so handsome it made his legs weak. Even this closeted old ghost wearing a child’s skin felt his heart pounding.
It was no wonder Dad didn’t have much luck with women with such a handsome friend by his side.
Thinking this, Ning Xiaobei suddenly didn’t find Zhao Jingwen as attractive anymore.
Zhao Jingwen had been the first to leap in when chasing the perverts. In the scuffle, one of them had scratched his arm, drawing blood. After filing his statement at the police station, he had to go back to the factory infirmary to get it bandaged. Only now was he leaving.
“Are you okay? Do you need a tetanus shot?”
Ning Jianguo walked over and glanced at the bandage on his arm, asking with concern.
“Oh, this little scratch? It’s nothing. No need to go to the hospital.”
Zhao Jingwen replied nonchalantly.
Seeing the two adults chatting, Ning Xiaobei sat on the bicycle, feeling a bit bored and swinging his legs.
“Why did you kick me?”
Suddenly, a figure emerged from behind him, startling Ning Xiaobei, who turned his head abruptly.
Outside the shed, in the darkness, with poor visibility, a blurry figure had appeared behind him, and his restless little legs had accidentally grazed him.
“Don’t scare your little brother, Xiao Xia. He’s not in great health.”
Zhao Jingwen stepped forward with his long legs and pulled a little black-skinned boy out from behind Xiaobei.
Brought into the light by Zhao Jingwen, the little boy had chocolate-colored skin, with his freshly washed hair looked like a messy nest.
He wore a navy T-shirt and black shorts. Aside from the whites of his eyes, his whole body was the same deep tone. His eyes were quite large, reminiscent of Ning Jianguo’s. This “little dark-skinned boy” stood silently, blending into the darkness of the night.
No wonder he had been standing in the shed for so long without Ning Xiaobei noticing him.
“Jianguo, this is my sister’s child. His name is Fan Xia. He’s staying at my place for a few days, so I brought him to the factory for a bath,” said Zhao Jingwen, lifting the little dark-skinned boy¹ by the back of his collar and bringing him in front of Ning Jianguo.
“Fan Xia, come on, call Uncle Ning.”
The little dark-skinned boy didn’t give his uncle any face, hanging his head and mumbling for a long time without saying anything. Zhao Jingwen, annoyed, kept patting his shoulder, scolding him for being hopeless like a lump of mud that can’t be shaped6“烂泥扶不上墙” (like a lump of mud that can’t be shaped): Used to scold someone who’s hopeless or won’t improve..
Ning Jianguo just smiled, not taking it seriously. In fact, he was quietly proud—his Xiaobei really was the best-behaved child in the world.
“Fan Xia?”
Xiaobei leaned forward, wide-eyed as he stared at the sulky, stubborn little boy.
Hey! Wasn’t this the same Fan Xia who’d once been his deskmate for a whole year, nicknamed “Xiao Heipi7“小黑皮” – Little dark skin“?
Haven’t seen each other in over twenty years, and how come you’ve gotten even darker, buddy?
…………
On a summer morning, Jiande Lane was filled with the lively sounds of people. Taking advantage of the good weather, every household was busy washing and airing things out. School would be starting in a few days, so kids were squeezing out the last bits of summer break for fun.
It was a rare weekend off, and Ning Jianguo had gone to the wet market early in the morning. He bought a fish, a large cut of beef, and a bunch of vegetables—he was determined to cook a feast and help Xiaobei build up his strength.
The preliminary menu: scallion-braised crucian carp, curry beef with potatoes, stir-fried green beans, and egg drop soup. Simple dishes, but they truly tested a cook’s skill.
The aroma of stir-frying wafted out from the kitchen. Xiaobei sat at the doorway with a small stool and a little table, racing to finish his homework.
It was only yesterday, while cleaning out the attic, that he found his completely blank 《Summer Vacation Life》 Workbook. After checking his last semester’s home-school communication book, he realized he also had more than ten test papers to do over the break—none of which he’d touched until now.
The elementary school papers were naturally no problem for Xiaobei, a postgraduate student, but the hard part wasn’t the questions—it was trying to mimic his childhood handwriting as a grown man in his thirties without giving himself away.
He had to press down firmly with every stroke, so the writing came out lumpy and slow. The whole morning was spent on just a few pages.
Grandma Ning sat diagonally across from Xiaobei, the radio beside her playing a tune from the Yue Opera 《Pan Fu Suo Fu》. She held a palm-leaf fan in one hand, her eyes half-closed as though dozing, though she’d occasionally nod along with the lyrics.
“Meow, meow~”
Azi, the cat who had been out all night, returned. Seeing his little master sitting by the door, it affectionately ran over and rubbed its tail against Xiaobei’s shin.
“Shoo!”
Grandma Ning, seeing this, gently tapped the cat’s rear leg with her cane. Azi, feeling wronged, let out a meow and quickly ran into the living room.
Watching its lonely little back disappear, Xiaobei paused his pencil.
“Your dad already said, cat fur can also trigger asthma. You better stop cuddling with it”
Seeing Ning Xiaobei looking displeased, the old lady turned her head aside and said coldly.
Ning Xiaobei’s asthma had now become the top priority in the Ning household. Not only had Ning Jianguo quit smoking, but he was also trying to eliminate every potential trigger.
Hearing that cat fur could also trigger asthma, Ning Jianguo even considered sending Azi away. In the end, it was only after Ning Xiaobei threw a tantrum that he relented.
But now, Azi’s activities in the Ning household were limited to the living room and the kitchen. It wasn’t allowed to go upstairs, let alone play with Ning Xiaobei.
Although Ning Xiaobei wanted to protest, upon reflection, he had indeed cuddled Azi just before his recent asthma attack. Thus, he had no choice but to accept this “unequal treaty.”
He poked his chin with the eraser at the end of his pencil, sneaking a glance at Grandma Ning who had turned her head away. A smile appeared on his face.
From what he’d observed lately, it was clear that Grandma Ning actually cared a lot about this “grandson” of hers. She wasn’t like how he remembered her—always harsh and critical.
To his eyes now, she was a typical “tough mouth, soft heart” type, a knife-mouthed, tofu-hearted woman. In modern terms, she’d be called a tsundere.
It was only with the eyesight and mindset of an adult that he could reevaluate the people around him and make such discoveries.
Grandma Ning, with her half-open eyes, watched Ning Xiaobei put down his pen and walk into the living room. After a while, he brought out a teapot with both hands and handed it to her, smiling sweetly. “Good grandma, have some tea. Dad brewed some sliced ginseng early this morning, it’s not too hot.”
Grandma Ning hesitated for a moment, then took a sip from the teacup. Then, as if compelled by some unseen force, she took out a five-dollar bill from her pocket and placed it in Ning Xiaobei’s hand. “Take this and buy some candy.”
With that said, not only did she freeze in place, but Ning Xiaobei himself also froze—
In “that world”, until her passing, his grandmother had never given him pocket money aside from the red envelopes given out during Chinese New Year.
“Thank you, good grandma. You’re the best.”
He smiled as he folded the money and put it in his pocket.
Grandma Ningr’s mouth twitched, her expression turning stern as she fell silent.
“Xiaobei is doing his homework, how diligent. And look at you, ma’am—still so spirited.”
Right then, Ma Zhiguo and Liu Meifang came down the alley holding gift boxes. Spotting the pair at the door, they greeted them enthusiastically.
“I’ll go get Dad.”
Ning Xiaobei frowned, not wanting to waste time chatting with them.
A couple of days ago, after returning from the factory, Ning Jianguo had called a little “family meeting” at home to discuss whether or not to fight for the welfare housing—though the only attendees were himself, a grandma, and a child.
He’d concluded that while their old house was decently sized and conveniently close to the factory, making the commute easy, there were significant drawbacks.
First, there was no piped gas. The Ning family still used a liquefied gas cylinder, but many neighbors were still cooking with coal stoves or even firewood, producing heavy smoke—not good for Xiaobei’s asthma.
The second reason was that the old house didn’t have a bathroom. Every morning they had to line up at the waste station to empty the chamber pot. Ning Jianguo wanted Xiaobei to live in a home with a flush toilet. Ning Xiaobei wholeheartedly agreed—life without a flush toilet simply wasn’t fit for modern people.
The third reason, and the most important one—Ning Xiaobei clearly stated that after graduating from elementary school, he wanted to take the entrance exam for the prestigious No. 1 Middle School and continue to attend its high school division.
The admission rate of No.1 High School is renowned8乓乓响 (bāng bāng xiǎng) – Shanghai dialect meaning “very impressive” or “widely renowned.” throughout Shanghai. Getting into No.1 High School is like stepping halfway into the gates of a university. The location of these welfare houses is not far from No.1 High School. Even if it’s for the convenience of Xiaobei’s future schooling, he must secure this housing unit.
All in all, and to sum up, for the sake of his son’s health and future, this time’s allocation quota, the kind-hearted Ning Jianguo, will not yield no matter what.
“Sorry, it’s not possible.”
As they entered the living room, before Ma Zhiguo and his wife could explain their intentions, Ning Jianguo took the initiative to reject their unreasonable request to give up the allocation quota.
“But—but, Engineer Ning. Our family is struggling. My son is already in middle school, and we still have to squeeze into one bed.”
Ma Zhiguo’s wife, Liu Meifang, took a few steps forward, attempting to grab Ning Jianguo’s arm.
“If you have something to say, just say it. Don’t go pulling and tugging—what kind of behavior is that?”
Sitting at the head of the room, Grandma Ning leaned on her cane, held her prayer beads, her eyes emitting a cold light, and said icily.
“What? Your family’s struggling? Go talk to the unit leaders, go to the subdistrict office. Why are you bothering my Jianguo? My son’s just an ordinary worker, not some cadre. What help can he offer you?”
“But, Engineer Ning, you’ve given up the housing allocation several times before…”
Upon hearing this, Ning Jianguo’s face darkened.
“So he’s supposed to keep giving them up? Who decided that? Is it some kind of rule? Just because someone does good deeds like Lei Feng9Lei Feng (雷锋; 1940–1962) was a soldier in China’s People’s Liberation Army, celebrated as a national icon of altruism and selflessness., does that mean they have to keep taking losses forever? This Old Lady finds it strange—doing good means you should be forced to do it endlessly? Or is it that you two think my son is easy to talk into things, and you’ve decided to take advantage10吃吃人家 (chi chi) – Shanghai dialect/slang for taking advantage of someone of him?
Sensing that Ning Jianguo was about to erupt, Grandma Ning raised her arm, signaling him to remain silent.
“Let me tell you, as long as I, his mother, am still breathing—anyone trying to bully someone from our family—there’s no way in hell11门都没有 (mén dōu méi yǒu) – A strong expression meaning “No way!” or “Not a chance!”!”
Standing behind her, Ning Xiaobei felt like he was on stage in a traditional Chinese opera.
His grandmother was like the legendary She Taijun12She Saihua, commonly known as She Taijun: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/She_Saihua from 《The Generals of the Yang Family》, and he was the background character holding the flag and umbrella beside her.
The background character suppressed his laughter as he watched the confident expressions on Ma Zhiguo and his wife crumble into panic. His heart was gleeful.
Serves them right!
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Author’s Note:
The house must be secured, the prestigious high school must be attended, and I also have to find a wife for Dad—Xiaobei is under a lot of pressure, hahaha.
Our little dark-skinned gong finally shows up! Turns out this is a story about raising your future husband~~
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