Chapter 25: Risking Life to Save One's Child

The next morning, Fortune once again came to Jade Emerald’s grave with a shovel in hand and sat silently for a long, long time… before reluctantly leaving.

At his doorstep, he saw his youngest son, Jade Army, sitting on the ground with his eyes closed, his head drooping against the wall. A pang shot through Fortune’s heart. He gently patted him, and only then did Jade Army open his eyes to look at him. Fortune’s tightly clenched heart finally eased.

He lifted Jade Army into his arms and said, “Good son, call out ‘Dad’!” Jade Army warmly uttered a clear “Dad!”

Fortune beamed with joy and said to Colorful Cloud, “This little guy can finally speak.”

“Yes,” she replied, “I was worried he might be mute, but now he can say Dad, Mom, Brother, and Sister.”

“When I came back just now, I saw him sitting with his eyes closed leaning on the wall. It startled me.”

“This child’s health is worsening day by day. If the government’s relief grain doesn’t arrive soon, I doubt he’ll last more than a few days.”

“What does the canteen serve now?”

“After the food supplies were cut off, at first they ate porridge made from bran and sorghum husks. Later, after finishing the bran, sorghum husks, rice husks, peanut shells, and peanut vines, they began chopping and drying corn cobs, corn stalks, and soybean stalks into powder to make porridge for everyone to stave off hunger.”

“I want to bring Jade Army to the construction site; they basically eat grain there.”

“Where would you put him? Does the site canteen feed children?”

“The site won’t feed kids, but I can save some food for him. As for where to keep him, we’ll figure that out when we get there.”

Colorful Cloud had no other choice but to agree.

Fortune carried Jade Army back to the construction site and left him at the home of an elderly woman near their quarters. She lived alone, and Fortune told Jade Army to call her Grandma.

The site canteen mainly served thick and thin porridge made from dried yams and peanut cakes. Most people could eat their fill. Fortune, with his large appetite, usually ate about eighty percent full.

At Jade Army’s first meal there, Fortune didn’t dare let him eat too much, giving him just over half a bowl. The little fellow ate happily, constantly smiling up at Fortune.

After each meal, Fortune ate half himself and saved the other half for Jade Army and the old woman.

A few days after Jade Army arrived, Fortune suddenly suffered diarrhea. He discussed with his son, “Son, Dad has diarrhea and can’t eat peanut cake porridge. I’ll eat the yam pieces inside, and you eat the porridge, okay?”

Jade Army didn’t say a word; he ran over, grabbed the yam pieces that Fortune had picked out, and stuffed them forcefully into his mouth. Seeing this, Fortune had no choice but to pour the yam pieces back into the porridge and eat them all together.

Two weeks later, Jade Army’s health gradually returned to normal, and the old woman also improved, but Fortune’s condition worsened. He often fainted on the construction site.

About three weeks later, one morning, Fortune collapsed on the site and couldn’t get up. Someone noticed he was swollen. Secretary Yang of the brigade came to see him, felt Fortune’s legs, and comforted him, “Fortune, you’re sick and need to go home to rest. Have breakfast tomorrow before you leave.”

Fortune understood this was a dismissal; they wouldn’t feed him at noon the next day.

The next morning, Fortune said to Jade Army, “Son, do you miss home?”

“Yes, I miss Mom.” Over these twenty days, Jade Army had recovered well and spoke fluently.

“Shall we go home?”

“Yes!” Jade Army answered promptly.

When Fortune said goodbye to the old woman, she held his hand with tears streaming down her face, repeating over and over, “You are a good man! Good men live long. You’ll be fine, and once you’re better, you’ll come back.”

As they left, Jade Army waved happily at the old woman, “Grandma, goodbye!”

After breakfast, Fortune stood before the canteen door, gazing longingly at the construction site, reluctant to leave. Jade Army urged him again, “Dad, let’s go home.”

Holding Jade Army, Fortune turned away from the site with great reluctance.

Yangqiao Reservoir was the largest water conservancy project nearby, with abundant water. Once completed, it would forever change the centuries-old history of relying on the weather for farming. Fortune longed to contribute more to this project.

On the way home, Fortune asked Jade Army, “Son, what do you want to be when you grow up?”

Jade Army said, “A cook.”

Fortune asked, “Why do you want to be a cook?”

Jade Army replied simply, “Because I’ll have food to eat.”

Not long after setting out, Fortune had to sit down to rest. He felt utterly drained, unable to walk any further.

Biting his teeth, he trudged forward step by step on the way home.

The construction site was only about ten miles from home; usually, he could reach it in an hour. Today, after more than two hours, he had only covered half the distance.

Jade Army, perhaps thinking his father was too slow or unable to continue, refused to be carried and insisted on walking by himself. Fortune saw that the boy’s legs were strong and steady. Walking, then running ahead, suddenly Fortune felt a burst of light before him and strength in his body. He followed behind, shouting joyfully, “Son, you’re amazing!”

Hearing his father’s encouragement, the little one ran even faster. Fortune thought that at this pace, they would reach home in time for a meal. He wondered how the village canteen was doing now.

A few days after Fortune took Jade Army away, the commune’s relief grain arrived. Each person received two taels of dried yam per day. Though meager, the villagers were delighted to have grain at all.

The canteen crushed the dried yam and added it to straw powder to cook porridge. Each person received a small bowl per meal. Everyone said it barely helped; they were still very hungry.

When Fortune and Jade Army reached home, Jade Army called out, “Mom, Mom!” Colorful Cloud was very happy to see him plump and hurriedly picked him up, asking, “Do you miss Mom?”

“Yes!”

“Where do you miss?”

“Here.” Jade Army patted his belly.

“Do you miss your brother and sister?”

“Yes!” Jade Strong and Jade Orchid grabbed their little brother’s hand and happily told their father, “Dad, you’ve fed our brother fat and full of spirit. We want to come with you too.” Fortune saw the two children were so thin they looked unrecognizable. He patted them silently.

Colorful Cloud noticed Fortune’s complexion was particularly poor and felt a mixture of sorrow and joy. “Fortune, are you sick?”

“No, just a little tired. I’ll rest for a bit.” At that moment, Fortune felt weak and dizzy.

“Who looks after Jade Army?” she asked.

“An old woman. She’s very good to him. Have Fat and Lucky come back recently?”

“No. Their site is farther from home. They rarely come back.”

Jade Orchid brought a bowl of hot water to her father. “Dad, drink some water. What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing, just rest a while and I’ll be fine.”

When Colorful Cloud returned with food, she showed Fortune, “This porridge has yam powder in it. Sit up and eat a little.”

Fortune looked at it and thought that the food for six people was not enough for just himself.

Colorful Cloud served a bowl for him. After a few bites, Fortune handed it back, “I’m not hungry yet. Let the children eat first.”

Colorful Cloud said, “When you took Jade Army away, I forgot to remind you. I didn’t expect Jade Army to get fat while you became like this.”

“The little guy always looks at me and smiles when he eats. It makes me happy.” Fortune didn’t tell Colorful Cloud that he had to share his food with the old woman caring for Jade Army. The old woman was so hungry he couldn’t bear to watch her watch Jade Army eat alone, especially since the child needed her care.

“No matter how happy you are, you can’t neglect your own health. After all, your work is very physically demanding.” Colorful Cloud’s words echoed a popular saying from the construction site: “Climb up in the midsummer heat, come down in midwinter cold.”

In the depths of winter, wearing thin clothes, laborers carried over two hundred pounds of earth up the dam, sweat dripping like large beads onto the ground, their clothes soaked and hot as the midsummer sun. Coming down, the biting cold wind pierced through their soaked thin clothes, truly feeling the chill of winter.

Fortune’s single meal fed three people. Combined with such heavy labor, he often fainted from hunger and exhaustion on the site, eventually developing edema.

He did not want others to know, but no wall is without cracks; eventually, the leaders found out.

Fortune’s edema came at the cost of Jade Army’s health and vigor. He was satisfied in his heart. He firmly believed that one born in early spring would surely succeed and bring good fortune to the Chen family. He was the family’s future. As long as the boy grew up safely and healthily, no hardship he endured was in vain.

That night, Colorful Cloud noticed Fortune’s legs were swollen and asked, “Are your legs swollen?”

“A little, but it’s nothing. A couple of days’ rest will fix it.”

“How long have they been swollen?”

“I didn’t notice until yesterday.”