Chapter 22: The Bath and the Military Uniform

“Come here, what are you hiding from?!” Xu Hengzhou patiently reached out to Xiang Chen, intending to pull the boy, who was curled into a tight ball, to his feet.

“No,” Xiang Chen whimpered, shrinking further into the corner, looking as pitiful as a kitten whose tail had been stepped on.

“What are you hiding from a bath for?” Xu Hengzhou asked, a chuckle escaping his lips. “Look how filthy you are! If you don’t wash, you’ll have to sleep on the ground tonight!”

Given that the house only had two rooms, it was inevitable that Xiang Chen would be sharing one with Xu Hengzhou.

Xiang Chen’s face flushed crimson as he lowered his head, refusing to speak. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to bathe; he felt terribly uncomfortable after so long without one, and a hot shower would be wonderfully soothing.

Nor did he object to Xu Hengzhou helping him. He couldn’t lift the kettle, and Xu Hengzhou was simply worried he might scald himself.

What Xiang Chen truly resisted was Xu Hengzhou helping him undress. He had just remembered that he wasn’t wearing proper shorts; even though the constant rolling around had made them so grimy their true nature was obscured, they were still boxer briefs!

If Xu Hengzhou saw them, he would surely tease him again.

“What are you afraid of me seeing?” Xu Hengzhou simply squatted in front of Xiang Chen, asking with a playful smile, “Could it be that you’re actually a girl?”

“I am not a girl!” His gender questioned, Xiang Chen instantly bristled. “How am I like a girl? I…”

He sprang to his feet, eager to argue with Xu Hengzhou, his agitation nearly leading him to prove his identity.

Xu Hengzhou quickly scooped up the little dirty cat, who had sprung out, and coaxed him with a smile, “Yes, yes, Chenchen is a boy. Big Brother was just joking.”

Xiang Chen, dazed by the哄, allowed Xu Hengzhou to unbutton and remove his rag-like clothes. He even stammered, “I-I really am a boy, I’m not lying to you.”

Xu Hengzhou nodded as he unbuckled Xiang Chen’s belt. Once it was off, he found something odd about its shape. A necktie? Xu Hengzhou instinctively glanced down at Xiang Chen’s ‘shorts’.

Xiang Chen instantly realized what was happening, his body stiffening, unsure how to react.

Xu Hengzhou, having already deciphered what the item truly was, turned his head and gave a light cough, suppressing his laughter as he consoled Xiang Chen,

“It couldn’t be helped, I understand. It’s alright, no one but me knows Chenchen wore his underwear on the outside. And that Superman in America, isn’t he also…”

“Stop talking,” Xiang Chen said with a blank face, watching Xu Hengzhou fight his laughter until the corners of his mouth twitched. He spoke with utter resignation, “Just laugh if you want to.”

“How could Big Brother laugh at you?” Xu Hengzhou attempted to cover it up, but midway through his sentence, Xiang Chen watched his expression shift from restrained to utterly unable to hold back, then a burst of hearty laughter erupted.

Xiang Chen: “…Big liar!”

Only after he finished laughing did Xu Hengzhou notice that the little white ball had already pitifully submerged himself in the water. The newly crafted large wooden basin was perfectly sized for a little ball like him.

Xu Hengzhou wrung out a towel and leaned in coaxingly. “Big Brother will scrub your back.”

“I’ll wash it m-myself!” Xiang Chen was so angry he could barely speak.

Xu Hengzhou paid it no mind. The soft, fluffy little ball, angry yet adorable, was truly delightful to care for.

With Xu Hengzhou’s “help,” Xiang Chen finally got thoroughly clean, having gone through two basins of water.

The clean Xiang Chen, compared to his earlier grimy state, had increased his cuteness by another level. Xu Hengzhou contentedly dried his hair, unexpectedly experiencing the joy of a little girl playing with her doll.

After bathing Xiang Chen and settling him on a stool, Xu Hengzhou quickly showered and changed his own clothes. His clothes were still too large for Xiang Chen, but asking him to wear his original outfit was out of the question, not just for Xu Hengzhou, but for Xiang Chen himself.

Fortunately, their savior soon returned. Song Wenbin arrived with the rest of their belongings.

He placed a sack of cornmeal in the kitchen, and a large pot, the biggest item he’d brought, went directly onto the stove. The smaller purchases were neatly put away.

“Uncle, you’re back,” Xiang Chen greeted politely from his stool.

Song Wenbin picked him up, smiling. “You look even better now that you’re clean.”

Praised by an elder, Xiang Chen smiled shyly.

Song Wenbin set him down and handed him the package he’d brought. “Open it and see.”

Xiang Chen opened it and immediately cried out in surprise, “Is this for me?”

Inside the package was a small-sized green military uniform. People at this time greatly admired soldiers, and while imitation military uniforms weren’t as wildly popular as they would be a few years later, they were still highly coveted. Such an outfit worn outside would surely make him the envy of all children.

Song Wenbin patted his head. “Try it on.”

Xu Hengzhou, addicted to playing with his ‘doll’, eagerly carried Xiang Chen into the room and helped him change into the clothes Song Wenbin had brought back.

The outfit was complete, from hat to shoes, even including a belt. Xiang Chen put it on, and it fit him perfectly. He delightedly stood on tiptoes to look in the mirror, convinced he looked incredibly handsome and cool in it!

Xu Hengzhou watched him from behind, smiling. He thought their little bun, no matter what he did or wore, was only capable of being cute or cuter, adorable or more adorable. As for cool and handsome, that was simply out of the question.

“Uncle, look at me!” After admiring himself, Xiang Chen pattered out to show Song Wenbin.

“Oh, how spirited!” Song Wenbin was skilled at praise, giving a thumbs-up that made Xiang Chen grin from ear to ear, so happy he was practically disoriented.

Song Wenbin continued, “When Uncle gets you some fabric and finds someone to sew a bag, our Chenchen will wear this to school, and all your classmates will be envious.”

Still thinking of Xu Hengzhou, Xiang Chen quickly said, “I don’t want a bag, make clothes for Big Brother instead.”

He had gained some perspective at Chen Guoliang’s house.

Chen Fen, as the most favored child in the family, owned a total of one padded jacket for winter, two short shirts for summer, and two or three outfits with two pairs of pants for spring and autumn, with the same two pairs of pants rotated in summer.

Chen Fang and Chen Xiaohua below her were even more miserable, wearing Chen Fen’s hand-me-downs, which were mostly patched. So Xiang Chen felt a bag was unnecessary; it would be better to make clothes for Xu Hengzhou, as the Chen family’s situation was too shabby.

Xu Hengzhou hadn’t expected Xiang Chen to remember him. His heart felt as if a kitten had patted it with its paw, a ticklish sensation that made him want to reach out and rub it.

“Big Brother will have some too,” Song Wenbin said, growing fonder of the two children. He promised to make new clothes for Xu Hengzhou as well.

After chatting with the two children for a while, Song Wenbin went to check the items that had just been delivered. Only then did he notice that the bedding had been laid out, the coal stove lit, water boiling, and other items cleaned.

Song Wenbin felt an indescribable mix of joy and sadness. He had lived alone for many years; his own family had long since dissolved, and the military barracks dormitory was his home, yet he was always alone whenever he returned.

Now, with two children suddenly in his life, the empty house had become lively, and his heart felt warmer too.

Song Wenbin patted Xu Hengzhou’s shoulder. “From now on, let me handle lighting fires, pouring water, and such. Don’t scald yourselves.”

Xu Hengzhou smiled, not replying. He wasn’t a true child; he couldn’t just do nothing and wait to be cared for. His little fool was too young to do anything, but he was different. Although his strength wasn’t quite enough yet, there was no need to shirk these basic chores.

As they spoke, the water on the coal stove was ready. Song Wenbin washed the iron pot and then boiled another pot of water to start cooking.

If he were alone, he would just eat at the cafeteria every day, but with two children, he needed to cook good, nourishing meals. That’s why Song Wenbin had gone to the effort of getting a large pot.

With Song Wenbin busy, Xu Hengzhou couldn’t just stand by. He helped with what he could, while Xiang Chen secretly admired his heroic reflection in the mirror for a while, then followed behind Xu Hengzhou like a little shadow.

Having just gained a Big Brother, Xiang Chen’s excitement hadn’t faded, and he constantly wanted to be near Xu Hengzhou.

Whenever Xu Hengzhou turned his head, Xiang Chen would offer a sweet, obedient smile, then softly call out “Big Brother.”

This made Xu Hengzhou, who had initially found him in the way and wanted to shoo him off, stop his work. He would pat Xiang Chen’s head and rub his face, unable to bring himself to be angry.

After a flurry of activity, their new home was spotless. Looking at the refreshed house, the three felt a surge of accomplishment and satisfaction. This would be their home from now on.

It was already evening, and the family residential building began to bustle as people returned from work and school.

Song Wenbin borrowed a steelyard scale and weighed out 70 jin of cornmeal from their supply, pouring the rest into the newly bought grain jar. Then he took out fifty yuan.

His trip to borrow the scale had already drawn the neighbors’ attention. Coupled with the afternoon’s developments, the news that the Chen family had bought the new factory director’s nephew from human traffickers had spread throughout both the Cast Iron Factory and the Machinery Factory.

So, as soon as Song Wenbin stepped out with the sack, neighbors from downstairs came upstairs to visit, and those on the same floor were busy in the corridor, all essentially watching the spectacle unfold.

Song Wenbin was happy for them to watch; it was best to settle things in front of everyone. He knocked on Chen Guoliang’s door in full view of the crowd.

Normally at this time, Chen Guoliang’s door would be open. Up and down the residential building, doors were generally unlocked unless no one was home or it was late at night.

But today was different. The Chen family had suffered a great loss of face. When Chen Guoliang went to work, many people openly and subtly inquired about Xiang Chen.

The past two days, it had been out of goodwill or curiosity, but today, most were simply there to enjoy the show. He wasn’t like Cai Zhen, who had a thick skin and a sharp tongue. In just a few sentences, he was cornered, his face turning crimson, nearly causing him to abandon his work and flee home.

Chen Guoliang’s face was dark when he arrived home, and Cai Zhen was no less displeased. Song Wenbin was her direct superior, and she usually put on airs, always feeling superior due to her family’s cadre background.

On the surface, she got along well with people, but anyone with a bit of discernment could see her contempt and disdain for others.

They were all working-class families; who had the right to look down on whom? Others had at least passed official recruitment exams or taken over their elders’ positions.

Unlike Cai Zhen, who had gotten in through the back door, where did she get the nerve to look down on others?

Normally, if nothing happened, no one would bother with Cai Zhen. But this time, with the Xiang Chen incident, far more people were enjoying Cai Zhen’s misfortune than Chen Guoliang’s.

Initially, Cai Zhen had tried to act as if Song Wenbin was grateful to their family, hoping to leverage his authority, but she failed to consider how many people in the residential building had seen Song Wenbin sternly declare he would call the police.

Furthermore, their family had falsely accused Director Song’s nephew. Grateful? This woman must have lost her mind!

Thus, Cai Zhen’s lie was exposed almost as soon as it began, her reputation torn down and trampled. For Cai Zhen, who cared so much about appearances, this was akin to a death sentence!