Chronicle of the 70s

Grandpa Li lay quietly on the bed, not speaking for a long while. Only when he saw his granddaughter’s worried gaze did he force a smile and said, "Don’t worry, Grandpa is fine. At my age, I’ve seen it all. This is nothing."

Li Xianglu smiled and said, "Yes, Grandpa, try to be positive. I think the situation is going to get better. Look, Uncle Qin has already returned, and Grandpa An will be back soon too."

Mr. Li shook his head and said, "You don’t know, your Grandpa An is different. He was injured back then. He recuperated in the countryside for over a year before he rejoined the troops. It was because of this that he was isolated for an investigation by the organization. Someone accused your Grandpa An of being a traitor, and no matter when, ’traitor’ isn’t a label that’s easily removed."

Li Xianglu frowned and asked, "Didn’t Grandpa An explain it? Didn’t he find the villagers to prove his innocence?"

Grandpa Li hadn’t expected his granddaughter to be so astute. He sat up, leaning on the bedrail, and said, "It’s also your Grandpa An’s bad luck. The people sent by the organization didn’t find that family, so the matter couldn’t be clarified. That’s why even if your Grandpa An had made great contributions, it was all in vain. The eldest and the second son are both dead, now only your Uncle is left as the sole survivor."

Li Xianglu fell silent, then after a while, as if she had thought of something, she asked, "Doesn’t Uncle have a food supply then?"

Grandpa Li sighed and said, "He does, both your Uncle and the two children have it. It’s just that your little aunt doesn’t, as she is registered under a rural household."

Oh, no wonder we’re short on food at home, but the little aunt doesn’t look like she’s from the countryside.

Seemingly noticing his granddaughter’s confusion, Grandpa Li explained, "Your little aunt was an adopted child of that family. She was a child that a military officer couldn’t take with him and was temporarily left at that farmer’s house. Ten years passed without the officer returning, with no news if he was alive or dead, and later she married your Uncle and came to Shanghai."

So that’s the story, no wonder she looks so gentle and elegant, and to have such a backstory.

Mr. Li seemed to recall something, suddenly sat up, and started rummaging through his cotton jacket, pulling out the animal skin map from an inside pocket, and immediately burst into laughter, "Oh, how could I forget about this treasure, let’s get it out, turn it into some cash, and send some to your Uncle An."