C9

Sung Zhu certainly wouldn't let Sung Guodong carry her on his back. She was determined to walk alongside him to the county town.

"Oh, if only we could catch a ride with a passing car."

After more than half an hour of walking, Sung Zhu's calves were aching terribly. She longed for the comfort of a car ride!

Unfortunately, there were no buses running from the commune to the county town, leaving them with no choice but to walk.

Luckily, Sung Zhu and her grandson had good fortune on their side. Halfway there, they ran into an acquaintance driving a tractor to the county town for some errands and hitched a ride.

Though the ride on the back of the tractor was extremely bumpy, and people weren't really supposed to sit in the tractor bed, at that moment...

Being able to avoid walking all the way to the county town was an absolute delight.

"Thanks so much, brother!"

"Don't mention it! Hey, when are you heading back? If our timing works out, I can wait and we can go together!"

Their acquaintance was quite generous, even arranging a time for their return trip.

Sung Zhu felt that she had indeed picked a lucky day to venture out, cheerfully exploring the county with Sung Guodong.

"Zhu, grandpa's going to treat you to something tasty!"

Sung Guodong was clearly in high spirits as he took Sung Zhu out for some delicious dumplings.

At that time, there were no private food stalls, only state-owned restaurants.

Perhaps because they had missed the breakfast rush, the place wasn't very crowded.

Sung Zhu ate a bowl of dumplings and found them to be mediocre at best. They had a bit of meat in them, which was enough to satisfy a child's craving.

"Zhu, how about we go take a picture, does that sound good?"

Sung Guodong, still smiling, suggested this after Zhu finished her meal. His tone was as gentle as one used for coaxing a child.

"Sure, but grandpa, what made you think of taking pictures?" Sung Zhu wasn't too impressed with the photography of the era and wasn't particularly interested in it either.

Sensing her lack of enthusiasm, Sung Guodong continued in his child-friendly tone, "Zhu, you're so pretty, we should definitely take a photo to remember this! Taking pictures is a lot of fun, and you'll love the photo once you see it!"

Sung Zhu was torn between laughter and tears, but in those days, being able to take a photograph was quite the marvel. Her grandpa must have really cherished her to take her for a photo session. She sweetly agreed and off they went to the photography studio.

Upon arrival, Sung Zhu noticed the crowd. Indeed, the desire to look good is universal, even in the toughest times.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine," Sung Guodong reassured her. When it was their turn, he surprisingly didn't pose for a picture himself; he only wanted Sung Zhu to be photographed.

There was no need for any special poses; it was just a simple black-and-white headshot. Sung Zhu felt awkward, stiff as a board.

Sung Guodong, on the other hand, was overjoyed. After paying, he cheerfully told the photographer, "I'd like three copies, please."

The staff at the studio were quite accommodating. "No problem, you can pick them up next week."

Sung Zhu couldn't help but ask, "Why does it take so long?" Surely, even with less advanced technology, it shouldn't take three days?

"Ah, young lady, you don't understand. Photography is a complex craft! With the number of people coming in every day, it's impossible to finish quickly. Just come back next week," they explained.

Sung Zhu shook her head inwardly. Well, the photographic process of the time was indeed intricate. If only she had a smartphone, she mused, she could snap ten photos in a minute and even touch them up with an app!

"Don't worry, Zhu, we'll come back to town next week," Sung Guodong said, thinking she was eager to see the photos. He then happily scooped her up and they left.

Sung Zhu had thought they'd be heading back immediately. She was about to remind Sung Guodong that their kind acquaintance had said they'd return to the commune by one in the afternoon, but to her surprise, he mentioned he wanted to take her shopping first.