Chapter 7

After the carriage passed through the city gates, I was still so drowsy that I could barely keep my eyes open.

“Mother, where are you taking me?”

My mother blinked. “Base of Operations.”

“Huh?” I perked up. “Mother, what, are there comrades out here too?”

“…”

After getting off the carriage, we were standing in front of what looked like a very ordinary courtyard.

But once we entered, to my surprise, the person greeting us was Nanny Wang, who had been sold off the year before last.

At that time, she had accidentally broken the incense burner Grandmother used for worship.

I remember it clearly; Grandmother was furious.

Because that incense burner had cost her one hundred gold coins.

Right there in front of the shrine, Grandmother herself took a whip and lashed her several times, then called for a broker to have her sold to Liangzhou for hard labor.

My mother intervened, restored her freedom, and let her leave the household.

Grandmother thought my mother was being defiant and wanted her to go stand and reflect on her behavior.

Luckily, the story got out and everyone praised my mother for her kindness and compassion. Only then did Grandmother let it go.

Nanny Wang was overjoyed to see me, and kept praising how much I’d grown.

I was happy to see Nanny Wang as well, but even more curious.

It was as if she had come back to life.

Back when she was a servant at our house, she always seemed dull-not dirty, exactly, but as if she’d lost all color.

Now, though she was still dressed in the plain cotton clothes from before, she looked completely different, radiant and full of life.

Somewhat shyly, Nanny Wang told me that after she’d been turned out, no one else would take her in as a servant, and she had no special skills.

My mother found her, gave her food, and taught her to read.

Now, she could be a teacher and instruct others.

She led me to the back courtyard, where the house had actually been turned into two classrooms.

In one room, there were a lot of young children learning characters from their teacher. In the other, an old master was teaching older children how to weave cloth.

I sidled up to my mother, raised an eyebrow, and whispered, “Comrade Chen Shimo, you’re running your underground operations pretty well.”

My mother shook her head helplessly and replied, “Thank you for the praise, Organization.”

I was stunned for a moment.

“Hahahahahaha.”

My sudden burst of laughter startled my mother.

She glared at me, left me behind, and entered one of the side rooms on her own.