Golden Childhood

By Shen Yang, translated by Nicky Harman and illustrated by Chen Huifang. Published by Balestier Press, 2023.

You can read the translation and original Chinese below, and click on the image to see the translation and illustrations from the book!

Granny’s Little Garden

When we were children, my younger sister and I lived with our grandparents in a North China village. Granny’s house had a little garden where she grew fruit and vegetables all through the year, and kept hens and ducks and cats and dogs. They and the swallows in spring were our playmates, and the garden itself was a wonderful playground for us.

Our grandparents loved and cared for us, and my sister and I grew up healthy and happy. But that cozy little garden was just the beginning of our childhood adventures.

⼩时候，我和妹妹跟着姥姥姥爷在乡下⽣活。姥姥的⼩院⼉是个神奇的乐园, ⽠果蔬菜四季更替，鸡鸭猫狗还有春天⾥的⼩燕⼦都是我们的好朋友。我和妹妹在姥姥姥爷温暖的⽻翼下健康快乐地成长着，在他们温馨的⼩院⼉⾥开启了我们奇妙的童年之旅。

Riding Straw Horses

When it was harvest time, the breeze blew over the fields making golden waves of the wheat, and we could hear the swish-swish as the wheat was cut. It was laid out on the ground and our donkey pulled a stone roller in circles over it to separate the straw from the grain. Granddad sang as he followed the donkey round, while our hens fought greedily over any grains that escaped.

Granny turned over the straw with a big fork. Then the straw was tied in bundles, and the grains of wheat were put in bags. We children pretended the bundles of straw were warhorses and we scooted around on them with loud yells. The air was filled with the good smell of wheat and everyone was happy.

麦芒时节，微风吹拂着⾦⾊的麦浪，唰唰的割麦声响彻⽥间。⼩⽑驴拉着⽯头滚⼦在平铺的麦秆上转圈圈，姥爷跟在它后⾯哼着欢快的⼩曲⼉，馋嘴的⼩鸡们争先恐后地抢着蹦出来的麦粒。姥姥⽤⼤叉⼦不断地翻着，麦粒被装进⿇布袋⾥，空麦秆被⼀捆捆绑了起来，我和⼩伙伴们骑在胖胖的麦卷上，好似骑着⼀匹匹战马，⼤声吆喝着向前冲。

Lotus Leaf Umbrellas

During the hottest summer afternoons, we used to play in the village pond, while the grownups did the washing and chatted.

The sun was scorching but we didn’t need umbrellas or sun lotion: we picked huge lotus leaves to wear on our heads, and pulled apart fat lotus heads to nibble the seeds inside. The water was clear and cool and we jumped and dived, splashed and paddled in it happily all summer long, as the cicadas chirred loudly around us.

炎炎夏⽇，村⾥的池塘是我们⼩孩⼦的天然⽔上乐园。⼤⼈们洗着⾐服聊着家常，⼩孩们在⽔⾥⾃由⾃在地游来游去。烈⽇当头，我们摘⼀朵⼤⼤的荷叶戴在头上，采⼀个颗粒饱满的莲蓬尝尝鲜。响亮的知了声、扑通的跳⽔声和欢乐的嬉闹声此起彼伏，清浅的池塘⽔承载了我们整个夏天的快乐。

Haystack Slides

In autumn, the fields were golden with stacks of wheat straw. They looked like giant mushrooms. We went crazy on them. We used to skip from one to the next, from the east end of the field to the west end, then swoop down from the very top of a stack to the ground. We never seemed to run out of energy. No matter how tired we were, how much we puffed and panted and sweated, we still chased each other madly around the field. It was so much fun that we could never get enough of these games.

Then we all flopped on our backs on top of the stacks and laughed at the sun over our heads. Finally, tired of messing around, we let our eyes close and, before we knew it, we were asleep.

等到麦⼦熟了，村⾥的麦秸垛像⼤蘑菇似的⼀个个拔地⽽起时，我们的狂欢才真正开始。悟空的腾云驾雾我们不会，可我们会像打⽔漂似的从东头的麦秸垛⼀直窜到西头的麦秸垛，然后再跐溜⼀声从上⾯滑下来。⼩孩⼦好像永远都有⽤不完的体⼒，明明已经累得⽓喘吁吁汗流浃背，我们却还在麦场上你追我赶，怎么疯都疯不 够。疯着疯着，我们不约⽽同四仰⼋叉地躺在垛顶对着蓝天⽩云哈哈⼤笑。笑累了，闹够了，我们眯着眼不知不觉睡着了。

Ten Minutes of Joy

When the bell rang at break-time, boys and girls rushed out of the classroom, and the playground came alive. We had swings, bars, basketball hoops and balls, but most of our games required barely any equipment. Like blind-man’s buff and drop the handkerchief, leapfrog and cat’s cradle, or one-legged “sumo”, a classic Chinese game. Another traditional game was shuttlecock kicking, where you had to keep the shuttlecock in the air for as long as possible, kicking it with one ankle, while standing on the other leg.

It was only ten minutes, but every day we made the most of that short time between classes, and had loads of fun.

等到下课铃声响起，男孩⼥孩们欢欣雀跃地冲出教室，空荡的校园瞬间热闹起来。虽然那时候我们也有秋千、双杠和篮球场，但⼤部分的游戏我们是不需要任何设备的。⽃鸡、跳⼭⽺、跳⼤绳、跳⽪筋、砸沙包、荡秋千、翻花绳、丢⼿绢、踢键⼦、打弹珠、拍卡⽚、蒙眼抓⼈、⽼鹰捉⼩鸡……有限的课间⼗分钟⾥，有着⽆限的⼤⼤的快乐。

Corner Shop Wonders

In the middle of the village was a place that both grownups and children loved: the little corner shop. The shop-keeper who lived there was a lovely lady who was full of life and so was her place: a pomegranate tree, its branches laden with ripe fruit, stood against the wall, pots planted with colorful flowers, and a small patch of vegetables stood outside the gate.

Her shop was a friendly, welcoming place. The adults often went there to buy sesame oil, soy sauce, or vinegar and then stopped for a chat with the neighbours. Sometimes, they would send us there to buy what they needed. To us that was a ticket to a wonderland: Hot’n Spicy chews, lollipops, sour plum sherbet, dried fruit peel, bubble gum, shrimp crackers, Huazhan biscuits, “Raccoon” brand instant noodles, “Commander Black Cat” chocolate... that shop was bursting with good things, and we only needed a few cents of spare change to buy a big bag of happiness.

村⾥琳琅满⽬的⼩卖部深受孩⼦和⼤⼈们的喜爱，爱笑的店主是个热爱⽣活的⼈：夏天，她家的牵⽜花爬上墙头又窜到门头，朵朵⼩花点缀其中，好似点点繁星。秋天，挂满枝头的⽯榴树倚墙⽽⽴，就连门前的空地都栽满了⼩青菜⼩⽠果，充满了⽣活的富⾜感。

⼤⼈们常去她家买油盐酱醋，遇到邻居再扯⼏句家常。有时候，忙不过来，他们便派我们⼩孩去买。我们攥着⼿⾥的钱，飞快地朝零⾷乐园跑去：辣条、冰棍⼉、酸梅粉、果丹⽪、泡泡糖、亲亲虾条、花占饼⼲、⼩浣熊⽅便⾯、⿊猫警长巧克⼒ ⼏⽑钱我们就能在那⾥买到⼀份巨⼤的快乐。

Starry Night Games

The alley felt very homely. When it was time to eat, there were calls of: ‘Dinner time!’ through every open gate. We children were often outside playing Chinese jump rope and hoop rolling in the alley, and the grown-ups had to chase after us if we ignored their calls for too long. Inside, the houses were brightly lit and there was a cheerful clattering of pots and pans and bowls as the whole family sat around the table and tucked into their dinners.

When we children had had enough to eat, we ran back into the alley to play with our friends until our laughter rose into the dark night sky and turned into a myriad twinkling stars.

⼉时的同乐巷，清净又热闹，街坊四邻透着股⼦亲近，到了饭点⼉，⼀声声“吃饭啦”从家门⼜传到巷⼦⼜。吃饭的时候，每⼀家都亮着幸福的灯，每⼀户都传来锅碗瓢盆声，⼀家⼈围坐在电视机前，抢着⼀桌⼦美⾷。吃饱喝⾜了，⼩孩们又不约⽽同地冲到巷⼦⾥，哈哈的笑声变成⼀颗颗闪闪的⼩星星，挂满了漆⿊的夜空。

Shopping at the Open Market

When it was almost New Year, Granny and Granddad used to take my sister and me to the market. It was a very busy place. There were piles of bright patterned fabric, wonton dumplings, fruit, candied jujubes on skewers, and special banners with writing on to hang outside the gate and welcome in the new year and bring good luck. The barbers sat outside too, cutting people’s hair ready for the holiday. Granny led the way, carrying a big bamboo basket, with me following behind with the little bag she had sewn for me from bits of coloured fabric. Granddad pushed the pushchair with my younger sister.

By the end of the morning, Granny’s basket was full of all kinds of delicious things to eat, and so was my bag. I kept dipping my hands in, to try this and that, until my tummy was bursting.

快过年的时候，姥姥姥爷会带着我和妹妹去赶集。卖花布的、卖⼩馄饨的、卖⽔果的、卖糖葫芦的、喜迎春节卖春联的、还有给⼈当街理发的…… ⼩⼩的集市热闹⾮凡。 姥爷⽤⼩推车推着妹妹，姥姥挎着⼤⽵篮⼦在前⾯晃晃悠悠地⾛，我背着⽤碎布头缝的⼩花包屁颠屁颠地跟在她⾝后。⼀上午逛下来，姥姥的篮⼦⾥塞满了各式各样的美味点⼼，我呢，⾛⼀路吃⼀路，⼩花包⿎⿎囊囊，⼩肚⼦圆咕噜嘟。

Jujube Cakes

Jujube date cakes were a speciality at New Year in Shandong province where we lived, and we children loved them. They were made by coiling thin strips of dough around dried jujubes. These were arranged in circles and layered up into a big mound. The cakes were not just good to eat, they also symbolized people’s hopes for prosperity and a better life in the coming year.

Every family had their own special shapes. Granny’s jujube cakes were colourful and tasty, and came in all shapes and sizes. She would take a piece of dough, pop in the jujubes in just the right places, and in a few seconds, she had made a duck or a rabbit or a fish. After her animal cakes had been steamed, she quickly rolled jujube paste between her thumb and forefinger into tiny balls. Then she stuck them to the hot cakes to make cute little eyes that smiled up at you.

花糕，俗称“枣糕”，鲁西南地区过年的必需品，⼩孩们的最爱。和好的发⾯擀成⼀个个均匀⼩饼，再⽤搓好压成的长条形⾯，包起⼀颗颗红枣，⼀层层摞起，形成⼀个枣塔。花糕造型⽣动，因⼈⽽异，每家每户都是原创⾼⼿。它不仅美味可⼜，还寓意深刻，象征红⽕的⽇⼦节节⾼，寄托了⼈们对美好⽣活的向往。

姥姥的花糕呀，⾊⾹味具全且花样繁多。她的⼀双巧⼿，拈来⼏颗枣往⾯团⼦⾥三下两下那么⼀捣⿎，瞬间便出来⼀个⼩动物造型的花糕。待到蒸好出笼时，她再快速⽤⼤拇指和⾷指搓出⼀个个极⼩极圆的枣泥团⼦，不偏不倚，刚巧贴在那⼉，俏⽪地瞅着你。

Happy Chinese New Year!

Between late January and February we celebrated Chinese New Year, also called Spring Festival because it marks the end of winter. Of all our holidays, it was the one we most looked forward to. Every family let off firecrackers, pasted new banners outside their gate, and hung up red paper lanterns. We children, in bright new clothes and shiny shoes, went from house to house holding little animal-shaped lanterns.

The grown-ups wished the neighbours ‘Happy New Year!’ and we were given special red envelopes with money in to bring us good luck in the coming year. Meanwhile, firecrackers crackled and popped all through the village, and the air was filled with the burning smell. I’ve always loved that smell, because it reminds me of the New Year holiday and family get-togethers.

春节，过⼤年贴春联放鞭炮，家家户户⼤红灯笼⾼⾼挂。穿花⾐踩新鞋的孩⼦们打着⼩动物纸灯笼去串门，你来我家拜年我去你家送祝福，⼤⼈们忙着说吉祥话，⼩孩们忙着抢⼤红包。噼⾥啪啦的鞭炮声响彻整个村⼦，空⽓⾥弥漫着鞭炮的味道。我喜欢这个味道，因为这是过年的味道，是团圆的味道，是幸福的味道。

Lantern Festival

Shortly after Spring Festival, we welcomed the first full moon of the lunar new year by celebrating the Lantern Festival. The whole village was decorated with animal-shaped lanterns and streamers, and giant dragons and lions, animated by nimble dancers inside them, roamed the streets at the rhythm of drums. At every corner you could find stalls selling “tangyuan”, sweet and perfectly round rice balls symbolizing unity and the wish for a joyful start of the year.

The streets were always jam-packed so my friends and I used to climb up onto the branch of a big tree. From there, we could get a good view of all the lanterns and the shows. More kids joined us, and soon every tree had rows of kids in colourful clothes on its branches shining under the bright moonlight, just like little lanterns.

正⽉⼗五闹元宵，村⾥⼤街⼩巷张灯结彩，⼈⼭⼈海。街头⼩摊前，吃⼀碗甜甜的象征着团圆和美好⽣活的汤圆，我和⼩伙伴们爬到粗壮的⼤树上，坐在宽宽的树杈⾥，既能看到舞⼤龙耍狮⼦的，又能看到各式各样的花灯。村⾥的孩⼦们效仿起我们来，⼀会⼉功夫，街边的树上就“挂满”了彩⾊的“胖娃娃灯”。