He Ting

Biodata

Background / History

Family Circumstances

He Ting lives with her husband, Jiang Mingjun, their two sons, Jiang Jianguo and Jiang Aiguo, and their youngest daughter, Jiang Xinxin. Both adults work, supporting their five-person household while occasionally helping elderly parents and other relatives. Despite having wages and ration coupons, the family struggles to obtain nutritious food during worsening shortages 2.

He Ting fell ill around the time of Xinxin’s birth, when living conditions were already poor. Xinxin was malnourished and weak from infancy and nearly died. Her continuing frailty makes both parents particularly concerned about her diet 9.

Looking After Liang Xin

The neighborhood office assigns He Ting to help Liang Xin after he moves to the city and begins working in the supply and marketing cooperative system. She sends Xinxin to call him over for meals and guides him through his first days at work 1 3 12.

When Liang Xin brings two jin of eggs to her home, she initially refuses them and lectures him about saving money for his parents and future marriage. At Jiang Mingjun’s suggestion, she accepts only after paying Liang Xin one yuan and coupons for two jin of eggs. Her gratitude gives Liang Xin five Level-Up Experience points—the first such notification he receives 2.

She also teaches him how to exchange favors without appearing ostentatious. When he asks to buy expensive Lotus cigarettes, she substitutes two packs of Economy cigarettes and adds matches, recognizing that he wants them for other people rather than himself 11 12.

Liang Xin’s Gifts to Xinxin

He Ting discovers that Liang Xin has fed Xinxin meat after noticing soy sauce on the girl’s hands and smelling it. Unable to repay him with meat, she resolves to remember the favor and temporarily pretends not to know about it 9.

When Xinxin later brings home a boiled egg from Liang Xin, He Ting lets her eat it privately, away from her brothers, because of her poor health. Nevertheless, she feels indebted by the repeated gifts and tells Xinxin not to accept more food 8 9.

Organizing the Courtyard Egg Sale

Liang Xin later approaches He Ting privately about selling ten jin of eggs, claiming to have bought them from a village chicken farm without coupons. She recognizes that the transaction could damage his employment prospects if reported, but agrees to buy three jin and find buyers for the remainder 14 15.

He Ting quickly brings Grandma Zhou, Aunt Song, and Sister Xiao Zhu to his home. She lends her household scale to verify the cartons’ weights and initially arranges purchases totaling nine jin, leaving one jin for Liang Xin. He subsequently sells his remaining carton to Sister Xiao Zhu, who needs better nutrition to nurse her baby 15 16.

Afterward, He Ting explains that she selected these households because of their nutritional needs: the Zhous are elderly, Aunt Song’s husband is ill, and Sister Xiao Zhu is struggling to produce enough milk. She also asks Liang Xin not to resent Grandma Zhou’s attempts to gain extra eggs, reminding him of Grandpa Zhou’s longstanding help to their neighbors. Liang Xin understands her lesson as helping others within his means, without harming his own interests 16 17.

Later Cooking Request

By Chapter 25, Liang Xin considers He Ting the person he knows best locally and waits for her to return so he can ask her to cook scrambled eggs with tomatoes using his ingredients. He rules out a permanent meal-sharing arrangement with her household because feeding five additional people would be expensive, while their frugality would clash with his desire to eat well 25.

Appearance

• He Ting is described as an ordinary-looking housewife in her thirties 2.
• She and her family wear patched clothing, which helps Liang Xin recognize the poverty of his new era 2.

Personality

He Ting is warmhearted, conscientious, and willing to correct Liang Xin rather than simply indulge him. He recognizes that her persistent advice about thrift comes from genuine concern. She also takes the neighborhood office’s assignment to care for him seriously 2 15.

Her generosity is tempered by a strong sense of reciprocity. She insists on paying for valuable food and becomes uncomfortable when Liang Xin repeatedly feeds Xinxin without accepting anything in return 2 9.

She balances compassion with practical limits. Her choice of egg buyers prioritizes genuine nutritional need, but she does not expect Liang Xin to give away goods he cannot afford to lose 17.

Relationships

• Liang Xin — Colleague, next-door neighbor, and the young worker entrusted to her care; she advises him on household spending, workplace favors, and helping neighbors 1 2 12 17.
• Jiang Mingjun — Husband and fellow wage earner; they share concern over their children’s nutrition 2 9.
• Jiang Jianguo — Eldest son, one of the household’s two growing boys 2 25.
• Jiang Aiguo — Second son and Xinxin’s older brother 2 8.
• Jiang Xinxin — Youngest daughter; her lifelong frailty prompts He Ting’s particular concern for her nourishment 8 9.
• Grandpa Zhou and Grandma Zhou — Elderly neighbors whom she includes in the egg sale; she defends Grandma Zhou by recalling Grandpa Zhou’s kindness to the courtyard 16 17.
• Aunt Song — Neighbor whose ill husband needs additional nourishment 17.
• Sister Xiao Zhu — Neighbor and recent mother whom He Ting helps obtain eggs because of insufficient breast milk 16 17.

Notable Quotes

“Oh, Xiao Liang, the neighborhood office sent me to look after you, not the other way around!” 2

“Xiao Liang, I'll accept the eggs, but you have to take the money and coupons. Otherwise, you can take the eggs back too!” 2