Chapter 21

  When Daniu returned to the vilge, she only took half a carcass for herself. The rest she let Uncle Song distribute at the vilge committee.

  They couldn’t eat too much meat at once; it would make people restless. Each family got a few pounds, which was just enough.

  The pelts were hung in the shed to dry before being processed. This couldn’t be rushed. To get good pelts, it would take over twenty days, even a month. If done poorly, the fur would fall out, the pelts wouldn’t be smooth, and they’d smell. Daniu had experience with this.

  "How did you run into so many wild animals on a trip to the mountains?" Ma Hongmei asked, frowning.

  "A few educated youths decided to go into the mountains to catch rabbits, got lost, and were targeted by wild animals," Dayu said casually. She took off her coat and washed her hands and face. Xiaocui took her coat, which was stained with blood, to clean it. "Sis, Meizi, and I made you a light cotton jacket. It’s on the kang. Try it on and see if it fits. If not, I’ll fix it."

  Dayu had already washed her face, which was now snow white with soap. She looked up, squinted her eyes, and said, "Why did you make one for me? I told you two to make new clothes for yourselves. The one I made st year isn’t old."

  "We made clothes for ourselves too. It is enough," Xiaocui said, carrying the coat outside to clean it.

  After washing her face, Daniu went back to her room, let her hair down, re-braided it, and tied it up neatly. Then she picked up the cotton jacket from the kang. The jacket had a blue background with small floral patterns, and the lining was made from red striped fabric. She remembered it was from the long underpants she had bought for Xiaocui st year. It was a bit too long, so Xiaocui hadn’t worn it. Now, she had cut it up to use as lining.

  The underpant fabric was very soft, making the jacket comfortable to wear. Usually, they used old clothes for lining, but this time Xiaocui had cut up something new.

  Daniu took off the cotton jacket she was wearing. Her figure was tall and slender, with long, straight legs and arms longer than average. Her upper body was lean but well-developed. Ready-made clothes were either too short in the sleeves or too tight in the chest. The jacket Xiaocui made fit perfectly—loose but not baggy, with sleeves long enough and a cuff that could be rolled up for work or left down for everyday wear. The snting colr had a button on the right side, and when buttoned, it fit her figure well, showing her curves without being too revealing.

  Daniu was extremely delighted, not because she was wearing new clothes, but because she was amazed by her younger sister’s craftsmanship. Her sister was only fifteen years old, yet her skills were already this impressive.

  When she walked out of the room, Ma Hongmei, who was tending the fire, saw her and excimed, "Oh, Daniu, that looks great on you! So pretty."

  "Mom, Xiaocui made this. Look at the craftsmanship. Even the tailors in town can’t match this," Dayu said to her mother.

  "Of course, Xiaocui has always been good with her hands," Ma Hongmei said proudly, knowing her daughter’s strengths. This year, all the family’s cotton clothes and pants have been made by Xiaocui.

  After a while, Meizi came in from the backyard. Daniu noticed she was wearing a new cotton jacket made from patchwork fabric. One side was bright red, the other bright green, with pink floral sleeves. Though the colors were mismatched, it looked fresh and lively. "Is this made from the leftover fabric from st year’s quilts?" Daniu asked uncertainly.

  "Yeah, these two pieces are from our house. The pink fabric was exchanged by Second Sister with Mrs. Zhao for a piece of blue floral fabric. Sis, doesn’t it look nice?" Meizi was beaming with pride.

  No wonder there was enough fabric left for her outfit. The pink floral fabric suited a young girl like her.

  "Our Xiaocui is really clever and skilled," Daniu couldn’t help but praise her sister again to her mother.

  "Your sister isn’t great at studying, but when it comes to household chores, none of you can match her. It’s a pity we don’t have any connections, or else we could send Xiaocui to work at the city’s garment factory," Ma Hongmei said with a hint of regret.

  Dayu suddenly recalled information about the garment factory. It used to be under military jurisdiction but has been transferred to the city a few years ago. It specialized in producing military uniforms and supplies.

  "It’s really hard to get into that factory. Mom, Xiaocui is still young. When she’s a bit older, I’ll see if I can find her a job," Daniu said. If she doesn’t leave the vilge, she will be stuck farming and working around the stove for the rest of her life.

  Early the next morning, Daniu was pumping water in the yard when she saw someone approaching from the south. It was still dark, and she couldn’t make out the face, but the figure looked familiar. She stopped pumping and stood up, looking ahead. The person saw her too and quickened his pace.

  "Come in, the gate’s unlocked," Daniu said as the person reached the entrance.

  Zheng Sen reached into the iron gate, pulled open the tch, and walked in. "I asked Ptoon Leader Li where you live. The vilgers told me to follow the main road until I saw the tallest house, and it was easy to find."

  Dayu smiled slightly and continued pumping water. "Comrade Zheng, what brings you here so early?" It was just past six, and the sky was barely light.

  "I came to tell you that after we got back yesterday, the company commander put Fang Xiaoguang and the others in confinement. They were only released after midnight. Fang Xiaoguang left before dawn today. I suspect he might have gone to the commune."

  Dayu stopped pumping, took down the full bucket of water, and repced it with another. Zheng Sen stepped in to help pump.

  Daniu straightened up. "You think he went to the commune to compin?"

  "Yeah, I think he might not dare to bme the forestry center, but he could cause trouble for you," Zheng Sen said. Yesterday, he had noticed Fang Xiaoguang’s gloomy expression as he watched Daniu leave.

  Since arriving here, the forestry center’s food supplies hadn’t been great. They weren’t starving, but the meals weren’t good. Fang Xiaoguang, who was from Harbin, was quite particur and couldn’t get used to the food here. He had gotten along well with Ptoon Leader Li and had recently taken leave to hunt rabbits, which he and Li Hongda had secretly feasted on, but Li Hongda, who has a big mouth, let it slip. Fang Xiaoguang had then convinced a few others to go into the mountains, which led to the trouble.

  Last night, after being confined, Fang Xiaoguang was resentful. He probably wouldn’t dare to cause trouble for the forestry center, but he might make things difficult for Daniu.

  Daniu thought for a moment. "I see. Thank you, Comrade Zheng, for coming all this way to warn me."

  Zheng Sen shook his head. "It’s nothing. You saved my life the other day."

  Daniu smiled. "Even without me, you could’ve escaped. There was a big tree right behind you. With a gun in hand, you could’ve climbed up and saved yourself."

  Zheng Sen didn’t say anything, but compared to running away, fighting off the wolves was much more thrilling.

  "You haven’t had breakfast yet, have you? We’re about to eat. Stay and have some before you go."

  Zheng Sen, who had been running since early morning, was hungry and nodded without protest. He followed Daniu, carrying the water bucket.

  "Who’s this?" Ma Hongmei asked, seeing the tall young man following Daniu.

  "This is Zheng Sen, an educated youth from the forestry center," Dayu introduced.

  "Just call me by my name. No need to be so formal," Zheng Sen quickly added.

  "Come inside and sit for a while. It’s cold out here," Daniu said, pushing open the door to the south room.

  After Dali’s leg healed, he had moved to the back of the house. Dazhi and Dayong lived with their grandpa in the front yard. Dayong was already up, dressed, and had folded his bnkets, while Dazhi was still tossing and turning on the heated kang. Once their mother started cooking, the kang got too hot, and the child couldn’t stay still.

  "Grandpa, this is Zheng Sen, an educated youth from the forestry center. He came to give me some news," Daniu introduced to her grandpa.

  The old man, smoking his pipe, looked at Zheng Sen and said, "Good d. You’ve got a strong build."

  "Grandpa Ma, you’re still quite robust yourself," Zheng Sen replied. It was true—the old man, wearing a cotton coat with his sleeves rolled up, had well-defined muscles.

  Daniu left the two to chat and went outside. "Mom, has Dad gone out again?"

  "Yeah, he went to the county," Ma Hongmei replied. Their father was a teacher at the local middle school, but as one of the most educated people in the county, he was often called away for other tasks. Even though the school was on winter break, he was still busy.

  "Daniu, how do you know this Zheng Sen?" Ma Hongmei asked suspiciously. Was there something going on between them?

  "We met when I was coming back from Harbin. He came today to tell me something," Daniu expined, telling her mother about the situation. "We should thank him for coming all this way to warn me."

  "Yeah, I understand."

  Ma Hongmei, who hadn’t paid much attention before, now realized they couldn’t be rude to their guest. She went to the west room, scooped up half a gourd of eggs, cracked them into a bowl, added salt and scallions, and heated oil in the wok. With a sizzle, she poured in the egg mixture, making a pte of fluffy scrambled eggs.

  Chapter 21 (Minor revisions, optional for those who have read it)

  When Daniu returned to the vilge, she only took half a carcass for herself. The rest she let Uncle Song distribute at the vilge committee.

  They couldn’t eat too much meat at once; it would make people restless. Each family got a few pounds, which was just enough.

  The pelts were hung in the shed to dry before being processed. This couldn’t be rushed. To get good pelts, it would take over twenty days, even a month. If done poorly, the fur would fall out, the pelts wouldn’t be smooth, and they’d smell. Daniu had experience with this.

  "How did you run into so many wild animals on a trip to the mountains?" Ma Hongmei asked, frowning.

  "A few educated youths decided to go into the mountains to catch rabbits, got lost, and were targeted by wild animals," Dayu said casually. She took off her coat and washed her hands and face. Xiaocui took her coat, which was stained with blood, to clean it. "Sis, Meizi, and I made you a light cotton jacket. It’s on the kang. Try it on and see if it fits. If not, I’ll fix it."

  Dayu had already washed her face, which was now snow white with soap. She looked up, squinted her eyes, and said, "Why did you make one for me? I told you two to make new clothes for yourselves. The one I made st year isn’t old."

  "We made clothes for ourselves too. It is enough," Xiaocui said, carrying the coat outside to clean it.

  After washing her face, Daniu went back to her room, let her hair down, re-braided it, and tied it up neatly. Then she picked up the cotton jacket from the kang. The jacket had a blue background with small floral patterns, and the lining was made from red striped fabric. She remembered it was from the long underpants she had bought for Xiaocui st year. It was a bit too long, so Xiaocui hadn’t worn it. Now, she had cut it up to use as lining.

  The underpant fabric was very soft, making the jacket comfortable to wear. Usually, they used old clothes for lining, but this time Xiaocui had cut up something new.

  Daniu took off the cotton jacket she was wearing. Her figure was tall and slender, with long, straight legs and arms longer than average. Her upper body was lean but well-developed. Ready-made clothes were either too short in the sleeves or too tight in the chest. The jacket Xiaocui made fit perfectly—loose but not baggy, with sleeves long enough and a cuff that could be rolled up for work or left down for everyday wear. The snting colr had a button on the right side, and when buttoned, it fit her figure well, showing her curves without being too revealing.

  Daniu was extremely delighted, not because she was wearing new clothes, but because she was amazed by her younger sister’s craftsmanship. Her sister was only fifteen years old, yet her skills were already this impressive.

  When she walked out of the room, Ma Hongmei, who was tending the fire, saw her and excimed, "Oh, Daniu, that looks great on you! So pretty."

  "Mom, Xiaocui made this. Look at the craftsmanship. Even the tailors in town can’t match this," Dayu said to her mother.

  "Of course, Xiaocui has always been good with her hands," Ma Hongmei said proudly, knowing her daughter’s strengths. This year, all the family’s cotton clothes and pants have been made by Xiaocui.

  After a while, Meizi came in from the backyard. Daniu noticed she was wearing a new cotton jacket made from patchwork fabric. One side was bright red, the other bright green, with pink floral sleeves. Though the colors were mismatched, it looked fresh and lively. "Is this made from the leftover fabric from st year’s quilts?" Daniu asked uncertainly.

  "Yeah, these two pieces are from our house. The pink fabric was exchanged by Second Sister with Mrs. Zhao for a piece of blue floral fabric. Sis, doesn’t it look nice?" Meizi was beaming with pride.

  No wonder there was enough fabric left for her outfit. The pink floral fabric suited a young girl like her.

  "Our Xiaocui is really clever and skilled," Daniu couldn’t help but praise her sister again to her mother.

  "Your sister isn’t great at studying, but when it comes to household chores, none of you can match her. It’s a pity we don’t have any connections, or else we could send Xiaocui to work at the city’s garment factory," Ma Hongmei said with a hint of regret.

  Dayu suddenly recalled information about the garment factory. It used to be under military jurisdiction but has been transferred to the city a few years ago. It specialized in producing military uniforms and supplies.

  "It’s really hard to get into that factory. Mom, Xiaocui is still young. When she’s a bit older, I’ll see if I can find her a job," Daniu said. If she doesn’t leave the vilge, she will be stuck farming and working around the stove for the rest of her life.

  Early the next morning, Daniu was pumping water in the yard when she saw someone approaching from the south. It was still dark, and she couldn’t make out the face, but the figure looked familiar. She stopped pumping and stood up, looking ahead. The person saw her too and quickened his pace.

  "Come in, the gate’s unlocked," Daniu said as the person reached the entrance.

  Zheng Sen reached into the iron gate, pulled open the tch, and walked in. "I asked Ptoon Leader Li where you live. The vilgers told me to follow the main road until I saw the tallest house, and it was easy to find."

  Dayu smiled slightly and continued pumping water. "Comrade Zheng, what brings you here so early?" It was just past six, and the sky was barely light.

  "I came to tell you that after we got back yesterday, the company commander put Fang Xiaoguang and the others in confinement. They were only released after midnight. Fang Xiaoguang left before dawn today. I suspect he might have gone to the commune."

  Dayu stopped pumping, took down the full bucket of water, and repced it with another. Zheng Sen stepped in to help pump.

  Daniu straightened up. "You think he went to the commune to compin?"

  "Yeah, I think he might not dare to bme the forestry center, but he could cause trouble for you," Zheng Sen said. Yesterday, he had noticed Fang Xiaoguang’s gloomy expression as he watched Daniu leave.

  Since arriving here, the forestry center’s food supplies hadn’t been great. They weren’t starving, but the meals weren’t good. Fang Xiaoguang, who was from Harbin, was quite particur and couldn’t get used to the food here. He had gotten along well with Ptoon Leader Li and had recently taken leave to hunt rabbits, which he and Li Hongda had secretly feasted on, but Li Hongda, who has a big mouth, let it slip. Fang Xiaoguang had then convinced a few others to go into the mountains, which led to the trouble.

  Last night, after being confined, Fang Xiaoguang was resentful. He probably wouldn’t dare to cause trouble for the forestry center, but he might make things difficult for Daniu.

  Daniu thought for a moment. "I see. Thank you, Comrade Zheng, for coming all this way to warn me."

  Zheng Sen shook his head. "It’s nothing. You saved my life the other day."

  Daniu smiled. "Even without me, you could’ve escaped. There was a big tree right behind you. With a gun in hand, you could’ve climbed up and saved yourself."

  Zheng Sen didn’t say anything, but compared to running away, fighting off the wolves was much more thrilling.

  "You haven’t had breakfast yet, have you? We’re about to eat. Stay and have some before you go."

  Zheng Sen, who had been running since early morning, was hungry and nodded without protest. He followed Daniu, carrying the water bucket.

  "Who’s this?" Ma Hongmei asked, seeing the tall young man following Daniu.

  "This is Zheng Sen, an educated youth from the forestry center," Dayu introduced.

  "Just call me by my name. No need to be so formal," Zheng Sen quickly added.

  "Come inside and sit for a while. It’s cold out here," Daniu said, pushing open the door to the south room.

  After Dali’s leg healed, he had moved to the back of the house. Dazhi and Dayong lived with their grandpa in the front yard. Dayong was already up, dressed, and had folded his bnkets, while Dazhi was still tossing and turning on the heated kang. Once their mother started cooking, the kang got too hot, and the child couldn’t stay still.

  "Grandpa, this is Zheng Sen, an educated youth from the forestry center. He came to give me some news," Daniu introduced to her grandpa.

  The old man, smoking his pipe, looked at Zheng Sen and said, "Good d. You’ve got a strong build."

  "Grandpa Ma, you’re still quite robust yourself," Zheng Sen replied. It was true—the old man, wearing a cotton coat with his sleeves rolled up, had well-defined muscles.

  Daniu left the two to chat and went outside. "Mom, has Dad gone out again?"

  "Yeah, he went to the county," Ma Hongmei replied. Their father was a teacher at the local middle school, but as one of the most educated people in the county, he was often called away for other tasks. Even though the school was on winter break, he was still busy.

  "Daniu, how do you know this Zheng Sen?" Ma Hongmei asked suspiciously. Was there something going on between them?

  "We met when I was coming back from Harbin. He came today to tell me something," Daniu expined, telling her mother about the situation. "We should thank him for coming all this way to warn me."

  "Yeah, I understand."

  Ma Hongmei, who hadn’t paid much attention before, now realized they couldn’t be rude to their guest. She went to the west room, scooped up half a gourd of eggs, cracked them into a bowl, added salt and scallions, and heated oil in the wok. With a sizzle, she poured in the egg mixture, making a pte of fluffy scrambled eggs.

  Seeing the third son come out, "Go to the backyard and call your brothers for dinner."

  "Okay." Dayong went out to call them.

  "Come on, we didn't prepare much at home; just make do with this meal. Another day, Auntie will stew some meat for you." Ma Hongmei was very enthusiastic. She pced the pte of scrambled eggs right next to Zheng Sen, then picked up five yellow rice balls with a rge bowl and added a big spoonful of sugar on top.

  "Auntie, this is too much." Zheng Sen looked at the overflowing bowl; it really was a lot.

  "Eat up; I know you don't get much at the forest farm. This is homemade. There's plenty."

  "Let's eat first; don't wait for them." Ma Desheng said as he started eating himself.

  It was Zheng Sen's first time eating yellow rice balls. The outside was sticky but soft from being steamed for a long time, and inside was red bean filling. Breaking the yellow rice ball, the combination of red bean filling, sugar, and yellow rice flour was sweet and glutinous, especially delicious. Ma Hongmei also gave him a rge piece of egg.

  After breakfast, Zheng Sen went back. He couldn't be away for too long. Ma Hongmei gave him a cloth bag filled with yellow rice balls, more than ten of them. "Take these back; eat them when you're hungry. If you can't heat them up, just eat them dry. They're already cooked; just let them warm up a bit, and they're ready to eat."

  As soon as Zheng Sen left, Daniu went to Uncle Song's house and expined the situation. Uncle Song didn't hesitate and took over the matter.

  As Zheng Sen had said, the commune sent an investigation team to look into the matter, but with Uncle Song's testimony that the meat had been distributed to the vilgers and the hides hadn't been sold, the matter was settled.

  However, Da Niu felt this wasn't a small matter and set a bad precedent.