Chapter 26**

  "Second brother, why didn't you let us know you were coming back? I would have gone to pick you up," Daniu said excitedly. Her second brother was the closest to her among all the siblings. When they were young, Daniu often teased him, but he would always carry her around, and the two of them grew closer over time.

  "How could I have sent word? And it's not like I couldn't find my way home. I happened to catch a ride back on the forest farm's truck," Da Kui said with a smile.

  Da Niu noticed that her brother's smile had softened a lot. He had changed quite a bit over the years.

  "Where's Grandpa?" Dakui asked as he entered the house and found it empty.

  "He went fishing by the river. Second Grandpa and Second Grandma are coming back today; he said he wanted to catch a big fish to welcome Second Grandpa home. You're in for a treat, Second Brother."

  Dakui put down the bag he was carrying. "With my little sister here, do I really need to worry about food?" Although he had been away for a long time and didn't write often, he knew most of what was going on with his sister.

  "Of course not. There's plenty."

  Dakui opened his bag and pulled out a bundle of red yarn. "This is for you and Xiaocui. It's not much, but it's enough for the three of you to knit scarves."

  Da Niu took the yarn. The bright red color was striking. "It's so vibrant. We don't have anything like this here."

  Dakui then took out a few cans. "These are from where I live. I brought them for everyone to try." He pced the cans on the table. Daniu went over and put them inside. "Don't let Dazhi see them. That kid is so mischievous now. If he sees them, he'll sneak them all away."

  "Haha, he was always like that. Let's go to the backyard," Dakui said.

  "Alright."

  The two of them walked toward the backyard, but before they could get halfway, the door opened. Dazhi was the first to run out, followed by Xiaocui and Meizi. Ma Hongmei walked behind them, wiping her hands on her apron, her face flushed and her eyes slightly red.

  "Mom, I'm back," Dakui said, also emotional. After all, he had been away for several years.

  "Ah, it's good to have you back. It's good to have you back," Ma Hongmei said, patting her son's strong shoulders. "Come inside. Dazhi, go get your grandfather."

  "Got it!" Dazhi said, about to run off, but Daniu grabbed him by the colr and pulled him back. "Go put on your coat first."

  Dazhi stuck out his tongue and went back inside to get dressed.

  Everyone crowded into the house. Dakui looked around at the familiar yet slightly changed home, feeling a surge of emotion. "Where's Big Brother?"

  "Your brother went to the tofu shop to get some tofu," Ma Hongmei said while smiling at Dakui.

  Dakui smiled back at his mother. "Mom, I brought something for you and Dad." He pulled out a purple-red wool coat from his bag. The coat was mid-length with a pointed colr.

  "Why did you buy this? The color is so bright," Ma Hongmei said, though she wiped her hands on her apron again.

  "Last time Daniu wrote to me, she said Brother was getting married. I thought you could wear this to welcome the new bride," Da Kui expined.

  "Mom, try it on," Daniu said, taking off her mother's apron and helping her put on the coat.

  "Wait, wait, let me change into a padded jacket. This one's all greasy," Ma Hongmei said, her face lighting up with a smile. She climbed onto the kang and opened the cabinet, pulling out a padded jacket that Xiaocui had made for her. It was the same pattern as Daniu's but with a front closure.

  "Xiaocui made this for me. Your sister's skills have improved so much," Ma Hongmei said as she changed.

  "Hmm, our Cui has grown up. Xiaocui, I brought some yarn for you and Mei Zi. It's in the front room. It's not much, but it's enough for the three of you to knit scarves."

  Xiaocui smiled shyly. "Thank you, Second Brother." Meizi, hearing this, walked over to her brother. "Second Brother, I missed you so much."

  Dakui ruffled her hair. "Hmm, Meizi is a grown-up now."

  By then, Ma Hongmei had put on the coat. It fit perfectly. In their cold region, they needed padded jackets for about five to six months a year, so Dakui had bought a slightly rger size, so it fit very well.

  "Mom, you look so beautiful in this," Meizi said with a smile.

  Dakui had also bought a wool coat for their father, though it was a mid-length one. For his three brothers, he brought military uniforms, which were the most fashionable at the time. For Dali, he brought a military overcoat. "I traded this with a comrade."

  Just as they were talking, the gate creaked open, and Dali walked in slowly, carrying a board. His leg had improved a lot, though he still couldn't run or exert too much force. Walking was no problem.

  Dakui saw Dali and walked over. Last month, he had received a letter saying Dali had injured his leg, but now he seemed fine, with no permanent injuries.

  "Dakui, when did you come back?" Dali asked with a big smile.

  "Just got home a while ago," Dakui replied, taking the wooden board Dali was carrying, which held a sb of tofu. "How's your leg?"

  "It's better, but I still can't put too much weight on it," Dali said. "How about you? It's been years since you st came back. I've only heard you're doing well, but I don't know if it's really true or not." He patted Dakui's shoulder. "You've gotten stronger." When Dakui left, he was only sixteen, and now it had been almost four years.

  Actually, Dakui and Dali were the same age, born at the beginning and end of the same year. However, Dakui had always been stronger and seemed more mature than Dali. The two had grown up together and were naturally close. Back then, when there was a quota for joining the military, it was supposed to go to Dali. But the family was worried that Dali couldn't endure it and wanted to give the spot to someone else. Unexpectedly, Dakui stood up and volunteered himself.

  * * *

  The Ma family compound was bustling with activity that day. Second Grandpa and Second Grandma arrived in the afternoon, and Dakui, who had been away for four years, also returned. Everyone who heard the news came to visit. Of the five who had joined the military together, two had already been discharged, and the other two had returned home to visit their family, but this was Dakui's first time back.

  Dakui was no longer the mischievous boy he used to be. He had become much more composed and spoke with a calm demeanor. Everyone said he had grown up and become successful.

  Daniu noticed that her brother had changed a lot. He wasn't as boastful as before and now spoke cautiously, only saying what he could and keeping the rest to himself. Despite the many visitors and the long conversations, he didn't reveal a single word about his military unit. He skillfully avoided giving away any information.

  It wasn't until evening that the whole family finally sat down on the kang and enjoyed a quiet meal together.

  * * *

  In the west room of the compound, Xie Yun returned from outside. Her two roommates, both educated youths, had already come back and were soaking their feet.

  "Xie Yun, you're back. There's food in the pot," said Zhang Xiaoran.

  Xie Yun took off her coat as she spoke. "Have you two eaten?"

  "We have. There are yellow rice balls and some dishes in the pot. The Ma family sent them over. They had a celebration today and shared some food with us. There's still some left in the pot. Did you get your package?" Li Feifei noticed the package in Xie Yun's hand.

  Xie Yun nodded. "Yeah, I picked it up at the commune. The town commune has a post office, so it was delivered directly there. I told them to send any future mail here. If the packages aren't too big, they'll bring them over too."

  Li Feifei responded, "That's great. It's too cold to walk that far."

  "Isn't Harbin just as cold? You're much better off than me," Xie Yun said, feeling like she was living in an ice block every day. Her hands and feet were covered in frostbite.

  "It's not the same. At home, I lived in an apartment building. In winter, I didn't even have to go outside. Now, even going to the bathroom means stepping out into the cold. And the toilet—oh my god, it's frozen solid. How are we supposed to use it?" Li Feifei felt like she was on the verge of a breakdown since coming here.

  Xie Yun didn't want to think about the outhouse either. "You said the Ma family had a celebration today. What was it about?"

  "Their retives from Harbin came—their Second Grandpa and their Second Grandma. Also, their second son, who's in the military, came back."

  "That's great news," Xie Yun said, pcing her things on the kang table at the edge of the kang. She went to the pot and took out some yellow rice balls, a bowl of pork bone stew with pickled cabbage, and a piece of fish.

  "Why did you leave so much for me?" Xie Yun asked.

  "It's not that much. The Ma family cooked two big pots of food today and gave us a lot. They even said we could go over tomorrow to get more," Zhang Xiaoran said. The Ma family really lived well—much better than her own family.

  Xie Yun split open a yellow rice ball and took a bite. The red bean filling inside was delicious, even without sugar.

  "Hey, Feifei, did you see their second son today?" Zhang Xiaoran asked, lying on the kang.

  "Yeah, he's quite handsome. Don't you think the people in Ma Family Vilge are all good-looking? straight noses and strong features," Li Feifei said.

  "Exactly. Just look at their family's children—all of them have big eyes, double eyelids, and are tall. That Ma Shun, oh my, her skin is so smooth, like a peeled egg."

  "Right? I've noticed she doesn't use any face cream, but her skin is so soft. She even goes into the mountains, but her face never gets chapped," Li Feifei said, touching her own face. Despite using face cream every day, her skin was still dry, and the corners of her mouth were cracked.

  "I heard their ancestors were big ndlords. Do you think ndlords married especially beautiful women, so their descendants are all good-looking?" Zhang Xiaoran specuted.

  "Don't say that. Their family hasn't been ndlords for a long time. They sold off their nd years ago. Besides, Ma Daniu's uncles were war heroes," Xie Yun quickly stopped her. These days, you have to be careful with your words.

  Zhang Xiaoran shrugged. "Anyway, do you think their second son has a girlfriend?"

  "Probably not. His older brother isn't married yet, right? I heard they're still looking," Li Feifei said, her eyes narrowing. "Xiaoran, why are you asking? Are you interested in their second son?"

  Zhang Xiaoran rolled onto her back and y on the pillow. "Maybe a little. Don't tell me you're not interested."

  Her words surprised both Li Feifei and Xie Yun.

  "Wait, you're not pnning to go back?" Li Feifei asked, shocked.

  "We came here retively early, but my family wrote to say that many middle and high school students in the city are being sent to the countryside. When will we ever go back?" Zhang Xiaoran said. When she first arrived, she had been full of enthusiasm, but after just a month, reality had set in. Next spring, the workload would increase, and she wasn't sure how she would handle it.

  "But—" Li Feifei wanted to say something but couldn't find the words. Still, she had to admit that the two young men from the Ma family were quite impressive. Even in their city, they would stand out.

  Xie Yun got up and cleared the table. Zhang Xiaoran gnced at her. Some things were better dealt with sooner rather than ter. She had always been ambitious, but since coming here, even though she hadn't done much farm work, the daily chores like chopping firewood had left her exhausted. Her hands and feet were covered in frostbite, and she felt like an ice cube. Thinking about the heavy workload next spring, she felt a bit discouraged. Her family's letters weren't encouraging either. Not only could they not help her, but they also asked her to send grain coupons back home.

  Today, upon seeing the second son of the Ma family, she felt her heart stir. If she could marry him, she would become a daughter-in-w of this household, and at least in the vilge, no one would dare bully her. Finding work would also be easier. With the Ma family's connections, arranging a light job for her wouldn’t be a problem. And if she could eventually follow him to the army, that would be even better.