**Chapter 29****

  “What brings you here today?” Daniu asked as Zheng Sen approached. Having fought alongside him before, she felt a sense of familiarity with him.

  Zheng Sen looked at Daniu. “I brought you something.” He was wearing a blue-and-white patterned jacket and dark blue cotton pants, his long, shiny bck hair tied into a thick braid that hung over his shoulder. He exuded a rustic, simple, yet striking charm.

  “Come inside. My grandpa said he wanted to chat with you, but he’s out fishing today. Stay for lunch,” Daniu said.

  The two went inside. “I went into the mountains a few days ago,” Zheng Sen said, opening his bag.

  “You went into the mountains again? Aren’t you afraid that educated youth will report you?”

  “He’s been transferred to the commune. He’s a clerk now,” Zheng Sen said, frowning slightly. “After he left with the commune people st time, he never came back. Somehow, he became a clerk, and a few days ago, he took all his belongings with him.”

  “It’s good that he’s gone, but be careful. He might still cause trouble for you.”

  “I am aware of that and am staying vigint. But never mind him—look at this.” Zheng Sen pulled out a hide from his bag. It was a dried pelt, and Daniu immediately recognized it. “Silver fox fur. How did you get this?” The pelt was pure white, with only a bit of bck at the tail. The fur was soft, glossy, and thick—a first-css pelt.

  “You can’t find silver foxes in the outer areas. Did you go deep into the old forest?” Daniu asked.

  “I stumbled upon it by chance. I was tracking a wild boar and had been lying in a snowdrift for half a day when it appeared in front of me. It almost got away,” Zheng Sen said casually, but Daniu knew how difficult it was to hunt this animal.

  “You should keep this. It’s valuable and can fetch a good price,” Daniu said, pushing the pelt back toward him.

  “I don’t need it. I only needed money before because of a friend’s situation, but that’s been resolved now. I don’t want to sell it. You helped me a lot when you killed those wolves before, so consider this a token of my gratitude. Keep it. With just one pelt, you can make a hat or a scarf, but it’s not enough for anything else,” Zheng Sen said, handing it back to her. Then he looked at the wolf hides. “You tanned these hides really well,” he said, picking one up. The hide was soft and glossy, and the fur was smooth.

  “Do you want to make a coat or a mat?” Daniu asked.

  “A mat. A coat would be too conspicuous,” Zheng Sen replied.

  Daniu nodded. "Don’t take it back today. I’ll make something for you, and you can come pick it up in a couple of days. Consider it a thank-you gift." With that, she accepted the silver fox pelt.

  Zheng Sen smiled and nodded. "Alright. I’ll come back in a couple of days."

  As the two were talking, Dakui came in from outside. Earlier, when he went to the backyard, he had noticed something unusual—a young man who didn’t look like he was from the vilge was walking toward their house. The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt, so he told Dayong to keep an eye out and returned to the front yard.

  * * *

  "Brother, let me introduce you. This is Zheng Sen, an educated youth from the forestry farm," Daniu said, then turned to Zheng Sen. "This is my second brother, Ma Dakui."

  Zheng Sen quickly stood up and extended his hand. Dakui shook it firmly. "I’ve heard my sister mention you. You’re a good shooter," he said, tightening his grip. "You’ve trained before?"

  Zheng Sen nodded. "My family is from the military. I trained with them during the holidays."

  "You’re new here this year, right? Getting used to it?" Dakui asked.

  "It’s alright, just a bit cold," Zheng Sen replied.

  "Has the forestry farm been going up the mountain tely?" Dakui inquired.

  "Not recently. The snow’s too heavy, so it’s been difficult. I heard that after the New Year, a lot of people will be coming. We’re rushing to build more housing now."

  * * *

  "Building houses in this weather?" Daniu excimed in surprise.

  "Log cabins. We’ve already prepared the wood. The foundation is a bit more difficult—we use fire to heat the ground, then compact it and y stones. We’ll get the exterior up first, install the _kang_, and people can move in. When it gets a bit warmer, we’ll use cement to finish the interior. We have no choice; there are thousands of people coming, an entire regiment, with their families."

  "That’s going to be lively," Daniu said.

  After chatting for a while, Zheng Sen excused himself and left. He didn’t stay for dinner—things were busy at the forestry farm, and they might not even get time off for the Chinese New Year’s Eve. He had taken leave today and needed to hurry back.

  From their conversation, Dakui got the sense that Zheng Sen might have some interest in his sister. However, while Daniu was sharp in many ways, she was rather oblivious when it came to matters of the heart. He knew several young men in the vilge had taken a liking to her, but Daniu hadn’t noticed at all.

  * * *

  After this New Year, Daniu would be eighteen, an age when many in the vilge were already preparing for marriage. Dakui was a bit worried about his sister—she was too outstanding, and none of the local young men seemed good enough for her. He had even considered finding someone among his comrades, but so far, he hadn’t found a suitable match. Zheng Sen seemed decent, but being from the capital made him an unlikely candidate.

  Setting that aside, Dakui brought up another matter. "I asked Dayong and Dazhi, and they didn’t notice anyone unusual in the yard. But they mentioned that Sun Eri (Sun family's second son) is back."

  Daniu frowned. She knew Sun Eri—he was a troublemaker, always stealing chickens and dogs. His family had two sons, but the older one had died young, so they spoiled him. Now, they couldn’t control him. He wandered around, didn’t work, and whenever he visited someone’s house, he’d pocket whatever he could.

  Earlier in the year, he had been caught stealing in the county and sent to a bor camp.

  "He wouldn’t dare come to our house," Daniu said.

  "Alright, do we still have a lock? Let’s lock the storage room. I’ll nail the windows shut ter," Dakui said. The losses weren’t significant, and even if they found the culprit, it would likely just result in a warning.

  * * *

  The next day, the forestry farm notified Dali that he needed to start work early. After a day there, Dali learned that the previous accountant had been transferred for unknown reasons, and he was now taking over the role. Fortunately, he had learned a lot from the vilge accountant and was quick to pick things up. After reviewing the previous accounts, he managed to get a handle on the job.

  "I’ll move to the forestry farm tomorrow. It’s too troublesome to commute, and I need to get familiar with the work," Dali said, full of energy.

  "That’s fine. Take things one step at a time, and don’t rush. Since you’re new, talk less and work more. There are a lot of people there, and gossip can easily spiral out of control," Ma Desheng advised.

  "Got it, Grandpa," Dali replied with a nod.

  * * *

  As Dali started his new job, Daniu noticed that the educated youths seemed to have taken an interest in her second brother. They were spending more time in the yard tely.

  When the three young women had first moved in, her mother had warned their eldest brother to stay away from the front yard to avoid any gossip. However, Daniu felt her mother had misjudged the situation. While she thought highly of Dali, in the eyes of these city girls, her brother was just a country bumpkin—someone they looked down on. Zhang Xiaoran and Li Feifei, in particur, barely interacted with the family, acting somewhat aloof. Only Xie Yun was friendly toward them.

  But even if they looked down on rural life, Dakui’s status made him a desirable match. Since his return, their doorstep had been practically worn out by matchmakers.

  * * *

  "How’s it?" Li Feifei asked when Zhang Xiaoran returned.

  "Not great. That Ma Shun is so annoying. She’s always clinging to her brother like a shadow," Zhang Xiaoran compined. Over the past few days, she had tried to get closer to Dakui, but his sister always seemed to appear out of nowhere, ruining her chances.

  "Maybe you should ask someone to speak on your behalf?" Li Feifei suggested.

  "No way," Zhang Xiaoran said. If the proposal were rejected, it would be too embarrassing.

  As they talked, the door opened, and both fell silent. Since returning from the town commune, the atmosphere between them had grown tense.

  Zhang Xiaoran curled her lips in disdain and turned to look at the _kang_ cabinet. Xie Yun came in, picked up a basin, and left without a word. Hearing the door close, Zhang Xiaoran sneered, "What’s she so arrogant? Just because she’s from the capital, she thinks she’s so great?"

  Li Feifei didn’t respond.

  Zhang Xiaoran, feeling irritated, muttered, "See if she annoys me again.""

  Li Feifei looked a bit awkward. "Let it go, Xiaoran. She was just anxious that day, and besides, it wasn’t right for you to read her letter."

  Zhang Xiaoran sat up abruptly. "If she’s not doing anything wrong, what’s the harm with me reading it?"

  "Alright, alright, let’s not talk about this. There are only three of us female educated youths. It won’t do any good if we keep fighting," Li Feifei said, trying to smooth things over.

  Zhang Xiaoran rolled her eyes, thinking to herself that she would find a way to see what was in that letter. That day, she had gone to the post office first and saw Xie Yun’s letter. Curious about its thickness, she had opened it, thinking there might be something inside. Just as she tore it open, Xie Yun happened to see her and snatched the letter away, scolding her.

  Zhang Xiaoran was furious. Later, when they returned, she saw Xie Yun crying, her eyes swollen. Clearly, something had happened at home. _What a pity,_ she thought. _If only she had come in a little ter, I could have seen everything._

  Daniu was unaware of Zhang Xiaoran’s pn, but she kept a close eye on her whenever she noticed her trying to get close to her brother. These days, Daniu sat by the narrow _kang_ in the west room, working on her tasks while keeping an eye out through the window. Her brother had been spending a lot of time outside tely, catching up with old friends and cssmates. He wasn’t the type to stay cooped up at home.

  * * *

  Zheng Sen’s fur mat was finally ready. Daniu had used high-quality fabric to line the edges, stitching it meticulously. The mat was neatly pieced together, and she wrapped it in fwed cloth, securing the edges so that it looked like an ordinary mat from the outside. It would still provide warmth even if spear on snow.

  By the time the mat was finished, it was already the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month. Daniu hitched up the sled and headed to the forestry farm, not only to deliver the mat to Zheng Sen but also to bring some food for her brother.

  When she arrived at the forestry farm, the pce was bustling with activity. Rows of houses had been built, all made of wood. As she passed by, Daniu noticed that while the structures were sturdy, they weren’t very well insuted, with gaps between the logs.

  Zheng Sen spotted Daniu from a distance and, after saying something to the person next to him, ran over to greet her.

  “What brings you here?” he asked.

  Daniu suddenly ughed. When Zheng Sen had visited her home, she had asked him the same question. “I’m here to deliver something. The mat’s ready.”

  Zheng Sen smiled. “Come on, I’ll take you to my pce.” The area was crowded, and he added, “Your brother, Dali, isn’t here. He went to the county with the truck.”

  “Oh,” Daniu said. “I brought some things for him. Can you pass them on to him?”

  Zheng Sen nodded. “Sure.”

  * * *

  They arrived at Zheng Sen’s pce, a small three-room house. The walls were made of mud and straw, with a stone foundation about three feet high. The main room had two stove openings, but there were no pots—just a rge kettle sitting on one of them, indicating that they don’t cook their own meals.

  Zheng Sen led her into the east room. “Hongda and I share this room. The houses here are a bit small, but since there’s a shortage of space, two people share a room. Your brother has a room for himself, just in front of ours.”

  Daniu noticed that the room was tidy. There was a _kang_ on the north side, with a _kang_ cabinet and two neatly folded quilts on top. Against the wall was a desk, and an enamel basin was pced on a stool. That was all the furniture in the room. Daniu opened the package. “I’ve wrapped the mat for you. There’s a small piece of leather left, so I made buttonholes in it and found some buttons for you. You can sew them onto the inside of your military coat, around the back area, and attach the leather there. It’ll keep you warmer and won’t stand out.”

  As she demonstrated how to attach the leather, she looked up at him. “You know how to sew buttons, right?”

  Zheng Sen smiled. “Yes, I used to mend my own clothes back home.”

  “Good. I also brought you some millet dumplings. These are for you,” Daniu said, handing him a cloth bag. She pointed to a rger package. “And this is for my brother.”

  “Got it. He probably won’t be back until evening. I’ll give it to him then.”

  “I’ll be off now,” Daniu said, picking up her horse whip and standing up.

  “Alright, I’ll walk you out,” Zheng Sen said. He didn’t try to keep her longer. The forestry farm was a busy pce, and a girl arriving on a sled would attract attention if she stayed too long.