Chapter 53

Chapter 53

They left the two buckets with Sister Li. Shen Banyue carried two fish and went with Shen Wenyi to the clinic to take them to Zhou Yaoyao. As soon as they entered, they saw Zhou Yaoyao putting in an IV for someone they recognized as Fu Yue.

"Oh, you're here! Have a seat for a moment; I'll be finished in a sec." Zhou Yaoyao greeted them hurriedly, smoothly sliding the needle in, pressing on a cotton ball, and then ripping off a piece of tape to secure both the cotton and the needle.

Only then did she turn around and notice the fish in Shen Banyue's hands. The fish were huge, especially when held by the little girl, which made them look even bigger.

"Where did you get such big fish?"

Ma Guangrong appeared out of nowhere, pretending to pass by casually but actually staring at the two big fish, their tails still twitching slightly. His eyes nearly turned green with envy, and he couldn't help but make a snide comment: "Where did you get such big fish? Don't tell me you're fleecing the state."

Zhou Yaoyao immediately turned her head toward him and retorted sarcastically: "Doctor Ma, Chinese New Year is right around the corner again, and you still haven't found a sucker to bleed dry for your family. No wonder you're so sour at the sight of someone carrying two fish, spouting off like you're drunk on cheap booze."

Stung by her words and outnumbered, Ma Guangrong turned and left without a word.

Zhou Yaoyao also noticed that the fish were still alive and quickly found an enamel basin, filled it with water to keep them alive for now.

"Perfect. I'll have my mom stew some fish soup later to build Fu Yue back up." Zhou Yaoyao also brought a net bag from the office containing a bag of milk candies, a box of biscuits, and two packs of cigarettes. "These are from Fu Yue for you. The candies and biscuits are for Xiao Yue, and the cigarettes are for Brother Wenyi. Saves me the trouble of passing them on."

Fu Yue, looking pretty pale, smiled at Shen Banyue and Shen Wenyi and said, "Thank you so much for last time. It was all rushed back then, and I didn't properly thank you. This... this is just a small token of my gratitude. Please don't mind it." She seemed genuinely embarrassed, as if feeling the gifts were inadequate.

Shen Banyue took the items with a cheerful smile and said thank you, playing the part of the innocent little girl, unaware of the other girl's embarrassment.

The other adult, truly clueless, said bluntly, "Just give the milk candies and biscuits to the little girl. As for the cigarettes, are they for me and Shen Guoqing? Neither of us smokes, so forget about those. Take them back for your family to smoke."

Shen Banyue saw Zhou Yaoyao couldn't help but roll her eyes.

This girl's father had already been sent away for reform through labor; who in her family would smoke now?

Fu Yue was flustered, seeming even more embarrassed. She stammered, "I'm sorry, I didn't think it through. It's fine, I'll... I'll get you something else another time..."

Shen Banyue interrupted her, saying, "Brother Wenyi and Brother Guoqing don't smoke, but the brigade leader does. Brother Wenyi, didn't you say before that once you started working, you'd get some cigarette coupons to buy a few packs of good cigarettes for the brigade leader, so he could enjoy the benefits of having a youngest son like you?"

Shen Wenyi scratched his head: "You little kid, if I buy them, that's me buying them. How can I take Comrade Fu's things? I already got a job out of this; if I take her stuff too, that would be too greedy of me."

Fu Yue was startled and quickly said, "No, no, that's two different things. The job is entirely due to Comrade Shen's own abilities; it has nothing to do with me. I have no use for these cigarettes anyway; there's no one left in my family who smokes. Please take them."

In her fluster, she moved both hands, causing the needle to shift slightly, and the IV immediately started to back up with blood.

Seeing this, Shen Wenyi grew nervous too: "Hey, hey, don't get worked up! Don't move. Alright, alright, I'll take them. I'll thank you on behalf of my old man."

Zhou Yaoyao hurried over to handle the situation, gently patting Fu Yue's shoulder: "What's the rush? You've already given a gift; then you're square. If he doesn't want it, that's his loss."

Fu Yue said sheepishly, "It shouldn't be calculated that way."

Zhou Yaoyao: "You're just too honest!"

She sighed inwardly, thinking that if she weren't so honest, she wouldn't have taken so long to discover her own father's affair with Sun Donglian. If she weren't so honest, even as a regular employee at the towel factory, she wouldn't have been driven out of the staff quarters as soon as her father was arrested. If she weren't so honest, she wouldn't have been unable to stay at her uncle's house, forced to rent a place with her younger brother, ultimately exhausting herself to the point of collapse.

Shen Wenyi, looking on, couldn't help but ask, "Is this a cold or a fever? You look really pale."

Fu Yue shook her head: "Just a bit of a fever. I'm alright."

Zhou Yaoyao said with a scoff: "Yeah, you're alright. Just almost fainted from the fever, that's all."

Fu Yue: "..."

Shen Wenyi exclaimed, "That serious? Then you really should rest well." He hesitated before adding, "And eat more decent food. Comrade Zhou, if you finish the fish, once I start working, I'll bring you two more."

Shen Banyue looked at him, then at Fu Yue, and narrowed her eyes slightly.

They had agreed on a time with Sister Li. After sitting at the clinic for a while, they went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some salt and matches their family had asked for, then returned to the back door of the state-run restaurant.

Sister Li had been efficient. By the time Shen Banyue and the others arrived, the two buckets were empty, and even the vegetables they had used to cover the top were gone.

"A neighbor saw the vegetables and wanted them. I assumed you wouldn't be short on greens this season, so I swapped them too."

As she spoke, Sister Li opened up the sack and shook it out, showing Shen Banyue and the others the exchanged goods. "There's food and daily necessities. I didn't ask for hard candies or milk candies; I got white sugar and brown sugar instead—more practical. I got a bit of malted milk and canned goods, not much. Then there's some imperfect fabric. I have a friend at the co-op who has saved up a lot of fabric, so I tried to get as much as I could for you. There really wasn't any cotton, but there are two old cotton-padded jackets. The cotton inside is a bit lumpy, but I haggled the price down for you—definitely a good deal. There's also some toothpaste, soap, and scented soap. I wasn't sure if you'd like these, so I didn't get much."

She explained each item one by one, then mentioned the exchange rates. Finally, she even pulled a list from her pocket. The pencil handwriting was somewhat clumsy but clearly listed: how much money, how many coupons, and which items were exchanged—everything was clear at a glance.

She was indeed a reliable person.

Shen Banyue expressed great satisfaction.

Of course, Sister Li was also quite satisfied.

In these times, supplies were scarce, especially for those on fixed salaries with grain allotments. Everyone had monthly quotas; wanting an extra ounce of meat meant waiting for the market fair and hoping for luck. Places like their commune with big fairs were somewhat better; in the county town or Jiangcheng, it was worse—no market fairs, forcing people to risk going to the black market.

So sometimes, having money wasn't enough; being able to get good stuff was the real skill.

This time, being able to obtain so many fish had really upped her standing among relatives and friends. Everyone said working at the state-run restaurant really broadened one's connections. Even her mother-in-law, who usually nitpicked about everything, didn't say a word this time and happily took the fish and left.

"Xiao Yue, your brigade must have fertile land and water to grow such big fish. If you catch more later, just bring them here. I'll exchange them for you," Sister Li said with a smile.

Shen Banyue nodded, then showed a hesitant expression and asked, "Sister, you didn't tell anyone it was from our brigade, right? If the brigade leader finds out, he'll definitely chew us out. Our brigade leader is really fierce; everyone's afraid of him."

Shen Wenyi: "..."

"Everyone" is afraid of him, but that "everyone" probably doesn't include you, right?

Sister Li waved her hand: "Come on, do you think I don't know that? You're just a kid, but you worry like an adult. Don't you worry one bit. I'm also taking on some risk for you here; how could I be so careless?"

Shen Banyue immediately smiled: "I'm just a kid. Kids are all timid, you know."

Shen Wenyi: "..."

Kids are timid, but that probably doesn't include you either, right?

Sister Li burst out laughing: "Oh, you little kid, you're really something. Alright, I'm about to get busy here, so I won't keep you. See you next time."

After bidding farewell to Sister Li, the two of them rode back to Xiaodun Brigade with two empty buckets and one fully packed sack.

They returned to the village right at lunchtime. No one was under the big camphor tree. Shen Wenyi turned the handlebars onto a side path, winding his way along a small trail around the outskirts of the village back to the blue-brick house with its tiled roof.

After carrying the sack into the house, it was time for the "spoils distribution."

"Wow, this Sister Li is really reliable. These are all useful things!" Wang Guizhi exclaimed after glancing at the items poured out from the sack.

Shen Banyue lifted her chin: "Of course! Just look at who arranged it; it was bound to be reliable!"

Wang Guizhi chuckled and gave her a light tap on the head with her knuckles, gently rapping on Shen Banyue's wind-tousled, messy hair: "Praise you a little and you start puffing up."

Xiao Dizi immediately came over from the side, tilting her little head left and right, saying in a milky voice, "Sister is not fat. Xiao Dizi is fat."

She looked in the mirror every day and knew her cheeks were chubby. Compared to Shen Banyue's pointed chin, the little one naturally thought she was the fat one.

Shen Banyue pinched her own cheek and said objectively, "I am a bit fatter, just not as fat as you."

The original body's constitution was truly poor; when she first took over this body, she was practically skin and bones. Even after eating and drinking freely for the past few months, she had only managed to gain a bit of healthy weight. Not only was she incomparable to Xiao Dizi, but she couldn't even compare to Lin Mian and Xiao Jie.

Shen Wenyi also came over to join the fun, squatting beside Shen Banyue to look her over before suddenly exclaiming in surprise, "Hey, Xiao Yue, I've noticed you haven't just gained a little weight—you've also gotten a lot fairer. And you know what, you're actually quite pretty."

Shen Banyue: "..."

Unable to hold back, she finally rolled her eyes and said, "You can drop the word 'actually.' Thank you."

Shen Wenyi burst into laughter, oblivious to having annoyed her. "Well, you used to be so dark and skinny, like a piece of charcoal—how could I tell if you were pretty or not?"

Shen Banyue narrowed her eyes at him, then suddenly put on an "innocent and pure" smile. "So, Brother Wenyi, who do you think is pretty? Don't you think Sister Fu Yue is quite good-looking?"

Shen Wenyi was taken aback for a moment before his face rapidly flushed, and he began to stammer, "Hey, you... you little kid, how... how can you talk nonsense like that? Spreading such words could ruin a girl's reputation! Wait, what were we just talking about? Oh right, we were about to split the stuff, weren't we? Let's not stray off topic—let's split the stuff!"

His overly defensive reaction was so obvious that even Lin Mian and Xiao Jie could see through it, let alone Wang Guizhi. While the others didn't say anything, Xiao Jie, the chatterbox, immediately started shouting, "Whoa, Brother Wenyi's got a crush! Brother Wenyi's getting married! We get to go to a wedding banquet and have candy again!"

Shen Wenyi: "..."

In the end, he had to 'buy their silence' and give each of the kids ten cents to settle the "rumor."

The fish sale had brought in a total of ten yuan and eighty fen. Nie Yuanbai said they didn't need money, but Shen Banyue still suggested leaving three yuan for him.

It wasn't like the production brigade never needed money. For instance, what if someone fell ill? Buying medicine from the barefoot doctor would still require money, right?

Of the remaining seven yuan and eighty fen, Shen Banyue and Shen Wenyi split it evenly. Shen Wenyi took three yuan and eighty fen, leaving four yuan for Shen Banyue. As a child without a job, Shen Banyue didn't refuse.

As for the goods in the sack, the two old cotton-padded jackets were for Nie Yuanbai and the others.

Even though it had snowed recently, Shen Banyue had heard from Wang Guizhi that in Shanxi County, the coldest time wasn't before the New Year—it was during the spring chill after the New Year.

Moreover, when they were on the mountain together, Shen Banyue had noticed that Nie Yuanbai was wearing two jackets, one of which didn't fit quite right. It wasn't hard to guess he had borrowed it.

Apart from the two cotton-padded jackets, the remaining items were divided into three portions. For things like malted milk that were hard to split evenly, they made up the difference with other items. For example, if Shen Banyue took a can of malted milk, Shen Wenyi and Nie Yuanbai would each receive other goods worth about the same.

In the end, everyone got a large bundle of goods.

Shen Wenyi didn't dare take his share home, so he had Shen Banyue keep it for him. He planned to bring it out just before the New Year, by which time he would have started his job and likely received some wages. Buying things to bring home then wouldn't make his father suspicious.

The two of them divided the goods into three portions in front of Wang Guizhi. When Wang Guizhi heard them mentioning "leaving three yuan for him" and "giving them the cotton-padded jackets," a flicker passed through her eyes, but she didn't ask a single question about who "he" was.

Later that night, when Shen Banyue went out carrying a bundle, Wang Guizhi simply left the door unlocked for her without asking anything.

It was as if Shen Banyue had just taken a flashlight to the outhouse.

—

The cowshed.

Nie Yuanbai quickly carried the bundle inside, turned to bar the door, and then placed it on the wooden plank bed.

Beside the bed was a flat stone he had brought in specifically for the oil lamp. By the lamplight, after seeing what was inside clearly, Nie Yuanbai stared in stunned silence.

Shen Banyue had told him she helped exchange for two old cotton-padded jackets. He had thought that with such a large bundle, the main contents would be the two pieces of clothing.

Unexpectedly, wrapped inside the clothes was a large bag of other items: fabric, brown sugar, toothpaste, soap, matches... all things they needed and that were less likely to draw attention.

Besides these, the little girl had also given him three yuan and two half-catty grain coupons.

After taking stock of everything, Nie Yuanbai sat blankly on the bed for a few minutes. His expression was empty, unsure of what he was thinking—or perhaps he wasn't thinking of anything at all. He couldn't quite explain it himself, only feeling that the bone-deep desolation and coldness that had permeated him for years seemed to have faded considerably during those few minutes.

He got up, tidied things away, hiding the items in various corners of the cramped space. Then, carrying one old cotton-padded jacket and some of the divided goods, he knocked on the door next door.

To save lamp oil, the three of them usually avoided lighting lamps at night unless necessary. For instance, right now, Lv Fang and Xie Tingqin next door weren't asleep yet, but they hadn't lit a lamp. Nie Yuanbai went in, lamp in hand, handed the things to Lv Fang, and said softly, "These are from trading the fish."

Lv Fang was taken aback. "You caught the fish. Why are you giving things to me?"

Nie Yuanbai chuckled. This guy was really straightforward. He was in a good mood today and even felt like joking. "Well, of course, to buy your silence."

Lv Fang grew anxious. "Old Nie, you're really..."

Xie Tingqin, who was lighting the oil lamp, quickly tugged at him, cutting him off. "Old Nie is just joking with us!"

Lv Fang said sheepishly, "Making such jokes for no reason is quite frightening."

Nie Yuanbai said helplessly, "Alright, alright. I caught the fish and traded for the goods. Of course, I wouldn't give everything to you. I kept the larger share for myself; these are for you. Who knows how many years we'll be neighbors? As the saying goes, 'A near neighbor is better than a distant relative.' I'm all alone here—shouldn't I count on you to look out for me a bit?"

Xie Tingqin spoke up before her tactless husband could. "Alright then, we won't stand on ceremony with you."

Nie Yuanbai smiled, handed the things to Xie Tingqin, and turned to leave.

Xie Tingqin first shook out the cotton-padded jacket and said happily, "Old Lv, this jacket is quite large—you can wear it! And look, there's brown sugar, soap, matches... Old Lv, let's boil some water and make brown sugar water to drink!"

It had been so long since they had tasted anything sweet; everything tasted bitter.

Seeing her so happy, Lv Fang felt his eyes grow hot. He quickly turned away. "Alright, I'll go boil the water."

—

Before Shen Wenyi started his job, the "Fish-Harvesting Team" made another trip. When they went to the commune to exchange for goods, Shen Banyue and Shen Wenyi also delivered some fish to Zhou Yaoyao and brought two more for Fu Yue.

Besides the fish, Shen Wenyi also brought some pickled vegetables and sweet potato strips he had made for Fu Yue, saying it was his family's way of thanking her for the two packs of cigarettes.

On the way back, before Shen Banyue could ask, he blurted out like a child, saying it was the first time in his life someone had acknowledged he had skills. He also said Fu Yue was a kind and honest girl, mentioned he was about to start working at the towel factory, and that since they would be colleagues, it was normal to interact frequently.

Shen Banyue didn't say anything. After all, Fu Yue being kind and honest was probably true, but acknowledging Shen Wenyi's capabilities—wasn't that just her being polite? However, as a kind-hearted child, she wouldn't be so cruel as to burst his bubble.

After that, the "Fish-Harvesting Team" temporarily took a break.

On one hand, the goods they had exchanged were enough for them to have a good New Year. On the other hand, once or twice people might think it was a lucky catch, but any more would easily attract attention.

Some of the goods from the two fish sales, combined with what Wang Guizhi had been preparing bit by bit over this period, were divided into three portions. Along with letters written by the children, they were sent as New Year gifts to the distant Xiao Zhuzi, Xiao Wei, and Xiao Shitou.

Wang Guizhi had somehow exchanged the gold bars for money. Shen Banyue took out fifty yuan and placed it in the New Year gift package for Xiao Shitou.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month. From this day on, Xiaodun Production Brigade basically officially entered the "New Year" atmosphere. Every household began making New Year cakes, glutinous rice balls, grinding tofu... almost every day was spent busy preparing food for the New Year period.

During this time, the children were absolutely ecstatic. As long as you had thick enough skin, no matter what your family was making, you could beg a taste. And if your skin was even thicker, you could also scrounge a sample from whatever other families were making.

Shen Zhenhua, who had already started working, didn't return until the 28th, a Sunday, to fry crispy dough twists. That day, a group of children gathered around his house, nearly driven wild by the smell.

On the 29th, the night before New Year's Eve, Shen Guoqiang and his wife, along with Shen Guoqing, finally returned.

Shen Guoqiang and his wife had finished work and taken a bus from the county, transferring to get home. Shen Guoqing did the same, going to the county bus station after work to meet up with Shen Guoqiang and his wife. By the time the three of them arrived home, the children were long asleep. Shen Banyue did hear the commotion and knew they were back, but she soon fell back asleep.

The next day, Shen Banyue was awakened by Xiao Jie's noisy shouts. After getting dressed, she walked out of the room grumpy from being woken up, her face cold. There she saw Xiao Jie wearing a brand-new blue cotton-padded jacket, strutting around the yard like a model on a catwalk, preening and posing.

Spotting Shen Banyue and the others, Xiao Jie quickly ran over, stopped right in front of them, wriggled his body like a water snake, and grinned so wide it almost reached his ears. "Look, isn't my new clothes pretty?"

Shen Banyue's face remained expressionless.

Not kicking away this squirming kid who was hurting her eyes was her last bit of restraint.

Xiao Dizi played along nicely, even clapping her little hands: "Wow, Brother Xiao Jie's new clothes are so pretty!"

Xiao Jie immediately puffed up with pride, practically floating: "Hehe, I think so too, and I think mine looks better than Brother Mian's, hahaha."

Just then, Lin Mian walked out of the house upon hearing the noise. He was wearing a light blue cotton jacket, exactly the same style as Xiao Jie's.

Shen Banyue couldn't see how blue was better than light blue, but with a face like Lin Mian's, she simply couldn't imagine where Xiao Jie got the confidence to think he looked better.

Xiao Dizi, despite her young age, clearly had a knack for diplomacy. She immediately clapped her hands again: "Wow, Brother Mian looks so handsome!"

She was even perfectly fair about it: praising Xiao Jie for his new clothes being pretty, and praising Lin Mian for Brother Mian looking handsome.

As expected of the female lead, with full marks in both emotional intelligence and aesthetic sense.

Lin Xiaohui, whom they hadn't seen in a long time, also came out of the house. Seeing the two little girls, she said in surprise: "Xiao Yue and Xiao Dizi have grown quite a bit taller too, hmm, and their skin looks fairer too. Come here quickly, Auntie made new clothes for you too. You'll definitely look pretty in them."

Lin Xiaohui had prepared classic floral-patterned cotton jackets for the two little girls.

To be honest, Shen Banyue's first instinct upon seeing the floral jackets was to say no. But when she and Xiao Dizi stood together in front of the mirror, looking at the two little girls in floral jackets reflected in it, she changed her mind.

Kids actually look pretty cute and festive in these.

Moreover, Lin Xiaohui also fixed their hair. Their usually messy hair was braided into two slightly perky pigtails, adding a touch of childlike charm. It was quite cute.

Shen Banyue made a funny face at her reflection in the mirror.

Alright then, since they're just kids, anything goes.

Xiao Dizi peeked at the mirror, imitated Shen Banyue, and also made a toothy, exaggerated funny face at the mirror. Shen Banyue immediately burst into laughter.

In the days leading up to New Year's, the brigade had slaughtered the New Year pig and distributed the pork. Wang Guizhi had taken them to a big market fair once, picking up all sorts of odds and ends. All the necessary food supplies at home were properly stocked, just waiting for this New Year's Eve to prepare a proper reunion dinner.

The two women had been busy in the kitchen all day. The Shen Guoqiang brothers weren't idle either—fetching water, chopping firewood, checking the roof, tidying the private plot—basically doing all the chores they could.

According to custom, no work should be done on the first day of the Lunar New Year. The first day of the year must be spent leisurely playing, to ensure the whole year ahead isn't non-stop work.

In the evening, serving bowls of food were carried into the room. The whole family gathered around the table and began the reunion dinner.

At the same time, in a village in E Province thousands of miles away, the Gao family was also preparing their New Year's Eve dinner. A dim oil lamp illuminated the dining table, on which there were only two dishes: stir-fried shredded potatoes and scrambled eggs with spinach.

Little Stone stood on a stool in the kitchen serving rice. Father Gao entered the room to help his pale-faced wife out. After Mother Gao was seated on the stool, Father Gao went into the kitchen to help bring out the served rice.

Although there were only three bowls of coarse rice and two dishes, the family of three ate contentedly. After all, today they had used a generous amount of oil to scramble three eggs.

After Father Gao and Little Stone returned from T Province, Mother Gao fell ill again. Originally, Father Gao had intended to send the money back to the Shen family, but after a trip to the hospital, half the money was spent. Father Gao thought it over for a night and finally decided to keep the remaining money.

"The doctor said you need to eat more nutritious food, and your health will gradually improve," Father Gao said, serving his wife some egg. "Eat more. After the New Year, when things aren't so expensive, we'll buy more eggs. You can have one every day. That will surely help you recover."

Little Stone also put some egg in his mother's bowl: "I can go dig for bamboo shoots, gather mushrooms, and collect insects. These can also be sold for money or traded for things. Then we can buy meat and eggs for you to eat, Mom. You'll definitely get better soon."

Mother Gao's eyes reddened. She nodded firmly: "Alright, I'll get better in no time, you'll see."

Suddenly, someone called at the door: "Gao Laoyer, Gao Laoyer, are you home?"

Little Stone jumped up: "I'll get the door."

Father Gao also stood up: "You keep eating. I'll get it."

Little Stone ran swiftly. By the time Father Gao reached the door, he had already opened it and asked the person outside, trying to sound very grown-up, what the matter was.

Standing outside was the brigade's Militia Captain. The man chuckled and patted Little Stone's shoulder: "Hey, kid, after going out once, you've become quite the little man."

Then he looked at Father Gao: "I went to the commune today and ran into Old Xu the postman. He said there's a parcel for you that he left there and forgot about. Seeing as it's almost New Year, he felt bad about holding it until next year, so he asked me to bring it to you first. When you go to the commune later, stop by his place to sign for it."

"A parcel?!" Little Stone's eyes lit up, and he asked loudly, "Is it from Xiaodun Brigade?"