Chapter 67

Chapter 67

That night, Shen Guoqiang, with a worried look, went to his mother, hoping she'd talk some sense into the kids. It's great they love learning and like to delve into things, but aiming so high worried him—he was scared they'd be crushed if they failed.

But the old lady just waved her hand, telling him to spend his free time figuring out where to get scrap machinery for the kids instead of butting in. She said the kids had their heads screwed on straight, and whether they succeeded or failed, letting them try wouldn't hurt a thing.

She made it sound like he was the one being a pain.

As for the money, the old lady couldn't care less. She said it was all saved up from the kids messing around on their own, and they could buy whatever they wanted with it—she wasn't about to butt in.

What kid that age could save up hundreds or thousands of yuan? And if it came from the family, the old lady herself didn't have that kind of cash.

Shen Guoqiang had always known his kids weren't ordinary, but he never imagined they'd be this extraordinary. At just over ten, they dared to think about building a tractor from scratch. What next, in their twenties or thirties—would they try to fly to the moon?

But since his mother put it that way, Shen Guoqiang reluctantly nodded. He could try to find scrap machinery, and if that didn't work, maybe find someone to teach them.

The kids had no clue about Shen Guoqiang's worries. After washing up, Little Dizi bugged Lin Mian for a bit, then pattered back to Shen Banyue's room, happily chatting away with her sister.

Shen Banyue remembered the original book describing the female lead as serene, intelligent, gentle, and elegant. But looking at the bright-eyed little chatterbox beside her, she couldn't picture this kid growing up to be serene and elegant.

Shen Banyue blew out the oil lamp and climbed into bed in the dark, and felt the little one wiggle up close. Soon, the kid started chattering again about the same stuff—how some woman in the compound always talked behind people's backs, how a chubby boy in class kept yanking her braids, how fun the slide at the park was, how scary the tiger at the zoo was... Gradually, her voice got softer, until she murmured, "I wish my brother and sister could be here too," the last words trailing off into a mumble Shen Banyue had to piece together.

Shen Banyue squinted, listening to the little one's soft snores, and smiled in the dark before slowly drifting off to sleep.

The next day, Shen Banyue took Little Dizi to school.

Since she and Lin Mian had already learned way more than elementary school stuff, Teacher Tang no longer kept close tabs on whether they showed up. Shen Banyue would go to school when she was bored, then sneak out halfway through when she got bored again.

Though Little Dizi had never officially enrolled, as a frequent "auditor" she was a favorite of Teacher Wang Lihua. As soon as she got to school, Teacher Wang Lihua secretly slipped her a handful of fried peanuts.

They hung around until mid-afternoon, then Shen Banyue and Lin Mian snuck off with Little Dizi. They first went to their private plot, following the rule of "pick whatever you want to eat," and picked a few greens and radishes. Passing by Shen Wendong's plot, they grabbed some celery they didn't have in theirs.

Back home, Lin Mian got the fire going with Little Dizi's help, while Shen Banyue got to cooking. Halfway through, Shen Guoqiang came back with a load of firewood. Just as he washed his hands, the old couple, along with Shen Guoqing and Zhou Yaoyao, got back from work.

Shen Guoqing brought some salted ribbonfish from the factory—too late to cook tonight, but perfect with porridge tomorrow. He put the fish in the kitchen cabinet, leaned over the stove, and said, "Xiaoyue's our top chef now, huh? This smells amazing!"

Little Dizi immediately popped her messy head out from behind the stove—

Without Lin Xiaohui to do her hair, whether Shen Banyue did it or she did it herself, it always came out like this.

"Sister's the best!"

The little one was still a die-hard "sister fan."

Shen Guoqing laughed, "Right, right, your sister's the best—good at studying, good at cooking, and now she can even make plows. I hear you're about to build a tractor next. What's next, after the tractor, planes, tanks, and rockets?"

Shen Banyue, holding a heavy long-handled spatula, flipped the food in the pan, nodded, and said, "Enamel mug."

Shen Guoqing got it and handed her an enamel mug. Shen Banyue quickly scooped the veggies into it before picking up his thread: "Not impossible."

Shen Guoqing paused, then realized she meant "building planes, tanks, and rockets isn't out of the question."

Though kids' words weren't always reliable, Shen Guoqing somehow felt his little one was different—maybe she really could pull it off someday. But building planes, tanks, and rockets... Shen Guoqing thought he must be losing it, letting his imagination run wild like that.

He pulled himself back and said, "Last time I went on a business trip with my mentor, I met someone from the Luocheng Tractor Factory. I'll call them for you later."

Shen Banyue immediately turned and smiled, praising him, "Comrade Shen Guoqing, I knew you were a bold and visionary comrade. The organization has high hopes for you—keep it up!"

Shen Guoqiang, stepping into the kitchen just then, felt a bit uneasy. Did that mean he, who tried to stop them from building a tractor, was seen as a cowardly and short-sighted comrade?

He cleared his throat and said, "I know the state-owned farm under Jiangcheng should have some old, unused tractors."

Shen Banyue's eyes lit up, and she smiled at Shen Guoqiang with the spatula in hand, "Really? That's great! Comrade Shen Guoqiang, the organization has high hopes for you too—keep it up!"

Little Dizi popped her head out from behind the stove again: "Dad is awesome, keep it up!"

Shen Guoqiang, flattered by the two girls, blushed and forgot why he'd come into the kitchen, drifting back out with a chuckle.

Lin Mian leaned against the wall behind the stove, watching the blazing fire, and smiled.

What a wonderful family this was.

—

Northwest.

The severely nearsighted Professor Zhai finally got a new pair of glasses and walked much faster than before. Clutching two lunch boxes, he entered the cafeteria and, unusually, didn't spend time eyeing the dishes. Instead, he handed the boxes to the head chef, Old Qin: "Give Old Lin something light, and just anything for me."

Old Qin took the boxes and asked while serving, "Is Professor Lin feeling better?"

Professor Zhai nodded, then shook his head. "It's an old problem—he's stable for now, but he still needs to rest. That man, you know, always cheerful and smiling at everyone, but he buries everything inside. And that's how he got sick."

Old Qin didn't pry into what Professor Lin was hiding, just said, "I hear things are loosening up outside. They might send some young assistants your way soon. That should lighten the load, right?"

Professor Zhai's expression was far from welcoming or relieved; instead, he looked grim, frowning deeply. "Hah, they say they'll be our assistants, but we'll end up teaching them step by step. As long as they don't cause trouble, that's enough."

Old Qin had nothing to say to that. The base leadership had decided to ease the burden on the old professors, but the professors themselves looked like deities hearing that mischievous monkeys were about to ascend to heaven—worried and troubled.

Professor Zhai carried his net bag back to the dormitory building. He and Professor Lin lived next door to each other, each in a small suite with a kitchen and bathroom.

Of course, the kitchen was just decoration for them—fewer than a handful of people in the entire building ever actually cooked.

Professor Zhai unlocked his door, and someone inside shuffled out of the bedroom in slippers.

Compared to three years ago, Professor Lin looked much older. His originally graying hair was now almost completely white, fine lines had etched into his dignified features, his cheeks were slightly sunken, and he was terribly thin. Only his smile remained as gentle as ever.

"I'm actually much better now. I've got all my limbs and can move freely, yet I've still got you fetching meals for me."

Professor Zhai waved dismissively. "Don't say that. If I get sick someday, you wouldn't just stand by, would you? Come on, sit down and eat."

Professor Lin smiled and sat down.

The two ate quietly around a small table. Halfway through, Professor Zhai couldn't help but ask, "You got a letter the day you fell ill, didn't you? You said it was from an old student of yours. What happened—did something happen to that student?"

For someone as blunt as Professor Zhai, this was as tactful as he could get. But hearing this, Professor Lin's chopsticks paused, and his face seemed to pale a bit more.

He held the chopsticks, silent for a long time. Just as Professor Zhai was thinking of saying something to ease the tension, Professor Lin sighed softly and spoke.

"Three years ago, I wrote a letter home. Two months later, it was returned. The staff said Lin Bowen had been transferred to the northeast—no one knew exactly where or to which unit. The street office wasn't sure either, so the letter couldn't be delivered. I thought that rebellious son, distant from me, probably didn't want Xiao Mian to be close to me either, so after leaving Beijing, he just cut off contact."

Professor Zhai knew a bit about his family situation and asked, "That wasn't the case?"

Professor Lin paused a few seconds before continuing, "I was worried about Xiao Mian, so I later wrote to a trusted student in Beijing, asking him to find out where they were. He couldn't find anything. Eventually, a comrade from the base's logistics department, who handled external relations, helped track down a specific address. I had an old friend there, so I wrote to ask him to quietly check things out. He wrote back saying Lin Bowen had remarried there, and the family of four was doing fairly well. He also asked the neighbors, who said the couple treated the kids well."

Professor Zhai asked, puzzled, "Isn't that good?"

Professor Lin's hand holding the chopsticks began to tremble slightly. He set them down, took a deep breath, and continued, "According to my old friend's letter, they had a boy and a girl with them. The boy's age and appearance matched Xiao Mian. The girl was younger, and since both Lin Bowen and his new wife were remarried, the girl was likely brought in by the wife."

"He's able to take care of the kid and live a decent life, so whether he acknowledges me as his dad doesn't really matter. I just can't stop worrying about Xiaomian [Xiaomian], so I could only have that old friend check in on him every now and then."

Professor Lin [Professor Lin] suddenly closed his eyes, his voice got choked and hoarse, like something was stuck in his throat. "It wasn't until a few months ago that one of my students went there on a business trip. He used to get along fairly well with Lin Bowen [Lin Bowen], so he brought some gifts and dropped by. That's when he found out the boy living in that house wasn't Xiaomian [Xiaomian] at all!"

Professor Zhai [Professor Zhai] gasped in shock. "What? How could that be? If it's not Xiaomian [Xiaomian], then who is it?"

Professor Lin [Professor Lin] started trembling all over. "Both kids were brought over by that woman. Lin Bowen [Lin Bowen] moved there from somewhere else, and the woman was from the countryside. The neighbors didn't really know them—some didn't even know they were a second marriage, and even the ones who did couldn't keep track of the kids' backgrounds. My old friend had never met Xiaomian [Xiaomian], so he just figured the boy was him. But my student recognized Xiaomian [Xiaomian] and confronted Lin Bowen [Lin Bowen] on the spot..."

"Lin Bowen [Lin Bowen]... Lin Bowen [Lin Bowen] said the kid went missing four years ago!"

Professor Lin [Professor Lin]'s eyes got red, and he lowered his head, big tears splashing onto the table.

Back then, letters were painfully slow. You'd send a letter, and it could take months to get a reply. A lot of things couldn't be clearly explained in letters, leading to a tragic mix-up that made him believe his grandson was doing fine up in the northeast, growing up okay.

Four years. By the time he first wrote to the capital, Xiaomian [Xiaomian] had already been lost, and he'd been completely in the dark the whole time.

He couldn't stand to imagine what the kid had gone through all these years, or even dare to think whether the kid was alive or dead.

Professor Zhai [Professor Zhai], stunned by this, was at a loss. "Ah, how could this happen? How? Then your son—Lin Bowen [Lin Bowen]—why didn't he say anything? Why did he transfer to the northeast [Northeast]? What if the kid came back..." It was just baffling.

Professor Lin [Professor Lin] sneered. "He probably hoped the kid would never come back!"

Professor Zhai [Professor Zhai] thought to himself, *Thank God I don't have kids. If I had a son like Old Lin [Old Lin]'s, I'd rather drown him in a chamber pot right after he was born.*

He shook his head, pushing aside that inappropriate thought. "Then, we should notify the logistics comrades [comrades] right away and have them contact the public security bureaus [public security bureaus] across the country to find the kid!"

Professor Lin [Professor Lin] nodded. "I've already filed a report."

Professor Zhai [Professor Zhai] let out a long sigh. "What a mess!"

Realizing his words might be rubbing salt in the wound, he scrambled for something comforting to say. Finally, he recalled something from his memory. "Don't worry too much. Remember Xiao Zhao [Xiao Zhao] from S Province [S Province]? His kid was taken by kidnappers too, but they found him later on. I heard the kid didn't suffer too bad—the police rescued him and he was raised by some local family, all nice and plump. Maybe your Xiaomian [Xiaomian] is with some kind family too. When Xiao Zhao comes around, we can ask him for details."

Professor Lin [Professor Lin] nodded silently, but he didn't dare hold such optimistic hopes. After all, Xiaomian hadn't been missing for four weeks or four months—it had been a full four years.

As long as the kid could be found alive.

He dared not ask for more.

—

"Lin Mian [Lin Mian], let's make a bet—whoever gets more today wins, how about it?"

Zhao Xuehai [Zhao Xuehai] raised a homemade spring crossbow, squinting one eye as if aiming. The arrow darted left and right, his sneaky demeanor more like a village-invading bandit than a hunter heading into the mountains.

Lin Mian [Lin Mian] stayed close behind Shen Banyue [Shen Banyue], holding an identical crossbow. He glanced at Zhao Xuehai [Zhao Xuehai], who was darting along the mountain path, and asked, "What are you betting with?"

Zhao Xuehai [Zhao Xuehai] was stumped.

Over the years, they had occasionally collected scrap, sold fish, or dried goods, splitting the money bit by bit. But Zhao Xuehai [Zhao Xuehai] was an early "spendthrift"—money burned a hole in his pocket and never lasted more than a few days before it was gone at the supply cooperative. Plus, his mother often squeezed money out of him, so after all this time, he was still flat broke.

With no recent income, he was truly penniless.

Lin Mian [Lin Mian] smiled faintly. "People without betting capital don't get to gamble."

Little Dizi [Little Dizi], held in Shen Banyue [Shen Banyue]'s arms, suddenly turned to Zhao Xuehai [Zhao Xuehai] and couldn't help rubbing it in. "Xuehai gege is so poor!"

Zhao Xuehai [Zhao Xuehai]: "………………"

The adults all burst out laughing. Shen Wenyi [Shen Wenyi], never one to miss a chance to stir trouble, chimed in, "No money? No problem. You can bet on something else—loser calls the winner 'Dad,' or runs down the mountain naked or something."

Shen Guoqiang [Shen Guoqiang] said helplessly, "Wenyi [Wenyi], how can you give them such bad ideas? It's freezing cold—they'll catch a chill." Youngsters wouldn't call someone "Dad," but they might impulsively strip off their clothes. Running naked on the mountain in this weather? That would be suicidal.

Shen Wendong [Shen Wendong] muttered, "Brother, if you keep giving bad ideas like that, I'll tell Uncle when we get down."

Shen Zhenhua [Shen Zhenhua] was on duty today, so no elders were on the mountain, but Shen Wendong [Shen Wendong] made it clear that his uncle was everywhere.

Shen Wenyi [Shen Wenyi] was speechless. "Come on, Xiaodong [Xiaodong], you weren't like this when you were little. I'm really done with you."

Over the years, Shen Banyue [Shen Banyue] had become intimately familiar with this forest. The others chatted and laughed, thinking they were just wandering down a random path, but only Shen Banyue [Shen Banyue] knew they were heading toward a nest of pheasants.

When they got close, Shen Banyue [Shen Banyue] made a "shush" gesture at Zhao Xuehai [Zhao Xuehai]. He immediately covered his mouth, and the others stopped talking.

Holding Little Dizi [Little Dizi], Shen Banyue [Shen Banyue] moved swiftly and quietly toward the direction of the sound. Lin Mian [Lin Mian], Shen Wendong [Shen Wendong], and Zhao Xuehai [Zhao Xuehai] followed closely, their movements just as light and fast.

The adults behind exchanged glances, feeling oddly like they were the dead weight.

They had come along thinking the kids might be unsafe in the mountains, but now it seemed they couldn't even move as stealthily as the children. Still, they couldn't just abandon them, so after a look, they tried their best to follow quietly.

Though it was cold, the sun was bright, filtering through the scattered branches and leaves, casting a warm glow.

On days like this, pheasants often came out to sunbathe. But today, when Shen Banyue [Shen Banyue] dashed through the underbrush, she didn't see a single one.

Puzzled, she looked up and spotted a dark patch in the grass ahead. She squinted, and the patch moved, revealing a glimpse of a tusk through the foliage.

It was a wild boar.

Little Dizi [Little Dizi] covered her mouth with both hands.

Lin Mian [Lin Mian] and the other two crouched down where Shen Banyue [Shen Banyue] had stopped, exchanging glances. Zhao Xuehai [Zhao Xuehai]'s face lit up with excitement. "Take it down?" he mouthed silently.

Lin Mian [Lin Mian] and Shen Wendong [Shen Wendong]'s eyes sparkled as they looked at Shen Banyue [Shen Banyue].

These kids, fearless as newborn calves, didn't think of running away when they saw such a beast. Instead, they all wanted to take it on.

Shen Banyue [Shen Banyue] glanced at them, made two hand gestures, and then, along with Lin Mian [Lin Mian] and the others, raised their crossbows.

The boys held their breath, staring intently at the boar.

Lin Mian [Lin Mian] felt his heart pounding fast. The surroundings were so quiet he could only hear his own breathing—oh, and the boar's grunts not far away. Wait, there were footsteps behind them. It must be Uncle Guoqiang [Guoqiang] and the others... Just then, he saw Shen Banyue [Shen Banyue] raise two fingers and quickly, decisively, drop them. Almost reflexively, his already-aimed crossbow fired.

The sound of arrows cutting through the air rang out almost simultaneously, but one arrow shot ahead, striking the boar's head with deadly precision. The three following arrows hit its neck, belly, and leg.

The boar let out a terrifying scream, then crashed to the ground with a thud, falling silent.

Just as the boar fell, the "useless" adults crept over. Standing upright, they had a perfect view of the entire takedown, and they were all stunned. Zhou Yaoyao [Zhou Yaoyao], at the back, even let out a low scream.

Shen Banyue [Shen Banyue] tossed her crossbow into the basket on her back, covered Little Dizi [Little Dizi]'s eyes with one hand, and picked her up with the other. "Let's go check it out."

Shen Wenyi [Shen Wenyi] stopped her. "I've heard some wild boars play dead."

Shen Banyue [Shen Banyue] said calmly, "Oh, this one probably won't."

Shen Wenyi [Shen Wenyi]: "..."

And how do you know that?

A few minutes later, the group circled the bloody boar. Except for Little Dizi [Little Dizi], whose vision was forcibly blocked, everyone else looked down at the boar as if in silent mourning.

"See that? No matter how sharp the crossbow bolts are, without enough penetrating power, you can't take down a thick-skinned beast like this—especially if you don't hit a vital spot."

Shen Banyue pointed at the arrows shot by the other three. Although they all hit, none of them went deep enough to deal a fatal blow, especially the one stuck in its thigh, which probably couldn't even make it limp.

Zhao Xuehai, who had shot the thigh arrow: "..."

Could he say the footsteps threw him off, causing him to miss his mark?

"So the fatal shot was yours, Xiao Yue, right? Tsk tsk, it went straight through the head. How can a little girl like you be so good at this, rattling it all off like an expert?" Shen Wenyi couldn't help but remark.

Shen Banyue replied confidently, "I'm just strong! My crossbow's different from theirs, so of course it went through, right? As for knowing where to strike for a one-hit kill—Comrade Shen Wenyi, hit the books!"

Shen Wenyi: "..."

A pool of blood had already spread on the grass. They had to get rid of this thing fast, or the smell of blood would draw other animals.

Zhou Yaoyao asked hesitantly, "So, what do we do with this boar?"

Zhao Xuehai knew the answer to this one: "First, we haul it down the mountain, duh. Hehe, we've got a secret base not far from the foot of the hill. We'll stash it there and bring it back in the evening when nobody's around."

When it came to sneaking food, they were pros.

The group made do with what they had, cutting two wooden poles to use as carrying bars. Shen Guoqiang, Shen Guoqing, and Shen Wenyi were three, but they still needed one more person for the lift. Zhao Xuehai, being the fastest-growing kid with a build closest to an adult, got "picked" to shoulder the "heavy responsibility" of carrying the boar.

Once the boar was hauled off, Shen Banyue and the others cleaned up the ground a bit before following.

Zhou Yaoyao walked alongside Shen Banyue and the rest, but suddenly bent over and retched.

Shen Banyue steadied her with one hand: "Auntie, you okay?"

Zhou Yaoyao shook her head: "The smell of blood's making me a little sick. It's nothing; I'll be fine in a bit."

Shen Banyue nodded, glancing thoughtfully at Zhou Yaoyao.