In general, she possessed the “good” qualities of a diligent worker, so how could Director Xue, her superior, not appreciate her?

Wei Dai asked, “Is there something else you’re not telling me?”

Wen Jiajia had a complicated expression. “No… Maybe I should really give it a try. It’s no big deal; I can always quit if it doesn’t work out.”

Wei Dai encouraged her, “That’s right. No matter what, let’s seize the opportunity first.”

_

Lunar New Year’s Eve.

Early in the morning, there was a loud “bang” outside.

Wen Jiajia initially thought it was firecrackers, but Wei Dai explained, “It’s bamboo burning. We can’t set off firecrackers here, so we burn bamboo on New Year’s Eve morning.”

This is truly how the year ends, amid the sound of burning bamboo.

There’s no rest on New Year’s Eve; even children have to be put to work.

“Chun’er, don’t dawdle. Go find Aunt Bao and ask her for two purple eggplants…”

Wen Jiajia wanted to make eggplant boxes, but there were no purple eggplants at home. However, Sister Bao had some and said Wen Jiajia could come by her house to get them.

Sister Bao wasn’t the only one growing vegetables. Her family grew only a few leafy vegetables, while Sister Bao’s family managed to grow eggplants and cucumbers successfully. Wen Jiajia was quite impressed.

This was a primitive greenhouse vegetable operation.

Wen Chun reluctantly left the sofa and told Wen Xuan to listen carefully and inform her of any updates when she returned.

The radio started broadcasting a new story about fishing in the Northeast.

It was like an audio-only version of “A Bite of China.”

Wen Chun quickly returned with two eggplants. After a while, Wen Jiajia asked Wen Xuan to borrow some plum vinegar from Teacher Shen.

Early summer is the season for ripe plums. Wen Jiajia’s family made bayberry wine, while the Xie family next door made plum vinegar.

The bayberries for the wine needed to be picked from a nearby village, but plums could be found around Beishan.

Plums are sour and not even the greediest kids would eat them. However, plums can be made into candied fruit, wine, and vinegar. The Xie family, unafraid of trouble or wasting sugar, bought several nearby plum trees. They used half for making candied fruit and the other half for vinegar.

Indeed, in July and August, a glass of plum vinegar would immediately dispel the stuffiness of hot summer days, relieve greasiness, and stimulate the appetite.

Wen Xuan borrowed half a bowl of plum vinegar, and Wen Jiajia used a third of it to make a dipping sauce.

What to dip? Barbecue.

Lamb chops, pork belly, and crispy fried pork belly were all fried until crispy and then dipped in the sauce made with plum vinegar. The taste was incredible.

Wen Jiajia still felt it wasn’t enough, so she roasted some pig skin over the charcoal fire.

This was local pig skin, and after roasting, it was dipped in a tangy, spicy, salty, and sweet sauce. It was absolutely delicious.

A barbecue platter was considered a dish on its own.

After roasting, they prepared fried eggplant boxes, crispy meat, fried pumpkin, and vegetarian meatballs.

The two sisters were mesmerized by the aroma and kept sneaking into the kitchen to taste the dishes.

“I need to taste it to know if it’s too salty or bland,” Wen Xuan insisted.

Her tongue was the most reliable judge!

Wen Jiajia was too busy to argue, so she handed them some of each item that she hadn’t yet fried. The two children ate so much they needed to drink water constantly.

After frying the food, they made pork ribs with sauce.

Fresh leg bones, bought the previous day, were cut into sections, blanched, and then stewed in soybean paste until the meat was tender and the aroma filled the house.

Next was the steamed fish. With so many strong-flavored dishes, a lighter dish was needed.

After cooking the fish, they started stir-frying the meat.

As evening approached, Wen Jiajia had been busy all day, and the stove fire had never gone out.

What about lunch? She hadn’t eaten. With the spatula in hand, she had taken a few bites here and there but wasn’t very hungry until now.

The kids had also been eating snacks throughout the day.

It was New Year’s Eve, so Wen Jiajia set out the snacks and let them eat whatever they wanted.

The coffee table was covered with an array of food, and the radio was in the middle of the table, surrounded by snacks. They wore thick cotton clothes and curled up on a straw-padded sofa, which was exceptionally soft. There was also hot goat milk available to drink whenever they were thirsty…

The two children would always remember this experience.

Wei Dai came home, and several casseroles were nearly done.

To prepare for the New Year’s Eve dinner, Wei Dai had specially set up several small ceramic stoves, and Wen Jiajia had bought extra clay pots.

Now, the house had two large iron stoves and three small ceramic stoves.

One iron stove was used for steaming rice, another for steaming various dishes, and the three ceramic stoves? One held chicken soup, one mutton soup, and one sweet candy.

A row of stoves was placed under the eaves at the entrance of the living room, bubbling and emitting white smoke, creating quite a spectacular sight.

“You’re back! Did you see the leader?” Wen Jiajia asked eagerly, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.

A leader had come to visit the troops and was said to be the highest leader in their war zone.

Wei Dai replied, “I saw him. He even patted my shoulder. Do you want to pat him too?”

Wen Jiajia was tempted, and after a moment’s hesitation, she actually reached out and patted him on the shoulder.

Wei Dai: “…”

He laughed heartily, “I should have taken you there.”

Wen Jiajia raised an eyebrow, “Can family members attend?”

“Several family members were definitely present.”

Wen Jiajia sighed, feeling a deep sense of regret.

“Hey, your comments kept me awake for three days… Stop talking and help bring all the dishes from the stove to the table,” Wen Jiajia said, waving her hand and returning to the kitchen.

She added a plate of emerald green spinach and a plate of tender yellow cabbage, and the New Year’s Eve dinner was ready!

The large table was filled with food.

In the middle of the table were two casseroles containing chicken soup and mutton soup.

Surrounding the two soups were various dishes, some stir-fried by Wen Jiajia in a pan, and some steamed.

The spread included cured meat platters, eight-treasure rice, steamed tofu stuffed with braised pork and preserved vegetables, and steamed pork with rice flour.

Wen Chun and Wen Xuan were clearly stunned by the sight. The poor children had never seen so many dishes on the table.

“Auntie, are we the only ones eating?” Wen Chun asked, his voice light and full of disbelief.

Wen Jiajia replied, “Yes, for the New Year’s Eve dinner, everyone eats at home.”

Wen Chun bit his chopsticks and said, “It will take us several days to finish all this!”

Wen Jiajia smiled, “I’m afraid we’ll still be eating it until the fifteenth day of the lunar month.”

She wasn’t exaggerating. What was on the table was only part of the food. There were still ingredients in the cupboards and water tanks at home that hadn’t been cooked yet.

“Eat, eat. Enjoy as much as you want today!” 

Outside, it was quiet. The starry sky was vast and unchanging. 1973 had passed, and 1974 had arrived quietly.

New Year’s Day

The sun was kind today, generously spreading its rays over the land.

Wen Jiajia was woken by the noise of the children. She had been very busy recently, and today was a rare chance to stay in bed.

Wei Dai was gone. When Wen Jiajia got up, all the dishes on the table were vegetarian.

According to the custom in her hometown, one must eat vegetarian food on the morning of the first day of the new year.

After the oil and fat of yesterday’s feast, this vegetarian meal was quite enjoyable. Especially the amaranth soup mixed with rice, which was green and slippery. The rice seemed to slide into her stomach without needing to chew.

After eating, Wen Jiajia grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds and went out for a walk.

She headed to Teacher Shen’s house first. Wen Jiajia often studied with her, and Teacher Shen had begun to look at her with increasing helplessness.

As a college graduate of that era, Teacher Shen was undoubtedly a highly intelligent person.

She couldn’t understand why Wen Jiajia struggled with simple high school chemistry problems. She had solved similar problems before, but now struggled with them in a different context.

This distressed Teacher Shen, who didn’t believe Wen Jiajia was a bad student, but rather thought she wasn’t studying seriously.

At first, Wen Jiajia learned quickly, which indicated she wasn’t unintelligent. But later, her progress slowed down significantly, which seemed to be due to a lack of seriousness.

Wen Jiajia felt this was unfair. She was a liberal arts student and had certainly studied chemistry. Her basic knowledge was solid, as evidenced by her high score on the final exam.

However, more advanced problems full of numbers and letters left her at a loss.

If she had excelled in science, she wouldn’t have pursued liberal arts. Reflecting on her school days, it seemed that liberal arts subjects were easier for her.

So, teaching chemistry was painful for Teacher Shen, and learning it was equally painful for Wen Jiajia.

The two of them tacitly decided to put the matter aside, preferring to remain good friends and occasionally chat without letting their differences affect their relationship.

Wen Jiajia, open-minded, decided she didn’t have to master chemistry. At the time, she had hoped to work in a pharmaceutical factory and try her hand at drug synthesis. Now, she had a new goal—one that promised greater financial rewards.

Teacher Shen’s family also had plenty of food for the Chinese New Year. Wen Jiajia enjoyed a cake at her house. Although it was without cream, it made her crave a creamy cake.

She wondered when she would have the chance to eat all kinds of cakes again.

After leaving Teacher Shen’s house, Wen Jiajia visited Sister Bao.

The matter of the new factory was basically confirmed. Wen Jiajia was almost certain that, after the New Year, everyone at the factory would know about it.

Such significant news couldn’t be kept hidden. The family compound was not isolated from the outside world. People went to the city every day, so the news would spread within two or three days.

Wen Jiajia informed Sister Bao of this using the excuse that she had “heard it from someone.” Sister Bao was truly shocked and excitedly gasped for breath.

“This is wonderful news!” Sister Bao exclaimed, grabbing Wen Jiajia’s hand. “Did you say this new factory is opened by your pharmaceutical factory?”

Wen Jiajia corrected her, “It’s a joint venture between the pharmaceutical factory and the chemical factory. Both companies co-own it.”

Sister Bao slapped her thigh and said, “Oh, I was wondering why I heard the magpies chirping in the yard so early this morning. The New Year is truly auspicious, bringing me good news on the very first day.”

“…”

Although the sun was shining brightly, the wind was still cold. Wen Jiajia looked outside, but where were the magpies?