In the evening, the kids were stuffed full after having a pot of hazel mushrooms stewed with wild rabbit.

They drank too much soup, and their little faces were rosy and warm from the food.

It was time for the kids to take a bath, but their bath basin had been broken during the earlier incident with Grandma Sun, and now it was being used for planting vegetables.

Nie Bozhao had to run over to Xiao Chen’s house to borrow a basin, so that he could give the three kids their bath.

The fire in the stove blazed brightly, making the kang exceptionally warm, but the blanket was a little too small.

Finally, when Chen Lina wasn’t around, Nie Weimin took the opportunity to quietly snitch to his dad, “Dad, today, Comrade Chen went to your unit and got our three kids’ support money.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“Then we’re done for. Within a week, Grandma will definitely come to cause trouble.”

“I said so. Here’s what we’ll do: give her the compensation money, and let’s send her off. When Grandma sees that she’s not here, she’ll leave, won’t she?”

After the bath, the little one had a round face, and her big eyes blinked seriously.

Nie Bozhao, though he was frustrated with his mother-in-law, was still a man.

He had wanted to collect this money for a long time but had been reluctant to cause trouble in the base because his superiors hadn’t given the go-ahead.

So he wasn’t too surprised by this development.

Instead, he took the opportunity to tease his son: “Sending her back is impossible. Qi Sihxiang has erupted in a revolution. People like her have to undergo re-education. Have you ever seen someone go through re-education?”

“No.” Nie Weimin replied.

Nie Bozhao continued, describing it dramatically: “They put a lock on your shoulder, string ropes through your bones, and shackles on your legs. It’s just like the scene in Water Margin when Lin Chong escapes at night.”

At home, they had a comic book, and though Nie Weimin couldn’t read, he liked looking at the pictures, especially the scene of Lin Chong fleeing in the snow.

He could look at it over and over without getting tired of it.

When he heard that Comrade Chen would face such treatment upon returning to Qi Sihxiang, the boy fell silent.

“If you’re not willing to take her back, your Uncle Liu would be more than happy to take her. He asked me several times if she could go cook for his wife Liu Xiaohong. Or maybe we could just send your mom to Liu Xiaohong?” His dad said seriously, as if he weren’t joking.

Little Nie Weimin was so scared he shouted and jumped up: “No, no, that can’t happen! If she goes to Liu’s house, where will we eat?”

Nie Bozhao gave his son a playful slap on the buttocks: “That’s the right attitude, boy. You need to follow orders. From now on, she’s your mom. If you keep calling her ‘Aunt Yao,’ I’ll break your butt.”

Nie Weimin burst into tears.

But his dad’s hand swung again: “If you dare cry, I’ll add two more slaps.”

Their bellies were full from the meal, but outside the door, the snow was piling up, blocking the way, and there was nowhere to digest all the food.

As for Chen Lina, she hadn’t been seen for a while, and she wasn’t in the kitchen either.

Had she really already gone out to visit someone after only one day of arriving?

“Comrade Chen, I told you before, the door to this small bedroom is off-limits to everyone except me. Where did you get the key?” He pushed open the door to the small bedroom and found her inside.

The house in the border region was built to withstand the wind.

Behind the entryway was the kitchen, with doors on either side—one leading to a large bedroom and the other to the living room, which also served as a storage area, and a small bedroom.

If the door to the living room was closed, even if the lights were on, no light would seep through.

So, Nie Bozhao had always been active in the large bedroom.

He never expected her to have snuck into the small one.

Inside, Chen Lina was busy with an abacus, her fingers flying over it: “Oh, using an abacus for accounting is such a hassle. A calculator would be so much easier, but for this kind of accounting, Excel would work great. Just fill it in on the computer, and it’s so much easier.”

At that time, calculators had only begun to be widely used after the reform and opening up.

Before that, most people still used abacuses.

Meanwhile, in Silicon Valley, the first microcomputer was being developed in the U.S.

Although the country was largely closed off, people like Nie Bozhao, who worked on cutting-edge technology and were on the front lines of research and development, had access to the latest news.

Every month, Beijing would send bulk shipments of global technology and petroleum journals in sealed envelopes to the base, so engineers could keep up with developments in the West.

So, when Nie Bozhao heard terms like “calculator” and “computer,” he was deeply shocked.

“Comrade Chen, can we talk?”

“Sure, what do you want to talk about?” Chen Lina asked.

“What exactly is a computer?” he asked.

“It’s, well, I think it’s called a ‘calculator’ now. There are desktop versions and also laptops. Laptops are very expensive.” She explained.

Before her rebirth, it was the year 2000, and back then, an IBM laptop cost at least 10,000 yuan.

At the time, Chen Lina had wanted a computer but hesitated because it was too expensive.

She gritted her teeth and hummed in frustration.

Nie Bozhao, with a wave of his hand, said, “If you want it, just buy it. Buy two—one for the house and one for when you travel.”

He was definitely a wealthy man, carefree and indulgent.

But now, looking at Nie Bozhao, his house was bare, with three dependents, and he was still wary of her.

The only good thing left about him, perhaps, was that he was still somewhat presentable.

“A computer is a type of device made with large-scale and super-large-scale integrated circuits that house various logic chips. They’re not very big in size but can perform calculations at speeds of up to 100 million or even billions of operations per second. This technology is still being developed, and only the U.S. has it right now. Comrade Chen, I feel like you…”

Chen Lina immediately laughed: “Curious, huh? Go ahead and ask me anything, I’ll answer whatever you want.”

Under the light, she smiled smugly, making Nie Bozhao think of two lines from a classic poem that he now dared not recite: “She seems like a fairy descending to the mortal realm; her smile more radiant than the stars.”

His heart stirred, and he casually turned his head away: “Let’s be honest with each other. You must have learned about this from your Russian pen pal, right?”

“You just said the computer is still being developed, and I haven’t corresponded with my pen pal in years. How could I know these things?” Chen Lina shrugged.

“So where did you get this information from?”

“Well, it’s probably something I’ll learn about 30 years from now. I’m your little princess, and you’re my white knight. Too bad your health isn’t great, and you’ve worked too hard, so…”

“Alright, that’s enough. You’re never allowed in this small bedroom again,” Nie Bozhao cut her off, banishing her from the room.

Chen Lina, frustrated, stormed into the living room.

She glanced at herself in the wall mirror. Still looking pretty, she thought.

She muttered to herself, “I’m so beautiful. Back then, you knelt and begged me. You asked me to marry you nine times before I agreed. Now, you’re being so unromantic.”

“I’ll wait. I won’t say a word. I’ll wait for the day when you kneel in front of me again,” Chen Lina thought with determination.

She didn’t believe that she couldn’t change the gentle and humorous Nie Bozhao.

The next morning, Xiao Chen arrived punctually to mooch a meal, but he didn’t come empty-handed.

He brought a half-bag of rice from his own home and said, “Comrade Chen, I don’t cook much at home, and I’m always eating at other people’s places. Here, take this rice, you can use it.”

“No need, we’ve already got two bags of rice in the kitchen, and they’re almost full of bugs. How could I take yours? Please, take it back,” Chen Lina immediately refused.

Today, with a bit of room in the flour bin, she managed to make a few soft pancakes and a bowl of hot soup.

The kids didn’t even get eggs to eat.

Since Xiao Chen had entered, it would be rude not to offer him something.

Chen Lina had no choice but to make milk powder for the two younger kids and add some malted milk.

Fortunately, they liked that flavor, and each one ate a big bowl with the biscuits.

As for Chen Lina, she was still drinking the wild rabbit soup from last night.

But the hazel mushrooms really tasted fresh.

After simmering overnight and reheating, the soup was even more delicious.

Er Dan, eager for a taste, hopped around and said, “Mom, let me have a sip, just one sip.”

“We’ll have lamb for dinner tonight. You guys figure out lunch, okay?” Nie Bozhao said as he came in to greet them.

Chen Lina rolled her eyes: “Do whatever you want.”

“What did I do to upset you?” This was the first time Nie Bozhao saw Chen Lina turn hostile.

She completely ignored him when she turned on him.

Nie Weimin, quite happy, chimed in, “Right, do whatever you want.”

“Adults are talking. Children should be quiet.” Both adults spoke at once.

Nie Weimin, confused, thought to himself, “What did I say wrong?”

Nie Bozhao continued, “Just take the rice. The kids probably want some too. Our house is running low on rice and flour, we’ve only got lamb and cabbage left.”

“If you take Xiao Gong’s rice, I’ll leave for Wumayi today. I’ll change buses in Urumqi and head to Qi Sihxiang.” Chen Lina, using her chopsticks to pick up some wild rabbit meat, looked at how Nie Weimin was eyeing it greedily and handed him some.

Nie Weimin devoured it: “Yeah, I’ll leave too.”

Er Dan, not understanding the adults’ argument, was blowing bubbles in his milk powder: “I want to go too. Let’s all go.”

Nie Bozhao was still puzzled, while Chen Lina couldn’t hold back a laugh.

She tossed the curtain aside and walked out.

Xiao Chen, still pushing his bag of rice full of bugs, noticed Nie Bozhao’s expression and wisely chose not to press the issue.

He helped carry both the person and the rice out.

Later, Chen Lina had packed the kids and put a cotton belt on Nie Weimin to protect him from the wind.

She was heading out to catch the Dongfeng truck, which was set to depart for Wumayi.

The children were already excited, like young girls dancing a folk dance.

Oh, how shy Nie Weimin felt!

“Hey, Comrade Chen, there’s still space here. Hurry up, get on.” To her surprise, Wang Jie was also going to Wumayi, and Aunt Ha was there too.

Several other women were also on board, including some with children, but it was clear that Chen Lina had the most kids, with one on her back, one holding her hand, and the third running behind.

Because it was wrapped in a green cloth and the wind wasn’t too strong, the train passed, and on both sides, there was nothing but snow, a vast expanse of white snow.

The three children wore big cotton shoes, so their feet weren’t cold, but the adults, all wearing just regular shoes, were shivering with the cold.

“Comrade Chen, do you have tickets? Let’s see if we can exchange some,” Aunt Ha said, her voice trailing off as she laughed and rubbed the various tickets in her hand.

Grain tickets, cloth tickets, sugar tickets, egg tickets, and various other kinds.

At this moment, Sister Wang and the other family members exchanged smiles and took out their own tickets.

“Well, you have extra sugar tickets, can you spare me one? I have some extra egg tickets, how many do you need?”

“Your cloth tickets, you have one extra. How about I trade you for some sanitary napkin tickets, does that work?”

They were all talking at once, with the family members huddling together to discuss.

However, it seemed like they were all cautious of Chen Lina.

After all, Sun Gong’s mother was a huge troublemaker at the base.

Once she arrived, the base would likely come to a standstill.

And Chen Lina had only just arrived yesterday and had already gotten the three children’s support payments.

So everyone thought there would be a storm ahead.

Aunt Ha pointed to herself, “I’ll trade with you!”

Chen Lina shook her head and softly said to Aunt Ha, “I only have money, not tickets. Aunt Ha, do you know where there’s a place where you can buy things just with money?”

The surrounding family members immediately took a deep breath: Look, yesterday she got the support payments, and now she’s already starting to spend recklessly.

Aunt Ha looked around but didn’t say anything for the moment.

However, when they arrived at Umayi and everyone got off the train, she didn’t rush to the supply and marketing cooperative or the state-owned stores like the other family members.

Instead, she asked Chen Lina, “Comrade Chen, would you like to come with me to my relative’s house, have some tea, and drink some milk tea?”

“I can’t go, my grandmother said she’s a Soviet revisionist and a big national chauvinist,” Nie Weimin tugged at Chen Lina’s sleeve.

“I’ve met a Soviet revisionist, and she doesn’t look like her. But I think she can help us find cotton. You really hate that cotton jacket, don’t you? Once she helps us get cotton, Mom will make you a cotton coat,” Chen Lina said firmly.

Nie Weimin was curious: “Where did you meet a Soviet revisionist? Could it be that you are one?”

Chen Lina replied, “No, I’m a rotten old nine, quite similar to a Soviet revisionist. But this rotten old nine gives you sugar, eggs, and instant noodles, what do you think of her?”

Nie Weimin almost said “good” but stopped, a little stubborn.

Sure enough, Aunt Ha led Chen Lina around, and they arrived at a Kazakh family’s house.

The person who greeted them was an elderly Kazakh man with a gray beard.

Chen Lina felt like Columbus discovering a new continent.

The best quality cotton, all kinds of dyed cotton fabrics, and the needles and thread she was most lacking—all were available.

Even onions, apples, tomatoes, peppers, rice, flour, and oil.

Chen Lina even found a can of Soviet-made coffee.

“Comrade Little Nie, although I have the money, you must supervise how I use it. Tell me, do you think we should buy some onions?” Chen Lina asked as she shook the bag containing three eggs.

Nie Weimin, being clever, most wanted respect from others.

He immediately straightened his back and said, “Wouldn’t it be too extravagant?”

“Onions wrapped in egg wash and fried into crispy rings, eaten with milk powder in the morning—it’s so delicious,” Chen Lina said, a bit regretfully.

“Buy it, buy it, let’s buy it,” Er Dan said, excited.

Chen Lina picked out a few large onions and put them in her red-and-green-striped cloth bag.

After walking around, she saw apples, large and round, from the rare old variety, Guoguang, which became sweeter as winter approached.

She asked Nie Weimin, “How about the apples? Do we want them?”

“How much are they?”

“One and a half yuan per jin, eight mao for two jins,” the elderly Kazakh man said.

“Too expensive,” Nie Weimin started being stingy again.

Chen Lina clicked her tongue and said, “These apples are sweet enough. If we make pickled vegetables, they’ll taste better than the last batch.”

Thinking of apple-flavored pickles, Nie Weimin’s eyes immediately brightened, like little light bulbs: “Buy them, buy them, let’s buy five jins.”

After shopping around, Chen Lina spent all thirty yuan she had, and even dipped into her own private savings.

In the Kazakh family’s bedroom, she saw a shiny sewing machine, made by the Shanghai Butterfly Sewing Blade Factory. At that time, providing clothes for a family of five was a big challenge.

When Chen Lina married Nie Guozhu in her past life, she didn’t ask for anything except for a sewing machine.

After the revolution of 1976 ended and the tide of reform and opening up came, she could make any stylish clothes she saw on others just by looking at them.

At this moment, she really wanted to hug the sewing machine and kiss it, but this one would cost a hundred yuan on the black market.

She pinched the money in her pocket and resolutely refused to buy it.

“Forget it, I’ll sew clothes and make do with life, and when I have money, I’ll buy one.”

However, when it was time to leave, Chen Lina realized she couldn’t carry everything: ten jins of cotton, one bag of rice, two bags of flour, and various fruits and vegetables.

Aunt Ha, with her high nose and kind eyes, smiled warmly: “Don’t pay yet, we’ll settle the payment when the goods are delivered to the base.”

Chen Lina thought to herself: Looks like the Kazakh dealer is also responsible for home delivery.