The north wind was howling, and snowflakes began drifting through the air.

Outside, there was a lot of noise for a while, then silence for another moment.

“Mom, I’m hungry,” Er Dan said.

San Dan also chimed in, “Mom, I want to eat.”

Inside, there was a delicious smell of meat wafting through the air, but Chen Lina didn’t know where it was coming from.

It was so fragrant that it made the hungry children’s stomachs growl.

Chen Lina was momentarily confused.

She clearly hadn’t cooked anything, so where was that delicious smell coming from?

“Ah!” she suddenly stood up. “Look at my memory! With that old woman, I completely forgot!”

“Old Yao woman, old Yao..,” Sandan, who was still learning to speak, repeated.

“Yao woman beats children without caring, pinches or twists them, all she has are sticks and ropes,” Er Dan shook his head and started singing along.

Nie Weimin was the most upset today because his newly stitched black cotton coat, with the stylish wind-tight buttons, was dirty because of Grandma.

The boy cried for a while, but couldn’t help himself from laughing, and a big bubble popped out of his nose.

“Mom, how did you cook this leg of lamb? Oh, and lamb ribs! It looks so delicious.”

The three children crowded around, watching as Chen Lina pulled a metal tray out of the fire pit.

Inside was a large, fatty leg of lamb, golden and roasted to perfection, along with half a rack of ribs, sizzling with oil.

Around the meat, there were roasted lamb onion rings, carrot chunks, and potato sticks, all coated in the oils rendered from the meat, shining with a glossy sheen.

Chen Lina poked it with chopsticks, and the food made a crisp sound.

She picked up a piece and handed it to Nie Weimin, asking, “Is it cooked?”

“It’s fragrant, really fragrant!” The boy was so excited he started hopping up and down.

“If we hadn’t been caught up in that commotion, I would have taken it out earlier, and it might have been even more fragrant. Tonight, we’ll have lamb leg. Wait for me to make some lazy dumplings to go with it to balance out the richness, okay?”

“Sure, I’ll go fetch some firewood!” Er Dan, the warmest of the three, bounced up and ran out like a little rabbit.

The crying of Grandma Sun ceased for a moment but soon started up again, then stopped, then started once more.

It was clear she hadn’t left yet.

She was no match for Chen Lina’s forceful attitude, so she stormed off to the base’s office building instead.

Unfortunately, today, some workers were on holiday while others were at military training, so except for the doorman, no one was around.

The office building was locked when the leaders weren’t around, and no one was allowed inside.

So, she angrily turned back and was about to drive her tractor to the Umayi village to find Secretary A.

The death of her son, Sun Zhuanman, was a historical event in the oilfield—he had sacrificed his life for the oilfield.

As his mother, she believed that the base should listen to her, and Secretary A would definitely support her.

However, when she went back to prepare her tractor, she realized the crank handle was missing.

A tractor could only be started with a crank handle, and with the freezing weather and snow beginning to fall again, if the tractor froze, it would be impossible to start.

“Who took my crank handle? Whoever took it is asking for death!” The old woman yelled as she walked around the family housing area.

At this point, getting rid of Chen Lina became less important to her.

Since the tractor was a public asset of Mulan Farm, and she was the leader of a production team, it was a prestigious vehicle for her.

If the crank handle was lost, she would be removed from her position as team leader.

“My crank handle! Who took it?!” She cried out, completely beside herself.

Chen Lina heard her, and seeing that little Nie Weimin kept glancing toward the backyard, she said, “Focus on roasting your clothes. No peeking around.”

Suddenly, there was a loud knocking at the door.

Nie Weimin immediately jumped up, shouting, “Dad, my dad’s here!” The boy dashed out excitedly.

Sure enough, as soon as Nie Bozhao stepped through the door, Grandma Sun followed right behind.

“Mother-in-law, if you really want to come in, you have to promise not to hit the children,” Nie Bozhao said from outside.

“Nie, when have I not cared for my grandson? If I hit them, it’s because they broke my rules. You tell me, if they break the law and I don’t teach them, should I just wait for them to end up in prison?” Grandma Sun pushed forward, demanding, “Dadan, tell him, have I ever hit you?”

This old woman had a big face, hair pulled tightly into a bun, deep-set eyes, and under the light, she looked like a wolf grandmother from fairy tales.

The three children, probably beaten by her since they were little, were now like domesticated animals—crying but too afraid to speak up.

Chen Lina jumped up as if struck by lightning: “You old hag, Aunt Yao! I saw with my own eyes when you hit my son, and now you dare come to my house? Just see if I don’t chop you up!”

With that, the kitchen knife clanged twice on the chopping board. If Nie Bozhao hadn’t held her back, she would have charged out.

Well, it’s no wonder that Aunt Sun didn’t dare say a word.

“The child support is for the three kids, no matter where this goes, I’m in the right! Go ahead and take it to Urumqi, why don’t you? Go to Secretary Ah, why don’t you go?”

Thinking about the time this old woman shoved Nie Weimin made Chen Lina seethe.

You know, in the future, Nie Weimin and Erdan would be notorious figures in Hongyan City’s underworld. Chen Lina didn’t know if they’d actually killed anyone, but during their public trial, they were held responsible for many lives lost.

As the newspapers put it, the brothers’ characters twisted from a young age, treating human lives like weeds. They never bothered with words when fists would do. When they were executed, the streets were packed, yet they were still smiling.

The newspaper photo showed two young men, handcuffed and escorted, with sneering faces.

If they could end up with such warped personalities and go so far astray as to harm society, surely it had something to do with this old lady?

However, just as she was about to rush out, something brightened her vision.

Ah, from the bottom of her heart, Chen Lina sighed with admiration. No wonder her husband used to say he wished she could’ve seen what he looked like when he was young. Just look at him—in his olive-green 65-style military uniform, standing tall at nearly 1.8 meters, with thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a striking nose, handsome as if he’d walked out of a postcard.

Seeing him, Chen Lina hid the knife behind her back and laughed: “The roast lamb is just out of the oven. Come in, the kids are all waiting for you.”

As Nie Bozhao was about to step inside, Aunt Sun blocked him.

She may have acted shamelessly toward Chen Lina, but she turned to melodrama with Nie Bozhao. She began to cry: “Da Dan’s father, things can’t be like this. Let me tell you, before Zhuannan died, you slapped her. If you hadn’t hit her, she wouldn’t have stormed out, and if she hadn’t stormed out, she wouldn’t have died in a car accident in the desert. You did her wrong, and my Zhuannan is watching from heaven. You even promised her you wouldn’t remarry for fifteen years! So I’m just asking, has this woman gotten a marriage certificate with you? If not, send her back home. I’ll cook for the three kids, and if it’s not enough, I’ll take them to Mulan Farm. Their aunties all dote on them.”

Chen Lina scoffed, realizing that Nie Bozhao’s first wife had died after a fight. No wonder he had agreed to remain unmarried for fifteen years.

But such matters between husband and wife shouldn’t be discussed with others.

Looking back at her past life, hadn’t she and Nie Guozhu also had physical fights?

“When Engineer Sun died, I begged you to take in the children, and you said you’d need 180 yuan per month in child support. Every time I hired a nanny at the base, you drove them away. Mother-in-law, it’s too late to talk about this now, and I don’t want to. If you want to bring up Engineer Sun, remember that she died in a vehicle from the base. Go find the leaders there or talk to Secretary Ah in Urumqi. This has nothing to do with me.”

“My Zhuannan, she was the second Iron Man Wang Jinxi! And look at this one you’ve found—what even is this? I’m going to petition; not only will I go to Secretary Ah, I’ll go to Beijing. I won’t let you, Nie Bozhao, have an easy life.”

Nie Bozhao was rendered speechless, trembling with anger, unable to respond.

“Oh, old lady, return our five thousand yuan before you start talking!” Chen Lina held up the knife and slammed it down, adding, “Pay back the money first, then go file your complaint. You had more excuses before, didn’t you? Now, pay up.”

Nie Bozhao quickly grabbed Chen Lina by the waist: “Comrade Chen, don’t be impulsive, please don’t be impulsive.”

Taking advantage of the old woman stepping back, he slammed the door shut with a bang.

Outside, the wind howled, and the snow stung like ice shards on the face.

Aunt Sun stood outside for a long time, first wailing about her own misery, then lamenting her daughter Zhuannan’s tragic fate, and finally cursing Chen Lina as a witch.

Inside, the room was warm, and everyone was enjoying the roast lamb.

Sanda couldn’t eat much lamb, but he craved it, so they shredded a little and fed it to him bit by bit.

Chen Lina also made him a big bowl of milk powder mixed with cooked millet flour since he was growing up and just milk wouldn’t be enough. The millet had been mixed with egg and stir-fried slowly until golden, giving off a roasted aroma. Mixed with milk, it could fatten him up, warm his stomach, and even treat his hemorrhoids—really a multi-benefit meal.

“Sanda, go let your dad hold you, and he’ll feed you,” she said.

“Mommy holds, Mommy feeds,” Sanda insisted, unwilling to budge.

Though Nie Bozhao had lived in the oil field all his life and eaten plenty of lamb, he’d never tasted lamb roasted this well—crispy skin, tender meat, melting in the mouth.

After the meal, it was time for the three kids to go to bed. But outside, Aunt Sun started crying again.

It was obvious: like a tractor without a crank handle, she couldn’t get started. That old lady had practically tied herself to the base like a tractor.

“Where’s her crank handle, anyway?” Nie Bozhao asked.

Nie Weimin, licking the oil from his mouth, glanced at Erdan and shook his head.

Under the lamp, Chen Lina, smiling quietly, looked like a refined and well-mannered young lady in her twenties. Nie Bozhao almost felt like he could be her father.

However, evidently, the “crank handle” was hidden by this quiet and well-mannered young lady.

“Comrade Xiao Chen, tell me, where is the crank handle?”

“I don’t know, ask your son,” Chen Lina replied.

“It’s, it’s at Mama’s house, in the horse stable,” Erdan, too full and having just burped, finally spoke up.

“How did it end up there?”

At that moment, Chen Lina burst into laughter, and Nie Weimin couldn’t hold back either. In the end, the crank handle was taken from the horse stable and thrown outside by Hacheng.

Grandma Sun searched the entire street for the crank handle to her tractor. After finding it, she struggled with it for a while. In the end, it was Nie Bozhao who helped her by pouring hot water to get the engine started, and with a sputter, the tractor finally started and drove away.

Although the old lady had failed this time, she certainly wasn’t done. She still wanted cotton, white sugar, and milk. She was even planning to rally the base families to drive Chen Lina out.

Unfortunately, after freezing all night and sweating while trying to start the tractor, Grandma Sun fell ill as soon as she returned to Mulan Farm. She was bedridden for nearly a month, which, as part of the Nie family’s benefits, was kindly taken care of by Chen Lina.

But never mind all that, something even more shocking happened to Chen Lina.

“You actually fought with Sun Gong? Nie Bozhao, how did I not notice your violent tendencies? First you hit your wife, then your wife gets into an accident. No wonder you promised not to marry anyone again. And you didn’t even dare hire a nanny at the base. You went all the way to Qixiang to find one, just because you thought people from other places would be easier to deceive, didn’t you?”

Hearing the sound of the tractor humming, Chen Lina took the initiative to wash the dishes. It was obvious that the man couldn’t lift his arms anymore.

“I did hit her, I can’t deny that. But Comrade Xiao Chen, don’t you also have an apricot tree at your hometown?”

“My apricot tree has nothing to do with you hitting your wife! That’s a principle issue. If I had known you were the type of man who hits, I definitely wouldn’t have married you.”

“So, you’re saying that apricot tree doesn’t hit you?”

“You’re deliberately implying that I had affairs before marriage, and what’s with the nonsense about apricot trees? If you keep talking about this, I’ll leave right now.” Chen Lina felt it was ridiculous to make her chastity dependent on an apricot tree.

However, it was indeed an apricot tree that had “taken her virginity,” and Nie Bozhao bringing up the apricot tree was somewhat insulting to her.

At this point, she was starting to get angry, the pots clattering noisily, and she angrily rubbed the chopsticks, wishing she could break them all.

“You’re leaving? Didn’t you see in the newspaper that the little soldiers are leaving the cities and heading to the countryside? I’ve gotten the visiting quota for your sister. If you go now, what will they do?”

“What? The quota really came through?” Chen Lina immediately got anxious. “Hurry up and show me.”

“It was sent out this morning, it’ll be here soon. I have to work late tonight, so you take the kids to bed, alright?”

Supporting border construction was becoming a common thing, and in the late 1980s, they even had to provide subsidies to encourage people from the inland to move to the border farms.

But in the 1970s, getting a quota for relocation was extremely precious.

At the entire base, only people like Nie Bozhao, a scientist, or leaders like Secretary A had the authority to approve someone’s relocation.

Getting a farm household registration meant land, trees, cotton fields—substantial assets directly granted by the state.

Anyone who moved there after that wouldn’t get the same benefits.

Nie Bozhao’s decision to give the quota to her family, rather than using it for his own parents or siblings, must have been a result of a lot of inner struggle.

But even after being at the base for a while, this was the first time Nie Bozhao had joked about the apricot tree. Chen Lina didn’t plan to give him an easy time, and she turned to leave the kitchen, intending to close the door to the master bedroom.

Starting tonight, she had decided that if Nie Bozhao didn’t realize that making jokes about the apricot tree was a serious mistake, she would never open the master bedroom door again and let him freeze on the small bedroom’s wooden bed.

“Comrade Xiao Chen, open the door.” After sweeping the kitchen floor, mopping the living room, and shivering in the cold in the small bedroom, when Nie Bozhao tried to push the door open, he found it was stuck.

“Tonight, I’ll sleep with my apricot tree. There’s a bed next door; you can sleep in the other room.”

“Comrade Xiao Chen, what I want to say is that, just like your apricot tree, although it really happened, no one believes it when I say it. I did hit her, there’s no denying that. But I also had my reasons, just like you.”

“You’re a man. Hitting a woman is never right.”

“Yes, I admit my mistake. I agree you should sleep with your apricot tree, but could you at least give me a spot on the big kang?”

“Why do you want to sleep with an apricot tree?” Little Nie Weimin, who loved listening to adults argue, piped up. “There’s no apricot tree on our kang, you’re holding Sandan!”