Chapter 24: The Educated Youth Stays Overnight (Part 1)

When they got to the house, the door was locked. The old lady was nowhere to be seen.

Mu Mian took her books and pens inside, leaving the rest of the things for later. Since there wasn’t much else for her to do, she simply changed her clothes and went to the kitchen to start the fire.

Just as she got the fire going, the old lady returned, followed by Xu Lele and Mu Wan. The moment the two little girls saw Mu Mian, they ran straight to her.

Xu Lele exclaimed, “Sister Mianmian! You’re finally back! Was it fun in the county? Where did Auntie and Uncle take you?”

Mu Wan asked eagerly, “Did you eat anything delicious? Were the restaurants really big?”

The two of them chattered non-stop, just like a pair of buzzing little bees.

Mu Mian took out a few pieces of hard candy and handed them each two. “There’s orange flavor and peach flavor. Try them.”

In reality, it was her mother who had bought them by weight. She was just offering them as if they were her own.

Mu Wan gasped, “Wow! I’ve never had peach-flavored candy before! Xiao Mian, you’re even better than my mom!”

Xu Lele grinned. “I love the orange one!”

The three little girls huddled together. While Mu Mian tended the fire, she chatted with her friends, sharing stories about the county.

Since neither of the other two had ever been there, anything Mu Mian said fascinated them. They listened so intently that the kitchen was filled with a lively hum, reminiscent of the chorus of frogs in the summer fields.

The chatter only died down when the sky darkened and the two had to return home for dinner.

Mu Mian also got ready to eat. She had brought back some braised pork, so she didn’t cook much else, just a simple vegetable soup.

Zhao Meihua picked up a piece of meat and remarked, “The county’s chefs are definitely better than the ones at the commune. This is much more tender and flavorful.”

The old lady’s teeth weren’t as strong as they used to be, so she preferred softer foods.

Mu Mian picked up two more pieces and put them in her grandmother’s bowl. “If you like it, eat more!”

Zhao Meihua smiled as she enjoyed her granddaughter’s filial gesture. “Eating too much at night isn’t good. You might get an upset stomach.”

Mu Fugui muttered, “It’s just a small portion. I originally wanted to buy two servings, but they wouldn’t let me. Said each table could only get one.”

Liu Shuangcui agreed, “That’s how it should be. If everyone could buy multiple servings, a lot of people wouldn’t even get a taste. A little sample is good enough.”

Zhao Meihua took another piece and savored it. “I wonder what they put in it. It tastes much better than what we make at home.”

Mu Fugui mused, “Must be some secret recipe. Otherwise, how would they be professional chefs?”

A good chef always has a trick up their sleeve.

Curious, Mu Mian asked, “Does our family have any secret recipes?”

Liu Shuangcui snorted, “The only thing our family has is your father’s square face^[1]Liu Shuangcui is making a wordplay on “秘方” (secret recipe) and “脸方” (square face). Instead of answering about a recipe, she jokes that the only “方” … Continue reading.”

Mu Fugui: “…”

Mu Mian burst into laughter, clutching her stomach. “Hahahahaha…”

Mu Fugui stroked his stubbled chin and grumbled, “What’s wrong with my face? It looks good!”

Just as he was about to argue further, a sudden knock came from the door.

The courtyard gate was closed but not latched since they rarely had visitors at this hour. Most households had already finished eating and were preparing to wind down for the night.

Mu Mian ran to open the door. She was surprised to see Liu Guizhi standing there, with the young female educated youth they had met earlier on the road standing behind her.

Mu Mian wasn’t sure what was going on, but she greeted her politely. “Aunt Guizhi.”

Liu Guizhi smiled. “I heard your laughter from far away. What was so funny?”

Mu Mian replied, “We were talking about my dad.”

Liu Shuangcui came over with a bowl in hand. She glanced at the educated youth standing behind Liu Guizhi and asked, “What’s the matter?”

Liu Guizhi got straight to the point. “It’s like this—this young lady arrived late, and she doesn’t have any bedding or supplies. The educated youth dormitory isn’t ready either. I figured since your family has an empty room, could she stay here for the night?”

Her own house could squeeze in another person if needed.

But since she had an unmarried son at home, it wasn’t appropriate to let a young girl stay there. It could affect her reputation.

Liu Guizhi then introduced the girl. “Her name is Nie Sihui. She’s eighteen and came from Hushi.”

Liu Shuangcui readily agreed. “Of course! It’s just for one night. No problem at all.”

She then turned to the young woman who was still standing outside, looking a little uneasy, and waved her in. “Come on in. Have you eaten yet? If you…”

She trailed off as she suddenly realized they had nearly finished their meal. There was hardly anything left on the table. If the girl hadn’t eaten yet, they didn’t really have anything to offer her.

Nie Sihui took two steps forward and stood beside Liu Guizhi. Hearing this, she quickly waved her hand and said, “I already ate, I just had a meal at Aunt Liu’s house, so there’s no need to trouble yourselves.”

Liu Guizhi chuckled and introduced her to the family, “Your aunt here also has the surname Liu, just call her Aunt Shuangcui. This is her husband, Mu Fugui. The elderly lady’s surname is Zhao, you can call her Aunt Zhao or Grandma Zhao, whichever you prefer.”

“She also has a son, but he’s not home—he joined the army. If he were here, I wouldn’t have brought you over.”

“Oh, right, this is Mian girl. She’s really sharp and surprisingly strong. If you ever have any trouble figuring things out, you can ask her. She knows everything.”

Almost as soon as Liu Guizhi finished speaking, Mu Mian met Nie Sihui’s gaze. The smile on Nie Sihui’s face was much more relaxed compared to when she faced the adults.

She was only eighteen years old, traveling alone to such a distant place. No matter how composed she acted, she was bound to feel anxious inside.

Mu Mian returned a friendly smile and said, “Educated Youth Nie, I’ll take you to my brother’s room.”

Her brother’s room only had a bed, a trunk, and a cabinet, nothing valuable enough to worry about strangers touching.

Nie Sihui was already exhausted. After spending four days on the train, taking two bus rides, and then walking for over an hour, her legs were trembling. She was holding on purely by willpower.

She smiled and said, “Thank you for the trouble.”

Mu Mian waved her hand, “It’s no trouble at all.”

Liu Shuangcui looked over and asked, “The mattress is in the cabinet. Can you reach it?”

Mu Mian nodded, “I can, Mom. Don’t worry, I just need to stand on my toes to get it down.”

Still feeling uneasy, Liu Shuangcui followed her into the room.

Since it was summer, the mattress wasn’t damp from being stored in the cabinet, so it was ready to use.

Nie Sihui placed her bundle in the corner and quickly stepped forward to help. “Aunt Shuangcui, I can set it up myself. I really don’t want to trouble you.”

Liu Shuangcui could tell that this young woman was feeling a bit uncomfortable, so she didn’t insist. “Alright then.”

She then turned to her daughter and said, “Help Educated Youth Nie set up her bed.”

Mu Mian nodded, “Okay.”

It was just a mattress—she unfolded it, and it was done.

Mu Mian checked the cabinet and found nothing left. She turned to Nie Sihui and asked, “Do you have any extra clothes? You can use them to cover your stomach at night.”

Nie Sihui nodded, “I brought some.”

Mu Mian thought for a moment before adding, “Our toilet is in the left corner. It’s not the same as the ones in the city—it’s made of wooden planks. Be careful at night so you don’t step in the wrong spot.”

Nie Sihui was already desperate to use the toilet. Hearing this, her tired face showed a hint of embarrassment.

Mu Mian immediately understood. “I’ll take you there now.”

Nie Sihui said softly, “Thank you.”

Mu Mian smiled, “You don’t need to keep saying that. You’ve already thanked us several times tonight.”

Nie Sihui insisted, “I should thank you. I’m really troubling you all.”

She wasn’t used to people genuinely treating her well, yet on her first day here, she had already met such kind-hearted people.

After helping Nie Sihui take care of her needs, Mu Mian returned to check if anything else needed to be done.

Just as she was about to leave the room, she saw Nie Sihui reach into her bundle and take out something before holding it out to her.

“A lot of my stuff is still on the way, so I don’t have much to thank you with. Here, take this hair clip—you can wear it for fun.”

Mu Mian looked down and saw two very pretty hair clips. She hadn’t seen anything like them being sold at the commune or in town, so they were probably from the city.

She waved her hands, “There’s no need, really. You didn’t trouble us at all—it was just a small matter.”

Even as she spoke, Nie Sihui gently grabbed her hand and placed the hair clips in her palm.

Nie Sihui said, “If I hadn’t run into you all in the afternoon, I might’ve gotten lost. And now, I’m disturbing you at night—it really makes me feel bad.”

“When the brigade leader’s wife said she was taking me to a family’s home, I didn’t know it would be yours. When I saw you at the door, I realized we must have some fate to meet like this.”

“It’s just a little thing, nothing expensive. Please don’t refuse.”

Mu Mian was silent for a few seconds. She could tell that if she didn’t accept it, Nie Sihui would feel even more uneasy.

Being new here, she probably felt like she was imposing on others and was eager to show her gratitude. It was human nature.

Mu Mian opened and closed her mouth but, in the end, didn’t refuse. She simply said, “Thank you.”

It was getting late, and it was time to rest.

After reminding her of a few things, Mu Mian left the room, closing the door behind her.

Liu Shuangcui saw her daughter’s half-clenched hand and asked, “What is that?”

Mu Mian opened her palm to reveal the hair clips. “Educated Youth Nie gave them to me.”

Liu Shuangcui picked them up and examined them. “They’re really pretty.”

Zhao Meihua, who had been listening, commented, “She’s a considerate girl.”

Liu Shuangcui handed the hair clips back to her daughter. “Since she gave them to you, just keep them. If we kept refusing, she would’ve felt even worse.”

Mother and daughter thought alike—they had the same realization at the same time.