Chapter 109: Ming Dai, I Forgot Something Important

In the evening, as the sky darkened and everyone stayed at home, Ming Dai and Zhou Sinian took the things to Aunt Huang’s house.

Aunt Huang’s family had finished dinner early and was sitting on the heated bed, feeling their way in the dark as they twisted ropes, while Goudan told stories.

When they heard the sound of knocking, Liu Laifu went to open the door and welcomed the two in.

“Xiao Ming, my dear, what is this?”

Aunt Huang looked at the sack Zhou Sinian had placed on the ground, puzzled.

Ming Dai shone her flashlight on it, untied the sack, and took out the topmost pillowcase with mandarin ducks playing in the water. She handed it to Aunt Huang.

“Aunt, this is the pillowcase we agreed on, the one I found for your niece. My father’s friend sent it over in advance, and there’s quite a bit. You can divide it as you see fit, and just send the rest back to me.”

Aunt Huang, hearing this, was delighted. She quickly got up and rubbed her hands on her clothes before going to take it.

“Wow, this pillowcase is so beautiful! It’s red, and those are mandarin ducks, right?”

Ming Dai nodded. “Yes, it’s perfect for someone who’s getting married.”

Aunt Huang carefully placed it on the heated bed, then peeked into the sack to check the other items. “Oh, there’s more fabric?!”

“The fabric was collected by their relatives over the years. They have family members who run a clothing factory, so they never lack clothes—but they do need food.”

She didn’t open the rest of the sack and simply tied it up again.

“I have to say, you really are something. These kinds of goods—before, we could never even dream of affording them. The commune’s factory is small, and most years, we don’t even have enough fabric for a full set of clothes. Xiao Ming, don’t worry, I’ll make sure to calculate everything properly, both in money and coupons, so you don’t lose out.”

Ming Dai smiled and nodded. “Alright, I’ll trust you, Auntie. It would be best if there’s more mountain produce.”

Aunt Huang nodded happily. “No problem!”

After they finished talking, the two of them went back home.

Once they left, the Liu family became excited.

Aunt Huang happily ran her hands over the two large sacks filled with goods.

“Mother, I just felt some enamel basins! Several of them! Let’s keep one. Even the madman has two—one for washing their face and one for washing their feet. So fancy! Our whole family only has one wooden basin, and it’s clumsy and ugly!”

Aunt Huang shot her a sharp look. “What’s wrong with you? Is your face so big that the wooden basin can’t even fit it?!”

Huang Dalian laughed, unfazed by the scolding, and continued rummaging through the sacks, occasionally gasping in excitement. “This must be soap, right? An enamel jar! Hmm? What’s this? Mother! Oh my gosh! There are shoes too!”

With each exclamation, the Liu family members’ eyes grew more and more eager.

Aunt Huang touched the pillowcase on the bed and sighed: “I used to wonder how Xiao Ming managed to get so many good things for the madman. Now I understand—she has connections.”

She shook her head, thinking about the villagers. “Those folks who don’t know any better assumed Xiao Ming was just an orphan with no one looking out for her in the city. They had no idea she had such skills. Things like these aren’t something you can get with just a few connections.”

Xiao Ming’s father was also someone with skills, or else, she wouldn’t be taken care of like this even after his death.

She’s too young to know, but these things were definitely given to her by someone helping her.”

Saying this, she got off the bed and put the pillowcase away.

“No, I need to talk to those women and get more things. I can’t let Xiao Ming lose out, and I don’t want people from the city to look down on us country folks.”

Huang Dalian listened and slyly suggested, “Mom, why don’t we trade for some things for uncle’s family too? It’s even harder for them to get things up in the mountains, but they have plenty of good stuff. Xiao Ming wants to exchange things for mountain produce, doesn’t she?”

Her uncle’s family lived in the same village as her maternal relatives. If her mother-in-law managed to get something for them, she would naturally consider her own family as well. I’m so clever!

Aunt Huang thought for a moment. “That’s a good idea. Your aunt mentioned that my nephews will be coming down before the New Year. They want to ask Xiao Ming about the tiger bones. When the time comes, I’ll go with them. You should come too—we’ll visit our family.”

Huang Dalian hadn’t expected things to take this turn, but she quickly nodded in agreement.

Zhou Pandi glanced over, her eyes flashing with hesitation, and murmured, “Mother, what about… my mother’s side…?”

Her voice was so soft—like the faint buzzing of a mosquito—that it was barely audible. If Aunt Huang didn’t know her well, she wouldn’t have understood what she meant.

Aunt Huang rolled her eyes. “Your mother’s mouth is like a waistband—always stretching and never shutting up. It’s not worth trading anything for her. And don’t go spreading rumors! If I hear any gossip, I’ll come for you first!”

Zhou Pandi’s eyes reddened as she quickly assured that she wouldn’t say a word, though she felt deeply wronged inside.

Her mother-in-law still held a grudge against her for not bearing a son. If only I had given birth to a boy, my maternal family wouldn’t be looked down upon like this…

As she thought about it, tears started falling from her eyes, making soft, pitiful sounds.

Aunt Huang, seeing this, lost all her good mood from earlier.

“Stop whining and go to bed!”

With her angry shout, everyone quickly started to move, and soon everyone was settled in bed.

Zhou Pandi, still sniffling, tried to sneak over to speak to her husband, to talk about her grievances.

Liu Laiwang, however, had already begun snoring loudly, each snore getting louder than the last.

In the end, Zhou Pandi had no choice but to curl up alone in the blankets, quietly nursing her sorrow.

When Liu Laiwang saw her lying down again, he sighed in relief.

His wife was capable and good to him, but she was a little too sensitive. Thankfully, she was obedient and he had chosen her himself, so he could handle it.

But the two daughters needed to be raised well; they couldn’t be like their mother, always crying. He was looking forward to seeing his daughters marry well and enjoy the blessings of being a father-in-law!

Meanwhile, Ming Dai and Zhou Sinian had a meal of silly roe deer hotpot that evening.

The main ingredient supplier was none other thanSilly Roe Deer No. 2, the one Zhou Sinian had set his sights on long ago—the very same deer wearing a scarf identical to Ming Dai’s.

Ming Dai had finally figured it out: whichever roe deer Zhou Sinian paid special attention to was never far from ending up in the pot.

Once the deer was prepared, the bones were simmered into a rich broth, while the meat was sliced thin and marinated.

The milky-white bone broth bubbled as they dipped the pink meat slices in, making them tender and smooth. With the addition of various wild mushrooms, the flavor was so rich that both of them couldn’t help but raise their eyebrows in delight.

After finishing the meal, plenty of large bones remained in the pot. Ming Dai decided to save them for the next day to make a sauerkraut stew—it was sure to be just as delicious.

After dinner, they rested for a while. Zhou Sinian went to take a medicinal bath, while Ming Dai took two apples, hollowed them out, and filled them with a spoonful of brown sugar and a few goji berries, then placed them in a steaming pot.

By the time Zhou Sinian finished his bath, the apples were ready.

He took the bowl that Ming Dai handed him. “What is this?”

Ming Dai had one for herself too. “Steamed apples. You should eat one every night from now on. It’s good for your health.”

Zhou Sinian thought it was medicine and prepared himself for something unpleasant. But after he took a bite, he looked at Ming Dai in surprise.

“Ming Dai, it’s sweet!”

Ming Dai spooned the broth and said, “Yes, we’re building up your health these days, especially your qi and blood. Otherwise, I’m afraid you won’t be able to handle acupuncture.”

Zhou Sinian nodded and mimicked her, scooping the broth to drink.

After finishing the apples, they washed the bowls, then each went to clean up and get ready for bed.

The next morning, they woke up early. Ming Dai took Zhou Sinian to practice a health exercise in the space, something her grandfather had taught her. It was perfect for Zhou Sinian at this time.

Zhou Sinian learned quickly, mastering it after just one round. This left Ming Dai feeling somewhat disappointed—after all, it had taken her over a week to learn it.

After finishing the exercise, Ming Dai was slightly sweaty, but Zhou Sinian didn’t break a sweat at all.

She was about to go make breakfast and was about to call out to him, but then she noticed that he had started again.

At first, he was following the same routine, but soon his movements became more complex, and the force of his strikes intensified.

His expression grew colder, and his entire body tightened, like a sword ready to unsheathe.

Ming Dai carefully stepped aside, not daring to speak.

Zhou Sinian continued practicing his form for a long time, repeating it over and over again, until he was exhausted. He stood in the stance, breathing heavily.

Ming Dai watched as his expression shifted from cold to sorrowful, then to confusion. She carefully approached him.

“Zhou Sinian, are you alright?”

Upon hearing her, Zhou Sinian lowered his head, his eyes filled with pain.

He spread his hands, looking at the calluses on his palms that were almost disappearing, his voice low and defeated: “Ming Dai, I’ve forgotten something very important. Something so important, even more than my life, but I just can’t remember.”

In the morning light, he seemed fragile, like a bubble about to burst.

Ming Dai didn’t know how to comfort him. Like him, she too was just background in a book, and there was so little information about him.

“Zhou Sinian, how about I make you some sugar cakes for breakfast?”

Zhou Sinian looked confused for a moment, then slowly relaxed his posture, blinking his eyes. “What’s a sugar cake? Is it good?”

“It’s sweet. It’s dough wrapped with white sugar and fried in oil. The outside gets crispy, and the inside stays chewy, with sugar syrup oozing out when you bite into it. You can also use brown sugar. Do you prefer white sugar or brown sugar? Or should I make both…?”

Zhou Sinian was captivated by her description of the sugar cakes, his eyes locked onto her as he followed her step by step, walking toward the villa, slowly forgetting the heart-wrenching pain he had just felt.