Chapter 3

Ma Ying called his son and asked Lu Yuan to check the locked door of the utility room before entering the house and getting on the kang.

She was still afraid that Lu Yujiao would run away.

In order to save money, oil lamps are rarely lit at night in rural areas.

It gets dark early in winter and there is nothing else to do.

…

The night gradually deepened.

The earthen kang was warm, and the cold wind was howling outside the window.

Lu Zhaohu got up quietly, tiptoed, and sneaked out.

He groped his way to the utility room in the dark and struggled to untie the knot with his frozen fingers.

“Sister, don’t worry, I’ll let you out right away.”

Lu Zhaohu spoke with bated breath, straining to open his eyes.

Inside the door, Lu Yujiao’s lips were also numb from the cold.

The room she was staying in had no kang and was freezing cold, but she had survived the winters like this over the years and had long been accustomed to it and could withstand the cold.

“Xiaohu, are you okay with your injury?”

“It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“sorry.”

“Sister, isn’t this what we agreed on? If we don’t make some noise like this, my mother might not believe that I hate you.”

While the two were talking across the door, Lu Zhaohu had almost untied the knot.

But at this moment, the door not far away suddenly creaked open.

Ma Ying’s voice rang out.

“Xiao Hu? Why aren’t you sleeping on the kang?”

“Mom, my hands hurt. It will feel better if I get out and cool down a bit.”

Lu Zhaohu also thought quickly and raised his injured hand.

Ma Ying was awakened from her sleep and waved her hand hurriedly, “Quick, let mother see what’s going on.”

Lu Zhaohu gritted his teeth and, taking advantage of the darkness of the night when he couldn’t see clearly, pressed on his wound.

“Mom, it’s bleeding again.”

When he walked over, Ma Ying immediately took him into the house with concern and lit the oil lamp.

At the storage door, a half-untied rope was hanging there.

It sways gently in the wind.

That was a close call.

…

The dim oil lamp lit and extinguished.

The voices gradually faded away, and the snoring of Ma Ying and Lu Yuan began to sound again.

Lu Zhaohu climbed up from the kang again.

This time, he finally untied the knot and opened the door of the utility room.

Lu Yujiao’s little face, pale from the cold, was the size of a palm, reflecting the quiet moonlight.

“Sister, run away quickly.” Lu Zhaohu felt a lump in his throat and moved aside.

The situation was urgent now and Lu Yujiao had no time to say more.

She took Lu Zhaohu’s hat and put it on her head. “Take care of yourself.”

After saying that, she ran out of the yard without looking back.

It was pitch black outside, with no light and no sound, like a terrifying black hole that could swallow everything.

But Lu Yujiao was not afraid at all.

The courage that surged from her heart supported her to run faster and faster.

…

The village was quiet at night, even the dogs were asleep.

Suddenly, Ma Ying’s angry and sharp cry pierced the night sky.

Ma Ying always felt uneasy when she got up at night.

Even though I saw the door of the utility room was locked, I still felt nervous.

So she stood on tiptoe and looked into the broken window.

Just one look woke her up from her sleepiness.

The utility room was empty, there was no one in sight!

Ma Ying rushed into the house angrily and slapped Lu Zhaohu who was sleeping.

She also slapped Lu Yuan awake.

“Get up! That damn girl ran away!”

Lu Zhaohu pleaded humbly, “Dad, Mom, forget it… Please have pity on Sister Yujiao…”

“I pity her? Then who pity me?” Ma Ying rolled her eyes and locked Lu Zhaohu in the house to prevent him from doing anything bad again.

Then she and Lu Yuan hurried out.

It was dark and the road was long, so the two men went after him separately.

…

Lu Yujiao walked on the night road, taking one deep step and one shallow step, breathing deeply, with the tip of her nose red from the cold.

Her legs hurt and she was cold.

The hat she had just snatched from Lu Zhaohu was thrown at the fork in the road. She had to be careful of Ma Ying and Lu Yuan chasing after her.

She estimated that with Ma Ying’s cautious nature, he would soon discover that she had escaped.

So, she didn’t dare to slow down at all.

…

Sure enough, it was just as Lu Yujiao expected.

Ma Ying quickly caught up with her to the fork in the road she had left not long ago, frowning tightly.

The right fork in the road goes east and leads to the county town, while the left fork goes west and leads to the mountains.

Since Lu Yuan is not here, Ma Ying can only choose one way to continue the pursuit.

Lu Yujiao had delicate skin and was very delicate. Ma Ying didn’t believe she would dare to run into the mountains and hide.

Just as he was hesitating, Ma Ying suddenly saw a winter hat dropped on the road on the left. It was Lu Zhaohu’s.

She picked it up and started cursing Lu Zhaohu, the spendthrift, asking why he didn’t just give away his underwear.

When Ma Ying saw the hat, he became even more determined.

She took big strides and chased towards the road on the right.

The last time Lu Yujiao escaped, she used this trick, deliberately dropping something to lead them to chase in the wrong direction.

“I know you’re cunning, but you want to fight me?”

Ma Ying snorted confidently. She would not be fooled this time!

…

In fact, Ma Ying fell into the trap again.

Lu Yujiao predicted her prediction.

She was walking forward with difficulty on the small path on the left, braving the cold wind.

How could Lu Yujiao use the same trick a second time?

The road is difficult to walk on at night, and the mountains in the distance are hazy and dark, which is scary.

Lu Yujiao bit her lip, as tough as a honeysuckle flower that could not be blown down by the strong wind.

Tears froze out and she wiped them away with the back of her hand.

When she saw the faint light from Lu Jingze’s house from afar, Lu Yujiao seemed to see hope in her life.

She almost trotted closer.

…

Because Lu Jingze hadn’t been back home for several years, the family lit the oil lamps they usually used sparingly in the main hall, making it more lively and festive than New Year’s Eve.

Lu Jingze specially brought some things back from the city for his parents, brother, sister-in-law, and younger brother’s wife.

Ten pounds of noodles, five pounds of sugar, three blocks of clam oil, two barrels of biscuits, a pair of enamel water cups, and a tin flashlight.

Lu Jingze’s mother, Lin Qiaocui, complained that he didn’t know how to manage the household and spent money recklessly, her mouth almost grinning from ear to ear.

Lu Fusheng held the iron flashlight tightly in his arms and couldn’t let it go. He caressed it even more tenderly than he did his wife on their wedding night.

The little ones gathered around Lu Jingze, curious and yearning for life in the army.

It was getting late at night before I reluctantly went to bed despite being urged.

Lu Jingze rarely comes back, and he is the most promising one in the family.

Lin Qiaocui cleaned up the east room early for him to live in alone, and the kang was heated to make it warm.

“It’s getting late. Go to bed quickly. We have to get up early tomorrow to sweep the house and offer sacrifices to the Kitchen God.”

…

Lu Jingze walked back to the east room with heavy steps.

After closing the door, he took off his military coat, lifted the quilt and lay down in it.

As soon as he lay down, he froze instantly, a soft fragrance wafting through his nose.

A soft body pressed against his strong arms, trembling slightly.

It’s the “rabbit” I met during the day.

Somehow, I sneaked into his bed and hid there for so long.

She raised her face and met his dark eyes.

Her eyes are incredibly beautiful.

Her eyelashes were filled with tears, her cheeks were flushed, and her soft voice was misty and timid.

“…Please.”