Chapter 13

Time passed quickly, like a white colt darting through a crack, and the sunlight was fleeting.

In the blink of an eye, it was mid-August. Since seeing Su Sanya taken away by the police at the hospital last time, Su Xi has not heard any news about this person again.

Upon learning that Sanya had been taken away by the police, the Su Lai-wang family, without bothering to inquire about the child’s misdeeds, unilaterally declared that they had severed ties with her. Fearing unwarranted accusations, they wanted no association with her. After all, their household wasn’t lacking in daughters, and the cold-hearted decision drew sympathetic sighs.

Sanya had experienced a rebirth!

People who had experienced rebirth possessed knowledge of future events, and the government wouldn’t allow such people to roam freely. The fate awaiting Sanya was easily predictable.

With the incident involving Sanya, Su Xi became more cautious and restrained in her daily actions. After all, she wasn’t a native of this place.

However, there was some good news—Brother Yannan had been accepted into his desired military academy, and she herself was fortunate enough to secure a spot in the county high school.

“Xiao Nannan, this kid, is just too clingy to his big brother. It’s been over a month since Dong Dong returned, and how many times has that kid visited? From childhood till now, it’s been his habit, to stick to his big brother like a little tail. University is about to start, and he hasn’t even thought about coming home for a visit. That brat…” Chen Xiangyun complained while carefully adjusting her layered hair, the needle lightly scratching her scalp, as she cast a disgruntled look at Su Xi, who was beside her, holding a wine jar.

Having finally brought her eldest grandson back, her youngest grandson was once again heading off to school, this time over two thousand kilometers away, even farther than where her eldest grandson used to study. Chen Xiangyun had been busy preparing clothes and shoes for her youngest grandson.

Su Xi has recently become obsessed with brewing wine. Luckily, there were many peaches on the mountain, all ripe and ready to eat. Following her older brother, she went into the mountains several times, returning with a pile of large and red peaches each time, astonishing onlookers.

With an abundance of peaches and no way to preserve them, Su Xi decided to turn them into wine.

A large tub of peach wine and a small jar of grape wine—it had been 20 days today.

The fruit wine would take about two months to ferment, and by the time it was ready to drink, it would be around early October.

When Su Xi got a sniff of the lingering fragrance of the wine that still managed to escape even though the tub was sealed, she felt content.

It was her first time brewing, and she had wasted quite a bit of sugar. Of course, her grandma didn’t know about this; it was her Brother Yannan who secretly bought a new batch of sugar for her.

So, when she heard Grandma nagging Brother, Su Xi conscientiously said, “It’s normal, Grandma. Big brother spent several years in the capital, rarely coming back. It’s understandable for Brother to bond with him. Besides, Brother Nanan will be starting school again in a few days, and the next time they meet, it will be for the New Year.”

As for what kind of relationship they were cultivating, that was open to interpretation. She didn’t consider it lying, right? Cough cough…

“I’m not worried that he won’t come home. The last time he came back, he gave me 100 yuan. We’re not short on money at home, and I don’t know what he’s up to. If he’s doing something shady and gets caught, what will we do?” Grandma expressed her concern.

Su Xi was aware that Brother Nanan took on external jobs; after all, he didn’t hide it from her.

Xi Yannan was sharp-minded, had a wild streak, and knew a diverse group of friends.

It wasn’t clear where he learned his skills. His group of friends would scout for old bicycles or home appliances, and Xi Yannan would disassemble them. Useful parts were then assembled into a second-hand product, and there were specific people responsible for selling them.

So, despite Xi Yannan’s young age, he had a considerable amount in his savings.

If it weren’t for the incident with Su Sanya earlier, which served as a wake-up call, she would have considered earning some extra income. 

After all, during the period from ’66 to ’76, speculation and profiteering were scrutinized more strictly. If she made some money during these years, even if she only earned a fixed salary later on, with savings, life wouldn’t be too difficult.

“I’ll go to your uncle’s house first,” Chen Xiangyun said to her granddaughter after finishing the last stitch. She looked at the sky, put the needlework and shoes with repaired soles in a small basket, stood up, stretched her back, and hit her back lightly.

“Why go to Uncle’s house?” Su Xi raised her hand to check the time on her wristwatch. It was 10:30 in the morning.

This is the reward given by her older brother when she was admitted to high school.

“Your fourth brother is back and bought some meat. Your uncle wants us to have lunch together. I’ll go help your aunt cook,” Grandma Chen answered, taking a few eggs and a pound of coarse grains from the cupboard.

If they went empty-handed, Aunt Wang Guizhi’s face could have stayed stretched for days.

………………..

During the meal, Su Xi learned that her fourth cousin had come back this time to announce the good news to the elders because her fourth sister-in-law was pregnant again.

It was a joyous occasion since the Su family hadn’t added any new members for several years.

However, Uncle Su Chengzhong’s face still bore visible signs of worry.

Listening to her Uncle Su and Fourth cousin’s conversation, Su Xi understood that Uncle Su was concerned about what to plant in the fields in late September.

The people who predicted the weather seemed uncertain about when it would rain, and there was a fear that if winter wheat was sown, the rain wouldn’t keep up, and artificially watering the crops wasn’t practical.

If they planted drought-resistant crops like sweet potatoes and sorghum, they were afraid that if the rain came later, the villagers would regret it.

After all, the village had no other source of income, relying solely on the yield from the fields throughout the year.

It was a dilemma on both sides.

The current life was indeed very difficult, even though Su Xi never lacked food and clothing every day.

That was because their family had a special situation. Not to mention Su Xi’s parents sacrificed themselves for the country, and the army continued to subsidize her until she turned 18. Moreover, the family’s previous assets were enough for them to live comfortably for decades.

Not to mention that nowadays, most of the Su family descendants have secure jobs, enjoying government-supplied rations. If you combined both households, it was only Su Xi, her grandmother, and her Uncle’s family, with their rural household registration, who faced a different reality. Uncle was also the village secretary, earning monthly subsidies.

However, the prosperity of the Su family was an exception; the majority of families still struggled to make ends meet.

In fact, Su Xi wanted to suggest to her Uncle that he cultivate drought-resistant crops like sweet potatoes and sorghum. She knew that the days with little rain and water scarcity would continue for another year, making the future even more challenging.

Thinking about Uncle’s recent frequent trips to the county town, Su Xi asked, “Uncle, have you been going to the county town lately for relief supplies?”

Su Chengzhong thought his niece had heard the rumors circulating in the village and didn’t conceal anything, saying, “Yes, it’s tough. The situation is challenging even at the higher levels. According to the newspapers, some places have already started eating tree bark. Our Hongqi Brigade is still better off, backed by the mountains. At least, we haven’t reached the point of desperation. Otherwise, we might have to…”

Looking at her Uncle’s dark and gloomy face, Su Xi also wanted to do something within her means to help the villagers.

With that in mind, she quickly pushed away the remaining food in her bowl, stood up, and ran outside. “Uncle, wait for me!”

Leaving a few people exchanging glances. 

Su Xi returned in less than a minute, holding a pale pink soap in her hand.

Su Chengzhong took it, first noticing the translucent and delicate floral pattern, then smelling the rich peach fragrance. Hesitatingly, he asked, “Is this… soap?”

“Oh, my goodness, why does this soap smell so good? How much does it cost?” Auntie Wang reached out and took it from Uncle Su’s hands,  enjoying the scent without letting go.

Su Xi ignored Aunt Wang’s exaggerated reaction and simply glanced at her Uncle who had a puzzled expression. 

Su Xi explained, “This soap is made by myself. This soap is made specifically for bathing.”

“What?” Everyone looked at Su Xi in astonishment, as if meeting this girl for the first time.

Su Xi continued, “Uncle, I don’t understand farming, but I think since we are uncertain about what to plant in the second half of the year, why not let the villagers vote to decide? However, I suggest planting sweet potatoes and sorghum. In case it doesn’t rain in the second half of the year, at least we’ll have sweet potatoes and sorghum to sustain ourselves.”

After a pause, she continued, “The villagers’ income from farming is still too low. We should find a way to make money.”

Uncle immediately reacted and said, “Are you saying this soap?”

Su Xi explained, “Yes, we can set up a small village factory specifically for soap production. We can have different types of soap, such as soap for the face, body, and laundry. Then, we can sell them all over the province. Besides, my cousin works in the transportation team, so in the future, we can collaborate with them for deliveries.”

As Su Xi provided a detailed explanation, Su Chengzhong and her fourth cousin’s eyes lit up, seeing this as a great way to generate income for the farmers.

Uncle Su laughed heartily, brushing away the previously furrowed brow. “It’s the lively minds of you, young people. I was only focused on that one acre of land, but if we can establish this soap factory, the living conditions for the villagers will surely improve.”

“No, I’m going to discuss this with the accountant and a few squad leaders now. If everyone agrees, I’ll immediately apply to the commune to start the factory,” Su Cheng Zhong declared, abandoning his half-eaten lunch.

Taking the peach-scented soap Su Xi brought over, he headed out.

“Oh, by the way, Xixi, are the raw materials for this soap easy to find?” Just a few steps outside, Su Chengzhong turned back to ask Su Xi.

Su Xi smiled and said, “It’s not difficult to find.” Then she briefly explained the raw materials and the cost per piece.

Su Chengzhong nodded and walked out with a cheerful expression on his face.

“You’re not eating anymore?” Aunt finally realized that this old man was always busy with the tasks in the village.

“I’ll go eat at Er Gou’s house.” 

Er Gouzi was the village accountant.

“That old man is always in a hurry.”

Su Xi did not participate in the subsequent events. In the eyes of others, she was still a young girl. So, she wrote down the soap recipes she knew and gave them to her Uncle and she didn’t inquire about that matter further.

However, watching her uncle, a busy figure, always coming here and going, despite the daily hustle, he still had a rosy complexion. Obviously, things were progressing well.

…………………

One evening, Su Xi’s family was unusually lively.

Sudong and Xi Yannan in the county town have all returned; after all, Brother is about to depart for school.

Grandma Chen loved liveliness the most. Watching the three grandchildren, he was delighted, with a smile on his face. However, he complained, “Nan Nan, you little rascal. When your big brother was working in the capital, I thought I still had you and Xixi to accompany me. I could only hope you, Brother Dongdong, could return, and he finally did, but he was busy from morning to night. I’ve only seen him once in over a month. And he even took you with him! You little rascal, you never came back home, always sticking to your big brother.”

Words said unintentionally but taken to heart, especially by Su Xi, who looked at people through colored lenses, were not so innocent.

She buried her palm-sized face, stealing glances at her big brother and brother, and her black, watery eyes turned into twinkling stars.

Oh no! Just now, the two of them absolutely smiled at each other.

What kind of fairy-tale scene is this?!!!

What…what a perfect match!!!

Unable to control her imagination, Su Xi mentally composed a plot consisting of thirty thousand words.

Su Xi turned her head, discreetly swallowing her saliva. (?﹃?)

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Lucia: Girl, same! 

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