Chapter 4

Early the next day.

Su Xi got up early and followed behind Xi Yannan. She jogged around the village while familiarizing herself with the memories of the Hongqi Brigade.

The original owner of the body did not have the habit of exercising, but Su Xi, with about twenty years of unwavering fitness habits, had long made it a part of her life.

After running about 3 kilometers, Su Xi left Xi Yannan, who was still exercising and went home alone.

With years of experience in sports, she knew that when exercising the body, requires a gradual approach. So, even though she still had plenty of energy at the moment, she didn’t continue running.

She returned home covered in sweat and found her grandma already preparing breakfast.

Su Xi picked up the hot water prepared by her grandmother and quickly took a shower in the small room.

After she freshened up, she piled the dirty clothes that had been changed into a bamboo basket. She planned to have a good breakfast and take advantage of the cool morning to go to the Chaoyang River to wash her clothes.

Washing a basket of clothes at home was too wasteful of water.

Chen Xiangyun chased Su Xi out of the kitchen, who had intended to help.

Su Xi didn’t insist, knowing that, as an adult, she couldn’t just sit and wait for others to take care of her needs. So, while Grandma was busy in the kitchen preparing breakfast, 

Su Xi picked up her own broom made of grass and began sweeping the yard.

When Xi Yannan came back, drenched in sweat, breakfast had just been served.

During hot weather, all three meals were eaten at the stone table under the only jujube tree in the yard.

Chen Xiangyun lovingly looked at her sweaty grandson, about to head into the kitchen. She mumbled, “Grandma has heated water for you. Wait a moment, Nannan, and Grandma will bring it out for you.”

Xi Yannan had already taken off his completely wet shirt and was shirtless, his not particularly robust but well-proportioned muscles exuding a charm not quite fitting for a 19-year-old man. As he extended his long arm, he retrieved his towel from the clothesline, hanging it around his neck. Without looking back, he walked towards the well.

He declined with a firm voice, “Grandma, I don’t want to use hot water. I’m about to die from the heat. You guys go ahead and eat; I’ll wash off with well water and join you when I’m done.”

Chen Xiangyun found it hard to argue with this grandson and turned back to sit at the table. 

She watched the little granddaughter set the table. She muttered, “This stubborn child, the well water is so cold. The brat relies on his youth; when he gets old, rheumatism will be the death of him.”

Breakfast was the usual thin porridge, accompanied by cornmeal pancakes with potatoes. Not particularly delicious, but in this era of scarcity, having these things to eat was considered a treasure!

After scooping porridge into the bowls for all three, Su Xi cracked open the boiled eggs cooked by Grandma and herself. 

She placed one in Xi Yannan’s bowl and broke another, giving half to Grandma.

Chen Xiangyun continued her nagging, and in a moment of distraction, she noticed that there was half an egg in her own porridge bowl.

She immediately got anxious, picked up the chopsticks on the table, and was about to fish out the half egg for Su Xi, and said, “Why give it to Grandma? Grandma is old and doesn’t need this good thing. Besides, Grandma doesn’t like eating eggs.”

Their current environment is harsh; the family only raised two old hens, who laid eggs every now and then. She couldn’t bear to sell them to the collection station; instead, she saved them for the two children.

When the children were growing, an egg could be a rare supplement.

Su Xi lifted her bowl, avoiding Grandma’s attempt to put the egg in her bowl, and insisted with a stern face, “Just half an egg. Eat it quickly. If you don’t eat, I won’t either.”

Chen Xiangyun knew what kind of temper her granddaughter had. Although she looked soft, she was actually very stubborn. She opened her mouth but, in the end, didn’t refuse the child’s goodwill. She felt as sweet as if she had eaten honey; her granddaughter knew how to be considerate.

After the meal, Chen Xiangyun still didn’t let the two children do the dishes and went to the kitchen to clean up herself.

Once Grandma entered the kitchen, Su Xi quickly stood up, walked to the eaves, picked up a basket of dirty clothes, and carried a small wooden basin, preparing to go to the Chaoyang River.

“Are you going to do the laundry?” Xi Yannan looked at his sister’s series of movements, feeling a bit confused.

Su Xi nodded naturally and said, “Yes!”

Xi Yannan felt a twinge of sourness: would his pampered little sister, who had grown up being taken care of, really know how to do laundry? She’s not going to ruin it, right?

However, fearing that it would dampen his younger sister’s enthusiasm, Xi Yannan’s tongue pressed against his cheeks, and his words turned into, “Let me wash it. It’s too heavy for you, little girl.”

Su Xi looked at Xi Yannan as if he were a fool. She lifted her hand and pushed away the body that was blocking the way. As she walked out, she said, “Do I need to worry about strength? Besides, didn’t you say you would fix the things I broke yesterday?”

Only then did Xi Yannan realize the foolishness of his words. He scratched his crew cut and followed Su Xi outside, pondering how to persuade this suddenly diligent little girl to put down the clothes she was carrying.

Su Xi turned around and looked at her brother, who was also following her step by step. She said helplessly, “Alright, brother, I’m already 15 years old, not a child anymore. I’m going to high school soon, and when I move in, I’ll have to learn how to do these things myself. Besides, which girl in the village doesn’t do chores?”

Xi Yannan instinctively said, “Can they compare to you?” You are the treasure that our family holds very dearly.

Su Xi had already left the yard and said to Xi Yannan, “What’s the difference? Hurry back. When Grandma sees me going to wash clothes, she’ll definitely stop me again. I’ll go, and you stay at home to fix things.”

Without giving Xi Yannan a chance to say more, she carried her belongings and walked briskly towards the riverside.

It was now June, and the busy farming season had basically ended.
The men, enjoying a rare leisure day, were shirtless, accompanied by their half-grown children, fishing downstream of the river, where the water level had dropped significantly.

In the current difficult environment, the village has been facing a famine since last year. Even those with surplus food had lived tightly for more than a year. So, if they caught palm-sized fish, it was a rare source of meat.

Adults and half-grown children splashed in the river. On the bank, a dozen or so younger kids were clamoring to go into the water, but whenever a disobedient child reached out a probing hand, they were scolded by the old men sitting under the shade of the trees, wielding homemade banana leaf fans.

The river, green willows, old people, and children gathered together, creating a lively scene full of vitality, despite the lack of abundant food causing them to be thin and wan.

The cool breeze floated, and the willows swayed gently!

By the riverside upstream, there was a man-made set of broken stone steps. Su Xi crouched on the steps covered with moss, awkwardly washing clothes.

A few steps away from her, several women, dressed plainly with pale faces, also crouched down.

One round-faced woman smiled and said, “Xixi, why are you washing clothes by yourself today? Where’s your grandma? Look at your little arms and legs; can you manage? If not, Auntie can wash them for you.”

Upon hearing this, Su Xi shook off the water stains on her hands, raised her hand to tuck the strands of long hair behind her ears, and then looked in the direction of the speaker.

After rummaging through her memories, she recognized the speaker as Aunt Wang, who lived not far from her home. She then revealed a shy smile and spoke in a gentle voice, “Thank you, Auntie, but it’s okay. I’m already 15 years old, and my grandma is getting older. I need to learn to do some things within my capabilities. I can still wash a few clothes.”

Wang Meihua smacked her lips and carefully rubbed the clothes soaked in soap water in the wooden basin while loudly praising, “Oh, our Xixi is indeed a cultured person. She speaks so elegantly. She even thanked me. It’s a bit embarrassing.”

After Aunt Wang’s words, the other women washing clothes beside her also praised Su Xi kindly.

“That’s right, our Xixi is a good girl, so sensible!”

“Xixi is 15 already? In a year or two, it’ll be easy to find a match for her. Tell Auntie, what kind of person do you like? With Xixi’s appearance, Auntie can find any kind of match for her.”

“Hey, Zhang Juhua, you big-mouthed woman, why are you blabbering about someone else’s child? Our Xi is still so young, and she’s a cultured person. There’s no need for you to worry.”

“…”

Su Xi had no experience chatting casually with people in her past and present lives, especially not in response to such teasing. She could only pretend to be shy, lower her head, and speed up her work.

After wringing out the last piece of clothing, Su Xi stood up, stretched her legs that had become a bit numb from squatting, greeted everyone, and, under the teasing of the aunts, carried the wooden basin away quickly.

Just a few steps away, she collided head-on with a slender woman, so fragile that even a breeze could easily blow her away.