Chapter 20: Meeting an Acquaintance

The group continued digging for Chinese yams until the sun set behind the western mountains, leaving a portion of the crop for another day. Zhang Lan, seeing that it was getting late, decided to leave the remainder for the next visit.

They packed the harvested Chinese yams into sacks. Mingcheng carried a sack, while Zhang Lan and her eldest daughter carried the baskets. There was still a pile left on the ground. The group planned to transport a portion down the mountain. They called over the two children who were still collecting items. Zhang Lan was concerned that the two little ones might encounter an unexpected situation if left alone on the mountain.

Mingyuan and his sister each held items, while Wang Qian carried a bag containing dried mushrooms and wood ears. Mingyuan had gathered wolfberries. Step by step, they followed their mother down the mountain. At the foot of the mountain, Zhang Lan accompanied her eldest son back up to transport the remaining items.

Wang Qian asked her elder sister to watch over the items and, together with her younger brother, knocked on a neighbor’s door. A middle-aged man in his forties opened the door, giving off a sense of honesty and trustworthiness. “Whom are you looking for?” he asked.

Wang Qian pulled her younger brother and greeted the man. “Uncle, the thing is, today we collected some items on the mountain that we can’t carry all at once. I’d like to leave them here and come back for them later. Would that be all right?”

The man was taken with the polite and respectful manner of the two children. It was rare to see such polite children in the countryside, and they spoke confidently without any sign of timidity.

The man kindly asked, “Little girl, can you tell Uncle where you live?”

Before she could respond, Mingyuan had already provided their address and even their father’s name. She sighed inwardly. He was indeed a straightforward child. If they encountered a bad person, they would have given away everything.

“Oh, you’re from Wang Zhenhe’s family. I know your father. I’ll help you take these back later. Have you had dinner?” the man asked.

Mingyuan hesitated before replying, “Uncle, we’re not hungry.”

The middle-aged man smiled and patted the children’s heads. “You are such sensible children.”

“How about you come in and rest for a while? I’ll help you load the items onto the cart, and when your mom returns, we can leave together, okay?”

The three children, who were both tired and hungry, expressed their gratitude to the host before following him inside. “Honey, we have guests,” the man called out.

A woman of similar age emerged from the inner room, surprised to see the children but warmly invited them to warm themselves by the kang. It was a chilly early spring night, and this time the children didn’t refuse and sat obediently by the edge of the heated brick bed.

The woman brought over a steaming basin of hand-pulled noodles. “You must be hungry. We don’t have much to offer, but if you don’t mind, have some to warm yourselves up,” she said, ladling out a bowl for each child. “Eat while it’s hot. It won’t taste as good when it gets cold.”

The children hesitated with their bowls. The woman seemed puzzled, “Why aren’t you eating? Is it not good?”

Mingyuan, holding his bowl, explained, “Auntie, my mom and older brother haven’t eaten yet. We want to wait for them to eat together.”

“Auntie, your hand-pulled noodles smell so good. Can we save this bowl for my mom and older brother?” Wang Qian asked softly, also holding her bowl.

The woman affectionately patted the children’s heads, feeling a bit emotional. “Silly children, there’s still plenty left in the pot. Please eat first. Your mom and brother’s portions are being saved for them.”

The hungry and tired children didn’t stand on ceremony this time and began to eat heartily. The warm soup and noodles made them feel much better.

When the woman offered to serve them more, the children insisted on declining. They were thankful for the kindness, but they felt it wouldn’t be right to eat more. “Auntie, we’re full. Look, my little tummy is bulging. We can’t eat anymore, or we won’t be able to walk back home,” Wang Qian said with a smile.

Inside the house, the children chatted with the woman. Outside, Zhang Lan and her eldest son returned with the items to find the three children missing. A sense of panic struck. They called out the children’s names anxiously.

The middle-aged man came out to the yard upon hearing the calls. “Sister-in-law, the children are with us. Come inside and rest. I’ll take care of the items,” he said.

Zhang Lan, somewhat suspicious, looked at the sturdy yet kind man. “You are…”

The man smiled and replied, “Sister-in-law, remember the old Ho who worked with Zhenhe on the irrigation channel? I am He Zhengkui.”

“Oh, you’re Big Brother Ho! Zhenhe used to talk about you. Is this your home?” Zhang Lan asked.

The man nodded. “You and your daughter, come inside. Warm up first, and I’ll take you back. I’ve loaded everything onto the handcart. Come in and sit for a while.”

As the two followed He Zhengkui inside, they saw the three children sitting quietly by the heated brick bed, chatting with the hostess.

“Big Sister-in-law, I’m really sorry for the trouble today. I didn’t expect the children to find an acquaintance’s home,” Zhang Lan felt apologetic, surprised by the unexpected encounter.

“Sister-in-law, don’t be polite. The children are all well-behaved,” Big Sister-in-law said as she brought over a steaming basin of hand-pulled noodles. “Sister-in-law, you should have some too. You’ve had a long and tiring day and must be hungry.”

Zhang Lan quickly got up, gesturing with her hands. “Big Sister-in-law, we’ve already troubled you enough. I really can’t eat anymore.”

“Sister-in-law, the children have all eaten. You and your son should have a bite. We don’t have much to offer, but please have a taste. Come, eldest nephew should have a bite with you. It’ll warm you up,” she insisted.

Mingcheng looked at his mother, and Zhang Lan nodded in agreement. “Sister-in-law, then we won’t stand on ceremony.”

In truth, the two were indeed hungry. After finishing a large bowl of hand-pulled noodles, they finally felt satisfied.

After the meal, when He Zhengkui intended to accompany the two women back, Wang Zhenhe arrived. Hearing the children’s response from a distance, he excitedly called out, “Dad, we’re over here!”

Upon hearing his children’s response, Wang Zhenhe began running towards them. Upon his return home, he found neither his children nor his wife. He assumed they had gone up the mountain and hurried over. Fortunately, they were all there.

Upon reaching them, he realized the missing persons were accounted for. Additionally, he found an acquaintance standing nearby. Wang Zhenhe was pleasantly surprised. “Brother He, you live here?”

He Zhengkui grinned and replied, “Brother Zhenhe, I was just about to take them back. Your arrival is perfect. Come and help me with the cart. I’ll need it back by tomorrow.”

Seeing the slow loading in He Zhengkui’s cart, Wang Zhenhe was unaware of the valuable items the mother and her children had collected, which explained why they hadn’t returned yet.

“I think that’s fine. I’ll come by tomorrow to return the cart. But I must thank you for today. Come over to my place soon, and let’s have a good drink together,” Wang Zhenhe expressed his gratitude.

After exchanging pleasantries with He Zhengkui and saying goodbye, they began their journey back with a cart laden with heavy items. The cart creaked and squeaked under the weight, its noise resonating clearly in the tranquil night.

“Wife, what did you all gather today? It seems quite heavy,” Wang Zhenhe inquired.

Before Zhang Lan could respond, Mingyuan eagerly interjected, “Dad, we found something really delicious today. You’ve probably never seen it before. It’s walnuts. Do you know that? I wonder if we can sell them.”

The last part seemed to be muttered, but those nearby still heard it clearly. “Bro, we can definitely sell them, but we don’t know if the local collection station will buy them,” someone chimed in.

As Wang Zhenhe continued pushing the cart, he listened to the children’s discussion and interjected, “I think we can sell them. Tomorrow, I’ll inquire about it. If we can sell them, we’ll keep some for you to eat at home, and the rest we’ll exchange for money. Then we can buy other food. What do you think?”

“Dad, if we can sell them, let’s sell all of them. We need money for future expenses,” Mingcheng expressed the unanimous sentiment.

“Yes, let’s do as big brother says. Let’s exchange them all for money,” they all agreed.

The creaking of the cart seemed to take on a more cheerful tone, much like the children’s spirits.