Chapter 9

The political storm that shook the world and made people shiver in both body and mind did not reach Shanshun Village.

After hearing from her parents, Chen Nongmo, who had temporarily put her worries aside, quickly adapted to the secluded life in the mountain village.

Every day, she either attended lessons, helped Mommy Qiuhua with household chores, or learned to weave and make clothes. Life was very fulfilling.

One day, after finishing her morning lessons, Chen Nongmo, who had already been praised by the whole family as a little genius, entered the kitchen and helped her fifth brother, Chen Yi, prepare lunch with Mommy Qiuhua.

“At your learning pace, catching up to junior high school progress is just a matter of time. Don’t push yourself too hard. This afternoon, go out and wander around with your brothers,” Cao Qiuhua said briskly as she sliced potatoes into thin strips, glancing at the children with concern.

The village children loved to run outside, and even the girls, when they had free time, would gather with their close friends and laugh together. Her daughter, on the other hand, had been here for several days but hadn’t even stepped out of the door.

Hearing this, Chen Nongmo, who was already familiar with the routine, sat down by the stove to prepare the fire and asked, “Is there anywhere interesting to wander around in the village?”

At that moment, she was actually more excited about the upcoming trip to the county in two days than about playing.

Chen Nongmo had already written a thank-you letter based on her current level of literacy, but she hadn’t sent it yet. The reasons were twofold: first, there hadn’t been a mail carrier to the village recently; second, she wanted to find two small gifts to send along with the letter to Big Brother and the helpful comrade Shao Zheng.

“There are quite a few places. There’s a suspension bridge between our village and the next one. I often see the Educated Youths from the city coming over to play, or you can go to the road at the village entrance and go skiing. Fourth Uncle has two big dogs, and people can sit on a sled and have them pull them along. It’s very fast… And didn’t you want to see a rabbit set last time? When Second Brother comes back, we’ll take you,” Chen Yi said. He was the youngest of the brothers, but among the four boys who stayed at home, aside from Second Brother Cao Liu, he was the most steady.

In fact, as long as one stayed near the outer edges of the back mountains, there was little danger. The biggest animal one might encounter was a foolish roe deer.

But, taking his delicate little sister into the wilderness made him nervous, so Chen Yi thought it would be better to wait for Second Brother to return and personally take her.

As for the third brother, Chen Huai, and the fourth brother, Chen Jun, they both had restless personalities. Not to mention taking Little Sister with them, even now, no one knew where they had run off to, having fun.

Chen Nongmo, who had previously been focused solely on earning money and rarely had the chance to play, listened to her fifth brother’s long list of suggestions. Despite not being particularly interested in the snowy landscape at first, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of excitement bubbling up in her heart. “Daddy Zong and Second Brother have been in the mountains for three days, right? When will they come back?”

Chen Yi replied, “They should be back soon. We need to go to the county for some shopping the day after tomorrow, so they might get back today.”

Just as they were talking about it, the familiar sounds of bustling voices could be heard coming from outside.

Cao Qiuhua’s face lit up with joy, so much so that she forgot to put down the kitchen knife, which she was still holding in her hand as she quickly walked outside.

Chen Yi also put down his task, grabbed a cloth, and casually wiped the water off his hands. With his youthful, handsome face breaking into a wide smile, he called, “Sixth Sister, come on! Let’s go see, Dad and the others are back.”

It was no exaggeration to say that Chen Zong was the best hunter in the entire ten-mile radius.

Sure enough, just as Chen Nongmo hurried out of the house, following Mommy Qiuhua, she saw over twenty tall men, all with joyful expressions, some carrying, some lifting, the bountiful fruits of their hunt as they walked toward the house.

“Put on your clothes first before going out,” Chen Yi, who had fallen behind, handed a thick coat to both their mother and Little Sister. After making sure they were dressed, he gave them their hats and scarves that he had tucked under his arm, then turned to grab his own clothes, while also returning the kitchen knife that he had taken from his mother.

Cao Qiuhua, still thinking about her husband, hastily draped the scarf around her neck and simply carried the hat in her hand, quickly walking out to meet them.

Seeing this, Chen Nongmo, not wanting to delay, quickly threw on her clothes in a rush, then hurried after her. Stepping on the wooden steps made of logs, she quickly caught up.

In fact, there was no real need to go out and meet them. Whenever there was a collective hunting trip, they would first transport the game home and wait for Old Secretary and the other village officials to come and divide it up.

Hunting was dangerous, especially in the biting cold of winter, and it was impossible for the family not to worry.

“Put on your hat, don’t catch a cold,” Chen Zong said with a tired expression, offering a smile as he saw his wife jogging toward him.

Only then did Cao Qiuhua remember the hat in her hand. She carelessly placed it on her head, her gaze shifting nervously between her husband and second son. When she saw nothing out of the ordinary, she relaxed. “No one got hurt, right?”

Cao Liu, smiling in his usual honest way, replied, “No, we were lucky this time. Only Uncle Da Gen twisted his ankle. Everyone else is fine.”

As he spoke, he took off a simple basket made from dried vines that he had been carrying on his back and handed it to his petite little sister, “Yuyu, carry this.”

Chen Nongmo took the basket. When she saw the two small gray rabbits inside, she instinctively asked, “Would it be too small to eat if we cook them?”

How could she say such a thing while having a face as delicate and otherworldly as hers?

Cao Liu, who had specifically caught two live rabbits for Little Sister to keep as pets, was momentarily stunned, then burst out laughing. “Let them grow a bit, and they’ll be big enough to eat.”

Chen Nongmo suddenly understood—these were meant to be her pets.

Feeling a bit embarrassed since she had never had a pet before, she tightly hugged the vine basket to her chest.

This year, the villagers of Shanshun were set to have a bountiful year.

That day, after the meat was distributed, laughter filled every household, accompanied by the rich aroma of meat cooking.

Even the usually low-key Educated Youths from the village council took out their harmonicas and accordions, playing harmonious melodies.

It was undeniable that, in this era of scarcity, the rural life by the mountains and rivers seemed far more carefree than that of the city dwellers.

Of course, that depended on having a group of clear-headed village officials.

Shanshun Village still had no electricity, and to conserve kerosene, every household ate dinner quite early.

It was only five o’clock, and the outside was still bright when Chen Nongmo, after being fed bits of meat and spoonfuls of soup by her family, had eaten her fill.

She had reason to believe that, at this rate, she might end up expanding both horizontally and vertically.

Just as she daydreamed about whether she could become a beauty in the Tang Dynasty after putting on a bit of weight, a loud voice rang out from outside. “Is Qiuhua home?”

Cao Qiuhua’s face briefly showed surprise, but she quickly stood up and walked toward the door. “Yes, is that you, Xiumei?”

Chen Nongmo wasn’t particularly curious about who Xiumei was, but she found herself wondering why someone would come at this time, just as it was getting dark.

Thinking of this, she turned to ask Second Brother.

However, when she turned around, she noticed that all the brothers, who had been sitting next to her just moments ago, had disappeared without a trace.

Looking at the empty cups on the table, Chen Nongmo blinked in confusion and then glanced toward Daddy Zong, who was sipping tea to help with digestion.

A smile crept into Chen Zong’s eyes. As he picked up the empty cups, he pointed to the right.

Chen Nongmo followed his gaze and, sure enough, saw her lively third brother in the kitchen, waving at her energetically.

Although she still didn’t understand what was happening, seeing how her brothers were acting, she instinctively lifted her foot and dashed toward the kitchen.

As she left, she caught a glimpse of Mommy Qiuhua entering with a round, plump woman.

“What’s going on?” The brothers, sneaking around and peering outside, piqued Chen Nongmo’s curiosity. She couldn’t help but follow their example, sticking her head out and mumbling to herself, wondering who this woman could be.

Cao Liu raised his big hand, which resembled a fan, and placed it on Little Sister’s small head, pushing her gently inside. Lowering his voice, he replied, “Aunt Xiumei is a well-known matchmaker in this ten-mile radius.”

Chen Nongmo, squeezed between her towering brothers, looked especially petite. She tilted her head back, her face showing a sudden realization, and asked in a small voice, “Is she here to introduce someone to you?”

Chen Huai interjected, “It could also be for Big Brother or me.”

“Isn’t Third Brother only 17?” Chen Nongmo asked in surprise. Was he already being set up for marriage?

Cao Liu, however, was calm about it. “By the time the new year rolls around, Old third will be 18. It’s normal to start looking at potential matches, get to know each other for a year or two, and then marry.”

He spoke so rationally: “So… you’re hiding because you’re embarrassed?”

Seeing the enjoyment of others’ misfortune in Little Sister’s eyes, Cao Liu raised his hand and gave her a light flick on the forehead. “We’re hiding because we don’t want to find a partner. Sister-in-law Xiumei is too enthusiastic. Not just me, if she saw you with Fourth Brother or Fifth Brother, she’d probably drag you all into it, and in a couple of years, she’d start introducing you to potential matches.”

Chen Nongmo’s eyes widened in shock. How terrifying!

At that moment, Fourth Brother, Chen Jun, leaned in and whispered in Little Sister’s ear, “Second Brother is hiding because it seems like he has someone he likes.”

Oh no!