Chapter 26: Summer Vacation Routine

After the fifth graders finished their junior high entrance exams, the scorching summer days followed.

The children often ran around the mountains, full of energy. The shade of the trees made it much more bearable, so they didn’t find the heat too overwhelming.

But for those working in the fields, it was tough.

Every time Liu Shuangcui came home at noon, her front and back were soaked with sweat.

Mu Mian felt bad for her mother, so she made cooling herbal tea for her every day, delivering it twice—once in the morning and once in the afternoon.

In this blazing sun, not drinking enough water could easily lead to heatstroke.

Today was particularly hot, so Mu Mian and her grandmother boiled extra tea—two full kettles. Once the tea cooled down, she carried them to the fields.

Just as she picked up one kettle, she heard her grandmother call out, “Wear your straw hat!”

In this weather, staying outside too long would definitely leave a person sunburned and peeling.

Mu Mian put down the kettle. “Oh, right! I almost forgot.”

—

During this season, there was no shortage of farm work.

The soybean fields needed weeding, the rice paddies required trenching and water channeling, and the cornfields needed detasseling.

Everywhere needed hands.

Liu Shuangcui was working in the cornfield. This year’s crop had grown well—tall and lush green, stretching as far as the eye could see.

When Mu Mian arrived, her mother had just finished tending to one row.

To her left was Cao Chunfeng, who had progressed about the same pace as her. To her right was Nie Sihui, who had recently been assigned to their group and had only just started working.

Educated Youth Nie was not very skilled, so her progress was a bit slow.

But for someone who had never done farm work before, just barely keeping up at the start was already quite impressive.

Mu Mian waved her hand. “Mom, come over and rest for a while.”

Liu Shuangcui walked over and plopped down on the ridge between the fields. She took off her straw hat and fanned herself, sweat trickling down her cheeks and onto her neck.

Mu Mian poured some cooling tea from the kettle into the clay cup her mother had brought. Liu Shuangcui picked it up and gulped down more than half of it in one go.

Cao Chunfeng also sat down beside them and helped herself to half a cup of tea. “Mian girl, you came early today. My eldest daughter hasn’t even shown up yet.”

Mu Mian smiled. “I couldn’t quite tell what time it was, so I just came when I thought it was about right.”

After drinking most of the tea, Liu Shuangcui poured herself a little more.

She lifted the kettle and weighed it in her hand. “You made quite a lot today.”

Mu Mian nodded. “Yeah, I was worried you wouldn’t have enough to drink.”

Liu Shuangcui put the kettle down and glanced at Nie Sihui, who had just finished a row at a slower pace. “Why don’t you pour some for Educated Youth Nie? I noticed she already drank up all the water she brought earlier.”

This young girl was even younger than her son, Mu Zhuo.

Traveling all the way from such a far place to end up here alone—it was quite pitiful.

Mu Mian nodded. “Sure.”

She called out, “Sister Sihui, come take a break and have some tea.”

The way people interact with each other is truly fascinating.

Although Nie Sihui was the last of the educated youth to arrive, Mu Mian got along with her the best.

Whenever they ran into each other at the brigade, they could casually chat for a bit. After several encounters, they became much more familiar, and even their way of addressing each other became closer.

Nie Sihui was already parched, feeling both hot and exhausted.

She didn’t bother with polite refusals and sat down with her cup. “Thank yuou, Xiao Mian.”

Mu Mian waved it off enthusiastically. “No need to be polite. Drink as much as you want! There’s plenty more.”

The rim of the cup had some dirt on it, but Nie Sihui was too tired to care. She gulped down several big mouthfuls.

A little dirt never hurt anyone.

Once both kettles were emptied, Mu Mian carried them back home. On the way, she saw several children delivering water.

The weather was scorching, so she decided not to go outside again.

Instead, she stayed indoors, reading and writing. She had already written several scattered drafts of manuscript.

If it was just about earning manuscript fees, illustrated storybooks paid more.

Mu Mian was good at drawing—perhaps not on par with great artists, but still lifelike enough to be impressive.

She had talent, though she hadn’t reached the highest level.

However, submitting illustrated storybooks required completing an entire volume at once, which took an extraordinary amount of time.

After reading the four books she had bought last time, Mu Mian found herself in a state of “having some ideas, but not many.”

So, she focused more on writing for magazines. These youth magazines were mainly aimed at teenagers, with young authors and short pieces, which suited her perfectly.

Of course, all of this depended on whether her submissions got accepted—otherwise, all these considerations would be pointless.

After polishing off an article, Mu Mian noticed that her fountain pen was out of ink. She didn’t bother refilling it and put it down, planning to go out for some water.

Under the eaves of the courtyard, Zhao Meihua was sitting in the shade with Aunt Li, chatting while sewing.

Aunt Li saw her and chuckled. “Mian girl, you’re at home? I didn’t hear a sound. I thought you were off running around in the mountains.”

Zhao Meihua said, “She thinks it’s too hot, so she’s been staying inside reading. Writing something too, but I can’t make sense of it.”

Aunt Li sighed. “She’s really patient. My two grandsons act like they’re dying just from doing homework. I’ve never even seen them willingly pick up a book.”

Zhao Meihua smiled. “Kids have their own ways of doing things.”

Mu Mian leaned against her grandmother and joined in praising Aunt Li’s grandsons.

Then, she glanced at the fabric in her grandmother’s hands and curiously asked, “Grandma, what are you sewing? It looks like a big pair of shorts to me.”

She recognized the fabric—it was from her grandmother’s sixtieth birthday celebration not long ago. Her second and third aunts had gifted it.

They had said it was for making a vest to keep her warm when the weather turned cold.

The deep purple color suited elderly folks well.

Zhao Meihua held it up and shook it out to show her. “It is a big pair of shorts.”

Mu Mian blinked. “Wasn’t that fabric meant for making you a vest? Why turn it into big shorts? Are they for my dad?”

Zhao Meihua chuckled. “Why would I make them for your dad?! Your mom takes care of him—he’s a grown man, no need for me to worry. These are for Xiao Zhuo.”

Oh right, her big brother.

Mu Mian scratched her head. After going out in the sun and staring at her manuscript for too long, her brain was starting to feel sluggish.

Her grandmother was nearly finished with the shorts.

Thinking of her big brother, Mu Mian glanced at the red thread in the sewing box and eagerly said, “Grandma, can I sew a few stitches?”

Zhao Meihua lifted the shorts and shook them slightly. “What do you want to sew?”

Mu Mian grinned. “I want to sew the words ‘Peace and Safety’ inside for my big brother!”

Aunt Li chimed in, “That’s a great idea! For soldiers, nothing matters more than staying safe.”

Zhao Meihua agreed with the sentiment. She turned the shorts over, looking for the best spot. “Where should we sew it? On the seat of the pants?”

Mu Mian imagined how that would look and couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “That’s not a bad idea—one character on each side! Then it’ll say ‘Purple Bottom, Peace and Safety’!”

The two elderly ladies were stunned for a second, then burst into loud laughter.

Aunt Li clutched her waist as she laughed. “Oh my, this girl is too funny!”

Zhao Meihua patted her granddaughter’s head. “Mian girl, where do you come up with all these little tricks?”

Mu Mian played innocent. “Clearly, it was Grandma’s idea. How could it be my little trick?”

She never said to sew it right on the butt.

Then, she added, “But I think we shouldn’t do it. Sewing it on the butt would rub against the skin and make it uncomfortable to wear. Let’s sew it on the side of the leg instead. There’s more space there.”

Zhao Meihua handed her the oversized pants. “Alright, do as you see fit.”

Aunt Li leaned in with interest and suddenly realized something. “Mian girl, you know how to sew?”

Zhao Meihua replied, “She takes after her mother. Very skillful with her hands.”

Aunt Li’s face showed admiration. “That’s why they say children take after their parents. My family is full of blockheads.”

The two elderly women chatted back and forth.

Feeling it was a bit hot outside, Mu Mian took the pants and went back inside.

In truth, sewing words inside the fabric was a real skill. It wasn’t something that could be done with just a few stitches.

Fortunately, there was no rush.

That evening, when Comrade Mu Fugui came home and heard about it, he got excited. “Make one for me too! Sew ‘Get Rich’ on it!”

“Put it right on the butt. I sit all day—purple butt, big fortune!”

Great idea, but there was no purple fabric at home, which left Mu Fugui feeling very disappointed.

Two days later, Mu Mian finished sewing. She made a hidden layer inside the pants near the leg area. One had to flip it over to see the words inside, completely invisible from the outside.

Liu Shuangcui packed up the items to be sent to Mu Zhuo, while Mu Mian sat beside her writing a reply.

They hadn’t written back since her brother’s last letter.

At the end of his letter, Mu Zhuo had mentioned that they would be heading to another base for joint training, which would take about a month.

So they hadn’t sent anything before, but now the training should be almost over. Sending it now would be just right.

After writing down everything she wanted to say, Mu Mian looked up and asked Liu Shuangcui, “Mom, do you have anything you want to add?”

Liu Shuangcui shook her head. “No, what could I say from so far away? Just write whatever you think is best.”

Mu Fugui squeezed in. “I do! Let me say a few words to your brother.”

He picked up the pen, glanced at the letter his daughter had already written, paused for two seconds, and then put the pen down again.

Stepping aside, he said, “Here, daughter, you write. I’ll say it, and you write it down.”

Liu Shuangcui saw right through him and teased, “What’s wrong? Feeling embarrassed about your ugly handwriting?”

Mu Fugui clicked his tongue. “Writing isn’t about beauty, as long as it’s readable, it’s not ugly.”

After stubbornly defending himself, he changed the subject. “That being said, our daughter’s handwriting is really nice. It’s getting better and better.”

Mu Mian grinned sweetly. “I take after my brother.”

Her brother’s handwriting was truly striking—sharp and bold.

As for her own, it could only be considered neat, like a primary school student’s handwriting.

But there was no helping it. She was a primary school student now. Even with gradual improvement over the past few months, going any further might raise suspicion.

Liu Shuangcui laughed. “You little clever thing, you sure don’t leave anyone out.”

Mu Mian’s eyes darted around playfully. “Hehe, well, it’s true that I didn’t inherit my handwriting from either of you.”

To be honest, her parents’ handwriting was uniquely terrible.

The first time she saw her father’s writing, she was stunned. She never expected that a single character’s stroke order could be such a mess.

And he wrote huge, each character taking up two or three lines.

Mu Fugui ruffled his daughter’s head. “Are you looking down on your father?”

Mu Mian shook her head like a rattle. “No, no! Dad, your strengths lie elsewhere. When it comes to butchering pigs, no one can beat you!”

“Dad, what do you want to say to Brother? I’ll keep writing below.”

At this, Mu Fugui immediately started talking nonstop.

He originally said he’d only add a couple of lines, but they ended up filling two whole pages, and he almost couldn’t stop.

Halfway through writing, Mu Mian shook out her hand. Helping her dad write a letter was truly a workout.