Chapter 42: A Lively New Year (Part 1)

While the children played without a care in the world, the brigade’s winter hunting season had begun.

The winter hunt was organized by the commune, with a militia team leading the way. Young and strong men from the village could also participate, and those who joined would receive a larger share of the meat.

The team from their brigade was led by Xu Gaoyi, Xu Lele’s eldest brother. The brigade leader was already advanced in age, so naturally, he couldn’t take part in such activities.

At his age, he could still work in the fields, but venturing deep into the mountains was out of the question. His body could no longer withstand falls, and he lacked the energy to keep up with the younger ones.

—

Over at the Mu family.

Mu Fugui was eager to join, but unfortunately, he was too busy. This time of year, right before the New Year, was his busiest season. He simply couldn’t spare any time, as the entire commune was waiting for the slaughterhouse’s meat.

He was so busy that his feet barely touched the ground, sometimes even working on Sundays.

Mu Xinglong and Mu Xingwang, on the other hand, had no pressing work, so they decided to join. They had participated in the winter hunt in previous years as well.

The hunting team set off on a Saturday.

Just like on pig slaughtering day, many children ran to the foot of the mountain to watch.

It wasn’t because of anything special—just the sheer excitement of seeing the militia team carrying hunting rifles. The sight of those guns was enough to fill them with curiosity.

Xu Lele dragged Mu Mian along to watch as well. When they arrived, the militia team’s captain was still giving a speech, mainly emphasizing safety precautions.

Even though they had rifles, it didn’t mean they were completely safe.

Hunting in the mountains during winter still carried significant risks.

Once the captain finished speaking, the team made their final preparations before heading into the mountains.

Everything they needed had already been packed in advance. Now, it was just a matter of double-checking their rations to make sure nothing had been left behind or would accidentally fall out on the way.

Mu Mian walked over to Mu Xingwang and Mu Xinglong. “Fourth Uncle, Little Uncle, you both have to be careful out there!”

Mu Wan, Gutou, and Xiao Chengzi were also present, huddled around their fathers, chattering excitedly.

Mu Xinglong ruffled his little niece’s hat and sighed regretfully. “Why are you still so young? If only you were a bit older, you could come with us.”

His little niece was certainly skilled enough—not inferior to many of the men—and she had good luck too.

Mu Mian also sighed. “I know, right? Why am I still so young?”

She was genuinely interested in the winter hunt. This was an opportunity to venture deep into the mountains! Normally, no one would dare to go in without a hunting rifle.

Come to think of it, her eldest brother had joined the winter hunt once before.

But he only participated once, and then he left for the army.

Would this event still be around by the time she grew up?

She made a mental note to ask Shi Xiaolian about it later.

The lively chatter didn’t last long. Once the militia captain gave the order, the winter hunting team set off into the mountains in a grand procession.

They were expected to stay in the mountains for at least two to three days, though the exact duration would depend on the circumstances.

Judging by previous years, they typically didn’t stay beyond three days.

Sure enough, by noon on the third day, the hunting team returned.

They carried back seven large wild boars, along with some pheasants, wild rabbits, and a few muntjacs^[1]Muntjacs, also known as barking deer, are small deer species found in Asia. They are known for their short stature, reddish-brown fur, and distinctive barking-like calls. Unlike larger deer, muntjacs … Continue reading.

It was a very good haul.

Each wild boar was massive, with long, sharp tusks. They were even bigger than the one Mu Mian and Shi Xiaolian had previously caught, making them look quite intimidating.

If someone ran into one of these face-to-face without a hunting rifle, their only option would be to run.

But no matter how fearsome they looked, to the villagers, they were nothing more than piles of fresh meat.

Of course, the militia team took their share first. Only the remaining portion was distributed among the village.

Families with members who had joined the hunt received a larger share, while others got less compared to the pig slaughtering event.

Since Mu Fugui wasn’t around this time, the job of butchering the boars fell to other men in the village.

They hacked the meat into pieces—some large, some small, some unevenly cut.

But no one minded. Meat was meat.

Mu Mian went to collect her family’s share. Instead of taking wild boar meat, she chose half a pheasant.

There was already plenty of pork at home, but they hadn’t had chicken yet. Half a pheasant would be perfect for a mushroom stew.

—

As the saying goes, “Once the Laba Festival passes, the New Year is just around the corner.”

The days of winter hibernation passed quickly.

One morning, Mu Mian woke up to the sound of Liu Shuangcui calling her name. Today, she and her mother were heading to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy all the New Year’s goods and send a package to her eldest brother.

Unless something unexpected happened, this would likely be their last trip to the commune before the New Year.

Every year, their province experiences its coldest period in the month leading up to the New Year. Snow piled up thickly, and people avoided going out unless absolutely necessary.

It was freezing outside today. Mu Mian stayed curled up in bed, reluctant to move.

Liu Shuangcui called out again, “The ox cart won’t wait for you! If you’re not coming, I’ll go by myself.”

Mu Fugui was still swamped with work at the slaughterhouse and hadn’t even come home last night, so the bicycle wasn’t available. That left them with no choice but to take the ox cart.

Riding the ox cart was actually quite convenient. Bicycles might be faster, but in this weather, they’d freeze their hands off.

Hearing her mother’s words, Mu Mian instantly sat up in bed like a startled fish. “I’m coming! I’m coming!”

There was no way she was missing out on shopping for New Year’s goods! She loved shopping!

She still had over twenty yuan—enough to buy plenty of things.

Zhao Meihua, who had already gotten up earlier, walked in with a smile. “You complain about the cold, yet you insist on tagging along. You really are full of endless energy.”

Mu Mian grinned. “Of course! Shopping is fun!”

After all, preparing for the New Year was her favorite thing to do.

Zhao Meihua chuckled. “That’s true. Spending money always feels good.”

She hurried Mu Mian along. If they didn’t make it onto the ox cart in time, this trip would have been for nothing.

Mu Mian didn’t let her mother rush her again and quickly put on her old cotton-padded jacket.

The new bright red jacket had already been finished and would be ready to wear when the New Year arrived.

Comrade Mu Fugui had managed to bring back ten full pounds of cotton, enough for the three women in the family to each make a set of winter clothes.

It had cost quite a bit of money too. Cotton at the supply and marketing cooperative was priced at seven to eight mao per pound, but if bought privately, it could go for more than a yuan per pound.

However, money wasn’t an issue this year. After all, Mu Mian alone had earned over five hundred yuan.

She even had some ‘immovable assets,’ but only she knew about them.

In a way, this year was truly a bountiful one.

Before heading out, Mu Mian took all the cash she had on hand—more than twenty yuan—and stuffed it into her pocket.

Shiyi, seeing his owner preparing to leave, wagged his tail and trotted over, only to be ruthlessly shut inside the courtyard by Mu Mian.

Taking the dog out was out of the question. She could already imagine how crowded the supply and marketing cooperative would be. She wouldn’t have time to look after a dog.

If Shiyi got lost at the commune, his only fate would be to be picked up by someone and slaughtered for meat.

Of course, the little pup had no idea about any of this. All he knew was that his owner was leaving without him. Anxious, he started scratching at the door and barking loudly.

The puppy had grown a bit bigger, and the soft puppy whine in his bark had faded. Now, his barking sounded quite fierce.

Mu Mian had already taken a few steps when she turned back and called out toward the courtyard door, “Stop barking. If you don’t understand, just stay home with Grandma.”

With that, she took her mother’s arm and walked away, leaving the puppy behind the door, whining and barking pitifully.

Comrade Liu Shuangcui had a strong sense of time. Thanks to her morning urging, the two of them arrived right on time—not too early and not too late.

From a distance, Mu Mian could see that there were already a few people sitting on the ox cart, but there was still space. They had arrived just in time to squeeze into a middle spot.

Mu Mian immediately praised, “Mom, you’re like a walking clock! Even more precise than a watch!”

Liu Shuangcui had never heard such a compliment before and couldn’t help but laugh. “I can just estimate by looking at the sun. It’s nothing special. Anyone who grew up in the countryside can do it.”

Mu Mian replied with conviction, “I can’t. Whether the sun is tilted a little or a lot, what difference does it make? It’s all just hanging up in the sky.”

Liu Shuangcui said, “You’re still young. Once you see it enough times, you’ll learn.”

Mu Mian shook her head. “No need. When I grow up, I’ll just buy a watch!”

Liu Shuangcui: “………………”

Alright, her daughter really did have the means to buy one.

If only there were tickets available now, she could buy one today.

Mu Mian immediately brought up the topic of ration tickets, her excitement evident. “When the chance comes, let’s collect all the ‘Three Turns and One Sound^[2](‘Three Turns and One Sound’ refers to the four highly desired household items in China during the 1960s–70s: a bicycle, sewing machine, watch, and radio.)’ tickets! Dad already has a bicycle. I’ll get a watch. Then, I’ll buy a sewing machine for you, and we’ll get a radio for Grandma so she can listen to it in her free time!”

Liu Shuangcui burst into laughter. “You’re dreaming big. If we get all of those, it would be incredible!”

Mu Mian tilted her round little face and said, “You have to dream first. If you think big, you’ll have a goal and the motivation to work hard!”

Liu Shuangcui rubbed her daughter’s hat-covered head and jokingly said, “Alright! Then I’ll be waiting for you to get me a sewing machine.”

Mu Mian shot her a look that said, ‘Just wait and see’, which made Liu Shuangcui laugh even harder.

Chatting and laughing, the mother and daughter soon reached the ox cart.

It was only then that Mu Mian realized all the people sitting on the cart were acquaintances—Shi Xiaolian, her sister, Nie Sihui, Jian Mulan, and a middle-aged woman who was very familiar with her mother.

The woman patted the seat beside her and said, “I thought I heard your voice just now, and sure enough, it’s you two! If I’d known you were going today, I would’ve stopped by your house to call you along.”

Liu Shuangcui sat down beside her and replied, “We only decided last night. Originally, we planned to go in a few days, but the weather’s getting colder, so we figured we’d go earlier and get it over with.”

The woman nodded in agreement. “That’s right. If you finish shopping early, you won’t have to go out again later.”

While the two women chatted, Mu Mian greeted her acquaintances before climbing onto the cart and sitting down between Shi Xiaolian and Nie Sihui.

Grinning, she leaned toward Shi Xiaolian and asked, “What are you buying?”

Shi Xiaolian, a petite girl sitting next to her sister, was bundled up in a hat and scarf, revealing only her eyes. “New Year’s goods.”

Mu Mian: “………………”

Mu Mian: “That tells me nothing.”

Shi Xiaolian said, “I don’t know what’s left in the supply and marketing cooperative. I have to see when I get there.”

Mu Mian pouted. “Fair enough.”

Then she turned toward Nie Sihui and kept chatting, “Sister Sihui, what about you?”

Nie Sihui smiled and said, “I want to buy a tin of clam oil. I’ll see what else they have when I get there.”

The northern winters were too cold, and her hands had started cracking, so she needed to buy some. She had tried once before but hadn’t been able to get any.

Mu Mian’s face lit up in realization. “Oh, right! Clam oil! We’re almost out at home too. I’ll buy two tins later.”

Her father and mother both used it regularly. With Mu Fugui’s work, he couldn’t go without it.

As they chatted, a few more middle-aged women arrived, also heading to the commune.

Once the cart was full, Old Wang cracked his whip and steered the ox toward the commune.

Mu Mian and Shi Xiaolian, sitting in the middle, were spared from the wind on the journey.

When they finally arrived at the commune, everyone rushed straight toward the supply and marketing cooperative.

Since the post office wouldn’t be closing anytime soon, there was no rush to send Mu Zhuo’s package. Mu Mian eagerly pulled her mother along and ran toward the shop with the others.

The supply and marketing cooperative was already open.

Inside, it was bustling with noise and packed with people.

Liu Shuangcui slightly opened her mouth in surprise. “Oh my, we’re late. How are we supposed to squeeze in?”

Mu Mian stood on tiptoe, glancing inside with eager anticipation. “Mom, give me the tickets. I’ll go squeeze in!”

Looking at her daughter, who was as energetic as a young calf, Liu Shuangcui reached into her pocket and pulled out a stack of ration tickets. “Alright, you take care of the shopping. It looks like the line for soy sauce is a bit shorter, so I’ll go get that first. Do you have enough money?”

Mu Mian nodded. “Yes, yes, I brought everything.”

Liu Shuangcui quickly calculated the things they needed and stuffed two more ten-yuan bills into her daughter’s hands.

Mu Mian didn’t waste any time. Holding the tickets and money, she immediately charged into the crowd.

At this point, there was no such thing as waiting in an orderly line. First come, first served simply did not exist.

It was all about one thing—if you could grab it, it was yours. If not, you’d just have to come back next time.

Like a slippery little eel, Mu Mian wriggled her way through and soon reached the middle of the crowd.

From her perspective, all she could see were the backs of the adults.

Among those backs, she suddenly spotted Shi Xiaolian, who had somehow also squeezed into the crowd. The small girl, with little strength to push through, was nearly flattened between two middle-aged women who probably didn’t even notice she was there. Mu Mian reached out and gave her a tug. “Where’s your sister?”