Chapter 18

As a cultural tool used by local governments to promote social values, Errenzhuan ^[1]a traditional Chinese folk art featuring comedic and theatrical performances. reached its peak in the 1960s. Though mainly educational and motivational, it was also filled with humor.

Lin Ting had never paid much attention to it before, but despite the cold, she sat through the entire open-air performance and even felt reluctant to leave when it ended.

Huo Xiao, born and raised here, wasn’t impressed. But seeing his wife’s bright eyes, he asked, “Did you like it?”

This version was different from the later ones Lin Ting had heard of. She nodded. “I liked it a lot.”

Huo Xiao said, “The troupe will perform in the Victory Team’s village tomorrow. Want to go?”

Lin Ting hesitated. “Is it a different story?”

“No, it should be the same,” Huo Xiao replied.

“Forget it,” Lin Ting said. It was too cold.

Seeing this, Huo Xiao said nothing. He bent down, secured the shoulder pole through the basket ropes, lifted the children, and silently followed his wife.

Hu Xiu, who had been watching, wanted to kick her son in frustration. If Tingting didn’t want to see the performance again, couldn’t he take her to the county to buy things?

“Idiot!” she thought.

Fortunately, Huo Xiao had a plan.

When he got home, before his mother could stop him, he suggested going into the back mountain. Since he could only stay home for a few days and wasn’t close to his newlywed wife, Hu Xiu squinted at him and said, “Now? It’s snowing.”

Huo Xiao sensed his mother’s displeasure but assumed she was just worried about the cold. “It’s not snowing heavily. I made an appointment with Dahai and Dazhu. I won’t be alone, don’t worry.”

Hu Xiu, unimpressed: “Do you have to go today?”

Huo Xiao glanced at his wife, Lin Ting, who was taking off the twins’ thick coats. His gaze softened. “Yes, I have to take Lin Ting back to her parents’ home on the second day of the Chinese New Year ^[2]a traditional visit where a married woman returns to her parents’ home.. I want to hunt something for the occasion.”

Despite the cold, he figured he could catch rabbits or roe deer. Paired with the gifts he brought from Chengdu, it would be a decent offering.

Hearing this, Hu Xiu immediately brightened. “That makes sense. You’re very thoughtful.”

However, Lin Ting frowned. “Mom already prepared gifts. There’s no need to go into the mountains. It’s dangerous.”

Huo Xiao insisted, “It’s fine. We train deep in the mountains all the time. It’s not dangerous.” He wanted to make up for the rumors Lin Ting endured because of him.

Hu Xiu agreed, “Xiao has been hunting since he was a teenager. Don’t worry, Tingting.”

Lin Ting had no choice but to let it go. As she sent him off, she reminded him, “Safety first. The prey isn’t important. We’ll wait for you for dinner.”

Outside the door, Huo Xiao looked at her and said, “I’ll be back before five.”

Then, he gave her a deep look before turning away, feeling excited.

The brigade commander was right—his wife must like him!

Maybe next time, he could try calling her “Tingting.”

Lin Ting had no idea her simple concern had sparked so much excitement in her husband.

After bolting the door, she turned to her mother-in-law, who was grinning. “Why are you so happy?”

Of course, Hu Xiu was thrilled.

She knew her son well—if he didn’t care about his wife, he wouldn’t be this proactive. She had been worried before he returned, as he never seemed eager to marry. If she hadn’t pressured him, who knew how long it would have taken?

But she also knew she had chosen a daughter-in-law who had no feelings for him.

She and her late husband had a good relationship, and she hoped her children would love their spouses too.

Now that she saw her son genuinely caring for Lin Ting, how could she not be happy?

Excited, Hu Xiu said, “Go play with Guoguo and Miaomiao. I’ll check the gifts for your parents.”

She planned to prepare more. Since it was the first visit as an in-law, many would come to see the spectacle, and she wanted to ensure Lin Ting had face.

Lin Ting…

Was she planning to move the entire house?

Touched but amused, Lin Ting didn’t object. Instead, she turned to the children.

Children over three had endless energy.

Guoguo was riding a wooden horse, full of excitement.

Miaomiao, the quieter one, stood on a low stool by the window, picking at the frost on the glass with her tiny hands.

Lin Ting took out a handkerchief, grabbed Miaomiao’s chubby hand, and wiped it dry. “Aren’t you cold? You’ll catch a cold and need medicine!”

At the mention of bitter medicine, Miaomiao flinched and pouted. “No medicine!”

Lin Ting, suppressing a laugh, wiped her hands thoroughly and lifted her off the stool.

Just as she was about to sit and paint with the children, she spotted a figure in the distance through the window.

Looking closely, she called out to her mother-in-law in the west room. “Mom, Second Aunt is here.”

“Didn’t we just see her?” Hu Xiu responded, walking out.

Lin Ting, pulling the door bolt, said, “She must be in a hurry. She ran here.”

Hu Xiu paused before quickly heading to the door.

Chen Guilan, panting from the cold, beamed at her sister-in-law. “Sister-in-law… huff… Erwang’s wife is matchmaking for my eldest daughter… huff… I thought of asking my nephew to check it out.”

Hu Xiu was confused. “Come in and catch your breath. Why would Erwang’s wife be a matchmaker for Dani?”

Erwang was a local, but through connections, he became a driver in the county transportation team—one of the village’s most successful young men after Huo Xiao. His wife, a textile factory worker from the county, rarely visited and often looked down on the village.

Would she really help Dani find a match?

Chen Guilan stepped in, scraping snow and mud off her shoes with a bamboo stick. “Why not? My Dani is pretty, steady, and finished junior high. It’s natural for people in the county to like her.”

She was delighted, thinking about how the prospective groom’s father was a workshop director at a textile factory. If Dani could marry into the city, it would be a huge relief.

“Isn’t Dani only 17?” Lin Ting asked. “Isn’t it too soon for matchmaking?”

She had met Dani before—a hardworking, shy girl who always blushed when speaking and barely made eye contact.

Although many people got married at 17 or 18 in this era, Lin Ting still found it hard to accept that it was happening so soon.

Chen Xiulan was overjoyed about having a son-in-law from the city. She dismissed Lin Ting’s concerns, saying, “What’s the big deal? We won’t get married immediately after meeting. It’ll take a few months. By then, Dani will be 18, so why not?”

Then, noticing the beauty of her nephew’s wife, her smile faded slightly. She jokingly added, “When Dani goes on a blind date, you’re not allowed to go.”

Her daughter was attractive, but standing next to her nephew’s wife, there was no comparison.

Chen Guilan, feeling anxious, turned to her sister-in-law. “Where’s my nephew? Hurry up.”

“He went to the back mountain with Zhu Zi and the others. Didn’t you know?” Hu Xiu handed her some peanuts and motioned for her to eat while chatting.

Chen Guilan ignored the peanuts, stuffing them into her pocket. “That Zhu Zi, always disappearing at crucial moments!”

Hu Xiu tried to calm her down. “Why are you so anxious? You’re acting like this is urgent. Why was Erwang’s wife introducing someone to Dani? What’s the man’s background?”

She wasn’t overly suspicious, but city household registration was valuable. If he was from the county and had a stable job, why would he seek a country girl?

Besides, she didn’t have a good impression of Erwang’s wife.

Knowing her sister-in-law was concerned, Chen Guilan patiently repeated what the matchmaker said. Then, she shrewdly added, “I’m not stupid. Erwang’s wife and I never got along. She suddenly came to us—probably because of my nephew. Isn’t it rumored that he got promoted again?”

Chen Guilan knew her eldest nephew was an only child. If he had a sister, this opportunity wouldn’t go to her eldest daughter.

Hu Xiu exchanged a glance with her daughter-in-law and said, “Didn’t I tell you not to spread news about Xiao’s promotion?”

Chen Guilan quickly waved her hands. “It wasn’t us! People are just guessing.”

“There’s no real secret in this world. Many people in the commune must have heard about Huo Xiao’s promotion. It’s only natural for word to spread,” Lin Ting reasoned.

Chen Guilan nodded repeatedly. She feared few people in life, except her sister-in-law. Her sister-in-law had saved her during childbirth multiple times, practically acting as a second mother after her mother-in-law passed away early.

Since Lin Ting’s explanation made sense, Hu Xiu didn’t press further. “When’s the meeting?”

“No exact date yet, but I’m not rushing. I told Erwang’s wife to delay it and planned to have my nephew investigate the man’s background. We can’t just believe the matchmaker. If everything checks out, I was thinking of setting it for the third day of the Chinese New Year. My nephew’s wife visits her family on the second, and Xiao leaves for the army on the fourth.”

“At least you’re thinking it through properly… Alright, I’ll let Xiao know when he returns. Also, don’t go around telling everyone. If it falls through, Dani’s reputation will suffer.”

Chen Guilan looked sharp. “Don’t worry. I’m not foolish. If word gets out, some shameless family might try to snatch the man away.”

She wasn’t even thinking about the foolish third son’s wife. Meihua’s family also had a 16-year-old girl!

Hu Xiu… Was that really her concern?

Lin Ting…

Huo Xiao was true to his word.

Sure enough, he returned at five in the afternoon.

Lin Ting was shocked when she saw the roe deer and two rabbits lying stiffly on the ground.

“Is it really that easy to hunt in the mountains?” she asked while handing warm water to her husband.

Huo Xiao took the cup, drinking it all at once. “It wasn’t just me. I borrowed Uncle Dagen’s hunting dog.”

What he didn’t say was that he took most of the prey while Dahai and Dazhu each got only a rabbit.

Lin Ting didn’t think too much about it and simply continued pouring hot water into a basin. “Come soak your hands. They felt like ice just now.”

Huo Xiao froze. Did Tingting just touch his hand?

“What are you daydreaming about? The water will cool soon. Also, change your shoes. I’ll get you a footbath.” Lin Ting pulled out a pair of new cotton shoes and threw them beside the kang. Noticing he was still dazed, she walked up, grabbed his sleeve, and led him to the basin.

Still lost in thought, Huo Xiao stumbled forward, crashing straight into her.

Lin Ting yelped as she fell.

Luckily, Huo Xiao reacted quickly, catching her by the waist and pulling her into his arms.

So soft.

Tingting felt so light.

“Hiss—” Lin Ting gasped. Her ear had scraped against the button on his chest. “Are you made of iron? You’re so stiff.”

Snapping back to reality, Huo Xiao bent down, looking concerned. “Did you twist your ankle?”

Lin Ting covered her ear, tears welling up from the pain. “I hit a wall.”

Huo Xiao…?

Meanwhile, Hu Xiu, who had been hiding in the west room to give them space, rushed out when she heard Lin Ting’s cry.

But as soon as she stepped outside, she saw them embracing.

Hu Xiu’s heart leaped with joy. She quickly turned around and rushed back inside, grinning to herself.