Chapter 22.2

“Not yet,” Qin Zhengye replied, setting down the green bundle he was carrying.

Xu Jiaojiao nodded. “Do you have a big appetite? Will two and a half buns be enough to fill you up?”

If two buns weren’t enough, she’d cook him a bowl of noodle soup as well.

Xu Jiaojiao had counted the buns when she steamed them. Last night, there were six and a half meat buns left. One would be enough for her, the two children would probably need three, leaving two and a half.

“It depends on the size of the buns. I can easily eat four of those big northern steamed buns in one sitting,” Qin Zhengye admitted.

Northern steamed buns!

Xu Jiaojiao immediately pictured buns larger than her face.

There was really no need to ask. Qin Zhengye was a tall man, over 180 centimeters, so his appetite was bound to be substantial.

Even Qin Jiashu, the little one who barely reached a meter tall, could devour two meat buns when he was hungry!

“Then I’ll cook you some noodles,” Xu Jiaojiao said, heading into the kitchen. The buns in the pot were already warmed through. “Xiao Shu, Jie Di, are you hungry? Do you want to eat buns first?”

“Yes!” Qin Jiashu immediately dropped his Xiao Yang toy and dashed into the kitchen.

“Wash your hands,” Xu Jiaojiao instructed, ladling some hot water from the small pot into a basin.

Qin Jiashu obediently stood by the washbasin stand.

The washbasin stand was too high for him to reach, so Xu Jiaojiao took the basin down and poured hot water into it.

Qin Jiashu reached his little hand toward the basin.

“Hey, don’t you know it’s hot?” Xu Jiaojiao grabbed the child’s hand with lightning reflexes, her breath quickening.

“Hehe,” Qin Jiashu grinned at Xu Jiaojiao, trying to appease her.

“Wait until Aunt adds some cold water before you wash. Don’t touch it yet.” Xu Jiaojiao turned and went into the kitchen, returning with half a dipper of cold water. She mixed it into the basin and tested the temperature with her hand.

“Okay, wash your hands,” Xu Jiaojiao announced.

Qin Jiashu conscientiously pushed his sleeves up to his wrists and carefully washed his hands in the basin.

“Jie Di, come wash your hands too!” Qin Jiashu called out to his little friend.

“…Okay,” Qin Jiedi hesitated, glancing at Qin Zhengye in the main room before reluctantly approaching the basin.

After washing their hands, the two children went into the kitchen. Moments later, Qin Jiashu emerged holding a meat-filled bun.

The little fellow clutched the bun, which was half the size of his face, in his left hand, while his right arm cradled a small bowl filled with finely chopped cabbage leaves.

“Xiao Yang, you eat too,” Qin Jiashu said, approaching the lamb that was wandering in the courtyard with a bowl in hand.

The lamb, recognizing the fresh, tender cabbage, lowered its head and began eating from the bowl.

Qin Zhengye raised an eyebrow as he watched his young nephew single-mindedly feeding the lamb, while eating steamed buns. Feeling ignored, he walked into the kitchen.

Inside, Qin Jiedi sat before the stove, tending the fire while eating a steamed bun.

Xu Jiaojiao was filling a thermos with boiling water using a ladle.

“If you’re hungry, have a bun to tide you over,” Xu Jiaojiao said, sealing the thermos and setting it aside.

“Mm,” Qin Zhengye replied, picking up a bun from the table.

He was indeed hungry. After receiving his transfer orders from the Northwest Military Region to East China, he had packed his belongings and endured a day-and-night train journey. Upon arriving in the county town, he had caught the 5 a.m. bus back, having eaten only a few flatbreads during the entire trip.

Sizzle!

Xu Jiaojiao tossed the chopped cabbage into the wok, stir-fried it briefly, then added water and covered the pot.

“How’s the bun?” she asked as she walked to grab an enamel mug from the table.

The kitchen was quiet. Qin Jiedi sat on a low stool, head bowed as she tended the fire and ate her bun.

Qin Zhengye remained silent, but the kitchen was small, and he stood by the table eating a bun while watching Xu Jiaojiao work. For some reason, she felt a little awkward and wanted to start a conversation.

“Delicious. Did you make these buns?” Qin Zhengye nodded.

“Yes,” Xu Jiaojiao replied, a faint smile playing on her lips.

She didn’t have any particular talents, but her cooking skills were decent.

While a large pot of noodles simmered, Xu Jiaojiao heated milk in a smaller pot. Sheep’s milk had a strong, gamey flavor, but adding a splash of vinegar and a spoonful of sugar after boiling made it palatable.

When the milk was finished cooking. Xu Jiaojiao poured it into two bowls.

“Jie Di, go tell Xiao Shu to come in and drink his milk,” Xu Jiaojiao said as she added noodles to the boiling water.

“Okay!” Qin Jiedi immediately jumped up and scurried out.

Moments later, Qin Jiashu and Jie Di returned to the kitchen.

Xu Jiaojiao gestured to the bowls. “Each of you drink a bowl of sheep’s milk and eat half a bun.”

She had carefully estimated their appetites.

Both Qin Jiashu and Qin Jiedi had grown up hungry. Children who had experienced hunger often struggled to recognize when they were full, devouring every scrap available.

Qin Jiashu had never tasted sheep’s milk before, but his aunt had told him it would help him grow taller. The boy happily alternated between bites of his bun and sips of the warm milk.

“Sweet!” Qin Jiashu exclaimed in delight, thoroughly enjoying the milk.

Unlike Qin Jiashu’s joy, Jie Di found the sheep’s milk’s strong, gamey flavor almost unbearable. Reluctant to waste it, she forced herself to drink it.

She had seen Aunt Xu add sugar to the milk earlier, so even if it tasted a bit unpleasant, it was fine. When she was hungry, she often wished she had something like this to drink.

“The noodles are ready,” Xu Jiaojiao announced, ladling a large bowl of noodles for Qin Zhengye.

There were plenty of noodles left in the pot, so Xu Jiaojiao poured herself a small bowl as well.

“Mmm!” Qin Jiashu finished his milk and steamed bun, contentedly patting his full belly.

“Did you overeat again?” Xu Jiaojiao asked.

“Not at all,” Qin Jiashu shook his head. “Just right.”

Qin Jiedi also finished her meal. The little girl hesitated, glancing at Xu Jiaojiao before finally speaking: “Auntie…”

“Yes, what is it?” Xu Jiaojiao noticed the girl kept biting her lip after setting down her bowl, looking deeply conflicted.

“Can… can I take Xiao Shu’s clothes home?”she asked timidly.

Xiao Shu had lent her the clothes, and she shouldn’t take them. But she had no other clothes, her only set was still soaking in the courtyard.

“You can wear the clothes for now, it’s alright,” Xu Jiaojiao said gently, patting the little girl’s head.

The girl sniffled gratefully, her voice still choked with emotion as she kept her head down. “I-I’ll return them tomorrow. I’ll help you with chores later…”

Her voice trailed off as she finished, and she turned and scurried out of the kitchen.

“Jie Di…” Xu Jiaojiao called after her.

But the girl didn’t look back. She ran out of the kitchen, grabbed her dirty clothes from the wooden basin, and hurried away.

“What was that about?” Qin Zhengye asked Xu Jiaojiao, slurping his noodles. He wasn’t familiar with the village children and didn’t recognize her.

“She’s Xiao Shu’s friend,” Xu Jiaojiao explained. “Yesterday, she fell into the reeds while washing clothes by the river. Her parents didn’t seem to care, so I brought her back to take care of her overnight.”

Qin Zhengye nodded in understanding and continued eating his noodles with gusto.

The man ate quickly. By the time Xu Jiaojiao had finished her small bowl, he had already devoured a large one.

“Xiao Jiujiu, you are such a big eater!” Qin Jiashu exclaimed, sitting nearby, his eyes wide with envy as he watched Qin Zhengye finish his steaming bowl of soup noodles.

Is he complaining about how much I eat? Qin Zhengye slowly raised his head to look at his nephew.

The little boy’s tone was envious, his eyes filled with admiration. Qin Zhengye breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Xu Jiaojiao, finding no dissatisfaction in her gaze.

“Auntie, when can I eat this much?” Qin Jiashu asked Xu Jiaojiao.

In Qin Jiashu’s mind, being able to eat a lot meant growing up faster, something he desperately wanted.

“In another ten years!” Xu Jiaojiao replied.

As the old saying went, “A half-grown boy can eat his father into poverty.” Given the little one’s current appetite, Xu Jiaojiao guessed he would have a voracious appetite in his teens.

“Then will I be as tall as Xiao Jiujiu?” Qin Jiashu pressed.

“Yes, as long as you drink your sheep’s milk every day. You’ll definitely grow taller than your Xiao Jiujiu,” Xu Jiaojiao coaxed.

“Wow! Xiao Shu will drink sheep’s milk every day!” Qin Jiashu exclaimed excitedly.

Qin Zhengye watched their interaction and conversation, a pleased smile curving his lips.

After chatting with Qin Jiashu, Xu Jiaojiao turned to the remaining steamed buns and noodles in the pot. “Are you still eating?”

“Aren’t you?” Qin Zhengye asked, surprised.

“One bowl is enough for me,” Xu Jiaojiao replied with a smile.

Is she a little bird? Eating so little? No wonder she’s so thin—she looks like she could be blown away by the wind.

“Can you eat any more? If you can, finish the rest. If not, we’ll save it and heat it up for lunch.”

“…I’ll finish it,” Qin Zhengye said, picking up a steamed bun and eating it while also finishing the remaining noodles in the pot.

He has quite the appetite! Xu Jiaojiao thought. He’s definitely related to Qin Jiashu.

“You keep eating. I need to go borrow Aunt Ju Hua’s woodcutting knife and take Xiao Yang back.”

Qin Zhengye’s return had surprised Xu Jiaojiao, but she wasn’t about to change her daily plans because of him.

The weather was perfect—sunny and bright—and she planned to go up the mountain to cut some thin bamboo for a clothes-drying rack.

“Okay,” Qin Zhengye nodded.

Xu Jiaojiao stood up and took Qin Jiashu with her.

Although Xiao Yang could nibble on tender grass, he still needed his mother. Letting Qin Jiashu lead him out for a walk was a good way to send him back.

Qin Jiashu had known they were returning Xiao Yang, but he didn’t fuss or complain. He simply talked to the little lamb all the way there, his voice full of affection.

After returning the little lamb, Xu Jiaojiao stopped by Aunt Ju Hua’s to borrow the woodcutting knife.

“Aunt Xu, Xiao Shu needs to pee,” Qin Jiashu suddenly announced on the way.

Xu Jiaojiao knew it was common for boys in rural areas to relieve themselves anywhere, but she didn’t want her little one to develop bad habits. She coaxed him to run home.

The boy dashed into the nearby outhouse, his footsteps pattering.

“Slow down,” Xu Jiaojiao said with an amused shake of her head as she entered the kitchen. Inside, the pots, stove, bowls, and chopsticks were all washed and neatly arranged.

Xu Jiaojiao surveyed the scene with satisfaction, nodding approvingly. She admired hardworking men.

“I’m going up the mountain to cut some thin bamboo for a clothes-drying rack,” Xu Jiaojiao announced as she left the kitchen, grabbing a woodcutting knife and addressing Qin Zhengye.

Qin Zhengye had finished washing the dishes and was already in the woodshed, retrieving a hoe and sickle. He was now tending to the weeds in the courtyard.

Qin Zhengye paused, glancing at the rotting bamboo rack beside him. “I’ll cut it.”

“Great, thanks,” Xu Jiaojiao replied, secretly pleased.

She had been hesitant to ask Qin Zhengye, who had just returned home, unsure if he was tired and needed rest. It felt awkward to ask him for help so soon.

But then she reasoned that since he had already taken the initiative to tidy the courtyard, he must not be too exhausted.

“…” Qin Zhengye sensed Xu Jiaojiao’s happiness.

“Want to come with me?” Qin Zhengye took the woodcutting knife from her hand, asking almost instinctively.

“Alright,” Xu Jiaojiao agreed after a moment’s thought. “Xiao Shu, are you ready?”

“Coming, coming!” The boy heard Xu Jiaojiao’s call, hurriedly pulled up his pants, and rushed out.

Xu Jiaojiao squatted down to straighten his clothes. Though the little one was quite independent, his short arms and legs meant his clothes often rode up as he moved, and he couldn’t fix them himself.

“Thank you, Auntie,” Qin Jiashu said brightly once his clothes were adjusted.

“Let’s go chop bamboo with your Xiao Jiujiu,” Xu Jiaojiao said, standing up.

Qin Zhengye calmly walked out with his woodcutting knife. Xu Jiaojiao and Qin Jiashu closed the courtyard gate and followed hand-in-hand.

Qinjia Village was surrounded by endless mountains and dense groves of mao bamboo. This resilient species could transform a single shoot into a vast thicket in just a few years.

Crack! Crack! Crack! Thud! Thud! Thud!

Qin Zhengye swung his knife, effortlessly felling a bamboo stalk with a few swift strokes. As the stalk fell, he deftly lopped off its branches.

Xu Jiaojiao and Qin Jiashu watched for a while. Realizing they couldn’t help much, they gathered some bamboo branches and sat down to weave bamboo rings.

The sun grew stronger, making it quite hot. The bamboo leaf rings offered some shade.

Xu Jiaojiao wove one for herself and another for Qin Jiashu. Wearing their matching rings, they exchanged compliments.

“Xiao Shu looks so handsome.”

“Auntie is the prettiest.”

Qin Zhengye, having finished chopping a bamboo stalk, stood up and saw the two exchanging compliments.

“Want to try a bamboo swing?” he suddenly asked.

“A bamboo swing?” Xu Jiaojiao turned to look at him.

“You’ve never been on one?” Qin Zhengye raised an eyebrow.

Xu Jiaojiao truly hadn’t. The original owner of her body had been frail since childhood, rarely venturing into the mountains. She had missed out on most of the experiences common to rural girls.

“I know what that is!” Qin Jiashu exclaimed, nodding his little head excitedly.

The older children in the village often played on bamboo swings in the maozhu bamboo forest. They would climb to the top of a bamboo stalk, bend it down, and weave the branches together to create a seat that swayed with the bamboo’s movement.

Qin Jiashu and his younger friends were too small to climb the bamboo themselves, but the teenagers in the village could. However, they never allowed the younger children to join in.

Seeing Qin Jiashu’s excitement, Qin Zhengye set down his axe. He scanned the surrounding maozhu bamboo, selected a moderately sized stalk, and swiftly climbed up.

Why is he acting like a monkey? Xu Jiaojiao thought, tilting her head back to watch.

In the next moment, Qin Zhengye effortlessly pulled the bamboo branch down.

“Wow!” Qin Jiashu clapped his hands wildly.

Xu Jiaojiao’s eyes widened in surprise. Not bad, she thought. Qin Zhengye’s descent from the bamboo was a bit scary, but also quite dashing, like something out of a martial arts film.

Qin Zhengye, with his considerable strength, easily fashioned a small seat by intertwining the bamboo branches.

“Have a seat,” he said, pressing down on the branch and gesturing with his chin toward Xu Jiaojiao.

“Is it sturdy?” she asked, afraid of falling. The haphazardly woven seat looked precarious.

“It’s sturdy. Just sit down and try it,” Qin Zhengye encouraged.

Am I a guinea pig? Xu Jiaojiao’s gaze held a hint of accusation.

“I… I’ll sit…” Qin Jiashu clung to Qin Zhengye’s leg, his voice brimming with longing.

“Maybe Xiao Shu should try first?” The little boy was light, perhaps the seat could hold him.

“He’s too light to weigh it down. You go first. Let the bamboo lose some of its spring before he tries,” Qin Zhengye said.

“Alright!” Xu Jiaojiao mustered her courage and cautiously approached the bamboo swing, carefully settling onto the seat.

“Hold on tight,” Qin Zhengye instructed, his eyes twinkling with amusement as he helped her grip the bamboo branches. He could see how nervous she was, her delicate face had turned pale with fear.