Chapter 22 : The Third Son of the Han Family Returns

When Han Zhenyu returned after washing his hands, Su Xieqiu had already set the food on the table.  

The browned cornmeal cakes, chicken stewed with kidney beans, cold beans, and a pot of golden chicken soup looked incredibly appetizing.  

If this were modern times, such a meal would be considered ordinary. But in the 1970s, meals like this were rare, even during Chinese New Year.  

Han Zhenyu wasn’t someone who cared much about food. As long as he could fill his stomach, he didn’t mind if it was coarse or fine grains. But today, he was unusually hungry, and the sight of the food made him swallow hard.  

Su Xieqiu ladled him a bowl of chicken soup and smiled, “I’ve been stewing this soup for a long time. How does it taste?”  

Han Zhenyu quickly tasted it and praised, “It’s delicious. And those scallion pancakes you made last night were even better than what state-owned restaurant chefs can make.”  

“Then eat more.” Su Xieqiu placed a chicken leg in his bowl while she picked a chicken claw for herself, nibbling on it slowly.  

Seeing her eat only scraps and avoid the good meat, Han Zhenyu took the chicken leg from his bowl and placed it back in hers. “Don’t just eat the leftovers. Eat some good meat and drink more soup, it’ll help your wound heal faster.”  

“I already ate two pancakes and drank a big bowl of soup while cooking,” she replied, smiling. “I’m not that hungry now.”  

In truth, Su Xieqiu had eaten earlier, but most of it was food from her secret stash.  

Hearing her explanation, Han Zhenyu assumed she was being frugal, and his gaze softened even more.  

Noticing the way he was looking at her, Su Xieqiu found the situation amusing. This was truly a beautiful misunderstanding. She wasn’t avoiding the good food because of reluctance, but simply because she genuinely loved eating chicken feet and necks. Still, she knew no one would believe her if she said it.  

In the end, after some back-and-forth, Han Zhenyu won. Su Xieqiu ate the chicken leg, two bowls of soup, and a cornmeal cake, leaving her so full she could barely move.  

After they finished eating, Han Zhenyu said, “I have to leave early the day after tomorrow. I wanted to buy you some food to keep at home, but I worry it’ll be inconvenient for you to cook.  

“I spoke with Han Lei this morning and arranged for his family to keep eggs for you. His mother will cook two for you every day. If the old woman doesn’t let you eat, go to Han Lei’s house, and I’ll repay them when I return.”  

Su Xieqiu quickly refused. “No need to trouble others every day. I can buy what I need myself.”  

She had plenty of food hidden away, so there was no point in buying more.  

Seeing that Han Zhenyu wanted to insist, she cut him off with a smile. “Don’t worry about me. I won’t let them bully me like before. If they don’t let me eat, I’ll make sure they can’t eat either.”  

Han Zhenyu relented, though he still gave her a few words of advice. “If they go too far, talk to the village captain. I’ll let him know before I leave.”  

Su Xieqiu nodded. “Got it.”  

“By the way, how do you want to build the house?” Han Zhenyu asked.  

At the mention of the house, Su Xieqiu’s excitement grew. She had been thinking about it all morning, even sketching out designs in the dirt while cooking.  

“I want to build three main rooms. We can each have our own, and the middle one can be a living and dining room. I also want to add a kitchen, a bathroom, and a toilet,” she said enthusiastically. Then she looked at Han Zhenyu and asked, “What do you think?”  

Hearing her mention three rooms and saying they would “each” have one, the small spark of hope in Han Zhenyu’s heart was instantly extinguished, as if doused with cold water.  

Not wanting to show his disappointment, he replied calmly, “It’s up to you.”  

Noticing his lack of enthusiasm, Su Xieqiu wondered if her ideas had been too ambitious.

When she thought about it, building so many houses must cost a lot of money.  

It felt unreasonable to make such demands when she didn’t even know if they had enough money.  

How much money did Han Zhenyu have? All she knew was that the old woman gave 50 yuan. Based on her earlier suggestions, that amount definitely wouldn’t cover it.  

Feeling embarrassed, she said, “Does building a house cost a lot? I don’t really know much about this. If money is tight, we can build something smaller. Two adobe houses should be enough. We can make a shed for the kitchen and toilet. That should save a lot.”  

Han Zhenyu realized she had misunderstood and quickly explained with a smile, “Build it the way you described. Don’t worry about the money, a few mud houses won’t cost much.”  

Relieved, Su Xieqiu thought to herself that it was good he seemed confident.  

After the reform and opening up, she believed it would be important to work hard and achieve financial freedom. At least then, she could choose the life she truly wanted.  

After dinner, Han Zhenyu left.  

Su Xieqiu washed the dishes and took a walk around the yard to digest her meal. She was about to take a nap when someone knocked on the door.  

“Who is it?” she called out, standing in the yard.  

“It’s me, Zhenmin! Open the door quickly, it’s so hot out here!” an impatient male voice answered. It was Yang Lanhua’s youngest son, who attended high school in the city.  

Su Xieqiu didn’t rush to open the door.  

From her memory, Han Zhenmin was 18, quite handsome, but arrogant and condescending.  

Though still in high school, he already had a girlfriend from the city. Her family was well-off, with both parents working at the Pingnan County Textile Factory.  

Yang Lanhua often bragged about how capable her son was and how much his future in-laws admired him.  

Han Zhenmin, much like the rest of the Han family, looked down on Su Xieqiu and treated her poorly. He often spoke to her in a commanding tone, treating her as though she were a servant.  

Su Xieqiu had no patience for people like him. While high school students in those days were indeed considered talented, what did that have to do with others?  

He spent all his time looking down on people without considering whether others might look down on him.  

She didn’t rush to open the door, letting him knock outside.  

First, she went to the kitchen and emptied the water from the tub, then slowly walked to the door and unlatched the wooden door fork.  

When she finally opened the door, Han Zhenmin pushed it forcefully and walked in, his forehead covered in sweat.  

“Why did it take you so long to open the door? Are you deaf? Didn’t you hear me knocking for so long?” he barked.  

Su Xieqiu, with her hands on her hips, glared at him and retorted loudly, “Are you blind? Can’t you see I’ve got a head injury and can’t react quickly?”  

Then she gave him a once-over and said disdainfully, “You call yourself a high school student, but you don’t even have basic manners. Your family spends so much money to send you to school, and you haven’t learned a thing about etiquette, morality, or shame. Why bother going to school? Don’t go anymore. Start working in the fields tomorrow to earn work points!”