Uncle Lu opened the door. When he saw the two carrying so many things, he quickly took the clay pot from Xu Ning’s hands and ushered them inside.

In the kitchen, Xu’s mother was tending the fire, while Aunt Lu sat beside her. The two were chatting and laughing about something. When they saw the group enter, Aunt Lu quickly stood up, took off Xu An’s basket, and said, “Xiao Ning, why are you bringing things over again?”

Xu’s mother was also looking at the items. She opened the clay pot, and upon seeing that it was lamb soup, she exclaimed, “Where did you get lamb? You still have meat coupons?”

Xu Ning fibbed, “Sister Hongying’s husband is the director at the slaughterhouse. I bought it from him. They have daily quotas internally. The pig head last time was also from him.”

She then took out the hats and gloves from the basket and said, “These are defective items that I asked Sister Hongying to save for me. It took a long time to gather five hats and five pairs of gloves. I patched them up with some old cloth. Now that it’s cold, each of you gets one. These three tea mugs: one is for Grandpa Qi, one for my mom and dad, and this one is for Uncle and Aunt Lu to use.”

Aunt Lu’s eyes reddened as she touched the hat and gloves in her hands. She said to Xu Ning, “Xiao Ning, your uncle and I thank you.”

Xu’s mother immediately chimed in, “Big sister, no need to be so polite. If Xiao Ning bought them, we’ll use them.”

Xu Ning quickly added, “Mom, Aunt Lu, I only brought lamb soup for you. I didn’t bring any bread. You’ll have to bake some yourself. Xiao An and I will head back now. Xiao Mo is home alone.”

Uncle Lu was just about to see them off when Xu’s father and Grandpa Qi came out from the cattle shed. The group stopped for a while to chat before heading back home.

The next day, shortly after lunch, Jianmin arrived. As soon as he walked through the door, he said to Xu Ning, “Xu Zhiqing, my mom sent me to ask if you want to buy some pears. The pears from my grandma’s brigade are big and sweet, perfect for making frozen pears. Every year, our village goes to buy from them. My mom is going this afternoon and wanted me to ask if you’d like to come along.”

As a Northerner, how could Xu Ning not eat frozen pears? Winter wouldn’t be complete without them.

Xu Ning excitedly asked Jianmin, “Jianmin, when is Aunt Dashuan going? I’ll go with her.”

“My mom and the women from the village already left,” Jianmin replied, his eyes sparkling as he glanced at Xu Ning’s bicycle. “She said if you want to buy some, I should take you there.”

In fact, his mom had originally said, Ask Xu Zhiqing if she wants to buy any, and if she does, tell her how to get there. She has a bicycle and will catch up with us quickly. But Jianmin wanted to go with Xu Zhiqing—he really wanted to ride on her bike.

Xu Ning didn’t notice the hopeful gleam in his eyes and said, “Jianmin, wait for me. I’ll grab a basket and some bags.” She dashed inside, grabbed a large basket, and stuffed two bags into it. Then, she hopped on her bike, taking Jianmin along with her.

They hadn’t gone far from the village before they caught up with Aunt Dashuan and a few other women. Aunt Dashuan saw Jianmin riding on the bike and asked, “Jianmin, why are you here?”

Feeling a little guilty, Jianmin replied, “Mom, I was afraid Xu Zhiqing wouldn’t be able to find Grandma’s brigade, so I said I’d bring her over.”

Xu Ning smiled and said, “Auntie, if it weren’t for Jianmin, I wouldn’t have caught up with you all so quickly.” After saying this, she got off the bike and walked alongside them, pushing her bicycle. Aunt Dashuan saw her doing this and said, “Xu Zhiqing, let Jianmin take you ahead to buy the pears. Looks like it’s going to snow soon.”

Xu Ning thought that made sense. If she went ahead to buy the pears now, it would speed things up for everyone later. So, she took Jianmin and went on ahead.

The pears were indeed very good—only 1.8 yuan per jin. Xu Ning bought fifty jin. She had just finished weighing them when Aunt Dashuan and the other women arrived. Seeing how much Xu Ning had bought, Aunt Dashuan was surprised and said, “Xu Zhiqing, why’d you buy so many? They’re expensive. You only need a few to taste.”

Xu Ning… well, she actually thought she hadn’t bought enough. If she weren’t so small and unable to carry that much, she would’ve bought a hundred jin.

She packed the pears into her basket and tied it securely to the back seat of her bike with some rope. This meant Jianmin wouldn’t be able to ride on the bike anymore. If she tried to let him sit in the front, she wouldn’t be able to pedal. Feeling a bit embarrassed, she looked at Jianmin. Jianmin stared back at her, looking rather disappointed.

Aunt Dashuan gave Jianmin a little smack and said to Xu Ning, “Xu Zhiqing, just ride on ahead. Don’t worry about him.”

Xu Ning smiled at Jianmin and said, “Jianmin, I’ll bring you some candy tomorrow, okay?”

Jianmin replied, “I want to ride the bicycle.”

Laughing, Xu Ning said, “Alright, tomorrow I’ll take you for two laps around the village. Deal?”

Jianmin nodded happily, and Aunt Dashuan, along with the other women, chuckled from the side.

On the way back, it started to snow. Large flakes drifted down, and Xu Ning thought to herself how fortunate it was that the village was close by—walking would only take about twenty minutes. Otherwise, Aunt Dashuan and the others would likely get drenched in snow.

As she reached the entrance of the village, she spotted a figure in military green heading toward her. Concerned about colliding with someone, Xu Ning quickly rang the bell on her bicycle. The person turned around and called out, “Hello, fellow villager, can I ask you for directions?”

Xu Ning jumped off her bike and looked at the man. He was dressed in a military uniform, tall and lean, with chiseled features that radiated a masculine aura. He looked young, but his demeanor was remarkably composed.

She asked, “This is Yushu Village. Where are you headed?”

The man replied, “Could you tell me how to get to the cattle shed?” Xu Ning paused for a moment before asking, “What do you need to go to the cattle shed for? Who are you looking for?”

“I’m looking for Lu Zhenbo and Shen Wanqing,” he said.

Xu Ning thought to herself, He’s looking for Uncle Lu and Aunt Lu. At his age, could he be their son?

She then said, “Just follow me; I live nearby.” With that, Xu Ning pushed her bicycle toward the cattle shed, the snow falling heavier now, coating the ground with a thin layer. She heard Aunt Dashuan and the others behind her, urging her to move faster, and the man quickly fell into step beside her.

The two of them walked all the way to the cattle shed without encountering anyone. Xu Ning parked her bicycle at the entrance and called out, “Grandpa Qi, Grandpa Qi!” After calling twice, the door swung open, revealing her father. She immediately asked, “Dad, where are Uncle Lu and Aunt Lu? Someone is looking for them.”

(T/N: Although we now know Aunt Lu’s name, I think it’s best to continue referring to her as “Aunt Lu” for consistency and to avoid any confusion.)

Her father looked past Xu Ning at the man behind her and quickly invited him inside. He then called out, “Brother Lu, Big Sister, someone is here for you!” Uncle Lu and Grandpa Qi emerged from the cattle shed, while Aunt Lu and Mother Xu came in from the backyard. Xu Ning’s father led the way into the courtyard. When Uncle Lu and Aunt Lu saw the visitor, they rushed over.

Flakes of snow continued to swirl around, making it hard for Xu Ning to see their expressions clearly. Suddenly, the man in the military uniform knelt down and bowed three times, saying, “Dad, Mom, I’m unfilial, I’ve come late.”

Aunt Shen hurried over to embrace him, crying, “Xiaotang!” Uncle Lu also rushed over, wrapping both of them in his arms, saying, “Xiaotang, what brings you here?”

Xu Ning’s parents stepped forward to help everyone up, saying, “Brother Lu, quickly take the child inside. He needs to warm up.”

Seeing that her presence was no longer needed, Xu Ning thought about her bicycle still waiting outside. She grabbed a few pears for Grandpa Qi and then headed back home.