Xu Ning and Xu An emerged from Aunt Dashuan’s house, each carrying a large wicker basket filled with vegetable seedlings they had purchased there. The baskets held tomato, cucumber, eggplant, and chili seedlings. This year, Xu Ning planned to plant several varieties in her private plot and dry some vegetables. Last winter, she had grown tired of eating only radishes, cabbage, and the wild greens she had dug up from the mountains.

Xu An, leading the way with his basket, said, “Sister, Er Dan mentioned they have watermelon seedlings. Do you want some?”

At the thought of biting into a chilled watermelon taken straight from the well, Xu Ning felt her mouth water. The siblings decided not to go home just yet; instead, they headed straight to Er Dan’s house and asked for a few watermelon seedlings. Aunt Xiang Yun even gave them a few pumpkin seedlings, saying they could thrive no matter where they were planted.

When they returned home, Xu Ning instructed Xu An to prepare dinner while she planted the seedlings in her well-prepared plot. She carefully placed a basket of chili plants, a basket of eggplants, and another basket of tomatoes and cucumbers, saving the rest for string beans and large fava beans.

The pumpkin seedlings were planted in the vacant lot beside the toilet, while the watermelon seedlings found a home in the corner near the small gate and beside the woodshed. Xu Ning had four pumpkin seedlings and three watermelon seedlings left, so she decided to give them to Grandpa Qi to plant in the backyard of the cow shed.

This year, the cow shed was filled with many vegetables, all of which Grandpa Qi had requested from the villagers. Previously, only the three of them had lived there, and with so much work to do, there hadn’t been much time to tend to their private plots. Now that her parents were around, they could better manage the plot and grow more vegetables.

In the youth camp, Chen Xiangdong, Sun Hao, and Ge Hongbin had also divided their private plots. Their land was right next to Xu Ning’s, well-prepared and neatly organized, but they hadn’t planted anything yet.

Xu Ning heard from Wei Lanlan that Lin Miao’s house was finished, and she had already moved in. However, her private plot wasn’t allocated in this area; it was across from the youth camp due to the limited space for plots. Lin Miao wanted to swap plots with Ge Hongbin and the others, but none of them agreed.

Since Xu Ning had fought with the two of them in the fields, she hadn’t seen them much since. Even when they crossed paths, it was like enemies meeting—extraordinarily tense.

After planting the vegetable seedlings, Xu Ning went to fetch water, planning to water the plants that day. As she reached the well, she saw Sun Hao also drawing water.

Sun Hao asked Xu Ning, “Xu Zhiqing, where did you buy your seedlings? Do they have any more?”

“I got them from Uncle Dashuan’s place in the village. If you want some, you should go tell him early. When I went to get my seedlings today, I heard Uncle Dashuan say he plans to sell them at the market tomorrow to clear space for planting,” Xu Ning replied.

After hearing this, Sun Hao decided to head to Uncle Dashuan’s house to buy some seedlings and get his vegetables planted as soon as possible.

When Xu Ning returned home after watering, she found that Xu An had already prepared dinner and was setting the table with chopsticks. He had gathered some wild greens while cutting pig fodder, tossed them with sesame oil, and put together a plate. There were also scrambled eggs with scallions and wood ear mushrooms, with a steaming bowl of rice in the center.

After a winter of practice, Xu An could now cook a decent home meal. When Xu Ning returned from work in the evening, he had tidied up the house and prepared the meal. Xu Mo could now help with starting the fire and sweeping the floor. He followed Xu An around to gather pig fodder, proving to be a diligent child. The villagers often praised him for being so sensible.

The crops had all been planted, and the village chief gave the youth a day off. Xu Ning planned to go into the city the next day to deliver the twenty bed sheets she had promised to Su Hongying, and she intended to take the opportunity to retrieve some items from her storage space.

The grain and meat she had taken out before spring plowing were nearly finished, and there probably wasn’t much left over at the cow shed either. Grandpa Qi, Uncle Lu, Aunt Lu, and her parents had all regained much of their health and vitality after a winter of care.

There weren’t many items left in her storage that could be sold; only bed sheets, duvet covers, and military coats were available. She didn’t dare sell down jackets and thermal underwear since they weren’t widely available in this era. There were also a few pieces of fabric she could sell off bit by bit when the opportunity arose, but she wouldn’t sell any grain, as she needed it for her return to the city, which was still several years away.

After dinner, Xu Ning went back to her room and locked the door. She entered her storage space and cut the fabric she had into varying lengths of one and two meters, planning to take it to sell the next day.

When Xu Ning arrived at the supply and marketing cooperative, she found Su Hongying and handed over the twenty bed sheets. Su Hongying then requested two complete sets of bed sheets and duvet covers, explaining that a woman from the women’s federation had asked her to buy two sets of quality bedding for her daughter, who was getting married in Qishi.

After placing the 460 yuan given by Su Hongying in her storage space, Xu Ning headed to the machinery factory. This time, she had her sights set on a middle-aged woman in her forties, selling two bed sheets and four meters of fabric.

Not planning to sell anymore, Xu Ning found a quiet spot to load the prepared items into her wicker basket before riding her bicycle back to the village. Just past the village entrance, she spotted the mailman cycling toward the youth camp. She hurried to catch up and asked, “Uncle, do you have any mail for me?”

Seeing it was her, the mailman nodded and replied, “Yes, not just mail but also a remittance slip.”

The mailman had become quite familiar with Xu Ning; she received letters and remittance slips every month, all sent from two different military units. Xu Yang sent her ten yuan each month, while Lu Xiaotang had started sending her twenty yuan a month since the New Year, along with various coupons.

Now, everyone in the village, including those at the youth commune, knew that Xu Ning received thirty yuan in remittances each month, along with different tickets. However, the villagers also understood that this amount didn’t last long. Xu Ning went into the city several times a month to buy meat and fine grains, and they had never seen her purchase coarse grains.

Xu Ning wanted exactly this effect. After all, it wasn’t safe for a young girl to be out with her brother, carrying so much money. She aimed for others to believe that the remittances each month were quickly spent by the siblings.

Today, she received two remittance slips but three letters—one from Xu Yang, another from Lu Xiaotang, and a third from Xinshi. Xu Ning thought it must be from Uncle Lu and Aunt Lu’s daughter, as she recalled Aunt Lu mentioning that her eldest daughter was serving as a youth worker in Xinshi. She decided not to open the letter, planning to hand it to Uncle Lu when she visited the cow shed that evening.

Xu Yang had filled three sheets of stationery with his writing, asking after each family member and providing updates on his life in the army. He mentioned that everything was going well and expressed his hope to visit next year for a family reunion.

Lu Xiaotang had written on only half a sheet of paper, which contained just a few sentences. He mentioned that if there was anything important, they should send a telegram, and if they were running low on money, they should just let him know. He also inquired about everyone’s well-being.

That evening, when Xu Ning brought supplies to the cow shed, she took the letter from Xinshi along with Lu Xiaotang’s. Uncle Lu and Aunt Lu were both moved to tears upon seeing the letters. After reading them, they handed Xu Ning the letter from Xinshi, urging her to take a look.

As she read, Xu Ning found expressions of gratitude addressed to her, along with a note about the sender wanting to visit when the students had their break, asking if it would be convenient for Xu Ning.

“Uncle Lu, Aunt Lu, when you write back to Sister Xiaoran, please tell her that she is always welcome here. She can stay as long as she likes,” Xu Ning replied.

Uncle Lu and Aunt Lu expressed their gratitude, saying, “Good child, thank you!”