After Lu Xiaotang went to the cattle shed, Xu Ning took out a piece of venison ^[1]Meat of a game animal but now refers primarily to the meat of deer. and chopped it into small pieces. She instructed Xu An to start the fire, planning to make a pot of venison stew with radishes today, along with some flatbreads on the side.

When Lu Xiaotang returned, he brought Xu Mo with him. The little foodie dashed into the kitchen as soon as he entered the house, standing by the stove and watching the meat in the pot with longing eyes.

Xu Ning picked up a piece of rib from the pot and offered it to him first. Xu Mo shook his head, saying, “Sister, I’m just smelling it for now. I’ll eat with you later.” After saying that, he swallowed hard while eyeing the piece of meat.

Xu Ning placed the piece of meat directly in his mouth, saying, “Go ahead and eat. No one will laugh at you; everyone knows you’re a little foodie.”

Lu Xiaotang chimed in, “I asked Grandpa Qi. He said if we have some wine, we could soak the deer antler and blood in it. The blood can be stewed, and the antler can be ground into powder. He’s worried we might waste the good stuff and suggested we take it to him for processing.”

Xu Ning nodded quickly in agreement, asking Lu Xiaotang to take it over soon. She was unsure how to deal with those items, and she didn’t want to sell them. The current purchase price for them was very low, and she didn’t need the money that badly. She also asked Lu Xiaotang to take the small jar of wine from the shelf so Grandpa Qi could soak the ingredients.

A pot of venison stew with radishes and a basket of flatbreads delighted everyone at the table.

After dinner, Xu Ning cut the venison into chunks of about two jin and salted them, planning to make some smoked meat. She intended to send some back with Lu Xiaotang when he left, and Xu Yang would soon arrive as well, so she wanted him to take some home too.

That evening, light snow began to fall again. Xu Ning sat on the kang, finishing the last touches on a vest she was knitting, while the three of them played chess nearby.

Xu Ning asked, “Brother Lu, do you have any relatives in the capital? Should we bring back some dried mushrooms and vegetables as gifts this time?”

“I don’t have any relatives left; we’ve severed ties. But I do have a few childhood friends,” Lu Xiaotang replied.

Xu Ning nodded and said, “Then let’s bring some gifts for them. Include some pine nuts and hazelnuts as well; let them have a taste.”

Xu An chimed in, “And bring some dried mushrooms. We collected a lot this year.”

“Got it, I’ll take care of that,” Xu Ning replied, finishing the last stitch on her sweater. She turned to the others and said, “I’m going to sleep now. You all should rest early too.”

As Xu Ning carried the basin of washing water out to dump it, Lu Xiaotang came over and took the basin from her, heading outside to pour it out.

“Hey, Brother Lu, I can do it myself,” she protested.

Without replying, Lu Xiaotang went to prepare her foot-washing water.

Taking the basin from him, Xu Ning felt a bit embarrassed. “Thank you, Brother Lu. You should wash up too.”

“I’ll wait a moment; they’re still playing chess. Hurry inside and wash up, or the water will get cold,” he replied.

When Xu Ning came out with the basin of foot-washing water, Lu Xiaotang was still standing outside. After she finished washing, he naturally took the basin from her hands to dump it.

While she felt okay about having help with the face-washing water, asking someone to dump out the foot-washing water made her feel shy.

Seeing her still standing there, Lu Xiaotang set down the basin and walked over to hold her hand, saying, “Why are you still standing here? It’s so cold outside. Go inside and sleep. Don’t wake up too early tomorrow; I’ll make breakfast.”

Xu Ning looked at him under the dim oil lamp. His expression was gentle, filled with warmth, and his large hands, holding hers, were warm and strong. She thought to herself that she would remember such a gaze for a long, long time.

A gust of wind blew in through the crack in the door, startling Xu Ning back to reality. She smiled brightly and said, “Brother Lu, I’m going to sleep now. You all should rest early too.”

Lu Xiaotang gazed at her smile, which was like a little sun, capable of melting one’s heart.

“Big Brother Lu, Little Mo is being mischievous,” Xu An’s voice interrupted the tender moment.

Lu Xiaotang released her hand and said, “Go inside. I’ll go see what those two are up to.”

Xu Ning lay down on the kang, listening to Lu Xiaotang in the next room as he settled their dispute. Slowly, she drifted off to sleep.

When Xu Ning woke up, Lu Xiaotang had already cleared the snow from the doorway and made breakfast. Xu An had just gotten up and was washing his face.

After the three of them finished breakfast, Xu Ning placed the food she had set aside for Little Mo on the stove to keep warm. She took out the venison strips she had prepared the day before to make jerky; having marinated them overnight ensured they wouldn’t be too salty and would have just the right texture.

Lu Xiaotang helped her start the fire, while Little Mo, after eating, noticed that both were busy and didn’t have time for him. So, he took the radio and went to the cattle shed.

“Brother Lu, I salted the rabbits you caught yesterday. In a couple of days, I’ll make smoked rabbit for you to take to your friends in the capital,” Xu Ning said.

Lu Xiaotang nodded and replied, “Sounds good. I’ll head up the mountain again in a couple of days to stock up on more meat. With heavy snow, you shouldn’t go out. Stay home with the two little ones and focus on recuperating.”

He added, “As for the meat over at the cattle shed, just take it over to my mom, and they can cook it themselves. I asked Grandpa Qi, and no one goes to the cattle shed in winter. As long as they’re careful, they won’t get caught. You and Xu An running back and forth might attract some unwanted attention.” He glanced toward the youth commune’s direction as he spoke.

Xu Ning nodded in agreement. “Got it, Brother Lu.” She planned to take the items to Grandpa Qi’s room for them to cook themselves. With Lin Miao around, getting caught would lead to complications.

Lu Xiaotang continued to tell her about his friends in the capital.

“When the incident happened at home, I was at my uncle’s place in Nanshi. He was away on a mission and wasn’t at the base. My aunt was worried that I was too young and might act impulsively, so she didn’t let the family inform me.

Zhen Ting and I grew up in the same compound, and Ming Yu and Wen Qing lived nearby. The four of us grew up together. Zhen Ting was the first to learn about what happened to my family, but he couldn’t reach me. All he knew was that I was at my uncle’s in Nanshi, and with such a large military area, he had no idea how to find me. So, he went to find Ming Yu and Wen Qing.

He asked Ming Yu to get close to Fang Qianqian and gather information. Fang Qianqian had liked Ming Yu for a long time, but he usually ignored her.

Fang Qianqian is the daughter of my aunt’s family, but we’ve already severed ties. The trouble my family faced was partly due to her father.

After Ming Yu learned about my uncle’s unit from Fang Qianqian, he quickly reported back to Zhen Ting. The three of them discussed it and decided that Ming Yu and Wen Qing would go to Nanshi Military District to find me, while Zhen Ting would look for news about my parents in Beijing.

I couldn’t have avenged my family without their help. After my home was sealed off, Zhen Ting led a few kids from the compound to retrieve my family’s belongings. Now, everything is stored in the courtyard my parents bought when they got married.

The day after my parents’ incident, my aunt’s family moved into that courtyard. When I returned, I used the same tactics they employed to frame my parents to send their family and two others to a farm in the northwest. I reclaimed that house and severed ties with my grandmother and my uncle’s family.”