After listening to Lu Xiaotang, Xu Ning felt a pang of heartache, as if something had twisted inside her. She could not imagine the pain and sadness a boy of only sixteen or seventeen must feel upon learning that his parents were in trouble and that a relative had betrayed him.

In her past life, she had cried in secret many times, hiding under the covers when her father ignored her.

Xu Ning walked over and sat next to him, on the small stool that Xiao Mo often occupied. She said, “Brother Lu, don’t be sad. Family relationships also depend on fate. Isn’t everything okay now? The days ahead will be even better. We don’t need to dwell on those who aren’t important to us.” With that, she gently tugged at his hand.

Lu Xiaotang held her hand tightly and smiled at her. “Xiao Ning, I’m not sad. They don’t mean that much to me. If it weren’t for my dad, I wouldn’t even bother with them. What’s really sad is my dad, being stabbed in the back by his own sister.”

Seeing that he didn’t seem to be lying, Xu Ning felt relieved. They both sniffled, and Xu Ning suddenly jumped up when she realized the meat in the pot was nearly burnt. She quickly took it out and put in a new batch to roast.

She then asked, “Are those three still in the capital?”

“Zhen Ting is currently serving in the military at the capital’s military district, Wen Qing works as a clerk in the government, and Ming Yu is a sent-down youth in Xin City, living in the same county as my sister. When I visited my sister two years ago, I stayed with him for a day. Last month, that rascal wrote to me, saying he was dating the village chief’s daughter and asked me to prepare a gift for her.”

He chuckled, “The last time I went, he somehow upset the village chief’s daughter, and she chased him with a fire stick!”

Xu Ning couldn’t help but laugh, “Should we send him some mountain goods or something?”

“No need. That kid has plenty to eat. He’s the only son in his family and replaced his second sister to go to the countryside. His eldest sister was already married, and his second sister didn’t want him to suffer in the village, so she planned to go instead. He disagreed and secretly signed up, only to get beaten by his second sister when he returned. He told her to stay home and find a good husband.”

“His elder and second sisters both married well, and his parents have decent salaries. They send him a good amount of money and food every month. When I visited last time, I wanted to slip him some cash, but he refused, opening a box to show me plenty of canned goods, pastries, and milk powder inside. He even insisted I take some back, saying it was all from his parents and sisters.”

“He proudly pulled out a stack of cash to show me, boasting that he had more money than I did. I thought about giving him a good beating for that, but then reconsidered; it wasn’t right to hit him after not seeing him for so long. Instead, I let him treat me to a meal at the state-run restaurant.”

Xu Ning thought this person was quite admirable—loyal and responsible.

With someone helping to tend the fire, they quickly roasted seven or eight pounds of meat that morning.

Lu Xiaotang told her not to roast anymore, as deer meat was nutritious, suggesting she save it for later. He mentioned he would see if he could catch a wild boar in a couple of days to make some dried pork.

Noticing there were still a few pounds of marinated meat strips left, Xu Ning said, “Let’s finish roasting the marinated strips; there’s not much left.”

Lu Xiaotang then asked, “How’s the village chief in this village?”

“The village chief is quite good and fair. As long as you don’t cause trouble, work honestly, and don’t hold the village back, you’re fine. When we first arrived, the chief saw that Xiao An was young and had him collect pig fodder, giving him two work points each day.”

 “When this house was being built, the village chief helped find people from the village. During those days, he would come by to check on things. Maybe it’s because I sent him gifts, but even though he accepted them, he did a good job. Brother Lu, why are you asking?”

Lu Xiaotang replied, “I’m planning to visit his home. How many people are in his family?”

Xu Ning said, “He has a daughter married in the county, a son, Chen Sen, who just graduated from middle school but didn’t get into high school. He’s working in the village now, and then there’s his younger son, Da Lin—the one who often comes over with Jian Min to see Xiao An.”

Lu Xiaotang chuckled, “You all call him Da Lin? I thought he was the eldest!”

This made Xu Ning laugh. “Da Lin complains that his dad is biased for naming his older brother Sen, which has three ‘wood’ characters, while his name only has two. He’s not happy about it, so he tells everyone to call him Da Lin and his brother Xiao Sen.”

Lu Xiaotang couldn’t help but laugh as well and asked, “What’s Chen Sen like?”

Xu Ning replied, “I’m not sure, but Xiao An often plays at Da Lin’s house. You can ask him when he comes back.”

Just then, Xu An returned from school, asking, “Sister, what’s up?”

Xu Ning replied, “Xiao An, when you played at Da Lin’s house, did you see his older brother? What do you think of him?”

Curiously, Xu An asked, “Sister, why do you want to know? Xiao Sen is pretty nice. Last time I went to their house, Chen Meipo was introducing him to a match, but he turned it down, saying he wanted to wait a few years.”

“It’s nothing; I was just asking. Hurry and put your backpack away, wash your hands, and come eat,” Xu Ning said.

Once Xu An left, she asked Lu Xiaotang, “Brother Lu, are you considering recommending Chen Sen to join the army?”

Lu Xiaotang said, “Let’s see how his character is first.”

After dinner, Xu Ning packed a meat can and a pound of fruit candy into a bag. She informed Xu An, who was washing dishes, that she and Lu Xiaotang were heading to the village chief’s house.

When the village chief opened the door and saw the two of them, he paused for a moment before saying, “Oh, Xu Zhiqing! It’s so cold; what brings you here? Come in and sit down!”

Once inside, Xu Ning smiled and said to the village chief, “Uncle Chief, this is my cousin Lu Xiaotang. He’s serving in the military in Nanshi and is on his way to the military academy in the capital. He wanted to stop by to see me and Xiao An. We know you and Auntie have been very kind to us, so we thought we’d visit.”

As she spoke, she placed the items she was carrying on the table in the main room.

The village chief warmly welcomed them, saying, “You city kids are always so polite. Xu Ning, Comrade Lu, please sit on the kang; it’s warmer there.”

They settled on the kang, and Lu Xiaotang said, “Uncle Chief, Xiao Ning and Xiao An told me that since they came to Yushu Village, you and Auntie have been taking great care of them. You also helped organize the building of their house, and we’re especially grateful to you. We didn’t want to disturb your work during the day, so we thought we’d come in the evening to chat.”

The village chief sighed and said, “It’s not easy for them to come to the countryside at such a young age. We help as much as we can. Besides, Xu Ning and Xiao An are quite capable.”

At that moment, the village chief’s wife came in with a kettle, followed by Chen Sen, who was holding a teacup.