The village chief’s wife beamed at Xu Ning and said, “Xu Zhiqing, this is your cousin! He is truly impressive.”

Both Lu Xiaotang and Xu Ning planned to rise and greet her, but the village chief and his wife urged them, “Sit down, sit down, don’t be polite.”

After the initial pleasantries, Chen Sen placed his cup on the table and took the kettle from his mother, pouring water for everyone. He said, “Comrade Lu, Xu Zhiqing, have some hot water to warm up.” The two accepted their cups and thanked him.

The village chief introduced Chen Sen as his eldest son, and after exchanging greetings, Chen Sen settled down beside his father.

Lu Xiaotang quietly observed him, noting his proper posture and clear gaze.

Xu Ning asked the village chief’s wife, “Auntie, where is Da Lin?”

“That little rascal went to Jianmin’s house to play after dinner. He won’t be back until it’s time for bed. At least your little An is sensible,” she replied.

Xu Ning chuckled, “Auntie, it’s because we live far from the village. If we were closer, he could visit your house ten times a day!”

They chatted about family matters while the village chief listened with a cheerful smile.

Lu Xiaotang turned his attention back and asked, “Brother Chen, are you still in school?”

Chen Sen scratched his head and replied with a smile, “My studies aren’t very good. I didn’t get into high school, so I stopped going. Now I help my father with the farm work at home.”

Lu Xiaotang continued, “Have you thought about doing something else?”

Hearing this, the village chief felt a spark of interest and said, “In our rural family, we don’t have many options. What can we do?”

Lu Xiaotang took a sip from his teacup and said, “Uncle Chief, would you be willing to let Brother Chen enlist in the army to serve the country?”

The three of them lit up at his words, and the village chief excitedly asked, “Comrade Lu, do you have a way?”

The village chief’s wife and Chen Sen looked at him with hopeful expressions.

Lu Xiaotang thought for a moment and said, “Being a soldier is very tough and can be dangerous. If Uncle and Aunt agree to let Brother Chen go and he is willing, I can recommend him.”

Chen Sen immediately declared, “Comrade Lu, I’m not afraid of hardship. Please recommend me!”

The village chief chimed in, “What isn’t hard these days? Comrade Lu, we would appreciate your help with the recommendation!”

The village chief’s wife nodded in agreement.

Lu Xiaotang said, “Since both Uncle and Aunt have agreed, I’ll check on when the recruitment will be and let Xiao Ning notify you.”

The family happily thanked Lu Xiaotang and Xu Ning as they prepared to leave.

As they were about to go, the village chief’s wife insisted on sending the items they had brought back with them.

Xu Ning laughed helplessly as she held his hand, saying, “Auntie, what are you doing? There’s not much here. This is just a small gesture from my cousin and me. If you insist on us taking this back, do I also have to return the big beans that Da Lin brought me last time?”

The village chief’s wife replied, “Those vegetables are homegrown and aren’t worth much. Da Lin has been eating at your house too!”

Seeing that this wasn’t going anywhere, Xu Ning said, “Alright, Auntie, I’ll take them back.”

After saying this, she exchanged a glance with Lu Xiaotang. As the village chief’s wife loosened her grip to hand over the bag, they suddenly darted away. She stood there, mouth agape, momentarily stunned.

Once they were outside the village, Lu Xiaotang laughed and said, “The village chief’s wife is truly warm-hearted.”

Xu Ning couldn’t help but chuckle, “Most villagers are pretty nice. What do you think of Chen Sen?”

“His gaze is clear; he doesn’t seem like a bad person. But since we’ve only met briefly, it’s hard to say.”

Xu Ning nodded and asked, “If he were to make a mistake, would it affect you?”

Lu Xiaotang laughed and said, “Of course not! I’m just making a recommendation to ensure he isn’t replaced by someone else. As for whether he gets enlisted or which unit he joins, that’s up to the recruitment office. Ultimately, it will depend on his own abilities.”

Xu Ning replied, “That’s good to hear.”

Lu Xiaotang took her hand and walked slowly forward, saying, “With you all behind me, how could I put myself in a precarious situation?”

Xu Ning asked, “Do you know when the recruitment will be?”

“The last time I went to the county town to buy coal, I spoke with my uncle’s comrade. He helped me with the coal rations, and he mentioned that recruitment will begin next spring. I just need to give him a heads-up,” Lu Xiaotang explained.

When they returned home, Xu An hurriedly jumped off the kang and urged them to sit down. He then went to the kitchen to fetch bowls and made each of them a cup of sweetened water.

Once they finished their drinks, he pushed a plate of peeled pine nuts that he had prepared earlier onto the table for them to enjoy.

Xu Ning picked up a few pine nuts to eat and asked, “Is Xiao Mo not coming today?”

Xu An took the bowl from his sister and replied, “I just asked him. He said he will be staying with Grandpa Qi today.”

“Big Brother Lu, what did you and my sister go to the village chief’s house for?” Xu An inquired.

Xu Ning explained, “Oh, it’s nothing much. Brother Lu has been here for a while, and he heard that the village chief takes good care of us. We just went to sit and chat for a bit.”

After staying at home for two days, Lu Xiaotang planned to make another trip up the mountain. He would be going back soon and wanted to stock up on more meat for them.

Since Xu An hadn’t had his break yet, Xu Ning wanted to go with him.

However, noticing the darkening sky and the thick snow, Lu Xiaotang decided against taking her along. He shouldered his backpack, grabbed his machete and rope, and headed up the mountain.

As Xu Ning and Xu An watched him walk away, they exchanged glances and sighed.

Xu Ning looked at the venison and rabbit meat they had pickled a couple of days ago and asked Xu Mo to help start a fire. She planned to smoke the meat in the pot so that Lu Xiaotang could take it to the capital later.

When Lu Xiaotang returned, he was carrying a silly roe deer in one hand and had several wild chickens and rabbits in his backpack.

Xu Ning quickly took the deer from him, poured a bowl of warmed ginger water from the stove for him to drink, and then sat down on the kang.

After dinner, while they were chatting on the kang, Xu An asked, “Big Brother Lu, are we still going up the mountain this Sunday?”

“Yes, let’s see if we can catch something bigger,” he replied.

Xu Ning hurriedly interjected, “Brother Lu, we already have so much meat. There’s no need to go back up the mountain!”

Lu Xiaotang handed her the peeled pine nuts and said, “It’s fine to go one more time. Next month, Xu Yang and my sister are coming, and with so many people, we’ll need plenty of supplies.”

Xu Ning replied, “But we have enough food at home, look at all the grains and meat we have!”

Lu Xiaotang chuckled, “I already promised him last time that I’d take him around the outskirts, not deep into the mountains.”

Xu An chimed in, “Sister, let us go! Big Brother Lu and I can get some wild chickens and rabbits and be back.”

Xu Mo, sitting nearby and munching on pine nuts, watched the exchange and concluded, “In this round, Brother Lu and Second Brother have won.” (T/N: Xu Mo is just too funnyyy xD)