When they arrived in the county town, Xu Ning first went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some salt, kerosene, and candles. The tickets that Lu Xiaotang had brought were about to expire, so she used them today as well.

Today, Su Hongying was not at work, and Xu Ning did not linger there for long. Worried about missing Xu Yang, she went to wait by Old Chen’s ox cart.

She waited until Old Chen decided to head back, but she still hadn’t seen him. Xu Ning felt a bit disappointed and realized she would have to come back tomorrow.

When Xu An returned home, he saw Xu Ning cooking alone and asked, “Sister, didn’t you pick up Big Brother today?”

Xu Ning served the noodle soup and replied, “He didn’t arrive; he probably got delayed on the road. I’ll go check again tomorrow.”

Xu An exclaimed excitedly, “Sister, you stay home tomorrow, and I’ll go pick up Big Brother!”

“Alright, you can go. Tomorrow I’ll tidy up at home. Don’t wander off; just wait by Grandpa Chen’s ox cart. Otherwise, you might miss Big Brother,” Xu Ning warned him, feeling a bit uneasy.

“Don’t worry, Sister! I won’t wander off!” As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Mo walked in from outside. After looking around the room and not seeing anyone, he remembered to ask his sister, “Sister, didn’t you pick up Big Brother today?”

Xu Ning smiled when she saw him looking around the room. “Big Brother didn’t arrive today. Tomorrow, your second brother will go to pick him up. Have you eaten yet?”

Xu Mo nodded and sat down at the table. “I can eat a little more. Sister, just get me another bowl of noodle soup.”

Seeing his eager expression, Xu Ning took a small bowl and served him a little soup.

The next afternoon, when Xu An arrived with Xu Yang, Xu Ning was in the cellar getting vegetables. When she spotted the military-green figure at the door, she was momentarily stunned.

Realizing who it was, she immediately dropped the vegetables on the ground and rushed over, calling out, “Big Brother!” As soon as she said it, she felt tears streaming down her cheeks.

Xu Yang’s eyes also turned red as he said, “Sister, you’ve worked hard these past few years!”

Xu Ning shook her head and replied, “It wasn’t hard, Brother. Come inside quickly.”

Xu Yang walked into the small house and surveyed the tidy space. Everything was arranged neatly. On one side of the kitchen, there was a wooden rack built against the earthen wall. The bottom shelf held several large jars covered with lids, making it impossible to see what was inside. The second shelf contained various jars and sacks, while the top shelf stored some seldom-used items.

Noticing that Xu Yang was still holding his luggage, Xu Ning hurried over and took it from him. “Brother, quickly put down your luggage and sit down to rest. I’ll go cook you a bowl of noodles.”

Xu An had also prepared some water for washing his face. Xu Yang washed his face first, tidied himself up, and sat in the kitchen, watching the two of them.

Xu An tended to the fire while Xu Ning added the already rolled noodles to the pot. She tossed in a few cabbage leaves, grabbed a small basin, and filled it with the noodles. Then, she retrieved the meat sauce they had made previously and scooped several spoonfuls into the bowl.

She placed the bowl on the table and said, “Brother, eat some noodles to fill your stomach first. I’ll make you something delicious for dinner later.”

Xu An chimed in from the side, “Brother, hurry and eat! We have plenty of meat at home. Tonight, Sister and I will prepare a great meal for you. My cooking skills have improved a lot!”

Xu Yang looked at the bowl filled to the brim with noodles and topped with a thick layer of meat sauce. His eyes felt warm, and he said nothing as he lowered his head and began to eat heartily.

Xu Ning ladled out the remaining bowl of noodles from the pot for Xu An to eat.

After finishing their meal, the siblings sat on the kang and chatted. Xu Ning first explained the situation at home and in the cattle shed, as well as the conflict she had with Lin Miao and the others.

“Brother, when Brother Lu left, he mentioned he would have someone check into their backgrounds when he returns to the Capital. So, you should be careful when you go to the cattle shed tonight,” she advised.

After thinking for a moment, she recounted her conversation with Old Chen from yesterday to Xu Yang.

Xu Yang pondered for a moment and replied, “Tomorrow, I’ll visit the village chief’s house, just as you suggested. You two can say that you came to the countryside secretly without telling Mom and Dad. And because they’re too busy to take care of things here, Brother Lu and I take turns coming to check on you whenever we can.

Xu Ning looked at Xu Yang, who stood about six feet tall, with a handsome and upright demeanor. In her memories, he had looked like a big boy before joining the army, but now he resembled a tough soldier. He was also quite intelligent; he could grasp things quickly. It was clear that there were no fools in their family.

“Brother, let Xiao An go with you tomorrow. Go there during the day. You don’t have to avoid people when talking.” Xu Ning suggested.

Xu Yang understood immediately. This plan was to let everyone in the village know about their arrival, which would prevent any speculation about why they had come to the countryside at such a young age. It was simply because they were filled with youthful enthusiasm.

Glancing at the time, which was still not yet three o’clock, he said, “Tomorrow, Xiao An has school. Why don’t we go now? I have some things in my bag that you can take.”

“There’s no need to bring anything. The village chief wouldn’t want it anyway, and besides, it wouldn’t look good in broad daylight,” she replied. She also mentioned that Lu Xiaotang wanted to recommend his son for military service.

Xu Yang nodded. Just as the two brothers were preparing to head out, Xu Mo came over. They exchanged warm greetings, and by the time the two were ready to leave, half an hour had passed.

Xu Ning began to prepare dinner. The wild chicken soup on the stove had been simmering for quite a while. She planned to cook some venison, stir-fry some cabbage, and steam rice, which would be just about right.

Xu Mo helped with the fire, and the siblings worked quickly. By the time Xu Yang and Xu An returned, the food was nearly ready.

The two of them helped bring the dishes to the kang table. Xu Ning instructed the three to eat first while she finished stir-frying the cabbage and then joined them.

Everyone insisted on waiting for Xu Ning to join them for the meal, but stir-frying the cabbage was quick work. A few minutes later, the siblings all sat down together.

Xu Ning first served a bowl of rice for Xu Yang, while Xu An placed a piece of venison onto his elder brother’s plate. Xu Mo added a chicken leg to Xu Yang’s bowl as well.

As Xu Yang looked at the rice and meat in his bowl, then at his siblings sitting together and their parents living nearby, he felt his eyes welling up with emotion. The sight of the whole family gathered neatly touched him deeply.

He picked up some meat for each of his siblings and said, “You all behave well. Now, eat up!”

He then shared with Xu Ning what he and Xu An had discussed with the village chief. “When Xiao An and I arrived at his house, he was chatting with a few men and seemed a bit surprised to see us. After I explained everything to him, he and the others looked a bit stunned when they heard our story. In the end, they all praised you for being so sensible, saying that even at such a young age, you know how to contribute to the country.”

Hearing this, Xu Ning couldn’t help but laugh. She realized that she had inadvertently become a topic of conversation in the village: Xu Zhiqing, who brought her younger brother to the countryside in secret, responding to the call of the nation to help build rural communities. It was quite impressive.

However, she couldn’t help but wonder if she was being a bit foolish. Why leave a good life in the city to sneak away to the countryside at such a young age? It did seem a bit reckless.

Xu Yang watched her and felt a pang of discomfort. His sister’s reputation was at stake for the sake of safety, and with their family’s current situation, it would be difficult for Xiao Ning to find a decent husband in the village in the future. “Xiao Ning, I’m sorry you had to go through this.”

Xu Ning dismissed his concerns, saying, “Brother, it’s no trouble at all. You don’t know how much hassle this saves us. As long as our family is well, that’s all that matters.”

Xu An chimed in, “Sister, I’ve grown up too. I’ll help share the burden with you from now on.”

Xu Mo glanced at everyone and, acting like a little adult, added, “Brother, Sister, let’s eat first. The dishes are getting cold, and we can talk more after we finish eating.”

Seeing him like that, the others couldn’t help but laugh.