Xu Yang, while eating the food his younger siblings gave him, asked, “Xiao Ning, is this venison? Can you actually buy venison around here?”

Before Xu Ning could reply, Xu An and Xu Mo eagerly started talking about Lu Xiaotang.

Xu An said, “Brother, all of this was hunted by Brother Lu. You have no idea how amazing he is. He’s so accurate with stones that he can hit wild chickens and rabbits, and he uses snares to catch deer and mountain goats. He even managed to kill a wild boar.”

Xu Mo added, “Ever since Big Brother Lu came, we’ve had more meat than we can finish! He even promised to take me hunting in the mountains someday. He made me a slingshot and a little wooden sword.”

Then, showing off the necklace around his neck, he boasted, “And look at this—it’s made from a bullet shell.”

Xu Yang thought to himself, Really? Is it appropriate to praise someone else so much in front of your own brother?

Seeing that the two wouldn’t stop talking, Xu Ning interrupted their chatter. She then told Xu Yang in detail about how Uncle Lu had saved her and Xu An, and the events that unfolded when Lu Xiaotang arrived. She left out the part about the two of them possibly being romantically involved but explained everything else clearly.

Before, Xu Yang had only heard a brief mention of Lu Xiaotang in letters, so while he knew of the man, he hadn’t realized there was such a deep connection.

By the time everyone finished dinner, the sky had been dark for a while. Xu Ning organized some of the items Xu Yang had brought and asked him to take them to the cowshed. Xu An and Xu Mo went along with him, while she stayed at home to wash the dishes and boil some hot water for when they returned.

Xu Ning sat on the kang reading a book while waiting for them. It was around ten o’clock when they finally came back, with Xu Yang carrying a drowsy Xu Mo in his arms.

Xu Ning quickly stood up and said, “Brother, put Xiao Mo on the kang, and I’ll help him change. There’s hot water in the pot—go wash up with Xiao An first.”

Xu An helped undress Xiao Mo and explained, “He insisted on coming along, saying he hadn’t seen Brother in years and wanted to talk to him tonight. So, of course, we had to bring him along.”

Xu Ning smiled and said, “This little rascal sure knows how to get his way with people.”

She playfully tapped his nose and added, “Such a little flatterer.”

Both of them laughed, and on the kang, Xu Mo half-opened his sleepy eyes, glanced at the two of them, and mumbled, “Sister, who are you calling a flatterer?” Then, before they could respond, he closed his eyes again and fell back asleep.

The two people who thought he had fallen asleep exchanged a glance and started laughing again. After finishing washing up, Xu Yang came in and asked, “What are you two laughing about? You both look so happy.”

Xu An smiled and told him what had just happened. Xu Yang laughed and said, “This kid has been clever since he was little. When he was just over a year old, he already tricked Xu Hui, our second uncle’s son.”

As soon as their second uncle was mentioned, the group fell silent. When their grandfather was alive, things were better. But after their grandfather passed away, their second uncle, listening to his mother, cut ties with their eldest brother.

Noticing that Xu Yang’s mood had dropped when their second uncle was mentioned, it was clear he felt a strong connection to him. His second uncle, born to his step-grandmother, was ten years older and often played with him during childhood. Xu Yang had a closer relationship with his second uncle than with his younger siblings, making the severing of ties with the family all the more painful for him.

Xu Ning comforted him, saying, “Brother, family ties also depend on fate. It’s better to cut off people like that early. We just need to live our own lives well. There’s no need to waste energy on irrelevant people.”

Hearing this, Xu Yang smiled and said, “You’re right, Ning. I was overthinking it.”

The next day, after breakfast, a few of them were sitting on the heated brick bed, chatting.

Xu Ning asked, “Brother, how long can you stay this time?”

Xu Yang sighed and replied, “Considering the travel time, I can only stay for seven days.”

Xu Ning sighed as well. With the current state of transportation, half the time was spent on the road.

Xu Mo then asked, “Big brother, what do you do in the army? Have you gotten a position?”

Xu Yang couldn’t help but laugh at his words. “Xiao Mo, your brother is just a regular soldier. I was only recently promoted to platoon leader, which isn’t much of a position.”

Xu Ning, excited, said, “Brother, you’ve only been in the army for three years, and you’re already a platoon leader?”

Xiao Mo, equally excited, asked, “Is a platoon leader higher than a deputy battalion commander? Big Brother Lu is a deputy battalion commander now. Brother, does that mean your rank is higher than Big Brother Lu’s?”

Xu Yang thought to himself… Xiao Mo, have I somehow wronged you? Since yesterday, you’ve been breaking my heart.

Xu Ning quickly explained, “Xiao Mo, big brother has been in the army for a shorter time and is younger than Brother Lu. Brother Lu has been in the military for several years now.”

Xiao Mo nodded and said, “Oh, right. Big Brother Lu has been a soldier for five years, and big brother has only been in for three. It’ll be another two years before big brother can be a deputy battalion commander.”

Xu Yang and Xu Ning exchanged glances, thinking, Xiao Mo, you little heartbreaker. Can we even have a normal conversation anymore?

Xu Ning cleared her throat and was about to speak when she heard a scream coming from the educated youth camp. She prepared to go take a look, putting on her shoes and saying to Xu Yang, “Brother, it sounds like something’s happening at the camp. I’m going to check it out; you and Xiao Mo stay here!”

Xu Yang nodded, having heard the commotion. “You go ahead.”

Xu Ning hurried into the dormitory and saw several young men pushing a cart outside. On the cart lay a person covered with a blanket, with just a head sticking out—it looked like Li Fengjiao. Behind the cart were Lin Qiuhua and Lin Miao.

The remaining people were standing in the courtyard. Xu Ning walked over to Wei Lanlan and asked, “What happened?”

Seeing her, Wei Lanlan pulled her inside, her face full of gossip. “Li Fengjiao just fell and said her stomach hurt. Lin Qiuhua and I helped her onto the heated brick bed, but her cries just got worse, and everyone was scared, thinking she might have injured her internal organs.”

Lin Miao had noticed blood on her long underwear and asked if she was pregnant. Li Fengjiao’s face went pale, and she didn’t say anything. Eventually, she insisted on being taken to the hospital. After discussing it, everyone was worried about the possibility of a serious injury, so they decided to find a cart from the cattle shed to take her to the hospital and sent Ge Hongbin to call the village head.

Xu Ning asked in surprise, “Is she really pregnant? Who is she dating?”

Wei Lanlan nodded and said, “It’s very likely. During the autumn harvest, I often saw her laughing and talking with Chen Jianbing, the eldest son of the village accountant. Lin Qiuhua asked her if she was seeing him, and she said no, that they just happened to greet each other.”

After finishing her explanation, Wei Lanlan sighed. “If she really is pregnant this time, it would be embarrassing for all of us in the youth commune.”

Xu Ning understood that Wei Lanlan was right. In this era, people’s thoughts were very conservative. If something like this happened, it would be a huge scandal, and before long, it would be known by everyone.

Yang Xiaomei came in, rubbing her hands to warm them. Upon seeing Xu Ning, she asked, “When did you arrive? I didn’t see you!”

Xu Ning smiled and replied, “I just got here. I saw you at the door, so I didn’t call out.”

Wei Lanlan asked, “Who all went with them?”

Yang Xiaomei sighed and said, “All the male educated youth went, and only Lin Qiuhua and Lin Miao went from the female educated youth.”

“There was so much blood; it scared me to death. What was she thinking? How could she do something like this? If it gets out, how will she face everyone?”