Xu Mo announced that he wouldn’t return to the cowshed to sleep tonight; instead, he would stay to keep his sister and second brother company. Xu An bathed him and then set him on the kang bed, while Xu Ning came over with her needle and thread.

Xu Mo chatted away with his little mouth, sharing the village gossip he had overheard from the older women. His siblings listened, laughing as he boasted.

Xu An had been shy and sensible since childhood, while Little Mo was both clever and thick-skinned. From the village women to children only a few years old, everyone liked to talk with him, and he could always find something to chat about.

He called the village boys his brothers, sweet-talked the women, and even discussed the old anti-Japanese heroes with the village elders—knowledge he had just picked up from his Grandpa Qi and quickly repeated.

After talking so much, Xu Mo grew thirsty. He went to the kitchen, grabbed a cucumber, and said while eating, “Sis, that educated youth Lin gave me milk candy again yesterday. She said I misunderstood her, that she wasn’t trying to take me away to sell me but found me adorable and liked me. So, I took the candy she gave me.

“Then she asked me what our parents used to do. I told her I didn’t remember. She asked where we used to live, whether the place was big, and if there were any fun things nearby.”

“I said exactly what you taught me, Sis,” Xu Mo continued. “I told her that many people lived together and that there was nothing fun nearby—just the older women fighting and cursing every day.”

“Then I asked her if she was going to give me candy every day. Her face didn’t look too good at that moment, so I quickly told her I wanted to eat meat buns.”

“She gave me a sideways glance and said she wanted to eat meat buns too. Then she just left. I saw her today and asked for the meat buns again, but she ignored me.”

Xu Ning looked at the boy, surprised by his ability to think on his feet. She had been worried about Lin Miao constantly hanging around the cowshed, afraid that if she lingered too long, she might discover something suspicious.

That was why Xu Ning had instructed Xu Mo to tell Lin Miao that they had lived in poor conditions and were sent here because of some mistakes. This way, Lin Miao would realize there was nothing to gain and lose interest.

Pinching his little face, Xu Ning smiled and said, “Little Mo, you’re really clever. You handled this beautifully. But remember, always be cautious with what you say, okay?”

Xu Mo responded seriously, “Sis, don’t worry! I understand everything. I won’t say anything careless when I’m outside.”

The next morning, during the roll call before work, the team leader noticed that Gu Wenping, Yang Wenli, Lin Miao, and Gu Wenjing were absent. Sun Hao informed the team leader that the four of them had taken the day off to go into town.

Since it wasn’t the busy farming season, the team leader didn’t make an issue of anyone taking leave. During spring planting and autumn harvest, though, unless someone was too sick to get out of bed or had an urgent matter, taking time off wasn’t allowed for anyone.

Today, Xu Ning was working alongside several other female educated youths. With Lin Miao and Gu Wenjing absent, the team leader reassigned Lin Qiuhua and Liu Fang to work on the plot the two usually tended, which happened to be right next to Xu Ning.

Lin Qiuhua, filled with envy, said to Liu Fang, “Gu Wenping and Yang Wenli’s families sent them bicycle tickets, so they’ve gone to the city today to buy bikes.

Gu Wenping’s family is really well-off. He often receives packages from home.

Gu Wenjing said that his father is a director at a large factory, his mother works in the labor union, and his second sister married the son of the deputy factory director.”

Liu Fang added, “Yang Wenli’s family isn’t bad either. Both his parents work in government, and not just any government—the one in Beijing! I heard his dad is even an official in his department.”

Their conversation was tinged with envy and admiration for a class that was beyond their own reach.

As Xu Ning passed by the educated youths’ houses after finishing work, she noticed two brand-new bicycles parked outside. The smell of meat wafted from the kitchen. Gu Wenjing was inside, wiping down one of the bikes with a cloth. When she saw Xu Ning at the doorway, she gave her a proud glance.

Xu Ning found it amusing and couldn’t understand what Gu Wenjing was so proud of. It was just a bicycle. It wasn’t as if she didn’t have one herself. Besides, the bike wasn’t even hers, so what was the point of showing off?

Rolling her eyes at Gu Wenjing, Xu Ning walked past her. Instead of heading straight home, she decided to go to the small creek at the foot of the mountain to gather some wild vegetables for a change of flavor in her meals.

The creek flowed down from the mountain, and the water was shallow, only reaching an adult’s calves. Xu Ning first washed her face on the bank.

Noticing quite a few small fish in the water, she thought she might try to catch a few using her secret space. She lowered her hands into the water, but the wild fish were too agile. The moment her hands entered, they quickly darted away, leaving her unable to touch any.

Xu Ning then emptied her basket and decided to use it to try catching the fish. She placed the basket downstream, took out half a biscuit from her space as bait, and then went to gather wild vegetables.

After about twenty minutes, Xu Ning quietly returned to where she had set the basket. She grabbed the basket and lifted it up in one swift motion. Several fish hadn’t had time to escape and were left trapped inside.

There were four fish in total. The largest weighed almost a pound, while the others were around half a pound each. Not bad—enough for a special treat.

Xu Ning walked to the cowshed. Seeing that no one was around, she knocked on the door. When Grandpa Qi came out, she handed him one large and one small fish.

When Xu An returned home, dinner was already prepared. On the table were two plates of braised fish, a plate of cold wild vegetable salad, and a pot of mixed-grain rice.

“Sis, did you go fishing today?” Xu An asked.

Xu Ning smiled. “After work, I went to pick wild vegetables and saw some fish in the river. I used the basket to catch a few. Go wash your hands, and let’s eat!”

Xu An washed his hands and was about to serve himself some rice when Xu Ning handed him a bowl she had already filled and gave him a piece of fish with her chopsticks.

As Xu An spit out a fishbone, he said, “Sis, this fish tastes amazing! It’s just a little small, and there are quite a few bones. After school tomorrow, I’ll see if I can catch some bigger ones.”

“This fish is quite clever and not easy to catch. When you go, take some biscuits to use as bait,” Xu Ning advised.

The next day at noon, after school, Xu An, Da Lin, Jianmin, and Er Dan all headed to the creek, carrying large baskets and biscuits, ready to catch fish.

Xu Ning noticed their well-prepared gear and thought, Looks like they’re planning to go all out!

By the time she finished making lunch, Xu An still hadn’t returned. She picked a cucumber from the field and ate it while heading toward the creek.

Just as she reached the cowshed, she heard their voices. Jianmin was shouting, “Er Dan, hold on to that basket! Don’t let it get away!”

Xu An, clearly frustrated, yelled, “Jianmin, you’re telling Er Dan, but look at your own basket! The fish are swimming away right next to you!”

Xu Ning quickened her pace, curious to see how these boys were actually catching fish. When she arrived, she was pleasantly surprised—they were pretty clever with their approach.

The creek wasn’t very wide. Er Dan, Jianmin, and Xu Mo were using their baskets to block the fish downstream, while Da Lin and Xu An were dragging a large burlap sack to scoop them up. Several fish they had caught were already resting in a small pit they had dug on the bank.

Seeing that it was almost time to eat, Xu Ning called out to them, “Time to head back for lunch! You still have school this afternoon, so come again tomorrow.”

Upon hearing that it was time for school, the boys quickly lifted their baskets. They had managed to catch a total of thirteen fish, varying in size. Xu An, Jianmin, and Da Lin divided the fish into five portions, allowing Er Dan and Xu Mo to pick first.

Er Dan, who was eight years old and quite sensible, insisted that Xu Mo go first.

Xu Mo waved his hand and said, “I’m the youngest and put in the least effort, so you guys choose first. Whatever is left is mine.”

Xu Ning noticed that the older boys were still being polite and decided to intervene with a smile. “Alright, no need to be so formal! Everyone take a portion and hurry back. Otherwise, you’ll be late for school this afternoon.”

As soon as Da Lin and Jianmin heard that they might be late for class, they grabbed their fish and dashed off with their baskets. Er Dan, clutching his share, shouted, “Wait for me, Brother Da Lin! Brother Jianmin!”

Xu An also felt a bit anxious and asked, “Sis, what time is it? How long until class starts?”

“There’s still a little time. The food is ready, so you go ahead and eat. I’ll take Xu Mo back,” Xu Ning replied.

Xu Mo took Xu Ning’s hand and said, “Sis, you should take one of the fish I caught to eat. I can catch fish now too! Next time you want some, just say the word, and I’ll go get them for you.”

Xu Ning smiled as she listened to him. She patted his head and said, “Okay, if I want fish in the future, I’ll tell Little Mo. But you can’t go alone, alright? The water can be dangerous. If you go, you need to stick with your second brother.”

Xu Mo obediently nodded and replied, “Sis, I understand.”