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Chapter 18 ☆ Buckwheat Flour Steamed Bread
The sunset gradually appeared in the sky. The wind carried the heat and fragrance of plants, mixed with the grassy scent and a hint of sweat from Xie San.
Xie San pedaled vigorously, and the Phoenix brand bicycle moved steadily along the road. His ragged coat flapped in the wind, and Cheng Yaoyao, seated on the back, held onto the hem of his coat. The small patch of skin exposed by the cloth was warm and seemed to be glowing.
Cheng Yaoyao, swinging her legs from the back seat, glanced at Shen Yan and Cheng Nuonuo. The two figures grew smaller and smaller, eventually becoming tiny dots in the distance.
Cheng Yaoyao laughed so hard that she almost fell backward, her belly aching from the laughter. The drama between Shen Yan and Cheng Nuonuo was so amusing, they could be comedians.
Cheng Yaoyao’s laughter stopped when the bike hit a pothole, causing a rough jolt that nearly made her fall off. Luckily, Xie San grabbed her just in time and pulled her back.
Her heart was pounding as she held onto Xie San’s strong wrist. She heard him quietly say, almost to himself, carried by the evening breeze: “Can you just listen for once?”
Cheng Yaoyao patted her chest, tightly grasping the hem of Xie San’s clothes, and dared not move.
The warmth in her hands faded as Xie San adjusted his grip on the handlebars and focused on riding.
Recent rains had left the road full of potholes and ruts from oxcarts. The seemingly flat road was full of traps, and with a delicate person in the back seat, Xie San was cautious of every bump, recalling how soft and delicate Cheng Yaoyao felt.
After maneuvering around puddles, Cheng Yaoyao asked curiously, “Brother Xie San, you’re so good at riding a bike. When did you learn?”
Xie San replied calmly, “I rode it twice while helping others.”
“You have long legs and are so skilled after just two tries,” Cheng Yaoyao said enviously. “I also want to buy a bike so I don’t have to walk so much while working in the soybean fields.”
“In the future?” Xie San’s eyes shifted slightly. Will there be a future for them? His fingers tightened around the handlebars as he said coldly, “You shouldn’t come again in the future.”
“Why?” Cheng Yaoyao asked, puzzled.
Xie San looked ahead, his gaze steady. “If you come with me… it could harm your reputation.”
“Didn’t I scold Shen Yan and Cheng Nuonuo? What’s wrong with being with you? I know you’re a good person,” Cheng Yaoyao said as she moved closer to Xie San, expressing her loyalty.
The bike braked suddenly, and Cheng Yaoyao bumped into Xie San’s back due to inertia. Pain made her eyes water. She covered her forehead and was about to scream when she noticed Xie San’s intense gaze, which frightened her.
Cheng Yaoyao, slightly scared by Xie San’s look, lowered her hand, her forehead flushed red, and her expression delicate. “What… what happened?”
Xie San stared at Cheng Yaoyao for a long time, his jaw clenched as if struggling with inner turmoil. Finally, he said solemnly, “Don’t think I’m a good person. You don’t know anything… Forget it. I’ll tell the captain to tell you not to come again tomorrow.”
“Why?!” Cheng Yaoyao, feeling hurt and confused, asked repeatedly. “Do you despise me for not being able to work? I’ve been working hard to learn, and didn’t you praise me for sowing seeds neatly this afternoon?”
Cheng Yaoyao grew more upset as she spoke, “I don’t want to work in the paddy fields. Leeches are so scary. The bite on my leg still hurts. If you don’t believe me, just look!”
As Cheng Yaoyao began to lift her trouser leg, Xie San abruptly shouted, “Stop!”
Cheng Yaoyao froze, her lips turned down, her eyelashes fluttering rapidly as she neared tears.
This was the most effective weapon. Xie San’s resolve wavered, and he turned his gaze away. Struggling to soften his tone, he said coldly, “I’m thinking of you. Being involved with me isn’t good for your reputation.”
Cheng Yaoyao hurriedly replied, “I don’t care.”
“I care!” Xie San growled, his brow furrowed.
Cheng Yaoyao looked at him blankly, a drop of water hanging from her black, curly eyelashes like butterfly wings, her face filled with confusion.
Xie San turned around, calmed down, and whispered, “If you don’t want to go to the paddy fields, take some things to the village party secretary and ask him to find you a new job.”
Cheng Yaoyao sniffed, realizing that Xie San was giving her instructions. She said plaintively, “Before I change jobs, can you let me go to the soybean field with you? I really don’t want to go to the paddy fields to plant rice anymore. Leeches are so scary.”
Xie San didn’t answer immediately; he simply pushed off and rode his bicycle back onto the road. Cheng Yaoyao, not getting a response, kept asking, “Is it okay? Is it okay?? I promise I won’t be lazy tomorrow. I’ll work hard and make a beggar’s chicken for you.”
In the fiery red glow of the evening, the reeds swayed as if dancing, and Cheng Yaoyao’s delicate voice was sweet yet tinged with persistence, like honey wrapped in poison—known to be dangerous, but hard to resist.
After a long pause, Cheng Yaoyao’s face fell when she didn’t hear Xie San’s answer. Finally, she heard his low, cold voice: “Okay!”
The word was short and firm, as if he were getting impatient with her persistence. Cheng Yaoyao’s eyes lit up with joy, and she smiled without saying anything more.
When they reached a deserted spot at the entrance of the village, Xie San stopped and let Cheng Yaoyao get off first. Cheng Yaoyao, anxious that Xie San might not take her to the fields the next day, obediently walked away.
Back at the educated youth camp, the others had finished work and were making a fire. Seeing Cheng Yaoyao, they all gathered around her, concerned about her well-being, inspecting her as if she were afraid she was missing any limbs.
The educated youths had heard about Cheng Yaoyao and Xie San working alone in the fields. Several male educated youths expressed righteous indignation, saying, “Don’t worry, Yaoyao. We’ve already decided to go to the team leader’s house tonight to confront him. How could he let you go to the soybean fields alone with Xie San? It’s like sending a sheep into a tiger’s den!”
Cheng Yaoyao’s expression turned cold. “Who are you talking about? Xie San and I are just working in the fields. What’s the problem? Explain clearly!”
Seeing her anger, the male educated youths hurriedly backtracked. “No, no, Yaoyao, we’re just concerned about you.”
Han Yin and Zhang Xiaofeng pulled Cheng Yaoyao aside and said, “We’re worried about you. Don’t you know that female educated youths in other villages…”
Han Yin whispered several concerns into Cheng Yaoyao’s ear, adding, “This isn’t a joke!”
Cheng Yaoyao rubbed her ears and raised her voice, “Don’t worry. I’ll be careful. Since the captain allowed me and Xie San to work together, he must trust Xie San’s character. If anything happens to me, he’ll be responsible. Besides, even though Xie San has a difficult background and has family responsibilities, he wouldn’t dare do anything out of line. I’ll be working with him, and we’ll keep to ourselves.”
Cheng Yaoyao’s reasoning somewhat alleviated everyone’s concerns. She emphasized, “Don’t go looking for the team leader! The soybean field is a bit far, but I really don’t want to plant rice anymore. I was almost bitten to death by leeches today!”
The educated youths responded with complaints, “Leeches are so scary. I’ve been bitten several times!”
“We’re already low on nutrition, and after losing so much blood, I don’t know how much good food we’ll need to replenish it.”
Han Yin even joked, “I think Yaoyao’s blood is sweeter, which attracts mosquitoes and leeches.”
Cheng Yaoyao pinched her arm and said, “Shut up.”
Cheng Yaoyao went into the house to shower, changed into clean clothes, and came out with her hair loose.
A group of people were sitting or lying in the yard, complaining of hunger. When they saw Cheng Yaoyao, they asked, “Yaoyao, didn’t Cheng Nuonuo and Shen Yan go to look for you? Why haven’t they returned yet? They’re waiting for Cheng Nuonuo to cook!”
Cheng Yaoyao replied calmly, “They came to pick me up, but since they only had one bicycle, they showed their Lei Feng spirit and let me ride back first while they walked.”
Han Yin looked down on Cheng Nuonuo and said, “Tsk, those two are so annoying. But even if you leave, you should come back, right? It’s getting late.”
As dusk fell, Cheng Yaoyao raised her eyebrows. It should take at most an hour to walk from the soybean field. Were those two alone…?
Tonight’s dinner had no meat—just a bowl of mushroom soup, a bowl of mixed wild vegetables, and two steamed buns per person.
The fine grains at the educated youth camp had run out. Now, they used three parts corn flour and seven parts buckwheat flour to make steamed bread, steaming a pot of it every morning and giving two to each person for each meal.
The young men were poor, and with so much daily work, two steamed buns alone weren’t enough to fill their stomachs. That’s why they preferred to work hard every day—during busy farming seasons, the brigade cooked a big pot of rice at noon. The food prepared by Cheng Nuonuo gave them strength, and they’d rather die of exhaustion than starve.
There were big and small steamed buns. Before Cheng Nuonuo and Shen Yan returned, the large steamed buns in the basin had been taken. With the fragrant mushroom soup and wild vegetables, everyone ate heartily, even sweeping up the crumbs that fell on the table and licking them off their palms.
Han Yin ate while commenting, “Yaoyao, the wild vegetables you mixed are really delicious—no bitterness at all!”
Cheng Yaoyao asked in surprise, “Why are you so hungry?”
A young man, chewing a steamed bun, replied, “I was starving before 4 o’clock. I don’t know why I’m so hungry today!”
Han Yin added, “Today, we had cornmeal steamed bread and fried mushrooms in the cafeteria. Cheng Nuonuo’s cooking didn’t turn out well, so I got hungry quickly.”
Others agreed, saying they felt hungrier than usual, probably due to the hot weather and their high energy expenditure.
Cheng Yaoyao raised her eyebrows as she listened, chewing the steamed bread. The buckwheat and corn flour steamed bread, once cooled, became quite rough, so she had to chew slowly and drink some mushroom soup to help swallow it. This steamed bread, made by Cheng Nuonuo in the morning, didn’t have the same satisfying taste.
Cheng Yaoyao had eaten beggar’s chicken and grilled mushrooms earlier, so she wasn’t very hungry. She broke off half a steamed bun, intending to give it to Han Yin, but then decided to secretly hide it in her lunch box when no one was looking, and went back to her room.
Later that night, when everyone had gone to bed, Cheng Nuonuo quietly returned and slipped into the room. Zhang Xiaofeng, half asleep, asked, “Why did you come back so late?”
Cheng Nuonuo whispered, “I… I met some educated youths from Shanghai in the next village and chatted with them for a while.”
“Oh.” Zhang Xiaofeng, exhausted from the day, didn’t think much of it and quickly turned around to fall asleep again.
Cheng Yaoyao opened one eye. Cheng Nuonuo lay quietly in bed under the moonlight, without doing anything suspicious. Cheng Yaoyao turned over and went back to sleep with her lunch box. She needed to plant soybeans the next morning.
***
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