Looking at the dates, the oldest letter had been sent eight years ago, and the newest one just last month exactly one letter every six months. The return address on all of them was the Hebei Provincial Military District.
Perfect. She now knew her sister’s address. After she avenged herself, she could head north to find her sister.
Lin Yinyin first opened the oldest letter. A folded five-yuan note slid out from the letter paper.
In this era, a meat bun cost five cents, and a human life cost fifty yuan. Her sister had just arrived at the military district and had already sent her five yuan at once.
She quickly opened all sixteen letters. Sure enough, each one contained a five-yuan note eighty yuan in total over eight years.
Lin Yinyin felt her nose sting and silently thanked Lin Dayong for being so oblivious.
If he could read, these letters would have long been opened.
She read every letter word by word. Every line was filled with Lin Huizhi’s concern for her little sister.
“Yinyin, it’s cold. Let Mom make you a thick cotton coat. If she won’t, secretly write me a letter, and I’ll send cloth coupons back.”
“Yinyin, when working in winter, don’t wash clothes with cold water—you’ll get frostbite easily.”
“Yinyin, don’t eat all the coarse grain rationed to the brigade. Save some to exchange for fine grain. Your stomach isn’t strong, so eat more millet porridge. I have money.”
“Yinyin, I remember you like red hair ribbons best. Yesterday, I asked the cook’s aunt to buy you two. When you come, I’ll give them to you.”
“Yinyin, don’t stay cooped up in the room. Spend time with the girls in the village. If someone wrongs you, don’t hold it in. Your sister is here.”
“Yinyin, come quickly to the military district. I can apply for a family visit. I’ll take you to eat candied hawthorn in the city and watch the Red Detachment of Women movie. We girls must be brave and strong. Women can hold up half the sky we won’t let anyone bully us!”
…
In the very last letter, her sister even drew a little sun and wrote: “Yinyin, be like a little sun. Eat well, grow up strong. Your sister is waiting for you.”
Lin Yinyin touched the large sun she had drawn, and tears fell without warning.
She realized that the grief in her own heart hadn’t even reached this depth yet.
The remnants of the original owner’s consciousness were deeply moved by this long-delayed care.
Lin Yinyin curled up in the tree hollow with the letters, letting the original owner’s emotions surge out, and cried aloud.
She cried until her throat was hoarse, until her whole body was exhausted, before gradually calming down.
She touched her chest; the heaviness had gone, and she felt lighter.
She thought that the original owner must have been reassured reassured that she would take revenge, reassured that she would go find her sister, and thus could finally leave.
Once her emotions were in order, Lin Yinyin retrieved the big pink pig from her space.
Her space was 100 square meters, with thin air. No living creature could last more than ten minutes inside. Even in the apocalypse, many scientists hadn’t figured out how to upgrade it.
At this moment, the big pink pig had already suffocated. She also pulled out a kitchen knife.
Squatting under the tree, she skillfully bled and skinned the pig.
Her survival experience in the apocalypse made her efficient. In less than half an incense stick’s time, the pig had been cut into eight pieces. She bagged the four legs, slung them over her shoulder, and headed toward Wang Erhua’s house.
The heavy thuds at the doorway startled Wang Erhua into rushing outside.
When she saw the bloodstained bags, her eyes went wide.
What is this?
So much blood… it can’t be Lin Dayong’s corpse, right…?
“Cough, cough,” Lin Yinyin said, seeing Wang Erhua biting her lip and clutching her chest, pretending to be calm. “Aunt Erhua, this is meat.”
“Mm, come in quickly. Don’t let anyone see this way, we might live a couple more days.”
Lin Yinyin: “……Four pig legs, not human, right……?”
“Well, I just ran into a local hunter on the mountain. He caught a pig, and I bought the four legs from him,” Lin Yinyin said, pretending to pat her pocket. “Don’t worry, the money was secretly saved by me. I was craving meat could you help cook it?”
Wang Erhua: ……
Luckily, it wasn’t human.
But the silly girl her eyes weren’t blind.
Who’s pig is pink?
And those stamps on the pig legs still there!
Every village pig was numbered. This number matched Lin Dayong’s household.
Still, she didn’t say anything. Lin Dayong’s pigs were still better than him anyway.
Besides, Lin Yinyin had fed these pigs. Now letting her eat them well, they died worthily!
So Wang Erhua accepted it, lifting the legs to the kitchen.
“These four big legs aren’t light, each over ten jin. Yinyin, you’ve come to the right person for cooking! Back in my grandmother’s day, our family was famous for slaughtering pigs braised meat, stewed offal there wasn’t anything our family couldn’t cook!
Wait, I’ll make you the most authentic braised pork hock!”
Lin Yinyin smiled and agreed, then took a small bag of sugar from her pocket. “Aunt Erhua, add this to the sauce it’ll taste even better.”
“All right,” Wang Erhua said with a smile. Her household had run out of rock sugar anyway.
The firewood burned bright, flames crackling.
Before long, the rich aroma of braised meat filled the kitchen, wafting far through cracks in the windows and doors.
Luckily, everyone had gone to work in the afternoon otherwise, it would attract a crowd.
But still, the smell drew an uninvited guest.
Lin Yinyin sat on a small stool by the pot, elbows on her knees, eyes sparkling as she stared at the lid, not even blinking.
Seeing her craving like this, Wang Erhua couldn’t help laughing. “We’ll take it out soon.”
Lifting the lid, the pork legs in the pot were glossy red, the sauce thick, the meat tender and falling apart. Lin Yinyin squinted.
“So fragrant…”
She couldn’t wait, picking up a chopstick to grab a piece.
“Hot! Hot! Hot!”
Mmm, so delicious!
She hadn’t eaten braised meat in ten years.
“Eat slowly, no one’s going to snatch it!”
Wang Erhua laughed and served a large piece in a coarse ceramic bowl.
“Don’t just eat the meat have some bread with it. Too much fat at once will upset your stomach. I’ll pack the rest for you to eat slowly later.”
Lin Yinyin chewed on the bread, eyes lighting up. “Wait, Aunt Erhua!”
She ran outside.
In no time, she brought back a brand-new red washbasin.
Wang Erhua twitched her mouth.
The brigade leader’s wife had previously bragged about getting a double-happiness red basin.
It was a rare item from the supply and marketing cooperative; in Chaoyang Brigade, only her family had one.
This one was probably from the brigade leader’s house, but Wang Erhua pretended not to know.
She transferred the braised pork hocks into the basin, filling it almost to the brim.
“Yinyin, take it to the yard and let it air out, spread the smell. Otherwise, when everyone returns from work, they’ll smell it.
I still have to handle the other two legs—we can make another pot.”
“All right!”
Lin Yinyin happily carried the basin, but just as she stepped out of the kitchen, she froze.
That man appeared again.
Li Jinye had been drawn by the delicious smell. Seeing Lin Yinyin, he hesitated slightly. “Uh… is this meat for sale?”
“If I’m not selling, then?” Lin Yinyin shot back.
Who was this man anyway?
Always popping up unexpectedly. She hadn’t planned to deal with him, but if he tried to steal her meat no way!
“I’ll pay with money!”
“Not for sale!”
“I’ll trade a watch!”
“Not for sale!”
Li Jinye looked at Lin Yinyin, fiercely guarding her food, and felt a little helpless.
He could have been petty threaten her, and she wouldn’t get the meat.
But he wasn’t that kind of person.
“Cough, cough, I’m investigating something, and this meat is a clue.”
“The person you’re investigating is in Linjia Village?” Lin Yinyin pressed straight to the point.
“Mm.”
“You’re a soldier!”
“Mm.” Li Jinye assumed the little fox had already guessed, so no need to hide it.
“All right. I want that watch on your hand.”