Shen Zhixia first went to the orchard on the mountain and picked six peaches. Remembering that she seemed to have heard children’s voices at Battalion Commander Liu’s home earlier, she also took a packet of milk candies.
When she went to get pork, she hesitated for a moment. She had originally wanted to take fresh pork directly, but she was afraid that would arouse suspicion, so she simply took a piece of cured meat weighing about two jin.
After gathering everything, she left for Battalion Commander Liu’s home.
When Battalion Commander Liu’s wife opened the door and saw what Shen Zhixia was carrying, she froze for a moment. Then she hurriedly ushered her inside and chided her good-naturedly.
“You’re too polite, girl. Old Liu and I sincerely invited you over for a meal, yet you even brought things with you.”
Although she said this, the smile on Sister-in-law Liu’s face only grew wider.
After all, people were like that. If you invited someone to your home as a guest and they came empty-handed, the host might not say anything aloud, but would inevitably feel a little put out. If the guest brought something, even just a few candies, it showed that they understood proper etiquette, and the host would naturally be more willing to grow closer to them in the future.
“I brought this cured meat from home when I came. I saw someone selling peaches at the station, so I bought a few. This packet of candy is for the children. I hope you won’t mind, Sister-in-law.”
Sister-in-law Liu accepted the things with a smile and placed them on the table. Her two sons heard that there was candy to eat and both ran over.
“Pretty Auntie, are all these candies really for my brother and me?”
Battalion Commander Liu’s younger son was named Huzi. He had a round, lively-looking face, and the wind and sand of the Gobi had blown his cheeks bright red.
Shen Zhixia had previously read in a book that the wind and sand in the northwest were fierce and the sun harsh, so both adults and children here had red cheeks. It was commonly known as highland red.
Huzi was wearing a black jacket made from the canopy of a broken umbrella. His trousers were made from a white fertilizer bag, and one trouser leg had a hole in it, with the fibers of the fertilizer sack sticking out.
Shen Zhixia smiled and pinched Huzi’s cheek before saying gently, “That’s right. They’re all for you and your brother. Do you like them?”
“I do. Thank you, Pretty Auntie.” Hearing Shen Zhixia’s affirmative answer, the smile on Huzi’s face grew even broader, and the highland red on his cheeks became even more vivid.
“Mom, can my brother and I each eat two—” Huzi held up two fingers, thought for a moment, then lowered one of them and asked, “Can I eat one candy?”
“You little rascal. All you think about all day is eating.”
After pretending to be angry and patting Huzi on the bottom, Sister-in-law Liu took two candies and gave one to each of them.
The moment Huzi received his candy, he grabbed his brother and ran outside.
“You two little rascals, it’s almost time to eat. What are you going out for?” Sister-in-law Liu chased them to the doorway and called out to their already-distant backs.
She received no answer and could only return helplessly.
“Those two boys run wild everywhere all day. You won’t see them again until it gets dark.”
Shen Zhixia replied with a smile, “All children are like that. They’re just lively and active. They’ll be fine once they grow up.”
She could tell that Sister-in-law Liu had raised the two children very well. The older one was a little more introverted and not as rambunctious as Huzi, but he had also thanked her when he received the candy.
Besides, when Huzi had wanted to eat the candy just now, he had asked her first before going to Sister-in-law Liu to get it.
He wasn’t like some children who would simply reach out and snatch things without asking an adult’s permission.
“Girl, go sit on the kang first. I’ll fry one more dish, and we’ll eat right away.” After saying this, she worried that Shen Zhixia might feel uncomfortable, so she turned to Fu Siyu and said, “Little Fu, keep an eye on your wife.”
Sister-in-law Liu cooked quickly. Not long after Shen Zhixia sat down, Sister-in-law Liu came in carrying the dishes.
In this era, few households in the northwest had dining tables. The kitchen was only used for cooking, and ordinarily, the whole family ate together inside the room.
In some places, people put a kang table on the kang and sat there to eat. In others, they simply carried their bowls outside and squatted by the doorway.
Shen Zhixia remembered an amusing incident from a previous trip to the rural northwest. Once, she had passed through a village in Ning Province, and the water she was carrying happened to run out, so she went to a nearby household to ask for some.
The homeowner told her to go to the fire kiln and fill it herself. She listened for a long time without understanding what the homeowner meant by “fire kiln.” In the end, one of the homeowner’s children helped her fill her container with water.
Only after asking did she learn that people in the northwest called the kitchen where they cooked either the fire room or the fire kiln.
Sister-in-law Liu called Battalion Commander Liu over to set up the dining table and arrange the dishes, then beckoned to Shen Zhixia.
“Girl, it’s only a simple meal, so I hope you won’t mind. Come, try my cooking. I don’t know whether you’ll be able to get used to the flavors here in the northwest.”
Shen Zhixia nodded and sat down behind Fu Siyu.
She felt a little more at ease inside.
Fortunately, Battalion Commander Liu’s family had a dining table, so she didn’t have to eat while sitting on the kang.
She had to admit that Sister-in-law Liu’s cooking was quite delicious. The steamed two-flour buns were fluffy and soft, the cold-dressed wild scallions were crisp and not at all earthy, and the cabbage seemed to have been fried in lard, making it especially crisp and refreshing. As for the cured meat she had brought, Sister-in-law Liu had stir-fried it with green onions into a dish. There was also a bowl of egg-drop soup.
In an era when eggs were treated like meat, Sister-in-law Liu had put a great many eggs into the soup. Shen Zhixia estimated that she had used three or four.
After the meal, Shen Zhixia took the initiative to help Sister-in-law Liu clear the table and wash the dishes and chopsticks before following Fu Siyu home.
It was already almost one o’clock. Having spent several days on the train, Shen Zhixia was feeling somewhat listless. Just as her head began to droop and she was about to fall asleep, someone supported her by the shoulders.
She opened her eyes hazily and looked at Fu Siyu. As sleepiness overwhelmed her, she opened her mouth in a yawn, and tears slipped from the corners of her eyes.
Fu Siyu wiped away the tears at the corners of Shen Zhixia’s eyes with the pad of his thumb and supported her toward the edge of the kang.
“If you’re tired, go sleep on the kang first. I made the bed this morning. I used the bedding from my dormitory, so it may be a little thin. Make do with it for now. I’ve already asked one of the village aunties to make a new set of bedding. I’ll be able to bring it back in a couple of days.”
“Mm.” Shen Zhixia nodded drowsily.
The moment her head touched the pillow, she was too sleepy to open her eyes again.
At some point, she seemed to hear Fu Siyu murmuring something beside her, but she didn’t remember a single word.
Shen Zhixia slept for more than two hours before waking up.
When she woke, she looked around but didn’t see Fu Siyu anywhere. Thinking that he had probably gone to the troops, she opened the door and went outside. The sight before her made her slam the door shut with a bang.
After calming herself for several seconds, she opened the door again.
Yellow sand filled the sky. Everything was yellow, and she couldn’t even see the road ahead.
She went back into the room and found the gauze scarf Fu Siyu had brought her that morning. Only after wrapping it tightly around her face did she open the door and go outside again.
The wind and sand outside were too strong. Several times, she nearly got blown over.
She wanted to go out and see what was happening when Sister-in-law Liu called to her from next door.
“Girl, the wind and sand are too strong outside. Stay inside and don’t come out. Little Fu and Old Liu have gone on a mission. The wind and sand blew down the sheep pen at Elder Du’s house in the village, so they took some people to help catch the sheep.”
Because the wind and sand were too strong, Shen Zhixia couldn’t hear the rest clearly; the words came to her in broken fragments.
Just as Shen Zhixia was about to go over and ask when Fu Siyu and the others would return, she heard a loud clatter—