The old Chen family house was a traditional three-sided compound. Facing south, the main hall stood at the north end, with a kitchen behind it and a small yard where the educated youths had planted some vegetables.
The front yard was larger, with two side rooms on the east and two on the west. Over the years, many educated youths had lived here in succession.
Since the college entrance exams were reinstated the year before last, the atmosphere had relaxed. Those who could take the exams did so, and those who couldn’t found ways to return to the city.
Now, only three remained—two men and one woman.
Qi Xiangdong and Zhong Sinian, the two men, occupied two of the east side rooms.
Zhou Quan, the only female educated youth left, lived in one of the west side rooms.
Qi Xiangdong had gone to town today and received his admission letter. He was overjoyed. “I’ll be leaving for university soon. Whatever I can’t take with me, I’ll leave for you.”
Chen Qiaoyu and Chen Qingyang quickly thanked him.
Zhou Quan also tidied up her things and invited Qiaoyu to share her room. “It’s safer for girls to live together.”
Chen Qingyang didn’t take the empty west side room. “I want to room with Brother Xiangdong. He’s an amazing scholar—he got into university.”
Chen Qiaoyu smiled. “Fine, if Comrade Qi agrees.”
Qingyang said happily, “Brother Xiangdong will definitely agree. He’s got a good temper, not like Zhong…”
He caught himself mid-sentence and shut his mouth awkwardly.
Zhou Quan laughed. “Actually, Sinian is a nice person. He just doesn’t like to talk much.”
Everyone helped tidy up. Dusk was falling, and Yu Laifu and his group needed to head back.
Qiaoyu and Qingyang walked them all the way to the village entrance. “Uncle, Brother Jianshe, Brother Jianguo, Uncle Damao, Brother Quankun… thank you all so much. If you hadn’t come today, Qingyang and I wouldn’t have known what to do.”
The men waved it off. “Ah, no need to thank us. You’re half a Xiaolugou girl yourself. Just holler if you need anything!”
Qiaoyu was deeply moved. She knew that both her uncles and her aunt were struggling, which was why she’d rarely troubled them over the years.
But every time she asked, her two uncles and aunt never failed to help.
Not only did they help personally, they also brought others from Xiaolugou Village to pitch in.
Qiaoyu sniffled. “We just moved today, so I don’t have anything to offer everyone. But someday, I’ll properly thank you all.”
Hearing this, Yu Laifu was caught between exasperation and amusement. “Your uncle is right here. Since when is it your turn to thank them? Don’t worry—those fellows won’t miss out!”
Only then did he turn and instruct Qingyang, “Qingyang, you’re a grown young man now. Your uncle can’t take you two back home, so you need to stay alert and protect your sister, understand?”
Qingyang nodded firmly, then remembered something. “Then I’ll sleep in the west side room tonight, right next to my sister, and guard her!”
Yu Laifu looked at his nephew and niece with a pained heart. If only he had even a little more to spare…
After seeing off Yu Laifu, Qiaoyu and Qingyang returned to the old Chen house. Just at the gate, they ran into Yingzi and Dayong, Aunt Jin’s children.
Yingzi carried a basket over. “Qiaoyu, my mom said you just moved today and don’t even have firewood. Cooking would be impossible, so she steamed an extra batch of cornbread. You two eat these first.”
With that, she handed over two bowls. The larger bowl held four cornbread buns. The smaller bowl held pickled vegetable chunks.
She also gave them two bottle gourds, an old pumpkin, and four tomatoes.
“Leafy greens won’t be fresh if picked at night. Come to our place tomorrow to pick some,” Yingzi said briskly.
Qiaoyu took the items, grateful. “Then I won’t stand on ceremony with you and Aunt Jin.”
Yingzi grinned. “Who wants you to stand on ceremony? Mom and I are hoping you won’t! Strangers stand on ceremony. We’re family—why be polite?”
She winked at Qiaoyu, who felt a little embarrassed and didn’t know what to say.
Jin Dayong heard this and called out to Yingzi, “You’re a girl—stop your nonsense! Just give the things to Qiaoyu.”
Yingzi shouted back, “I gave them, I gave them, all given!”
As she spoke, she made faces, leaving Dayong helpless.
Dayong called Qingyang over and pressed two things into his hands. Qingyang felt them. “Eggs?”
“Shh! Just take them. Don’t make a sound.” Dayong wouldn’t let Qingyang speak.
Chen Qingyang had no choice but to shut his mouth.
It was only after Yingzi and Dayong left that Qingyang went to the west side room to find Chen Qiaoyu.
Qiaoyu was tidying up the empty room. When she saw Qingyang come in, she asked, “You’ve decided to stay on this side?”
Qingyang nodded. “I’ve decided. I can study with Brother Xiangdong during the day, but like Uncle said, I need to protect you.”
Then he pulled out the things Jin Dayong had given him from his pocket. “Sis, Brother Dayong gave these to me.”
Qiaoyu took them and looked. “Duck eggs?”
Qingyang held one up to the kerosene lamp and looked at it, somewhat surprised. “I thought they were chicken eggs. They feel small.”
Then he understood. “Brother Dayong raises ducks for the team. Did he sneak these out?”
These were collective property.
Qiaoyu examined them and said, “These eggs are so small—they’re probably wild duck eggs. Brother Dayong must have found them. You should give them back tomorrow.”
Qingyang obediently agreed.
The next morning, Qiaoyu got up early, crept quietly out of the room, and went out to gather firewood.
The stove was from the old house. Zhou Quan had lent her a pot, but she couldn’t keep using Zhou Quan’s firewood.
Fortunately, Yaojiacun was in a good location—with hills and water. As long as there were hills, firewood wasn’t a problem.
The only trouble was that she didn’t have a sickle, which made cutting wood inconvenient. She could only gather fallen branches.
But just as Qiaoyu reached the hill, she ran into someone coming down.
She looked closer. It was Zhong Sinian—the only educated youth from the old house she hadn’t seen yet.
Despite his refined-sounding name, Zhong Sinian was a muscular man with deep-set skin. He looked more like a village laborer than any of Yaojiacun’s young men.
Thanks to Qingyang, Qiaoyu knew the educated youths by sight, though she’d never really spoken to them.
Yesterday’s move had been so rushed that she hadn’t had a chance to greet him.
Now that they’d run into each other, Qiaoyu nodded politely. “Comrade Zhong.”
Zhong Sinian was carrying a full shoulder pole of firewood down from the hill. His gaze swept over the rope Qiaoyu had made from twisted strips of old cloth, and he understood what she was doing.
His expression was indifferent. “Mm.”
And he walked right past her.
Qiaoyu didn’t dare say more. Last night, Qingyang had told her that Qi Xiangdong had received his admission letter, but Zhou Quan and Zhong Sinian hadn’t.
Zhou Quan was only twenty—still young. But Zhong Sinian was probably twenty-three or twenty-four.
If he hadn’t gotten in this time, it would only get harder in the future…
Qiaoyu pushed the thought aside. She wouldn’t meddle in others’ affairs. She kept walking up the hill, gathering whatever firewood she could find.
But too many people came up the hill to gather firewood. And she didn’t dare go deep into the woods alone. After half a day, she’d only collected a small bundle.
Now that she was the only able-bodied worker in her family and still had to go work in the fields, she had to head back.
When she returned to the old house, Qingyang was already up. He quickly said, “Sis, let me gather firewood today.”
Qiaoyu nodded. “Alright, but don’t go into the river.”
All the village kids helped with odd chores. In July and August, they loved to wade into the river to catch mussels. Qiaoyu didn’t let Qingyang go.
“Okay.” Qingyang was obedient. As he helped Qiaoyu light the fire, he casually set the two duck eggs he’d kept in his pocket all night on the stove. “But I still need to go to the river later to find Brother Dayong and return the eggs.”
Qiaoyu glanced at the eggs and agreed.
Then she picked up the kitchen knife she’d borrowed from Zhou Quan, sat down on the threshold of the kitchen’s back door, and started peeling the old pumpkin Yingzi had given them.
Just a moment later—just a moment—when Qiaoyu turned back around and looked at the stove, she froze.
She asked, puzzled, “Qingyang, did you put the eggs right here?”
Qingyang poked his head out from behind the earthen stove, looking just as confused. “Yeah, I did. Why… Hey? Where are the eggs?”