After a moment, the door opened.
The one who opened it was Wu Xiu, wife of the eldest son, Jiang Hai.
She was about to scold her grandson for running off when she was struck dumb by the sight of Jiang Shan and his son, unable to speak for a long while.
It took her a good while to squeeze out a few words. “You, you two…”
The rest of the words simply wouldn’t come.
Jiang Shan wasn’t calm either.
Eldest Brother Jiang Hai was nine years older than him, and Sister-in-Law Wu Xiu was close in age to his brother. In Jiang Shan’s memory, although she’d always toiled, she’d never looked old.
But seeing Wu Xiu now, aged beyond her years, he’d almost failed to recognize her.
If even his sister-in-law was like this, then what of his eldest and second brothers? What of his own old parents?
For a moment Jiang Shan didn’t know how to begin.
Seeing the two of them at a standstill, Jiang Shu quickly stepped up to greet her. “Eldest Aunt, it’s me, Dashu. You don’t recognize me?”
Jiang Shu’s words finally pulled Wu Xiu out of her shock. “Little Brother, Dashu! It really is you two!!”
Just then, an aged voice rang out from inside. “Ah Xiu, who’s here?”
Hearing the voice, Jiang Shan nearly lost his composure. He couldn’t help calling out, “Dad!”
Inside, Grandpa Jiang heard the voice and exchanged a glance with his old wife, then stood up in agitation. “It’s Dashan and Dashu!”
Wu Xiu came to her senses too. “Little Brother, quick, come in, come in.”
After seeing the cart beside Jiang Shu, she had no time to settle accounts with Jiang Sui and instead instructed, “Suisui, watch the cart out here. Call out if anything happens.”
Jiang Shan and his son walked in, and the moment they stepped inside, a cramped, oppressive feeling washed over them.
There wasn’t a single intact window in the room. A few patched-together plastic and wood boards barely sealed the openings, and light struggled through the gaps, tracing murky beams through the dust-laden air.
A few makeshift large communal sleeping platforms occupied the corner, with patched bedding neatly folded. The bedding surface looked very clean and gave off no odor.
In the middle of the room, around a table missing a corner, sat a scattering of stools of varying heights. On the table lay a few unfinished pieces of weaving.
In one corner were piled a few farming tools, along with some barely-intact household items wrapped in old cloth.
Grandma Jiang had been huddled by the bed weaving handicraft work brought in from outside. Hearing it was her youngest son, she got up at once and hurried over.
“Dashan! Dashu! It really is you!” The old woman gripped Jiang Shan’s arm, tears spilling at once. “I thought I’d never see you again in this lifetime…”
Dashan’s throat worked, and only barely did he hold back the tears. “Mom, Dad…”
Three years apart, his old parents had aged so much, a far cry from the spirited pair in his memory.
Grandpa Jiang’s eyes reddened too, but ever the head of the household, he said, “All right, all right, as long as everyone’s safe. And you, old woman, what are you crying for?”
The old woman glared at him. “I’m happy!”
She wiped at her tears, then anxiously asked, “Why’s it just the two of you? Where are Qingyun and Ah Zhi?”
Jiang Shan: “They’re at home.”
As he spoke, Jiang Shan saw his nephew Jiang Jun sitting at the table.
He was staring vacantly at the ceiling, with no reaction at all to Jiang Shan and his son entering. His right leg had been amputated below the knee, the wound wrapped in bandages so blackened their color was unrecognizable.
And Jiang Shan’s eldest brother, Jiang Hai, was lying on the bed at that moment, unconscious.
Five-year-old Jiang Si was squeezed into a narrow corner partitioned off with a board and a tattered blanket, timidly watching them.
Grown man that he was, Jiang Shan couldn’t quite keep his emotions in check at the sight.
“Eldest Brother and Ah Jun, they…”
At Jiang Shan’s words, everyone present fell silent.
A flicker of despair crossed Wu Xiu’s face, but she quickly reined in her emotions and brought out two short stools. “Little Brother, Dashu, sit a while. I’ll go boil some hot water for you.”
How could Jiang Shan not know what kind of state this household was in? He quickly stopped her. “Eldest Sister-in-Law, don’t trouble yourself. Where are Second Brother and his wife? And how come I don’t see Xiao Wen and Xiao Na?”
Jiang Shan was asking about Second Brother Jiang He’s son Jiang Wen and daughter-in-law Xu Na.
This time the old woman answered for her. “They’ve all gone to work.”
“Come, you two, sit down first, and tell me how you’ve been these past years.”
Jiang Shan composed himself and gave the two elders a brief account, then said directly, “Mom, Dad, Eldest Sister-in-Law, we just got to the base, sold our car, and bought a plot of land in the self-built district. We can’t afford to build a house yet, but we definitely will in time. Dashu and I came this time to bring you all over.”
The words had barely left his mouth when Grandpa Jiang and his wife fell silent.
Beside them, Wu Xiu’s hands faltered, then quickly resumed their busywork.
After a moment, Grandpa Jiang said, “Dashan, it’s good of you to be so filial, but we’re used to living here. If you suddenly move me somewhere new, I’d be the one who couldn’t settle in.”
Beside him, the old woman opened her mouth, but in the end said nothing. “Your dad’s meaning is my meaning too. And don’t mind how shabby it looks here, once you’re used to it, it’s really nothing.”
Listening from the side, Jiang Shu couldn’t hold back. “Grandpa, Grandma, at least draft your lies first. This many people living here, how could it be fine?”
Grandpa Jiang couldn’t keep up appearances. “You little brat, all this time apart and still no respect for your elders.”
Jiang Shu grinned. “Grandpa, drop the polite talk. Before we came out, my mom said: if we don’t bring you all back today, we’re not allowed home.”
Ye Qingyun of course hadn’t said any such thing, but at a moment like this, the two elders needed a bit of exaggerated emotional reassurance.
Grandpa Jiang’s face darkened. “If anyone’s going, let your grandma go. I’m not going, period.”
How could the old woman let him treat her little grandson that way? “You old fool, fine, don’t go, but why so fierce? Dashu, pay him no mind, that’s just how he is, the older he gets, the more he’s like a stone in a manure pit, acting like everyone’s dying to have him.”
Of course Jiang Shu knew what the two elders were thinking.
For all that he seemed careless, he was actually quite sharp.
His grandparents didn’t want to drag them down, and they couldn’t bring themselves to abandon Eldest and Second Uncle, that was why they refused.
It probably wasn’t just Grandpa Jiang who’d misunderstood, even Eldest Aunt likely thought they only wanted to take the old folks over, assuming they’d just been too embarrassed to say so outright.
Jiang Shu was about to explain when Wu Xiu suddenly spoke up. “Mom, Dad, Little Brother is a filial one, and we really can’t all fit here. Why don’t you two elders go live with them? I can manage on this end.”
Hearing this, Grandpa Jiang’s temper flared at once. “I’m not going! I’m staying right here! Don’t anyone think about making me leave!”
Afraid Grandpa Jiang’s words would wound their son and grandson, the old woman quickly explained, “Your grandpa’s temper, once it’s up, he’s stubborn as a mule. Don’t take him seriously.”
Jiang Shu grew anxious. “Aiya, what are you all doing? Our place has three hundred mu of land, more than enough for four generations of the Jiang family to live in. Grandpa, what are you being stubborn about?”
Grandma Jiang and Grandpa Jiang exchanged a glance and hesitated. “You mean… your eldest and second brothers come over too?”
Jiang Shu: “Of course! Eldest Aunt and Second Aunt treated us so well before, how could we split up?”
“Besides, look at the times we live in. There’s safety in numbers. There are only a few of us, we can’t even go out to handle something without someone to watch the house.”
After Jiang Shu finished, Jiang Shan looked at Wu Xiu. “Eldest Sister-in-Law, Qingyun said she can’t manage on her own, and wants you and Second Sister-in-Law to help out more. And Suisui and Sisi, we watched them grow up too. Living together, we can look out for one another.”
“With Eldest Brother and Ah Jun in their current state, how could I, as a younger brother and uncle, just stand by and do nothing?”
“Back then it was thanks to you all that I had the chance to go to the city for school. Now that our whole family’s finally reunited after so much hardship, how could we split apart again? I, Jiang Shan, am not one to forget my roots.”
Wu Xiu’s composure cracked all at once. The pressure she’d borne this past year was easy to imagine.
The father and son hadn’t wanted to drag the family down, and had wanted to end it all, and hadn’t she felt the same way? Watching the two elders and Second Brother’s family suffer for their sake every day, she didn’t even know what face to put on when she met them.
If not for the two children at home, she truly couldn’t have held on.
“I…” Wu Xiu’s voice was terribly hoarse. “I… I was afraid of dragging you all down!”
She’d held that line in too long.
Seeing Wu Xiu cry, Jiang Si grew frightened and started crying too, throwing herself into Wu Xiu’s arms. “Grandma, don’t cry…”
Jiang Shu’s heart ached fiercely. He still remembered how, when his parents weren’t around in his childhood, it was Eldest Aunt who’d stayed up night after night soothing him.
“Eldest Aunt, don’t be afraid. We’re really capable, we can definitely make Eldest Brother and Eldest Uncle better.”
He couldn’t reveal Jiang Zhi’s situation, but given their current circumstances, there was still real hope of changing Jiang Hai and his son’s condition.
Saying this now was just to give Wu Xiu a bit of hope.
Sure enough, Wu Xiu’s expression brightened a few degrees. “Dashu, is that true?”
After asking, she couldn’t help looking to Jiang Shan, hoping to find some confirmation in his face.
Jiang Shan didn’t make any guarantees. “We’ll all work at it together as a family. There’s always a way.”
The hopeful look on Wu Xiu’s face dimmed again.
Jiang Shan added, “Eldest Sister-in-Law, don’t think so much. Ah Jun like this, living here is too oppressive, it’s bad for his condition. Come back with us today. Qingyun and Ah Zhi are already getting things ready.”
Wu Xiu looked hesitantly toward Grandma Jiang.
Seeing that her youngest son, though thinner and darker than before, was in good spirits, proof these years hadn’t been too unbearable, the old woman gritted her teeth and made up her mind. “All right, we’ll listen to you. We move today! Ah Xiu, go tell Ah He and his wife, have them bring Ah Wen and Xiao Na back.”
Jiang He and his wife went every day to take on city-wall construction work to pay off their debt, if they were willing to grind it out, each could earn fifty or sixty points a day.
Jiang Wen and Xu Na, one worked as a clerk at a secondhand shop in the self-built district, the other as a weaver in a small cloth workshop a base resident had opened.
Grandpa Jiang was beside himself. “Old woman!”
“What are you hollering about!” Grandma Jiang wasn’t the least bit cowed by him. “We’ve been apart from Dashan for three years. Do you have any idea how I’ve gotten through these three years? Now that we’ve found them, all I want is for the whole family to be together! Call me selfish if you like, either way I’m leaving with Dashan today.”
Afraid the two elders would quarrel themselves into trouble, Jiang Shan hurriedly persuaded, “Dad, Mom’s right. We finally found you after all this, there’s no sense in staying apart any longer. Listen to Mom. Moving over, we’ll all be able to look out for each other.”
Grandpa Jiang heaved a few heavy breaths, then waved a hand, not wanting to say more.
Jiang Shan knew this was the old man conceding.
Grandma Jiang said to Wu Xiu, “Well? Off you go.”
Wu Xiu, somewhat overcome, answered and went out the door.
Whatever else, the fact that their household hadn’t been cast aside was an enormous stroke of luck.
She hadn’t married the wrong man after all.
The Jiang family, every one of them, were people of heart and loyalty.
While they waited for Jiang He and the others to return, Jiang Shan and his son didn’t sit idle, helping the two elders pack up.
By now the sky had darkened, and they had to hurry the move along.
Tiny as she was, Jiang Si pitched in too, seeing the grown-ups busy.
Jiang Shu teased her as he packed. “Sisi, do you still remember your uncle? You used to like me best.”
Jiang Si hesitated, then said softly, “Liar. I don’t even remember you.”
Jiang Shu burst out laughing.
Three years ago Jiang Si had only been two, of course she wouldn’t remember.
“Then would you be willing to come with Uncle first? Uncle will take you and your brother over to Auntie’s place first, on that cart outside.”
Jiang Shu had long noticed the little girl sneaking peeks outside.
He’d come to understand: this rather unimpressive-looking flatbed cart of theirs was a hot item in the base, much coveted.
Even children wanted to climb on and sit, you only had to look at Jiang Sui outside.
It was just that Jiang Si was timid and hadn’t dared bring it up.
Sure enough, Jiang Si’s eyes lit up. “Really?”
“Really.”
Jiang Si pressed her lips together. “Then I’ll ask Great-Grandma. If she agrees, I’ll go with you.”
Grandma Jiang, listening from the side, laughed. “Dashu, you still love teasing kids as much as ever.”
She stroked Jiang Si’s little head. “Go on, go on, Sisi, you go over first with your brother Sui. Remember your manners, and greet people properly, understand?”
Jiang Si nodded. “I know, Great-Grandma.”
As it happened, Jiang Shu had already packed a cart of luggage. He set the two children on top of the load. “Hold on tight, now. I’m not responsible if you fall off and start bawling.”
Jiang Sui was the braver one, knowing they were moving, a bit of a smile appeared on his face. “I’m not scared, Uncle. I’ll take good care of my sister.”
Jiang Shu gave him a big thumbs-up. “Knowing to look after your sister, the kid’s got a future!”
Jiang Sui broke into a shy smile.
By the time Jiang He’s family of four hurried back, Jiang Shu happened to be pulling a cart of luggage back to the tent.
The moment she got off the cart, Jiang Si nervously eyed Ye Qingyun.
She had no impression of Ye Qingyun at all.
Jiang Sui quickly coached her, “Sisi, call her Great-Aunt.”
Jiang Si, both frightened and hopeful, finally called out in a tiny voice, “Great—Great-Aunt…”
“Aiyo, Sisi’s such a good girl.” Ye Qingyun happily scooped Jiang Si up. “Let Great-Aunt look at you, our Sisi’s getting prettier and prettier, just a bit thin. Tonight Great-Aunt will make you something good.”
It was Jiang Si’s first time meeting Ye Qingyun, and she was still a little afraid, but seeing how kind the woman was, she worked up her courage and said, “Great-Aunt, I eat very little… Could you save the good food for my dad and grandpa? I, I can work!”
Jiang Sui quickly added, “Great-Aunt, I want to save my share for Grandpa and Dad too.”
Looking at the well-behaved great-niece and great-nephew, Ye Qingyun felt a sting in her nose.
This wretched world, look how it had pushed the children to this.
She forced a smile. “Good children, don’t worry. Your dad and grandpa will have some too.”
“Now then, you two, will you help Great-Aunt watch the fire?”
The siblings looked at each other, and gradually smiles spread across their faces.
The two of them nodded hard in unison. “Okay!”
＊
When Jiang He and the others got back and saw Jiang Shan, they were beside themselves.
They’d heard about the move from Wu Xiu on the way.
Jiang He was an honest man, always afraid of being a bother to his little brother.
He rubbed his hands. “Dashan, us coming over too… won’t it be too much trouble for you?”
Jiang He also looked much older, the lines on his face pronounced, with a careworn cast at first glance.
Jiang Shan pushed down the bitterness in his heart and said with a smile, “We’re family. What trouble? It’s just that our house isn’t built yet, once the materials are all in hand, I’ll still need your help, Second Brother.”
Jiang He had always been a craftsman, skilled at every kind of handwork. All the furniture in the old Jiang household had been made by him, and whenever anyone in the village needed a house built, they liked to call on him to help.
Jiang Shan, by contrast, although a construction engineer, wasn’t actually as good with his hands as Jiang He.
Jiang He waved a hand. “What’s that worth mentioning? Just call on me.”
Beside them, Jiang Wen, not seeing the Jiang siblings, asked, “Little Uncle, where are Dashu and Ah Zhi? How come I don’t see them?”
Jiang Shan smiled. “Dashu’s hauling the luggage over, he’ll be back soon. Your cousin Ah Zhi and Auntie are at home sorting things out.”
The Jiang children had all grown up together, and had always been close.
Jiang Wen let out a breath and, saying no more, helped his wife Xu Na with the packing.
Jiang Wen had only just married three months before the great catastrophe.
His wife Xu Na’s family was from another province, and contact had been cut off just like that, now she had only the Jiang family to rely on.
Twelve people, yet not much in the way of usable belongings, truly, for the sake of Jiang Hai and his son’s treatment, the family had sold everything sellable.
Once Wu Xiu returned the rental room, everyone set off for the self-built district.
＊
Jiang Zhi knew nothing of what was happening on the Jiang family’s end. She just mulled over Liu Xu’s earlier words as she walked back.
She still had several hundred grams of tusked-rabbit tooth powder. Given how severe Liu Xu’s radiation sickness had been, just thirty grams had cured her, and had even cleared up the other problems in her body. So in the same situation, the dose could probably be even smaller.
—She just didn’t know what state her cousin and eldest uncle were in, or whether this tooth powder could cure them.
By the time Jiang Zhi got home again, the Jiang family had already finished moving in.
Ye Qingyun and Wu Xiu were cooking dinner outside the tent, using the big iron pot the Jiang family had brought over.
Near the main hall of the tent, a simple mud stove had been built at some point.
One look and Jiang Zhi knew it was Second Uncle Jiang He’s handiwork.
When the siblings were little, they’d often played at building sweet-potato kilns during winter break, and the kiln-building skill had been taught to them by Jiang He himself.
Jiang Wen was the first to spot Jiang Zhi. His face lit up and he waved at once. “Ah Zhi!!”
Jiang Zhi was overjoyed and trotted over. “Brother Wen!”
Looking at the several elders behind him, Jiang Zhi was stirred inside, and greeted each one, finally turning to the two Jiang elders. “Grandpa, Grandma…”
Grandpa Jiang had doted on Jiang Zhi since she was little, thinking her as clever as himself. Seeing her now, he couldn’t hide the smile on his face. “Good child, from now on you’ll have to bear with living together with us old folks.”
Jiang Zhi said earnestly, “Not the least bit of bearing. I love being together with everyone.”
That tickled the old man into beaming. “Good, good, good, Grandpa’s good granddaughter.”
Grandma Jiang took Jiang Zhi’s hand too, studying her closely, and finally said with a pang, “You’ve gotten thin. Your mom said you all lived out in the wild these years, that’s far too hard.”
Feeling the calluses on the old woman’s hand, Jiang Zhi said coquettishly, “Then Grandma should make me lots of good food from now on, and fatten me up.”
The old woman had never been able to resist Jiang Zhi acting cute, one bit of it and she’d agree to anything. “Don’t worry, my cooking’s no worse than your mom’s. As long as we’ve got the means, Grandma will make whatever you want.”
Reunited after so many years, the Jiang family seemed to have endless things to say.
Jiang Shan had been thinking the whole time about Eldest Brother Jiang Hai and his son’s condition.
So Ye Qingyun sent Jiang Zhi to go check on the two of them.
The others didn’t yet know that Jiang Zhi had something that could cure the two, they only took it as Ye Qingyun teaching the child to care about family, and thought nothing of it.
Jiang Hai lay unconscious on the air mattress, kept alive by weekly relief injections and nutrient drips at the infirmary. Over the year, he’d wasted away beyond recognition.
And Jiang Jun, having lost his leg, had lost all will to live.
Day after day he muddled along, tormented by the radiation toxin, his responsiveness declining steadily. By now, outside stimuli could no longer rouse any reaction from him.
Jiang Zhi examined them for a while, then let out a breath.
The two of them were mainly suffering from radiation toxin, the tusked-rabbit powder should be able to cure them.
The pity was that Cousin Jiang Jun’s leg was probably beyond saving.
“Ah Zhi, when you have a moment, talk with your cousin. He’s lucid for very little of the day now, and there’s no telling what’ll become of him…” Grandpa Jiang’s tone was heavy.
He was a doctor himself, and knew his eldest son’s condition, that his leaving was only a matter of time. But to watch his son and grandson go, helpless, was something he couldn’t bear.
Jiang Zhi stood up and, choosing her words, said, “Grandpa… I have a kind of powder that should be able to save Eldest Uncle and Cousin.”
The words had barely left her mouth when Grandpa Jiang shot to his feet. “What did you say!?”
It wasn’t just the old man, the whole Jiang family thought their ears had failed them, and stared at her in disbelief.
“I said, I should be able to save Eldest Uncle and Cousin.”
At this, Jiang Shan frowned and looked at Ye Qingyun.
Ye Qingyun gave him a reassuring look.
Grandma Jiang was so worked up she could barely speak straight. “Ah Zhi, you’re not lying to us?”
“It’s true.” Jiang Zhi thought a moment, then said, “But I don’t have much of that powder. Once it’s used up, there won’t be much left.”
In fact there should still be plenty left, but Jiang Zhi understood the principle that holding a treasure invites blame.
Frozen by Jiang Zhi’s words, Wu Xiu suddenly snapped to. Her lips trembled. “Ah Zhi, Ah Zhi… I…”
She wanted to say something, but her body shook badly, her head as if struck. Clear-headed as she was, wanting to beg her great-niece to save her husband and son, the words reached her lips and simply wouldn’t come.
How could she not know how precious this medicine was?
In this world, never mind ordinary people, even the most powerful figures in the base scrambled after any medicine that could treat the radiation toxin.
You could say that with medicine like this, in this man-eating world, you had one more life in your pocket.
That they could even stand here today was already her branch of the family taking advantage. How could she open her mouth to ask for more…
As if she knew Wu Xiu’s struggle, Jiang Zhi spoke first. “Eldest Aunt, you don’t need to say anything. I’ll definitely save Cousin and Eldest Uncle.”
Wu Xiu covered her mouth, sobbing. A thousand words finally came down to just one. “Thank you… thank you… Ah Zhi…”
This past year, Wu Xiu had borne the most pressure in the family, caring for Jiang Hai and his son, while also looking after the two little ones. Now that there was hope, everyone was happy for her from the bottom of their hearts.
Jiang Zhi felt a little uncomfortable, but she’d always been good at handling scenes like this, and for a moment didn’t know what to say.
Jiang Shu came to her rescue at just the right time. “Ah Zhi, what are you waiting for? Hurry and feed it to Eldest Uncle and the others.”
“Okay.”
Jiang Zhi took out the ground tusked-rabbit powder and fed it to Jiang Hai and Jiang Jun separately.
Jiang Hai was unconscious, and it took Jiang Zhi several tries to barely get it down.
Looking at everyone’s expectant eyes, Jiang Zhi pressed her lips together and said, “You should be able to see the effect by tomorrow.”
Afraid Jiang Zhi would feel too much pressure, Grandpa Jiang spoke up. “All right, all right, even a miracle drug can’t take effect instantly. Everyone, go about your business, don’t all crowd here.”
Hearing this, everyone understood Grandpa Jiang’s meaning, and of course agreed, dispersing to their own tasks.
Even Wu Xiu went out to help with the cooking, glancing back every few steps.
With the family’s numbers grown, Ye Qingyun had arranged all four of the tent’s compartments.
Their own family of four took one room, eldest son Jiang Hai’s family took the room that had been Jiang Shu’s, and second son Jiang He’s family took another, with a curtain between, so that the daughter-in-law Xu Na would feel less awkward living there.
For the remaining living room, the two elders volunteered, saying young people valued their privacy while the two of them, being old, had no such qualms, the living room suited them just fine.
Before, with no means, they’d naturally just made do however was convenient, but now that they had the means, the elders wanted the young people to live more comfortably.
Afraid there wouldn’t be enough beds, Jiang Shan and the other men in the family dismantled the old Jiang household’s wooden plank beds and remade them into temporary bed frames.
The household’s resources were reintegrated.
Although the Jiang family hadn’t had much, they’d had all the essentials, pots, bowls, ladles, and such weren’t lacking, so Ye Qingyun didn’t need to buy anything extra.
Ye Qingyun and her two sisters-in-law washed vegetables and cooked outside. Ye Qingyun was head chef, while Wu Xiu and Jiang He’s wife, Yuan Ying, handled the fire and the washing.
Counting heads, Ye Qingyun put in a full six jin of highland barley as the staple, mixed with some foxtail millet.
Seeing so much grain, Wu Xiu and Yuan Ying were both alarmed.
Yuan Ying quickly said, “Qingyun, we won’t eat much, don’t waste the grain.”
The two of them weren’t unreasonable people.
While packing up earlier, they’d both seen the third branch didn’t have much grain.
Eating at this rate, no amount of grain would hold up.
Ye Qingyun smiled. “Both of you, relax. We’re only being lavish today. With the whole family reunited, we have to eat well no matter what, consider it for the sake of a good omen.”
At this, the two of them stopped trying to stop her.
The family really couldn’t afford oil, so Ye Qingyun didn’t plan to stir-fry anything.
She minced the river shrimp and river-clam meat into a paste, formed it into meatballs, and boiled them over high heat. Once the savory flavor had cooked out, she switched to low heat and added shredded shepherd’s-purse leaves.
Before long, the fresh fragrance of the leaves and the savory taste of the river shrimp came bubbling up out of the soup.
This past year, the Jiang family had eaten nothing but vegetable porridge and mush every day, and it had been ages since they’d tasted anything besides wild vegetables and highland barley.
Now, smelling this aroma, everyone couldn’t help swallowing.
The youngest, Jiang Si, drooled outright. She tugged at Grandma Jiang’s sleeve. “Great-Grandma, what’s Auntie cooking? It smells so good…”
Grandma Jiang smiled and pinched her cheek. “Great-Grandma doesn’t know either. Smells like seafood.”
“What’s seafood?”
“Seafood…” Grandma Jiang turned wistful. “It’s creatures that live in the sea.”
Jiang Si was puzzled. “In the sea?”
She was so young that before the catastrophe she’d never even left the village, and after the catastrophe she’d had even less chance to see the outside world.
Grandma Jiang didn’t explain further. Seeing Jiang Sui gazing longingly outside, she said, “Go on, go play outside with your sister.”
Jiang Sui cheered and immediately ran out with Jiang Si.
The two little ones didn’t go anywhere, they just crouched in front of the stove, eyes glued to the pot.
Wu Xiu felt a little embarrassed. “Suisui, you child, why’d you bring your sister over too? Off, off, go play elsewhere.”
Ye Qingyun just found the pair adorable. She beckoned to them. “Come here, Suisui, Sisi, come over to Great-Aunt.”
Jiang Sui looked at Wu Xiu, and seeing his grandma wasn’t angry, led his sister over.
Ye Qingyun scooped two meatballs out of the pot, blew on them, and fed one to each of the children.
The meatballs were still a bit hot, but that couldn’t mask the tender sweetness of the shrimp.
Jiang Sui hissed through his teeth. “Ssss—Great-Aunt, it’s so good…”
The sweet, soft, smooth texture made the two little ones reluctant to swallow right away, they savored it in their mouths, letting the flavor wash over them, before swallowing with great reluctance.
Ye Qingyun smiled and asked Jiang Si, “How is it, Sisi, tasty?”
Jiang Si nodded hard. “Tasty. It’s the most delicious thing Sisi’s ever eaten! Great-Aunt, your cooking is amazing.”
Ye Qingyun couldn’t help laughing.
This little one.
Jiang Shu wasn’t having it. He ran out with a bowl, calling, “Mom, Ah Zhi and I want a taste too!”
Jiang Zhi: …She hadn’t said a single thing. Her brother was just afraid of getting scolded and was dragging her down with him.
Ye Qingyun said sourly, “A grown man and still greedy for food.”
That said, she scooped out two for them anyway.
Then she called over to Jiang Wen, who was working nearby. “Ah Wen, Xiao Na, come have a taste too.”
Jiang Wen answered with a smile, “Auntie, I’ll pass. When you’ve finished cooking, I’ll just eat a couple extra.”
Ye Qingyun didn’t press him.
Jiang Shu wasn’t pleased, it made him look so greedy.
He pinched up the remaining meatball in his bowl and stuffed it straight into Jiang Wen’s mouth. “Second Brother, just have a taste. There won’t be enough to go around later.”
Jiang Wen had no time to refuse. The moment the taste buds on his tongue touched the soft, smooth shrimp, he couldn’t bear to push it back out.
The long-missed taste of meat spread across his tongue, every strand releasing a rich, mellow fragrance.
It had been so long since he’d eaten meat.
His long-unmoistened taste buds greedily drank in the flavor of the meat. In that moment, Jiang Wen felt every delicacy in the world paled before it.
“…Delicious.”
Seeing Jiang Wen swallow, Jiang Shu was finally satisfied.
He simply didn’t believe anyone could resist the temptation of meat at a time like this!
Ye Qingyun didn’t play favorites, since she’d started, she gave everyone a meatball to try.
“Just take the edge off your hunger first. There’s more good food coming.”
Originally Ye Qingyun had been fretting over what to do with that half jin of fish scales. While packing earlier, she’d seen there was still plenty of aluminum foil.
So she washed the fish scales clean, wrapped them in foil, and pushed them into the wood-burning stove, planning to dry the moisture out of the scales with high-heat slow-roasting.
The scales looked hard, but they weren’t heat-resistant. After fifteen minutes the outer layer had curled up, and the elastic inner layer turned gelatinous. Bite into it, and the outer layer was crackly while the inner layer was as soft and chewy as rice cake.
After twenty minutes of roasting, Ye Qingyun sprinkled on a layer of special seasoning, and in an instant it gained a savory edge.
Yuan Ying grew curious. “Sister-in-law, is this the river-clam shell you had us grind earlier?”
Ye Qingyun had just had her two sisters-in-law grind the river-clam shells into powder and mix it with salt, turning it into a seasoning.
Ye Qingyun freely admitted it. “That’s right.”
This was a secret recipe of the Ye family.
Yuan Ying marveled, “The old man always used to praise your cooking. Now I’ve finally seen it for myself.”
Wu Xiu moved her eyes from Jiang Hai and his son inside the tent, a smile gracing her face.
“In our family, only the old lady can compare with Qingyun.”
Ye Qingyun smiled. “I’d say Mom’s cooking is better than mine.”
After all, she’d been busy with work before and rarely fussed in the kitchen. It was only after bringing the Jiang siblings to the city that she’d started cooking some.
In terms of experience, she was no match for Grandma Jiang, she just had a bit more cleverness, that was all.
The slow-roasted fish scales had a domineering flavor, the aroma drifting out a hundred meters at once, even people next door poked their heads out to look.
Jiang Shu wouldn’t leave either, crouching at the stove with Jiang Sui and his sister, watching eagerly.
“Mom, you’ve still got it! With conditions like these you can still make dishes this fragrant, truly Chef Ye!”
Ye Qingyun said sourly, “Jiang Dashu, aren’t you something. Your brother and sister-in-law are all working, and you’ve got the nerve to just sit here!”
Jiang Shu countered righteously, “How am I not working? I’m looking after Suisui and Sisi, aren’t I!?”
Ye Qingyun made as if to hit him. “Don’t you go teaching the kids bad habits!”
Wu Xiu: “Qingyun, let the children stay if they want. They’ve been tired out all day.”
Jiang Shu immediately climbed up the pole. “Exactly, exactly.”
Jiang Shu grinned and took the hits and scoldings, but simply wouldn’t budge. There was nothing Ye Qingyun could do but let him be.
They had the most velvetleaf fruits. Eaten raw they were crisp and refreshing, so Ye Qingyun sliced them up, tossed them with blanched shepherd’s-purse stems, and made a cold dish.
Fortunately there was still some instant-noodle seasoning left, and sprinkled on it gave a full flavor, salty, sweet, smooth, and crisp.
Two whole big basins of it, looking very appetizing.
There weren’t many snail eggs, and Ye Qingyun had never dealt with this stuff before.
But after mutating, the snail eggs turned white once cooked, just like eggs.
Ye Qingyun tasted one, no odd smell, much like the old egg whites, so she decided to make them braised.
With limited conditions and no spices on hand, Ye Qingyun made a simplified version, using the light and dark soy sauce she’d traded for from her neighbor Ma Hongyan to make a broth base. She put the snail eggs in to braise for an hour, and that was that.
Finally, Ye Qingyun used the calamus rhizome to make a mush.
Four dishes and a soup, with a balance of meat and vegetables.
A spread like this, by today’s standards, was already New Year’s treatment.
Never mind the children, even Jiang Shan and his brothers couldn’t help glancing toward the stove.
Ye Qingyun scooped out three small portions of fish-meatball soup and handed them to Jiang Shu. “Go, take some over to the neighbors.”
Jiang Shu muttered, “Only three. Which house do I take them to?”
The fish-ball soup was generous in portion, but with so many of them, it wouldn’t hold, he was already worried there wouldn’t be enough to eat.
Ye Qingyun tossed out, “Take it to whoever you take a liking to.”
In the end Jiang Shu chose Ma Hongyan’s household and the Zhang family next door, coming back with two jin of wild vegetables and a plate-sized ear of corn in return.
For the last portion, Jiang Shu was still hesitating over who to give it to when a young man walked out from the house up ahead.
Jiang Shu paused. Seeing the man look his way, he remembered what he’d come to do.
He held up the portion of fish-ball soup and a small bowl of crispy fish scales. “Uh, we’re having a family gathering today, seeing as we’re neighbors, here’s a little something for you.”
After saying it, Jiang Shu felt a little put out.
He didn’t usually act like this, it was just that the man before him had such an overpowering aura it had thrown him off.
Turning it over in his mind, this household seemed to be that hard-to-deal-with Lin family Auntie Ma had mentioned before?
Had Jiang Zhi been there, she’d have recognized the man before them as Lin Yuan, the one who’d rested next to them that afternoon.
Lin Yuan was about to refuse when Elder Lin came hobbling out on his cane. “Thanks, lad. You’re the Jiang family that just moved in, aren’t you? We caught a whiff of that good smell just now, so it was you making something tasty.”
Unlike Lin Yuan, Elder Lin came across as amiable. He said to Lin Yuan, “Xiao Yuan, it’s their kind gesture, we can’t refuse. Take it. Go fetch some of the vole meat we got today and give it to the lad.”
At the mention of vole meat, Jiang Shu’s eyes lit up, and he played along smoothly. “Grandpa Lin, my name’s Jiang Shu. You can call me Dashu.”
It was rare for Elder Lin to meet someone unafraid of him and his grandson, and he laughed heartily. “Good, good, good, Dashu. If you’ve got good things to eat in the future, you can come trade with us.”
The Lin family was a famous big meat-eating household in this area.
Lin Yuan was capable and often hunted edible mutated animals, so everyone knew his family never wanted for meat.
Lin Yuan might look hard to deal with, but surprisingly he was very obedient to Elder Lin.
At Elder Lin’s word, he turned and went inside to fetch a piece of vole meat, which he handed to Jiang Shu.
Taking it, Jiang Shu reckoned it weighed about two jin, and feigned hesitation. “Aiya, how could I take this? Meat’s so precious now!”
He said he couldn’t, but his hands were anything but slow.
Elder Lin smiled, eyes crinkling. “I’m giving it to you, so take it. In our hands this meat is just meat, anyway.”
Jiang Shu raised an eyebrow.
He glanced at the unsmiling Lin Yuan and said with a grin, “Then thank you, Grandpa Lin. Once my mom cooks this meat, I’ll bring some over for you to try.”
Elder Lin didn’t answer, just watched him with that smile.
Jiang Shu now had a sense of things. He said his goodbyes and left.
Once Jiang Shu was gone.
Lin Yuan said disapprovingly to Elder Lin, “Grandpa, if you want meat, I’ll just make it for you. Why go and—”
Before he could finish, Elder Lin shot him a sidelong look. “Like what you make is edible?”
Lin Yuan: “…”
“If all else fails, we can take it to someone to cook for us.”
Back inside, Elder Lin took a sip of the fish-ball soup and said with satisfaction, “Even so, it wouldn’t come out tasting like this.”
Lin Yuan felt a bit helpless.
The old man was usually such a shrewd one, but the moment food was involved he turned into a mischievous old child.
＊
Jiang Shu came back happily carrying the two jin of vole meat. “Mom, look what I brought back.”
Ye Qingyun was just doing the finishing touches. One look and she was startled. “Which household gave you this?”
Jiang Shu: “You’ll never guess which one.”
Ye Qingyun: “So which household, then?”
“It’s that Lin family. Didn’t Auntie Ma say they often get to eat meat? Turns out it’s true!”
Ye Qingyun grew displeased. “How could you take something this valuable? This looks like two or three jin, and what we sent over was hardly anything.”
Knowing his mom set great store by etiquette, Jiang Shu explained, “It’s not all for our family. That Elder Lin probably took a liking to your cooking.”
At this, Ye Qingyun said in surprise, “You mean, I make an extra portion and send it over later?”
“That’s exactly it.” Jiang Shu grinned and leaned in, angling for praise. “How about it, your son did a solid job this time, didn’t he?”
Ye Qingyun couldn’t help laughing. “All right, all right, stop pestering me. Carry the dishes in, it’s time to eat.”
Jiang Shu cheered and called out toward the next room. “Dinner’s ready!”