The three were chatting happily when Yun’s mother came over carrying two steaming bowls of coarse-grain porridge. Wisps of steam curled through the freezing cowshed, bringing a trace of warmth to the air.
“Come, it’s time to eat.”
Her voice carried a hint of relief beneath her exhaustion. After setting down the bowls, she hurried off to fetch the other two.
Yun’s father, Yun’s mother, and Director Zhang held their bowls and ate with relish. Although the coarse-grain porridge was rough and unappetizing, to them, it was precious food that could fill their stomachs.
Yun Yixuan looked down at the porridge in her hands and frowned slightly. She cautiously took a sip, only for the coarse texture to scrape painfully against her throat. She forced herself to swallow a few more mouthfuls, but eventually found it too difficult to continue.
Silently setting down her bowl, she watched the other three devour their food and felt a complicated mix of emotions.
She knew that life in the 1970s was difficult, but she had never imagined poverty could be this severe. This simple, meager meal was all the family had.
After saying goodbye to her parents, Yun Yixuan set off for the educated youth compound.
The narrow path was rugged and uneven, with barren fields and thin, leafless trees lining both sides. Their branches trembled beneath the bitter winter wind.
As she walked, Yun Yixuan contemplated her plans for the future.
She wasn’t short of food, but in an era when almost every kind of material good was scarce, having food alone was far from enough. She needed to find a way to make money.
She clearly remembered what had been written in the novel. It was now late December 1976, less than a year before the national college entrance examination would be reinstated in September 1977. Before the examination resumed, Yun’s father and mother would also be rehabilitated and allowed to return to the capital.
Before that happened, Yun Yixuan had to make sure the three of them had enough food and warm clothing and wouldn’t suffer from illness.
The original Yun Yixuan was eighteen years old and had graduated from high school. She needed to find some high school textbooks and start reviewing them. She had to take the college entrance examination and fight for a better future for herself and her family.
Most importantly, she couldn’t allow her medical skills to go to waste. She needed to find an opportunity to put them to good use.
Suddenly, Yun Yixuan thought of the original owner’s mother, Jiang Shu, who was a doctor, as well as Director Zhang Hengzhi, who was also living in the cowshed.
An idea immediately formed in her mind.
Becoming an apprentice was an excellent option. With her mother and another highly skilled master guiding her, she would have the perfect explanation for her medical abilities. She could fully display her talents and eventually become a top-notch doctor.
Lost in thought, Yun Yixuan soon arrived outside the educated youth compound.
The compound before her was terribly rundown. Its entrance gate looked as though it might collapse at any moment, while the uneven mud walls surrounding the courtyard weren’t even as tall as a person. The houses, unmistakably characteristic of the 1970s, looked especially shabby and impoverished.
She stepped into the courtyard and stared at the muddy ground with discomfort.
Did she really have to live here for an entire year?
Dragging her feet, she entered the female educated youths’ room.
The interior was dimly lit and filled with a damp, musty smell. Including Yun Yixuan, there were six female educated youths living here. In an era with practically no nighttime entertainment, the other five women had already gone to bed early.
Yun Yixuan’s sleeping spot was on the far-right side of the large heated brick bed.
She climbed onto it and unfolded her quilt, only to be greeted by countless large patches covering its surface. There were even several places where light could shine straight through the fabric.
It was pitifully thin.
Yun Yixuan sighed.
With a quilt this thin, it would be a miracle if she didn’t freeze and catch a cold.
Her determination to make money as quickly as possible grew even stronger. No matter what, she had to give her parents a better life.
With these thoughts running through her mind, Yun Yixuan eventually drifted into a deep sleep amid the bitter cold.
The sky had barely begun to brighten when Yun Yixuan woke from the freezing temperature.
Winter in the Northeast was simply too cold. Once awake, she couldn’t fall asleep again.
The other female educated youths were still sleeping. There was no farm work to do during winter in Dadong City, so everyone was accustomed to staying indoors and waiting out the cold season.
Yun Yixuan put on her thin cotton-padded jacket, which was covered with patch upon patch. After washing up briefly, she left the educated youth compound.
Having read the original novel, she knew there was a large mountain near Weijia Village Production Brigade in Hongqi Town.
She planned to explore the mountain and see whether she could find any valuable medicinal herbs. Perhaps she could even earn her first sum of money from them.
As she walked, she took a steamed bun from her space and ate it, then drank several mouthfuls of milk. In this impoverished era, food like this was extraordinarily precious.
The mountain was desolate.
Most of the trees had lost all their leaves, leaving only bare branches that twisted wildly in the cold wind.
Yun Yixuan searched the mountain carefully, refusing to overlook even the smallest corner.
It was nearly noon when she finally found a small amount of achyranthes root.
Achyranthes was a commonly used medicinal herb in traditional Chinese medicine. Its root was the medicinal portion and was best harvested during winter. It could promote blood circulation, relieve pain, clear the meridians, and strengthen the muscles and bones.
Seeing that lunchtime was approaching, Yun Yixuan pressed the peach blossom mark behind her ear and took a slaughtered and cleaned chicken out of her space.
She carefully stuffed it into the woven sack containing the medicinal herbs.
Then she hurried down the mountain.
Fortunately, during the harsh winters of the Northeast, most people stayed home to escape the cold, so there were very few people on the road.
Yun Yixuan glanced left and right. After making sure no one was around, she quietly slipped into the cowshed.
Both her parents were there.
Yun Yixuan pulled out the chicken and handed it to her mother with a smile.
“Mom, let’s stew this with the wild mushrooms for lunch.”
Her actions immediately startled both her parents.
They stared at Yun Yixuan in astonishment, their eyes filled with confusion and concern.
“Xiaoyi, where did you get this?” her father asked quietly, his expression both wary and puzzled.
Yun Yixuan had already expected them to ask.
Maintaining a serious expression, she calmly explained, “Dad, Mom, don’t worry. When I went up the mountain to gather medicinal herbs, I found it inside a pit. A hunter probably dug the trap and caught it, but I happened to find it before he came back.”
As she spoke, she even gestured with her hands to describe the size and location of the pit, making the story sound completely convincing.
Yun’s father and mother exchanged a glance before slowly nodding.
Even so, her mother still warned her anxiously, “Xiaoyi, don’t tell anyone about this. If people find out, it could cause trouble.”
Yun Yixuan obediently agreed, secretly breathing a sigh of relief.
Delighted, Yun’s mother chopped the chicken into two halves. She carefully put one half away, planning to save it for another day, while the other half went into a large pot with potatoes and mushrooms.
Firewood crackled beneath the stove as the rich aroma of stewing chicken gradually spread through the cowshed, filling the small space with an irresistible fragrance.
While the chicken simmered, Yun’s mother steamed a pot of coarse-grain buns.
When the piping-hot buns came out of the steamer, they were rough in texture but carried a simple, comforting fragrance of grain.
Once the meal was ready, Yun’s mother filled a bowl with chicken and secretly delivered some to Director Zhang and the elderly couple, Grandpa Li and his wife.
When she returned, a satisfied smile rested on her face, as though she had accomplished something wonderful.
The family gathered around and began enjoying this rare feast.
It had been a long time since Yun’s parents had eaten meat. They ate happily, their faces glowing with contentment, while repeatedly placing pieces of chicken into Yun Yixuan’s bowl.
“Xiaoyi, eat some more. You’ve only just recovered from your illness. You need something nutritious to regain your strength.”
“Dad, Mom, you two should eat. There’s already more than enough in my bowl. Besides, I’m full.”
Yun Yixuan picked up the pieces of chicken and placed them back into her parents’ bowls.
The family enjoyed their meal together in warmth and harmony, their cheerful laughter echoing throughout the small cowshed.