“Stop crying, wait for your mother to borrow some meat for you!”
Wang Fengzhu rushed to the next door and saw Huo Yanzhou chopping wood. Tall and long-legged, even bending over to chop, he looked remarkably neat and handsome.
Wang Fengzhu blushed, thinking, If only this were in bed, I could give Huo Yanzhou a whole bunch of sons!
The thought made her increasingly shy. She spoke in a cooing voice, “Big Brother Huo, may I borrow some firewood? I have many children, and they get cold easily. Our firewood at home isn’t enough.”
Wang Fengzhu knew men had protective instincts. So she avoided mentioning the meat and started with firewood, hoping to appear pitiful. Usually, no man could refuse that.
She expected Huo Yanzhou to agree immediately and had already decided how much to ask for. But Huo Yanzhou glanced at her coldly and asked, “Who are you?”
Wang Fengzhu froze, barely keeping her expression under control. “I’m Wang Fengzhu, living next door.”
Huo Yanzhou asked, “Is your husband Li Jianshe?”
Her face lit up, thinking he remembered, but his tone turned even colder: “Li Jianshe was the commander of the Second Regiment. I’m from the Third Regiment, but by rank, you should call me Commander Huo.”
Wang Fengzhu was flustered, but Huo Yanzhou’s dark gaze forced her to correct herself: “Commander Huo, may I borrow some firewood? My three sons are especially sensitive to the cold.”
She emphasized “three sons,” trying to hint to Huo Yanzhou that she was far more fertile than Lin Xun, the non-childbearing hen.
Huo Yanzhou, however, found her even stranger. “If you lack firewood, you should go to the supply officer. Life problems for the families of martyrs fall under the supply officer’s responsibility, not mine.”
Huo Yanzhou wasn’t stingy. He would help comrades in need without hesitation.
But he had seen Wang Fengzhu’s children. Such big kids, and she couldn’t even gather firewood herself?
Besides, the wood he chopped was for Lin Xun, who was cold-sensitive and from the south. Every evening, he heated her room and stove walls until they were steaming hot. If he gave the wood away, Lin Xun would catch a chill.
With that, Huo Yanzhou slammed the door.
Wang Fengzhu, who had prepared a long speech to appear pitiful, was speechless.
Hearing the commotion, Lin Xun looked over. “What happened?”
Huo Yanzhou took her chopsticks and helped her roast the meat. “Nothing. The neighbor next door is strange. She comes to us instead of the supply officer and keeps stressing that her children are cold. How does that concern me?”
Lin Xun realized it was Wang Fengzhu, probably trying to scrounge firewood. But she met her match with Huo Yanzhou. It was like throwing flirtation at a blind person.
She tentatively asked, “You really didn’t notice anything?”
“I noticed,” Huo Yanzhou said. “She’s a bit abnormal. When I’m not home, stay away from them. Too strange.”
Years in the army taught Huo Yanzhou about widows of fallen comrades who abandoned their children and ran off with compensation money.
Wang Fengzhu kept saying she had three sons. Maybe she planned to dump them on them and run with the money?
He decided to alert the sentry post tomorrow to keep an eye on her.
Lin Xun almost laughed and nodded. She had never interacted with Wang Fengzhu, but she felt a strange dislike from the first meeting that morning. She would definitely keep her distance.
The next morning, Lin Xun woke at six. Huo Yanzhou had already bought breakfast from the canteen and was warming it in a pot. “Eat first. Finish before heading out. The cold wind will hurt your stomach.”
While eating, Lin Xun made two cups of malted milk for both of them, courtesy of Lü Yuzhi. Nutritious and tasty.
After breakfast, Huo Yanzhou drove a mule cart, taking Lin Xun to the farm.
It was still early, and cold, so few people were in the residential area. But the farm was already busy. Yuan Yaqing stood under the eaves, shivering.
She looked up and saw Lin Xun, bundled tightly, hands not even exposed, riding comfortably because Huo Yanzhou was driving.
Thinking of herself trudging through the dark, soaked shoes and pants, freezing, Yuan Yaqing felt jealous and angry.
Huo Yanzhou was cold and distant to others, so why was he so considerate to Lin Xun?
All the young educated workers gathered together. Lin Xun didn’t notice Yuan Yaqing and waved at Huo Yanzhou before heading to the office.
Secretary Sun, sipping tea, saw her and smiled. “Xiao Lin, why are you here so early?”
“Today’s the first day. I came to get familiar. Secretary, what will my work be these days?”
“Remember the sheep with the scrapie you found before?”
Lin Xun was startled. “What about them? Any new problems?”
“Not really,” Secretary Sun shook his head. “The county meteorological bureau notified that this year’s temperatures will be unusually low.”
Winter survival is always a major problem on the grasslands. More livestock die from cold than from disease or wolves combined.
The farm had just suffered scrapie, losing nearly fifty sheep. Another cold wave would be catastrophic.
He wanted Lin Xun to see if she could help the sheep withstand the severe winter. Not saving every single sheep was expected, but at least most should survive, or there would be problems reporting to the commune next spring.
“Xiao Lin, I know this may be difficult. Don’t feel pressured—just do your best.”
Even the best herders couldn’t guarantee their sheep would survive winter. After helping with calving, Secretary Sun felt Lin Xun might be more capable than expected.
Lin Xun nodded thoughtfully. “I understand. But I need to observe the sheep first.”
“No rush! First, get your things organized,” Secretary Sun said, pointing to a nearby desk.
The farm had only one office, but it was spacious with eight desks. Lin Xun’s desk was inside, near the stove, the warmest spot.
She was surprised such a prime location wasn’t claimed.
Secretary Sun said, “This was Old Xiong’s spot. He cleared it for you.”
Director Xiong smiled. “No problem. I’m thick-skinned and can handle the cold. Lin, once you’re ready, I’ll take you to the sheep pens.”
“Thank you, Director Xiong. Let’s go now.”
After the last scrapie inspection, the sheep pens had been relocated about three hundred meters east, next to a field of potatoes.
The soil was poor; all animal waste was used for fertilizer, so placing the pens nearby made fertilizing easier.
Compared to the vast, orderly vegetable fields, the sheep pens were simple. Wooden stakes made a basic fence, dividing the flock into rams and ewes. A stone wall to the west blocked the wind; otherwise, there was nothing else.
Lin Xun finally understood why Secretary Sun worried about freezing sheep. This structure couldn’t withstand multiple snowfalls.
Director Xiong explained, “The pens were just relocated and haven’t been repaired yet. That stone wall was built yesterday.”
Lin Xun thought about it. There were no machines back then, so everything had to be built by hand in freezing weather.
“We can’t delay. According to the meteorological bureau, a snowstorm is coming. We must finish before then.”
Director Xiong sighed. “Yes, but time is tight. Impossible to complete quickly.”
The previous pens were three-sided wooden sheds, warm but slow to build, taking at least a month—too long.
Lin Xun had an idea. “No need for wood. I have a faster solution.”
“What?”
“Reeds!”
On the way from the residential area, she noticed a large patch of reeds. In spring and summer, they were livestock feed, but in winter, they were dry and stiff—perfect for building sheep shelters.
“I’ve also reviewed the previous pen design. It was too cramped. This time, we should define functional areas for hygiene and space.”
Xiong and Secretary Sun were stunned. “You actually know this?”
She explained, “Yes, I read in newspapers about city farms—they separate feeding, watering, and birthing areas.”
Secretary Sun’s eyes brightened. He had heard of this but didn’t know how to implement it. Seeing Lin Xun’s understanding, he immediately approved: “Good! Follow Xiao Lin’s plan. Old Xiong, everyone follows her instructions and cooperates fully!”
Lin Xun smiled. This was the advantage of the farm over the commune, leaders respected her input.
She saluted like a soldier. “Don’t worry, leader. I’ll complete the task!”
Secretary Sun trusted her, so she was determined to do her best.