Chapter 5: A Delightful Feast

After a short while.

Zhong Yuxiu smacked her lips as she returned to the educated youth center. She called out to Brother Yan as well, didn’t she? Yes, she had; so, why was she being mocked?

“Yuxiu, did you go up the mountain?”

A group of educated youths gathered around a table in the courtyard. Sun Ruhong spotted her immediately and hurried over to greet her.

“I went for a walk up the mountain and caught some wild game to treat everyone.” She tossed aside the inexplicably moody Yan Rushan, and thinking of the prospect of grain and meat, she twisted the wild pheasant in her hand and smiled, her lips pressed together. “Sister Ruhong, let’s stew it tonight.”

Sun Ruhong chuckled. “Sure, if you want to eat it, we’ll stew it. After all, you caught it.”

“Sister Ruhong, you’re the best.” Zhong Yuxiu trailed after her; the male educated youths were in charge of cleaning the pheasant, Sun Ruhong and Jiang Mei were cooking, and Zhong Yuxiu learned by watching them.

The original owner had been pampered from childhood and never cooked a meal, never even touched the stove. Zhong Yuxiu herself had never cooked either—whether in ancient times with servants, in the modern era with maids, or in the interstellar age with household robots. Cooking wasn’t realistic; she’d have to learn.

The pheasant soup simmered for three hours, turning soft and tender, with a rich broth.

As the sun set, Yan Rushan finally returned, carrying two cloth bags.

“Brother Yan, thank you for your trouble.” Zhong Yuxiu greeted him with a beaming smile, drawing the attention of the other educated youths.

“Here.” Yan Rushan handed over the two bags.

Zhong Yuxiu took them without saying much—an unspoken understanding between them. She stored the grain in the cellar. The other bag contained soap, scented soap, and shampoo powder—not much, but if used sparingly, it would last a month or two. After putting everything away, she found Yan Rushan by the well in the courtyard. No one else was around; she walked over lightly, her face alight with a smile.

“Brother Yan, thank you.”

He was washing his face to cool off, and glanced back at her, water droplets sliding down his cheek. “Not sincere enough.”

“Then from now on, every wild game I catch, I’ll have you handle for me.” She laughed softly, her eyes bright and lively. “I’ll even give you a twenty percent runner’s fee.”

Yan Rushan looked at her delicate face, so close, his gaze shadowed. “Forget the runner’s fee. From now on, anything you want to sell, hand it to me.”

“All right.” She nodded firmly, sealing the deal. Then she asked, “Brother Yan, three wild rabbits wouldn’t fetch much, would they? There’s five jin of cornmeal in the grain bag, and you bought me two bars of soap, a bar of scented soap, and a box of shampoo powder. I doubt the money was enough. How much is missing? I’ll make it up to you next time.”

“I happened to have ration coupons for soap, scented soap, and shampoo powder. Barely enough.” Without the coupons, it wouldn’t have been.

Zhong Yuxiu understood. “Then I’ll split the grain with you as thanks for bringing the goods.”

“I don’t need grain.” He remained aloof.

“If you don’t want it, fine.” She was not one to keep throwing herself at someone’s cold shoulder; she had her pride too. She went to the kitchen, where Sun Ruhong and Jiang Mei were talking, and quietly listened in.

Sun Ruhong smiled, “Yuxiu is really capable. She hasn’t been here long, but already everyone at the center has enjoyed a feast because of her.”

“She is capable,” Jiang Mei agreed, “but there are wild beasts in the mountains. You mustn’t go in again, do you hear? Many people have died in those mountains, and during the war, some were even killed and buried there.”

“I’ve heard that too. The old folks in the village all know about it, but no one knows exactly where,” Sun Ruhong nodded. “Yuxiu, don’t go up the mountain again, it’s too dangerous. If you run into a bear, that would be terrible.”

Zhong Yuxiu nodded. “Don’t worry, I just walked around the outskirts.”

There were many good things in the deep mountains—plenty of wild vegetables and dried foods. The more she gathered, the more she could trade for grain.

“The outskirts are safe enough; you’re just lucky. Other people don’t catch pheasants even on the edge of the forest.” Sun Ruhong didn’t think much of it, assuming Yuxiu hadn’t gone deep into the mountains.

Zhong Yuxiu smiled lightly and went to help pick the vegetables. As soon as she squatted down, someone nudged her shoulder.

Jiang Mei asked, “When did you and Comrade Yan get so close? He even brought you things.”

Sun Ruhong was surprised as well. “I never saw you two talk before. Are you together now?”

“Don’t talk nonsense. I caught a rabbit and asked Comrade Yan to help me trade it.” She kept to herself the fact that she’d caught three rabbits. “You know I have nothing here; I just exchanged for some soap, scented soap, and shampoo powder. Life has to be lived properly, after all.”

She’d have to be more careful in the future and trade less grain; there were too many people at the center, and rumors flew easily. One mustn’t harm others, but must always guard against being harmed.

“Oh, I see! I thought so. Comrade Yan isn’t someone who gives things away,” Sun Ruhong and Jiang Mei realized.

They didn’t press further or say anything out of place, and Zhong Yuxiu breathed a sigh of relief. “Sister Ruhong, Sister Jiang Mei, the vegetables are ready. Time to start cooking.”

“Alright, you have to eat a few extra bites tonight.” Jiang Mei smiled and went to the stove. “Ruhong, help me with the fire.”

“I’ll do it, I’m not busy,” Zhong Yuxiu offered, but Sun Ruhong stopped her.

“No way, you’re the hero today. Go rest, these two dishes will be done in no time.”

Zhong Yuxiu laughed. “Then I’ll shamelessly go rest.”

“Go on, go on.”

The two waved her away, half amused, but Zhong Yuxiu didn’t leave the kitchen. Instead, she counted out seven sets of bowls and chopsticks, washed them, and when the pheasant was ready, brought it all to the main room and set the table.

Sun Ruhong and Jiang Mei finished cooking and baked a pot of corn cakes before carrying everything out.

“Dinner’s ready!” Jiang Mei called.

The male educated youths came out at once. Luo Jianmin was at the front. “Are we having pancakes tonight? I smell pancakes.”

“What do pancakes smell like?” Sun Ruhong teased.

“What else could it be? The smell of pancakes!” Luo Jianmin dashed into the main room. Yan Rushan and the others followed. On the table were a big bowl of stewed chicken, two dishes of wild vegetables, and a heaping plate of corn cakes.

“This is great. It feels like New Year’s.”

Sun Ruhong drew Jiang Mei and Zhong Yuxiu to sit with her, glancing sideways. “Of course it feels like New Year’s when there’s meat to eat.”

Normally, everyone survived on wild vegetables—three meals a day with little else, especially in winter when wild vegetables were scarce. Every household in the village would go out to forage, but by the time they got there, the wild vegetables were long gone.

Luo Jianmin grinned sheepishly. Yan Rushan and the rest took their seats, each with a corn cake, wrapping wild vegetables in it and eating them with the pheasant soup, relishing every bite.

Not a scrap of meat was left in the bowl, but there were plenty of bones on the table. Luo Jianmin even picked up the bones from in front of everyone and gnawed them, savoring every bit. Watching him, the other three educated youths didn’t know what to say.

“Comrade Luo, could you not be so disgusting?” Sun Ruhong couldn’t help herself. He’d already finished eating but still went back to the bones—what was wrong with him?

“No, I can’t.”

Luo Jianmin grinned, looking guileless and unconcerned, which made Sun Ruhong roll her eyes in exasperation. In the end, she could only walk away with Jiang Mei and Zhong Yuxiu—out of sight, out of mind.