Reborn in 1985, starting from the mountains of Northwest China

Xiaoyue nestled in Lin Xiu's arms, scooping around in the bowl with her little spoon, taking a long time to scoop up a small piece of fish.

She held the spoon, trembling, and brought it to her mouth. Before she could even get it to her lips, the fish slid off the edge of the spoon and fell back into the bowl with a thud, splashing up a small clump of soup.

She stared blankly at the bowl, then at the spoon.

Lin Xiu suppressed a laugh and used a handkerchief to wipe her chin.

Xiaoyue was not convinced, so she scooped it up again, and then it fell again.

"Mom, Yu Yu is being naughty," she whispered, complaining.

Upon hearing this, Chen Feng put down his chopsticks, took Xiaoyue from Lin Xiu's arms, and let her sit on his lap.

"Come here, let Daddy teach you."

He held that little hand, steadyed the spoon, and gently scooped up a piece of fish, along with a little broth.

Open your mouth.

Xiaoyue obediently opened her mouth, ate it in one bite, her cheeks puffed out, and her eyes curved into crescents.

"Father is amazing."

"You're amazing."

Chen Feng brushed the stray hairs from her forehead behind her ear. "The fish that Yue'er caught herself, of course she'll listen to Yue'er."

Xiaoyue thought about it seriously and nodded: "Yes, Yuyu is afraid of me."

Xiaoshan looked up from the bowl: "The fish are all dead, what's there to be afraid of?"

"I'm just... I'm afraid."

"I'm not afraid."

"Afraid!"

Lin Xiu gently patted Chen Shan on the back of the head: "Eat your food properly, stop messing around with your sister!"

Xiaoshan shrank his neck, lowered his head to eat, but his eyes were still curved.

He took a few bites, then couldn't help but look up: "Dad, are we going fishing again tomorrow?"

"I need to clean the house tomorrow. It's almost Chinese New Year, and I won't be able to finish cleaning by the 24th."

"And the day after tomorrow?"

"We're going to the market the day after tomorrow."

Xiaoshan gave a disappointed "oh" and poked at the fish slices in his bowl with his chopsticks.

Chen Feng glanced at him: "You like fishing that much?"

"I love it! It's much more interesting than practicing calligraphy at home."

Lin Xiu replied, "Then finish writing the calligraphy tomorrow night, and I'll go to the market the day after tomorrow to buy you a new fishing rod."

Xiaoshan's eyes lit up: "Really?"

"When has your mother ever lied to you?"

"I want bamboo, not reeds, because bamboo is too hard."

"OK."

Xiaoyue nestled in Chen Feng's arms, heard this, and looked up: "Yue'er wants some too."

"What do you want?" Lin Xiu smiled and tapped her nose. "You can't even hold a spoon properly, and you want to fish?"

"Father will help Yue'er fish."

She spoke with a straight face, turning to look at Chen Feng, "Daddy will help."

Chen Feng hummed in agreement, his voice softening: "Help, the fish Yue'er caught are bigger than the ones Dad caught."

Xiaoyue was satisfied, nodded, and continued to struggle with the fish.

The courtyard was quiet for a while, with only the soft clinking of bowls and chopsticks.

Lin Xiu got up to go to the kitchen to get more rice. Chen Feng watched her back and suddenly spoke.

"Is the fish sour enough today?"

Lin Xiu paused for a moment, but didn't turn around.

"That's enough," she said. "It tastes just like the ones you buy on the street."

Chen Feng lowered his head, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

No pickled fish on the street can compare to the taste of his half-baked attempt.

Lin Xiu brought the food back, glanced at him as she sat down, said nothing, and put a piece of fish into his bowl.

Xiaoyue saw this and looked up, asking, "Why isn't Mother serving Father some soup?"

"He has long arms, he can serve himself."

Xiaoyue thought about it and realized that her arms were too short, so she leaned back with peace of mind and continued to figure out how to steadily put the fish in the spoon into her mouth.

After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, the sky was already pitch black, and the table was a mess of cups and plates.

Xiao Shan ate until his belly was round and then asked Lin Xiu to rub his belly.

Lin Xiu wiped her hands on her clothes and rubbed Xiao Shan's stomach.

He leaned back on the bench, his eyes half-closed in comfort.

"Mom, are we having fish again tomorrow morning?"

"I'll save the fish for you to fry this afternoon."

"So what should we eat tomorrow morning?"

"Stewed radish and tofu".

Xiaoshan thought about it and agreed that it was a good idea.

He nodded and said, "Mom, your massage feels so good."

Lin Xiu didn't reply, but continued to exert force on her hands.

Xiaoyue leaned on Chen Feng's shoulder, feeling sleepy. Her eyelids drooped, and her head slumped down little by little.

Chen Feng supported the back of her head to help her stay upright.

"Father." She was half asleep, her voice soft and sticky.

"Um."

"Is the fish in the bucket... cold?"

"It's not cold, the well water is warm."

"oh."

After a while, she spoke again, her voice even softer: "Does it miss home?"

Chen Feng paused for a moment.

"The bucket is its home."

He said, "Dad will go cut some water plants tomorrow morning and put them in, then he'll have company."

Xiaoyue didn't ask any more questions.

Her breathing gradually subsided, and her small body pressed softly against his chest.

Xiaoshan sat up from the stool and lowered his voice: "Is your sister asleep?"

"Um."

"Let me see."

Xiao Shan leaned closer, very close, and Xiao Yue's breath gently brushed against his face. He watched for a while, then whispered, "She pouts when she sleeps, like a fish."

Lin Xiu gently patted him: "Don't disturb her."

Xiaoshan stopped talking and angrily took his bowl to the kitchen.

Chen Feng tried to stop him, but he had already walked a short distance away, his steps very slow, clearly waiting to be coaxed.

After a while, seeing that no one came, the sound of water came from the kitchen.

Chen Feng picked up Xiaoyue and stood at the door to look at him.

Xiaoshan stood on a stool, reached for the stove, put the bowl into the basin, his sleeve slipped down and got half wet, he shook his hand, and then reached for the chopsticks.

"Shanzi".

Xiaoshan turned back.

"Put it there, Dad will wash it later."

"I'm almost done washing."

Xiaoshan rolled up his wet sleeves and continued washing the dishes.

Chen Feng didn't say anything more. Boys should naturally do some housework at this age.

Lin Xiu tidied the table, brought over the basket, lit the oil lamp, and sewed a few more stitches on the shoe soles.

The stitches are fine and dense, moving forward row by row under the light.

Chen Feng carried Xiaoyue into the inner room, placed her on the bed, and covered her with a blanket.

Xiaoyue turned over, clutching the corner of the blanket, and didn't wake up.

When he came out, Xiaoshan had already finished washing the dishes and was squatting at the kitchen door, wringing his sleeves, but they weren't dry enough and water was dripping down his elbows.

Lin Xiu didn't even look up: "There's some dry stuff in the cabinet, go change it yourself."

Xiaoshan responded and ran into the house, making a rustling sound.

Children's emotions come and go quickly, especially since he was just joking around.

Xiaoshan changed his clothes, draped the wet clothes over the brazier, stood in the yard for a while, then squatted down and looked into the wooden tub.

"Dad, should we feed the fish tomorrow?"

"No need to feed it."

What if it gets hungry?

"You won't starve."

Xiaoshan let out a soft "oh," and remained squatting there, watching the fish swim slowly in the water.

Chen Feng walked over and squatted down next to him.

The crucian carp in the bucket swam east and west, sometimes stopping and gently flapping its fins.

"Dad," Xiaoshan said without turning around, "my sister said the fish misses home. Where is the fish's home?"

Chen Feng looked at the fish in the bucket.

"In the ditch."

"Does it want to go back?"

"have no idea."

Xiaoshan remained silent for a while.

"Then if we catch fish in the future and can't finish them, we can just put them back."

Chen Feng turned his head to look at his son's profile.

Xiaoshan didn't look at him; his eyes were still fixed on the bucket.

"Okay," Chen Feng said.

Xiaoshan stood up, patted his knees, and yawned.

"Dad, I'm sleepy."