Reborn in 1985, starting from the mountains of Northwest China

"Let's go."

Chen Laogeng spoke into Chen Feng's ear, his voice muffled.

Chen Feng hummed in agreement and carried him outside.

Xiao Shan followed beside his grandfather, holding his leg with his little hand, walking silently.

There were two lines of footprints, one deep and one shallow, on the snow, with a smaller line next to them.

I ran into a few neighbors on the way, and they were all stunned when they saw what was happening.

"Oh my, you're so lucky. A filial son is the best thing ever."

His father didn't reply, but Chen Feng felt his father's hand tighten on his shoulder.

When we arrived at Chen Jun's house, the snow in the yard had been swept clean, smoke was billowing from the kitchen chimney, and the aroma of stewed meat wafted out.

Chen Jun was chopping firewood in the yard when he saw Chen Feng carrying his father in. He quickly put down his axe and went to greet him.

"Father, you've arrived."

He reached out to help.

Chen Feng said, "Brother, I'll just carry it in. Where should I put it?"

"Inside the room, on the kang (heated brick bed) in the inner room."

Chen Feng carried his father into the inner room and carefully placed him on the kang (a heated brick bed).

Dad settled down, let out a long breath, and looked around.

Chen Jun's wife poked her head out of the kitchen and said with a smile, "Dad's here? Come on, sit down, dinner will be ready soon."

My sister-in-law is a capable person; she speaks and acts decisively.

Lin Xiu was also busy in the kitchen. Hearing the noise, she peeked out, then went back inside to continue chopping vegetables.

Xiaoyue and several other children were already in the kitchen, squatting in front of the stove adding firewood, their faces smeared with black ash, unaware of it.

The children didn't care how crowded the kitchen was, they all gathered together.

They would sneak a bite of food when the adults weren't looking, whether it was fried meatballs or pickled bamboo shoots.

Chen Feng came out from the inner room, and Chen Jun offered him a cigarette. He waved his hand and said, "Later."

Chen Jun lit one for himself, took a puff, and said, "Dad, about your leg, how about we go to town to get it checked out after the New Year?"

"That's what I think too."

The two brothers stood in the yard, chatting idly.

When Chen Jun asked about the mountain products, Chen Feng explained, and Chen Jun nodded.

A little while later, the second son, Chen Lin, and his family also arrived.

Chen Lin and his wife brought Xiao Lu along, carrying bags and packages.

As soon as he entered, Chen Lin shouted, "Where's Dad? Has Dad come yet?"

Chen Jun said, "They're here, in the inner room."

Chen Lin went inside to check on his father, then came out and said, "Big brother, Feng'er, the three of us brothers have to have a good drink today."

Chen Jun said, "Let's drink then, who's afraid of who?"

The kitchen was bustling with activity.

The eldest sister-in-law was in charge of cooking, Lin Xiu was assisting, and the second sister-in-law was making dumplings on the side.

The clatter of pots and pans, mixed with the laughter of women, drifted out from the kitchen.

Several children were making a lot of noise and building a snowman in the yard.

Chen Feng stood in the courtyard, looking at the people in the courtyard and listening to the sounds coming from it, a feeling he couldn't quite describe welled up in his heart.

It's still warm.

It's a feeling of energy that I can't quite put my finger on.

At noon, the meal was served.

Two tables were put together, one for adults and one for children.

Stewed meat, stir-fried vegetables, cold dishes, and a steaming bowl of dumplings filled the table.

Father was helped to sit in the main seat, with Mother beside him.

Chen Jun, Chen Lin, and Chen Feng sat side by side, while their wives sat on the other side.

Chen Jun took out a bottle of wine, poured half a glass for his father, and then filled the glasses for Chen Lin and Chen Feng.

Father picked up his wine glass, looked at his three sons, and said, "Today is the 30th, and our family can be reunited, which is wonderful. Come on, have a drink."

The group raised their glasses and clinked them together.

Chen Feng took a sip; the liquor was spicy, burning from his throat all the way down to his stomach.

He can't hold his liquor very well, but he was in a good mood today, so he drank along with everyone else.

As they drank, they started talking more.

Chen Jun, who also couldn't hold his liquor, had his face already flushed: "I remember, I was ten years old that year, and Fengzi and Linzi were still little."

As soon as Chen Jun started talking, Chen Laogeng knew what Chen Jun was going to say.

That winter, while their father was hunting, Chen Jun took his two sons to the river to catch fish. Chen Lin and Chen Feng were still young and didn't know any better, so they fell into the river.

In the end, Old Wang from next door happened to be passing by and rescued the two of them.

All three of them were soaked to the bone. When Chen Laogeng returned the next day, he saw three children with high fevers and his wife frantically trying to borrow medicine.

Heavy snow blocked the mountain pass, and the only doctor in the village was a veterinarian. It was Lao Geng and Liu Xia who carried the child and climbed step by step across the snow-covered mountain to find a doctor in the next village...

Looking back now, Chen Jun feels he deserved to die.

Knowing his son felt guilty, Chen Laogeng quickly stopped the conversation: "It's all in the past, why bring it up?"

Chen He said, "Dad, please don't mind me bringing this up, I just remembered it and realized how hard it must have been for you back then."

Father didn't say anything, but picked up his wine glass and took another sip.

The meal lasted for more than an hour before the group gradually dispersed.

The women cleared the dishes, while the men sat to the side drinking tea and sobering up.

Chen Feng leaned back in his chair, feeling a little dizzy and his eyelids heavy.

He knew he had drunk too much.

He wasn't a big drinker to begin with, but he was in a good mood today and had a few extra drinks. Now the effects of the alcohol were kicking in, and his temples were throbbing.

After clearing away the dishes, Lin Xiu walked over, glanced at him, and said, "Have you had too much to drink?"

Chen Feng nodded: "A little."

I told you to drink less, but you wouldn't listen.

I'm happy today.

Lin Xiu didn't say anything more, but poured him a cup of hot water.

Chen Feng took a sip of water, leaned back in his chair, and listened to the people next to him talking in a daze.

He didn't know how much time had passed when he heard Lin Xiu say, "Let's go back."

He opened his eyes and found that half of the people in the room were gone.

Parents have been sent back to their room to rest, but Xiaoyue and Xiaoshan have disappeared.

He stood up, shook his head, and walked out.

Lin Xiu supported him and whispered, "Be careful, watch where you're going."

Stepping outside, a gust of cold wind helped Chen Feng regain some clarity.

The snow has stopped, the sky is overcast, and it's getting dark.

He stood in the courtyard, looked around, but didn't see Xiaoyue and Xiaoshan.

"Where are the children?" he asked.

"They're with Mom and Dad. Xiaoyue said she wanted to talk to Grandpa, and Xiaoshan went with her. Mom said they can sleep there and come back tomorrow."

Chen Feng paused for a moment, then said "Oh".

He got it.

Mother did it on purpose.

He glanced at Lin Xiu, whose head was down and whose face was a little red, whether from the cold or something else.

The two of them walked back.

There was no one on the road, and the snow crunched underfoot.

Chen Feng was still under the influence of alcohol and was walking unsteadily, so Lin Xiu kept supporting his arm.

Once inside the courtyard, Chen Feng closed the door and turned to look at Lin Xiu.

The room was dark, with only the reflection of the snow outside the window creating a hazy, indistinct scene.

Lin Xiu stood in front of him, looking up at him.

He reached out and pulled her into his arms.

Lin Xiu didn't flinch, but leaned against his chest and said sullenly, "You reek of alcohol."

Chen Feng didn't speak, but lowered his head and buried his face in her hair.

Her hair had a faint soapy scent that was comforting.