Reborn in 1982, the prodigal son returns

Lin Nuo carried the sack home.

As he approached the courtyard gate, he heard voices coming from inside, and he paused for a moment.

Zhao Xiuying's voice:

"Two yuan and seven fen for a chicken? Why don't you just rob someone?! Two yuan and seven fen, more than a pound of meat, for just one chicken? Is that chicken fed with ginseng?"

Lin Jiang muttered something in a low voice.

Just then, Lin Nuo pushed open the door and stepped into the courtyard.

Zhao Xiuying stood at the doorway of the main room and saw him speak in an annoyed tone:

"Where have you been all this late, coming back so late?"

She stared intently at Lin Nuo as she said this.

She was genuinely afraid that Lin Nuo would go out gambling again and become a good-for-nothing.

Lin Nuo didn't say anything. He put the sack off his shoulder, placed it on the ground, and squatted down to untie the rope.

As she untied him, she said, "Mom, I just ran into Uncle. He said that the third son sent word that he won't be coming back for the New Year."

He didn't look up as he spoke, his fingers digging into the knot of the rope. The knot was tight, and his fingernails couldn't dig in. He gave it a hard tug, and the knot loosened, opening the sack.

Zhao Xiuying's hand froze in mid-air, stunned for a moment.

"Not coming back?"

Her voice was much lower than before:

"It's the 27th of the twelfth lunar month, and you're saying you're not coming back?"

"Um."

Lin Weiguo came out of the main room and stood on the threshold, his hands tucked into his sleeves, his face expressionless.

As soon as the sack was loosened, a pheasant flapped its wings and jumped out.

Lin Nuo grabbed its wing root and lifted it up.

Zhao Xiuying's eyes lit up.

"Alive?"

"Um."

"Where did it come from?"

"Found it in the haystack."

Zhao Xiuying leaned closer to look, bending over with her hands on her knees, her face close to the pheasant.

The pheasant weighed three or four pounds, had glossy feathers, and was very energetic.

"This thing is valuable."

Zhao Xiuying lowered her voice:

"Live pheasants in town are five yuan each, and they're in high demand. If you sell one, you can buy another chicken for two yuan and seventy cents, and you'll still have two yuan and threety cents left."

After she finished speaking, she waited for Lin Nuo to nod. According to her calculations, this was the most cost-effective deal. She sold the pheasant, bought the domestic chicken, and made a profit from the domestic chicken plus two yuan and thirty cents in change.

Lin Nuo shook his head.

"Why bother with all that trouble? Let's stew it and nourish the family."

He took the paper packet from his pocket, opened it, and revealed hazel mushrooms.

"Since I've already bought hazel mushrooms, it'll be perfect for stewing pheasant."

Zhao Xiuying paused for a moment, then without any hesitation, slapped Lin Nuo's arm.

"You spendthrift!"

Zhao Xiuying's voice rose:

"You won't sell the five-yuan pheasant, you insist on stewing it? How much meat will you gain from stewing it? A two-yuan-seven-cent chicken is still a chicken, and it tastes just as good in your stomach! Do you think money grows on trees? The little money you made from selling the sheep yesterday, if you squander it like this, it'll be gone in a few days!"

In her eyes, the second son had gone mad.

It'll cost two extra dollars.

Lin Jiang squatted against the wall, his hands tucked into his sleeves, his neck hunched. He mumbled something in a low voice:

"I'll listen to my mother."

Su Wanqing stood at the door of the west room.

She glanced at Lin Nuo, said nothing, then lowered her head and began sweeping the snow.

Lin Nuo chuckled.

He shoved the pheasant into Zhao Xiuying's hand and leaned close to her ear. He bent over, covering his mouth with his hand, as if he were telling her a secret.

Zhao Xiuying frowned at first, wondering what Lin Nuo had said. She paused for a moment, then reached out and took the pheasant, muttering something under her breath.

"Alright... I'll stew it then."

She raised her voice and called towards the main room:

"Old man, come out and deal with these pheasants!"

Lin Weiguo listened for a long time before coming out of the house.

"Male?" he asked.

"It's a male," Zhao Xiuying said.

"The flesh is firm."

Lin Weiguo nodded, took the pheasant from Zhao Xiuying, and weighed it in his hand by the base of the wing:

"Three and a half pounds or more. A good chicken."

Lin Jiang squatted against the wall, scratching his head. His hair was short and felt prickly to the touch. He looked at Lin Nuo with a puzzled expression.

"Second son, what did you say to your mother?"

Lin Nuo smiled and said, "It's nothing."

What he just said to Zhao Xiuying was:

"Mother, Wanqing has been coughing since last winter and is quite weak. This pheasant stew with hazel mushrooms is very nourishing. If we drink it a few times, it will help her recover. Wouldn't you like to have a grandson next year?"

Zhao Xiuying thought, "Five yuan for a grandson and granddaughter is worth it. Not to mention five yuan, even fifty yuan would be worth it."

As the mother-in-law, she might not be able to help with other things, but stewing a chicken is a simple task.

She handed the pheasant to Lin Nuo. The pheasant had already been bled by Lin Weiguo, and its wings were still trembling slightly, but it had stopped flapping.

"Take it to the kitchen, remove the feathers and clean it thoroughly. I'll start kneading the dough first, then we'll stew the chicken and make flatbread."

She then turned to look at Lin Jiang:

"Boss, go back and call An Zipingzi over. We're coming over for chicken tonight."

Lin Jiang grunted in agreement, stood up, and patted the dirt off his bottom.

Zhao Xiuying called out again, "Tell your wife to come too!"

Lin Jiang paused for a moment, but didn't turn around. He just waved his hand, meaning "I heard you."

Zhao Xiuying turned and went into the kitchen, her steps much faster than before.

Lin Nuo carried the pheasant toward the kitchen.

Inside the kitchen, Zhao Xiuying had already stoked the fire. Several pieces of wood were stuffed into the firebox, and the fire crackled and popped, the flames licking the bottom of the pot and making a whooshing sound.

The firelight from the stove reflected on the wall, turning it a bright red and coloring the entire kitchen orange-red.

She took the pheasant, turned it over, and glanced at it.

"The male ones have firmer meat. They need to be stewed for a longer time to make the meat tender."

"Mom, stew it a little longer, Anzi and the others like it well-cooked."

"I know."

Zhao Xiuying placed the pheasant on the cutting board and picked up a kitchen knife:

"Go call your uncle and see if he'll come over tonight. Tell him to come over for dinner."

Lin Nuo responded and turned to leave.

Meanwhile, at the west end of the village, at Qi Dawu's house.

When Qi Dayong pushed open the door, he threw what he was carrying onto the table: two jin of pig offal, including pig liver, pig lungs, and pig heart, tied with straw rope. Blood seeped out, staining the table with a dark red pool.

"Where's the food?"

He glanced at the cold pot and stove, and his voice turned somber.

Qi Dawu came out of his own woodshed.

"My sister-in-law said... my cooking isn't good, so she won't let me cook."

His voice was small.

Qi Dayong took off his cotton-padded coat, threw it on a chair, and cursed:

"She says you can't do it, so you just won't? Are you dead? Can't you figure it out yourself? I work myself to the bone all day, and when I get home I can't even get a hot meal. I'd rather have a dog than you! At least a dog wags its tail in front of me!"

Qi Dawu lowered his head and remained silent.

At this moment, his sister-in-law, Zhao Cuihua, came out from the inner room.

She carried a basin of dirty water, and without even looking at it, she poured it directly.

Water splashed into the yard with a "whoosh," hitting Qi Dawu's shoes. She didn't even glance at him, as if he didn't exist.

"After fetching water, feed the pigs."

Her voice wasn't loud:

"Don't just stand there like a wooden stake."

After saying that, she turned around and went back into the inner room. The curtain fell behind her and swayed twice.

Qi Dawu had his hands in his pockets, clutching the three yuan in his hand. He wanted to talk about selling hazel mushrooms, but seeing his brother and sister-in-law's expressions, he swallowed the words back.

He had no choice but to lower his head and go fetch water.

The courtyard fell silent.

Qi Dayong stood in the main room, watching his younger brother's retreating figure as he carried water away. The figure grew smaller and smaller along the village road, until it became a black dot and disappeared at the end of the road.

He spat on the ground.

"After the New Year, talk to Zhao Lao Er. Doesn't his family want a son-in-law to move in? The sooner they send him away, the less trouble they'll have."

Zhao Cuihua slammed the basin on the ground.

"It should have been given a long time ago. After feeding and supporting us for so many years, it's time to recoup some of our investment. Zhao Lao Er said last time that he was willing to give eighty yuan as a gift. Eighty yuan can buy so many things."

Qi Dayong didn't reply. He picked up the bag of pig offal from the table and looked at it. He smelled it; it smelled fishy and pungent.

"It's still meat, I'll stew it tonight. I'll have him wash it in a bit."

Zhao Cuihua glanced at it: "Add less salt, it's too salty."

……

In the main room, Lin Nuo went to her uncle's house. Lin Weidong was sitting in the main room drinking tea, holding an enamel mug in his hand. He said that they had guests at home. Old Liu from the commune had come to discuss matters for the spring and couldn't come over.

Lin Jiang had returned and was squatting in the yard chopping firewood. With each swing of the axe, the firewood split in two, releasing the scent of pine wood.

"Brother, Uncle has guests at his house, and he can't attend to everyone."

Lin Jiang grunted in agreement, and the axe fell with a crack.

Lin Nuo spoke up, "Where's my sister-in-law? Didn't we tell her to bring An Zipingzi over? Mother cooked chicken."

Lin Jiang paused, the axe raised in mid-air, not falling. He was silent for a few seconds, then slowly lowered the axe and placed it on the wooden stump.

She said she couldn't come.

His voice was muffled.

Lin Nuo didn't press further. He knew why.

Anzi and Pingzi ran in from the doorway.

Lin An ran ahead, half of her braid undone, her hair frizzy and her face flushed. Lin Ping ran behind, her short legs moving incredibly fast, like a little duck.

As soon as they entered the courtyard, they went straight to the west room.

"Second Aunt! Second Aunt!"

Lin An called out, his voice crisp and clear.

Su Wanqing came out of the west room, still holding the broom in her hand. Lin An had already run up to her, looking up at her with bright, sparkling eyes.

Lin Ping followed behind, running too fast, and tripped on the steps, almost falling. Su Wanqing reached out to help him up.

"Slower."

she says.

Lin Ping regained his footing and chuckled.

Lin Nuo stood at the kitchen door, watching this scene. He didn't know why Wan Qing was so popular with the children. She didn't talk much and didn't coax the children, but the children still wanted to be near her.

He was born to be a teacher.

Lin An held Su Wanqing's hand, looked up at her, and asked:

"Second Aunt, can you teach me to read? I can write the character '大' (big) from yesterday!"

She pulled a small piece of paper from her pocket, on which the character "大" (big) was written crookedly. The horizontal stroke, the left-falling stroke, and the right-falling stroke were not quite right; the horizontal stroke was slanted, and although the right-falling stroke was written correctly, it didn't look very neat.

Su Wanqing glanced down and her lips twitched.

"The horizontal strokes should be written flat."

She squatted down, placed the piece of paper on the steps, and used her finger to write the character "大" (big) in the snow. The character was written neatly, with straight lines.

"Look, like this."

Lin An then used his finger to write on the snow.

Su Wanqing nodded.

Lin Nuo walked over and said to Su Wanqing:

"Eat more later, pheasant is good for your health. You've been coughing since last winter, and this pheasant stew with hazel mushrooms is the most nourishing. Drink a few bowls of soup to strengthen your body."

Su Wanqing hummed in agreement, her ears turning slightly red.

Lin Nuo didn't say anything and turned back to the kitchen.

Lin Weiguo had already cleaned the pheasant. With swift, precise cuts, the chopping board creaked as the chicken pieces were neatly arranged on a plate, each piece uniform in size.

Zhao Xiuying heated the iron wok, poured in a spoonful of lard, and the oil melted in the wok, emitting wisps of smoke. She threw in the scallions, ginger, and garlic, and with a sizzle, the aroma exploded.

Then add the chicken pieces and stir-fry. The chicken skin sizzles in the oil until it turns golden brown.

"Boss,"

Zhao Xiuying didn't even look up:

"Go and call your wife to come eat."

Lin Jiang stood at the kitchen doorway, his hands tucked into his sleeves, his neck hunched. He was silent for a moment, then said:

She said she couldn't come.

Zhao Xiuying paused for a moment, the spatula hovering in mid-air.

"She's probably just shy."

Zhao Xiuying said the voice wasn't loud.

Lin Nuo naturally knew this as well.

His sister-in-law had been saying things to him before.

However, even his own parents have to say something about his messy debts every day, let alone his sister-in-law. The hatred in the past was because he was ignorant, but now he has long since let go of it.

Lin Nuo didn't turn around, and said to Zhao Xiuying naturally:

"Mom, before it's done cooking, scoop out a bowl for my sister-in-law, and leave two flatbreads for my eldest brother to take."

Zhao Xiuying was taken aback.

She turned to look at Lin Nuo, still holding the spatula in her hand, and stared at him for a while, as if she were seeing her second son for the first time.

He responded with a smile, "Okay."

Lin Jiang stood in front of Lin Nuo, his lips moving several times.

He wanted to say something, but couldn't get the words out. In the end, he could only pat Lin Nuo on the shoulder, turn around, and leave.

Lin Weiguo stood at the kitchen door, holding a cleaver with chicken blood still on the blade. He looked at Lin Nuo with surprise in his eyes.

The second child has changed a lot.

The once carefree second son has suddenly become so family-oriented, loving towards his wife, and generous.

That's really an open-minded attitude.

However, the third child has changed a lot compared to the second child.

They won't be coming back for the Chinese New Year.

In the kitchen, the chicken was stewing in the pot. Zhao Xiuying soaked the hazel mushrooms in warm water; the dried hazel mushrooms slowly unfurled in the bowl, like clusters of brown flowers.

The kitchen was steaming, and the aroma of meat wafted from the pot, spreading from the kitchen to the main room, and from the main room to the yard, filling the whole house with fragrance.

Lin An leaned over the kitchen doorway, sniffing the air. Lin Ping was even more direct; he moved a small stool, stood on it, and peered over the edge of the stove. The pot lid was on, so he couldn't see anything, but just smelling the aroma made his mouth water.

Su Wanqing stood in the courtyard, holding the broom in her hand, but she had stopped sweeping. She leaned the broom against the wall, stood under the eaves, and looked in the direction of the kitchen.

She watched for a while, then turned around and went back to the west room.

Lin Nuo was focused on the fire.

Just then, a commotion arose outside the courtyard gate.

"Come on! Let's go inside! Let me show you your good brother!"

Lin Nuo recognized the voice as Qi Dayong.

The courtyard gate was kicked open.

Qi Dayong grabbed Qi Dawu by the ear and dragged him inside.

Qi Dawu, bent over, his face flushed red, cried out, "Brother...brother, be gentle...it hurts..."

Qi Dayong's face turned completely red:

"Lin Nuo! Are you trying to kidnap my brother?"