Reborn in 1982, the prodigal son returns

On New Year's Eve, just as dawn was breaking, the Lin family courtyard was already bustling with activity.

Steam rose from the kitchen, and wisps of white mist billowed out from under the curtain. Zhao Xiuying's voice came from inside:

"Dad, there's an old hen that's stopped laying eggs, let's stew it today."

"Um."

Lin Weiguo responded, climbed down the ladder, and leaned it back against the wall.

Lin Ping and Lin An set off small firecrackers in the yard.

Lin Ping held a stick of incense in his hand, the tip of which was bright red and emitting wisps of blue smoke. He stuck a small firecracker into the snowdrift, squatted down, and brought the incense stick closer. He tried twice but failed to light it; his hand trembled, and the tip of the incense stick was half an inch away from the fuse.

On the third try, he hit the target, and the fuse hissed and sparked. He turned and ran, but after a couple of steps, his foot slipped and he landed hard on his bottom in the snow.

A sharp "snap" rang out in the cold air, like someone slapping someone's hand. Snowflakes splashed up and landed on Lin Ping's head, but he didn't get up, just sat on the snow grinning.

Lin An is two years older than his younger brother and is also a bit bolder, daring to hold firecrackers in his hands and set them off.

She held the end of the firecracker, her arm outstretched, her face turned away, her eyes narrowed to slits. She brought the incense stick closer, lit the fuse, and tossed it aside—the firecracker.

It exploded in mid-air with a "smack," scattering paper scraps everywhere. She clapped her hands, a triumphant smile on her face.

Su Wanqing came out of the west room.

A red scarf was wrapped around her neck, its crimson color particularly eye-catching in the winter sun, like a ball of fire. She wore a navy blue cotton-padded jacket, the collar of which was neatly tied, and her hair was tied into a braid that hung down her back, the end of which was tied with a red ribbon.

"Wanqing, help me pick out the vegetables from this pot."

Zhao Xiuying placed a bowl of spinach on a wooden stool under the eaves and then brought out a bowl of chives from the kitchen.

Su Wanqing responded and squatted down to pick vegetables.

In the kitchen, Zhao Xiuying took the old hen that wasn't laying eggs out of its cage. The hen flapped its wings a couple of times in her hands, making a loud thumping sound. She held it by the base of its wing and handed it to Lin Weiguo.

Lin Weiguo squatted against the wall, rubbing the cleaver against the whetstone a couple of times; the blade flashed in the sunlight. He pinched the chicken's neck; the chicken kicked its legs twice, then stopped moving.

Lin Jiang squatted down beside him to help, holding a bowl half-filled with water and a pinch of salt. Chicken blood dripped into the bowl, turning red, slowly spreading and then gathering in the salt water.

Lin Weiguo handed the chicken to Zhao Xiuying, who took the chicken wings into the kitchen, boiled a pot of water, and put the chicken in to scald it.

Around 10 a.m., there was a knock on the gate.

Lin Weiguo was sweeping the last bit of snow in the yard when he heard a knock on the door. He stopped, leaned the broom against the wall, and went to open the door.

An old man was standing outside the door.

He was wearing a faded black cotton-padded jacket with several patches on the front, the stitches rough, sewn by himself. He wore an old cotton hat, the ear flaps pulled down, revealing his graying sideburns.

He was carrying a blue cloth bundle in his hand.

Lin Weiguo looked at the man, not recognizing him.

He stood inside the threshold, one hand on the door frame, looking him up and down.

"Brother, who are you looking for?"

"This must be Lin Jianjia's house."

The old man's voice wasn't loud.

Lin Weiguo frowned slightly. He glanced back at the kitchen, where Zhao Xiuying was peeking out, her hands still covered in chicken feathers.

"Yes."

Lin Weiguo said:

"Who are you?"

"He's from Xiahe Village, and his surname is Zhou."

As the old man spoke, he stepped over the threshold and into the courtyard.

"They shouldn't have come during the Lunar New Year."

他 说:

"But things can't be delayed any longer; this year's matters should be addressed this year."

Lin Nuo's heart skipped a beat when he saw Zhou Laoshuan.

He came out of the kitchen, wiped the dough on his apron, and walked over to Lin Weiguo.

"Sir, let's go inside and talk."

Lin Nuo's voice was not loud. He looked at Zhou Laoshuan with unwavering eyes.

Old Zhou glanced at him and nodded. Lin Nuo stepped aside to let him pass, and Old Zhou carried his bundle into the main room.

In the main room, Lin Weiguo sat in the head seat.

Lin Nuo stood next to Lin Weiguo, her hands hanging at her sides.

Lin Nuo glanced in the direction of the west wing; the gate there was still closed. He turned and left the main room, crossed the courtyard, and walked to the gate of Lin Jian's small courtyard.

The door was made of wooden planks, propped open with a wooden stick. He knocked twice, but no one answered.

"Third brother."

He called out.

There was no sound inside.

"Old Zhou is here. You can't hide forever."

The door opened.

Lin Jian stood behind the door, wearing a drab gray sweater with the collar loose, revealing his thermal underwear underneath. His hair was a mess, like a bird's nest.

He glanced at Lin Nuo but said nothing.

Lin Nuo didn't say anything, and turned to walk towards the main room.

The two entered the main room one after the other.

Zhou Laoshuan's gaze was fixed on Lin Jian the moment he entered.

Lin Jian stood in the middle of the main room, not sitting. He took his hands out of his pockets and let them hang at his sides, his fingers slightly curled. His head was still lowered, and he dared not look at anyone.

Old Zhou spoke up, his voice low: "You sold fake fertilizer, ruining my crops. Do you admit it?"

Lin Jian's lips trembled slightly.

"recognize."

The voice was squeezed out of his throat, hoarse and dry.

"You can't just let bygones be bygones."

Zhou Laoshuan's voice lowered.

Lin Weiguo remained silent, only clenching his fists as he asked about the fake fertilizer: "What did you promise?"

The main room was quiet.

"explain."

Lin Weiguo said.

Lin Jian's lips trembled for a long time before he finally managed to squeeze out a sentence from his throat:

"...If the crops can't be recovered...then he'll marry into the Zhou family as their son-in-law."

The air in the main room seemed to have been sucked out.

Lin Weiguo gripped the chair armrest tightly, his knuckles cracking. His face turned from ashen to bright red. He then abruptly stood up, the chair tipping backward and crashing to the ground with a thud as the wooden legs struck the brick floor.

He pointed at Lin Jian, poked the air twice with his finger, opened his mouth as if to say something, but his lips trembled so badly that he couldn't utter a single word.

Zhao Xiuying rushed over and slapped Lin Jian on the arm. She continued to slap him, but on the third slap, her hand stopped in mid-air and didn't fall.

"Are you crazy?!"

Zhao Xiuying's voice was choked with sobs:

"You agreed to something like this? Where do you think you'll put your parents' faces? How are you going to face the world after this?"

Lin Jian didn't dodge. He just stood there.

Zhou Laoshuan stood up.

"I'm not here to cause trouble."

He said the sound was still not loud:

"I just want an explanation. I accept that the crops are ruined. But the promises I made can't be ignored."

The main room fell silent.

Lin Nuo, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.

"Uncle Zhou, please have a seat."

Old Zhou glanced at him. Lin Nuo walked up to him, unhurriedly pushed the bench forward, gesturing for him to sit down. Old Zhou hesitated for a moment, then sat down, but only on one side, his back ramrod straight.

Lin Nuo did not sit down.

"Lin Jian sold fake fertilizer, which ruined your crops. It was our fault."

Lin Nuo said:

"We admit our mistake."

Zhou Laoshuan looked at him without saying a word.

"But regarding the matter of marrying into the family,"

Lin Nuo paused for a moment, glanced at Lin Jian, and Lin Jian lowered his head even further:

"A forced marriage won't be happy. Even if he goes to your house, he won't be happy if he's not content. Your daughter won't be happy marrying into your family either."

Zhou Laoshuan's face twitched.

My daughter has poor eyesight.

His voice lowered, so low it sounded like he was speaking to himself:

"Nobody in the village wanted him. I asked so many people and said so many nice things, but as soon as they heard he had poor eyesight, they wouldn't even come to see him. Finally, someone was willing to marry into the family—"

He glanced at Lin Jian:

"We can't just let this go."

Lin Nuo squatted down in front of him, without moving. He thought for a moment, then said:

"Uncle Zhou, please give me a month."

Old Zhou looked at him.

"Within a month, I will find you a son-in-law who is willing to marry into your family, a man of good character, hardworking and reliable, and who will not look down on your daughter."

Zhou Laoshuan stared at Lin Nuo, his gaze fixed on his face like a nail.

"Does your decision count?"

he asks.

"Calculate."

Lin Nuo said.

"What if I can't find it?"

"If we can't find it, we'll compensate you for the cost of your crops, including principal and interest."

The main room fell silent again. Lin Weiguo looked up at Lin Nuo's retreating figure.

Zhou Laoshuan remained silent for a long time.

He looked at Lin Nuo, then at Lin Jian, and then at Lin Weiguo.

"One month. If you still haven't found it by the 28th of the first lunar month, don't blame me for being impolite."

He stood up, bent down, and picked up the blue cloth bundle at his feet.

"You're not much older than my daughter."

His voice came from the doorway, muffled:

"I'm sorry you had to go through that. But I shouldn't have agreed in the first place. Once I agreed, I can't just pretend it never happened."

The main room remained quiet for a long time.

Lin Jian leaned against the wall, looking like a wilted cabbage.

Lin Nuo spoke first.

"I'll take care of this."

他 说:

"Father, Mother, don't worry."

Lin Weiguo raised his head.

"Where are you going to look for them?"

His voice was hoarse.

"Ask Qi Dawu for help inquiring."

Lin Nuo said, walking up to Lin Weiguo:

"There are plenty of bachelors in the surrounding villages. As long as they are of good character, hardworking, and don't mind that the girl's eyesight is poor, they can always find someone."

Lin Weiguo remained silent for a while

"You owe your second brother," he said.

Lin Jian's shoulders suddenly twitched.

Zhao Xiuying glanced at Lin Jian, wanting to say something.

Only the two brothers remained in the main room.

"Second Brother."

Lin Jian called out, his voice so soft it sounded like it was being squeezed out of his throat.

Lin Nuo stood in front of him, looking at him.

"Don't say anything during the New Year."

Lin Nuo interrupted him:

Go wash your face, we'll eat in a bit.

He turned and walked out.

"Thanks."

Lin Nuo paused for a moment. He didn't turn around. It wasn't for Lin Jian's sake; this matter couldn't be allowed to get out. If it did, how would his parents face the villagers?

The New Year's Eve dinner was set on the table.

The light bulb in the main room was replaced with a higher wattage one, making it much brighter than usual, and its warm yellow light made the whole room cozy. The table was piled high with bowls—stewed chicken, radish balls, sweet potato balls, fried fish pieces, fried pork liver, dumplings, as well as a plate of peanuts and a dish of pickled vegetables, a truly abundant feast.

Lin Weiguo sat in the main seat, with a wine cup in front of him, into which he poured a glass of baijiu (Chinese white liquor). The liquor was bulk baijiu, in a glass bottle with the cork removed, and the aroma of the liquor wafted across the table, mingling with the fragrance of stewed chicken.

Lin Jian washed his face, changed into clean clothes, and sat down at the table. He kept his head down, the dumplings in front of him steaming, but he didn't touch them.

Lin An and Lin Ping sat next to Su Wanqing. The two children didn't know what had happened during the day; they only knew that there would be delicious food for the New Year, and their faces were full of smiles.

Lin An picked up a piece of chicken, stood up, stretched his arm across half the table, and placed it in Su Wanqing's bowl. The chicken piece trembled on the tip of her chopsticks, almost falling, but she quickly steadied it.

"Second Aunt, have some meat."

Su Wanqing glanced down at the chicken in the bowl. The meat on the chicken leg was stewed until tender, almost falling off the bone, and the skin was coated with a layer of golden oil. She picked it up and put it in her mouth.

"Mmm," she said.

Lin Nuo sat opposite Su Wanqing and noticed that she was still wearing the red scarf around her neck. The scarf was wrapped inside her cotton-padded coat, with only a section showing; it was vermilion and gleamed softly under the lamplight.

He smirked, picked up a dumpling, and popped it into his mouth. The dumpling was filled with pork and cabbage; one bite and the broth burst in his mouth—it was delicious.

It's been so long since I've had dumplings made by my mother.

Lin Jian stared at the chicken in the bowl, momentarily stunned. His chopsticks rested on the rim of the bowl, untouched. After a few seconds of silence, he picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of chicken, put it in his mouth, and chewed for a long time.

Zhao Xiuying brought in the last dish from the kitchen—a bowl of egg drop soup, with scallions and sesame oil floating on top. She placed the bowl in the middle of the table, wiped her hands on her apron, and sat down.

She glanced at Lin Jian, then at Lin Weiguo, said nothing, picked up her chopsticks, took a meatball, and placed it in Lin An's bowl.

"Eat it, it won't taste good when it gets cold."

After finishing his meal, Lin Nuo went out into the yard.

It was completely dark when the moon peeked out from behind the clouds, its cool light shining on the snow, making it appear as if it were covered with a layer of silver.

The sound of firecrackers was still going off in the distance, but it had become sparse, going off once every now and then. The air was filled with the smell of gunpowder, mixed with the scent of snow and firewood—a unique aroma of the Lunar New Year.

I heard very light footsteps behind me.

He turned around and saw Su Wanqing standing at the door of the west room. A red scarf was wrapped around her neck, its color darkening slightly in the moonlight, but it was still quite eye-catching.

"It's cold outside," she said softly, as if afraid of disturbing something.

"It's alright, just stand there for a while."

Su Wanqing didn't say anything more.

She turned and went inside.

The door wasn't closed properly, leaving a crack. A warm, yellow light shone through the crack, falling onto the snow in front of the threshold.

Lin Nuo stared at the light for a long time.

Late at night, Lin Nuo lay in bed unable to sleep.

He was thinking about something that would take a month.

Where can you find someone willing to marry into your family? There are plenty of bachelors in the surrounding villages, but not many are willing to do so. In the village, marrying into someone's family is more shameful than being poor.

Poverty is temporary, but marrying into a family means a lifetime of being unable to hold your head high. Who would want that?

Suddenly, he remembered someone.

In a neighboring village, there lived a bachelor named Sun Desheng, who was in his early thirties. He was poor, and both his parents had passed away, leaving him all alone.

He's an honest, hardworking man, a master at farming, but he just can't find a wife. It's not that he's bad, it's that he's poor. In his past life, he never married, and even in his forties he's still single, with no one to talk to during holidays.

If you tell him that Zhou Laoshuan's daughter has poor eyesight but is a good person, owns land, and that the old couple are not bad people, he might not be unwilling.

Lin Nuo rolled over, facing the wall.

Find some time to ask around; I remember Qi Dawu seems to be quite familiar with this person.