Reborn in 1982, the prodigal son returns

After the New Year's Eve dinner dishes were cleaned up, only Zhao Xiuying and Su Wanqing remained in the kitchen. Steam rose from the hot water in the pot, and the embers in the stove cast a reddish glow on the wall, casting long shadows of the two of them.

Zhao Xiuying stood in front of the stove washing pots, without looking up:

"The kang (heated brick bed) in the west room isn't heated tonight, and it's too cold to sleep in. The kang in the east room is warm, so go sleep there and don't get cold."

Su Wanqing paused while wiping the dishes, remained silent for two seconds, and then hummed in agreement.

Zhao Xiuying didn't say anything more and continued washing the pot. The embers in the stove reflected on her face, making it look red. Her lips twitched slightly, but she quickly pursed them again.

She had always been satisfied with this daughter-in-law, and seeing the two of them like this now, she had to help them save face.

She also wants to have a grandson soon.

The door to the east room was ajar, and a yellowish light shone through the crack.

Lin Nuo returned from the courtyard, his cotton-padded coat covered in a layer of snow, his shoulders streaked with white. He stamped his feet on the threshold, sending snowflakes scattering to the ground. He pushed open the door, gripping the frame, and froze in place.

Su Wanqing sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed).

The red scarf was still wrapped around her neck, its vermilion color gleaming softly under the kerosene lamp.

She didn't look up, her finger slowly tracing her name on the calligraphy template.

Lin Nuo stood at the door, one hand still gripping the doorframe, as if he hadn't reacted yet. In the end, he could only manage to stammer out:

"The kang is hot enough, I'll go to the kitchen to add some more firewood." He turned to leave.

"Mother has added it."

Su Wanqing said.

The sound was very soft.

The kang (heated brick bed) was large enough to sleep three or four people. They were spaced a short distance apart. The quilt was newly sewn by Zhao Xiuying, with large, bright red peony flowers on the cover that looked as if they were actually blooming under the kerosene lamp.

Lin Nuo's hand remained outside the blanket, his fingers slightly curled, motionless. He felt inexplicably nervous, as if he could hear his own heartbeat.

The quilt rustled slightly, and she shifted her body a little on the kang (a heated brick bed). Not towards him, but behind him; she turned over, her back to him. But this turn brought her back a little closer to him.

Lin Nuo swallowed hard, then slowly reached out and gently placed his hand on her waist.

Su Wanqing's body stiffened for a moment.

Then she slowly relaxed.

Lin Nuo made no further move, but simply listened to her breathing, a slight smile playing on his lips.

I don't know how much time passed, but she fell asleep too.

……

Lin Nuo was awakened by the heat.

The kang (heated brick bed) was too hot. Zhao Xiuying was probably worried that they would get cold, so she added more firewood in the middle of the night. Pine firewood burns for a long time and generates a lot of heat, so hot that you could feel it even through the mattress. He found himself covered in sweat, and when he woke up, he felt something in his shoulder.

It's warm and soft, with a faint fragrance.

Su Wanqing buried her face in the crook of his shoulder. She didn't know when she had arrived.

Her breathing was even, each breath landing on his collarbone. He slowly lowered his head and saw her head.

The red scarf was neatly folded and placed beside her pillow. Crimson, it looked like a small flame in the morning light. She took it off before going to sleep.

Daylight had broken. A grayish-white light shone through the paper windows; it wasn't bright, but it was enough to see everything inside.

After a while, Su Wanqing woke up.

Her eyelashes fluttered, like a butterfly flapping its wings. Then her body moved slightly. After waking up, she was stunned for a moment, and Su Wanqing instantly understood what was happening.

However, she did not immediately move away.

She simply turned over slowly, her back to him.

"morning."

Lin Nuo said with a smile.

"……morning."

Su Wanqing spoke, her voice very soft.

Lin Nuo's lips curled up.

……

After breakfast, the family got ready and went to visit their uncle's family for the New Year.

Lin Weiguo walked at the front, wearing a black cotton-padded jacket with the collar turned up, and a gray towel wrapped around his head.

Zhao Xiuying followed beside him, her head wrapped in a new headscarf, gray with blue flowers, a gift from her aunt last year. She had been reluctant to wear it until today, when she took it out for the first time.

Lin Jiang and Tian Fang led An Ziping in the middle. Lin Ping wore a new cotton-padded jacket, made of blue cloth, which Tian Fang had altered from Lin Jiang's old cotton-padded jacket. The sleeves were a bit too long and rolled up twice, revealing the white lining underneath.

Lin Nuo and Su Wanqing walked at the back.

Su Wanqing was wearing a dark blue cotton-padded jacket with a red scarf around her neck. The crimson color stood out against the snow and could be seen from afar.

Lin Nuo's right hand hung at his side, and Su Wanqing's left hand also hung down. Their hands occasionally brushed against each other, between their sleeves, touching briefly before separating, then touching again. Neither spoke, neither moved away. Their shadows were cast on the snow, one long, one short, very close together.

The gate to Lin Weidong's courtyard was wide open.

Liu Guixiang stood at the entrance of the main room, wearing a dark red cotton-padded jacket with a bright red velvet flower pinned to her collar. When she saw the Lin family members enter, her face lit up with a smile.

"Coming, coming! Come inside quickly, it's cold outside!"

As she spoke, she lifted the curtain. The curtain was made of thick cotton and made a muffled sound when it was lifted.

Two tables were set up in the main room, covered with transparent plastic sheets, under which were placed red paper with the words "Happy New Year" written on it. Melon seeds, peanuts, and candies were also laid out on the tables.

Lin An and Lin Ping's eyes lit up immediately. Lin Ping reached out to grab it, but Tian Fang gently patted the back of his hand: "Call her first." Lin Ping pulled his hand back and obediently called out "Grandma." Liu Guixiang smiled and grabbed a handful of candy, stuffing it into his pocket. His pocket was bulging, and he covered it with both hands, afraid of losing it.

Lin Weidong sat in the main seat, wearing a dark blue cotton-padded jacket with the buttons neatly fastened, including the collar button, all the way up.

After exchanging pleasantries, Lin Weidong called Lin Nuo aside.

He stood up, holding the enamel mug, and winked at Lin Nuo. Lin Nuo followed him to a corner of the main room.

"Has yesterday's matter been resolved?"

he asks.

Lin Nuo nodded: "It's taken care of, don't worry, sir."

"How was it handled?"

"Find him a wife willing to marry into the family within a month. If you can't, compensate him for his crops with interest."

Lin Weidong was silent for a moment, then said, "Okay."

After a while, the main room was filled with relatives who had come to pay their respects for the New Year. The Lin family was a prominent family in the village, with uncles, aunts, and cousins ​​all gathered together.

The topic somehow veered back to yesterday's events.

Second Aunt Wang Guilan lowered her voice:

"I heard someone came from Xiahe Village yesterday? An old man, carrying a bundle?"

Lin Weiguo's expression was not good. He put the melon seeds back into the plate and tapped his fingers lightly on the edge of the table twice.

Lin Nuo picked up the conversation. He put down his teacup:

"It's all in the past, let's not talk about these things during the first month of the lunar year."

Then he turned to his second aunt and asked:

"Second Aunt, how many kilograms of pig did you slaughter this year?"

Second Aunt paused for a moment, still with the melon seeds in her mouth, and mumbled:

"They slaughtered over 160 jin (approximately 80 kg) of meat, and then rendered the lard. Why are you asking about that?"

But her attention had already been diverted, and she began to talk about how many kilograms of her pig had been slaughtered, how thick the fat was, and how many sausages it had made, speaking with great enthusiasm and gesturing with her fingers in the air.

The others also started talking about slaughtering pigs, and the topic took a completely different turn.

The women were gathered around another table, eating sunflower seeds. Su Wanqing sat in the corner, with a small handful of sunflower seeds in front of her, but she didn't eat much.

Third Aunt Li Guiying stared at the red scarf around her neck for several moments, and finally couldn't help but:

"Wanqing, your scarf is so pretty. Where did you buy it?"

Su Wanqing's fingers paused for a moment on the edge of the scarf:

"...Nuozi bought it."

Just four words. She said it very softly, but everyone laughed.

Third Aunt's mouth was practically stretched to her ears:

"Is Nuozi now aware of how to cherish his wife?"

The aunties next to them also laughed.

Lin Nuo sat at another table, the tips of his ears turning slightly red. Although he had been reborn, he was a fool when it came to matters of the heart in his previous life, and he wasn't much better in this one either.

Su Wanqing lowered her head, and the corner of her mouth twitched slightly. The smile was very faint.

……

When I left my uncle's house, the sun was already high in the sky.

Lin Weidong saw him off at the gate of the courtyard. He stood on the threshold, his hands tucked into his sleeves, his neck hunched.

"Noko."

Lin Nuo stopped.

"There are many things to do during the first month of the lunar calendar, so come find me if you need anything."

"Understood, sir."

Lin Weidong nodded, turned around and went inside.

Back home, after lunch, Lin Nuo moved the materials to the yard.

The wire was bought from the town, in rolls; thicker wire was used for the frame, and thinner wire was used for the snap knots.

Lin Nuo squatted at the base of the wall, the sunlight shining on his back, warm and cozy.

Lin Jiang came out of the main room, squatted down to watch, and after a while, asked, "What's going on?"

"After the New Year, we go into the mountains to set traps to catch wild animals. Pheasants and rabbits, we take them to town to sell."

This was something he had planned long ago. He had low capital at the moment, and he couldn't rely on luck every day. He could try every possible path and just get by.

Lin Jiang was silent for a moment:

"I'll go with you."

Lin Nuo glanced at him. His older brother was squatting in the sunlight, his face red from the sun, and there were wrinkles on his forehead, like plowed land.

"OK."

Lin Nuo said.

The courtyard gate was pushed open a crack.

The door panel traced an arc on the snow, making a soft "rustling" sound. Qi Dawu stood in the doorway, wearing his faded old cotton-padded jacket.

"Da Wu, come here." Lin Nuo beckoned to him.

Qi Dawu walked in. He stood next to Lin Nuo, looking down at the wire and rope on the ground, not understanding what was going on.

"Do you know how to twist wire?"

"meeting."

"sit."

Qi Dawu squatted down, and Lin Nuo handed him a wire, teaching him how to tie a knot and how to make a slipknot. Lin Nuo demonstrated it once, slowly, wrapping his fingers around the wire twice, passing them through the middle, and pulling to make a slipknot.

Qi Dawu had large hands, his fingers as thick as carrots, but he was surprisingly skillful at his work. The wire twisted and turned in his hands as if it were alive, and he quickly twisted a slipknot, the joint wrapped tightly, even neater than Lin Nuo's. He finished twisting it, put it on the ground, and picked up another one.

"You're quite skillful," Lin Nuo said.

Qi Dawu scratched his head and gave an embarrassed smile. As he scratched, his fingers ran through his hair, making it even messier. He lowered his head and continued twisting the wire, working with extreme concentration, as if he were doing something very important. The smile from before still lingered on his lips.

Lin Jiang watched from the side, then picked up a piece of wire and tried to twist it. He twisted slowly, the wire wouldn't bend in his hand, and it came undone after two tries. The end of the wire pricked his palm, making him shake his hand in pain. Qi Dawu leaned over and muttered, "Brother, twist it like this."

He took the wire from Lin Jiang's hand, slowly bent it into a circle, and tightened the joint. It was as thick as a finger, but his movements were very gentle, as if he were handling something fragile. Once it was tightened, he handed it back.

Lin Jiang took it and looked at it, turning it over and over twice, and nodded. He put the sheath on the ground, then took a piece of wire and twisted it properly this time. Although it wasn't as neat as Qi Dawu's, it was still usable.

Three people squatted in the yard, where a layer of wire and hemp rope was spread on the snow. The finished snares lay to one side, piling up in a small heap, silvery-gray, gleaming in the sunlight. The sunlight shone on the wire, making it sparkle like a pile of silver.

As Lin Nuo twisted the wire, he said:

"There are a lot of pheasants over in the old forest. We'll set traps after the fifth day of the lunar new year. Pheasants have fixed routes for finding food in winter. You can see their footprints in the snow. Follow the footprints and set traps where they usually go. Don't set the traps in the open. Cover them with branches and snow. Pheasants are very clever. Once they see something fresh, they won't leave."

Qi Dawu asked, "How do we get it out of the trap?"

"Pheasants and rabbits are better caught in burlap sacks, brought back alive, and sold in their sacks."

Lin Jiang asked, "Who will we sell them to if they're already in use?"

"At Liu Jun's supply and marketing cooperative, live pheasants are five yuan each, and wild rabbits are sold by weight, at one yuan and fifty cents per pound."

Lin Norton paused, but his hands didn't stop; he bent the wire in a circle around his knee.

"Da Wu, come with me to set a trap. Are you familiar with the mountain paths?"

"Cooked".

Qi Dawu said, his voice wasn't loud:

"I often go up the mountain to pick mushrooms in spring and summer."

"Okay. Brother, you wait for news at home. If you catch it, please help me take it to town to sell."

Lin Jiang grunted in agreement. He placed the twisted noose on the ground, looked at it, then picked it up again and adjusted the tightness of the slipknot. If it was too tight, the pheasant wouldn't be able to get in; if it was too loose, it wouldn't stay in place. He worked slowly but carefully, checking each noose twice before putting it down.

Lin Nuo, twisting the wire, suddenly asked:

"Da Wu, do you know anyone from the neighboring village?"

Qi Dawu's hands didn't stop:

"I know a few. I used to work in a neighboring village with my brother, so I know a few people there, but not many."

"Is there a man named Sun Desheng? He's in his early thirties and lives alone."

Qi Dawu thought for a moment, then slowed his movements. The wire spun twice in his hand, and he shook his head.

"I don't recognize him. But I can ask around. Which village is Sun Desheng from?"

"North of Xiahe Village, there's that little village, what's it called again...?"

Lin Nuo thought for a moment:

"It seems to be called Sunjiagou."

"Okay, I'll ask around." Qi Dawu didn't press further and continued twisting the wire.

Lin Jiang glanced at Lin Nuo. He knew that this "Sun Desheng" was probably related to yesterday's events, but he didn't ask. His older brother's habit was that if he didn't ask, it was something he shouldn't know.

As the sun began to set, the snares were almost finished. Dozens of them, of various sizes, were neatly stacked at the base of the wall. The larger ones were for catching rabbits, and the smaller ones were for catching pheasants. They were separated and tied into two bundles with hemp rope.

Lin Nuo stood up, patted the snow off his knees. His legs were numb from squatting, and when he stood up, his knee made a "crack" sound. He grimaced.

"That's enough."

Qi Dawu also stood up and placed the sheath in his hand on the pile.

"Da Wu, you don't need to come tomorrow, it's the second day of the new year. Come on the fifth day, and we'll go into the mountains."

"Why."

Qi Dawu nodded, turned and left.

Lin Jiang watched Qi Dawu's retreating figure and said, "That guy is honest."

Lin Nuo hummed in agreement. He gathered up the condom and moved it to the storage room next to the kitchen.

As it was getting dark, he turned and went back to the east room.

Dinner was just reheated leftovers from lunch, plus a pot of dumplings.

The dumplings were filled with pork and cabbage. They were made at noon, and there was a batch left over. Zhao Xiuying fried them in oil until they were golden brown on both sides, and they were crispy when you took a bite. The leftover dishes included stewed chicken, meatballs, and fish pieces. Zhao Xiuying fried the fish pieces again until they were even crispier, and they made a crunchy sound when you bit into them.

Zhao Xiuying sat at the table, picked up a dumpling, took a bite, chewed it twice, and said:

"There wasn't enough salt."

But I didn't get the salt shaker; I just ate it as is.

After finishing his meal, Lin Nuo returned to the east room.

Su Wanqing was already there. She sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), flipping through the calligraphy book in her hand.

Lin Nuo took off her cotton-padded coat and hung it behind the door.

"Tomorrow is the second day of the Lunar New Year," he said.

Su Wanqing paused, her fingers hovering over the pages of the calligraphy book. She didn't turn the page. The second day of the Lunar New Year was for returning to her parents' home. She had no parents' home to return to. Her father was gone, her mother had remarried, and she had no family in the village, nor in the city.

A few seconds of silence.

"Would you like to go for a walk in town?"

Lin Nuo said:

"The supply and marketing cooperative opens on the second day of the Lunar New Year."

Su Wanqing traced a line on the calligraphy copybook with her finger, the pages rustling softly. She didn't look up, her eyelashes drooping.

"……good."

Lin Nuo's lips curled slightly. He stood up, walked to the table, and blew out the kerosene lamp. The flame on the wick shrank to a ball of blue light, flickered twice, and went out, leaving a wisp of smoke from the lamp opening, carrying the smell of kerosene.

He lay down. Su Wanqing lay down too, and Lin Nuo reached out and took her hand.

In the darkness, Su Wanqing fell into a deep sleep.

Lin Nuo pondered.

Tomorrow is the second day of the Lunar New Year. I'll take her for a walk in town. There's a steamed bun shop next to the supply and marketing cooperative; they sell pork and scallion buns for three cents each. I'll buy her two.