Chapter 10:

By the time Yu Xiang’an returned with her younger brother and nephew carrying a wooden bucket, lunch was almost ready.

The three of them had a decent haul. They had gone to the stream to try their luck, and Yu Mingjie managed to catch a yellow eel weighing over a pound. Many girls were afraid of it because it looked like a snake, but for Yu Xiang’an, fear was out of the question—it was a delicious ingredient.

Zhang Chahua handed the eel to Zhao Qiaoniang to prepare and pulled Yu Xiang’an aside to talk. “Xiao An, Grandma knows about what happened. What are your thoughts? Talk to Grandma properly. I’ve lived many more years than you and can at least help you figure things out.”

Yu Xiang’an had already anticipated this conversation. She smiled and said, “Grandma, I’m not upset anymore. Don’t worry about me. This was a case of cutting my losses in time. Imagine if I’d married him and only then found out—how much worse would that be? Now I have a job, so I don’t have to worry. I just want to focus on working hard and living a good life!”

Zhang Chahua, seeing no trace of distress in her granddaughter, felt relieved. “It’s good that you can see things clearly.” She rubbed Yu Xiang’an’s hand with her rough fingers, her heart at ease. She had been afraid that Yu Xiang’an would dwell on the matter and let it darken her future. But now, as she said, she had a stable job with a monthly salary—a secure position. Even if word got out that she had broken off an engagement, there would still be plenty of suitors lining up. Marriage wouldn’t be a problem.

Yu Xiang’an’s heart swelled with warmth. She truly was fortunate—whether in her past life or this one, her family had always been good to her.

*

One by one, the others returned from work—Uncle Yu Qingbao and his wife, along with their sons.

Yu Xiang’an saw her uncle, Yu Qingbao. He and Yu Qingshan were twins, but they didn’t look very similar. Yu Qingbao was shorter and thinner than Yu Qingshan, appearing somewhat unhealthy. In contrast, his wife, Yang Huili, was taller and sturdier than him. At a glance, one might mistake her for the man in the relationship.

She was well-known in the Red Star Production Brigade for her capability, earning a full ten work points like the strongest male laborers.

This couple was somewhat reversed in roles—Yang Huili did the heavy labor meant for men, while Yu Qingbao took on lighter tasks. There was no helping it; Yu Qingbao had been born with health issues and couldn’t handle strenuous work. Yang Huili had been specifically chosen by Zhang Chahua for her eldest son, ensuring they complemented each other.

Yang Huili’s family was poor, but that was their only drawback.

Her family lived deep in the mountains, where arable land was scarce, making large-scale farming impossible. Life was hard, but the mountains provided plenty of wild produce. Seeing them return, Yang Huili grinned. “My brother sent over a cured rabbit last time. There’s still some left—I’ll slice it up today so everyone can have a taste.”

Yu Xiang’an matched their faces to her memories and carefully noted her three cousins.

Yu Qingbao and Yang Huili had six children, but one had died young, leaving five. The first two were daughters who had already married and moved out. The remaining three were sons: Yu Manchang, Yu Manwu, and Yu Mansheng. Yu Manwu and Yu Mansheng were younger than Yu Xiang’an.

Yu Manchang was nineteen, two years older than Yu Xiang’an. He had finished middle school but didn’t continue further—in the countryside, that level of education was sufficient. Because he was literate and good with numbers, he was occasionally called to help with brigade tasks.

Yu Manwu and Yu Mansheng had only finished elementary school before quitting. With the current state of the commune, schooling wasn’t prioritized, so they had returned home to work in the fields and earn work points.

Yu Mansheng was particularly enthusiastic. He peeked into the kitchen, salivating, then called out to Yu Xiangju and Yu Mingjie, “Come on, I’ll take you up the mountain to pick wild fruit!”

Teenagers were always on the lookout for anything edible, and they all knew a few “secret spots” that few others did.

Yu Manchang heard this and called after them, “Don’t take too long—lunch is almost ready!”

Yu Mansheng replied, “I know, we won’t be long!”

Yu Xiang’an called out, “Wait, I’m coming too!” She followed them out, heading toward the small mountain.

Everything now belonged to the collective, including the trees and grass on the mountain. Officially, no one was allowed to pick anything without permission, but if the rules were enforced too strictly, life would become unbearable. So in the Red Star Production Brigade, while cutting down trees was forbidden (only pruning branches for firewood was allowed), foraging for wild greens and fruits was generally overlooked. If someone happened to catch a wild rabbit or pheasant or gather some bird eggs, as long as they kept it quiet, no one would make a fuss. But if they were caught, the spoils would be confiscated for the collective.

Along the way, Yu Xiang’an spotted plenty of wild greens—some old and tough, others tender and fresh. She couldn’t resist picking some of the tender ones. These greens had a bittersweet taste—those who liked it loved it, while others found it akin to eating medicine.

Yu Xiang’an was among those who enjoyed it.

Yu Mansheng didn’t stop her and even helped. Soon, they had gathered a good amount. Then he led them to a secluded hollow where, beneath dense shade, they found a wild plum tree laden with fruit. Yu Mansheng grinned proudly. “Hardly anyone knows about this spot. I checked yesterday—they’re almost ripe. Let’s pick the ripe ones today.”

Yu Mingjie and Yu Xiangju cheered. “Are they sweet?”

It had been a long time since they’d had fruit.

Wild plums were prone to worms, so they needed to be soaked in water first. Yu Xiang’an looked at the plums hanging from the branches, her mouth watering as she recalled their sweet-and-sour flavor.

Yu Mansheng chuckled. “This tree’s plums are pretty sweet. I found it last year, but there weren’t many then. This year’s harvest is better.”

Yu Xiangju exclaimed, “Let’s pick them quickly!”

The four of them got to work—Yu Mansheng climbed the tree while the other three gathered from below. Soon, all the dark, ripe plums were picked.

By the time they returned, lunch was nearly ready.

The table was laden with dishes: fish head and mushroom soup, steamed eggs with scallions, braised fish, cured pork stir-fried with wood ear mushrooms, cured rabbit stewed with taro, wild greens dug up from the mountain, and the dried bamboo shoots and mushrooms brought by Yu Qingshan’s family. Altogether, there were eight dishes—a spread usually reserved for New Year’s celebrations.

Yu Manchang, being older, managed to keep his composure, but Yu Manwu and Yu Mansheng were practically glued to the table, only moving when Zhang Chahua dragged them away by their ears to wash their hands.

With thirteen people in total, the large table was packed, but they made it work.

Yu Xiang’an received special treatment—Zhang Chahua gave her half a fish head, while the other half went to Yu Xiangju and Yu Mingjie. As she savored the tender fish meat, Yu Xiang’an was already eyeing the other dishes. She thought to herself that once she confirmed the safety of the produce from the XiXi Farm, she’d put her culinary skills to full use—steaming, braising, frying, sweet-and-sour, deep-frying…

With so many people eating, speed was key. Even the children had learned to eat quickly—hesitate, and the best dishes would be gone.

By the time everyone set down their chopsticks, the plates were empty, some even looking as if they’d been washed clean.

Yu Changyou sighed contentedly, loosening his belt, then shared some good news with Yu Qingshan. “Because of my illness, we had to postpone Manchang’s wedding. But now the date’s been set—the sixth day two months from now. It’s an auspicious day. If we miss it, we’d have to wait until the end of the year or next year.”

Yu Manchang’s tanned face turned a deep red as he lowered his head in embarrassment. His younger brother, Yu Manwu, nudged him with an elbow. “Big Brother, you’re getting a wife soon. Happy?”

Yu Manchang coughed. “Stop teasing.”

Yang Huili couldn’t stop smiling. Adding a new member to the family was a joyous occasion. In a year or two, she’d be holding a grandchild.

Yu Qingbao glanced at the plump Yu Mingjie and couldn’t help but imagine his own future grandson.

He and Yu Qingshan were twins, yet his younger brother already had a five-year-old grandson while his own son hadn’t even married yet. If things moved quickly, he might see his first grandchild by next year.

“What are the family’s plans?” Yu Qingshan asked.

Yu Changyou replied, “No one holds big weddings these days—we’ll follow the trend. On the day, we’ll borrow the brigade’s ox cart and bicycle to fetch the bride, then invite relatives to witness the ceremony. If other villagers come to congratulate us, we’ll offer tea and roasted beans. No feast.”

Yu Qingshan nodded. “What about the betrothal gifts? Have you settled on an amount?”

Yang Huili beamed. “It’s all settled—thirty yuan for the betrothal gifts. The bride’s family will provide two chests, a cabinet, and two quilts as dowry.”

Thirty yuan was considered a high betrothal gift in the countryside. The last wedding in the brigade had only required twenty yuan, with the bride’s dowry consisting of a few sets of clothes and two pairs of shoes. Their gift was a bit more, but the dowry was substantial too. Judging by the arrangement, the bride’s family might even include some private savings.

This bride had been carefully selected by Yang Huili. Once Yu Manchang approved after meeting her, she had immediately secured the match.

Yu Xianghai clapped Yu Manchang on the shoulder. “Once you’re married, you’ll be a full-fledged adult.”

Ye Qijia smiled. “I managed to save a piece of red fabric at the supply and marketing cooperative—it was labeled as defective, but you can’t even tell unless you look closely. Next time I visit, I’ll bring it for the bride. If she doesn’t mind, it could make a perfect red veil.”

Yang Huili didn’t hesitate. “Xianghai’s wife, your aunt remembers your kindness.”

Nowadays, for weddings, men wore military uniforms while women wore red. But red fabric was scarce—even with money and coupons, it was hard to come by. Brides either wore other colors or borrowed red clothing.

If the bride’s side had red clothes to borrow, adding a red veil from their side would be even better. As for the “defective” label—who cared?

Yu Xiang’an: “…”

Once again, she was struck by the scarcity of this era. When her brother and sister-in-law had married, they’d had three sets of wedding attire—a Western-style gown, a traditional red dress, and a formal red suit. The wedding banquet had been meticulously planned by her mother, featuring ten perfectly named dishes meant to delight the guests.

Now, wedding attire had to be borrowed, and there was no banquet at all.

While many young people nowadays preferred simple weddings, there was a difference between choosing simplicity and being forced into it.

This topic wasn’t one for unmarried “children” to contribute to, so Yu Xiang’an stayed quiet. Zhao Qiaoniang also remained silent the whole time.

She watched Yu Xiangju and discreetly wiped her eyes. She had never borne a son, so the only wedding she could look forward to was Yu Xiangju’s. She had raised him as her own—though not by blood, he was as dear to her as a biological child.

After lunch, Yu Xiangju and Yu Mingjie played outside for a while before it was time to leave. They took home plenty of fresh vegetables and local specialties.

But upon returning, Yu Xiang’an was horrified to discover that her period had arrived—and there were no sanitary pads.

Instead, women used cloth strips filled with plant ash or stuffed with rough paper.

Yu Xiang’an: “!!!”

She was going to lose her mind!