Chapter 18

  Daniu slept until almost noon the next day. The house was quiet when she got up, and she found a rge pot of hot water on the stove, still burning. She opened the door to the east room and saw her grandpa sitting on the kang, holding a box to his ear and listening quietly. He turned to look when he heard the door.

  "Awake?" the old man smiled.

  Da Niu nodded. "Where's Mom and the others?"

  "They're in the backyard.They have lit the fire there today; they didn't want to disturb you in the front yard. Why were you gone so long this time?" the old man asked.

  "I went further this time to deposit the grain, and the snow closed the mountain. I'll make one more trip before the New Year."

  "That's good. I heard from the radio that hunting is banned in many pces. They might also ban it here."," the old man said.

  Daniu nodded. "We'll turn a blind eye. Many people here rely on hunting to survive. I think things are still pretty rexed around here."

  After saying that, Daniu went to the box to get a thermos and filled it with hot water from the pot. When she returned, she looked in the mirror and noticed her hair had grown a bit. She decided to trim it ter.

  "That policeman who went into the mountains with you st time, Zhang Xiang, came by the house," the old man suddenly mentioned.

  "Oh? What did he want?" Da Niu asked.

  "He said their county bureau is looking for people and wanted to know if you'd be interested."

  "The county bureau? Why would they think of me?" she asked, surprised. The county bureau was a good pce to work, and there were always more people wanting to join than avaible spots.

  "He said it's because of what happened st time. He thinks you're capable. He wanted to recruit you back then, but there were no openings. This time, there is a rare opportunity. He asked for a quick response. If you're interested, he'll report your situation."

  Daniu thought for a moment, then shook her head. "Forget it, I don’t want to go to the county town yet."

  "If you don’t go, you’ll waste this great opportunity."

  "Grandpa, I really don’t feel like going to the county town. You know about my brain issue—who knows if it might act up again in the future? Life in the county town definitely won’t be as simple as it is at home." This wasn’t a lie. She felt her brain was working faster and faster. Sometimes, just a single thought would trigger a flood of associations in her mind. For example, when she saw someone she knew, her brain would instantly map out all the connections reted to that person, branching out like a tree with countless limbs.

  This automatic categorization and organization happened without her control. While it didn’t harm her, it was bothersome. Really annoying.

  She poured a cup of hot water for her grandpa and added a few drops of "spirit water" into it.

  "Grandpa, I will go to the backyard now."

  "Go ahead. Since you’re not going, take the new to your fifth uncle."

  "Got it, Grandpa."

  She returned to her room, put on her padded jacket, and went out to the backyard. The ground was covered in a thick yer of snow—it had snowed heavily st night.

  When she entered the house, the room was filled with smoke. Peeking into the kitchen, she saw two rge pots boiling. "Mom, what are you cooking?" Only her mother was in the kitchen.

  "You’re awake. I stewed some small roe deer ribs for today. Are you hungry? I’ll steam a couple of millet dumplings for you to snack on."

  Daniu shook her head. "I’m not hungry. I slept too much. Where is everyone else?"

  "They went to watch the excitement. The team is catching pigs to send to the commune today."

  "Did Brother go too?"

  "Yes, someone asked him to help with the weighing."

  "Why would they need him for that?"

  "Your fifth uncle is looking out for him, always trying to give him a chance to shine," Ma Hongmei said.

  "What about Brother’s marriage? Any news?" Daniu asked.

  "It’s off; what else can I say?" Ma Hongmei replied. "I’ve asked your fifth aunt to keep an eye out. We’ll find someone suitable eventually."

  "Is the Guo family really not an option?" Daniu asked.

  Ma Hongmei shook her head. "I know your brother has feelings for that girl, but it’s just not possible." Her voice lowered. "I heard his mother is in Henan. The Guo family’s second son is doing well—he’s got a permanent job at the steel pipe factory, and they have two kids."

  Daniu already knew all this.

  "Before, the Guo family acted like this person didn’t exist. After all, they offended two families at once. But now it’s different. The Guo brothers are trying to use the second son’s connections to get their kids into the city. On the surface, nothing’s changed, but behind the scenes, they’ve already reconnected. A few days ago, the eldest Guo even took his son on a trip and only came back after several days—they went there."

  Ma Hongmei pursed her lips. "I know your third aunt-in-w too well. She’s as shrewd as a sieve. She won’t let anyone take advantage of her. Just wait and see—there’s going to be drama in that family."

  "If your brother marries that Guo girl, he’ll get tangled up in all their mess, and our life won’t be peaceful. Plus, once that connection is made, her mother will definitely tch onto him."

  "But if she comes back, we can’t stop her from seeing my brother, can we?" Daniu said.

  "We can’t stop her, but it’s different."

  Daniu thought about it and agreed. If her brother became the Guo family’s son-in-w, the double connection would indeed make things complicated.

  "Besides, your brother isn’t fully aware of his feelings yet. His thing with the Guo girl is just that—a good feeling." Ma Hongmei saw it clearly. She knew her own child well.

  Daniu thought so too. Her brother held a special pce in their family. Their parents had always treated him better than the other children. That’s why they built him a house when they were constructing their home—they wanted to keep him close. So if her brother really insisted, their parents wouldn’t force him.

  "Dear Daughter, go fetch some corn stalks for me. I forgot to get them yesterday. When they come back, I’ll stir-fry some pickled cabbage."

  "When will Dad be back?"

  "Around noon. He should be home in half an hour. It’s Sunday today, so he’s off work. He went to the school to clear snow."

  Daniu had lost track of the days and no longer paid attention to weekends or weekdays.

  She went outside to the firewood pile to gather some sticks. Just as she pulled out a bundle, she heard a girl’s voice say, "Ma Dali, stop right there."

  "Guo Yawen, what’s the matter?" Dali’s voice replied.

  "Yes, I want to ask you—did you go on a blind date?" Guo Yawen asked.

  "Yes," Dali confirmed.

  "You—how could you do this?" Guo Yawen was upset. "Didn’t you say you’d marry me? How could you change your mind?"

  Dali was confused. "When did I ever say I’d marry you?"

  "You didn’t say it, but you implied it. We’ve known each other since we were kids. When we pyed house, you were always the groom, and I was the bride."

  Dali shook his head. "That was just a child’s joke. We’re not suitable for each other." Maybe there had been a faint spark of affection, but he was more realistic. The Guo family wasn’t a good match for him.

  "What’s unsuitable? My second uncle wrote to us—they’re in Henan. If we got together, your mom would be happy too." Guo Yawen said, "I’m not even asking for a dowry. My second aunt said if you marry me, she’ll arrange a job for you at the factory in Henan. You’d be a permanent worker, and—"

  "Stop talking." Dali clenched his fists, his teeth gritted. "I only have one mother. Your Guo family has nothing to do with me." He looked up at this bold, pretty girl, but the flutter he once felt was gone.

  "I’ve said it—we’re not suitable. From now on, let’s not have anything to do with each other."

  Guo Yawen was frantic. "Ma Dali, how can you be like this?"

  Dali didn’t look at her again. "This is who I am. We never had any real connection to begin with. Goodbye." With that, he turned and walked away without looking back.

  Guo Yawen’s tears fell. How could it end like this? Dali used to be so good to her. If he had a piece of candy, he’d give her half. Everything was fine before—why was he so angry now?

  From behind the firewood pile, Daniu shook her head. This Guo girl was really simple-minded and a bit stupid. She wasn't understanding the situation at all, yet she dared to say whatever came to mind.

  Dali returned to the house and saw his mother busy in the kitchen. Suddenly, he felt a sense of relief. He finally understood what his mother had said. If he were to marry Guo Yawen, his biological mother would definitely interfere in his life, and he didn’t want that.

  He had no memory of his biological mother. No one in the family had ever mentioned her, and he had no idea about her existence. When he was a child, no one told him that the woman he called "mom" wasn’t his biological mother. It wasn’t until ter that he heard about it from Guo Yawen. Thinking about this, Dali suddenly realized that perhaps his biological mother had wanted to be a part of his life back then.

  After he found out the truth, his family didn’t hide it from him and expined everything. He felt awkward about it for a while, but over the years, the love his parents had shown him was genuine. Unlike his second brother, who grew up like a wild pnt, Dali had been sickly as a child, and his parents had poured most of their affection into him. He wasn’t made of stone; he had feelings. So, he would always be Ma Hongmei’s son, and that would never change.

  As for his biological mother, since she had left and built her own life, why come back now?

  It was better to keep the distance. He didn’t ck a mother’s love.

  When Daniu returned home, she saw her brother chatting with their mother, both of them smiling and ughing about something. Her brother’s leg had healed enough for him to walk, though he was still limping. He was leaning against the kitchen doorframe, looking rexed, as if he had come to terms with something. The gloom that had hung over him in recent days was gone.

  "Why did it take you so long to fetch the firewood? Your brother said the team’s quota for pigs this year has been exceeded, so we’ll be able to sughter pigs for the New Year," Ma Hongmei said with a smile.

  "Our family isn’t short on meat. Are you really looking forward to that bit of pork, Mom?" Daniu dodged her brother’s attempt to help her carry the firewood.

  "Be careful with your leg. Don’t put too much strain on it."

  "Our family might not be short on meat, but other families are. If we can have meat for the New Year, won’t life be better?" Ma Hongmei chuckled. "You don’t know this, but back in the day, our family used to sughter three pigs for the New Year. The whole vilge would come together to eat the pork stew. It was so lively. If we sughter a pig this year, we’ll ask for some blood and intestines. I’ll make blood sausage for you, and we can stew it with pickled cabbage. It’ll be delicious."

  "Hmm, how about after this snowfall, I go into the mountains and catch a live onefo us to make blood sausage. The team will sughter two pigs at most. How much blood sausage can we make from that?"

  "No, you’ve been working hard all year. Take a break at home for a while. Look at other girls—none of them are as busy as you are all year round." Ma Hongmei knew her daughter rarely got a chance to rest, and she wasn’t about to let her go into the mountains now.

  "I’m not tired." With the "spiritual water" in her hand, she rarely felt fatigued.

  "You should rest. Listen to Mom and stay home for a while. Don’t go out," Dali chimed in. His sister was too capable—he couldn’t compare to her.