Chapter 49**

  Life is full of choices, and no one knows whether a choice is right or wrong until the very end. Zhang Xiaoran didn’t know, and neither did Daniu. The only thing Daniu knew for sure was that Liang Wen wouldn’t be showing up in her life anymore.

  Zheng Sen ate two pieces of watermelon and then left. Recently, he had been coming over during his lunch breaks, and the two of them had grown more comfortable around each other. Daniu’s fondness for him had also increased. He was a real man, different from the men of this era. He was generous, knew how to behave, was careful, respected her very much, and had enough patience.

  It had been a while since Daniu became aware of his feelings, but Zheng Sen never pressured her to respond. Instead, he gradually became a part of her life, allowing her to get used to him and slowly accept him. He also grew close to her family, integrating himself so well that even her parents, despite their concerns, didn’t voice any objections. He was simply too good at handling things.

  Watching Zheng Sen pedal away on his bicycle, Daniu smiled to herself. Maybe he was the one.

  Watching a movie was a big event for people in this era. Whenever a movie was broadcast, people from vilges within a ten-mile radius would bring their families, some even walking for two or three hours just to watch it.

  It was the weekend, and Dali had returned home the previous night. That morning, he went to pick up Zhou Yingchun and her younger brother, who was twelve years old but a bit younger than Dayong. When they met, they discovered that Yingchun’s brother was actually in the same css as Dayong, which made them even closer.

  The whole family was going out today, and even the old man was persuaded to join. They locked the door and set off together. The vilge had arranged three carts to transport the elderly and children, while Ma Desheng and his brothers rode in one cart, driven by Third Grandpa. Xiaocui and Meizi also rode in the cart, while several boys ran around while following the cart, full of energy.

  Dali had initially pnned to ride his bike with his girlfriend, but since his parents were also going, he left the bike behind and walked with her instead, giving them a chance to talk.

  Song Yuncheng rode his bike with Ma Hongmei, while Daniu rode alongside them. Along the way, they encountered many people heading in the same direction, creating a lively atmosphere.

  When they arrived at the forestry station, the courtyard was already packed with people. Zheng Sen spotted them immediately and walked over. "Uncle, Auntie, let’s go to the front."

  "There are so many people!" Ma Hongmei excimed, noticing that even the trees and rooftops around the courtyard were occupied. It was so crowded that those at the back wouldn’t be able to see much.

  "Don’t worry, I saved a good spot. Let’s go to the front," Zheng Sen said, leading the way. "Grandpa Ma is already sitting up there."

  "Did they arrive early?" They had left a bit ter but had taken a different route, so they didn’t know who had arrived first.

  "They just got here. Look, they’re over there," Zheng Sen pointed ahead, where Ma Desheng and his brothers were sitting with a few other old men, chatting and ughing happily.

  When they reached the spot Zheng Sen had saved, there were several wooden stools waiting for them. Li Hongda was sitting there, keeping an eye on the seats. When he saw them approaching, he stood up and moved aside. "Uncle Song, you can sit here," he said before walking away.

  "Hongda, where are you going? We can squeeze in," Ma Hongmei said.

  "No need, I’ll go over there. The view is better," Li Hongda said with a smile, pointing to the roof of a building on the east side of the courtyard, which was already crowded with young people.

  Daniu didn’t see Meizi or Xiaocui after looking around. Zheng Sen noticed and said, "Meizi and Xiaocui are on the west side, sitting with some friends from your vilge."

  Daniu looked to the west and saw a group of girls sitting together, with some younger children running around nearby. Feeling reassured, she sat down, and Zheng Sen sat down beside her. Daniu noticed that people around them kept gncing in their direction, likely because they were forestry station workers who knew Zheng Sen. She didn’t feel shy and sat there confidently, letting them look if they wanted to.

  Zheng Sen noticed her composure and couldn’t help but smile. "Should we go over there? No one will stare at us." He gestured toward the east side, where several young couples were standing, clearly in retionships.

  Daniu gnced at him and turned her head without saying a word.

  Zheng Sen chuckled and changed the subject. "Next weekend, I’m pnning to go to the city. Do you want to come?"

  Daniu looked at him. "I don’t have anything pnned." Their town was small, and they could usually get everything they needed in the county.

  "Then come with me. I’ll take you to eat roasted mb leg. I know an old buddy who’s really good at it," Zheng Sen said.

  "Eat roasted mb legs in such a hot summer?"

  "This is the perfect season for it. You’ll see when we get there," Zheng Sen said.

  "Alright, if I don’t have anything else going on, I’ll go," Daniu nodded.

  As the two were quietly chatting, they suddenly heard a commotion behind them. Turning around, they saw two men fighting on the outskirts of the crowd. "What’s going on? Why are they fighting now?" Daniu stood up. As a police officer, dealing with fights and disturbances was part of her job, and she couldn’t ignore it.

  Zheng Sen also stood up and followed Daniu as she walked over.

  When they reached the edge of the crowd, they realized they knew the people involved. "That man is an educated youth from our area, named Wu Zhen," Zheng Sen said. The other man was Liang Wen, who had married Zhang Xiaoran.

  Daniu didn’t step forward immediately. A few forestry station workers had already stepped in to separate the two.

  "Keep fighting, and you’ll be confined!" shouted a forestry station official.

  Liang Wen wiped his nose and gred at Wu Zhen, threatening, "Don’t let me catch you near my wife again, or you’ll regret it." After delivering his warning, he turned and left.

  On the other side, Wu Zhen’s eye was swollen and bloodshot, but with the forestry station leader present, he didn’t say anything and left as well.

  Zheng Sen gently pulled Daniu back, and the two retreated from the scene. "What’s going on? Why are they fighting?" Daniu asked.

  Zheng Sen leaned in and whispered, "Zhang Xiaoran and Wu Zhen used to have a bit of an ambiguous retionship."

  Daniu suddenly understood. As they walked back to their seats, they heard a burst of ughter from a group of female educated youths. Among them, Zhang Xiaoran was ughing the loudest. While two men had just fought over her, she was sitting there, carefree and ughing as if it had nothing to do with her.

  After the movie ended, it was already 11 p.m. by the time they got home, but there was still work in the fields the next day.

  In Daniu’s family, everyone had their own responsibilities—her mother worked in the fields to earn work points, her grandfather took care of the pigs, and the rest of the family either worked or went to school. Her grandfather wasn’t idle either; he had taken on the task of raising pigs, going out every day with two other elderly men from the vilge to cut grass and feed the pigs. It wasn’t too strenuous and earned him five work points a day.

  Today, Daniu had lunch at her workpce since it was her turn to be on duty. For lunch, she had brought raw ingredients from home, which she cooked in the bureau’s coal oven. She made a simple meal of mixed rice, eggpnt, and potatoes, seasoned with soy sauce, scallions, salt, and a bit of rd. Once steamed, the dish smelled delicious. Just as she was about to take her lunchbox, she saw Zheng Sen riding his bicycle from outside. The gatekeeper, who was already familiar with him, let him in after Zheng Sen handed him a slightly crumpled pack of cigarettes. Zheng Sen parked his bike by the window and came inside.

  "Why are you here? Didn’t you say you had a lot of work today transporting materials?" Daniu asked through the window.

  "I came to handle some business and thought I’d stop by to see you," he said, holding up a file. He then took a net bag from his bike handle and brought it inside.

  A moment ter, he entered the room. "I went to the post office to pick up some documents and thought of you since it’s lunchtime. Look what I brought!" Zheng Sen pced the file and a lunchbox on the table, opening it to reveal stir-fried pork slices and home-style tofu. "I also bought two big steamed buns. The ones from the state-run restaurant are huge!"

  Zheng Sen said, pcing a bun on Daniu’s lunchbox. The bun was even bigger than the lid of the lunchbox. "This is for you."

  Their area didn’t produce wheat, so even steamed buns were usually made from cornmeal. White flour buns were rare.

  Daniu picked up the bun. "Next time, don’t rush over in the middle of the day. It’s too hot." She knew he had come all this way just to have lunch with her.

  "It’s fine. It’s not that hot here. You haven’t been to Beijing; it is very hot there. Here, even when it’s hot, as long as you’re in the shade, it feels cool and dry," Zheng Sen said, pointing to his slightly sun-tanned face. "The only downside is the sun."

  Daniu smiled. "Why aren’t you wearing the straw hat I gave you st time?"

  Zheng Sen shook his head. "It’s too hot. Wearing it makes my forehead sweat. I only wear it when I’m working."

  "Getting tanned is normal. Everyone’s like that," Daniu said with a ugh.

  Zheng Sen looked at her fair complexion. "How come you don’t get tanned?"

  Daniu blushed. "It’s natural. All the women in my family don’t tan easily."

  Zheng Sen nodded. "You take after your dad. Fair-skinned."

  "Don’t let my mom hear you say that," Daniu said with a smile.

  "Auntie is naturally beautiful," Zheng Sen said. "By the way, some of the female educated youths recently went to the team leader to ask for adjusted working hours because of the heat, but the leader scolded them and sent them back."

  "It’s not easy for them," Daniu said. Those educated youths were from the city and weren’t used to farm work. Even she might not do well if she had to work in the fields. During pnting season, you have to be bent over all day, and by nightfall, your body will be so sore you can’t get out of bed.

  As they ate and chatted, Zheng Sen suddenly remembered something. "Do you know why Liang Wen and Wu Zhen got into a fight yesterday?"

  "What happened?"

  "Yesterday, someone saw Wu Zhen and Zhang Xiaoran meeting secretly in the woods. That person happened to know Liang Wen and told him about it. Liang Wen went to confront them and caught the two coming out of the woods. That’s when the fight broke out. But Zhang Xiaoran just walked away like nothing happened," Zheng Sen said, shaking his head. He couldn’t believe how shameless Zhang Xiaoran was.

  Daniu looked at Zheng Sen in surprise. "What about Liang Wen and Zhang Xiaoran now?"

  "They’re fine. I just saw Liang Wen taking Zhang Xiaoran to the department store on his bike. They were ughing and chatting, probably shopping for something. By the way, Liang Wen was transferred to the mining bureau. They’ve started mining operations near Xiaodong Vilge, and he’s in charge of transportation for that route. You might run into him."

  "If I run into him, so be it," Daniu said. After all, Liang Wen was married now, and retionships between men and women were strictly reguted at the time. She wasn’t worried about him causing any trouble.

  After finishing their meal, Daniu was about to see Zheng Sen out when the phone rang. She quickly answered it.

  Zheng Sen stood at the door, watching as Daniu responded to the call with a serious expression. "Yes, yes, I’ll make sure the task is completed."

  Her seriousness made Zheng Sen stay behind. When Daniu hung up the phone and started dialing another number, he asked, "What’s going on?"

  "Three escaped convicts have entered the forest. We don’t know where they’ve gone yet, so we need to notify all the brigades to stay alert," Daniu said casually.

  "I’ll head back to the forestry station now. We’ll handle things on our end," Zheng Sen said.

  "Alright," Daniu nodded as she dialed the phone. "Be careful on your bike."

  After Zheng Sen left, Daniu called each brigade to notify them. The militias were mobilized, and strict measures were put in pce to ensure the fugitives couldn’t enter the vilges.

  Soon after she finished the calls, the vilge militias sprang into action, implementing lockdown measures to secure their areas.

  "These three men were originally arrested for murder, robbery, and assault. They escaped during transport, and one of the officers escorting them was fatally injured and died on the way to the hospital. Another officer was also injured and is still in critical condition. One of the fugitives, Hu Si, is particurly ruthless and is believed to have at least three lives on his hands. He’s the mastermind behind this escape and knows that if caught, he’ll be executed. He’ll fight to the death, so all officers must be extremely cautious."

  "Chief, the brigades have been notified. As long as they’re within our commune’s jurisdiction, there’s no way they’ll escape," one officer said.

  "Don’t let your guard down."

  "Chief, if these fugitives make it into the deep forest, it’ll be hard to track them down," Yang Hui, who had returned quickly after receiving the news, said. The nearby police officers also gathered in the meeting room to discuss the situation.

  Yang Hui nodded. "The vilge militias are already mobilized. If the fugitives don’t show themselves, that’s one thing, but if they do, they won’t escape notice. However, I suspect these three are trying to flee north. If they cross the border, it’ll be difficult to find them. So, we also need to send people into the mountains to search." He gnced around the room, then looked at Daniu. "Comrade Ma Shun, you’re the most familiar with Tiger Ridge. What do you think?"

  Daniu nodded and spread out a map of Tiger Ridge on the table. "I just asked about Hu Si’s background. He’s from Lingjiang County, specifically Baoshan Commune, which borders our Xiaoqing Mountain Commune. Baoshan is also close to the forest, so he’s likely very familiar with the surrounding mountainous areas. This is a map of the area around Tiger Ridge. Here’s our Xiaoqing Mountain Commune, and here’s Baoshan Commune. The two are adjacent. This is Yidaokan Vilge in Baoshan Commune, where Hu Si is from. If he’s heading north, he’s either trying to go home or pnning to cross Tiger Ridge and escape to the northern border."

  Everyone in the room nodded in agreement.

  "According to the county bureau, Hu Si has an elderly mother in her seventies. He’s known to be filial. He drove his wife back to her parents' home before the accident, so he may go back to both his home and his wife's parents' home. Especially since his two children are still with his mother. So, it’s highly likely he’ll try to return home."

  "You’re right. The county bureau has already made arrangements. The vilge militia is keeping a close watch on his family’s home."

  Daniu nodded. "From what I know, if he wants to enter the mountains, he’ll take these three routes." She quickly pointed out three locations on the map.

  "Expin why," Yang Hui said, carefully examining the areas she indicated.

  Daniu pointed to the location of the escape. "They fled from here, and Hu Si is very familiar with our county. If they are heading directly north, these three points are the best entry points into the mountains. From this route, he can climb over a ridge and quickly reach Tiger Ridge. From there, he can cross the border and escape." She drew a line with a pencil. "At his speed, he’s probably already reached this point by now. By the time we received the information, they were already in the mountains. It’ll be hard to catch up."

  Hearing this, Yang Hui felt the situation was very tricky. "What about the other two routes?"

  Daniu nodded. "These two routes both lead to his home. The terrain makes it easy to hide. Because of the ndscape, there are no hunter’s cabins in this area, and forest rangers rarely patrol here. These routes are also entry points into the mountains, but since they’re close to the vilge’s rice fields and the forestry station, there are many people around during the day. If he tries to enter the mountains here, he’ll likely be spotted. If he’s trying to go home, he’ll take these two routes and hide in the surrounding area. At this time of year, the forest is abundant with food. Even if he digs for wild vegetables, he won’t starve. He has plenty of time to wait for the right opportunity."

  Yang Hui nodded. "I’ll report your analysis to the higher-ups immediately."

  Daniu nodded.

  Yang Hui quickly made a call to the county bureau. After hanging up, he said, "Comrade Ma Shun, the county’s investigation team is already on its way. The higher-ups have instructed us to cooperate with them in the mountain search. Since you’re familiar with the area, you’ll lead the team as a guide."

  Daniu nodded. "Understood."

  As they spoke, a rge truck pulled up outside. The people in the room hurried out to meet it.

  "Yunting," Yang Hui immediately recognized Ma Yunting.

  "Yang Hui, sorry to trouble you again," Ma Yunting said to Yang Hui, then gnced at Daniu and nodded. "We’re all familiar with each other, so no introductions are needed. Time is urgent. What’s the situation here?" Behind Ma Yunting were Zhang Xiang and Hu Tong.

  "We’ve already notified the vilges. The militias are on high alert, and the entire area is under lockdown," Yang Hui quickly expined.

  Ma Yunting took a stack of papers from a young man beside him. "These are their wanted posters. Distribute them."

  He didn’t go inside but spoke directly to Daniu outside. "You’re familiar with the forest. We suspect they’ve already entered the mountains. Analyze where they’re most likely to flee."

  Daniu nodded and repeated her earlier analysis. Ma Yunting nodded, then turned to Yang Hui. "Yang Hui, you handle the commune’s side. Make sure all members are on high alert, and the militia’s vigince must be tight. If they encounter the fugitives, they’re authorized to use lethal force if necessary."

  "Understood. I’ll handle it here."

  Ma Yunting then said to Daniu, "You lead the way."

  Daniu nodded, and the group quickly boarded the truck and set off.

  Once in the forest, Ma Yunting divided the team into three groups. The first group was assigned to the northern route, the fastest path to escape. "You’ll head north from here and look for any traces. If they took this route, they’ll have left signs. If you don’t find anything by nightfall, return." The likelihood of them escaping directly north was low, as they were unprepared. Moreover, crossing the border wasn’t safe, and given the mindset of people in this era, escaping the country would be the st options.

  "Shun, look at these two remaining routes. Which one do you think they are more likely to take?" Ma Yunting asked.

  Earlier on the road, Daniu had listened to Hu Tong's detailed introduction of the three individuals. After synthesizing all the information and analyzing the terrain, her mind raced. She pointed at the map and said, "This one. Let's split into two teams. One team will go here, then here, and finally here. If they take this route, they are likely hiding in this area. The situation there is quite complex, but we can first head to this forest ranger station. If nothing unexpected happens, we should be able to meet the ranger. There is only routine patrol at this period of the year, and the ranger will return in the evening. We can then ask the ranger to guide us in searching this area. They are familiar with it."

  After Da Niu finished speaking, Ma Yunting looked up at Zhang Xiang and said, "Old Zhang, take your team and follow this route."

  Zhang Xiang nodded, "Alright, I know that area. I'll take my team there."

  Da Niu thought for a moment and then said to Zhang Xiang, "If you don't find any traces along this route and don't spot them in this area, ask the ranger to guide you through the North Rain Path to bypass this ridge and reach here." She pointed at the map. "This is the best hiding spot for them. Once you get there, be very careful. Hu Si has a lot of experience in the mountains, so stay alert."

  "Got it," Zhang Xiang nodded. He had worked with Ma Shun before and knew her capabilities, so he naturally trusted her judgment.

  Watching Zhang Xiang lead his team away, Daniu folded the map and said, "Uncle Seven, let's head out too. If I'm not mistaken, they should have taken this route."

  Ma Yunting nodded and waved his hand to the team behind him, "Let's move out. Everyone, stay close."

  As they entered the forest, Daniu didn't slow down. Their team, consisting of seven people, eight including Daniu, moved in pairs, keeping an eye out for each other as they advanced.

  Although it was a forest, there were still some paths. Daniu didn't take them on the usual trails. She figured that Hu Si, being familiar with the area, would avoid the well-trodden paths to stay hidden.

  After walking for over an hour, everyone was starting to feel tired when Da Niu suddenly stopped.

  "What's wrong?" Ma Yunting asked.

  Da Niu pointed to the ground ahead. Ma Yunting also noticed a line of footprints snting forward. "These three are really cunning. They took the stone forest route, where there's no path at all. To get through, one needs to climb a cliff. It's doable but difficult, and one wrong move could lead to injury. There's only one path to the north, and you need to climb the climb; otherwise, you will have to take a long detour. This Hu Si really knows his way around."

  Ma Yunting gnced at the footprints. "No matter how cunning they are, they've left traces now. Let's hurry."

  Da Niu nodded. They hadn't found any traces earlier because the trio had bypassed that path. As they continued forward, the footprints became clearer. There were three sets of footprints, one of which was deeper—belonging to the big guy among them, Hu Er Lengzi, a distant retive of Hu Si. He was a bit slow but had immense strength.

  After walking for another hour, they stopped again. "They might be hiding up ahead. It's getting dark, and the terrain in the Beard Forest is complex. Back in the Qing Dynasty, there was a small gold mine here, but it was abandoned after a few years. However, due to the mining, the area is very complicated. If they're hiding in there, it won't be easy to find them."

  "Should we split up?" Hu Tong suggested.

  Daniu shook her head. "Hu Si and Hu Er Lengzi are both skilled, and the other one, Zhao Gouzi, is very agile. If we split up, our team might not be a match for them. Follow behind me, and let's carefully move in. They've left some traces."

  Ma Yunting nodded and said to the team behind him, "Be careful, stay close, and keep your guard up."

  Daniu led the way. She had only been here once before, and it was during a winter. Now, the dense vegetation obscured many of the paths.

  As they moved forward, she searched for any traces left by the trio.

  "Here," Da Niu pointed to a spot on the ground where it seemed someone had slipped, causing the pnts to bend.

  Suddenly, Daniu raised her hand to signal everyone to stop, then whispered to Ma Yunting, "Up ahead." She pointed.

  Ma Yunting looked forward and saw a rge figure leaning against the entrance of a cave, snoring loudly.

  "Stay here, I'll go take a look," Daniu said as she crouched low and moved to the other side. After a while, she returned. "Zhao Gouzi is over there. Hu Si is probably inside the cave. The cave connects to another one at the back. I'll take a few people around to the other side of the cave. Uncle Seven, you take two people and stay here. We'll attack from both sides," Daniu suggested.

  Ma Yunting nodded and called Hu Tong over. "You go with her. Be careful."

  Daniu led three people around to the other entrance of the mine. They moved cautiously, but one of the team members made a loud step. Daniu turned around and gestured for him to watch his footing.

  The person immediately lightened his steps.

  After winding through the mine, Daniu raised her hand to signal them to stop. She sniffed the air and caught a whiff of sweat and dirt. Listening carefully, she could hear faint snoring.

  Da Niu gestured to Hu Tong and the two others behind her, indicating that the person was asleep and they should pounce on him when the time came. The three nodded.

  Daniu carefully moved around the passage and saw Hu Si leaning against the cave wall, asleep. The two team members behind her pounced like wolves, but Da Niu noticed that Hu Si was holding a pistol in his hand. She cursed under her breath but reacted quickly and threw her dagger at him.

  Hu Si, startled by the noise, instinctively raised his hand to pull the trigger, but a sharp pain caused him to drop the gun. The two comrades quickly subdued him, pinning him to the ground.

  Da Niu kicked the weapon away, and sounds of movement came from outside the cave. Clearly, Ma Yunting and his team had also sprung into action.

  The skirmish ended quickly. "That was close. This guy actually had a gun," Ma Yunting said, still shaken.

  "Thankfully, Comrade Ma Shun acted quickly, or these two comrades would have been in danger," Hu Tong said, wiping the sweat from his forehead, visibly relieved.

  "Let's get them back quickly," Ma Yunting said.

  The group escorted the three captives out of the forest. As previously agreed with Zhang Xiang, they soon met up with him and his team not far ahead. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. With so many people together, it was unlikely that anything unexpected would happen now.

  After exiting the forest, Daniu didn’t go home. Instead, she rode back to the commune to give her report. By the time she returned home, it was already 9 p.m. Seeing the lights on in the house, she knew her family was waiting for her.

  As she entered the house, she noticed Zheng Sen was also there. "You're back. Is everything okay?" he asked.

  Da Niu shook her head. "Everything's fine. What brings you here?"

  "I heard the suspects were caught, so I came to check on you," Zheng Sen replied. He had heard no one was injured, but the news that Hu Si had a pistol had startled him. He felt better after seeing her in person.

  "Don’t worry, I’m fine," Daniu said, feeling a warm glow in her heart at his concern.

  "You haven’t eaten yet, have you? Xiao Zheng brought some buckwheat cold noodles. They are already soaked. I will make it for you now," Ma Hongmei said.

  "Really? Where did you get those? They’re hard to come by," Da Niu asked in surprise while looking at Zheng Sen.

  "I traded with some workers from the forest farm. Their family is of Xian descent, and they make these cold noodles every summer. I ran into them this afternoon and traded for some. They know how to make them, so I suggested bringing flour next time for them to process," Zheng Sen expined.

  Soon, Ma Hongmei brought out a rge bowl of noodles. The noodles had been boiled and then chilled in well water, giving them a refreshing coolness. They were topped with a generous spoonful of spicy sauce, pickled vegetables, and a yer of beef. "This braised beef must be from you too," Da Niu remarked. The pickles and spicy sauce were from Zhou Yingchun’s family, but the beef was a rare treat.

  "Mm-hmm. Try it and see how it tastes," Zheng Sen said.

  Da Niu mixed the noodles with the sauce and took a bite. The cool, refreshing fvor was delightful. "It’s delicious. The noodles are really chewy. This is great," she said, taking several more bites before adding a slice of beef. "The beef is really good too."

  "Next time, I’ll get some cornmeal and buckwheat flour and have them process it. Cornmeal noodles are even chewier, but I think you’d prefer the buckwheat ones," Zheng Sen said.

  Da Niu nodded. "Either is fine," she replied before taking another big bite.

  "Slow down a bit," Ma Hongmei chided, feeling her daughter was being too rough, especially in front of Zheng Sen.

  Daniu gnced at her mother, smiled, and said nothing.

  Zheng Sen chuckled and pushed the sauce bowl and some scallions closer to Daniu.

  After swallowing the noodles in her mouth, Daniu picked up a scallion, dipped it in the sauce, and ate it. "You have no idea how much I ran around in the forest this afternoon. I’ve been starving."

  At this, her mother’s heart softened, and she went outside to cut some beef and put it in her bowl. Da Niu smiled. "Mom, that’s enough. Have you all eaten?"

  "We ate earlier," Ma Hongmei said. "I’ll boil some water for you to soak your feet ter. You have walked through the old forest for a long time. A good foot soak will help."

  Da Niu smiled at her mother and continued eating.

  After she finished her meal, Zheng Sen prepared to leave. He had to head into the mountains early the next morning and needed to get back.

  "Ride carefully. The road isn’t easy," Daniu reminded him.

  "Don’t worry, I’m used to this road," Zheng Sen said, looking at her. "You should go inside and get some rest."

  Da Niu nodded and waved him off.

  After watching Zheng Sen ride away, Daniu returned to the house. She checked on her grandfather in the east room, who was already asleep, and then went to her own room, where her mother was ying out her bedding. A basin of hot water sat by the kang.

  "Is he gone?" Ma Hongmei asked.

  "Yeah, he left," Daniu replied, taking off her shoes and sitting on the kang to soak her feet in the basin. She hissed as the hot water touched her skin. "So hot."

  "Soak them well, or your feet will hurt tomorrow," Ma Hongmei said, shaking out the bnket.

  "It feels good," Daniu said, taking a deep breath. It had been a long time since she’d been in the mountains. "I saw the blueberries in the forest are ripe today. Let’s go pick some soon and make some wine."

  "Mm, it’s about that time. Check your schedule. Work hasn’t been too busy tely," Ma Hongmei said, finishing with the bedding and sitting down beside her daughter. Daniu noticed her mother’s hesitant expression and asked, "Mom, what’s on your mind?"

  Ma Hongmei nodded. "I wanted to ask you about Zheng Sen. What’s going on between you two?"

  "It’s just what it looks like," Daniu replied without embarrassment.

  "Are you two together?" Although the answer seemed obvious, Ma Hongmei wanted confirmation.

  "Yeah, you could say that. I like him, and he likes me too. If nothing unexpected happens, he’ll be your son-in-w," Daniu said with a smile.

  Ma Hongmei gave her a stern look. "Think carefully. He’s an educated youth from Beijing. It’s so far away—it takes three days and nights by train to get there."

  Da Niu had already considered this. Zheng Sen would eventually return to the city. She had seen packages from Beijing and guessed his family was well-off. However, since their retionship wasn’t fully settled, she hadn’t asked about it. Zheng Sen rarely talked about his family, suggesting there might be some issues.

  "Mom, I’ve thought about this. At least for the next few years, he won’t be going back. Even if we’re together, we won’t leave right away. As for the future, I’ll think about it more," Da Niu said.

  Ma Hongmei knew her daughter had a strong mind. Song Yuncheng had also expressed concern about this issue, but he believed Daniu had her own pns.

  Surprisingly, even the old man supported their retionship.

  Daniu took a day off to rest at home. The next day, she returned to the station. A commendation had come from higher authorities. Their station had acted swiftly, capturing the fugitives in less than a day, which was a significant achievement. Daniu’s sary was raised two levels, bringing her to grade 10 with a monthly wage of 53 yuan. This was an exceptional promotion. Upon inquiry, she learned it wasn’t just for this incident but also for her previous contributions. Since she had been a forest farm worker at the time, she had only received some subsidies. Now, those past merits were recognized, resulting in her double promotion.

  After the meeting, Yang Hui asked her if she was interested in transferring to the county for work. Daniu thought for a moment and said, "I’ve only been a police officer for half a year, and getting two raises is already a lot. I’d like to continue gaining experience here in the commune. Besides, I’m only familiar with the forests around here. I will do my best and never shirk my responsibilities."

  Yang Hui nodded. "I agree with you. You're a talented individual, but staying at the grassroots level for a couple more years is a good idea. You're still young, and there will be plenty of opportunities in the future." Over the past six months, he had come to fully appreciate Ma Shun's work capabilities. He wanted to keep such a talented person around for a while longer.

  In addition to the two-level sary increase, Daniu also received twenty industrial coupons, enough to buy another bicycle.

  Da Niu only informed her parents and grandfather about the sary raise. She didn’t tell anyone else, as she was already attracting enough attention and didn’t want to draw more.

  The weekend was the day Da Niu and Zheng Sen had agreed to go to the city together. Originally, they pnned to take the bus, but when the time came, Zheng Sen surprised her by driving a rge truck loaded with timber, waiting at the intersection.

  Da Niu was shocked. "When did you start driving a truck?"

  Zheng Sen shifted gears and stepped on the accelerator. As the truck moved forward, he said, "I’ve known how to drive for a while. I was recently transferred to the transport team. I wanted to surprise you."

  "Will you be driving back and forth from now on?" Da Niu asked.

  "I’ve been officially transferred," Zheng Sen replied.

  Daniu was even more surprised. "How is that possible? You’re an educated youth, and your household registration isn’t here. How did you get into the transport team?" In those days, being a driver was a highly coveted job, difficult even for locals to secure, let alone an educated youth like him.

  Zheng Sen smiled and pulled out a booklet from his pocket.

  Da Niu opened it and was stunned. The household register listed Zheng Sen as the head of the household, with his residence in the First Brigade of Qingshan Farm, Xiaoqing Mountain Commune, Linghe County, Mo City, Heilongjiang Province. She looked at him in disbelief. "You transferred your household registration here? And what’s this Qingshan Farm?"