**Chapter 55**

  Early the next morning, as Daniu was enjoying a bowl of hot noodle soup, she saw Zheng Sen walking in through the window.

  "Why are you here so early? Is your work done?" Daniu asked as he entered the room, while also instructing Xiaocui to serve him a bowl of noodles.

  "Don’t bother; I can’t stay long. I just came to deliver something," Zheng Sen said, pcing a package on the edge of the kang. "These are things I had someone mail from out of town—good stuff for replenishing blood." He quickly added, "You’ll have to check it out yourself. I need to get going. My master is waiting for me." With that, he turned to leave. Ma Hongmei, quick to react, packed some steamed millet cakes from the pot into an enamel mug, added two spoonfuls of sugar, and handed it to him. "Take this for the road."

  "Thank you, Auntie," Zheng Sen said, taking the mug and hurrying off.

  Watching him come and go in such a rush, Daniu felt an inexplicable warmth in her heart.

  After breakfast, Daniu had Xiaocui use scissors to open the package. The address on it showed it had been mailed from Beijing.

  Inside the outer cloth wrapping were several paper-wrapped packages, each beled with names: donkey-hide getin, longan, red dates, as well as Four Gentlemen Pills, Ten Complete Great Tonics, and more. The majority of the items were red dates and longan.

  Mail from Beijing to their location took at least a week, so these items must have been purchased by Zheng Sen’s childhood friend in Beijing after he sent a telegram and then mailed as quickly as possible. It seemed Zheng Sen wasn’t entirely sure what to buy, so he probably just asked for things that were good for replenishing blood.

  However, these items weren’t easy to come by. The old man looked at the pills inside and said, "You should let Sixth Uncle take a look at these and see how they should be taken."

  "Grandpa, I don’t need to take these, do I? Look how well I’ve recovered—I’ve even gained a bit of weight," Daniu said, feeling like she didn’t need any of this.

  The old man gred at her. "Don’t talk nonsense. You lost a lot of blood. It’s not something you can recover from so quickly. You might look fine, but that doesn’t mean you’re fully healed. If you don’t take care of yourself now, it could affect you ter."

  Daniu didn’t know how to respond to that. Well, if it made them happy, so be it.

  To be honest, the items were quite good. Ma Hongmei started preparing them in various ways for Daniu, and within a few days, Daniu’s complexion had become rosy and healthy.

  A week ter, Daniu went to the hospital for a check-up. "You’re recovering well. The abdominal wound has healed without any complications. By next summer, the scar might even disappear completely. Your skin heals remarkably well," Dr. Wang said after examining Daniu’s wound, which was now just a faint line. In those days, there were no cosmetic sutures, and wounds often left ugly scars. But Daniu’s scar was barely noticeable.

  "What about my shoulder?" Daniu asked.

  "Your shoulder is healing well too, but be careful. Avoid heavy lifting for at least six months to a year, and keep it warm," Dr. Wang advised.

  Daniu nodded. "Thank you, Dr. Wang. If it weren’t for you, I don’t know if I’d even be sitting here right now." After being stabbed, she hadn’t realized how serious her injuries were. She had thought the stab wound hadn’t hit any major organs, but it had touched a major artery. Looking back, it scared her.

  "It’s my duty. Don’t dwell on it too much. Just be more careful in your work from now on. Catching criminals is important, but your safety matters too," Dr. Wang said.

  Daniu smiled. "I won’t be so careless in the future."

  After leaving the hospital, Dayong, who had accompanied her, was in high spirits. "Sis, are we heading back now?"

  Daniu shook her head. "I’m going to stop by the station first. You can go wander around for a bit. I’ll meet you at Fourth Uncle’s pce ter. Here, go buy yourself something." She handed him fifty cents.

  Dayong scratched his head and smiled. "Mom told me to stick with you."

  "Come on, you can leave after I go inside. Once I’m at the station, I’ll be fine."

  The two arrived at the police station, and after Daniu entered the courtyard, she sent Dayong off to py. As soon as she stepped inside, the gatekeeper came out. "Shun, are you all better now?" he asked, looking her up and down. Aside from her left arm still being in a sling, she seemed fine.

  "Yes, I’m better," Daniu replied.

  As she walked through the station, she greeted familiar and unfamiliar faces alike. She recognized a few people from the county bureau who had come over. When she reached the chief’s office, Yang Hui was writing at his desk.

  Hearing the knock, he looked up and smiled. "Shun, you’re better?"

  Daniu nodded. "Chief, I’m fine. I couldn’t stay at home any longer, so I came to ask when I can return to work."

  Yang Hui stood up and poured her a gss of water, handing it to her. "What’s the rush? I’ve spoken with Dr. Wang. Your arm needs at least a hundred days to heal properly. Even if you don’t take the full three months off, you should rest for at least a month. Otherwise, the wound won’t heal well, and it could lead to permanent damage. Besides, you’ve been granted leave until after the New Year."

  Daniu wasn’t in a hurry to return to work. After the New Year was fine—it wasn’t that far off.

  She then asked about the progress of the case.

  "There’s nothing I can’t tell you," Yang Hui said. "We’ve investigated the interpersonal retionships, but haven’t found any connections to the suspect. However, this morning we got a lead from Huxian County. Someone recognized the man, and Yunting has already taken a team to verify. We’re just waiting for news now."

  Daniu frowned. "No connection to Zhao Chunsheng?" Something felt off, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

  "By the way, the county bureau sent you some compensation for your injury. They gave it to me yesterday, but I didn’t have time to deliver it. Since you’re here, you can take it with you," Yang Hui said, returning to his desk and pulling an envelope from the drawer. "It’s two months’ sary," he added, before handing it to Daniu.

  Daniu felt the thickness of the envelope and thought for a moment before pushing it back. "Chief Yang, I don’t really need this. Could you help me pass it on to Brother Zhang’s family?"

  Yang Hui paused for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, I’ll make sure it gets to them."

  Daniu lowered her head, thinking for a moment, then asked, "What arrangements have the units made for his family?"

  Yang Hui expined, "The higher-ups have already discussed it. They’ve tentatively decided to have his wife work in the county bureau’s logistics cafeteria, and the child will receive a monthly allowance of fifteen yuan until they start working or reach adulthood."

  Daniu nodded. That was a decent arrangement. "Chief Yang, I’d like to contribute ten yuan from my sary each month to help support their child."

  After hearing Daniu’s suggestion, Yang Hui thought for a moment and said, "You don’t have to do it that way. If you really want to help the family, we can keep a record, and you can cover the child’s tuition fees. We’ll deduct it directly from your sary." Once the child is older and goes to daycare, the county bureau has its own daycare center, which is free. Elementary school tuition is only two yuan per semester, and even with miscelneous expenses, it wouldn’t exceed five yuan. This wouldn’t be a heavy burden for her. In fact, he knew Daniu’s sary was retively high, and contributing ten yuan a month would still leave her better off than most. But life wasn’t just about the present—she would eventually get married and have children, and who knew what the future would hold?

  Daniu agreed. "Alright, let’s do it that way. As long as the child is willing to study, I’ll support him for as long as he wants to go to school."

  Just as they finished discussing this, Daniu was about to leave when the phone at the station rang. Yang Hui picked it up. "Yes, it’s me. You found him? Who is it?" Yang Hui nodded as he listened to the person on the other end for a long time.

  "Alright, issue the arrest warrant. Let’s see where he can run now."

  Yang Hui hung up the phone, visibly excited.

  "Chief Yang, have they found the suspect?" Daniu asked.

  "Yes, it’s confirmed. He’s from Huxian County, named Cao Dabiao. He used to work as a security escort outside the county but ter returned home to farm. A few days ago, he left his vilge with an introduction letter from the vilge chief, saying he was visiting retives here. They’re not sure about the details, but he mentioned meeting an old martial arts brother."

  "Can they confirm where he is now?" Daniu asked.

  Yang Hui shook his head. "He hasn’t returned to his vilge. The vilgers said Cao Dabiao is a quiet man with a good temperament. He doesn’t seem like someone who could commit murder. He used to live with his elderly mother, but she passed away st year. He’s 38 now. There’s also this: when he first returned to the vilge, someone introduced him to a wife. They were married for three years without children, but then his wife suddenly ran away. He’s been hung up on her ever since and hasn’t remarried."

  "So, he has no family left now?" Daniu asked.

  Yang Hui nodded. "Yunting said the remaining retives are distant, almost outside the five generations of kinship."

  Daniu shook her head. "Cao Dabiao probably won’t go back."

  As if Daniu’s words had predicted it, the people staking out his vilge never found Cao Dabiao. He never returned to his hometown and seemed to have vanished into thin air.

  When Daniu returned home, she found Zheng Sen sitting cross-legged on the kang, holding a rge bowl and shoveling food into his mouth.

  "What happened to you? You look so disheveled. Where have you been?" Zheng Sen was covered in dust.

  Seeing her return, Zheng Sen smiled. "Don't mention it. I went to He City. It’s a coal mining town, and after driving around for a bit, I was completely covered in soot."

  Ma Hongmei came in from outside, carrying a pte of sliced meat. "I’ll heat some water for you ter so you can wash up."

  "No need, Auntie. I’ll go to the communal bathhouse after I eat. I won’t feel clean otherwise."

  Zheng Sen picked up a rge piece of fatty meat. "Auntie, your stewed meat is the best."

  "You’re such a smooth talker. Eat up, and I’ll cut more for you if you want. Your uncle bought this meat yesterday, and I cooked it all. The others haven’t even had a chance to eat it yet."

  "I knew you’d take care of me," Zheng Sen said with a bright smile.

  Daniu gnced at him as he was feeling a bit smug.

  After finishing his meal, Zheng Sen let out a satisfied burp. "Ah, I’m finally full. This past week has been exhausting—long drives, bad food, and even highway robbers along the way."

  "Are you okay?" Daniu asked, checking him over. He didn’t seem injured.

  "I’m fine. My master is experienced, and we were prepared. Those robbers only go after small convoys. We had seven or eight rge trucks, so they didn’t dare mess with us." He didn’t eborate on the details of the journey, as it was something he wouldn’t have dared to imagine before.

  He quickly changed the subject. "By the way, I got a letter from home." Zheng Sen paused. "My grandfather isn’t doing well, and he wants me to go back for the New Year."

  He looked at Daniu. "I was wondering if you’d come with me to visit."

  Daniu looked at him and nodded. "Alright."

  "If you don't want to, wait, what?" Zheng Sen thought he had misheard.

  "I said alright. It’s just a trip to Beijing. I have time off now anyway because of my injury," Daniu said.

  Zheng Sen was overjoyed. "Then it’s settled. Oh, and be careful with your arm. I’ll get us two sleeper tickets." With that, he got up to leave.

  But Ma Hongmei, who had been listening nearby, stopped him. "You two are just going back like that?"

  Zheng Sen was puzzled. "Auntie, don’t worry. I’ll take good care of Daniu."

  Ma Hongmei gred at him. "What’s your retionship? You can’t just travel together without being engaged. How would that look?"

  The old man sitting on the kang, puffing on his pipe, chimed in. "Your auntie’s right. You can’t just take Daniu with you without a proper status. You need to get engaged first. Once that’s settled, it’ll be fine to go together."

  Zheng Sen thought about it and realized they were right. "I’ll submit a report when I get back, and then we’ll get engaged." In their farm community, marriage required official approval. If they weren’t formally engaged, it would be awkward for them to travel together. Daniu wasn’t old enough to get married yet; otherwise, they could have just registered their marriage directly.

  After Zheng Sen left, Ma Hongmei asked Daniu, "Are you really going back with him? Didn’t you say his family situation is complicated?"

  "It’s fine. He’s told me about his family. His father probably wants him to stay here, and his mother is an intellectual—she cares about appearances and won’t make a scene. Zheng Sen never mentioned his grandfather (paternal) before, but I know he was taken care of by his grandpa (maternal) after the liberation."

  "Regardless, if his grandfather is sick, he should go back."

  Once the trip to Beijing was decided, Daniu didn’t need to do much preparation. Zheng Sen took care of everything.

  First, he submitted a marriage report, which was approved. With this, they could officially register their marriage once Daniu was of age. Then, they held a banquet at home, inviting retives and friends to celebrate their engagement.

  Zheng Sen got time off from work, from the 20th of the twelfth lunar month to the 6th of the first lunar month. The timeline was tight, but they couldn’t wait for Dakui to return. Fortunately, Dakui had a longer vacation, so they would still see him when they got back.

  On the morning of the 20th, they boarded the train to Beijing.

  The sleeper tickets were hard to come by, but Yang Hui had a city bureau leader write them an introduction letter, which made it possible. In those days, sleeper tickets were extremely difficult to obtain, especially since they weren’t boarding from the starting station. Getting them midway was a challenge.

  Zheng Sen led the way, carrying their luggage, to the sleeper compartment. They had upper and middle bunks. After stowing the luggage, Zheng Sen said, "You take the lower bunk. How’s your arm? Did it get bumped?"

  "No, it’s much better now. It doesn’t bother me much," Daniu replied as she settled in.

  Zheng Sen noticed sweat on her face. "Take off your coat. It’s pretty warm in here," he said, and helped her remove her heavy coat.

  Once the coat was off, she felt much more comfortable.

  The journey would take three days and two nights.

  Zheng Sen had come prepared with a thermos, lunch boxes, and other essentials. There was hot water on the train, and the dining car sold meals. It was just far away, so a round trip was a bit troublesome. Still, Zheng Sen had everything under control. They had brought some food from home, like fried flour paste and dry rations, as backups, but eating hot meals was more comfortable. Besides, the train didn’t require meal tickets or meat coupons, so even though the food was a bit pricey, it was worth it.

  Their compartment mates were factory workers on a business trip. Since they didn’t know each other, there wasn’t much conversation. Daniu’s arm was no longer in a sling, and though it had improved significantly, she still couldn’t put much strain on it. She had to lie sideways to keep her arm rexed.

  Three days on the train left them both feeling dizzy and disoriented.

  By the time they arrived on the third evening, it was already dark. As soon as they got off the train, Zheng Sen led Daniu toward the exit. When Daniu saw the familiar train station, she felt as if she was in another world for a moment.

  "Over here!" A voice called out as soon as they stepped onto the ptform. A tall young man in a military coat waved excitedly.

  "Bckie!" Zheng Sen grinned, putting down the luggage and exchanging a pyful punch with the man.

  "Wow, you’ve toughened up in the northeast, huh? Solid as a rock," the man said, rubbing his shoulder and ughing.

  "Let me introduce you," Zheng Sen said, turning to Daniu with a smile. "This is my best friend, my childhood buddy, Yang Tao. He was so dark as a kid that everyone called him Bckie. He’s the one who helped me get all those things I gave you."

  Bckie didn’t wait for Zheng Sen to finish before grinning at Daniu. "So this must be my sister-in-w, right? Linzi wrote to me about you. I’ve heard so much about you."

  Daniu smiled and asked, "Why do you call him Linzi (林子) (forest child or woods child)?"

  "Forest, forest (森林森林)—his full name is Zheng Sen (郑森), and his nickname is Linzi," Bckie expined, ughing.

  Daniu didn’t find it particurly funny, but she could tell Bckie and Zheng Sen were close.

  "Come on, I brought a car," Bckie said, and before picking up their luggage, he headed toward the exit.

  "You brought a car? What kind?" Zheng Sen asked, surprised.

  "A tricycle. Haha!" Bckie led them to a three-wheeled cart parked outside the station. "What do you think? Pretty considerate of me, right? No way I’d make you walk back."

  Zheng Sen ughed. "I knew you wouldn’t show up in a four-wheeler."

  "Who dares these days?" Bckie, said with a bitter smile.

  Zheng Sen’s smile faded slightly. "Is the situation that bad?"

  Bckie nodded. "I’ll fill you in when we get back. Honestly, you leaving was probably for the best."

  Bckie pedaled the tricycle, taking them north along the main road until they reached Di’anmen Street, then turned in an alley. Daniu had a good sense of direction and recognized the area as Nanluogu Xiang.

  They continued along the main road, turning into another alley to the west. It was te, and the streets were empty.

  The tricycle finally stopped near a riverbank, in front of a residential gate.

  "We’re here," Bckie said, parking the tricycle and opening the gate.

  "Be careful," Zheng Sen said, helping Daniu down and leading her inside.

  Daniu looked around. This was a well-known alley, with the Jade River to the west. She gnced at the address: No. 20, Yuer Alley.

  "Come on in," Zheng Sen said, guiding her into the courtyard.

  The first courtyard had a row of side rooms, but Zheng Sen didn’t stop there. He led her into the second courtyard, which was neatly arranged. A light hung above the door of the main house.

  The three of them entered the house. Daniu saw three spacious rooms with simple furniture—chairs and stools. It was quite modest.

  "How’s my cleanup job? Man, it wore me out," Bckie said, wiping imaginary sweat from his forehead.

  Zheng Sen patted his shoulder. "Say no more. I’ll treat you to a feast at Quanjude one of these days."

  "With that promise, I’m satisfied. I’ll head out now—gotta return the tricycle," Bckie said, heading for the door. "Oh, by the way, I left some frozen dumplings in the vat outside. You two can boil them ter."

  "Thanks, buddy," Zheng Sen said sincerely.

  After Bckie left, Zheng Sen expined to Daniu, "This courtyard was bought by my grandpa. After he passed, it was transferred to my name. But I haven’t lived here in a while, so some parts have fallen into disrepair." He sounded a bit regretful.

  Daniu thought about the future value of the property. "It’s a shame, but since you’re not in Beijing, can you keep the house?"

  Zheng Sen thought for a moment. "Before I left for the countryside, I asked Bckie to look after it. But you know how things are these days. I’m thinking of finding someone to officially take over the property."

  Daniu nodded. "That’s a good idea."

  Both of them were exhausted. They went to the small kitchen in the east wing to cook the dumplings. The kitchen had always been there.

  After eating, they went to sleep—Daniu in the east wing and Zheng Sen in the west wing.

  The next morning, Daniu was woken by voices in the courtyard. The walls were thin, and the sound carried easily. After getting ready, she stepped outside and saw Zheng Sen and Bckie moving coal briquettes. When Bckie saw her, he said, "Did you sleep well, sister-in-w? I made sure to heat the kang in advance. It should’ve stayed warm all night."

  Daniu nodded. "It was fine." She couldn’t help with the coal, so she stood by the door while observing the courtyard. It had been too dark to see clearly the night before. The courtyard had two sections, with three main rooms and two side rooms on each side. Covered walkways connected the east and west wings, each with three rooms and an additional side room.

  Daniu noticed a passageway to the east of the main house. Walking over, she found a path leading to another courtyard behind the side rooms. It looked like it had once been a garden, though now it was mostly bare, with a few rocks and a rge pomegranate tree. Beyond the garden was another gate, leading to yet another courtyard with a two-story corner building.

  "This was bought by my grandpa back in the day for three rge gold bars. I heard that this pce used to be the office of the Qing government. When my grandfather bought it, it was in complete disrepair. He spent a lot of money and a whole year to fix it up and has lived here until he died. All the trees in this yard were transpnted by him. It’s a pity that it’s fallen into such a state under my care."

  Zheng Sen patted the persimmon tree in the yard, which had clearly been there for many years.

  Daniu looked around the yard. Although it was run-down, its original structure was still intact. "If we get the chance in the future, we’ll fix it up properly."

  Zheng Sen nodded.

  "Are these two pomegranate trees?" The two of them returned to the main house, and Daniu noticed a very old tree at the corner between the main house and the west wing.

  "Yes, they’re pomegranate trees. My grandfather dug them up from somewhere else and took great care of them for three years before they bore fruit. He said these trees are probably a hundred years old."

  Daniu observed the tree. It was quite thick and over four meters tall. It would probably look beautiful when it was full of leaves.

  "These are magnolia trees," Zheng Sen said, pointing to a few trees on the north side of the east and west wings. "They bloom every spring and look especially beautiful. My grandfather specifically sought them out."

  Zheng Sen pointed to an empty spot east of the main house. "There used to be two crabapple trees there, but for some reason, they died." He shook his head regretfully.

  Daniu sighed as she looked at the trees in the yard. She wondered if they would even survive in the future.

  As if reading her thoughts, Zheng Sen reassured her, "Don’t worry, I’ve already made some arrangements. If things go smoothly, we should be able to save the yard."

  Breakfast was brought by Heizi—soy milk, fried dough sticks, and tofu pudding.

  Daniu couldn’t get used to the soy milk, but Zheng Sen missed that taste.

  After breakfast, Zheng Sen took Daniu to visit his father, bringing some local specialties from their hometown.

  "My grandfather cared about me the most, but there wasn’t much he could do. He hasn’t been very happy living here these years. But since my father is his only son, he had no choice but to stay in the capital," Zheng Sen expined.

  "I’ve already sent them a letter. Today is Minor New Year, so they’ll definitely be home. My older brother and his wife are also back this year, so they’re probably already there. I have a younger brother and a younger sister, but you don’t need to worry too much about them."

  Daniu nodded. She was already familiar with his family situation.

  * * *

  The pce wasn’t close, so Zheng Sen took her to take the bus. After a few stops and a short walk, they arrived at a rge compound. There were guards at the gate, but they recognized Zheng Sen and let him in without question.

  They walked for a while and came to a two-story building. Zheng Sen led her upstairs to the second floor, where his family lived.

  He knocked on the door. "Coming! Who is it?" a woman’s voice called out.

  The door opened, revealing a woman in her thirties or forties. She had delicate features, was of average height, and had beautiful almond-shaped eyes. Her short hair was neatly styled, and she smiled warmly when she saw Zheng Sen. "Zheng Sen, you’re back! Come in, come in. Is this your girlfriend?" She didn’t seem surprised to see the two of them.

  Daniu smiled and entered the house. The woman’s attitude was friendly, and she greeted them with a smile, but Daniu could sense that she was indescribably polite towards Zheng Sen.

  "Have a seat. When did you get here? If we’d known when you were coming, I would’ve asked Jianguo to pick you up," the woman said cheerfully as she walked around.

  Zheng Sen headed straight for the east room, but as soon as he entered, he noticed that the furnishings had changed. "Where’s Grandfather?"

  The woman’s expression stiffened for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure and smiled. "Your grandfather found it inconvenient to go up and down the stairs, so at the beginning of the year, he moved to the house that Jianguo’s work unit assigned him."

  Zheng Sen nodded at the woman. "Then I’ll go see Grandfather." With that, he took Daniu and left.

  The woman didn’t expect Zheng Sen to leave so abruptly. "Your father will be back soon. Why don’t you stay for the reunion dinner?"

  "No, we’ll keep Grandfather company," Zheng Sen said without looking back.

  Daniu followed him out, ignoring the woman’s calls behind them.

  * * *

  Once they were out of the compound, Zheng Sen’s expression turned cold. Daniu reached out and took his hand. "Don’t be upset. It’s not worth getting worked up over."

  Zheng Sen gripped her hand tightly and led her to a flower bed a short distance away. He took a deep breath and sat down on the edge of the bed. Daniu sat down beside him.

  "My grandfather was a simple man with little worldly experience. All three of his sons went out to make a living, and only my father is still alive. He followed my father to the capital but hardly ever left the house. After I turned ten, I came back to this family. My father was always working and might not come home even once a week. My older brother was living at school at the time, so I felt out of pce at home and didn’t like coming back. Whenever I did, it was almost time to sleep," Zheng Sen said, his gaze fixed on the street. The streets of the capital were still bustling with cars, and it seemed to bring back memories of that time.

  "Sometimes when I came home, there wasn’t any food left. You know how much kids that age can eat. There was a period when I was so hungry that my stomach hurt, but no one at home noticed. Only my grandfather somehow found out. After that, whenever I came home, there would at least be a steamed bun or cornbread to fill my stomach. Later, I found out that it was my grandfather secretly saving his own food for me."

  Zheng Sen reflected on those times. In a way, it was part of growing up. He learned how to feed himself, how to avoid being bullied, and how to live well.

  Daniu squeezed his fingers. "It’s all in the past now. Everything’s over."

  Zheng Sen nodded. "It’s really nothing. Let’s go. I remember Heizi told me that Jianguo—my younger brother—was assigned a pce near Gongzhufen. It’s a bit far."

  Daniu nodded and stood up. The two of them found a bus stop and took the bus to Gongzhufen. "I thought your brother worked at the steel factory? Gongzhufen is quite far from there."

  "He swapped his pce with a colleague. He was assigned a room in a tube-shaped apartment building, but he thought it was too small. His mother was assigned a two-room apartment at the hospital, so he moved in there. It’s only half an hour by bike to work. Then he traded his tube apartment for an old house owned by an engineer at his workpce. Now he’s learning under that engineer."

  Daniu nodded. "He does have some tricks."

  "He was spoiled by his mother and is a bit naive, really." Over the years, his feelings toward his family have been complicated. Sometimes he feels resentful, but others don't see anything wrong with it. Even his stepmother was just a little bit scheming and with petty tricks, which now seem insignificant.

  But he couldn't be so indifferent at the age of ten. Many of these insignificant things were very important to him at that time.

  The area around Princess Tomb wasn't as bustling as it would be twenty or thirty years ter. The name itself had only been coined a couple of years ago. However, it had already become a major construction site, with the subway project starting the previous year.

  At that time, this area was on the outskirts of the capital, with some factories and farmnd. The two got off the bus, and at the bus stop, there was a street. Zheng Sen looked around and soon found an alley to walk into, checking the house numbers as he went.

  When they reached the middle of the alley, there was a crossroads. Going further in, they saw a gate facing the street. Zheng Sen checked the house number and knocked on the door.

  After a while, a voice called out, "Who is it?" The door creaked open.

  An old man opened the door. When he saw Zheng Sen, his face lit up with a smile. "Linzi, when did you get back? Come in, come in." The old man's eyes were fixed on Zheng Sen, his smile warm.

  Zheng Sen breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the old man. "Grandpa, I just got back yesterday." He stepped into the courtyard, pulling the girl behind him. "Grandpa, let me introduce you. This is my fiancée, Shun. I brought her back to meet you."

  At this introduction, the old man shifted his gaze to Daniu and nodded with a smile. "Good, good."

  They entered the courtyard, which was quite simple. There were three small main rooms and two side rooms on the east side, apparently added ter. There was also a small vegetable patch in the yard.

  Zheng Sen felt somewhat relieved. Living in this courtyard felt more comfortable than being upstairs, though he worried about his grandfather's age and the difficulty of cooking for himself.

  He led the two into the house. The three rooms were connected, though not very rge—each about three meters wide and four meters deep. There was a heated brick bed (kang) on the east side, which Zheng Sen felt was still warm. Besides that, there was an Eight Immortals table and a standing cabinet. The room was sparsely furnished.

  "It's quite warm in here. Sit down, sit down. I'll get you some water," the old man said, and was about to go out.

  "Grandpa, I'll do it," Zheng Sen said, and stepped out to the kitchen. Inside, there was only a rge stove and two vats. One vat contained cornmeal and flour, stored in cloth bags, while the other held rice. These foods were enough for the old man to eat for half a month. Against the wall, there was a shelf with a few cabbages and a small vat of pickled vegetables.

  Seeing this, Zheng Sen felt relieved. It made sense—even if his father didn't care much about the family, he still had to take care of his own father.

  But judging by his grandfather's appearance, he seemed to be in good health. So what was the point of asking him to come back?

  He couldn't figure it out, so he decided to set it aside for now. Today was Minor New Year (Gregorian), so they should focus on celebrating.

  Zheng Sen went out to buy some groceries, while Daniu helped the old man tidy up the house. The house was simple, with few belongings, so Daniu just dusted and organized the kitchen.

  Just as they finished cleaning, Zheng Sen returned with two pounds of pork belly and a sb of streaky pork, pnning to make dumplings with pickled cabbage filling and braised pork.

  Daniu stewed the streaky pork, noting that the pot here was much smaller than the one at their home.

  Zheng Sen worked quickly, chopped the meat, and kneaded the dough in no time, and then the two of them worked together, one rolling the dough and the other wrapping the dumplings. Soon, they had filled two trays with dumplings, using up all two pounds of meat. The first batch was pced outside to freeze—it was quite cold in the capital, and the frozen dumplings were hung in a basket under the eaves to keep them safe from rats.

  Once the braised pork was ready, they boiled the dumplings, and Daniu made a bowl of egg soup with the eggs Zheng Sen had bought.

  It was a simple meal, but the three of them sat down together at the table. Zheng Sen's grandfather wasn't much of a talker, but he watched the two of them with a smile.

  He took a bite of the dumpling and said with a smile, "These are delicious. The st time I had dumplings this good was when your grandmother was still around."

  Zheng Sen didn't say much, just kept adding dumplings to his grandfather's pte, along with some braised pork. "Grandpa, try this braised pork. It's really tender." He thought to himself that his stepmother, being from the South, rarely made dishes with pickled cabbage.

  As they were eating, there was a knock at the gate. Before they could get up to answer it, someone walked in. Zheng Sen stood up immediately, and Daniu followed suit. A man in his fifties entered, looking very much like Zheng Sen but with a darker, more serious expression. Behind him was a younger man, not yet thirty, with a slightly broader face but still resembling Zheng Sen, though shorter.

  "Dad," Zheng Sen called out, then added, "Big brother." When he saw the person coming.

  Zheng's father gnced at him, his eyes showing concern, though his face remained stern. "Couldn't you have waited for us to come back? Your stepmother made a whole table of food, and we were going to pick up your grandfather. Couldn't you have waited even a minute at home?"

  Then he turned to his father. "Dad, I came to take you back for dinner. Today's Minor New Year, and Yushuang made your favorite braised pork knuckle."

  The grandfather smiled at his son. "No need, we've already started eating. Shun's dumpling filling is delicious, just like your mother used to make."

  Zheng's father then looked at Shun. "You must be Ma Shun."

  Daniu nodded. "Yes, Uncle. I'm Ma Shun." She wondered how Zheng Sen had expined things to his family, as they seemed to know about her.

  "Alright, then we'll join you. Jianye, go tell Xiao Zhang to come in and have some dumplings."

  "Sure," said Zheng Jianye, who was standing nextto him, he went out to call the driver who had come with them.

  Seeing that Zheng's father had already sat down, Daniu went to the kitchen to boil another pot of the dumplings they had made earlier. She also chopped a cabbage and made a cold sad. As she carried the dishes back into the room, she overheard Zheng's father saying, "You went and settled your household registration without a word. It won't be easy to move it back now."

  "It would have been hard for me to come back even without that."

  "How can it be the same?" Zheng's father was clearly upset. Educated youth (zhiqing) had collective household registrations. If there had been a job opportunity here, they could have arranged for him to return to the city. But now that his registration was settled locally, it would be much harder to move back to the capital. The fact that Zheng Sen had done this secretly, without consulting anyone, only made it more frustrating. By the time Zheng's father found out, it was already a foregone conclusion. Isn't it infuriating?

  "Dad, even if Second Brother's household registration has been transferred there, it’s fine. In a couple of years, we can figure out a way to transfer him back," Zheng Jianye quickly chimed in to smooth things over.

  Zheng’s father gnced at him but didn’t say anything.

  Seeing Daniu approach, Zheng Sen stood up to get the dumplings.

  The group ate their meal, and a rge bowl of braised pork with egg soup, along with eight ptes of dumplings, was completely devoured.

  "Come back with me. I’ve asked your Aunt Zhang to prepare a room for you," Zheng’s father said to Zheng Sen.

  Zheng Sen shook his head. "No need. I’ve already asked Hei Zi (Bckie) to help me clean up my grandparents' pce for us to stay."

  Zheng’s father gave him a few looks. "Whatever you want."