It was dark, and Liu's mother and father hadn't returned yet. Xuemei called her younger siblings to the kitchen to eat first. She placed Liu's mother and father's portion on the stove to keep warm. After dinner, Xuemei washed the dishes, asked her younger siblings to bathe, and put two more sticks of firewood on the stove. Only after Xuemei finished bathing did she see Wang's mother return alone.
"Mom, why did you come back alone? Where's Dad? How's Grandpa?"
"Your grandfather has a broken leg and is in a cast, so it's hard to move. Your father will be watching over him tonight, and your second uncle will be there tomorrow morning. Tomorrow at noon, when the village doesn't need ox carts anymore, your father can borrow one and go get him."
"Mom, then you should eat first! The rice is still warming on the stove."
Mother Liu was really hungry. She hadn't eaten anything since noon today except a cucumber. She wolfed down her porridge. After drinking half a bowl, she saw her daughter was still there.
My brothers and sisters are asleep, right? Why aren't you going to bed yet?
They are sleeping in my room. Your room is locked and they can’t get in. Mom, I want to tell you something. “I…I…”
"What's the matter? Why are you so hesitant? Are you being naughty again?"
"No, Mom, I...I just dreamed last night that Grandpa's leg was injured, and then today his leg was broken. But I really don't know why I had such a dream. I don't usually think about these things."
"What nonsense are you talking about, little kid? Your grandfather broke his leg because he was meddling in other people's business and stepped on something without looking. It's none of your business. Don't go around saying this to anyone in the future. Don't tell your brothers and sisters. They're not very careful with their words. If your grandfather finds out, he might accuse you of cursing him, and then it'll really be your fault. Don't tell your father either. Do you hear me?"
"Mom, I understand. I'm only telling you this. I won't tell anyone else. So, can I still tell you in my dreams?"
"What are you dreaming about? There are so many dreams. Go to sleep now. If you don't go, my hands will start to itch."
The next afternoon, after finishing work, Xuemei returned home to find Liu's mother at home. Confused, she asked, "Mom, why did you all get back home so early today? We've threshed all the rice in our village. After we finished, your dad said we only had an hour left before work ended, so he decided to let everyone go home and rest."
"What about Dad?"
"Your father has gone to fetch your grandfather. The oxen were tired from pulling the rice at noon and refused to move, so they left now."
"Xuemei, light the fire, boil some water, and cook the porridge. We'll kill a rooster later, and I'll go to the garden to pick the vegetables that are almost ripe. I'll blanch them in water and use them to make dried vegetables."
"Mom, really kill a chicken and eat it. I haven't eaten chicken in a long time."
"Really? I'm not lying to you. The chickens are all locked up in the coop. Kill one to nourish your grandfather and us."
"Mom, you're so kind. Qingya, Ruirui, Feifei, tonight..."
"Don't shout. Everyone will know about it and what will happen if they ask you for food? Your brothers and sisters are staying quietly in your room. I'm afraid they will go out and show off. It's the same for you. Hurry up and light the fire." Liu's mother said, covering Xuemei's mouth.
Xuemei covered her mouth and whispered, "Okay." Her eyes rolled around and she smiled foolishly from time to time.
Mother Liu found it both funny and irritating, and her hands were itching to pick some vegetables.
When it was almost dark and no one was passing by, Liu's mother went to the back of the house to kill the chicken. After cleaning the chicken, she cut it into pieces and stewed it in a clay pot.
The chicken became more and more fragrant as it stewed in the casserole. When Liu's father came back, he saw Xuemei and her four siblings gathered in the kitchen, staring at the casserole.
What delicious food are we making today? Come gather here.
"Dad, Mom is stewing chicken." Xuemei said in a low voice.
"It's just right that you're back. The chicken is almost done. It's ready to eat. Xuemei, turn off the fire." Liu's mother took a bowl from the cupboard, filled it with chicken and chicken soup, and handed it to Liu's father. "Dad, take this bowl to your parents, and then go get the six eggs left in the room."
Father Liu said with a smile: "Daughter-in-law, you are so kind. Marrying you is a blessing for our Liu family."
Mother Liu said angrily, "The child is still here. What nonsense are you talking about? He is so grown up but still has no manners. Go back quickly. These greedy little cats in our family can't wait any longer."
This night was destined to be an unforgettable one for Xuemei's family. Although each person only ate a few pieces of meat, it had been so long since they had eaten a substantial meal. Mother and Father Liu were fine. Children have weak stomachs. The four siblings all had diarrhea that night, especially the youngest, Feifei, who took two days to recover.
Ten days later, it was already mid-October. The peanuts, corn and beans in the village had all been harvested, leaving only sweet potatoes and taro, which could be harvested slowly later.
Xuemei and Qingya also had to go back to school. They both attended elementary school in the commune, which was relatively close to Liujia Village, only five or six miles away. In the mornings, Xuemei and her sister Qingya would finish breakfast and bring their lunch to school, usually a sweet potato, and not go home for lunch. After school ended in the afternoon, Xuemei and her sister would pick up two bundles of firewood along the way and bring them home. Classes were held six days a week, with one day off.
However, the commune didn't have a junior high school; all the junior high and high schools were located in the county town. The county town was 18 kilometers away, and there were two buses a day, arriving at 7:00 AM and 5:30 PM. The bus ride from the commune to the county town usually took about half an hour.
For example, Xuemei's cousin Liu Mingzheng would leave home at six o'clock on Sunday morning, carry six days' worth of food and walk to the commune, and then take a bus to the county middle school.
On Friday afternoons, I'd take the afternoon bus back from the county town. Junior high and high school students lived in the county town. We'd take our own food to the school cafeteria and exchange it for one or two taels of coarse grain and fine grain meal tickets. Then, at mealtimes, we'd take our lunch boxes and tickets to get our meals. The school cafeteria usually sold vegetables, but they were generally reserved for teachers, with some well-off students occasionally enjoying a bite. (The school week was seven days a week, with Saturday off and Monday being the first day of the week.)
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