Chapter 25 Departure
Molly knew almost nothing about Ji Hefeng's family, and after hearing Xu Xia'an's explanation, she fell silent.
It turns out that Ji Hefeng's whole family was sent to the countryside. Because Grandpa Ji and Ji's father received the news in advance, they published a notice in the newspaper two months before the exile to sever ties with Ji Hefeng. Also, because Ji Hefeng joined the army when he was a teenager and made numerous military achievements, and he himself had been in the army all along, he was not implicated by his family.
"If it weren't for the burdens of his family, the company commander would have been a regimental commander long ago." Xu Xia'an said with regret. If the Ji family's problems weren't resolved, Ji Hefeng would probably only be able to reach the position of battalion commander.
Molly, on the other hand, thought the position of battalion commander was quite good; it was inconspicuous and safe.
"What happened to Grandpa's illness?" Ji Hefeng sends money and coupons to Xu Xia'an every month, asking her to buy things for the Ji family. It's clear that he can't let go of his family. With Grandpa sick and Ji Hefeng not around, it's indeed her responsibility and obligation as his wife to take on the responsibility for Ji Hefeng.
“A few days ago, it rained, and the old man went up the mountain to carry wood. He slipped and fell down the mountain, breaking his leg. The farm owner only asked the town doctor to take a look at the old man, prescribe some medicine, and then left him alone. The old man’s wound has worsened, and he is now unconscious. I’m afraid—” Xu Xia’an said in a heavy tone.
Xu Xia'an thought that if Grandpa Ji passed away, it would be perfectly legitimate for his granddaughter-in-law, Molly, to handle his funeral arrangements. Besides, Grandpa Ji had never met Molly, so he should meet his granddaughter-in-law before he passed away.
It got dark quickly. Xu Xia'an and his wife looked at the sky with some difficulty. It was not suitable to travel in the dark. It would take two hours to walk from here to the town. If it was convenient, neither of them wanted to travel in the dark. It was dangerous and cold. They wanted to stay overnight in the village.
"Xiao An, is dinner ready?" Molly called out towards the kitchen.
"I've cooked corn rice, stewed bones and radishes. Second sister, shall we have hot pot tonight?" Before it got dark, Molly instructed Mo An to prepare dinner. By then, the bones were almost done stewing.
Molly nodded. "It's cold, so hot pot is convenient. You prepare some more vegetables, and I'll go cut some lamb."
Then, Molly turned to Xu Xia'an and Qiao Ye and said, "You must be tired from your journey. Sit down for a while, and after dinner, stay here tonight. I'll go get a letter of introduction in a bit, and we'll set off for Feng County tomorrow morning."
Molly's words relieved Xu Xia'an. Not only did they manage to get a place to stay, but the company commander's wife was also willing to visit the old man. Their mission was now complete.
Molly cut two full plates of meat, one plate of mutton and one plate of wild boar, and put the cut meat in the kitchen. "I'm going to the captain's house. We'll have dinner when I get back."
Mo An had many questions he wanted to ask, but Molly didn't give him the chance and left decisively.
She first went to the rabbit cage, caught a rabbit, tied it up, put it in the basket, and closed the basket lid before heading towards the brigade leader's house.
The captain's family was having dinner when they heard a knock on the door. The family members exchanged glances, wondering who was so inconsiderate as to order dinner at someone else's house.
The captain's eldest son, Zhao Jianhua, got up to open the door. When he saw Molly, he was stunned. It was dark and he couldn't see the person's face clearly, but he couldn't remember who she was, given how tall she was and how she had shoulder-length short hair.
"I'm looking for the captain," Molly said, getting straight to the point.
Zhao Jianhua invited the person in. The room was dimly lit. When he saw the pretty little face, he was stunned again. Who was this? She was so good-looking!
Zhao Jianhua immediately thought of the "burden" who married Ji Hefeng and rarely went out. His gaze subconsciously drifted to Molly's left hand, but he only saw the military green sleeve; her right hand, however, was carrying a basket, which was openly exposed.
"Who's here?" Captain Zhao Weiguo came out.
“Uncle Zhao, it’s me.” Molly handed the basket to Zhao Weiguo. “Captain, I’m here to get a letter of introduction from you.”
The basket weighs ten pounds and feels quite substantial.
Zhao Weiguo glanced at Molly, then at the basket, lifted the lid, and the plump rabbit came into view.
"Pretty fat rabbit," Zhao Weiguo said, his mouth watering at first glance. "Where are you going?"
"It will probably take ten days to half a month to get to Feng County." Molly wasn't sure if that would be enough time.
"So long?" Zhao Weiguo frowned, but for the sake of the rabbit, his attitude was still quite good. "What are you going to do?"
"An elder is ill, so I'm going to visit him." Molly's face was calm, her eyes clear and bright, reflecting the dim light of the brigade leader's house.
"Is it really a visit to see someone in the hospital?" Zhao Weiguo was unaware of Molly's family situation and had doubts about Molly's words.
“Yes, to visit the sick, to stay there for a few more days, to keep the elderly company.” Molly said sincerely.
Zhao Weiguo pondered for a few seconds, then gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, I'll give you a letter of introduction. Just don't cause any trouble outside, or I won't be able to save you. Come back when the time is up. I won't come to pick you up if the letter of introduction expires."
“Okay, I understand,” Molly replied obediently.
The letter of introduction was open for ten days, and Molly took it and left with an empty basket.
"What a fat rabbit." Zhao Jianhua swallowed hard, his eyes gleaming.
"You've got some ambition," Zhao Weiguo said with a laugh.
"Where would a woman like her get a fat rabbit?" Zhao Weiguo's wife questioned.
"Mom, you forgot? A few months ago, the supply and marketing cooperative sold poultry and livestock, including rabbits," the eldest daughter-in-law reminded her.
Zhao Weiguo's wife recalled that the supply and marketing cooperative did have a few rabbits at the time, but they were too small, and everyone was worried they wouldn't survive, so they didn't dare to buy them. They never expected that Molly would actually buy them and raise them so well.
Zhao Jianhua: "It's only been a few days, and it's already so big?"
Zhao Jianhua's wife said, "Rabbits grow fast, but it's rare to see one this big. Molly is quite capable."
Zhao Jianhua then asked, "Mom and Dad, are we having rabbit tomorrow?"
As soon as he said this, everyone at the dinner table turned their gaze to Zhao Weiguo and his wife, their eyes filled with longing.
"What's there to eat? We'll save this rabbit for the New Year."
A pot full of bones and a few pieces of radish were simmering in an iron pot, the broth bubbling and the aroma of meat mixed with the fragrance of radish filled the entire house. Xu Xia'an and Qiao Ye had only eaten two multigrain pancakes all day, and their stomachs were already growling. Now, smelling the aroma of meat, their mouths watered uncontrollably.
"Xia An, I see the company commander's family is doing quite well." Since entering the house, Qiao Ye had seen four plump hens and a dozen rabbits in a cage. She also heard pigs squealing and saw the boy carrying three buckets of pig feed into the pigsty. Judging from the amount, it wasn't hard to tell that the family kept more than one pig.
Such a large number of poultry and livestock is something most people wouldn't even dare to imagine.
Xu Xia'an had served in the military and his reconnaissance skills were better than Qiao Ye's. He not only saw the poultry and livestock, but also caught a glimpse of the smoked meat in Molly's house. The smoked meat hanging all over the house shocked him.
This is something that money can't buy.
There's only one answer: this meat was hunted in the mountains.
There's only a young woman and a teenager in the house, so who goes hunting?
Xu Xia'an dared not think about it further.
When Molly returned home, Mo An had already washed two baskets of vegetables, one basket of cabbage and the other of chrysanthemum greens, all of which were the tenderest parts, so tender that water would squirt out when you gently pinched them with your fingernails.
"Brother Xu, Sister-in-law Qiao, come wash your hands and have dinner," Molly called to the two people inside.
The water for washing hands was hot. After the four of them took turns washing their hands, they sat down around the stove.
The food was from Mo Ansheng, and everyone received a full bowl.
"Eat more meat, and just eat whatever you like with rice," Mo An said shyly.
Xu Xia'an noticed the empty pot immediately; not a single corn kernel remained. He didn't expose the truth, but politely said, "Your sister-in-law and brother have gone to so much trouble."
Molly used clean chopsticks to place a large bone on Qiao Ye's plate, saying nonchalantly, "You've come all this way for Grandpa's sake, you're my honored guests, so it's only right that you spend money. Besides, this is meat from the mountains, it's free, so please eat as much as you like."
Molly knew she couldn't hide it from Xu Xia'an, so she simply spoke frankly and said that someone Ji Hefeng trusted shouldn't be a bad person.
Xu Xia'an wasn't surprised at all when his guess was confirmed. He gave a genuine smile and said, "Then we won't stand on ceremony. It's been a long time since I've seen so much meat. We're in for a treat today."
Molly laughed, "There's plenty of meat, eat as much as you like."
Xu Xia'an said she was welcome, but she was actually a little embarrassed to pick up the meat. Molly kept picking up meat for Qiao Ye, and seeing this, Mo'an also picked up meat for Xu Xia'an.
By the end of dinner, the whole pot of bones was gone, the two plates of meat Molly had cut up were all eaten, and not a single radish or vegetable from the two baskets was left.
Xu Xia'an and Qiao Ye discovered that not only was the meat at Molly's house delicious, but the vegetables at Molly's house were also exceptionally delicious—sweet, refreshing, and with a lingering sweetness, better than any vegetables they had ever eaten.
After dinner, Qiao Ye insisted on washing the dishes, and Molly couldn't stop her, so she didn't. She started packing the things she needed to take tomorrow.
The dried meat and dried sweet potatoes that were originally intended to be mailed to Ji Hefeng will now have to be sent to his family first.
Molly packed 30 jin of dried meat and 40 jin of dried sweet potatoes, filling her large basket. She then packed ten strips of smoked bacon, each weighing three or four jin. She also packed six cured pork legs (two large and four small), which were quite heavy, totaling about 50 jin. Her second basket was also full.
She thought for a moment, then took out another basket and filled it with thirty catties of freshly dried kudzu root slices. She also packed a large bag of dried vegetables into the basket. Finally, she took the large pig's head from the roof beam, put it in a burlap sack, and placed it on top of the dried vegetables.
The three baskets were full.
Next, she packed her clothes. The remaining pairs of canvas shoes were still in the burlap sack. Molly took out a size 37 pair for herself, and planned to take the rest with her the next day. She also put the one and a half rolls of the flawed fabric she'd gotten from Sister Qian last time into the sack. After packing all that, she added two sets of clean clothes, filling the sack to the brim.
"Second sister, may I come in?" Mo An poked her head in from the doorway.
Molly waved to him and took out twenty yuan from her pocket. "Second sister is leaving for ten days. Take this money for emergencies."
"Second sister, where are you going?" Mo An felt uneasy. Since leaving the Mo family, he had never been away from his second sister for a single day.
“We’re going to visit your second brother-in-law’s family. It’s not far; it’s only a day’s journey from here. While I’m away, your eldest sister will come and keep you company.” Molly patted Mo An’s head. “Someone has to stay at home, so I won’t take you this time. I’ll take you next time.”
"Don't worry, Second Sister, I'll take good care of the family," Mo An assured her.
Molly smiled. "Of course I believe you."
There weren't any extra beds or blankets at home, so Molly slept with Qiao Ye, while Xu Xia'an squeezed in with Mo An.
"Molly, you look quite young. Are you eighteen yet?" When her husband learned that Ji Hefeng had married a country girl, he felt sorry for Ji Hefeng for a while. Ji Hefeng was educated, had exceptional physical abilities, and was handsome. He had even married the daughter of a teacher. Now he had married a village girl who couldn't read a single word. They were really not a good match.
Until she met Molly today, Qiao Ye thought that Ji Hefeng had married nothing more than a country girl with little knowledge. But now Qiao Ye felt that Molly might not be unworthy of Ji Hefeng.
Molly was beautiful, the kind of beauty that you could never forget, the kind that makes you forget the mundane. She had never seen anyone so beautiful. Others also said she was beautiful, but compared to Molly, she felt ashamed of herself.
Furthermore, from Molly's manner of dealing with people and her speech and behavior, it can be seen that she is a very tactful person who knows how to conduct herself appropriately.
As for literacy, marriage is for making a living. Ji and Feng can earn money, and Molly can manage the household. With the two of them working together, their lives will definitely be prosperous.
“I’ll be eighteen next year,” Molly replied. “Ji and Feng said they’ll apply for marriage when I turn eighteen.”
"That's great. Once the marriage application is submitted, you can go and join the military." It's definitely not good for young couples to live apart for a long time, and Qiao Ye didn't think there was anything wrong with what she said.
Molly paused for a moment, then said, "We'll see when the time comes."
Before dawn the next day, Molly opened her eyes, and as soon as she moved, Qiao Ye moved too.
“It’s not dawn yet, sister-in-law can sleep a little longer,” Molly said.
"I'm not sleeping anymore, I've had enough sleep. You're so warm, I had a good night's sleep last night," Qiao Ye said with a smile. It was cold, and most people's blankets weren't warm enough, but last night when she was sleeping, she felt warmth coming from next to her, which drove away the chill and made her feel warm too.
The two came out of the room and found that Mo An and Xu Xia'an had also gotten up.
"Second sister, is it okay to have potato pancakes for breakfast?" Mo An asked.
"Okay, let's have potato pancakes. I'll go get some meat, chop it up, and put it in the pancakes. You can also cook some extra sweet potatoes and potatoes for us to take on the road."
Molly took out a piece of cured pork, first roasted it in the fire, and then washed it several times with hot water.
"Leave the chopping to me," Xu Xia'an said.
“Alright, then I’ll trouble you, Brother Xu.” Molly handed over the knife. “I’ll go to my second uncle’s house and have him take us to town.”
Molly passed by the vegetable garden, picked two large cabbages and two large radishes, and carried the basket to her second great-uncle's house.
When she arrived, her second uncle had just gotten up.
Molly went straight in and placed the radishes and cabbages under the eaves of her second great-uncle's house. "I grew them myself. I brought two for you and your second grandmother to try."
"Oh my, these cabbages and radishes are growing so well!" Second Grandma was extremely surprised, she never expected this little girl to be so good at growing vegetables.
The second uncle remained unfazed. "What brings you here so early in the morning?"
"I'm going to town in a bit, could you please give me a ride, Uncle?" Molly said, taking out five cents and handing it over.
"I don't need that much." Second Uncle only took two cents.
“I have a lot of stuff.” Molly stuffed the remaining three wools into the bag as well. “I have a lot of stuff and a lot of people. It’s so cold today, you and the cow must be working hard.”
Molly didn't give her second uncle a chance to refuse, and turned to leave, reminding him as she went, "We'll be back in half an hour, so you'd better hurry up and eat breakfast."
More than forty potato pancakes were made, and they were almost all eaten as soon as they were cooked in one batch. By the time they were finished, all the pancakes were gone.
The potatoes were soft and fluffy, and the cured meat was savory and fragrant. The combination was so delicious that they almost swallowed their tongues.
The cooked sweet potatoes and potatoes were placed in a basket, which Molly carried.
The three of them each carried a large basket on their backs. Xu Xia'an and Qiao Ye's baskets were heavier. Molly wanted to carry the heavier one, but Qiao Ye refused, saying that Molly was too thin and she was worried that she would be crushed by the weight.
Molly, thinking the journey wasn't far, didn't argue with her. She carried the lighter basket on her back and held the other basket in her hand. Xu Xia'an carried Molly's large handbag, while Qiao Ye had a bag slung across her chest containing small items like letters of introduction.
The sky was overcast and gray, and the oxcart creaked along the country lane.
The four people in the car remained silent. Second Uncle didn't ask Molly where she was going or what she was doing. Xu Xia'an, worried that revealing too much information would be bad for Ji Hefeng, simply kept quiet.
Molly had her eyes closed; it was unclear whether she was asleep.
Two hours later, the oxcart arrived in town, and it was already broad daylight.
There was no bus station in town; buses passing through town would stop briefly at the commune. Uncle Er dropped Molly and the other two off at the commune and then left.
“I asked the driver yesterday, and he said there’s only one bus from here to Feng County, which passes through here around nine o’clock in the morning,” Xu Xia’an said, looking up at the sky. “It should be almost nine o’clock.”
Xu Xia'an's prediction was correct; the car arrived a dozen minutes later.
Molly had bought the bus tickets, and she resolutely refused to accept Xu Xia'an's money, saying, "You've been working so hard for our family, so I should return the money for your bus tickets here—"
"Sister-in-law, don't say that. It's too formal. My husband and I will get angry." Xu Xia'an said sternly.
Molly chuckled twice. "Okay, I won't mention it, and don't argue with me about those few dollars."
At this time, the road was a dirt road, full of potholes and covered in yellow dust. The car was moving slowly, and it took six hours to reach Fengxian Bus Station.
They changed buses at the bus station and rode for another hour before finally returning to the commune where Xu Xia'an lived.
Xu Xia'an is now an official in the commune, but he lives in the countryside, and Qiao Ye's household registration is also in the countryside.
It was already dark when they returned to the commune. There were no oxcarts to take them back to the village, so the three of them had to walk back.
At first, Qiao Ye was still carrying that heavy basket on her back, and after walking for half an hour, she was already panting. Molly, on the other hand, walked with light steps and steady breathing. She smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, give me the basket you're carrying."
Qiao Ye stopped showing off and switched baskets with Molly. "What did you put in your basket? Why is it so heavy?"
“Food,” Molly replied.
After walking for another half hour, the three of them entered Xu Xia'an's house in the dark.
Xu Xia'an's family has more than a dozen members. Xu Xia'an and Qiao Ye's room is close to the door, and Xu Xia'an locked their belongings inside.
"Don't close the door yet, there's something in the basket that I'm giving to you," Molly said.
Xu Xia'an waved her hands repeatedly, "No, don't be polite. The company commander saved my life. I'm doing these things for the company commander, and he's given us a lot of subsidies in return."
Molly laughed. "It's just some food, nothing expensive."
She bent down and took out a sack of cured pig's head from her basket, saying, "Consider it an extra dish for your family."
The entire pig's head was split in half with a knife, skin and bones included, and weighed more than 30 kilograms.
Xu Xia'an refused, saying, "Take it to Grandpa Ji and Uncle Ji; they need it more than we do."
Molly: "There's their share, and all of those are too."
Three full baskets; only those who have carried them know how heavy they are.
Xu Xia'an no longer refused, "I thank you on behalf of my family."
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