Chapter 84: Luohu
Luohu Township is a place surrounded by mountains and encircled by green waters; even when it was renamed the commune, it kept the name Luohu.
All because of that reservoir hidden in the mountain valley, formed from the convergence of mountain spring water, groundwater, and rain and snow, later built by generations of villagers.
And precisely because of the reservoir, during those three years of natural disasters, although people were short of grain, the big fish from the entire reservoir sustained them, making life far better than in the disaster-stricken areas outside.
……
July was the hottest and most scorching month of summer.
By nine or ten o’clock, the sun overhead burning on the skin already felt like scorching pain.
Su Ning and Luo Shuangshuang walking on the mountain path tried to stick to shady spots with plenty of tree shade.
Their clothes dried and then got wet again, only to be immediately dried by the heat; even the braids by their ears were soaking wet, as if water could be wrung out.
“Ning Bao Gai, how about we rest here by the reservoir for a bit?”
“Still far?”
“After the reservoir, it’ll probably take another ten or twenty minutes to get there.”
The two stopped at the same time and glanced at each other’s disheveled appearance, unable to hold back their laughter at each other.
With their trash stamina, if they kept walking another twenty minutes, they’d either die of heat or completely collapse.
“Let’s go, pick a spot under a big tree and rest well first.”
As Luo Shuangshuang spoke, she fanned her face with her hand like a fan. Previously, when coming back, it was always her brother who made arrangements; this time it was her turn, and she hadn’t thought many things through.
It was dragging Ning Bao Gai down to suffer along with her; annoyed, she muttered about her own dumb head.
When excited, she forgot everything!
Clearly, Dad had reminded her to call Maternal Uncle Yan at the team when she came.
“Ning Bao Gai…”
“Alright, just think of it as exercising. Walking more isn’t bad.”
It was this hot-headed girl who dragged her out the door in a rush before dawn; she had even forgotten the water bottle she prepared on the living room table.
Licking her lips, Su Ning glanced at the army-green canvas bag slung over her shoulder: this size made it impossible to pull out directly.
Seeing her action, and touching her own parched lips that were peeling, Luo Shuangshuang turned to look at the ditch not far away, “Ning Bao Gai, you sit here and wait for me!”
“Xi You, what are you going to do?”
“Find you something good~”
Thorns wound around the gully, everywhere low shrubs; at this season, among the lush green leaves were many red or orange spots.
Using large leaves rolled into a triangular cup shape, Luo Shuangshuang squatted down and carefully picked the bright red prickly berry fruits into the cup.
In no time, she picked a small handful.
“Ning Bao Gai, try these quick. These fruits are sour-sweet and can replenish some moisture!”
She picked one and put it in her mouth; with just a gentle sip, it burst, moderately sour-sweet with a pretty good taste.
Until the two finished the handful of prickly fruits, their legs and feet recovered strength, then they continued along the path by the reservoir.
……
After more than half an hour, climbing over the last small hillside and seeing the wooden stilt houses perched on the mountainside appearing before them, the exhausted two nearly shouted in excitement.
In the terraced fields, villagers finishing midday work were handing over farming tools, preparing to go home for meals and rest.
The half-grown rascals who had labored all morning weren’t tired; in groups of three or five, they swarmed straight to the small river in the mountains.
Passing by the two, one tanned dark-skinned, skinny boy with only whites-of-eyes and teeth white joyfully broke from his little friends’ group, “You You sis, how come you’re back?”
“Little Lantern? How’d you get so much darker, almost like black charcoal?”
“Heh heh heh, the midday sun is vicious; isn’t this from going to the river every day to bathe, catch crabs, and fish, getting sunburned!”
Yan Wen embarrassedly scratched the back of his head, then spotting his little friends still waiting not far off, shouted loudly, “Junzi, you guys go ahead. My sis is back, I’m not going today!”
“Alright!”
“Come on sis, I’ll take you home. Granny will be thrilled to know you’re back today; her front teeth will pop out from grinning!”
Only then did Yan Wen notice a never-seen-before female comrade behind his sister, even prettier than her, and he clearly froze.
Flicking his forehead with her finger, Luo Shuangshuang smiled and introduced, “This is my best friend Su Ning; you have to call her sis too!”
“Ning Bao Gai, this is my maternal uncle’s eldest cousin Yan Wen, nickname Little Lantern.”
“Sister Ning, hello!”
“Hello to you too.”
Pulling out a handful of milk candy from her bag, Su Ning raised the corners of her mouth and handed it to him, “Here, sister treats you to candy.”
Seeing his cousin nod, Yan Wen grinned embarrassedly and took it with both hands, “Thanks, Sister Ning!”
This was White Rabbit Milk Candy, not just one or two but a big handful.
The good stuff he could only get when Aunt and them came back!
Quietly swallowing his drool, Yan Wen developed a strong good feeling toward this first-time sister.
After all, such generous and gentle city girls weren’t common.
Just like those educated youths in the brigade; though they didn’t say anything nasty, there was always this subtle disdain when seeing them, as if they were covered in fleas.
Pfft~
They bathed in the river eight hundred times a day, cleaner than anyone!
The Yan family stilt house was near the foot of the back mountain, not far from the small river Yan Wen and them often went to, in the same direction.
A few minutes later, bypassing a vegetable patch, Yan Wen familiarly darted into the yard first, yelling at the top of his lungs, “Granny, Dad and Mom, You You sis is back!”
“You You’s back? Where?”
“This kid comes back without calling ahead; how’d she get here?”
Yan Xi, resting inside and gulping cool water, nearly spat out a mouthful at his son’s words; he wiped his mouth messily and came to the courtyard at the same time as his wife and daughter-in-law busy in the kitchen with lunch.
Qian Hongmei, sweating profusely from tending the fire, rubbed the black ash from her hands on her trouser legs.
Pushing aside her obstructing son and tiptoeing to peer outside the yard, she spotted that familiar figure from afar and instantly burst into joyful laughter, “It really is You You!”
Granny Yan, whose eyesight had worsened with age, heard her daughter-in-law’s words and indeed grinned happily, revealing two loose front teeth just as Yan Wen said.
Anxiously stepping forward a few more paces, her only granddaughter—over half a year without seeing her—how could the old woman not miss her.
“Just You You? Hinmei and them didn’t come back?”
“Didn’t see his little aunt, but there’s an unfamiliar girl following behind our You You.”
“That’s You You sis’s good friend Sister Su Ning! She’s really nice!”
Yan Wen popped his head from behind his mom and chimed in, subconsciously clutching the milk candy in his pocket.
Hearing there was a guest, Qian Hongmei didn’t wait for Granny’s instructions; with good awareness, she turned nimbly to the kitchen to prepare brown sugar water.
“Granny Yan, Maternal Uncle Yan!”
“Yes yes, Granny’s here, You You!”
Taking big steps, Luo Shuangshuang saw the old woman waiting eagerly at the courtyard gate, her eyes brimming with uncontainable joy as she bounced over and hugged her tightly.
Granny Yan’s eyes reddened, wanting to hug but hesitating, “You You, Granny’s dirty; don’t get your new clothes soiled!”
“I don’t care, I want a hug. If dirty then dirty; I’m sweaty and stinky from the walk, and Granny still minds me?”
“This blabbering little mouth really can’t outtalk you!”
Corners of her mouth raised high, Granny Yan gently patted her back, her heart warmed by the words.
Why did they say girls weren’t as good as boys? This warm and thoughtful little padded jacket was better than any rascal by a thousand times in every way.
Unfortunately, her eldest couple wasn’t capable; they’d never given her a little granddaughter.
Fortunately, her daughter was promising; having such a lovable granddaughter satisfied her.
“Granny Yan, Maternal Uncle Yan, this is my good friend and also my benefactor Su Ning.”
“Benefactor? What happened?”
“Granny Yan, Maternal Uncle Yan, hello!”
“Good good, Xiao Ning, right? Come in quick!”
Not approving of her bringing up this topic with family she’d just met, Su Ning smoothly interrupted Maternal Uncle Yan’s question.
She knew Xi You’s intention was to make them value her more, but after so long apart and with the old folks’ age, it was completely unnecessary.
Meeting her mildly reproving gaze, Luo Shuangshuang quietly stuck out her tongue: what she said was true anyway~
Watching the silent exchange between the two girls, Yan Xi could only temporarily suppress his doubts.
“Xiao Ning, we don’t have anything good at home to offer; have some brown sugar water first. Lunch will be ready soon. You must be tired and hungry after such a long walk!”
