Chapter 11

Su Liuhe spent her fabric ration coupons and stopped fretting over her pockets. She returned home, sat obediently on the kang, and continued sewing her cotton-padded jacket, finally finishing it before dark.

"Oh my, it’s even cinched at the waist?" Auntie Wang unfolded the new jacket and exclaimed, "Your style is better than anyone’s; I think it’s much more refined than what the tailor Zhang makes."

Xiangcai’s mother looked at the gray fabric and wondered how Su Liuhe managed to make it look so stunning. She hadn't even minded the extra fabric used for a flat belt that could be cinched and tied into a bow at the front. A hood was attached to the collar, and on top of it, she had embroidered a pair of lifelike cherries with red and green thread.

Su Liuhe tried it on, patted the bow, and said with a touch of insincerity, "I’m not trying to be fancy; it’s mostly because the hem flutters in the wind when I go out, so I have to tie it down."

She had also made two pairs of close-fitting underpants for Gu Yiren. She would have him try them on later. For the next two days, her work would be making pajamas. She stood on the kang, posing in front of a small mirror hanging on the wall, admiring her own reflection with undisguised vanity.

Gu Yiren returned from outside, carrying a hundred pounds of firewood on his back. He tossed it into the yard, set his straw cloak aside, and carefully brushed the dirt off his clothes and shoes before entering the house.

"Hey, what are you holding?" Su Liuhe’s sharp eyes caught the flesh-colored object in Gu Yiren's hand.

Gu Yiren held it up at the doorway and said, "A wild rabbit. Since we have enough firewood, shall we roast it?"

Xiangcai’s mother’s husband often set traps on the mountain, and she knew how hard it was to catch game in winter. She sighed, "The game in the surrounding mountains is getting scarcer. It’s impressive that Xiao Yi managed to get a rabbit."

When Auntie Song and Auntie Wang saw that they were going to roast rabbit meat, they politely took their leave. "We need to go home and cook, too. We’ll be heading off."

The rabbit weighed only three or four pounds total. Once skinned and deboned, there would barely be enough for two people to savor, let alone share with others. In these times, eating meat was like celebrating the New Year; they were all adults and couldn't bring themselves to shamelessly hover around for a bite.

Once they were gone, Su Liuhe hurriedly asked, "What about the rabbit fur? What color is it?"

"It’s gray, too," Gu Yiren said, stealing a glance at her new jacket and curling his lips slightly. "I hung it behind the house."

With snow on the mountains, white rabbits were hard to catch, and gray ones were more conspicuous. Su Liuhe happily rummaged under the kang mat and pulled out the gray rabbit-fur gloves she had made last month, complete with two little rabbit-fur bells on the wrists that perfectly matched her new jacket.

Just as Gu Yiren was about to go out to roast the rabbit, Su Liuhe called out, "Hey, why don't you try on the underpants I made for you?"

Gu Yiren nearly tripped on the threshold. He turned his head and said, "Underpants?"

Su Liuhe, considering herself knowledgeable about the thin-skinned nature of adolescent boys, teased, "Just see if they fit." Her words were subtle, mostly because she was afraid they might be too small...

Gu Yiren took a quick look; fortunately, the color of his skin didn't reveal a blush. "They fit. I’m going to roast the rabbit."

Su Liuhe giggled, and after teasing the boy, she took out a small blackboard and wrote down the day's math problems. The young man was making rapid progress, and she needed to teach him diligently.

Su Hundi caught the scent of roasted meat from afar. At the dinner table today, there had been a dish of boiled pork belly, but she hadn't touched a piece, letting the drinking men consume it all. Now, just smelling the meat made her mouth water. She had previously thought Su Liuhe was living a miserable life here, but it seemed she was clever enough to trick an inexperienced, hardworking laborer into doing her chores.

Su Hundi stood at the gate and called out a few times, but no one answered. Just as she was about to push open the wooden gate, she suddenly heard someone shout, "Stop!"

Gu Yiren came out with the half-cooked rabbit meat. Seeing it was Su Hundi, he said with a grim expression, "What are you doing?" He hated everything related to her; Su Liuhe’s enemies were his enemies.

Su Hundi took a step back, and Li Hongxing swallowed hard before stepping forward. "Little brother, we are... we are friends of Comrade Su Liuhe. Could we meet her and have a chat?"

Gu Yiren said coldly, "She has no friends."

Su Liuhe, eavesdropping inside, felt a metaphorical knife in her back and shouted, "No!"

Su Hundi, holding her gifts, turned to leave and cursed, "What does she have to be so arrogant about? If she won't see us, fine. Does she really think everyone has to beg her?"

*Beg?*

Su Liuhe pushed the door open, wearing her alluring embroidered cotton jacket, and asked, "Beg me for what?"

Li Hongxing had assumed she didn't have the money to make a jacket, so he had secretly tucked ten yuan into the milk powder can. It appeared he had been wishful thinking.

Su Hundi and Su Liuhe were never going to speak civilly. Risking a slap, Li Hongxing walked into the yard and whispered, "The Director Zhao you just met—what do you think of him?"

Su Liuhe and Gu Yiren’s faces both darkened. Su Liuhe spoke first: "Even though he looks better than you, is younger than you, and has a higher position than you, I don't think much of him. If you want to cozy up to a leader, don't use me as a resource to trade. Save your breath!"

Su Hundi suppressed her anger. For the sake of Li Hongxing’s future—and her own—she tried to be ingratiating. "Even if he is a widower, it’s better than settling for someone in the village. He doesn't care about your bad reputation in the village or that you’re lazy. I’m doing this for your own good. After all, we were sisters; wouldn't it be great if we both married into the city and looked out for each other?"

Su Liuhe retorted, "If he’s so great, why don't you dump Li Hongxing and go be with him yourself?"

Su Hundi stuttered, "Y-you... what are you talking about?"

Seeing the sudden change in her expression, Su Liuhe knew she had hit the mark. "I’m not talking nonsense, am I? You and Li Hongxing aren't married. The Zhao man is young and promising and doesn't care about reputation. Isn't this a great opportunity for you? I remember you’re the best at seizing opportunities, right, Brother Hongxing?"

Su Liuhe’s sarcasm left Su Hundi red-faced, hitting squarely on the ugly truth between her and Li Hongxing. Seeing neighbors peeking in, they dared not speak further, fearing Su Liuhe’s fearless nature would spill other secrets. Li Hongxing was too stunned to speak. He knew his own behavior was lacking and that Su Hundi’s character was indeed questionable. After what Su Liuhe said, he also noticed Su Hundi’s strange reaction.

He put Su Hundi aside for a moment. He couldn't bring himself to be harsh toward Su Liuhe; he felt that any man would lose his composure in her presence, with everything revolving around her. He knew Zhao Daqing had originally intended to keep the grain station position for a relative, but he had fallen for Su Liuhe at first sight. By the sound of it, he didn't even care about his relatives anymore and was truly willing to help Su Liuhe resolve her residency and employment status.

Facing a windfall that had come about because of him, he felt he shouldn't be too servile in front of Su Liuhe. But seeing her indifferent attitude now, he realized he had messed up again.

"My house has no room for filth. Get out the same way you came," Su Liuhe said, hands on her hips, her delicate chin held high in pride.

Li Hongxing’s face flushed red, and he wanted to explain.

"Get lost. Whoever comes again, I’ll beat them," Gu Yiren said. Having understood their intentions—they actually wanted to marry his little aunt off to a middle-aged widower—he set down the roasted rabbit, clenched his fists, and stood before Su Liuhe with an imposing air.

Su Liuhe, using his strength as her own, added, "Didn't you hear? Get out!"

Su Hundi reached out to pull Li Hongxing’s sleeve, but he shook her off and took one last, deep look at Gu Yiren before leaving. Su Hundi followed behind, her eyes filled with the fear of being seen through. How could Su Liuhe have known her plans?

Inside the small room, Su Liuhe ate the rabbit leg in small bites. Seeing that she wasn't affected by them, Gu Yiren handed her the other leg.

Su Liuhe said, "You eat it. Eating too much greasy food at night gives me indigestion."

Gu Yiren knew she was delicate; while others were dying for a taste of oil, she found it greasy. "How did you know she had dirty intentions?"

Faced with the question, Su Liuhe couldn't tell him she knew the plot. In this era-themed novel, the tragedy that befell Su Hundi was caused by her fickle nature and her habit of seducing men.

"I just guessed. If you don't do anything wrong, you don't fear a knock on the door. Since she was scared, I must have been right."

Gu Yiren nodded, thinking it made perfect sense.

"When you're done, let's finish the problems."

"Alright."

***

Auntie Song’s daughter had been eating chestnut cakes for two weeks straight. She hadn't tired of them, but Su Liuhe had grown weary of the process.

On the stove sat an iron pot that Auntie Song had brought from her home, which Gu Yiren had repaired with the help of a blacksmith from the next village. The main reason was that the small clay stove was too slow; Auntie Song had been impatient last time and, seeing the small iron pot, had brought over her old one without a second thought.

The old pot had been heated until it glowed red, and after it cooled, they had boiled three pots of water in it. Gu Yiren had rolled up his sleeves and scrubbed it for a whole day before Su Liuhe was willing to use it.

"A big pot is better; you can bake twenty at once," Su Liuhe said, handing a few fresh chestnut cakes to Gu Yiren.

Gu Yiren had specifically asked for them, though he didn't say who they were for. Su Liuhe felt that as an elder, she shouldn't interfere with the young man’s social life; it was a good thing for him to have friends.

She wrapped the cakes for Auntie Song in parchment paper, tied them with a straw rope, and headed toward Auntie Song’s house. Auntie Song’s daughter was in a worse state than Su Liuhe had imagined; she had reached the point of believing she was a monster and couldn't leave the house. Someone must have hurt her deeply—it was a psychological issue.

Su Liuhe had asked Auntie Song to stay with her daughter, and today she went over to check the progress. Arriving at the house, she saw a girl with a radiant smile chatting and laughing with Xiangcai. Seeing her, the girl ran over to open the door.

Su Liuhe caught a glimpse of a faint birthmark on her face. The girl covered her face, saying shyly, "Thanks to you, it’s much better."

Su Liuhe didn't stare, instead handing over the chestnut cakes and asking about her situation. The girl answered one by one.

After the check-up, the girl gave her a jar of wild honey, insisting she take it. "My uncle is a beekeeper. The bees don't produce honey in winter, so he saved this jar for me to drink in hot water because he felt bad for me. I’m grateful to you. I said I wanted you to have it, and my mother said you must accept it. You are my savior."

Su Liuhe felt embarrassed, but Xiangcai helped her take the jar. "Just take it. You don't know how much you've helped us."

Su Liuhe walked home in high spirits with the jar of wild honey. In an era when white and brown sugar were precious, this jar was incredibly rare. With an abundance of chestnuts at home, she thought about making some honey-chestnut cakes to sweeten Gu Yiren’s day! After all, he had gotten every math problem right last time.

Halfway home, she was glad she was wearing her new jacket. The wind kept sneaking into her collar and sleeves, forcing her to trot the rest of the way. It was freezing, and there were few people outside.

Just as she reached her gate, she heard a dog barking not far behind her. The guard dog of the house across the way knew her and never barked at her. She whipped her head around and saw a man dressed entirely in black tailing her.

Gu Yiren was out delivering cakes and wasn't home. Su Liuhe’s hand hesitated on the key. The person was clearly ill-intentioned, testing to see if anyone was home. If he realized the house was empty, stealing the key would be the least of her worries—what if he dragged her inside to do as he pleased? Wouldn't that be exactly what he wanted?

Su Liuhe suddenly called out to the house, "Xiao Yi, open the door! I’m back!"

She knew there were human traffickers in rural areas who kidnapped women, and she didn't know if she had just stumbled into such a situation. At this moment, she couldn't think of anything else; she pretended not to notice the man, knocked on the door, and called out again, "Open up!"

The dangerous man, who had been shielding his face, stopped a few meters away, watching. The neighbors had all gone to the market to buy New Year’s supplies, and Xiangcai’s mother wasn't home either; she couldn't call for help. Perhaps this person had been scouting the location!

She broke into a cold sweat, feeling the danger closing in. Her hand trembled as she held the key, wondering if she could unlock the gate, dash inside, and bolt the door in time.

Just as the man approached, the gate suddenly swung open. Su Liuhe stumbled into a warm embrace, smelling the familiar scent of soap.

"Xiao... Yi?"

She struggled to stand up, but Gu Yiren wrapped his large arms around her, pulling her firmly into his chest. "Don't move."

Su Liuhe had never felt such a powerful sense of stability from Gu Yiren; this was the second time he had saved her. Compared to before, his frame was taller and warmer. Her small hands, pressed against his chest, trembled slightly before curling into fists.

Gu Yiren seemed unaware of her reaction. His icy gaze fixed on the spot behind Su Liuhe, ignoring the softness in his arms, and he whispered in a low voice, "Who sent you?"