Chapter 109: Ming Dai, I Forgot Something Very Important

That evening, under the cover of darkness while everyone remained indoors, Ming Dai and Zhou Sinian brought their goods to Aunt Huang’s house.

The Huang family had finished dinner long ago. They were sitting on the kang, twisting ropes by feel in the dim light while listening to Gou Dan tell stories. Upon hearing the knock, Liu Laifu opened the door and ushered the two inside.

“Little Ming, what’s this?” Aunt Huang asked, looking puzzled at the sack Zhou Sinian had placed on the floor.

Ming Dai shone her flashlight on it, untied the sack, and pulled out the top item—a pillowcase embroidered with a pair of mandarin ducks playing in water—and handed it to Aunt Huang.

“Auntie, this is as we agreed, the pillowcase for your niece. My father’s friend sent the items over early. There’s quite a bit, so you can sort through them and distribute what’s needed, then just bring the rest back to me.”

Aunt Huang stood up excitedly, wiping her hands on her clothes before reaching out to take it. “Oh my, this pillowcase is truly beautiful. It’s red, and those are mandarin ducks, aren’t they?”

Ming Dai nodded. “Yes, it’s perfect for a wedding.”

Aunt Huang carefully placed it on the kang and peeked at the other contents of the sack. “My goodness, there’s other fabric too?!”

“The fabric was saved by their relatives over several years. They work at a garment factory and don’t lack clothes, just food.”

Since it was difficult to rummage through the rest, Aunt Huang tied the sack back up.

“It’s no wonder you’re so capable. In the past, we could never have bought such things. We have so few factories here that it’s common to go a whole year without gathering enough fabric for a single outfit. Don’t you worry, Little Ming, I will calculate the money and coupons for all of this properly; I won’t let you lose out.”

Ming Dai smiled and nodded. “Alright, I’ll leave it to you, Auntie. It would be best if there were more mountain goods.”

Aunt Huang agreed happily, “No problem!”

After their business was concluded, the two headed home. Once they were gone, the Liu family became excited. Aunt Huang’s daughter-in-law touched the two full sacks with wonder.

“Mother, I just felt enamel basins! There are several. Can we keep one? Even that madman has two enamel basins—one for washing his face and one for his feet—he’s so particular! We’re a whole family using one wooden basin; it’s heavy and ugly!”

Aunt Huang scolded her, “What, is your face so big that a wooden basin can’t accommodate you?!”

The daughter-in-law just chuckled, unbothered, and kept digging, occasionally exclaiming in surprise, “Is this soap? An enamel mug! Hmm? What’s this? Mother! Mother! There seem to be shoes as well!”

As she continued to cry out in astonishment, the eyes of the Liu family grew brighter with greed.

Aunt Huang touched the pillowcase on the kang and sighed. “I used to wonder where the educated youth, Little Ming, got so many good things to give to that madman. Now I know—she has connections. Those people in the village who lack vision think she’s an orphan with no support in the city, but they don’t realize how capable she is. These items aren't things you can get with just a little influence. Little Ming’s father must have been a man of great ability while he was alive; otherwise, these people wouldn't still be taking care of his daughter after his death. She’s too young to know, but these things are definitely subsidies from them.”

She climbed off the kang and tucked the pillowcase away. “No, I need to haggle more with those old women and collect more goods. I can’t let Little Ming lose out, and we can’t let those city people look down on us country folk.”

The daughter-in-law listened and hinted slyly, “Mother, could we trade some for my uncle’s family too? It’s even harder to buy things deep in the mountains, and they have plenty of mountain goods. Isn’t that what Little Ming wants?”

Her uncle’s family was in the same village as her own parents. If she secured goods for her uncle, her mother-in-law might think of her own maiden family too. *I’m so clever!*

Aunt Huang considered this. “That could work. Your aunt did mention that the 'Black Tiger' and 'Leopard' were coming down before the New Year to ask Little Ming about tiger bones. I’ll go along then, and you can come too; we’ll visit your family.”

The daughter-in-law hadn’t expected such a bonus and nodded quickly.

Beside her, Zhou Pandi’s eyes flickered. “Mother, my mother’s side…”

Her voice was as thin as a mosquito’s, indistinct. Had Aunt Huang not been familiar with her temperament, she wouldn’t have known what she was saying.

Aunt Huang rolled her eyes. “Your mother’s mouth is as loose as a pair of trousers; I won’t trade anything to her. And you, don’t you go blabbing about this. If I hear any rumors outside, you’ll be the first one I settle the score with!”

Zhou Pandi’s eyes turned red as she quickly promised she wouldn't, feeling deeply aggrieved inside. Her mother-in-law still resented her for not bearing a son. If she had a son, would her maiden family still be looked down upon? As she thought about it, tears began to stream down her face.

Aunt Huang was speechless, her good mood ruined. “Stop that damn blubbering and get on the kang to sleep!”

Angered, she spurred everyone into motion, and soon they were all settled on the kang. Zhou Pandi fumbled around, wanting to whisper to her husband about her grievances, but Liu Laiwang was already snoring, each breath louder than the last. In the end, she could only curl up under the quilt and wallow in her sadness alone.

Liu Laiwang, who was snoring, saw her lie back down and breathed a sigh of relief. His wife was capable and treated him very well, but she was too narrow-minded. Fortunately, she was obedient, and since he had chosen her himself, he would just have to put up with it. However, he had to raise his two daughters well; they couldn't be crybabies like their mother. He was still waiting to enjoy the blessings of being a father-in-law when his daughters married into good families!

***

Ming Dai and Zhou Sinian had roe deer hotpot for dinner. The main ingredient was provided by "Excited Roe Deer No. 2," a deer Zhou Sinian had singled out earlier—the one wearing the same scarf as Ming Dai.

Ming Dai had realized it by now: whichever deer Zhou Sinian paid special attention to, its days before ending up in the pot were numbered.

The roe deer was butchered, its bones stewed for the broth, and the meat sliced thin and marinated. The milky white bone broth scalded the pink meat slices, making them fresh, tender, and smooth. With the addition of various wild mountain mushrooms, the flavor was so fresh it made them both beam.

After they finished, there were still plenty of large bones left in the pot. Ming Dai decided to have another meal tomorrow, stewing them with pickled cabbage—it should be delicious.

After dinner and a short rest, Zhou Sinian went for his medicinal bath. Ming Dai took two apples, cored them, filled the centers with a spoonful of brown sugar, added four or five wolfberries, and put them in a steamer. By the time Zhou Sinian finished his bath, the apples were ready.

He took the bowl Ming Dai handed him. “What is this?”

Ming Dai held one herself. “Steamed apples. Eat one every night from now on; it’s good for your health.”

Zhou Sinian, having braced himself for the bitterness of medicine, tasted it and looked at Ming Dai in pleasant surprise. “Ming Dai, it’s sweet!!”

Ming Dai sipped the broth. “Yes. We need to build up your health, especially your blood and energy, otherwise I’m afraid you won’t be able to withstand the acupuncture.”

Zhou Sinian nodded and began to scoop up the broth just like she did. After they finished the apples, they washed the dishes and went to bed.

Early the next morning, they both rose. Ming Dai took Zhou Sinian into the space to practice health-preserving exercises. These were taught to her by her grandfather and were perfectly suited for Zhou Sinian’s current state.

Zhou Sinian learned them very quickly, mastering the moves in one go, which left Ming Dai feeling unaccomplished, as it had taken her over a week to learn them back then.

After finishing the exercises, Ming Dai was slightly sweaty, while Zhou Sinian was completely unaffected. She withdrew her stance, intending to make breakfast, but as she was about to call out to him, she realized he had started again.

At first, it was the same routine, but gradually the movements began to change. The technique became increasingly complex, and the force behind his strikes grew more ferocious. His expression grew cold and stern; he was taut, like a sword unsheathed.

Ming Dai carefully stepped aside, not daring to speak.

Zhou Sinian performed this sequence for a long time, repeating it over and over until he was completely exhausted. He stood in a finishing pose, panting heavily. Ming Dai watched as his expression shifted from cold sternness to sorrow, and then to a hollow void. She walked toward him cautiously.

“Zhou Sinian, are you alright?”

Zhou Sinian lowered his head, his eyes full of pain. He opened his hands and looked at the calluses that were slowly fading away. He spoke in a depressed tone, “Ming Dai, I have forgotten something very important—something even more important than my life—but I cannot remember what it is.”

In the morning light, he looked as fragile as a bubble, ready to shatter at any moment. Ming Dai didn’t know how to comfort him. Like her, he was merely a background character in the book, and there was so little information about him.

“Zhou Sinian, shall we have fried sugar cakes for breakfast?”

Zhou Sinian was dazed for a moment. He slowly relaxed his posture and blinked. “What are sugar cakes? Are they delicious?”

“Sugar cakes are sweet. Dough filled with sugar, deep-fried in oil until the outside is crispy and the inside is chewy. When you bite into them, the syrup flows out. You can use brown sugar or white sugar. Do you like white sugar or brown sugar? How about we make both…”

Zhou Sinian was captivated by her description. He stared at her without blinking, following her step by step toward the villa, slowly forgetting the heart-wrenching feeling from just a moment ago.