Chapter 99: The Parcel from the Capital, Red Scarf, I Want!

Ming Dai led Zhou Si Nian to the state-run restaurant. By this time, there were already quite a few people waiting, so Ming Dai held onto his sleeve to guide him into line.

Zhou Si Nian watched as the people ahead carried away plates of dumplings one after another, growing impatient. He shot a displeased glance at a young man carrying two full plates, annoyed that he had bought so many.

His own appearance was already strange, and he was tall with eyes that seemed to carry killing intent. A single look was enough to scare the man so much that his hands slipped, and the dumplings nearly fell to the ground.

Zhou Si Nian reacted swiftly, stretching out both hands to snatch the dumplings just before they hit the floor.

“Good! Another one!”

“This girl is impressive! Though a bit tall, whose daughter is she?”

“Trained from childhood, what superb skills!”

Ming Dai: Just… so embarrassing!

Cheers erupted from the crowd. Zhou Si Nian, basking in the praise, grew a little pleased. He tossed the dumplings in his plate into the air and caught them one by one, thoroughly enjoying the game.

Ming Dai called out to stop him, took over the plate, and handed it to the stunned man.

“Sorry, sorry, we delayed your meal!”

The young man accepted the plate in a daze, glanced at Zhou Si Nian—who still looked satisfied—and then hurried off with it.

He didn’t even dare sit down to eat; instead, he opened his lunch box with his companion, bundled up the dumplings, and left without a backward glance.

Ming Dai no longer dared to let go of his sleeve, gripping it tightly.

Zhou Si Nian now had a tendency to act overly lively!

When pulled along, he looked unhappy.

Ming Dai then pressed a piece of peanut brittle into his hand. Only then did he calm down, no longer glaring at the dumpling sellers or shooting arrows, and ate the sugar seriously.

When they reached the front of the line, Ming Dai had not yet spoken. He spoke first: “Two plates. I want two plates.”

He had been restless all night and was already starving.

Ming Dai took out her money: “Three portions of pickled cabbage and meat dumplings, please.”

The dumplings arrived. The two found an empty seat, and nearby diners pointed and whispered, still discussing Zhou Si Nian’s earlier feat.

Zhou Si Nian ate his meal in silence, looking at his two plates—one for Ming Dai, one for himself—with satisfaction.

The dumplings were scalding hot, so he was impatient. He took a bite and blew on it. Ming Dai told him to let them cool, but he could only manage three seconds before reaching for the chopsticks again.

Fine, if you don’t mind the heat, eat.

Ming Dai ate slowly. The dumplings were fragrant and filling; by this morning she had already been full after half a portion.

Zhou Si Nian ate one after another. His two plates were empty, so he stared at the dumplings Ming Dai had left.

Ming Dai asked, “Aren’t you full?”

Zhou Si Nian touched his stomach: “I can eat another half bowl.”

Ming Dai silently pushed her plate toward him, guessing he wouldn’t refuse.

Zhou Si Nian accepted it happily and finished it in no time.

They then scooped up the dumpling soup and ate the fillings together, perfectly finishing their breakfast.

After confirming he was not full, Ming Dai bought two meat buns and took him home.

Liu San Ye sat by the door basking in the sun. Seeing them return, he stood up abruptly and took two steps forward, but upon meeting Zhou Si Nian’s gaze he retreated again.

Ming Dai let Zhou Si Nian go inside first and handed the buns to him.

Feeling the warm oil-paper bundle, Liu San Ye smiled in delight. He took one bun, then pressed the remaining one into Ming Dai’s hands.

Ming Dai waved her hands repeatedly: “Third Grandpa, I’ve already eaten breakfast.”

Liu San Ye bit into the bun: “I ate the biscuit cake too. I can manage another one. Third Grandpa has been generous today; don’t be polite. If I wait any longer, I won’t be able to bear giving it to you!”

With that, he bit into the bun and headed toward the carriage.

Ming Dai watched the little old man’s smug back and smiled, then entered the guest house.

This last bun was split between Zhou Si Nian and herself.

The day before, Ming Dai and the others had gone to the waste station. Not only had Ming Dai gained something, but Zhou Si Nian had also found the missing bicycle parts.

Ming Dai looked at the many wheels and described a tricycle to him.

Zhou Si Nian immediately became interested. Now he was tinkering with it and had even stopped knitting sweaters.

After lunch they checked out of the guest house, hitched the carriage, and waited at the county government gate for the team leader and secretary.

After a while, a small car emerged from the county government gate.

The rear window slid down, revealing Mayor Wei inside.

Mayor Wei looked at Zhou Si Nian, who was seriously knitting a sweater in the sunlight on the carriage, and moved his still sore neck.

“Little scoundrel, still so heavy-handed!”

Zhou Si Nian felt something strange and looked up, only to catch a fleeting face that was both unfamiliar and familiar.

Ming Dai noticed his knitting had grown intense. Suddenly his movements stopped, and he asked, “What’s wrong?”

Zhou Si Nian shook his head and lowered his head to continue.

Ming Dai watched the nearly finished sweater with delight. Before New Year she would be able to wear it!

In the afternoon, after class, Team Leader Liu Da and Secretary Liu emerged with a group of cadres in their uniforms. Their thick cotton jackets stood out sharply against the cold.

Ming Dai truly admired them for wearing cadre uniforms in such freezing weather.

Liu Dachu and Liu Qingmin both had rosy complexions. One could guess from their expressions that this county trip had been very rewarding.

The two boarded the carriage. Liu San Ye cracked his whip and the carriage began to move.

Ming Dai looked at the swaying cotton pads and “underpants” on the horse’s tail and silently changed seating direction.

Liu Dachu took a newspaper-wrapped package from his bosom and handed it to Ming Dai.

“Little Ming sent-down youth, these are the earnings from selling vegetables. Count them.”

Ming Dai accepted it, tucked it inside her coat, opened it, and counted a small stack: forty yuan and five fen, exactly right.

Ming Dai nodded to Liu Dachu. Liu Dachu smiled, took out his tobacco pipe, didn’t light it, and twirled it in his hand.

The money from selling vegetables had finally come back. Little Ming sent-down youth had spent quite a bit on the madman this winter and was finally seeing a return.

Zhou Si Nian leaned over to look but showed no expression.

He had already seen the money in Ming Dai’s basket earlier—stacks of it, more than this—and Ming Dai had warned him not to speak nonsense or there would be no more mutton soup.

Ming Dai felt a small thrill. These vegetables had been grown by them, so the meaning was different. Though the amount was small, she felt happy, a sense of achievement not less than earning on the black market.

When the carriage swayed into the commune, Liu Dachu took the county approval documents to find the commune director. Liu San Ye led the rest to the post office to collect the parcel and letters.

Ming Dai had not expected a parcel in her name. Upon seeing the Beijing postmark, she roughly guessed who had sent it.

She opened the letter and read the contents.

Sure enough, the director’s couple were both clever people.

At the post office she bought envelopes and stamps, borrowed paper and pen, and wrote a letter on the spot to mail it into the box.

Back on the carriage, Zhou Si Nian held her parcel but did not open it.

“There’s candy!”

Ming Dai held it too. Sure enough, it was candy-shaped.

Inside, besides the milk candy, was something wrapped in newspaper.

When unfolded, it proved to be a red scarf edged with gold thread, very striking.

Zhou Si Nian’s eyes lit up instantly as he looked at Ming Dai expectantly: “I want it!!”

Ming Dai stared at him strangely. She had the feeling Zhou Si Nian had become much livelier lately and his words had grown more reserved.

“Don’t you think it’s too red?”

Zhou Si Nian shook his head like a puppy, fingers already touching the scarf, rubbing it with delight.

Ming Dai helplessly said, “I can give it to you, but don’t blame me later. It’s not that I want you to wear it.”

Zhou Si Nian didn’t understand, but nodded vigorously.

“Alright.”

Ming Dai handed it over. Zhou Si Nian happily accepted it, held it in his hands, examined it repeatedly, rubbed the gold edge, then folded it neatly and tucked it into his inner jacket pocket along with the candy wrapper.

Ming Dai breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, deep winter meant no one wore scarves. He wouldn’t know what it was for.

Otherwise, a red headscarf on his head, a red scarf around his neck, and wrapped in a military greatcoat, Ming Dai wouldn’t have dared look at him.

It was too garish!

Liu Qingmin looked at it with envious eyes. He wanted a red double-happiness towel for his daughter but couldn’t find one. The madman already had a red scarf, and such a thing was apparently impossible to buy in the county?

The little sent-down youth is so good to the madman!

Ming Dai: No, it’s just that I’m allergic to red now.

When the group reached home, night had already fallen.

Ming Dai’s family had people there. Aunt Huang had just finished lighting the kang, so the entire room was warm and cozy.

“Little Ming sister, these vegetables—I checked them over, they look good. Some mushrooms grew; I picked them and saved them for you.”

Ming Dai glanced at the vegetables on the kang; they had indeed been well cared for.

She took two mushrooms and wrapped them in newspaper: “Auntie, take them home and stir-fry them.”

Aunt Huang did not stand on ceremony, tucked the mushrooms into her bosom, and went home hugging her arms.

Ming Dai and the others were exhausted enough. After closing the door, they entered the space.