Rebirth in 1972: Redemption in Changbai Mountain

An'an didn't go out all day; she stayed home with Lin Qiuyue and took care of the child.

It might be because I was frightened by the burning of the haystacks yesterday, or it might be because I wet the bed this morning and people laughed at me.

However, after breakfast, An'an's friend Tiegan came to visit her. She didn't go out, and the group of friends played karaoke on the kang (a heated brick bed).

However, after playing for a while, An'an and Ya Ya found it strange that Tie Niu was either lying down or kneeling, and his bottom just wouldn't touch the kang (a heated brick bed).

"Tie Niu, what's wrong with you? Why aren't you sitting down?"

Tie Niu's face turned bright red to the roots of his ears when An An asked him a question. He rubbed his hands behind his back and stammered for a long time without being able to utter a complete sentence.

Ya Ya was the first to react, and reached out to lift his waistband, but Tie Niu yelled and covered his buttocks, shrinking back to the corner of the kang, almost knocking the kapok on the kang to pieces.

"Don't lift it, don't lift it! My mom... my mom spanked my bottom with a broom handle yesterday."

His voice was so soft it was like a mosquito's hum, and his head was bowed low.

An'an instantly forgot about being laughed at for wetting the bed that morning, and lay on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) with wide eyes: "Did your mother beat you? Was it because of yesterday when we were burning haystacks together?"

Tie Niu nodded vigorously twice, his nose wrinkling up.

"Yeah, my dad said that if no one helps put out the fire and the haystacks are all set on fire, he'll send me to the cowshed to sleep with the pigs."

As he spoke, he carefully turned to the side, presenting half of his backside to An'an and Ya Ya.

Several faint red marks could still be seen on the floral print pants, clearly indicating that he had received a real beating yesterday.

Ya Ya was so frightened that she covered her mouth and didn't dare to make a sound for a long time. After a while, she finally stretched out one hand.

"My mother hit me too, she hit my palms, it hurt so much."

An'an grabbed Ya Ya's hand and strained to look at her, but she couldn't find any evidence left by her mother.

"My sister spat on my palm, and that fixed it."

An'an blinked a few times, never expecting that saliva could heal wounds.

When she used to get hurt, her second brother would apply mercurochrome to it. It worked very well, but it looked a bit ugly.

"Didn't you get beaten up?" Tie Niu suddenly remembered something and turned to look at An An.

An'an was taken aback by his question and subconsciously moved her little bottom closer to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed).

"I...I wasn't beaten." Her voice was soft, and she suddenly seemed a little embarrassed.

Both of her friends got beaten up, but she wasn't. It felt a bit unfair of her.

"My brother and sister-in-law didn't hit me. They said the fire was fiercer than the wolves in the mountains. It would leap up and not even give you time to call for help."

Tie Niu's eyes widened in surprise, his face full of envy: "Your brother is too good to you. My mother said that if I dare to touch matches again, she'll tie my hands to the doorstep and beat me next time."

He shrank back slightly, still a little shaken, as he said, "Why don't you ask your second brother if your family needs another child? I'll be your fourth brother."

"No!"

Without even thinking, An'an shook her head like a rattle drum, hugged herself tightly with her little arms in front of her.

"No, no, I already have a third brother. If I get a fourth brother, I'll have to take half of the candy and cookies my brother brings back."

Tie Niu's face fell instantly, and he carefully shrank his buttocks to the side, hissing and inhaling in pain, still unwilling to give up.

"I don't eat your candy or cookies. I just want your second brother and sister-in-law to stop hitting me."

Ya Ya, who was listening nearby, had a bright idea and quickly raised her hand: "Then I can be your fifth sister too. My mother's dried dates and sweet potato chips are especially sweet, I brought them all for you."

"From now on, I'll help you coax the little rice cake, help you pick up the marbles, and if anyone tries to steal your marbles, I'll scold them for you."

An'an was completely dumbfounded. She just didn't want more people to share her food, so how did two more people suddenly appear vying to be her fourth brother and fifth sister?

She counted on her fingers for a long time, until she got confused herself. Her little brows were furrowed so tightly that she almost pulled out her bangs.

"No, no, I already have enough people in my family."

She reached under the cabinet and pulled out three White Rabbit candies wrapped tightly in oil paper. She poured them onto the mat and gave one to each of Ya Ya and Tie Niu.

After stuffing the pill in, he held the remaining one in his hand and shook it, clearly intending to nip the whole thing in the bud.

"Eat some candy, it's milky flavored. After you finish, let's see who can throw their knuckles the farthest."

The three little heads immediately huddled together in the corner of the kang (a heated brick bed), peeling the candy wrappers quickly with a rustling sound.

The two who were just vying to be the fourth brother and fifth sister, now with milk candy in their mouths and cheeks puffed out like little hamsters, had completely forgotten about the family reunion.

The little rice cake that was happily munching on its toes on the other side of the kang (heated brick bed) suddenly stopped, sniffed, and immediately turned around and crawled over to this side.

A soft voice drifted over: "Auntie, what do you want to eat?"

An'an didn't dare wait for her to open her mouth and make a fuss. She quickly peeled the candy in her hand, tore off a small piece, and put it to her mouth.

If she hesitated even a second longer, this little darling would start wailing, and as her aunt, she didn't want to suffer that.

As the evening breeze had just swept away the lingering heat of the sun, Zhou Rui stepped into the courtyard.

He never had to work until the whole team finished their work, even though it was a full twelve-point job of heavy physical labor.

While others were still gritting their teeth and rushing to meet deadlines on the ridges of the fields, he had already put down his tools and headed home.

Lin Qiuyue had already prepared herbal tea in the main room, and cucumbers that had just been scooped out of the well were placed in a bamboo basket.

Zhou Rui held the little rice cake in his arms, munching on a prickly cucumber, waiting like a lord for the hot meal Lin Qiuyue had prepared.

Zhou Rui had dreamed of this kind of day before, and now it was coming true; he felt a sense of unreality.

Zhou Rui sat with the small rice cake on his lap, and the uncle and nephew huddled together, gnawing on the crisp cucumber they had just fished out of the well.

The tiny prickles on the cucumber peel tickled my fingertips, and cool, sweet juice trickled down my chin.

He leaned back in his chair, waiting for the hot dishes Lin Qiuyue was cooking to be ready by the stove. Even the wind blowing in through the window cracks had a soft, gentle feel to it.

He used to only dare to secretly dream about this kind of life with his wife, children, and a warm bed, but now that he truly had it in his hands, it felt somewhat unreal and surreal.

Just as Zhou Rui was feeling sentimental, a child's crying suddenly came from outside, along with Sister Xinghua's cursing.

Zhou Rui, unaware of what had happened, quickly carried Xiao Niangao outside to greet them.

"Sister-in-law Xinghua, what's wrong? And Little Yan'er, her voice is wailing so loudly. Sweetie, don't cry."

"Second Uncle." Little Yan'er saw Zhou Rui as if she had found a powerful backer, and she kicked her short legs as she tried to pounce on him.

Zhou Rui quickly reached out and hugged the soft little girl.

He holds this girl more often than her father, so naturally they are closest.

Sister-in-law Xinghua followed behind, hands on her hips, fuming as she walked into the house.

"It's all because of Yan'er's grandma and Luo Sujuan. They agreed to help me take care of the baby for a few days during the busy farming season, but they only gave Yan'er some dishwater for lunch. The baby was so hungry that she kept crying."