Rebirth in 1972: Redemption in Changbai Mountain

The check-in at the guesthouse went smoothly, after all, Qin Zhan had made arrangements.

The meal was plentiful, with chicken, duck, fish, and a small amount of seafood, clearly indicating that Qin Zhan's family had been preparing for this meal for a long time.

The steam from the dining table, carrying the aroma of meat, wafted into people's noses, while the stewed ribs in the enamel basin sizzled with oil.

Next to it was a plate of thinly sliced, evenly braised beef, and in the center of the glass jar were pickled garlic that had been preserved last autumn.

Xiao Taozi had been waiting impatiently for a long time, and as soon as he saw An'an return, he immediately came over.

He was holding a half-peeled orange in his hand and forced it into hers.

"Aunt An'an, why are you only coming back now? I've been waiting for you for so long."

"Did you go out to play? Where did you go? To kindergarten?"

"I have a toy car my dad bought me in my room, want to go play with it?"

He Wu stared at his eldest nephew with some curiosity. When he first arrived, he wasn't so enthusiastic about An An; his attention was entirely on Xiao Niangao.

"Sis, what's wrong with Xiao Tao?" He Wu nudged He Jing's arm with his elbow and gestured with his chin toward his nephew.

"He was squatting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) just now, teasing Xiao Nian Gao by handing him a toy tin car and then taking it back, doing this three or four times."

"Little Rice Cake couldn't stand this, so she waved her little hand and slapped him on the cheek."

He Jing couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh as she said this: "Look, she's angry right now and won't play with Xiao Niangao anymore."

He Wu was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at Xiao Taozi's face. Sure enough, he saw a faint red mark on Xiao Taozi's right cheek and couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Uncle, why are you laughing? I was just letting her have her way, otherwise I definitely could have dodged it."

Xiao Taozi's face flushed red instantly. He reached out and slapped He Wu's thigh, then stomped his foot angrily.

After saying that, he turned to An'an and explained, "Aunt An'an, don't listen to what they're saying. I didn't ask you to play because I got beaten up. I've been wanting to take you to see my toy cars for a long time."

An'an peeled off a segment of the orange in her hand and put it in her mouth. The sweet juice slid down her throat, and she smiled, her eyes curving into crescents as she swayed her braids.

"It's okay, I've been hit by Little Rice Cake before, it was very gentle, it didn't hurt."

Little Niangao was sitting in Lin Qiuyue's lap playing with a toy brought back from abroad when she heard An'an call her name and turned her head.

Little Rice Cake grinned and raised her hands: "Auntie, bunny."

An'an came running over. This rabbit was small, not as fat as a wild rabbit, but An'an had never seen such a cute rabbit before.

Xiao Taozi stood to the side and pouted. It was so rare for someone to come back, but they wouldn't play with him. Instead, Xiao Niangao called him away with just one sentence.

He Wu ruffled his nephew's hair: "Come play with us. Little Niangao is not even two years old yet, she doesn't know her own strength, so don't tease her anymore."

Qin Zhan carried the last plate of steamed fish out of the kitchen, placed the plate in the middle of the table, and laughed when he heard this.

"This kid always fights with other kids in the yard for slingshots, and he never loses."

"I was stunned when a little girl who had just learned to crawl slapped me today. If word gets out, the kids downstairs will laugh at me for half a month."

"Come on, let's stop talking and eat."

As soon as Xiao Niangao heard about eating, she lost interest in the toy rabbit in her hands, let go of it, and was about to pounce on the table.

"Eat, eat fish."

He Jing's heart melted at the sight. She quickly took out a small bowl, carefully picked out the tenderest white meat from the fish's belly, and meticulously removed all the bones before handing it to Lin Qiuyue.

"Quickly feed the child a couple of bites; he must be freezing after riding the sled all the way here!"

"And Zhou Rui, Zhou Ping, come and sit down, don't be shy."

Everyone crowded around, and Qin Zhan even opened two bottles of wine: "Drink more tonight. It's okay to go to the guesthouse later; there are staff on duty 24 hours a day."

The enamel mug was gently tapped against the wooden table, producing a crisp clang, and the foam from the wine spread halfway up the side of the mug.

While Qin Zhan's family was enjoying their meal, Jiang Chuntao was casually cooking alone in the kitchen.

The dish was stir-fried shredded potatoes with salted duck eggs, which was her eldest grandson's favorite.

But she didn't pay attention to the fire, fiddling with the shovel in her hand, her eyes glancing at the doorway every now and then.

The dish is finally ready. There's only this one left. All that's left are steamed buns and scallions with dipping sauce.

Jiang Chuntao sat in the chair, the scenes from the afternoon still flashing through her mind from time to time.

The little girl who fell hard on her bottom, and the iron ring on her hand.

Although she couldn't see clearly whether there was a fish carved on the iron ring, she felt that the face looked like her daughter when she was a child.

The door creaked open, and a loud voice rang out.

"Grandma, look what we bought you! A red sweater, isn't it festive? The New Year is almost here..."

Jiang Chuntao slowly raised her head and saw her eldest grandson's mouth opening and closing, but she couldn't hear what he was saying.

The eldest grandson, Lu Weiguo, was holding up the bright red sweater, with the plastic tag still attached to the collar.

Lu Duanshan followed behind, carrying two pounds of frozen pears and half a bag of hard candy.

The last one to enter was the daughter-in-law, who was holding her second son, Lu Weiping, who had a runny nose.

"Mom, let me tell you, I specially went to the department store three blocks away to buy this for you. This sweater is machine-made; if you wear it, all the old ladies in the neighborhood will be envious."

As soon as her daughter-in-law Jiang He came in, she started talking non-stop, completely unaware that something was wrong with the old lady.

Lu Duanshan put the sweater on the ground and looked up to see the plate of burnt potato shreds: "Mom, why are you sitting here in a daze? The food is burnt."

"grandmother."

The cries of her grandson finally startled Jiang Chuntao, who jumped up from her chair.

The chair legs scraped against the concrete floor with a screeching sound, startling everyone.

Lu Duanshan stepped forward and supported Jiang Chuntao: "Mom, what's wrong? Are you missing Dad? He won't be gone for long, he'll be back in a week at most..."

"Duanshan, I've seen your sister."

A sentence suddenly came out of Jiang Chuntao's mouth, interrupting Lu Duanshan's consolation and also breaking his train of thought.

Before he could react, the old woman continued, "It really is, right on the road near the supply and marketing cooperative."

"It wasn't dark yet when a little girl, about this big, ran over," Jiang Chuntao said, gesturing to her waist as she spoke.

"She just walked straight into my arms and fell flat on her backside."

"She stood up and helped me pick up the apples, and she smiled at me. She looks exactly like your sister."

Jiang He glanced at her husband, then looked at her mother-in-law with concern.

The mother-in-law was completely different from her usual composed self; she seemed anxious, and her speech was somewhat slurred, showing signs of being lovesick.

"Mom, if my little sister were alive, how old would she be? How could she be so short? She's about the same height as Weiping."