Chapter Thirty-One: Seeing the Cooking Smoke Again

On a quiet afternoon, Liu Weidong went home and gathered some wood to build a chicken coop himself. Wang Jianguo brought him over a dozen chickens. Having hens that laid eggs was certainly good, but it also meant more work feeding them.

City life was different from the countryside; chickens couldn’t roam freely here. Raising chickens in the city meant scavenging for vegetable leaves.

After finishing the chicken cage, Liu Weidong slung a woven basket over his shoulder and headed to the local grocery store. He had seen plenty of discarded rotten vegetables in the trash heap just yesterday.

He bought a piece of pork belly and some vermicelli, then collected a basket full of discarded vegetables. On the way, he stopped by the grain store and purchased a few pounds of cornmeal. Back home, he chopped up the chicken feed first and fed the chickens. Only after that did he start stewing the meat. By the time he finished, the sun was already tilting westward.

“In such a big household, Yanru alone will be busy enough, and she still has school every day...” Liu Weidong began to worry whether his wife could manage the household alone in the future. After all, he couldn’t stay in the city forever. Whether running a factory or engaging in agricultural production, his base was still at Daqingshan.

The conditions were harsh. According to his memories from his previous life, an ordinary person wouldn’t be able to afford a car until the mid-1980s. Having a car would certainly make things a lot more convenient.

Tomorrow, he planned to return to the second team and wanted to visit Director Ma. Although his wife’s formal employment was secured through his threat to Li Baotian, Director Ma was the commune leader, so it was only proper to show some gratitude.

Flipping through the coupons Liu Chuangyi had given him, a few wool yarn coupons caught his eye and brightened his mood.

How could he have forgotten to buy some wool yarn for his wife?

Seeing that there was still time, Liu Weidong hurriedly pushed his bicycle to the Korean ethnic store.

The Korean ethnic store was right next to the third shop, mainly selling Korean products. They had ready-made quilts and also sold ready-to-wear clothes and wool yarn.

After wandering around for a while, Liu Weidong bought two sets of quilts, complete with pillowcases and sheets. The saleswoman thought he was preparing for a wedding and eagerly recommended bright red padded jackets.

But Liu Weidong’s attention was drawn to the colorful wool yarn.

Cashmere yarn, though not genuine goat cashmere, contained a higher wool content than ordinary yarn. The colors were more varied, and sweaters knitted from it were fluffy and fashionable—the trendiest thing at the moment.

He spent all five pounds of wool yarn coupons, dividing them into three packages, one of which was intended as a gift for Director Ma’s wife.

It was already five o’clock by the time he pushed his bicycle home with the goods. Liu Weidong added some coal to the stove and arranged a circle of large flatbreads around the pot.

Pork stewed with vermicelli, flatbreads, and pickled vegetables for dipping—the aroma alone made Liu Weidong’s mouth water.

Though he was a reborn man who had grown weary of delicacies in his past life, now with only cornmeal filling his belly and no fat in his stomach, the smell of stewed meat immediately awakened his appetite.

Simmering over low heat, by the time he went to fetch his wife, the pot of stew and cornmeal flatbreads were steaming hot, the fragrance wafting even through the lid.

—

As soon as the Lou sisters entered the courtyard, Lou Yanhua sniffled.

“Husband, what did you do? Why does it smell like stewed meat and chicken droppings?”

“You’ve got a keen nose. Today some people came from the countryside and brought over a few laying hens. I thought I should help you and your sister build up your strength. I’m stewing pork belly with vermicelli in the pot—surely you can smell it?”

Lou Yanhua didn’t even lock the car and ran straight into the house, while Lou Yanru looked on helplessly.

“You’re already twenty but still like a child. It’s all because of my mother’s spoiling. Anything good in the house has to go to her first.”

The fragrant pork stew was quickly devoured by Lou Yanhua as she praised its deliciousness.

After the meal and tidying up the dishes, Liu Weidong took out two packages of wool yarn from the kang cabinet.

“I bought each of you a pack of wool yarn. After the college entrance exam, autumn is coming. With two college students, you both need to dress stylishly.”

“Wow... cashmere yarn... this is so precious. Mom never even dared to buy it for me...”

Lou Yanhua clung tightly to the pink package, while Lou Yanru smiled and picked up the purple one.

Liu Weidong truly understood her; purple was her favorite.

“Yanru, I’m going back to the village tomorrow. The agricultural research technicians have been helping our village with scientific farming. I haven’t shown my face much, so I’ll stop by and also visit Director Ma. We need to thank him for your formal employment.”

“I worry whether you can manage everything alone. Uncle Jianguo brought over a dozen chickens. Every day you have to gather vegetable leaves and chop chicken feed...”

“What are you worried about? When I’m at home, I handle everything inside and outside the house alone. Don’t worry. These past few days, I’ve been improving fast. Even when you’re not around, I can teach Yanhua. She can help me with the chores.”

“I’m not feeding the chickens—they stink!”

“Fine, if you don’t work, then you don’t get to eat the eggs. You’re already twenty and still lazy.”

Watching the sisters bicker, Liu Weidong felt a warm sense of belonging.

After his father passed away in his previous life, he had lived alone, spending his time staring at computer files when he returned home. Only this scene made him feel the essence of home. If only they could have two more children...

Having bought new quilts, the first thing Lou Yanhua did was move the old military quilts to the west room.

The thick quilts spread on the kang, Lou Yanhua rolled around happily.

—

“Sis, how about I tell Mom to let me stay with you? No one nags here, and I don’t have to do chores.”

Lou Yanru snorted, “You’re dreaming. Hurry back home after the college entrance exam. Both your brother-in-law and I are busy; there’s no time to take care of you.”

“How’s your major going, Yanhua? Are you only learning the accordion? Aren’t you practicing vocal music and body movement?”

Lou Yanhua’s eyes widened.

“Brother-in-law, you sound so professional! No wonder my sister says you’re so knowledgeable. You understand the arts too?”

Liu Weidong smiled. “What do I, a country boy, know about the arts? Back in the day, I learned some from the commune propaganda team during my sports years. Have you thought about composing some songs yourself? That could earn you bonus points. Art students aren’t just performers; some do composition.”

Lou Yanhua sat up straight on the kang. “Brother-in-law, how do you know everything? It’s true that special talents in the art exam add points, but I don’t know how to write songs.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Liu Weidong picked up the accordion from the kang.

In 1978, pop music hadn’t yet emerged; the country still sang uplifting songs like “Toast Song” and “Fields of Hope.”

It wasn’t until 1979 that Teacher Li’s “Rural Love” introduced a new sound to listeners.

Liu Weidong’s mind was filled with QQ Music charts from his past life, full of old songs perfect for Lou Yanhua. He had to consider carefully.

After some thought, he played the accordion, and the beautiful melody of “Smoke Rises Again” filled the room.

“Sorry, Mr. Zhuang Nu, sorry, Miss Deng. For my sister-in-law’s future, I can only become a lyrical thief again...” Liu Weidong muttered to himself as his rich voice rose with the music.

Smoke rises again, dusk blankets the earth.

I want to ask the drifting smoke, where are you headed?

The sunset holds poetic charm, the twilight paints a picture.

Though poetry and painting are beautiful...