Chapter 49 - 49

Chapter 49 Chinese New YearThe leisurely days of hibernating in winter passed by one by one.With the Spring Festival fast approaching, the educated youth who have family visit leave and want to go home are getting letters of introduction from their Brigade Leaders to prepare for their return.Yun Ting and his group of later educated youthdid not have leave to visit their families unless there were special circumstances.On the old Educationed Youth side, apart from Li Hongxia, Qian Hui, and He Junjun, everyone else is going home for the Lunar New Year.There are reasons why people who have leave to visit relatives but don't go home for the Chinese New Year.Li Hongxia is the eldest child in her family and has always done the most chores since she was a child. Her mother favors boys over girls, and Li Hongxia was only able to go to junior high school because she was a good student. Her mother thought that if she studied, she could find a good partner and help the family, which is why she was allowed to continue her studies.Qian Hui was similar; in that era, many people preferred sons to daughters.Zhang Wei's hometown is in the neighboring city of Heilongjiang Province, so it's quite close to his hometown. He wasn't in a hurry and was the last to leave.Everyone else left a couple of days earlier.Li Hongxia suggested that the educated youthwho weren't going home for the Lunar New Year have a New Year's dinner together, and everyone agreed.On New Year's Eve, apart from Yan Zheng who went home, everyone in the courtyard went to Educated Youth Point early in the morning. They each took out some flour and pooled their resources to make dumplings.Yun Ting took one dried wild chicken, but didn't take any more.Everyone brought something, and together they managed to put together a huge feast, much more lavish than usual.Yun Ting is the head chef, with Li Hongxia and several other female educated youths assisting her.I soaked some dried hazel mushrooms to stew with dried wild chicken, and also braised pork. I stewed pork with glass noodles, and stir-fried Chinese cabbage with some dried chili peppers, which tasted pretty good. Add some dumplings I made, and that's about it.Although there weren't many of these dishes, each one was served in a large portion.Perhaps because it was New Year's Eve dinner, a rare occasion for everyone to gather and eat together, or perhaps because the food was unusually plentiful, no one caused any trouble this New Year's Eve dinner, and it passed peacefully.Even Yin Jiao finished her New Year's Eve dinner quietly, which made Yun Ting glance at her a few more times. Yun Ting and Yang Qingqingexchanged a look, and Yang Qingqing shook her head to indicate that she didn't know either." Educated Youth Yun, your skills are truly excellent!" Li Hongxia praised with a smile."It has meat in it, so it will taste just as good no matter who cooks it.""Of course! I think your braised pork is even better than the one at State-Run Restaurant,"Zhou Yang said as he ate."Fine! Even food can't shut you up," Yun Tingsaid with a laugh.Duan Xingye has already returned to Beijing for the Chinese New Year. Before leaving, he sent a lot of food, worried that Little Girl would be lonely and hungry during the New Year. Originally, he didn't want to go back and wanted to take the opportunity to spend the New Year with Little Girl, but his mother said that his grandfather's health hadn't been very good recently, so he decided to go back and check on him."Grandpa, how are you?""Cough...cough cough, Hoshino's back, Grandpa's alright..."Duan Xingye looked at his frail grandfather with concern and poured him a cup of hot water."Is everything going smoothly over there?""We have absolutely no leads...""Don't worry, there will always be a breakthrough. When you go back this time, Grandpa will ask you for a favor.""What's wrong?" Duan Xingye had a feeling that his grandfather had fallen ill because of this."Your Grandpa Shen family is going to be sent to the countryside. I've asked your father to secretly arrange for them to be sent to your area. You can keep an eye on them occasionally. Your Grandpa Shen is getting old, and I'm worried he won't be able to handle it… This is all we can do to help. Now, even our family has someone watching us, sigh…"Duan Xingye was shocked; he had only just learned of this. How could Grandpa Shen, a loyal and upright general who fought in the War of Resistance against Japan, have met such an end…Besides indignation, they felt mostly powerless. Just like Grandpa said, there wasn't much they could do to help. The Grandpa Shen family and their family had always had a good relationship, and now someone was definitely watching them closely, waiting to find something to use against them!"And what about Uncle Shen?""Besides Jingming being protected in the army, his whole family is going..."Grandpa Shen Weiguo and Grandma ShenHonglan had two sons and one daughter: eldest son Shen Ande, second son Shen Anliang, and daughter Shen Annuan.His eldest son sacrificed his life, his wife Xia Jie did not remarry, and his son Shen Jingliang was 22 years old and unmarried.The second son, Shen Anliang, also holds an important position in the military, but he was also implicated this time. His wife, Zhou Guixia, works in a hospital, and his son, Shen Jingming, is in the army.When the youngest daughter, Shen Annuan,had a family crisis, her in-laws made her publish a notice in the newspaper severing ties with Old Master Shen.Therefore, apart from Shen Jingming, who was in the army, and Shen Annuan, with whom he had severed ties, his entire family was to be sent to the countryside."Have you decided which brigade we're going to?""You'll have to ask your dad about that...""My dad is helping me with the operation, will that...?""It's alright, your dad didn't do it directly, someone helped him, don't worry!"This Spring Festival is destined to be an unsettling one; everyone is in a somber mood, and there is no festive atmosphere.After staying at home for two days, Duan Xingyewas about to head back to Heilongjiang Province. There were many things waiting for him to take care of, and he also had people he wanted to see."Son, why are you leaving so soon? It's not easy for you to come home for a visit…" Duan Xingye'smother, Cao Jiali, held her son's hand reluctantly.Duan Yue, standing to the side, looked at her younger brother with a heavy heart; they had always been very close since childhood.Duan Xingye smiled, turned around and hugged his mother, but his father, Duan Yuan, pulled him away, saying, "You brat, don't hug my wife. If you're so capable, go find someone else yourself."Outsiders have no idea that the usually serious military commander Duan Yuan is a man who loves his wife dearly, and is even jealous of his own son."Hey! What are you doing? What's wrong with my son hugging me?" Cao Jiali glared at him, displeased.Duan Xingye raised an eyebrow, looking smugly at his father. Duan Yuan was furious! His son was just there to collect a debt; he'd been taking things from him since they were kids. Humph…"Mom, please take good care of yourself. I'll come back to see you again next time I have the chance.""Okay, you need to take care of yourself while you're away. Don't stay up late all the time, okay?" Cao Jiali said, tears welling up in her eyes.Duan Yuan glared at his son, "You jerk, you can take care of my wife myself. Don't make her cry, or I'll beat you up..."" Duan Yuan, that's my son…"Duan Xingye turned to her brother-in-law Shen Zhixu and teased, "Brother-in-law, can I hug your wife?"Before he could answer, she stepped forward and hugged her older sister, saying, "Sister, take good care of yourself too, and come back to see Mom whenever you have time.""Okay, I know. You take good care of yourself too."Duan Xingye smiled, released her sister, turned and left, faintly hearing her father coaxing his wife behind her..."Bro, I really envy the atmosphere in your family!"The speaker was Han Yang, Duan Xingye's childhood friend. He was also going with Duan Xingye this time to assist him on his mission."This is something you can only envy." Duan Xingye smiled smugly."Why didn't I realize this back then? Wouldn't it have been so much better if I had caught up with Sister Xingyue and become her brother-in-law?""Damn it... my sister doesn't like childish people...""You're one to talk! You're even more childish than me...""Believe me or not, I'll go back and tell my brother-in-law right now?""snort…"