Chapter 31: New Team Members

Since arriving in Zhangjiatun as an educated youth, this was the first time Lin Qiushui had been treated with such genuine care by the villagers. She felt a warmth spreading through her entire being. This winter, it seemed, was no longer quite as biting or bone-chilling.

"Drink your soup, Sister!" Zhang Wen reminded her again.

Lin Qiushui quickly brought the bowl to her lips and took a small sip.

"Do you like it, Sister?" Three-year-old Zhang Fei asked. She hadn't yet learned to control her drool like the adults, and as she spoke, a string of saliva was already dangling from the corner of her mouth.

Seeing this, Li Huifang quickly pulled her youngest daughter into her arms. "You little one!"

Zhang Fei wiped her mouth, unfazed. Seeing that Lin Qiushui had already started, she tugged on Zhang Wen’s sleeve. "Sister, it's our turn now!"

"Soup's here!" Zhang Yang and Zhao Dong entered carrying the bowls. "One bowl for everyone, no one gets left out!"

The soup, shimmering with little droplets of fat, was a truly invigorating sight. Zhang Fei clutched her large bowl and gulped it down in a few quick successions; even through her thick cotton-padded jacket, one could see her little belly bulging.

Lin Qiushui quickly offered up the better part of her own bowl. "You have such a good appetite, little one! Would you like some more?"

"Absolutely not!" Zhang Fei firmly rejected the kindness. "That’s Sister’s soup! Sister must drink it!"

Her voice was soft and milky, yet the righteous tone she used made Lin Qiushui burst into laughter. She felt herself relax, chuckling along with Zhang Yan. As they laughed, they noticed Zhang Fei had gone quiet again, staring blankly.

"Is she in a food coma?" Zhang Yang crouched down, pulling his little sister into his arms and teasing her dazed expression.

Zhang Fei ignored him, her wide, watery eyes fixed entirely on Lin Qiushui. "Sister is so pretty... she looks even prettier when she laughs!"

"You certainly have a sweet tongue!" Zhang Yang teased, flicking his sister's nose.

Having finished her soup, Zhang Fei began dutifully collecting the empty bowls. "Brother, I’m telling the truth. This 'Zhi-zhi' sister is truly beautiful—much prettier than those two who came last time!"

Zhao Dong laughed heartily. "What 'Zhi-zhi' sister? It’s 'Educated Youth' sister!"

Lin Qiushui, however, caught a different detail. She looked at Zhang Yang. "Who came by before?"

"Du Shujun and another woman," Zhang Yang replied, his smile vanishing at the mere mention of the name. "They came uninvited when she was accompanying Shen Yiming to sign up for the militia squad."

Lin Qiushui nodded thoughtfully. Zhang Yan helped her little sister back onto the kang and leaned in to whisper to Lin Qiushui. "Our two little ones may not have seen much of the world, but they have sharp eyes. They know how to tell the good from the bad!"

Lin Qiushui felt she had been complimented again and shook her head modestly. Li Huifang then brought out some grass seeds, carefully explaining how to use them. Lin Qiushui listened with great focus, while Zhang Wen and Zhang Fei sat nearby, gazing at her profile in adoration.

Zhang Yang pulled up his sleeve to wipe away the drool that had nearly escaped Zhang Fei again. "Is she really that pretty?"

"Brother, are you blind?" Zhang Wen asked, widening her eyes in genuine disbelief. "Sister looks just like the fairy princesses on the production team’s posters. How can you not see that?"

Zhang Yang: "..."

Before he could respond, a knock sounded at the door.

"Who is it this time?" Zhao Dong grumbled. The people in the room instinctively tensed up. Zhang Yang hurried to the door of the main room.

"Little Captain!"
"We’re here to see the Little Captain!"
"Can you take the two of us tonight?"
"We want to go night hunting too!"

The two young men at the door were unfamiliar faces. Zhang Yang, not recognizing them, called Li Huifang over to identify them.

"No need to trouble the auntie, I’ll introduce myself!" the man with the round face said proactively. "My name is Gao Wen! I’m from the neighboring Gaojia Village. This is my brother, Gao Wu. We came to bring our aunt some steamed buns today and heard that your militia squad is incredible—you even caught a wild boar!"

Zhao Dong rubbed his nose. "Great... the story of us killing the wolf didn't spread, but a single wild boar has made us famous for miles around."

"Killing a wolf?!" Gao Wen’s eyes widened. "You actually killed a wolf?!"

Gao Wu jumped up. "That’s fierce! How did you do it? What did you use? How big was it? How many of you were there? Amazing... absolutely amazing!"

Gao Wen seized the moment. "Brother! Take us on! We want to learn from you!"

Zhang Yang was caught between amusement and frustration. Both men looked older than him, and he couldn't quite accept being called "brother." But the two were clearly sincere in their request. Seeing that Zhang Yang remained noncommittal, they suddenly began rolling up their sleeves.

Zhao Dong lunged forward. "What are you doing? What’s the meaning of this? If you can't be apprentices, are you looking for a fight?"

"No, no! We’re here to help with chores!" Gao Wen explained hurriedly. "We have strength! We can chop wood, carry water, fix houses, move things! We can do anything, just take us night hunting in the mountains!"

As they spoke, the brothers began scouring the Zhang family courtyard for work.

"No need for chores," Zhang Yang stopped them. "Come back after you’ve eaten tonight, and I’ll take you."

"Got it!"
"You got it!"
"Thank you, Brother!"

The two brothers left in high spirits. Lin Qiushui, holding the clay pot filled with grass seeds, stepped out of the room. "I should head back too. I haven't fed the rabbits yet." She looked at Zhang Yang, her dark eyes sparkling. "Zhang Yang, you..."

She stopped, leaving her sentence hanging. Thinking she needed help, Zhang Yang walked her to the gate. A few steps outside, Lin Qiushui stopped and lowered her head, whispering, "You don't need to walk me any further. I know the way..."

"Alright," Zhang Yang said, gently pulling her cotton hat down. "It's windy. Wear it tight so you don't catch a cold and get a headache."

Lin Qiushui looked up. In that moment, their eyes met, and her shy gaze seemed to strike a chord deep within Zhang Yang’s heart.

"Zhang Yang... when you’re patrolling the mountains tonight, be careful! Stay safe!"

The short sentence seemed to take all her strength. Once she had said it, she turned and ran away as if fleeing. Zhang Yang watched her until she disappeared from sight before turning back to the house. Recalling her words, he smiled to himself. Was Lin Qiushui truly worried about him?

...

As the last rays of the sun faded from the horizon, Gao Wen and Gao Wu arrived at Zhang Yang’s door as promised. This time, they didn't rush to knock, instead tilting their ears to listen for movement inside.

"They seem to be eating!"
"Then let's not go in yet; we'll wait outside for a bit."
"Right, it’s hard to get meat these days; we shouldn't barge in and take theirs."
"Later, we’ll put in the work and try to earn a share to show our mom and dad..."

Zhang Yang and Zhao Dong finished their meal and set off toward the foot of the mountain to meet the militia squad on duty. To their surprise, as soon as they opened the door, they found the Gao brothers smacking their lips, lost in some delicious dream.