Chapter 113: Returning Home at Night

In the early hours of the morning, Ping An woke up right on time. Zhang Guoqing had already prepared the formula and was expertly feeding his son. Once the baby finished drinking, he changed him into the diaper he’d set out the night before. By the dim light, he glanced at his son—eyes closed, drinking his milk, and falling asleep as soon as the diaper was changed. Zhang Guoqing couldn’t help but smile, kissing the top of his son’s head. He listened for sounds from the inner room, but it was quiet. The past few days must have tired everyone out, and the red wine from last night probably helped them sleep well. Gently, Zhang Guoqing placed his son back on the kang (heated bed), then lay down beside him, tucking the quilt snugly around them both.

Before dawn, the rooster crowed. Zhang Guoqing woke with a start and checked on his son. It was almost five o’clock—his parents would be getting up soon, and today his mother-in-law needed to catch a train. He carefully moved away from his son, pulling the small quilt up to his neck so it wouldn’t cover his face, and used his own larger quilt to block any drafts. After getting dressed and grabbing a towel and toiletries, he quietly opened the door and slipped out, closing it quickly behind him.

As the New Year approached, the weather grew colder, no different from winters in the south. He wondered if they’d end up hunkering down for the winter like in past years. His breath came out in clouds, and the morning wind was biting, making him shiver.

Navigating in the dark, Zhang Guoqing made his way to the kitchen. He skillfully lit the kerosene lamp with the lighter he’d brought from the provincial capital. Then he fetched a large bucket of water from the well—always pleasantly cool in summer and warm in winter, which he appreciated—and quickly washed up.

The eastern wing of the main house was already lit. He walked to the window and quietly greeted those inside, then hurried to the outer room of the western wing. Once he’d warmed up, he dared to approach the kang to check on his son. The coal stove was burning well, and the room was warm enough for the baby, so he felt reassured.

Next, he went outside, took down the two wild rabbits hanging from the eaves, and returned to the kitchen. He took the iron pot off the stove, set up an iron rack, and started roasting the rabbits over it—grilling outside wasn’t convenient. He had to turn the rack from time to time, and kept running back to check on his son. Luckily, they used firewood at home, so he didn’t have to watch the stove constantly. After half an hour, the aroma of roasting meat began to overpower the scent of braised pork. He added another log to the other stove eye and continued roasting. Amid the waves of delicious smells, he scored the meat with a small knife, then ran back to check on his son again. He felt incredibly busy—if only he had an oven, he’d buy one no matter the cost. After an exhausting hour, the meat was finally done. He plated it, put the iron pot back on the stove, added water, and brought the plate back to the room. The rich aroma of roast meat filled the air.

Zhou Jiao was half-asleep, dreaming she was biting into a chicken leg, when the smell of roast meat drifted in, making her stir. She stared at her mother for a while before remembering where she was. The door to the outer room was half open, and Zhang Guoqing was tending the coal stove, trying not to wake her mother as he shook it vigorously.

Zhang Guoqing felt like someone was watching him. He turned around and burst out laughing when he saw Zhou Jiao waving her hands, rolling her eyes, and mouthing silent words at him.

He picked up his son, quilt and all, and brought him over to Zhou Jiao, signaling for her to scoot over. He gently laid the baby down on the outside, then quietly went to the outer room and built a barrier with his own quilt around the baby. When he finished, he breathed a sigh of relief, and the two of them shared a silent smile.

Worried she might be hungry, Zhang Guoqing pointed to his stomach and mouth, then mimed drinking soup. Seeing Zhou Jiao shake her head, he gestured for her to rest with their son and reminded her to be careful. When she nodded, he indicated he was heading out.

Zhou Jiao wanted to ask what smelled so good, but decided to let it go. Watching his pantomime, she couldn’t help but laugh and waved him out.

Zhang Guoqing breathed a sigh of relief—what a busy morning! He headed to the kitchen, but didn’t see his mother. It was almost six, and usually she’d be up by now. He checked the eastern wing and saw the light was on, so he hurried inside, worried.

“Mom, Dad, are you feeling alright?” Zhang Guoqing asked, glancing at his father and then his mother.

His mother laughed, “What are you thinking? There’s no work today, and there’s meat stewing in the pot, so no rush for breakfast. I told your father to rest, but he can’t stay in bed. We were just about to get up.”

“You’re usually up by five. I saw the light and thought something was wrong. Dad, I’ll go check the backyard for chores.” With that, he left.

There wasn’t much left in the backyard garden. In the past few days while he was away, the potatoes and sweet potatoes had been dug up, and even the cabbages had been harvested. Zhang Guoqing thought back—what did they usually do at this time of year? He looked around, grabbed a hoe from the woodshed, and started turning over the soil. His body was made for farm work—strong, skilled at farming and hunting, able to do the work of three men. Luckily, he’d come to this world with his memories; otherwise, he wouldn’t know how to farm or hunt.

Following his memories and relying on his eyesight, he started hoeing the sweet potato patch. His strength made the work go quickly. By the time his father arrived, he’d already finished the whole patch. The sky was brightening, but he didn’t stop to chat—he figured the more he did, the less his family had to do, especially with the house construction keeping everyone busy. Once it snowed and the ground froze, it would be too late to work the soil. Then he moved on to the cabbage patch, working more carefully since his mother wanted the cabbage roots. He didn’t bother picking up the roots, knowing his second sister-in-law would help after feeding the pigs.

When his father joined him with another hoe, Zhang Guoqing had already moved on to the potato patch. The two worked in companionable silence, focused on their tasks. By the time his second sister-in-law came out, having cooked and fed the pigs, the father and son had finished turning over the whole backyard. They’d leave the fertilizing for the evening—something Zhang Guoqing always refused to do, just like the original Zhang Guoqing.

“Dad, we’re done here. You can handle the fertilizing tonight. Is there anything else that needs doing? If not, I’ll go up the mountain to collect firewood. We’ll need more for the winter.”

“Go ahead, but be back before breakfast. Don’t go too deep into the mountains. Your brother and I will work the private plot—three of us is enough, and we’ve already done half.” His father looked at the freshly turned soil, sighed in relief, and glanced enviously at his youngest son. Such strength! One man doing the work of three. Yesterday, it took three of them all morning to do half the private plot, but Zhang Guoqing had finished the huge backyard with ease, barely stopping to catch his breath.

Zhang Guoqing put away the hoe, grabbed a machete, rope, and carrying pole, and headed out the back door. Many women from the village collected firewood on the north mountain, so there wasn’t much left on the outskirts. He followed the mountain path, found a good spot, and set down his gear. He didn’t even need the machete—he just broke the dead branches by hand or foot, the sound echoing through the woods. Before long, he’d moved to another spot.

After a while, he checked his watch—it was almost time for breakfast, and he needed to check on Jiao Jiao’s postpartum meals. He gathered the firewood into a pile, trimmed it with the machete, and tied it up with rope. He made five big bundles, hanging four from the ends of his carrying pole and carrying the fifth by hand, then headed home through the back door with ease.

His mother was waiting at the back door and called out to him as soon as she saw him. After he stacked the firewood in the woodshed, it was nearly full.

“Xiao Wu, you finished the backyard and still went to collect firewood? Don’t you ever rest? Come to the main room for some water and breakfast. You really are something, carrying so much at once. Next time, don’t work so hard—you have two older brothers, you know.” She poked him, half-scolding, half-concerned.

Zhang Guoqing just smiled, knowing his mother was worried about him and always forgot how strong he was.

After breakfast, Zhang Guoqing checked the wild boar meat outside the kitchen—it had drained and was ready to pack. He wrapped it up, making four bundles in total, each nearly a hundred jin (about 50 kg). He felt sorry for his mother-in-law, who’d have to carry them. He’d have to send a telegram early in the afternoon, or there’d be no way to take them home. When the time came, he’d ask a train attendant to help get them off at the station. The valuable things like wolf pelts and ginseng would be packed with their clothes and carried with them. Worried that there’d be too many people around when the house construction started, he locked all four bundles in the car and added two wild rabbits for good measure.

It was now 6:30. He changed clothes and asked his mother to get ready—they’d need to leave soon, buy tickets in the provincial capital, eat, and catch the train. Time would be tight.

Zhang Guoqing went to the west wing. His mother-in-law was already packing—her military-style packing was impressive. He cut up the roast rabbit, removed the heads, left the legs and meat, wrapped them in oil paper, added some pastries from the provincial capital, and a few apples from Jiao Jiao, making a small food bundle for the journey. “Mom, here’s some food for the road. We’ll need to leave around seven.”

Lin Lishan took it, still unaware of the bundles in the car. She and Zhou Jiao were saying their tearful goodbyes. When Zhang’s mother came to fetch her, the two finally parted. Zhou Jiao couldn’t hold back her tears as she watched her mother leave. Lin Lishan wiped her eyes at the door, looked back, listened for a moment, then steeled herself and left.

Zhang Guoqing carried her luggage and bundles, comforting her as they walked: “Mom, you’ll be back to visit in a few days. Once Ping An is a bit older, you can come to the capital to see him. It won’t be long before you’re together again. In a few years, when you’re less busy at work, Jiao Jiao and Ping An can move to the capital and you’ll see them every day.”

Zhang’s mother also wiped her tears and offered comfort.

Zhang Guoqing started the car and, once everyone was inside, waved goodbye to the family. Lin Lishan thanked everyone repeatedly and asked her daughters-in-law to take care of Jiao Jiao. The family reluctantly said their goodbyes, only dispersing to their own tasks after the car disappeared from view. Huang Cuilan and Lin Juhua, the two sisters-in-law, went to the west wing to check on Zhou Jiao and comfort her."