Chapter 25

Li Dong suddenly felt that the braised rabbit meat wasn't fragrant anymore. What's going on? Why did Han Guofu come to his house so early in the morning?

What's he up to? Now he's been caught red-handed. Li Dong, who was undergoing "labor reform" to firmly distance himself from the decadent lifestyle of the bourgeoisie, had returned with a plump, greasy wild rabbit and some dried mushrooms and fungus.

This is clearly a good dish, it must be fragrant. It would be a joy to have it with a little wine, like a god.

But at this moment, Li Dong couldn't feel any joy at all. What have I done to deserve this? Why is it so hard to eat a dead rabbit?

Sadly, Li Dong felt that he might have to "enjoy" another public class of ideological re-education for free.

Li Dong felt that the rest of 1978 would be spent in the endless sea of labor. Uncle Captain, he must be about to erupt. Li Dong looked at Han Guofu's trembling hand and the big copper-headed pipe in it.

He smiled awkwardly, moved cautiously, wishing he could turn and run, but he was afraid that Han Guofu would ring the bell and gather everyone for a hundred-person long-distance race. "Uncle Guofu, you're here. Well, Xiaojuan is going to school, so I bought a rabbit to nourish her."

"Did you buy it? It wasn't cheap, was it?" Han Guofu was very calm, even smiling. This was too scary. In the past few days, Li Dong had almost been hit on the head with the pipe while learning farm work.

It wasn't that he was stupid, but farm work was really not his thing. It was tiring, and it required some skill. Li Dong didn't think he was cut out for farm work.

Li Dong explained again, "A friend, very cheap. This big one only cost one yuan. Look how plump it is."

"Did you pay for it?" Han Guofu's face looked a bit better. He was really afraid that Li Dong would turn bad, but paying for it showed he had good character.

"Of course, how can you not pay for something? Even brothers should settle accounts clearly."

"Good point."

Li Dong was confused. Whose voice was that, and why did it sound familiar? He looked up and was shocked. The person speaking was also looking at him in surprise.

"Are you Liu...?" Huang Shengnan, hearing the familiar voice, came out to see. But what she saw was shocking.

Isn't this Liu Dehua from Chikou Commune? They had engaged in speculation together, and he even treated her to a good meal. It was definitely him, Liu Dehua from Chikou Commune. Even if he turned to ashes, she would recognize him.

But that's not right. This isn't Chikou Commune. This is Lishan Commune, at least fifty miles away from Chikou Commune.

A fraudster, Huang Shengnan forgot that she hadn't told the truth either.

"Stay and eat."

Li Dong handed the rabbit to Huang Shengnan. How did this girl find him? That's not right. He had left his name as Liu Dehua and even the address as Chikou Commune, just in case. Recently, Li Dong hadn't even gone into the city.

This girl is like a dog, she can find anything. Li Dong thought, this is too strange.

Han Guofu tightly gripped the pipe. This boy is being too generous, but with someone else here, it's not a good time to deal with Li Dong. It's only been a few days, and this boy is at it again. He's so obsessed with good food that he needs to be educated. No matter how much money you have, it can't withstand such indulgence.

Even a mountain of gold and silver can be depleted by a big rat at home, eating meat every day can even bankrupt a landlord, let alone a farmer in a production team. Han Guofu resisted the urge to hit Li Dong with the pipe and introduced, "This is Comrade Huang Shengnan, who came to visit Xiaojuan."

"Huang Shengnan?"

Li Dong smiled. "What a good name. Shengnan, but I think Yingnan sounds even better."

"Thank you, but my name was given by my parents, it's not easy to change. As the saying goes, one doesn't change their name or surname, right?"

Huang Shengnan thought, at least I didn't change my name or surname, but you did.

"Ha ha."

"Are you Comrade Li Dong?"

"Yes, that's me."

Li Dong and Huang Shengnan exchanged glances. I knew it, this girl isn't honest. Her name isn't even right. Huang Shengnan looked at Li Dong with even more interest. Liu Dehua from Chikou Commune, you didn't tell a single truth, you're really something.

Each other, they shook hands tightly, "Comrade, hello."

"Li Dong, since you're back, I'll go first. Take good care of Comrade Huang Shengnan. She came from Lujiao Commune to visit Xiaojuan."

Han Guofu gave Li Dong a meaningful look. Li Dong shrank his neck, it's over. "Uncle Guofu, don't go. Look, why don't you stay for a meal? I'll stew the rabbit, and we can have a drink."

Han Xiaohao, hearing about stewed rabbit, was drooling. A big, plump rabbit, it would make a big pot of stew. He smacked his lips, wishing he could answer for his grandfather. "No, take good care of Comrade Huang Shengnan."

He called out to Han Xiaohao, who was drooling and almost ready to call Li Dong dad. "Xiaohao, go home for a meal."

Li Dong saw Han Guofu and his grandson out of the yard. Back in the house, Huang Shengnan was circling the rabbit. "Wow, this rabbit is so plump, I estimate it's about three pounds." She smacked her lips, and Li Dong saw her drooling.

"Is that so, Comrade Huang Yingnan?"

"What's wrong? I don't change my name or surname, unlike you, Comrade Liu Dehua." Huang Shengnan felt a bit embarrassed but then thought, you not only changed your name but also your surname, not a single word of truth. At least I didn't change my name or surname.

Han Xiaojuan looked puzzled. Does Aunt Huang know the new dad? They exchanged glances and huffed.

"Yes, Lujiao Commune, we're both the same."

"Better than you, Liu Dehua from Chikou Commune, at least I don't change my name or surname."

Li Dong looked at her, you're unbeatable, this girl doesn't feel embarrassed at all.

Forget it, forget it. I, Liu Dehua from Chikou Commune, won't argue with you, Huang Yingnan from Chizhou. By the way, why did this girl come to see Xiaojuan? What's their relationship? "What's your relationship with Xiaojuan?"

Huang Shengnan glared at Li Dong. "Sister Lan and I are from the same place. We got in touch when I came here. Before she left, she asked me to check on Xiaojuan when I have time."

Sister Lan must be Xiaojuan's mother who went to the city. So that's how it is.

Li Dong glanced at the two cans of preserves and a bag of brown sugar on the cutting board. It was quite thoughtful. In this era, sending preserves and brown sugar was really nice.

For a moment, they were a bit awkward. Though they had engaged in speculation together, which was a bit of a "revolution," neither of them had expected to meet again.

"It's getting late, I'll go first. I have to go to work soon."

Huang Shengnan hesitated, seeing that it wasn't fully light yet. She could still make it to work.

"Chikou Commune is quite far from here, can you make it?"

Huang Shengnan huffed. I'm from Lujiao Commune, only about ten miles from Lishan Commune. I can ride my bicycle here in no time. "I rode my bicycle, I can get there soon."

"Why don't you stay for a meal before you go?"

Li Dong glanced at the half-old bicycle in the yard, probably borrowed by Huang Shengnan. He thought about their production team, Hanzhuang, which didn't even have a bicycle. They were really poor.

"Xiaojuan, start cooking the rice. I'll make the braised rabbit meat for you later."

"I can't let you do that." Huang Shengnan swallowed, finally accepting the invitation. "Do you need any help?"

"No, you're a guest, please sit."

Li Dong was a bit helpless. I was just being polite, but you really stayed. Work is a big deal, and we can't delay it. Li Dong sighed. Our food supply isn't much either.

He soaked the dried mushrooms and fungus, skinned the rabbit, hung the skin, cleaned the innards, chopped the meat, and marinated it with salt, soy sauce, and vinegar.

"You can go inside and sit. I'll call you when the meal is ready."

"Alright, just call me if you need anything."

The smell of the stewed rabbit and mushrooms soon filled the air. Huang Shengnan was restless, embarrassed to go to the kitchen to check, but it smelled so good. She was glad she stayed.

"It's ready, let's eat."

A big pot of steaming, fragrant rabbit meat. Huang Shengnan resisted smacking her lips, but her mouth was watering. It was really fragrant. Modern seasonings are more diverse, and Li Dong, being a foodie, made the rabbit meat quite well, though not as good as a professional chef.

"Don't be polite."

Li Dong handed chopsticks to Huang Shengnan, gave a piece of rabbit to Xiaojuan, and started eating happily. Huang Shengnan was initially reserved but soon ate as fast as Li Dong.

"Ha ha," Huang Shengnan smiled, her mouth wide open, but she looked cute.

"Oh no."

Li Dong slapped his thigh, almost forgetting that this girl had a big appetite. Being polite to her was asking for trouble. He quickly gave more rabbit to Xiaojuan, so she wouldn't be left with too little.

"Really fragrant."

"Of course, it's a wild rabbit."

A small pile of bones was in front of them, and only a little meat broth and mushrooms were left in the pot. They each had a bowl of rice soaked in the broth, finally feeling full.

Li Dong was impressed. In terms of appetite and shamelessness, they were evenly matched. He felt he had lost face as a man from the 21st century.

Fortunately, he wasn't a weak man. Deceiving such a pretty and cute girl, and even taking the rabbit meat from her, was a way to save face for men.

Compared to Li Dong's reflections, Huang Shengnan's appetite scared Xiaojuan. This Aunt Huang can eat a lot.

Too scary, Han Xiaojuan cried, a one-yuan rabbit was eaten in one meal, which could have lasted for days. Aunt Huang must not come again.

Han Xiaojuan looked at Li Dong and Huang Shengnan smiling at each other and shivered. Dad won't like this Aunt Huang, will he?

No, the family's food supply is already short. Another Aunt Huang with a huge appetite would starve her to death.

When Huang Shengnan drank some water and prepared to return to Lujiao Commune, Xiaojuan almost clapped her hands in joy.

Father and daughter saw Huang Shengnan off, waving. Finally, she's gone. Fortunately, Huang Shengnan didn't mention the speculation, or it would have scared Xiaojuan.

Han Xiaojuan also sighed in relief, hoping Aunt Huang would visit less, or not at all, as the food supply was already short.

Li Dong, unaware of Xiaojuan's thoughts, stretched and was about to go back to sleep when Han Xiaohao ran over.

"Uncle."

"Xiaohao, come, I saved you a rabbit leg."

Li Dong went into the house and scooped out a rabbit leg from the kitchen. He wouldn't give away all the rabbit, he had saved a bowl.

The fragrant rabbit leg made Han Xiaohao swallow. He took it and started eating. "So fragrant, so delicious, thank you, Uncle."

"Uncle, Grandpa wants you to come quickly. He's waiting for you at the threshing ground." Han Xiaohao, with a mouth full of oil, didn't forget his task.

"Ah, the threshing ground?" Li Dong shivered. They were preparing to gather the whole village to criticize him.

Li Dong glanced at the screen, 95 hours. Oh no, 5 hours short, and he couldn't run away.