Chapter 9

"Third Brother, what are you up to? I could hear the clanging from afar, I thought you were making an atomic bomb at home!" Li Hongjun shouted from a distance.

"Third Brother, I heard that this morning Kang Xiaoba's gang 'crossed paths' with you. What a bastard, lucky for him, I came back early today, otherwise I would have broken his bones." Lei Xiaotian chimed in, his facial muscles twitching, revealing a few freckles and a sinister look.

"Come on, that gang daring to challenge Third Brother? Even if they had a few more guts, it must be that Third Brother was just bored and looking for some fun." This was said by Sun Qianjin.

The moment they entered, the group started chatting. Li Hongjun was carrying a large red box, which was likely the Chen Mao they had talked about in the morning. Lei Xiaotian was holding a large red rooster with a bright red comb, about four to five pounds, which was unable to make a sound as its throat was pinched. The other six were not empty-handed either; some brought alcohol, others brought peanuts and other side dishes, all part of the pre-meal preparations.

Xue Xiang had not yet had a chance to respond when the group noticed his handiwork and burst into laughter. After all, Third Brother had never been so embarrassed before. Lei Xiaotian laughed the hardest, pounding Sun Qianjin's shoulder while laughing. However, in his excitement, he loosened his grip, and the rooster escaped.

The rooster, freed from its captor, fled in a panic, its bulky body suddenly becoming light as a feather. It flapped its wings and flew onto the roof. Seeing the rooster refuse to submit and daring to escape, the group was not pleased. They scrambled to catch the rooster, which was the main dish for lunch. The rooster, encountering this group of ruthless men, was in deep trouble. They brought ladders, climbed onto the roof, and set up a net in all directions, finally capturing it. Once back in their clutches, the rooster seemed to resign itself to its fate, hanging its head in defeat.

"Third Brother, why are you making a table yourself?" Kang Tong asked, the most reserved of the group, usually quiet and taciturn.

"The house needs a dining table, and I was bored, so I decided to make one. Who knew a small table would be so difficult to make? I sweated all over and ended up with this subpar product." Xue Xiang laughed.

"Third Brother, you really like to make things complicated. If you need a table, just ask me. My uncle is the factory manager of Huolian Furniture Factory. These tables and chairs, just give me a call, and I'll have them delivered. They have plenty of unsold items, just lying around everywhere." Sun Qianjin added.

"Alright, you're capable. Go get one for me now, no, get two. One square table and one hollow hot pot table. We'll have hot pot for lunch." Xue Xiang instructed.

Sun Qianjin took the task and called Liu Yuanzhao to go with him. After assigning them their tasks, Xue Xiang dug out an iron coal stove from the clutter and asked Li Hongjun to start the fire. He then dragged out a pile of vegetables and asked two people to prepare them. Lei Xiaotian, quick to act, took the rooster to the sink to prepare it. Kang Tong and Zhu Shijun immediately looked unhappy, thinking to themselves: "First to act, first to benefit; late to act, late to suffer. Let him take the lead."

As noon approached, after a flurry of activity, the kitchen of Xue Xiang's house finally emitted a mouth-watering aroma. Nine adults and one child, ten chairs were arranged around the table. On the round table, a net bag filled with vegetables, a large pot of rice, and several bowls and chopsticks were placed. In the center of the table was a round hole, under which was a coal stove. On the stove sat a large wok, filled to the brim with potatoes and pig's trotters, the broth almost level with the rim. The coal stove's air intake was wide open, the fire burning fiercely, making the potatoes and pig's trotters bubble and sizzle. The broth was a murky dark red, clearly seasoned with plenty of chili, the flavors well-infused, and the fat rendered out.

Not far from the stove, the fire was still burning, the open flame having died down, the embers maintaining the heat to cook the chicken in the pot.

Xue Xiang, who hated trouble, did not bother to cook any side dishes. He simply stewed the potatoes and radishes with pig's trotters and the rooster in two pots. The prepared vegetables were placed beside the pots, ready to be added to the broth as needed.

The group crowded around the small round table, Xiao Shi squeezed between Xiao Wan and Xue Xiang, her small hands holding a small flower bowl, leaning on the edge of the table, her big eyes fixed on the pot.

Xue Xiang said, "Let's start," and no one responded, but ten pairs of chopsticks almost instantly plunged into the pot. Xiao Shi, not to be outdone, had already targeted the largest piece of lean meat. As soon as Xue Xiang finished speaking, the little girl snatched the piece of meat, not waiting to cool it in the flower bowl, she blew on it and started tearing it with her mouth.

Seeing Xiao Shi's actions, the adults were even less restrained. Everyone's hands moved rapidly, chopsticks flying, stuffing their mouths without pausing to put the food in their bowls. It was a fierce competition, a battlefield of food, with "smoke" and "gunpowder" everywhere.

Xiao Shi, with her small mouth and short arms, and delicate skin, was particularly sensitive to the heat. Despite her awkward eating, she was not fast. She gnawed on the bones, her eyes fixed on the pot, watching who ate too quickly. She would glance at them, meaning, "You're eating too fast, learn from me, eat slowly." But the adults were too busy with the bones, no one paid her any attention. Watching the meat disappear rapidly, Xiao Shi became anxious. She dropped her chopsticks and started shaking Xue Xiang's leg, meaning, "You don't even control them, they're eating so messily." Seeing Xiao Shi's pouting mouth and furrowed brow, Xue Xiang understood her complaint. He got up, took an empty bowl, and picked out several large pieces of meat for her, filling half the bowl. He let her cool it and eat it. Immediately, Xiao Shi's face lit up, and she stopped shaking Xue Xiang. She turned and dragged the bowl of meat to her, abandoning the flower bowl and chopsticks, and started eating with her hands, not caring if she looked messier than the others.

The meal was a whirlwind, the two large pots of delicious broth consumed with the rice. The group, who had been deprived of meat for a long time, seized the opportunity, almost eating the pot itself. Xiao Yi ate so much that she had to take off her clothes, her ribs bulging into a small belly. The battle was intense, and the results were unprecedented. The table was left spotless, the dishes, rice, and broth all gone, the pots as clean as if they had just been washed, a perfect imitation of a certain "famous" policy implemented by General Okamura during the Anti-Japanese War.

After the meal, Xiao Wan and Xiao Yi went to their room for a nap, preparing for their afternoon studies. Xiao Shi refused to leave, hugging Xue Xiang's leg and patting her small belly, soon falling asleep in his arms. The group, seeing Xue Xiang holding Xiao Shi, were momentarily at a loss. They knew Xue Xiang did not get along well with his younger siblings and often complained about it: "Third Brother is great in every way, but he is too distant with his younger siblings, not like a big brother." However, this was Xue Xiang's family matter, and they did not feel it was appropriate to ask. They treated Xiao Wan and the others more like their own siblings. Now, seeing the affection between the siblings, they were happy for Xue Xiang.

After sending the children off, the group set up the wine glasses and side dishes, ready to drink. The dishes were simple: a plate of salted peanuts, a plate of old silkworm beans, and a plate of fried potato chips, barely filling three small plates. They always enjoyed drinking on a budget. What they called "liking" was actually a necessity. In those days, some people would use a chopstick to point at a bottle of sesame oil and finish their meal, the bottle still weighing the same at the end of the year.

As they drank, the conversation began. Xue Xiang asked first, "We've been out of school for half a year, we can't keep drifting. What are everyone's plans?"

The topic was a bit heavy, and no one responded for a while. Finally, someone broke the silence.

"Li Hongjun and I are planning to join the army. I didn't have the chance at first. Although my father has been released, his case is still unresolved, and he couldn't pass the political review. However, the head of the recruitment office is an old comrade from the Fourth Field Army, and after a drink with my father, he took me in. Third Brother, I didn't dare tell you, because..." Liu Yuanzhao's voice grew softer and softer, trailing off. He felt somewhat guilty towards the group. Liu Yuanzhao's father was the chief of staff of a division in the army, recently released from isolation and review but not yet reinstated, currently unemployed. Li Hongjun's plan to join the army was known to everyone, as his father was still in a position of power, making it almost inevitable. Liu Yuanzhao, like the others, had not yet decided on a path. Now, suddenly saying he was joining the army, he felt somewhat guilty towards Xue Xiang and the others, feeling he had lost his sense of brotherhood.

At the time, the options for high school graduates were limited. College was mainly for the children of workers, peasants, and soldiers, and admission was through organizational recommendations. Many universities had closed due to a shortage of teachers, making college admission extremely rare. Besides, joining the army, becoming a worker, or going to the countryside for re-education were the main paths for graduates.

First, joining the army. At that time, soldiers were truly the "most adorable people" as praised by Wei Wei. Wearing a military uniform, holding a steel gun, and defending the border was the simplest and most beautiful dream of all young people. Additionally, there was an unspoken reason: the path to a political career was narrow, and almost all party and military officials were former soldiers. Being an official, regardless of the era, was the most important way to bring glory to one's family and ancestors, and the highest pursuit of ordinary people. Therefore, joining the army was the most promising and ideal path.

Second, becoming a worker. Workers were honored as the leading class and the masters of the country. Once in a factory, one had a secure job for life, a "iron rice bowl." However, the number of worker positions was limited, and the transition was often through a form of hereditary succession: if a son wanted to work, the father had to retire.

Finally, going to the countryside for re-education. Most young people responded to the leader's call and went to the countryside to be re-educated by the poor and lower-middle peasants. If nothing unexpected happened, going to the countryside would be the fate of Xue Xiang and his group.

"It's fine, if you found a good path, we're happy for you. Why would we blame you? You did it quietly, that's great." Xue Xiang patted Liu Yuanzhao's shoulder, comforting him.

"Yuanzhao, you did a good job. How long have you been hiding this from the organization? Brothers, what should we do with someone who hides information from the organization, plays small tricks, and lacks a firm political stance?" Lei Xiaotian took a sip of wine and joked.