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. That bastard, he was lucky. If I had come back earlier today, 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 wouldn't dare to challenge Third Brother. Even if they had the guts, it must have been Third Brother who was bored and just playing with them." This was said by Sun Qianjin.

As soon as 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 struggling as its throat was held. The other six were not empty-handed either; some brought alcohol, others brought peanuts and other side dishes, all preparing for the feast.

Xue Xiang hadn't even had time to respond when the group noticed his work 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, he got carried away and loosened his grip, allowing the rooster to escape.

The rooster, freed from its captor, fled in a panic. Its bulky body suddenly became light, and it flapped its wings, flying onto the roof. Seeing the rooster refuse to submit and escape, the group was not pleased. They scrambled to catch it, as it was the main dish for lunch. The rooster, encountering these ruthless men, was in deep trouble. They brought ladders, climbed onto the roof, and set up a net in all directions, eventually capturing it. Once it fell back into their hands, 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 family needs a dining table. I was bored, so I decided to make one. Who knew that a small table would be so difficult to make? I sweated all over and ended up with this substandard 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 he'll bring them over. 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 Yanchao 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; last to act, last 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 fragrant 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 was a large wok, filled with potatoes and pig's trotters, the broth almost reaching the rim. The coal stove's air intake was wide open, the fire burning fiercely, making the potatoes and pig's trotters bubble. The broth was a murky dark red, clearly seasoned with plenty of chili, stewed to perfection, and the fat had been rendered out. The stove nearby was still on, the open flame having died down, the embers maintaining the heat to cook the chicken.

Xue Xiang, who hated trouble, didn't bother with additional dishes. He simply stewed the potatoes and radishes with pig's legs 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, with 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 grabbed the meat, not waiting for it to cool in the flower bowl. She blew on it and started tearing it with her small mouth.

Seeing Xiao Shi's actions, the adults became even more enthusiastic. Everyone's hands moved rapidly, chopsticks flying, stuffing their mouths without pausing. It was a fierce competition, a battlefield of food, with "smoke" and "gunpowder" everywhere.

Xiao Shi, with her small mouth and short arms, had thin, tender lips. The hot meat made her particularly cautious, and she ate awkwardly, though not quickly. She gnawed on the bones, her eyes fixed on the pot, watching who ate too fast. She would glance at them, as if to say, "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. As the meat was rapidly consumed, Xiao Shi became anxious, dropped her chopsticks, and started shaking Xue Xiang's leg, as if to say, "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. Xiao Shi was delighted, stopped shaking Xue Xiang, and turned to drag the bowl of meat to her side, 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, and the two large pots of delicious broth were consumed with the rice. The group, who had been eating plain food for a long time, seized this opportunity, almost eating the pot itself. Xiao Yi ate so much that her ribs, which were originally visible, now formed 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 looking as if they had just been washed, a perfect reflection of a certain "famous" policy implemented by the commander of the Japanese North China Expeditionary Army, Okamura Hayashi, 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 Xue Xiang's arms. The group, seeing Xue Xiang holding Xiao Shi, were momentarily at a loss. They knew that Xue Xiang was not close to his younger siblings and often complained about it: "Third Brother is great in every way, but he is too distant from his younger siblings, not like a big brother." However, this was Xue Xiang's family matter, and they did not pry. They treated Xiao Wan and the others more like their own siblings. Now, seeing the affection between Xue Xiang and his sister, they were happy for him.

After sending the children off, the group set up 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 single pound of sesame oil for a whole year, and when they weighed it at the end of the year, it was still a pound. How did they do it? By pointing at the sesame oil with chopsticks during meals to make the rice go down.

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.

"Red Army and I are planning to join the army. I didn't have a 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 Yanchao's voice grew softer and softer, trailing off. He felt somewhat guilty, as his father was the chief of staff of the C Army B Division, recently released from isolation and review but not yet reinstated. Li Hongjun's plan to join the army was known, as his father was still in office, making it almost inevitable. Liu Yanchao, like the others, had no clear direction, and now suddenly saying he would join the army made him feel somewhat disloyal to Xue Xiang and the others.

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 faculty, 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 was a noble and ideal choice. 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, 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 was the highest pursuit of ordinary people. Therefore, joining the army was the most promising and ideal choice.

Second, becoming a worker was also a desirable career, as workers were hailed as the leading class and the masters of the country. Once in a factory, one had a secure job, a "iron rice bowl," and a guaranteed future. However, the number of worker positions was limited, and the transition was often through a form of hereditary succession, where the son could only start work if the father retired.

Finally, going to the countryside for re-education was a common path. 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, this 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 and got it done, that's great." Xue Xiang patted Liu Yanchao's shoulder, comforting him.

"Yanchao, 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 GM stance?" Lei Xiaotian took a sip of alcohol and joked.