Chapter 2

"Xiaoyong, eat the fish. Auntie specially made it for you. It's been stewed in a big iron pot for over an hour. Hurry up and eat it while it's hot."

"Okay, Auntie, you eat too. I can reach it, I'll serve myself."

"Come on, Xiaoyong, have a sip of beer. You've got a good tolerance, you've really improved."

"You two should drink less and eat more vegetables. Xiaoyong, hurry up and eat. It won't be as tasty if it gets cold."

Auntie had prepared a lot of delicious food last night when she found out that Wang Yong was coming back. All the dishes were his favorites. There was a big grass carp stewed in a large iron pot, a home-raised chicken cooked to tenderness in a pressure cooker, braised beef with potatoes, steamed mantis shrimp, and a mixed stew of potatoes, green beans, and pumpkin. Five dishes, all of which Wang Yong used to love, were served in small bowls that were piled high. Uncle and Auntie kept putting food on Wang Yong's plate, and before long, it was full. The old couple kept urging Wang Yong to eat, and before he could finish, his plate was full again, as if they were afraid he wouldn't have enough to eat. By the end of the meal, Wang Yong was so full he could hardly walk.

After the meal, Auntie cleared the dishes, and Uncle and Wang Yong, with their full bellies, sat back down by the coffee table and started chatting over a pot of tea.

"Uncle, is the old house still habitable?" Wang Yong asked.

"What's up? Are you planning to move in? You can just stay here with Uncle. There's plenty of room for you." Uncle Wang Dahai, who had had a bit of alcohol, spoke with a louder voice.

"Why, Xiaoyong, do you want to stay in the old house? That place hasn't been lived in for years. You should stay here with Auntie! Besides, the old house is a bit remote. We wouldn't feel at ease with you living there alone," Auntie said as she walked in.

"Uncle, Auntie, I'm a grown man. What's there to be afraid of? The orchard is right behind the old house, and I plan to build a greenhouse there. It will be more convenient for me to live there. I'll have to go there eventually, so I might as well tidy up the old house. If it's really in bad shape, we can tear it down and rebuild it."

"That's not necessary. The old house was built in the 1980s after the earthquake, when your father got married. Although it's a bit old, it's made of good materials and is very sturdy. It can last another twenty or thirty years without any problem. However, since no one has lived there for years, it definitely needs some renovation. If you insist on moving in, Uncle will help you renovate it. It should be ready in about half a month. For now, you should stay here with Uncle."

"Alright, but I'll pay for it." Seeing that Uncle and Auntie were about to protest, Wang Yong quickly added, "Uncle, Auntie, I'm not short of money. Don't worry. I might not have enough to buy a house in the city, but I can definitely afford to build five rooms in the village. That's settled. I'll go check out the old house first."

"Hey, why are you still like this after all these years? I'm your Uncle, not someone else. I really can't do anything with you. Rest for a bit, and then Uncle will go with you." Uncle said helplessly. The three of them drank tea and chatted for a while, asking about Wang Yong's situation. Around three o'clock, when it wasn't so hot outside, Auntie finally let Wang Yong go to see the old house, with Uncle Wang Dahai following to see what needed to be done and what materials were required to get everything ready for his nephew.

Wang Yong's old house was at the back of the village, facing south and built at the foot of a mountain. When Uncle Wang Dahai got married, Wang Yong's grandfather built him a new house in the village, and the old house was given to Wang Yong's father. The current old house was rebuilt by the grandfather in the 1980s. Wang Yong had lived in the old house since he was a child until he went to college in the provincial capital. It had been several years since he left, and the house had gradually fallen into disrepair, with weeds growing inside and outside the yard.

The house was brick and wood, with a main beam made of high-quality pine. According to Uncle, even the rafters were made of pine. The foundation was built with local bluestone, raised about a meter above the ground, making the house taller than most in the village. This was to prevent flooding during the summer. A two-meter-high wall made of bluestone surrounded the entire yard. The house had five rooms, with a side room on the west side for storing miscellaneous items. Two cherry trees with lush branches stood out in the east side of the yard, and three grapevines covered the trellis in the center, with clusters of grapes turning black and purple. Wang Yong walked over and gently plucked one, putting it in his mouth. It was so sweet! He was reminded of the times his family would sit under the grape trellis, eating grapes and enjoying the cool evening. He could almost see his father cutting a large, sweet bunch of grapes with scissors, turning to wave at Wang Yong, as if telling him and his brother to come over and eat the grapes. A tear silently rolled down Wang Yong's cheek and fell into the grass. It had been ten years since his family was torn apart.

"The cherry trees and grapes in this yard have a spirit! No one has taken care of them, yet they still bear fruit every year, and they're sweeter than those in other people's yards," Uncle's voice came from behind Wang Yong.

Wang Yong composed himself and said, "Uncle, I'll leave the renovation to you. Do what you think is best." He unlocked the door and pushed it open, stepping into the house he hadn't been in for years. Looking at the familiar yet strange surroundings, memories of the past flooded his mind. The family eating together, lying on the kang watching TV, chatting and talking... his father, mother, Wang Yong, and his brother Wang Liang, the four of them making up a family.

Wang Yong was lost in his memories, slowly coming back to reality. The days ahead made him bury his longing deep in his heart. He shook off his melancholy and opened the back door. Outside was the mountain, and the family's orchard was right there. The orchard was large, covering the entire mountain behind it. It was built by Wang Yong's father, but back then, there was a lack of water, so the fruit trees didn't grow well and didn't bear much fruit. Later, a water tank was built, solving the water problem, and the orchard started to generate some income to supplement the family's living expenses. Now, there were about thirty apricot trees, twenty peach trees, fifty jujube trees, thirty apple trees, and various other fruit trees like cherry, pear, persimmon, walnut, chestnut, hawthorn, and pomegranate. Almost all the common fruit trees in the north could be found here. In recent years, due to lack of care, many trees had died, but it was a good opportunity to plant some new, popular varieties. The ground under the trees was covered with weeds over a meter tall, and various wildflowers were in full bloom. Bees and butterflies would occasionally land on the flowers, and the air was filled with the sounds of different birds—magpies, sparrows, cuckoos, woodpeckers, mynas, and gray magpies. It was truly a paradise for birds. The sweltering heat was kept at bay by the mountains and trees, and only the occasional cicada chirp reminded Wang Yong that it was a hot summer day.

About ten meters to the side, a water channel appeared. This was a project the family had worked hard on, diverting a stream of mountain spring water from the halfway point of the mountain, through the orchard, around the house, and into the village stream. The channel was about half a meter deep and less than half a meter wide, shallow enough for a child to step over. There were three small natural stone pits along the channel, the largest of which was about an acre and had been converted into a reservoir, home to many wild fish and shrimp. This was where Wang Yong had spent his happiest childhood days, picking fruit, catching fish and shrimp, digging for wild vegetables, and foraging for mushrooms, roaming the mountains and valleys, and spreading his laughter throughout the hills.

"Swish—" A palm-sized carp leaped out of the water, grabbing a grasshopper perched on a dogwood plant, and then fell back into the water, creating a splash.

Wang Yong's interest was piqued. He walked a few steps to the edge of the channel, bent down, and, after carefully aiming at the carp that was swallowing its prey, slowly raised his right hand and suddenly scooped it up, sending the carp flying onto the shore. The carp thrashed about, trying to flip back into the water, but before it could, Wang Yong grabbed it with both hands, inserted a finger into its gills, and lifted it, preventing it from escaping. Wang Yong had always loved fish and could never get enough. Fortunately, living by the mountains, although there were no large fish, there were plenty of half-pound carp and over-one-pound grass carp, as well as catfish, mandarin fish, and various small fish. From the age of four or five, Wang Yong would often go to the stream or the family pond to catch a few fish to bring home for his mother to cook. Gradually, his fish-catching skills became well-known in the village, as did his love for fish. He felt uncomfortable if he didn't eat fish every day. This habit only gradually faded when he went to college and couldn't afford to buy fish every day. Now, back in his hometown and seeing the lively wild fish, even though he had just eaten a whole fish made by Auntie, the thought of being able to eat fish every day again made his mouth water. So, when Uncle Wang Dahai came out of the old house to find Wang Yong, he saw him crouched by the channel, catching fish with his hands or throwing them onto the shore. A willow branch over a meter long was already full of palm-sized fish, and a pile of river shrimp, weighing about a pound, was surrounded by a fence made of branches.

"Still can't get over your fish-eating habit, huh? You just had lunch, and you're already thinking about eating again?"

"Uncle, I was just testing my fish-catching skills to see how much I still have," Wang Yong said, a bit embarrassed.

"Your fish-catching skills are still the best in the village. No need to test them. Hurry up and clean up and let's go home. I've already checked the house, and I'll find people to start working on it tomorrow. I'll try to get it ready for you in a week." Wang Dahai couldn't understand why his nephew loved fish so much. How could he never get enough? He just couldn't figure it out.