Volume One, Chapter Sixteen: Sister Has Returned

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“Your sister is home.”

They had not seen each other for four years. Looking at her tall, handsome younger brother, Gao Ya felt deeply moved, and her voice trembled as she spoke.

Gao Yuan strode over and pulled his sister into his arms.

The thought of how distant he and his sister had been in his previous life sent a dull ache through his heart.

Caught suddenly in her brother’s embrace, Gao Ya’s face flushed, and the shoulder bag in her hand fell to the ground.

When she felt tears slide down the back of her neck, Gao Ya finally raised a hand and patted Gao Yuan’s back.

“All right, all right. You’re a grown man now, yet here you are crying buckets. Aren’t you embarrassed?”

Gao Yuan wiped away his tears, lifted his head from his sister’s slender shoulder, and smiled through them.

“Sis, I missed you so much. I really couldn’t hold it in—and I didn’t want to.”

Gao Ya studied her brother’s handsome face, her eyes rimmed red.

“I missed you too. I thought about you every moment. I’m home now. At last, our whole family is together again.”

Their parents came out as well.

Gao Yuemin pressed his lips together and held Zhang Xuemei’s hand tightly, preventing her from interrupting the siblings’ emotional reunion.

Zhang Xuemei was already in tears.

Only after their daughter finally “broke free” from her son’s embrace did the couple hurry forward to stand before her.

“Xiaoya…” Zhang Xuemei called, and tears surged from her eyes once more.

Although there was a smile at the corners of Gao Yuemin’s mouth, Gao Yuan noticed that his father’s eyes were red too.

“Dad, Mom, your daughter is home.” Gao Ya took a step forward, clasping one of her mother’s hands and one of her father’s, while tears streamed down her face.

“It’s good that you’re home. It’s good that you’re home. You’ve suffered all these years, sweetheart,” Zhang Xuemei said emotionally as she embraced her daughter.

“Xuemei, she’s just arrived, and it’s freezing out here. Don’t keep her standing in the cold. Let’s go inside and talk,” Gao Yuemin said after regaining his composure.

“That’s right, Mom. Sis must be exhausted after such a long journey. Let’s go inside, get her some water, and let her rest,” Gao Yuan added.

Zhang Xuemei nodded and took Gao Ya by the arm, smiling.

“Come inside. We’ll have a good talk, just the two of us.”

Gao Ya smiled and nodded as well.

Carrying his sister’s large shoulder bag, Gao Yuan followed them toward the south room.

“Does nobody care about me? Am I really that unwelcome?”

Another voice came from behind them.

Gao Yuan turned his head and saw—well, look at that. His uncle!

Gao Yuelin stood against the south wall, carrying a large army-green shoulder bag emblazoned with the words “Serve the People.” No matter how one looked at him, he seemed completely out of place.

Only then did Gao Yuan remember that when the educated youth had been sent to the countryside, his uncle and sister had left together for the same destination—the Longjiang Reclamation Area.

The policy of sending educated youth to the countryside had included one strict provision: in families with more than one child, at least one person had to go to the countryside to receive reeducation from the poor and lower-middle peasants.

And so his uncle had gone.

Gao Yuan had still been young, while Gao Ya had responded to the call and gone to the countryside.

“Uncle, let me carry your bag.”

Gao Yuan was delighted to see his uncle. In his previous life, if his uncle had not taken him traveling and struggling across the country, Gao Yuan would have been suppressed by Qiao Yuannan and reduced to selling his body in the capital just to scrape by.

He walked over and took the shoulder bag from his uncle, weighing it in his hand. It was surprisingly heavy.

“Still as perceptive as ever, boy. At least all the affection I’ve lavished on you wasn’t wasted,” Gao Yuelin said with a toothy grin.

He had high cheekbones, sunken cheeks, and dark circles around his eyes.

One glance was enough for Gao Yuan to know that his uncle had suffered terribly over the past two years. His nose stung, and he nearly burst into tears again.

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Although Gao Yuemin was delighted by his younger brother’s return, not the slightest smile appeared on his face.

Seeing Gao Yuelin’s loose, slovenly appearance only made him angrier. Gao Yuemin gave a cold snort and said irritably, “Why are you standing there? Showing yourself off for someone? Get inside already.”

Gao Yuelin had always been most afraid of his second brother. His mind was filled with childhood memories of being pinned to the ground and beaten by him. Seeing his brother pull a long face again, he hurriedly replied, “Yes, yes, I’m coming.”

He scurried inside.

Gao Yuan could hardly contain his amusement. This was what it meant for one thing to be overcome by another—brine curdling tofu.

Carrying the two large shoulder bags, he entered the house.

His mother was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding his sister’s hand and asking how she had been all these years and whether life had been hard.

Gao Yuan noticed that the once-pretty face of his sister was now covered in traces carved by time. Years of grueling labor had left her skin rough and cracked, while her hands were covered in shocking fissures.

Even so, she and their mother spoke only of good things, never of hardship. She said she had adapted quite well to rural life. Although money and food had been tight, living closely alongside the peasant brothers and sisters for four years had given her a profound understanding of how difficult their lives were, and she had learned much knowledge from them that she had never encountered before.

She now fully understood the importance of integrating workers and peasants.

Gao Yuan’s heart ached terribly. After putting down the bags, he pulled his father aside and said softly, “Dad, give me a daily necessities coupon and thirty cents. I’m going to the supply cooperative to buy Sis some clam oil for her hands.”

At those words, his father glanced at his daughter’s hands as well, and his tears became difficult to restrain.

What father could bear to see his daughter suffer?

He quickly lowered his head and rubbed his eyes. When he raised it again, his voice trembled.

“Let’s split up. You cook, and I’ll go to the supply cooperative to buy your sister some clam oil. I’ll use all the meat coupons we’ve saved too. When I get back, you can make your sister a proper feast.”

“All right. We still have a snakehead fish at home, and Sister-in-law Fengzhi gave us some pickled cabbage. I’ll cook those too.”

“Good. Today brings two happy occasions to our family. It’s only right that we have a good meal.”

“Three happy occasions, if you count your return to work.”

Gao Yuemin burst into laughter.

“That’s right. Three happy occasions.”

He went into the inner room, brought out the coupon and money, and left for the supply cooperative.

After pouring hot water for his uncle and sister, Gao Yuan went into the kitchen and got to work.

An hour later, dishes of pickled-cabbage fish, potatoes stewed with meat, spicy-and-sour cabbage stems, and beef stewed with white radish were brought to the table.

The portions were generous. Gao Yuan had used up the entire month’s ration of pork and beef allocated to the family of three for this one meal.

He did not feel the slightest pang of regret.

His sister was far too thin. Calling her skin and bones would not have been an exaggeration.

His uncle was just as gaunt and sallow.

Gao Yuan did not need to ask to guess how much suffering the two of them had endured in the Great Northern Wilderness over the years.

The family of five sat around the table.

Seeing the fragrant, colorful dishes filling the large bowls, Gao Ya began to cry again.

She could no longer remember when she had last eaten meat.

The Great Northern Wilderness had earned its name because those vast lands had been wild and desolate since ancient times.

Thickets of thorns grew everywhere, swamps spread across the land, blizzards raged, wild beasts roamed in packs, and human beings were rarely seen.

Under such harsh natural conditions, almost nothing planted there had a good chance of surviving.

As for the local people, eating meat was out of the question. Even having a full meal was a luxury.

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Faced with a table full of meat dishes and moved by her family’s loving care, Gao Ya once again lost control of her emotions. Covering her face, she sobbed softly.

The moment she began to cry, Zhang Xuemei started shedding tears as well.

The atmosphere grew somewhat heavy.

Gao Yuan could least stand seeing women cry. He picked up a large piece of meat and placed it in the small bowl before his sister.

“Sis, if you keep crying, the meat will get tough.”

A sudden giggle escaped her.

“You’re the only one who can make jokes at a time like this.” Gao Ya broke into laughter through her tears and shot Gao Yuan an exasperated look before picking up a piece of meat streaked with fat and placing it in her mouth.

She chewed slowly, and her eyes lit up at once.

“It’s delicious! Xiaoyuan, when did you learn to cook like this? It’s absolutely amazing!”

Hearing that, his uncle also picked up a piece of meat and put it into his mouth. After swallowing, he gave Gao Yuan a thumbs-up.

“Rich but not greasy, with a deep, savory flavor. Now that’s authentic!”

Gao Yuan grew a little embarrassed by their praise. He answered his sister first.

“I didn’t deliberately study it. I used to go play with Dalong at his father’s workplace cafeteria and asked his dad for advice a few times. The man’s cooking was incredible.”

Then he turned to his uncle.

“As for our old capital, there aren’t many roads. They’re all tunnels.”

His uncle burst into laughter.

Their mother kept piling meat into her daughter’s bowl, speaking with tender concern.

“Eat, eat more. Just look at how thin you’ve become. While you’re home, have your brother cook you several good meals and put some strength back into that frail body of yours.”

Gao Ya gave an embarrassed little laugh.

“I can’t eat much meat, and I’m worried that after going hungry for so long, my stomach won’t be able to handle a feast all at once. Mom, please stop putting more in my bowl. Let my stomach adjust slowly, all right?”

Gao Yuemin nodded.

“Your sister is right. After going hungry for a long time, a person can’t eat too much in one sitting. Your sister and your third uncle have weakened digestion now. If they eat too much, they won’t absorb it properly, and it may damage their stomachs.”

As a doctor, Zhang Xuemei naturally understood the principle.

“I know, I know. I’m just worried about my children. The two of you can stop lecturing me. Xiaoya, Yuelin, eat slowly. Now that you’re home, there will always be food for you here.”

Only then did Gao Yuan ask, “Uncle, Sis, why did you both come back now? Did the reclamation-area branch agree to release you?”

Gao Ya smiled as she explained.

“I’m confident I can pass the university entrance examination. After submitting an application to the branch secretary, the leaders held a discussion and agreed to let me return to the city ahead of schedule. As for Uncle…”

Gao Yuelin took over.

“I went to the hospital and got a certificate saying I had hepatitis. When I showed it to the branch leaders, they were terrified I might infect the other educated youths. Without a second thought, they issued me a release permit and sent me home for treatment.”

Now that was truly brilliant!

Gao Yuan gave him a thumbs-up as well.

In those days, acute icteric hepatitis really could be fatal.

The disease was highly contagious and could spread through the air, so the leaders had no choice but to take it seriously.

After hearing his brother, Gao Yuemin gave an annoyed snort.

“That’s about the only trick you know. You’re nearly thirty, yet you still act so irresponsibly. You even went so far as to pretend to be ill and deceive the leaders just to find an excuse to return to the city!

“Why can’t you set a good example for your niece and nephew? Do you look like an uncle to you?”

The moment he heard his second brother begin another lecture, Gao Yuelin immediately stiffened his neck and retorted.

“Second Brother, I don’t like hearing that. What, Xiaoya is the only one you consider family? I’m not your own younger brother anymore? That’s a blatant double standard.

“I spent four years in the Great Northern Wilderness too. Do you know how I survived those four years?

“Xiaoya can return to the city by taking the university entrance examination. Why should I have to keep rotting in that godforsaken place?

“I never expected you and Eldest Brother to find a way to bring me home. Was I not allowed to figure out a way back on my own?”

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