Chen Yunqi was hungry just from the smell. When the meat was finally cooked, he and the other children squatted by the fire pit. He picked out pieces of meat from the fire pit, tapped them on the ground, scraped off the charred ash, and ate them directly without even using bowls or chopsticks.
The freshly roasted meat was scalding hot, and Chen Yunqi picked it up as he dropped it, constantly touching his earlobes to cool his fingers. His mouth and ears were covered in charcoal ash, making him look quite comical. Secretary Sheng, who was eating meat with relish, watched him and said, "Teacher Chen is becoming more and more like one of us. Why don't you stay and get married?"
Chen Yunqi wiped his mouth, which was now even darker around it, but he was completely unaware of it. He swallowed the meat in his mouth, smiled, and said, "I'm practically a useless piece of trash here. What woman would want me?"
Secretary Sheng frowned and waved his hands repeatedly, "You're an educated man, they can't even dream of marrying you. They'd love to all come live with you in the big city, do they even have a chance to choose? Tell me which one you fancy, and we'll come and kidnap her for you in the middle of the night, that'll be it!"
As a village committee secretary, how could he openly discuss the abduction of women in broad daylight, and with such shamelessness? Chen Yunqi stared at him, mouth agape, and said, "...Your local customs are truly fierce..."
Li Laoqi poured wine for him and explained, "That's how we Yi people are. If we fancy someone, we talk to her parents first. We can even snatch her in the middle of the night and no one will stop us." After saying that, he handed the full wine glass to Secretary Sheng and complained, "Why don't you teach me something better! That's all in the past. Who does that now? It's all over."
Secretary Sheng tilted his head back, downed the wine in one gulp, smacked his lips, and said dismissively, "Hey! No matter what era it is, tradition is tradition. That's how we Yi people are! It works!"
Chen Yunqi quickly waved his hand and said hurriedly, "Thank you, thank you, I appreciate your kindness, but please don't trouble yourself."
Secretary Sheng thought he was embarrassed to talk about matters between men and women, and wanted to see him embarrass himself, so he pressed on, "How old is Teacher Chen? Still not thinking about getting married? Doesn't your family urge you?" As he spoke, he pointed at the mute man who was engrossed in eating meat, "Look at this silly boy, he's only nineteen, his pubic hair hasn't even fully grown yet, and he already knows how to sleep with women. I think you're much older than him, you're always using your 'things,' be careful you don't get sick from holding it in."
The mute man, humiliated, picked up a half-eaten bone and threw it at the man's face. Secretary Sheng, hit on the nose, wasn't angry; instead, his smile became even more lewd. Chen Yunqi really didn't want to discuss such vulgar topics with him, so he simply replied, "No one in my family takes care of me; everyone does as I please."
Before Secretary Sheng could say anything more, Chen Yunqi quickly downed his drink, the spiciness making his tongue numb. He slurred his words to Li Laoqi, "Brother Laoqi, is there anything else I can help you with?"
Li Laoqi realized that he was tired of Secretary Sheng's endless teasing, so he came to his rescue by saying, "After your third aunt cleans the pig intestines, you can help her make sausages!"
Making sausages is easier than slaughtering pigs, and doesn't require as many people to help. After the meal, Secretary Sheng and the mute man left, leaving Chen Yunqi and the three children to help Third Aunt. Following Li Laoqi's instructions, he cut off the front half of an empty mineral water bottle to use as a funnel, put the cleaned pig intestines over the bottle opening, tied it tightly with a string, and then poured the meat filling into the bottle opening.
The pig intestines were so slippery that Chen Yunqi couldn't hold them, and it took him quite a bit of effort to finally get them on. Third Sister cracked two eggs, poured the egg whites into the bottle first, and seeing Chen Yunqi's confusion, explained, "Using eggs to lubricate them makes it easier to stuff the meat filling in."
......
Chen Yunqi felt that what he heard was not the same as what San Niang meant, but that did not prevent him from understanding and mastering a remarkable skill in an instant.
The minced meat was marinated with chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns; there were no other seasonings available in the mountains besides these. Third Aunt poured the minced meat into the bottle, while Chen Yunqi was responsible for smoothing it down. After smoothing each section, Li Laoqi would tie the intestines into segments with string.
The three children helped cut the string, and their teamwork became more and more seamless. They quickly finished stuffing a large basin of sausages.
Li Laoqi brought over a few clean wooden sticks, wrapped the sausages around them, and, standing on a stool, hung the sausages along with the sticks on the rafters above the fire pit. He jumped down, wiped his greasy hands on his clothes, and said to Chen Yunqi, "Alright! We can eat them once they're dried. We'll send some back to your parents then."
Chen Yunqi didn't stand on ceremony with him. These were sausages he had made himself, and he really wanted his grandmother to try them, so he smiled and said, "Okay, thank you very much."
Li Laoqi waved his hand, grinning slyly, "What are you thanking me for? You're my good son-in-law, it's only right that I show some respect to my in-laws!"
Chen Yunqi had already forgotten about this, but when he heard him say it, he could only laugh and cry and ignore him. He picked up Xiao San San and said to San Niang, "It's too late, I should go back. San San's family is waiting for me to have dinner."
Third Aunt liked Chen Yunqi very much. He was polite and well-mannered, and treated her family very well. After spending several months together, she had come to regard him as her younger brother or even her own child. When she saw Chen Yunqi was about to leave, she saw him to the door, reminding him to be careful not to bump his head again. She then said to him, "Come back for dinner in a few days! And come on New Year's Eve too, don't forget! You're all alone out there without any family. If you don't mind, your seventh brother and I will be your family. We can celebrate the New Year together as a family."
The sun was about to set, and a cold night wind was blowing, carrying with it dust. Chen Yunqi was suddenly blinded by the dust. He rubbed his eyes hard until they were red, then smiled and said, "Okay."
“My dear son-in-law,” Li Laoqi suddenly interrupted, ruining the somewhat warm scene, “Remember to come and kowtow to me for the New Year! If you’re a good boy, I’ll give you a red envelope!”
Chen Yunqi smiled and ignored him, waved to Third Sister, picked up Little San San and turned to leave. Suddenly, he heard Li Laoqi call out behind him, "Little Yezi! Where are you going!?"
Chen Yunqi then noticed that Li Ye had followed him out as well. He stopped, and Li Ye turned around and called out to his father, "I'll see Teacher Chen off!"
Li Laoqi shouted from afar, "Go—make sure my youngest son gets home safely!"
Chen Yunqi smiled helplessly, pulled Xiao San San closer to his chest, and said to Li Ye, "It's getting dark, no need to see me off, I know the way well, go back now."
Li Ye had her hair in a ponytail and was still wearing the blue school uniform from the town's elementary school. Despite her young age, she looked mature and serious. Upon hearing this, she didn't look at Chen Yunqi but gazed into the distance and said, "I'm going out for a walk, I didn't come here specifically to see you off."
Seeing her serious expression, Chen Yunqi didn't say anything more and turned to continue walking back. Li Ye followed closely behind him, chatting with him like a little adult.
“Your parents are very loving, you are so happy,” Chen Yunqi said sincerely. “I envy you so much.”
“Yes, my dad always buys things for my mom when he comes back from going out, like hair clips and pretty clothes.” Li Ye’s tone was tinged with pride. She seemed to really like Teacher Chen, but she had somehow acquired a cool and aloof demeanor, never showing any emotion on her face, and speaking slowly and deliberately.
Chen Yunqi suddenly felt that she was somewhat like him. He also liked Third Aunt's family very much. Compared with most of the villagers, they were much gentler in temperament and more down-to-earth. Although Li Laoqi also liked to joke, he also had a shy side and knew when to stop most of the time, unlike others who were so outspoken. Besides Third Aunt's family, Chen Yunqi preferred to associate with Li Laoqi's family. Third Aunt treated him well, but still regarded him as a guest, while Third Aunt gave him a feeling of being an elder sister or mother, making him feel a missing piece of maternal love.
The two chatted casually for a while, and soon arrived at San San's house. Before going in, Chen Yunqi asked Li Ye, "You've delivered it, are you relieved now? Go back quickly."
Li Ye nodded seriously, turned and walked away, but after a few steps she turned back and said to him, "Teacher Chen, don't go and steal a woman, it's illegal."
Chen Yunqi was still standing there watching her leave when he heard this and laughed out loud. He thought to himself that this clever girl must have overheard the adults talking at some point and was still thinking about it. She was really quirky and very interesting. So he also became serious and comforted her, saying, "I know, I won't go. Don't worry."
San San was washing rice in the main room when she saw him return. She got up, wiped the water off her hands, and flashed him a bright white smile: "You're back! Have you eaten yet?"
Chen Yunqi immediately felt like he was back home, with his beloved waiting for him. His heart was filled with warmth and sweetness. He took Xiao San San out of his clothes, and San San took her and hugged her in his arms. He stroked the little lamb's neck and frowned, saying, "How did you get so dirty?"
"I ate lunch, but I haven't had dinner yet." Chen Yunqi sat on the doorstep, took off one shoe, and turned it upside down to tap the small stones inside. "I helped Li Laoqi's family slaughter a pig today. It was running around everywhere, covered in mud and manure, and I didn't have time to take care of it. If the weather is nice tomorrow, I'll give it a bath."
San San, holding the lamb in one arm, brought a pair of cotton slippers and placed them beside the lamb's feet. He straightened up, looked at the sky, and said, "Tomorrow should be sunny."
The slippers were bought by Chen Yunqi at the mall. Each member of San San's family got a pair, all beige with a little bear design. San San didn't want him to buy them at the time, saying that the floor was always dusty and these slippers would get dirty too easily. But Chen Yunqi was stubborn, insisting that thick slippers were warm and comfortable in winter, and that he would wash them if they got dirty. San San couldn't persuade him otherwise and had to give in.
When the slippers were brought home, San San's parents stared at Chen Yunqi and the fluffy slippers in his hand as if they were idiots, completely stunned. It took Chen Yunqi a lot of persuasion to convince them to try them on. But once they put them on, they found they were really comfortable. San San's father, in particular, loved them and had been wearing them to visit neighbors for the past few days.
Chen Yunqi changed into slippers, got up, and went inside to warm himself by the fire. San San took a baby bottle and prepared formula for Xiao San San. She studied the densely packed small print on the formula can for a long time but couldn't figure out how much water and how many scoops of powder to put in. So she just randomly prepared half a bottle based on her feeling, picked up the crying Xiao San San, sat down by the fire pit, and patiently fed him.
San San had just taken a shower this morning. He was wearing the navy blue turtleneck sweater Chen Yunqi had bought for him, which made his skin look fair and smooth. His short, tousled hair was neat and fluffy, and his drooping eyelashes looked like two fluffy little brushes, giving him a very gentle demeanor. He was holding a lamb and feeding it milk attentively, looking like a virtuous wife and loving mother, which made Chen Yunqi want to laugh.
He kept a straight face, admiring the view for a while before finally asking, "Where is your family?"
“Auntie came back this afternoon. Dad went to his house to drink. Mom went to Li Yan’s house to help make cured meat and hasn’t come back yet.” San San answered without looking up. “Xiao Yan is inside. I don’t know what she’s doing. She’s been unhappy since she came back that day. I don’t know who upset her.”
Upon hearing this, Chen Yunqi rubbed his hands together, got up, moved closer to San San, and sat down next to him, saying, "Anyway, it wasn't me. I only provoked you."
He spoke in a serious tone, but San San reached out and pushed away his face, which was getting closer and closer, and whispered, "Stop fooling around, I'm breastfeeding."
Chen Yunqi obediently sat back down, pursed his lips, and seeing that San San still ignored him, he muttered after a while, "Being a man is really tough. You work hard but get no reward. Once you have a child, your status drops sharply."
San San's face turned bright red instantly upon hearing this. He immediately changed his position, put San San on the ground, held up the bottle so it would tilt its head back and drink by itself, glared at Chen Yunqi, and scolded in a low voice, "What nonsense are you talking about? Aren't you annoying!"
Chen Yunqi, adopting a roguish demeanor, leaned closer, resting his chin on San San's shoulder and breathing hot air into his ear.
"I miss you so much, give me a kiss."
"I didn't think about it. I can't tell. He hasn't come back all day." San San pretended to be angry, but the hot breath from him gave her goosebumps. She turned her head away and deliberately avoided looking at him.
“I think about you everywhere,” Chen Yunqi pressed closer to him, “in my heart, in my mind, in my body, there’s not a single part of me that doesn’t think about you. Every moment, every second, every hour, every minute, every second, there’s not a moment when I don’t think about you.”
He didn't know when it started, but he was able to say sweet nothings without blushing or skipping a beat. Even Chen Yunqi himself was startled when the words came out. San San blushed so badly that he wanted to get up and run away, but his limbs wouldn't obey him. He turned around, about to scold Chen Yunqi, when Chen Yunqi grabbed the back of his head and kissed him.
Chen Yunqi gently pried open San San's teeth with his tongue and pushed a piece of milk candy inside.
The sweet aroma of the melted candy instantly filled their lips and tongues. After their lips parted, San San looked at him with a smile, still holding the candy in her mouth, and then gently returned his kiss with a fragrant kiss.
In that one moment, Chen Yunqi felt extremely satisfied. He smiled and stared at San San with a dreamy grin, making San San's legs go weak and her restless from his intense gaze.
Both of them were holding back their feelings, and at this moment they only had eyes for each other, not even noticing that Xiao San had run out of the house.
Sheng Xiaoyan looked down at the lamb that had run to her feet, then looked up at the two people huddled together in the room with their backs to her. She quietly took two steps back and disappeared into the darkness behind her. Something seemed to explode in her mind, and her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of her throat.
She could hardly believe her eyes, desperately trying to recall the scene she had just witnessed, repeatedly questioning the reality of the image, and finally, in her confusion, she became convinced that she had seen it with her own eyes—
Her brother kissed Teacher Chen on the lips.
Chapter Thirty-Nine: Vanishing
The mountains are shrouded in the twilight of dawn. As the sun rises in the east, the entire village is as tranquil as a paradise. Occasionally, a bird's song breaks the silence, and the early risers push open their doors with a creak, beginning a new day.
Chen Yunqi, wearing a three-point jacket, squatted in front of the stove, yawning repeatedly, trying to start a fire. The sleeves were too short, revealing his muscular forearms. He picked up a cigarette from the burning woodpile and lit it to refresh himself.
I went to bed late last night and got up several times to feed San San. I was woken up early this morning by San San, and my eyelids are still drooping.
Before dawn, he was fast asleep when suddenly a cold hand slipped inside his clothes, tracing his waist to his chest. He vaguely smelled the scent of grass, too lazy to open his eyes, and rolled over to grab the hand, pulling him and the hand into the covers.
He was surrounded by warm jade, but he remained silent and pretended to be asleep. San San curled up in his arms, playfully lifting his eyelids and poking his nostrils. Seeing that he still didn't react, she suddenly became mischievous and secretly slipped a hand into his loose waistband, feeling the furry part and gently kneading it. She felt it gradually hardening, but she didn't touch it. She just pursed her lips and chuckled. She watched as Chen Yunqi's expression changed from calm to a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth, and then he slightly opened his eyes.
He squinted at San San, letting him touch and grope him all over, resisting the urge to roll over and pin him down. After a long while, he finally spoke softly, "Little darling, do you know you're testing the limits of danger?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly opened his eyes wide, grabbed the hand that had reached into his pants, and forced it down to his burning area. He stared at San San, who was right in front of him, with a deliberately fierce look, and said through gritted teeth, "Teacher Chen has a bad temper when she wakes up. Are you scared?"
San San's hand was slowly moved up and down by him, and her breathing became slightly rapid. His heart was beating fast, but he pretended to be fearless and replied, "Don't be afraid, Teacher Chen, feel free to vent your anger on me."
Chen Yunqi was amused by his serious expression, and couldn't help but look away, gently kissing his lips, burying her face in his neck, taking a deep, greedy breath, and saying in a muffled voice, "Naughty boy... if you keep doing this, the teacher will make a mistake..."
His voice still carried a touch of lazy magnetism. San San listened, intoxicated, closed her eyes, hugged his waist, and tried to press her body against his, wishing she could become one with him.
"Brother, I love you so much."
Chen Yunqi was stunned.
Caught off guard by San San's confession, he was momentarily speechless. He had always thought that he should be the one to say these words first, but he never expected that San San would reveal her vulnerability before him, letting down her guard completely and offering him her true feelings.
A surge of warmth welled up inside him, and he involuntarily hugged San San tightly. He opened his mouth again and again, but couldn't utter a word.
San San noticed the person in her arms trembling slightly. She didn't mind his lack of response, but whispered in his ear, "I really want to see you every time I open my eyes."
The light in the room gradually brightened, and they embraced each other in silence. After a long while, San San kissed Chen Yunqi's lips before speaking again, "I have to go now, Mom and Dad should get up. Don't lock the door, I'll come to see you secretly if I miss you in the future."
After San San finished speaking, he laughed self-deprecatingly. Chen Yunqi was still buried in the crook of his neck and didn't see it at all.
As Chen Yunqi smoked, he recalled the scene from that morning and suddenly regretted his reaction. He had been looking for an opportunity to formally confess his feelings to San San and discuss their future plans together, but he had always hesitated and lacked that little bit of courage.
He longed to fall asleep in San San's arms every night, and to wake up to see his beautiful sleeping face. It was the most ordinary yet most extravagant wish, the determination to spend a lifetime with someone, sharing the simple joys of daily life. It's easy to say, but for them, putting it into action was the hardest step.
Chen Yunqi carried a pot of boiling water to the yard, poured it into a basin of cold water he had prepared beforehand, and tested the temperature to make sure it was just right. The sun was already high in the sky, and the yard was filled with warm sunshine. It had been a long time since he had such nice weather. Chen Yunqi's forehead was covered in a thin layer of sweat from the sun. He took off his coat and put it aside, picked up the baby who had just finished nursing, and put her in the basin to wash her.
He was enjoying his wash when he suddenly heard footsteps behind him. He turned around and saw Sheng Xiaoyan stepping out the door with a water cup and toothbrush in her hand. When she saw Chen Yunqi turn around, she stared at him with a very strange expression and froze.
Unaware of her presence, Chen Yunqi greeted her as usual, "Good morning, Xiaoyan. I just boiled some water, and there's still plenty left. You can use it to wash your face..."
"No!"
Before he could finish speaking, Sheng Xiaoyan blurted out, then turned and went back into the house, leaving Chen Yunqi with his mouth agape, swallowing the rest of his words.
She was going through a rebellious teenage period. Remembering that San San had said she was in a bad mood these past few days, Chen Yunqi assumed that the girl had something on her mind and didn't think much of it. She continued to wash San San carefully inside and out, making her even whiter than when she first found her. Satisfied, she took her out of the water, wrapped her in a towel, and carried her back to the house to dry by the fire.
After lunch, Chen Yunqi received a call from Zhou Jun. Since their unpleasant parting the night before he left, Zhou Jun hadn't contacted him. With the New Year approaching, he felt lonely and ignored, so he couldn't help but call his son, hoping to take the opportunity to show goodwill and ask when he planned to return so he could prepare to pick him up.
Chen Yunqi walked into the courtyard with his phone in his hand and said coldly, "I'm not going back. I'll spend the New Year here."
Zhou Jun was somewhat surprised to hear this and remained silent for a long time. Chen Yunqi felt a little sorry for him and said, "Dad, buy yourself some good food for the New Year and drink less alcohol."
Zhou Jun finally reacted, completely ignoring his last sentence, his tone filled with anxiety and a hint of anger: "Not coming back? Who goes out and about during the New Year? You're not an orphan! Hurry up and stop talking nonsense. I specially called your grandfather from our hometown this year so that three generations of us can have a proper New Year!"
Chen Yunqi suddenly found it somewhat amusing.
The person on the phone left without saying goodbye eighteen years ago, abandoning his mother to raise the child alone. His mother was exhausted from working to support the family and was indifferent to him. If it weren't for his maternal grandparents, what difference would he be from an orphan?
Even his maternal grandparents had never made such a request of Chen Yunqi. Zhou Jun had picked up such an outstanding son without spending a penny, and he still had the nerve to put himself in the position of his biological father.
From the moment Chen Yunqi came to Zhou Jun's side, he was rarely seen sober. The man in his fifties had neither a formal job nor his own house, neither supporting his parents nor raising his children. Whenever he had a little money, he would think about inviting friends out for drinks. If he couldn't invite them, he would drink alone. When he drank too much, he would inevitably have a drunken outburst.
There's always a reason why someone is pitiful. Chen Yunqi went from being understanding towards him to hating him now. In the process, he endured countless instances of Chen Yunqi's drunken violence and verbal abuse. But now, Chen Yunqi seems to have lost his memory and doesn't remember anything.