Chapter 39: Utterly Wicked

They had bought so much grain that the handcart couldn’t carry it all in one trip. Hu Qixin and Sun Wenming helped Wen Mubai take the first load back home, then returned to collect the rest.

After buying the grain, Tang Banxia grew impatient with the envious stares of the crowd and decided simply to head home with them.

On the way home, they encountered Sister-in-law Sun, who had come to help. Without a word, she placed a basket of string beans on the handcart and joined Tang Banxia in pushing it forward.

“Thank you, Sister-in-law Sun,” Tang Banxia said gratefully.

“There’s no need for thanks between us,” Sister-in-law Sun replied, accustomed as she was to farm work. With her help, Tang Banxia’s load lightened considerably.

Once home, Tang Banxia poured a cup of sweetened water for Sister-in-law Sun. “Here, have a drink and take a break.”

Sister-in-law Sun accepted the bowl without protest and gulped it down, then chided, “Always so polite. I don’t need such precious things as sugar water, you know.”

Tang Banxia didn’t argue, simply took the bowl and poured her another cup. “This time, it’s only plain water.”

“That’s better!” Sister-in-law Sun laughed.

After some banter, Sister-in-law Sun finally spoke of her reason for coming: “Banxia, in a few days the team will organize the chestnut gathering. Shall we go together?”

“Of course,” Tang Banxia agreed readily.

Though Guyue Village was a bit remote, it was truly a treasure trove. Not far from the village lay a vast chestnut grove. Thanks to those trees, not a single person in Guyue Village starved during those three hard years—a remarkable feat.

“Did the team leader say when we’ll go?” Tang Banxia could hardly wait.

“In three days,” Sister-in-law Sun replied cheerfully. “He said we should rest up for a few days. I passed by the grove recently, and the trees are packed with fruit. We’ll eat well this year!”

Chestnuts, sweet and glutinous, were delicious whether boiled or roasted. Just thinking about their flavor made Tang Banxia eager. “We’re in for a treat.”

They exchanged recipes for chestnuts, chatting happily, before Sister-in-law Sun left behind the basket of beans and took her leave.

As she left, she called back, “Xiao Tang, I’ll come help you pick vegetables this afternoon. The ones in your yard need harvesting before they get too old.”

“Alright, I’ll take you up on that,” Tang Banxia replied.

She hadn’t paid much attention to the vegetables she’d planted in her yard, but perhaps the seeds were good, because in just over a month of autumn harvest, they’d grown wild—string beans, eggplants, tomatoes, winter squash, pumpkins, chives—one crop after another, far more than she and Wen Mubai could possibly eat.

Eventually, she simply let them be, harvesting only what she needed when ripe, and storing those that kept well for later.

Thinking of the vegetable harvest, Tang Banxia called out to Wen Mubai, “We don’t have a cellar yet. With so much grain, storing it outside will only attract thieves. We need to dig a cellar.”

Their home had only two rooms—one for living, one for cooking and entertaining—so a cellar was essential.

Wen Mubai nodded. “I’ll gather some people to dig one this afternoon.”

“Make it large, and open the entrance in the main room for convenience.” Tang Banxia walked about the house, choosing a spot.

Wen Mubai checked her choice and agreed without hesitation.

That afternoon, Sister-in-law Sun arrived with her husband and younger brother-in-law.

“Banxia, here we are!”

“Sister-in-law Sun, come in!” Tang Banxia beckoned from the main room. “I just finished pickling some cucumbers. Would you like to try them?”

Sister-in-law Sun tasted one from Tang Banxia’s hand. “Delicious! How did you pickle these? They’re nothing like mine.”

Her own pickles were always overly salty, never as crisp and fresh as these.

Seeing her interest, Tang Banxia handed her a pair of chopsticks. “It’s simple—salt the cucumbers overnight, then rinse them. Boil water with Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, scallions, and garlic, pour it over the cucumbers, and that’s it.”

Sister-in-law Sun listened attentively. “I’ll try that at home.”

Tang Banxia offered her a piece of steamed pumpkin. “Try it with the pumpkin.”

“I’ve already eaten,” Sister-in-law Sun protested, waving her hand.

“Let me try, Sister-in-law!” Sun Wenming came over, his mouth watering from their conversation.

Tang Banxia handed him chopsticks. “Help yourself.”

He grinned, stuffing his mouth. “So good! Sister-in-law, you’re really talented.”

As he praised her between bites, Hu Qixin walked in and quickly joined them.

Sister-in-law Sun’s husband, Sun Wencang, was a simple, honest man, too shy to help himself, so he just scratched his head and watched. Unable to bear it, Sister-in-law Sun pulled him over and popped a cucumber into his mouth. “How is it? Isn’t Banxia’s pickled cucumber good?”

“Delicious,” Sun Wencang nodded earnestly.

Soon after, Wen Mubai arrived with Hu Dashan’s second son, Hu Jiajun, and the cellar-digging team was complete.

Inside, the men set to digging with great energy, while Tang Banxia and Sister-in-law Sun worked in the vegetable garden.

“Xiao Tang, it doesn’t look like much, but you’ve grown a lot here,” Sister-in-law Sun marveled. “And with the garden in your own yard, no one comes to steal them—I’m so envious.”

“No wonder you’re not concerned about the private plots,” she added.

Tang Banxia paused, a tomato in hand. “Private plots? Even the educated youth get those?”

Sister-in-law Sun looked at her in surprise. “Of course—you didn’t know?”

Tang Banxia’s smile faded. “No one told me.”

Sister-in-law Sun regarded her sympathetically. “When you all first arrived, the team leader assigned each of you a private plot—one per person, and for your convenience, put them together.”

Tang Banxia continued picking tomatoes. “We’ve always just planted in the yard at the educated youth point. I thought we weren’t included.”

Sister-in-law Sun replied, “Everyone in the village gets a private plot. Planting in your yard is separate—it doesn’t count.”

Tang Banxia couldn’t help but laugh in exasperation. So that was it! Those people at the educated youth point were something else.

She tucked this matter away in her mind.

Just then, Song Yu’s voice called out, “Sister Tang!”

Tang Banxia stood up. “Song Yu?”

Grandma Song followed close behind. “Xiao Tang, I heard you’re harvesting vegetables, so I came to see if I could help.”

Tang Banxia stepped out of the garden. “Auntie Song, it’s too much trouble for you.”

“Not at all! I’m just idle at home, and it’s lively here. Isn’t that right, Li Bao?”

“Grandma’s right,” Song Yu nodded obediently, hanging on every word.

Grandma Song glanced at the people coming and going in the main room. “Xiao Tang, what’s going on?”

“Winter’s coming, and we don’t have a cellar yet,” Tang Banxia explained as she poured sweet water for the grandmother and grandson. “We’re using this free time to dig one, before the ground freezes and it gets too hard.”

Grandma Song nodded approvingly. “A cellar is a must. In winter, there are plenty of little thieves around. With a cellar, your grain will be safer.”

“There are thieves?” This was news to Tang Banxia.

Sister-in-law Sun chimed in, “Of course! Every winter, when the lazy folks run out of food, what else can they do but steal? They especially target small households. Xiao Tang, you and Comrade Wen should be careful.”

With just the two of them at home—and with Xiao Tang having money—they were exactly the sort of target those lazy thieves preferred.

Tang Banxia took their warnings to heart. “I understand.” She began considering whether she ought to gather some broken glass to embed atop the wall for extra defense.