Chapter 26: Gathering Pigweed

Lin Jingyue climbed the mountain with a basket on her back and a sickle in her hand. The only people she met on the way were children; in the brigade, it was always the kids who gathered pigweed. Once you were over ten, you were considered half-grown and could already work in the fields to earn work points.

Lin Jingyue didn't feel embarrassed at all. She pulled out a few fruit candies. "Whoever shows me where to find pigweed gets a piece of candy."

Children had no resistance to sweets.

They all crowded around her at once. "Sister, do you really have candy?"

"You won't go back on your word?"

"Of course I won't," Lin Jingyue said, shaking the handful of candies. The wrappers were bright and colorful, very pretty.

Iron Egg tipped his head up. "Sister Lin, I know where the pigweed grows. I'll take you."

"You know me?" Lin Jingyue was a bit surprised.

"My grandma told me about you. My grandpa is the brigade leader."

Iron Egg was the eldest grandson of the brigade leader, eight years old this year. He didn't go to school either, spending his days hunting birds in the hills and fishing in the river.

"So it's you," Lin Jingyue said, ruffling his hair.

Taking the chance, Iron Egg led Lin Jingyue ahead, with the other children trailing behind.

"Sister Lin, we know where it is too!"

They all helped gather pigweed at home, so they knew the mountains well.

Following them, Lin Jingyue soon found a patch of pigweed. "You’re all wonderful. Here, everyone gets some."

There were five children; she gave each two candies. "Tell me about more places tomorrow."

"Yay, thank you, Sister Lin!" Iron Egg unwrapped a candy, popped it into his mouth, and grinned.

The other children followed suit, though one didn't eat his, instead carefully tucking it away.

Lin Jingyue didn't say anything about it.

"Alright, go play now, but don't wander too far," she said, squatting to cut the pigweed and reminding them.

The children didn't pay much mind to her warning.

"Sister Lin, we’ll help you," Iron Egg and another rather thin little boy came over.

"No need, go play," Lin Jingyue said, noticing the boy had licked his candy twice before wrapping it up again. She felt a pang in her heart.

Iron Egg didn't reply, simply squatting down and pulling pigweed. The other boy, Da Wa, shyly smiled at Lin Jingyue and helped too.

These two little ones...

Lin Jingyue couldn't help but laugh.

With their help, it took her only half an hour to fill the basket—enough for two work points.

She went to turn it in, then came back. The two little boys were still there, having already pulled another big pile for her.

"You two haven’t taken a break?"

"We’re not tired, Sister Lin," they replied sensibly.

"Alright then, let's go a bit faster. Later, I’ll treat you both to something delicious."

"Sister Lin, what is it?"

"You’ll see soon enough," Lin Jingyue teased.

Remembering the fruit candies she’d produced earlier, the two boys were full of anticipation.

When the basket was nearly full, Lin Jingyue straightened up. "Wait here, don’t wander off!"

With that, she headed into the forest.

"Iron Egg, Sister Lin’s gone into the deep woods. Will she be alright?" Da Wa asked nervously, watching her disappear.

"She should... be fine. I heard Sister Lin is amazing—she can kick a person flying!"

"Really?"

"Really."

In the mountains, Lin Jingyue had no idea that the two boys were idolizing her as if she were a legend.

"My luck really is good," she thought, spotting wild fowl tracks not far ahead. She’d originally planned to sneak a small chicken out from her own secret stash.

She gripped a stone, ready to pounce, but the wild chicken, panicked, flew right into her path.

Quick as lightning, Lin Jingyue grabbed it.

Perfect!

She looked around—no one in sight. Lin Jingyue entered her space with the wild chicken, where she had tools for cleaning it. She handled it in no time, filled her water flask, and came back out.

"Sister Lin, you’re finally back!" Seeing her, the two boys sighed in relief like little adults.

"I’m fine, no need to worry. It’s noon—come, I’ll treat you to roast wild chicken," she said, swinging the cleaned bird.

Iron Egg and Da Wa’s eyes lit up instantly—meat!

There was a small hillside next to the pigweed patch, which Lin Jingyue had already scouted out; it was quite secluded.

"Go gather firewood, quickly." She gave the two boys a gentle bop on the head.

They scampered off to collect wood. Before long, a fire was crackling, and the chicken was roasting above it. Lin Jingyue seasoned it with salt and soy sauce, and the color started to look delicious.

"Sister Lin, when can we eat?" Da Wa asked, swallowing hard.

He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had meat.

Even Iron Egg, whose family was better off, rarely ate meat at home.

"Don’t rush, it’ll be ready soon." Lin Jingyue sat by the fire, turning the spit.

Under the watchful eyes of three people, the wild chicken’s skin slowly turned golden, its sizzle mouthwatering.

At long last, the chicken was done. Lin Jingyue wrapped it in big leaves, tore off a drumstick for each boy.

"Sister Lin, we want the wings..."

"Wings are my favorite. Are you going to fight me for them?" Lin Jingyue glared at them playfully.

She wasn't lying—she really did prefer wings over drumsticks.

The two boys, moved to the verge of tears, wondered how anyone could not want the drumsticks. It had to be that Sister Lin wanted them to have the best. She was just too kind.

The three of them shared the wild chicken and were about seventy or eighty percent full. Lin Jingyue herself was only half full, but she could always eat again back home.

"Alright, time to go back. It’s getting late and I need to turn in the pigweed," she said, dousing the fire, covering it with earth, and making sure everything was tidy before shouldering her basket.

The two boys trailed behind her like shadows.

They turned in the pigweed together, and Lin Jingyue watched as the scorekeeper marked four work points for her before she left.

...

"Grandma, I ate meat today!" Da Wa exclaimed, rushing into the yard and tugging the old woman’s sleeve, his excitement overflowing.

Da Wa’s surname was Li. His father had died in an accident when he was three, and his mother had left to remarry a year later. That left him with only his grandparents for company. The old couple still had one son, but their daughter-in-law was not one to tolerate another’s child.

She refused to care for Da Wa, so life was always a struggle.

"Where did you get meat, Da Wa? You mustn’t get into trouble..."

"Grandma, I didn’t do anything wrong. It was Sister Lin from the Educated Youth Spot. She took Iron Egg and me, gave us candy, roasted wild chicken for us, and even gave us the drumsticks. Here, Grandma, have a candy," Da Wa said, pulling out the slightly melted candy he’d licked twice.

The old woman relaxed, feeling both relieved and gratified by Da Wa’s thoughtfulness. "Grandma doesn’t need it, Da Wa should eat it."

"Oh, and keep this to yourself. Don’t tell anyone else," the old woman added, remembering Lin Jingyue’s name. Her only impression had been that the girl was hot-tempered and quick to hit people, but now it seemed nothing of the sort.

By the way: It’s me who loves chicken wings!