Chapter 125: Sour Noodles and Waiting by the Tree for the Wild Goose

The film ended, and the two of them walked out of the cinema side by side. Han Li was quite unhappy with the current situation. At home, they only had to dodge Yun Jingjing to share a few intimate moments, but here, they had to hide from the crowds filling the streets.

However, Yun Yingying’s mindset was a bit different; her face was currently filled with a happy smile. Han Li sighed inwardly, glanced at his watch, and said, "It's half past eleven. Should we go eat now, or keep walking around?"

"Let's eat. After that, we can meet up with my sister and the others. But we've been eating mutton for two days, so I want something light today."

"Keep your voice down, or you might get hit if someone hears you. But for something light, I do know of a local delicacy. With the current temperature, it should be fine to eat. It’s an alternative that rivals the douzhi (fermented mung bean milk) of our Sijiucheng. How about it? Interested in trying it?"

Upon hearing this, Yun Yingying nodded eagerly and asked what it was.

Han Li replied, "You'll see when we get there."

The two eventually arrived at an inconspicuous restaurant. It was a state-run establishment, but the patrons were down-to-earth types. There were no stir-fry dishes here, only suantangzi (sour soup noodles) and cornmeal cakes.

"Comrade, please give us two bowls of suantangzi and six cornmeal cakes."

After paying, Han Li took Yun Yingying to find a seat and whispered to her about the dish. This suantangzi—also known as zhatiao, tangtiao, or smelly-zhao—had a long history. It was said that during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor in the previous dynasty, corn was introduced to the Northeast, and the Manchu people began planting it on a large scale.

One year, a great flood submerged the cornfields. Although they were Manchu and entitled to imperial rations, they were at the lowest social rung, and the meager silver provided by those above was not enough to fill their families' bellies. So, they picked up the water-soaked corn cobs. Being nomadic, they didn't know how to dry them, so they threw them into large vats to store. After a few days, when they opened the vats, a pungent, sour, rotten smell hit them. Throwing the corn away meant the family would starve, so they tried scooping out the soaked corn, washing it in clear water, and simply mashing it into dough. They boiled a little to taste, and the flavor immediately conquered them. That was the origin of the early suantangzi. Later, the Manchu people improved the production process, step by step, until it became what it was today.

At home, people usually squeezed the dough through the webbing between their thumb and index finger to form noodles, but because of the high volume of customers at the restaurant, they used a noodle-pressing machine. As for the broth, the most common varieties were eggplant, tofu, spicy string bean, or various pickled vegetable bases.

Following Han Li’s recommendation, Yun Yingying chose the spicy string bean broth. The moment she took a bite, a sour and spicy sensation hit her, instantly whetting her appetite. The suantangzi was perfect for cleansing the palate of grease, and Yun Yingying found the meal thoroughly satisfying.

The two left the restaurant feeling content and then went to the supply and marketing cooperative to stock up on daily necessities. Once everything was finished, they headed to the meeting point.

However, when they arrived, they found Yang Xiuying sitting by the roadside, tears streaming down her face. The others were trying to comfort her, but everyone except Qi Zhaodi looked distressed.

"What happened to Yang Xiuying? What’s going on with everyone?"

Hao Hongmin sighed and said, "Just now, while we were eating, some people sitting nearby were on a blind date. The matchmaker said something that triggered all the emotions she’s been bottling up lately."

Han Li asked in confusion, "Yang Xiuying didn't cry during the autumn harvest. What did they say that had such a powerful effect?"

"The matchmaker said: 'The department store and supply cooperative girls are the cream of the crop, the vegetable company girls are like bean dregs, the food company girls are like fierce she-devils, and the sent-down educated youth are just dirt clods.'"

Hao Hongmin explained, "I know this best. Xiuying often says that back home, she could buy anything she wanted from the store—whether it was biscuits in tin cans, fruit candies, milk candies, new clothes, or floral dresses—all it took was a little walking. After coming here, she has to work in the fields every day; her face is tanned, her hands are rough, and her whole body aches. Even to buy something decent, she has to travel thirty or forty miles, and that's assuming they even have the goods. Xiuying is exhausted, misses her family, and is terrified of the unknown future. That person’s words just lit the fuse."

If someone were bullying them, Han Li could lead them to fight back, but in this situation on the side of the road, there wasn't much he could do.

"Look, regarding this issue, haven't I said before? Why does the state require everyone to stay in the countryside for two years to qualify for factory work? Why do you need three years to be eligible for university nominations? It shows that the country’s development and construction still need us young people who are willing to work hard. So, whenever you have time, read more books and prepare yourselves. Believe me, if you are gold, you will shine eventually. As for getting tanned, that's not a big problem. We are about to face at least five months of 'winter hibernation'; that much time will definitely bleach you white again—maybe even whiter than before."

Han Li’s rambling nonsense actually stopped Yang Xiuying’s sobbing. She stood up, wiped her tears, and brushed the dirt off her pants. "Sorry everyone, I don't know what came over me. I just couldn't control those feelings."

"It's fine, don't worry about it."

"Exactly. Next time you miss home or feel down, just say it out loud."

"Though next time you want to cry, it’s best to do it in our room so you won't have an audience."

With everyone chiming in, the incident passed. However, no one was in the mood to continue walking, so they decided to head home to rest. By the time they returned to Shanghe Village, it was still early, but everyone was in low spirits. Even the Yun sisters looked the same, so everyone went their separate ways.

Back home, Han Li teased his few half-breed wolves for a while, then grabbed his basket, shouldered a shovel, and led them out to the fields. It was better to collect more grain during this time; otherwise, leaving it in the vole holes would just benefit those pests.

The grain he brought back was very useful; he could trade it for tofu or sunflower seeds. Han Li hadn't planted sunflowers in his yard this year, but the villagers had them planted in front of and behind their houses. Most villagers were reluctant to eat them, saving the seeds to roast for guests as the New Year approached. Only the little brats in the families would steal a handful, whether raw or roasted, eating them while showing off to their friends and sharing a few.

There were a few other snacks essential for "winter hibernation" locally, which Han Li had learned about yesterday while digging up vole holes. These three items were one of the motivations for the children to dig for voles—it was all about their future snacks.

One was "corn mutes"—small, underdeveloped corn kernels picked out and stir-fried in a pot, often with a bit of saccharin added. Another was roasted soybeans, made the same way as the corn, though usually without saccharin. Once the roasted corn and soybeans were ready, the children would fill their pockets with a handful, eating as they walked and sharing with their friends.

If they encountered someone with a hand-cranked popcorn popper, the villagers would also bring some of the children's "spoils" to be processed. Sorghum, soybeans, and broken corn kernels could all be puffed this way. However, these items tended to get damp easily after processing, and given the conditions of the era, they couldn't be stored long and were quickly eaten by the families.

As Han Li walked through the fields, his spiritual sense searched for vole holes filled with grain. Once the wolves saw Han Li dig up grain, they knew exactly what to do, each of them busily hunting for holes.

During the process, they even killed a few voles and brought them to Han Li.

Not long after, Han Li had already gained a significant harvest. Just then, he saw Zhang Xiangjun lying motionless in a field in the distance. Thinking he might be dead, Han Li dropped his snake-skin bag and ran toward him, shouting, "Zhang Xiangjun, are you okay?"

Suddenly, Zhang Xiangjun sat up abruptly, as if rising from the dead, and looked at Han Li with regret. "I'm fine, but you scared away my wild goose. You have to buy me a drink tonight."

"What the hell? Your goose? Where is it?"

Zhang Xiangjun pointed to the sky, where flocks of wild geese were flying south over the fields for the winter.

"Stop joking. I know we are all successors of the revolution, but you can't just claim the wild geese flying in the sky as yours."

Hearing this, Zhang Xiangjun burst into laughter. He then reached into the grass nearby and pulled out a wild goose. He explained why he was doing this: when he dug for voles alone, he would only collect the grain piled on the ground after clearing the entire hole. During this process, some wild geese seemed foolish enough to land and start eating the grain he had dug up, completely ignoring him. Zhang Xiangjun took a swing at them with his shovel and managed to knock one down.

This gave him an idea: whenever he was tired from digging, he would deliberately scatter some corn kernels around. He would then lie motionless in the grass, gripping his shovel, waiting for the geese to land and eat again.

"Those geese are organized and disciplined. You were lucky to catch one, but what you’re doing now is just waiting for a rabbit to hit a stump."

Zhang Xiangjun replied, "I know that, but I need to rest anyway. What if another couple of stupid geese show up?"