“I’ll just end up embroidering two little ducks.”
Lu Liu said, “No one else sees it. If you call them mandarin ducks, they’re mandarin ducks.”
Before Yao Fulang got pregnant, he always bought new clothes for the New Year—he liked to look stylish. If Lu Liu said a few more words, he would just laugh and agree.
“When I finish embroidering it, I’ll wear it for you to see.”
Lu Liu grinned so much he could barely contain himself. “Why show it to me? That’s so embarrassing!”
Yao Fulang exclaimed again, “Hey, hey! Who just took their clothes off!”
Lu Liu had already put on the bellyband; he didn’t admit it.
Yao Fulang wanted to rip it off him anyway.
He spoke so bluntly that Lu Liu sheepishly admitted it, then added, “It really looks nice. Such a small piece of fabric, barely enough to cover the body, and it makes the skin look so fair.”
Yao Fulang knew he genuinely liked it.
“Our regular clothes are too tight. Within months, they get hot. Look at those men—they wear sleeveless jackets, leave every button undone, and even from a distance, they look cool. Why can’t we dress like that?”
Lu Liu nodded. “We can sleep like that—cool at night, and get a good rest.”
Hearing this, Yao Fulang’s heart stirred. “Then I won’t make a bellyband. I’ll make a sleeveless jacket with short pants, just for sleeping.”
Lu Liu frowned. “You just said you’d wear the finished bellyband for me to see.”
Yao Fulang whined playfully, “Yeah, I’ll wear it when it’s done. Just wait!”
Lu Liu rolled his eyes but didn’t mind—it was harmless fun to be a little mischievous.
That evening, when Li Feng returned from the drying yard, Lu Liu whispered, “Da Feng, once I finish embroidering the bellyband, I’ll wear it for you to see.”
Li Feng glanced sideways. “I’ve already seen it.”
Lu Liu blinked, a little embarrassed.
He had copied the design exactly, without adjusting for reality. Now what?
Seeing his blank expression, Li Feng reached out and rubbed his face. “You said you were learning to be naughty from me. Think again—who are you really learning from?”
Lu Liu chuckled, let the topic slide, and took him to the kitchen to make stuffed pancakes.
At home, pig lard crackling pancakes depended on circumstances. If ingredients were scarce, they’d mix vegetable filling with a bit of crackling for flavor. If ingredients were plentiful, they could make scallion-lard pancakes—thin, filled with crackling and scallions, brushed with a bit of lard on the outside, fried until crispy. They were irresistible.
That night, Lu Liu made twenty thin pancakes. Li Feng alone ate seven, washed down with a bowl of noodle soup.
Lu Liu and Chen Guizhi each had two pancakes and half a bowl of noodle soup. Any extras were taken to Yao Fulang and Chen Jiu when they went out.
That evening, the two of them sat at Chen Jiu’s, chatting.
Chen Jiu was close to giving birth, feeling anxious. He had a stubborn streak and didn’t talk about it with anyone. Lu Liu sat beside him a while and said, “Yao Fulang had a smooth birth, and yours will be fine too. Both babies will come when they’re ready. Keep the pregnancy healthy, follow the doctor’s advice, don’t be lazy, don’t fear exertion—move when you should. That way, delivery will go smoothly.”
Chen Jiu still insisted he wasn’t afraid. Lu Liu said, “If you’re scared, tell me. I’ll teach you what to do.”
Chen Jiu pressed his lips together and admitted he was scared.
Lu Liu smiled. “The more afraid you are, the more you need to talk about it. If you’re too embarrassed to tell us, tell Wang Meng. Afraid of pain or afraid of giving birth to a boy? Afraid of complications or being laughed at afterward? I heard the workshop is empty—are you anxious? Listen, it’s all fine. Nothing needs to be rushed. If you’re really worried, have Wang Meng help. Don’t bottle it up. If your heart feels heavy, your belly feels heavy. This month, everything feels tense, heavy, uncomfortable. Be honest; no one will laugh at you.”
Chen Jiu listened carefully, nodded, and asked, “You guys are leaving for the prefecture soon?”
Lu Liu said, “Everything at home is settled. Da Feng will move some luggage over these days, and when the children are older, I’ll go too.”
Chen Jiu felt reluctant. “Then no one will talk to me anymore.”
Lu Liu was puzzled. “I don’t like you, so why worry about me?”
Chen Jiu said, “If everyone who didn’t like me acted like you, I wouldn’t want anyone to like me. You have no bad intentions, being around you feels comfortable.”
Lu Liu said, “Brother An has no bad intentions either—you can hang out with him.”
Chen Jiu shook his head.
“Wherever you are, interact with the people there. When I go to the county, I’ll see him less. He can’t provoke me, I can’t snap at him—it’s fine for everyone.”
Lu Liu knew who was in the county. “Then play with Xiao He—you’re from the same village.”
Chen Jiu nodded after a while, asking, “Do you think the county is nice?”
Lu Liu said, “I think it’s nice because my brother is there. Now that he’s gone to the prefecture, the county feels just… okay.”
Not wanting him to overthink, Lu Liu handed him a pancake. “Here, scallion-lard pancake. So fragrant and delicious.”
Chen Jiu took a bite, telling Lu Liu, “I don’t have many friends—wherever I go is the same. Wang Meng said I want to go to the county, but he doesn’t know what I really want. I don’t want to go to the county; I want to be respected.”
Lu Liu didn’t understand. “No one looks down on you.”
Chen Jiu said, “Yes, they point fingers, gossip. For a long time, I kept my distance, like living under their eyes. If someone looked at me twice, I’d snap back. Only when I treated you the same way did I realize it’s jealousy. No one looks down on me—they’re just jealous, like I’m jealous of you.”
Lu Liu heard this for the first time, unaware of the backstory. It made him feel heavy-hearted.
He had always envied children with plenty of food and clothing. If Chen Jiu was from the same village, he would have envied him the most—he had been spoiled by his family.
But such a child, spoiled from birth, was almost ruined by jealousy.
Lu Liu didn’t ask about the past. He said, “When you go out for walks and chats, you’ll hear people gossip. Every little argument can pull up ancestors’ deeds and drag them through the mud. But people still live fine. Keep your heart at home, take two ears outside. Listen, then forget. Don’t take it seriously.”
Chen Jiu had never heard of “keeping your heart at home.” He asked how to do that.
Lu Liu said, “Focus on home, think about how to live well. When home is smooth, life is comfortable—you won’t waste energy on others.”
Chen Jiu understood. Eyes fixed on the outside, he couldn’t enjoy the present.
Lu Liu added a few words, then left.
Chen Jiu held his hand, only letting go when Lu Liu looked back.
Seeing him like that, Lu Liu thought again of his brother’s words—he had a priceless ability.
Leaving the house, Lu Liu spoke a few words to Wang Meng.
“Don’t keep busy for no reason. Spend more time with him. If he says you’re annoying, he actually likes you.”
Wang Meng asked, “What did he say?”
Lu Liu opened his eyes wide and lied, “He has you in his heart.”
Wang Meng was grinning like a fool.
Outside, Li Feng asked Lu Liu, “Jiu Ge’er didn’t actually say that, did he?”
Lu Liu said, “My brother says words need skill—especially passing messages. I’m doing it for their own good.”
Li Feng’s chest ached a little seeing Lu Liu talk about Lu Yang constantly.
“How much of what I tell you do you remember?”
Lu Liu said, “Remembered to eat chicken.”
Li Feng laughed like a fool too.
His laughter was different from Wang Meng’s—it was genuine amusement.
Lu Liu straightened his back, lifted his chin, and asked Li Feng, “Did I cheer you up? I’m still very pleasant to listen to!”
Li Feng laughed again.
They walked on the mountain path under the starry night.
Rain and snow had washed it several times, leaving stones protruding above the mud, making the path uneven. Walking over them, their feet ached and stung. Lifting their feet quickly, then lingering, they felt a sharp, satisfying ache.
