Chapter 50

During the school break, Mingbei ran outside every day, completely carefree. He even wanted to drag Zhenzhen along to play at the hydrolysis plant. However, Zhenzhen had no interest in playing at the moment. Every day, after breakfast, she went up the mountain, came back at noon for a meal, and then returned to the mountains again. The children in the forest district town were always running wild outside, and Grandma Li knew that Zhenzhen had abilities to control plants and animals, so she wasn’t worried about her getting hurt in the mountains. Mingbei, on the other hand, was curious about what Zhenzhen was doing up there every day. But when Zhenzhen casually mentioned that she was training Dahuang, it scared him so much that he didn’t dare ask further.

Zhenzhen had no concept of woodworking, so even after days of assembling wooden planks, they remained planks instead of forming a box. She even dug up a large redwood box from the ground, emptied its contents, and still couldn’t figure out how it was made. Since making a box herself wasn’t realistic, Zhenzhen came up with another idea. She found a red pine tree and controlled it to grow into a towering tree with a diameter of over one meter. Then, she cut it into sections, creating wooden stumps.

Touching the one-meter-high wooden stumps, Zhenzhen couldn’t help but praise her own ingenuity. When the time came, she would simply hollow them out, and they would function as storage boxes. The wood she carved out could even be used as lids, ensuring nothing was wasted. With a casual pat, Zhenzhen controlled the stumps to sink into the ground. The thick soil automatically formed a sealed layer around them, preventing air and rainwater from seeping in.

With this long-standing problem solved, Zhenzhen felt much more at ease. In a flash, she teleported to a remote mountain stream between two mountains. A crystal-clear creek flowed through the area. She broke off some willow branches from a nearby tree and quickly wove a flower basket. Placing the basket by the creek, she tapped her fingers lightly, and large crayfish, each the size of a palm, crawled out of the water in an orderly line, climbing into the basket.

These crayfish closely resembled lobsters from the ocean but were much smaller. They were extremely sensitive to water quality, requiring crystal-clear streams to survive. Even the slightest pollution could kill them. In the Beicha region, this particular creek in the mountain stream had the purest water. Since ordinary people couldn’t find this place, the crayfish here were especially plump and large.

Once the basket was filled to the brim, Zhenzhen stopped and placed the woven lid over it. She secured it with willow twigs and even made a handle for easy carrying. Lifting the heavy basket, Zhenzhen almost drooled. Crayfish had a similar taste to small lobsters, and they were best enjoyed with lots of numbing spice and heat.

In this era, dried chili and Sichuan peppercorns were rare, only available in limited quantities during the New Year. Knowing this, Zhenzhen had already taken some chili seeds, Sichuan peppercorns, cumin seeds, and other spices from home. She found a spacious, flat area in the mountains and planted them. Once they sprouted, she let them grow freely, only using her abilities to accelerate their growth when she needed them. She would then claim she had found them wild in the mountains. Grandma Li and Wang Sufen were well aware of this trick but kept it a secret from Guihua and the other children.

Excited, Zhenzhen returned home. The moment Grandma Li saw the basket, she knew it contained more food. She hurried over to take it from Zhenzhen. As soon as she grabbed it, she felt the weight pulling her arm down. Alarmed, she quickly set it down and examined Zhenzhen’s hands carefully, afraid they had been hurt. She muttered, “How did you carry something this heavy back? Next time you go up the mountain, take your brother with you. We have a strong young man at home, why not make use of him? Let Grandma see if your hands got bruised.”

“It’s fine, Grandma. This weight is nothing to me,” Zhenzhen said, hugging Grandma Li’s arm and showing her soft, unblemished palms. Not a single mark was visible.

Holding Zhenzhen’s small hand, Grandma Li gently reminded her, “Even if you’re strong, you’re still a girl. Take care of yourself, whether at home or outside. Don’t do all the heavy work by yourself. If you want to eat something, take your fourth brother with you to the mountain. He could even carry a wild boar back for you.”

Zhenzhen burst into laughter. Hugging Grandma Li’s arm with one hand, she effortlessly lifted the flower basket with the other. “I’m just afraid that if my fourth brother saw a wild boar, his legs would go weak. Then I’d have to carry both the boar and him back home.”

She placed the basket of crayfish in the kitchen. Just then, Wang Sufen walked in from the vegetable garden, carrying a basin of freshly picked greens. She immediately noticed the basket and set the basin aside. Casually untying the willow twigs securing the lid, she asked, “What’s in here? Did you pick wild fruits again?”

Before she could finish speaking, the lid fell off, revealing a tightly packed mass of crayfish, their pincers waving fiercely. They were even trying to push out a cloth bag that had been placed on top of them.

Wang Sufen opened the bag and found it filled with red chilies and Sichuan peppercorns. She couldn’t help but laugh, “This strong aroma didn’t kill the crayfish?”

Zhenzhen chuckled sheepishly. “I was actually worried about that the whole way back. If they had died, they wouldn’t taste as good.”

Grandma Li fetched the largest enamel basin in the house, and together with Wang Sufen, poured all the crayfish into it, filling the basin to the brim. Seeing how big and plump they were, Grandma Li exclaimed in delight, “Goodness, these are huge! Where did you catch them?”

“Just by the mountain,” Zhenzhen answered vaguely. When it came to her abilities, for the sake of survival, she had only revealed her power over plants and animals to Grandma Li and Wang Sufen. As for her teleportation and out-of-body consciousness abilities, she kept them as her own little secrets, buried deep inside, never telling anyone.

The red pine forests in Beicha stretched endlessly, with many places left unexplored. Grandma Li didn’t press the matter further and simply brushed it off. Seeing that Wang Sufen was about to start cooking, she quickly pushed Zhenzhen toward her room. “You’ve been busy all morning. Go rest your legs and listen to the radio for a bit. Your mom just washed a bowl of fresh tomatoes and tender cucumbers for you. Go have some.”

Zhenzhen agreed, walking out while calling back to Wang Sufen, “Mom, add lots of chilies and Sichuan peppercorns. Make it extra flavorful!”

Wang Sufen gave her a helpless look. “You’re just a child, but you eat spicy food better than grown men.”

Zhenzhen grinned. “Spicy food tastes the best!”

Because they were making spicy crayfish for lunch, the meal was delayed by half an hour. But the moment the kitchen door opened and the rich, spicy fragrance wafted out, Zhenzhen felt that the wait had been completely worth it.

A large, oily basin of bright red crayfish was placed on the table. Zhenzhen eagerly grabbed one, pinched off the head, pulled out the plump, tender meat soaked in spicy sauce, and popped it into her mouth. She then licked her fingers, savoring the lingering spicy flavor—pure bliss.

She kept peeling and eating, and in no time, a pile of crayfish shells had accumulated in front of her. Grandma Li, worried that eating too much spice would upset her stomach, kept feeding her vegetables and stuffing flatbread into her mouth.

Mingbei had gone out far that day and returned home later than usual. After washing his hands in the yard, he went to the kitchen looking for leftovers. As soon as he stepped inside, he heard Grandma Li say, “Is it too spicy? Let Grandma feed you some porridge.”

Smelling the rich, spicy aroma, Mingbei’s eyes lit up. He rushed inside and was shocked by the mountain of crayfish shells in front of Zhenzhen. “You caught crayfish today? You should’ve told me! I’m great at catching these!” He reached for one, but Wang Sufen smacked his hand away.

“Go get a bowl first,” she said, gesturing to the cluttered table.

Zhenzhen, having already eaten half the basin, let out a satisfied burp, licked her fingers, and sighed regretfully, “I still haven’t had enough, but my stomach is too small.”

“If you haven’t eaten enough, you can have more tomorrow. There’s still a whole pot left to make.” Wang Sufen hurriedly spoke, afraid that she might eat too much and upset her stomach. “Go wash your hands quickly and drink some cornmeal porridge.”

Zhenzhen hiccupped while shaking her head. “No, I can’t eat anymore. I need to walk around the yard twice. I’ll eat more after I make some room in my stomach later.”

As they spoke, Mingbei grabbed a crayfish and, without even peeling it, impatiently stuffed it into his mouth. The numbing and spicy broth coated every taste bud on his tongue, making him grimace and stick out his tongue, gasping for air as he eagerly pulled the meat from the shell and stuffed it into his mouth. “Mom, this time you made it really well! The flavors are just right. The crayfish stew from two years ago with tofu wasn’t as good as this.”

“Your sister told me to make it this way. She even picked a bunch of wild chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns from the mountains. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have added so much.” Wang Sufen looked at the bright red crayfish and shook her head. “These wild ones are way stronger than the ones we grow. You don’t know how much I choked while cooking them. I almost regretted adding so many. I’ll have to use less next time.”

“Don’t do that, Mom!” Mingbei quickly protested. “Make it exactly like this tomorrow! This flavor is the best.”

Zhenzhen, leaning against Grandma Li, nodded repeatedly and even added, “A little more Sichuan peppercorns too. My tongue isn’t numb enough.”

“You little troublemaker.” Wang Sufen chuckled, giving Zhenzhen a glance while tidying up the table. She didn’t forget to remind Mingbei, “Save some for your dad. Let him have it with his drink tonight.”

After eating the spicy crayfish, Zhenzhen lay on the kang and started thinking about spicy shrimp and spicy crab. However, the crabs weren’t fat enough yet; they’d have to wait until autumn. There were plenty of shrimp, though, so she’d go catch some later.

Satisfied and full, Zhenzhen lay on the kang, not wanting to think about anything. She yawned, and her body quickly fell into a deep sleep. However, her consciousness remained awake, so she took the opportunity to scout out a densely populated big city.

As she grew older over the years, Zhenzhen became more skilled at controlling her consciousness. Even when projecting her awareness a thousand miles away, she could return to her body in just a second. So when it was inconvenient to travel far physically, sending her consciousness ahead to explore was the best method.

The first city she visited was still the familiar Ice City. Over a hundred years ago, Ice City had already been an important transportation hub and a key logistics center, fostering an exceptionally prosperous local economy and producing many great capitalists and merchants.

Unlike the peaceful and quiet Beicha, Ice City had already begun various political movements. Zhenzhen quickly shifted her focus to the city’s luxury residential district. The once lively courtyards that used to play phonograph records all day were now eerily silent. She lightly landed on a house facing the street.

The house belonged to the Meng family, an elderly couple in their fifties or sixties. Inside, there was also a man in his thirties—judging by their conversation, he was their youngest son.

The elegant and dignified Madam Meng sat on the sofa in a qipao, her face full of anxiety. “I heard that Zhang Xiuming’s family has already been raided, and he was dragged to the streets for public humiliation. At this rate, it will be our turn sooner or later. Lao Meng, you need to think of something! Should we try to get someone to speak on our behalf to the government?”

Mr. Meng furrowed his brows tightly, sitting on a brown leather sofa. Agitated, he took a puff of his cigar and spoke irritably. “You think Zhang Xiuming didn’t try? It was useless. To tell you the truth, if he hadn’t tried, he might not have been the first to go.”

“Then what do we do?” Madam Meng stood up, pacing anxiously around the room. “Are we supposed to flee?”

“There’s no other way. We have to take a ship to Hong Kong.” Mr. Meng pressed his cigar into the ashtray. “Hurry up and pack. See how much gold we still have. Gather all the jewelry, antiques, and calligraphy. I’ll find someone willing to buy them, even if we have to sell at a loss. We need to convert everything into gold.”

“We’re just abandoning the factory?” Madam Meng’s heart ached as she teared up. “All our assets are tied up in it.”

Mr. Meng sighed helplessly. “At this point, survival is all that matters.”

Their youngest son, Meng Fansheng, immediately stood up to agree. “Dad is right. Train tickets to Tianjin will probably be hard to get. Why don’t we drive there instead?”

Mr. Meng nodded. “Go tell Wanru to pack up too. Forget all the miscellaneous things—just take the valuables.”

Meng Fansheng acknowledged and hurried off, with the Meng family’s butler following closely behind, locking the front door in a hurry, afraid that someone might barge in.

Madam Meng had already started packing. She couldn’t bear to leave behind any of her exquisite qipaos or beautiful jewelry. Mr. Meng went to the study and began removing antique paintings from the walls and artifacts from the shelves, handling each one carefully before placing them in individual boxes. His face was full of sorrow.

Zhenzhen’s own wealth was substantial, but figuring out how to secretly exchange it with Mr. Meng was a problem. She was just a child—whether he would trust her was another issue. Both sides were taking risks. In her past life, Zhenzhen had been just an ordinary student, never having to think beyond her studies. Faced with this challenge, she had no immediate solution. Scratching her head, she decided she would bring the gold first and figure things out later.

Mr. Meng lived in a wealthy neighborhood that had existed since before the founding of the country. The environment was beautiful, and the location was excellent. Zhenzhen circled around the Meng family residence twice and found a small wooded area not far away. Although it wasn’t very large, it was more secluded and quiet compared to other places.

Returning to her body, Zhenzhen opened her eyes and glanced at the clock on the cabinet. It was just three in the afternoon. She quickly got out of bed. Wang Sufen was in the courtyard doing laundry. Seeing Zhenzhen preparing to go out again, she couldn’t help but feel a headache. “You’re always running off somewhere. Where are you headed this time?”

“My stomach feels bloated from eating too much, so I’m going for a run.” As she passed by Wang Sufen, Zhenzhen kissed her on the cheek. “I’ll bring you some wildflowers when I come back.”

Wang Sufen was both amused and exasperated. “I’m too old to be carrying around flowers. Don’t bring me useless stuff.”

“Then I’ll bring something useful for Mom.” Zhenzhen grinned and wrapped her arms around Wang Sufen’s neck, whispering in her ear, “I planted a whole field of cotton in the mountains.”

“Really?” Wang Sufen was instantly overjoyed. The cotton ration tickets Li Muwu received each year were limited. Over the years, only when Mingdong and Guihua got married did they make new cotton-padded jackets, and aside from Zhenzhen’s thick winter coat, the rest of the family’s jackets were seven or eight years old. The cotton inside was pressed as hard as a pancake, and they didn’t even dare to have it fluffed for fear it would fall apart and leave them with nothing.

Hearing that Zhenzhen had planted cotton, Wang Sufen immediately imagined a vast field of cotton, with snow-white bolls swaying under the sunlight. The thought was simply too beautiful.

She quickly wiped her wet hands on her clothes and pulled Zhenzhen aside, lowering her voice. “Where did you get the cotton seeds? How much did you plant?”

Zhenzhen had, of course, stolen the seeds from a farm that grew cotton. When she noticed how old the family’s jackets were, she had been determined to plant cotton. It took her a while to find a farm where she could get the seeds. She skipped over the details and winked at Wang Sufen. “Mom still doesn’t know my skills? I can get as much as I want. Just hurry up and talk to Grandma to figure out an excuse. Once we have a plan, I can secretly bring the cotton home.”

Hearing this, Wang Sufen immediately forgot about everything else, even her laundry. She tiptoed into the east room to check if Grandma Li was awake. Grandma Li usually just rested with her eyes closed in the afternoon rather than truly sleeping. When Wang Sufen first entered, Grandma Li remained silent with her eyes shut, but after Wang Sufen opened the door eight times in five minutes, she finally couldn’t take it anymore. She sat up, frowning. “Is the house on fire or something? Can’t it wait until I get up? You’ve interrupted my rest with all your coming and going.”

Wang Sufen wasn’t the least bit annoyed. Instead, she rubbed her hands together sheepishly. “I couldn’t hold it in.”

Having lived with Wang Sufen for over twenty years, Grandma Li knew her personality well. She was usually quiet and hardworking, not much of a talker. If something had excited her this much, it had to be a big deal.

Grandma Li picked up her tobacco pipe and stuffed it with some tobacco. “Go get me a cup of water, then get on the bed and talk.”

Wang Sufen quickly responded and soon brought her a cup of warm water. Grandma Li had just taken a gulp when Wang Sufen blurted out, “Mom, Zhenzhen planted a whole field of cotton!”

“Poof—” Grandma Li choked, spitting water all over Wang Sufen. Wang Sufen, now drenched, didn’t even care. She quickly helped pat Grandma Li’s back.

Finally catching her breath, Grandma Li pushed Wang Sufen away in exasperation. “Couldn’t you have waited until I finished drinking? Look how you made me choke!”

Wang Sufen just giggled foolishly. “I couldn’t hold it in.”

Seeing her silly, wet expression, Grandma Li was amused and waved her hand. “Go change your clothes and then tell me the details.” Striking a match to light her pipe, she suddenly realized she hadn’t seen Zhenzhen. “Where’s Zhenzhen?”

“She went out to play.” Wang Sufen changed into dry clothes and quickly returned to sit on Grandma Li’s bed. “Zhenzhen said she planted a huge field, as much as we need. She just doesn’t know how to bring it home and asked you to think of an excuse.”

Grandma Li took a puff from her pipe, her expression turning thoughtful. “We won’t change the cotton quilts this year. They can last another year. When Guihua goes to Dongzi’s place, we’ll use that opportunity to swap out all the quilts for new ones.”

“Then should we make cotton-padded jackets this year?” Wang Sufen asked expectantly. It wasn’t that she was greedy for new clothes—she was nearly fifty and had long outgrown such desires. It was just that her old jacket and pants were truly falling apart.

“We’ll make them for everyone.” Grandma Li considered for a moment before saying, “If necessary, we’ll have Muwu go out of town and claim he bought them. Who’s going to fact-check that?”

Wang Sufen hesitated before voicing her concern. “Even if no one checks, wouldn’t people like Guihua and others start wondering where all this cotton came from?”

“Wonder about what?” Grandma Li chuckled. “Silly daughter-in-law, I’ll tell you—our Zhenzhen’s skills are beyond anyone’s imagination. Take the wild vegetables growing near our pigpen, for example. They sprout endlessly, even lusher than those in the mountains. Has anyone questioned it?”

Wang Sufen shook her head. Grandma Li slapped her thigh and laughed. “Exactly. They all assume our soil is just better. Remember that year when a wild yellow sheep practically delivered itself to our doorstep? The neighbors all saw it but couldn’t figure out why. All they could do was envy our good fortune. So, Dongzi’s mother, don’t worry. Our job is just to come up with excuses for bringing things home. You don’t need to stress about anything else.”

Wang Sufen laughed. “You’re right. Even if people find it odd, they won’t figure it out. If anyone starts saying weird things, I’ll just claim I was possessed by a spirit and see what they do.”

“If anyone dares say that, I’ll call them superstitious and see if they get scared or if we do.” The two women grinned, completely at ease.

The more Wang Sufen thought about it, the better she felt about the plan. She suddenly turned and got off the bed. “I can’t wait until tonight. I’m going to call Dongzi’s father right now and tell him about this.”

Grandma Li shook her head helplessly. “Go ahead, go ahead. You really can’t keep a secret. You always get too excited about good things.”

Meanwhile, Zhenzhen was in the mountains, digging up gold bars she had buried. She had no idea how much antique paintings and calligraphy were worth nowadays, but just to be safe, she packed twenty large gold bars into two cloth bags. Each bar weighed sixteen taels. She figured that with twenty gold bars, she’d have more than enough to buy antiques from several different families.

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Author’s Note:

1. There are two types of crayfish: water crayfish and land crayfish. Water crayfish look and taste similar to small lobsters. Land crayfish, however, are insects and not edible. Water crayfish belong to the shrimp family and require very clean water to survive. They are incredibly delicious. Personally, I don’t have much experience with them, but before the internet became popular, my mom always believed that small lobsters were just water crayfish.
2. Time to use gold to buy antiques! So many treasures were destroyed in that era—just thinking about it makes my heart ache. If only I could save them all. My own intelligence might not be top-notch, but I’ve carefully thought through many plot details.