November 1, evening.
In Xue Yuantong's kitchen, the incandescent lamp gave off a pale yellow glow, illuminating the entire room.
The wood in the stove beside them had not fully gone out. As the remaining logs burned, they occasionally crackled. A distinctive woody fragrance mingled with the smoke from the earthen stove, giving off a faint, natural scent.
Xue Chuchu picked up the bowls. "More rice?"
Jiang Ning and Xue Yuantong said at the same time, "Another bowl!"
Xue Chuchu rose lightly to her feet and accepted their bowls with both hands. Her hair swayed gently with her movements, complementing her graceful figure. She looked like a virtuous young wife.
There were two dishes on the table: Stir-fried Razor Clams with Scallions and Ginger, and a plate of Eggplant with Minced Meat that went wonderfully with rice. There were also crisp, pan-fried Unleavened Flatbreads in the Steamed Bun Basket.
They were halfway through the meal, and Xue Yuantong had already finished her third bowl of Pumpkin Soup.
Jiang Ning reached out with his chopsticks, aiming for the razor clams on the plate.
The first time he had eaten razor clams was, he remembered, when he was in fifth grade and had gone to the coastal city where his parents worked.
Most left-behind children from the Central Region were like him. They stayed in their hometowns for school, then, during long holidays, if circumstances allowed, went to wherever their parents worked for a month or two before returning to school.
Jiang Ning had grown up in the countryside, where there were not many places in town that sold seafood. Things like razor clams were truly rare.
But there had been plenty in that coastal city. He remembered waiting for his mother to get off work that afternoon, then going with her