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墨書 Inktalez
The next morning, Petrov braved the still-frosty spring breeze as he drove the tractor into the woods to chop down trees. Suzanna, now older, knew she wouldn’t have many more years of youth left. Within a couple of days, she climbed onto the tractor to join Petrov in the logging.
To the north of Xu Li's village, a plot of land had been designated for their efforts. Once they had enough timber, some of the village men—both old residents and newcomers—would lend a hand in building houses. When Anna gifted those female workers mobile phones, it was with the hope that they could seek new opportunities elsewhere. Many young people were eager to leave their pasts behind, including some bachelors from remote villages who were in desperate need of stable homes and partners who wouldn’t mind their humble beginnings.
Gradually, the female workers at the ranch began to open up emotionally and became lively again. With food, shelter, and wages provided, and considering their youth, they attracted many young men looking for companionship.
Starting this year, the ranch no longer sold beef in bulk; instead, it capitalized on its growing popularity by exporting its beef to China through online sales. The sweet corn used as primary feed on the ranch improved the quality of their beef cattle significantly, imparting a subtle corn flavor that made their beef highly sought after.
With profits rising, year-end bonuses were redistributed fairly, ensuring that those who had endured hardships alongside them would not suffer losses.
"Happy New Year, Brother Makarov!"
Daria and her friends arrived in the living room dressed in new clothes and carrying gifts. Xu Li greeted each of them with a warm hug: "Happy New Year, everyone!"
The female workers laughed as they settled onto the sofa, playing with their growing puppies. Anna and Eva brought over freshly brewed milk tea and joined in on the conversation.
Xu Li sat back on a chair, smiling as she enjoyed a cigarette. Now, only they remained unmarried in the village; even Yisha had found a kind-hearted man and started a family. He chuckled and asked them, "When do you all plan to get married?"
"We don’t want to marry; we just want to live together," Maria replied. She was the youngest among them at just twenty years old, followed closely by Daria at twenty-two. The other three were also in their twenties; all had been deeply hurt by men and feared repeating past mistakes.
"Then let’s have hot pot for lunch!" he said cheerfully as he got up to busy himself in the kitchen. Hearing the commotion, Da Hei limped over quietly and leaned against the cabinet watching Xu Li work while occasionally accepting pieces of smoked sausage offered to him.
Seeing Da Hei’s frail state made Xu Li’s heart ache slightly. She warmed up a bowl of milk for him and mixed in some dog food for him to enjoy slowly. Gathering her emotions, she prepared plates of meat and vegetables before boiling broth over high heat.
At noon, everyone gathered around happily for hot pot. Zhuo Ya ate her fill before dozing off again; she had chatted with Xu Li until past midnight under the influence of alcohol.
In the afternoon, there were tables set up for mahjong and card games in the living room while Xu Li wandered from house to house with packs of cigarettes. They planned to have a lively dinner later that evening to celebrate New Year’s Day.
Da Hei seemed to sense that New Year was a special occasion; it wasn’t until the afternoon after the celebrations that he lay down in his usual spot by the boiler room and closed his eyes forever. Anna and Eva wept inconsolably while Xu Li wiped her tears away and squatted beside Xiao Zhi, who rested his chin on her shoes as silent tears streamed down his face.
Xiao Zhi couldn’t believe Brother Da Hei was gone; he whined softly while licking Da Hei’s body until Large Dog called him away. Da Hei was buried at the edge of the yard where there were small mounds for Zheng Zheng, Xiao Hei, Da Huang, and Xiao Huang; he was laid to rest in a spot that had been reserved beforehand.
As time passed, the sorrow of losing Da Hei would eventually be swept away by the spring breeze!
“Dad, our new song is online!”
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