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Chapter 133: The Night Banquet
The sky over the Loess Plateau was a deep blue, especially at night, where it transformed into an ink-black canvas adorned with twinkling stars and a bright moon. From a high vantage point, the village below revealed scattered flickers of firelight. The night breeze rustled through the leaves, stirring up the dust from the ground, which danced higher and then settled back down. Many farmers kept dogs, but by midnight, even the dogs had long since fallen asleep, leaving only the occasional howl of the wind.
In Xiao Tian Village under the night sky, some people had already drifted into a deep slumber, while others seemed less inclined to rest.
The Old Shepherd lived in a cave dwelling at the edge of the village. Besides a relatively large courtyard, he had one main room and two side rooms, each divided into two sections for living quarters. Ming Junwei and his companions followed the Old Shepherd back home. Without much conversation, he opened the wooden doors to the side rooms and invited everyone to settle in.
The cave dwelling was remarkably clean—so clean that it was hard to believe it belonged to a solitary old man, especially one who had a zombie son to care for.
The side rooms lacked a large stove; upon entering, there was a straight corridor with two archways on either side. Inside, against the walls were earthen kang beds, with small stoves made of yellow clay beside them. The Loess Plateau was chilly in the mornings and evenings; during this season, it was essential to light a fire on the kang beds to avoid getting sick while sleeping. Jia Laohan pointed out where the firewood was stored and stepped outside after calling out twice. Inside the main room, there were sounds of clattering pots and pans as he seemed to be preparing a meal. After some discussion, they decided that three men and three women would share one room for mutual support. Thus, Cao Liang, Xiaomi, Xiao Wei, An Zheng, Su Lan, and Zeng Yadong settled into one room while the others occupied another. Each side room housed three people, providing ample space.
Jia Laohan's cave dwelling was made of earth; it was naturally excavated and polished without any plaster or tiles. An electric wire hung from the arched ceiling with a non-functioning light bulb dangling below. A kerosene lamp sat on the stove; when lit, its small flame cast a dim glow throughout the cave dwelling.
On the wall beside the kang bed were pictures—on either side hung images of wealth-bringing deities. Near the entrance were some yellowed certificates and educational illustrations meant for teaching reading and phonetics. The dates on these certificates were faded; the handwriting was barely legible but included phrases like "Three Good Students," likely relics from Jia Laohan's son's childhood. Additionally, several old wooden stools stood by the window, with a folding table against the wall. On the windowsill were several potted green plants whose names were unknown but thrived vibrantly.
After both groups thoroughly checked inside and out for anything unusual, they finally felt somewhat reassured and collectively entered Jia Laohan's main cave dwelling.
The main room was slightly larger than the side rooms; upon entering, it felt spacious. There was a large stove and enough space for dining as well. A big elm wood round table occupied one side of the stove area, with water jars and bags of fertilizer leaning against the wall. Two pots—one large and one small—bubbled away on the stove; it was unclear what delicious dish Jia Laohan was concocting.
"Old man, let me help you," Ming Junwei said. Although they still harbored some reservations, it felt inappropriate for a group of young people to wait around while an elderly man cooked alone. Some had already taken seats in the courtyard while others settled in; feeling somewhat embarrassed, Ming Junwei approached the stove to lend a hand with dinner preparations.
The old man kept his smoking pipe close as he chuckled and waved his hands dismissively while speaking Mandarin laced with dialect: "Young folks should sit down; I can manage just fine. Are there any dietary restrictions among you ladies?"
"No, no, let's keep it simple," An Zheng said. A few women wanted to help, but the space in front of the stove was so small, and with the dim candlelight, it was easy to trip over the firewood and create more chaos.
Wheat sat on a small stool without moving, resting her chin on her hands, her eyes fixed intently on the small opening in the main kiln. The door latch was wrapped several times with iron chains and secured with a large lock.
"Xiaomi, is that thing in there..." Wheat nervously edged closer, tugging at Xiaomi's sleeve and whispering, "Could the Zombie be inside?"
Xiaomi turned to take a look. Seeing everyone else busy, he stood up and approached the door. Just a few steps in, a faint stench wafted from behind the door. Xiaomi flicked his lighter to take a peek and saw that the gaps in the wooden door were stuffed with rags.
"Don't worry, we're here," Xiaomi said as he returned to the round table, ruffling Wheat's messy hair with a smile. "There's no need to get too close; it's chained up."
The others noticed their actions and curiously glanced over. Upon seeing the cold iron chain, they understood. After all, Jia Laohan had taken them in, providing food and shelter while keeping the Zombie locked away, posing no threat to their safety. So they all chose to turn a blind eye, remaining cautious yet indifferent on the surface.
Ming Junwei squatted by the stove helping to pump air into the flames. The firewood was sun-dried, highly flammable and low-smoke; the stove glowed bright red, casting a warm glow on Ming Junwei's face. Jia Laohan chuckled heartily with a pipe in his mouth, stirring something in the cauldron with a long-handled spoon. Luci and Song Yao were busy washing and chopping vegetables at the counter.
Despite being a single old man's place, it was well-stocked with essentials. After some time of bustling about, Jia Laohan looked pleased and waved for Jin Bo and Chao Yifan to follow him outside. The two exchanged puzzled glances but followed him nonetheless. Old Shepherd carried an oil lamp and waddled over to a low earthen kiln beside the courtyard. After rummaging around inside for a moment, he emerged with two strings of sausages.
"What the hell? Is this an ice cellar? How can this not spoil in this season?" Chao Yifan exclaimed in surprise as he leaned in to sniff them. A mix of meaty and spicy aromas hit him; he squeezed one of the sausages—it wasn't completely dried out yet.
"Just freshly made; it won't spoil," Old Shepherd said as he puffed on his pipe. When he reached the door, he told the two bewildered youths, "Just settle down here; don't worry about other people's business."
"Sure," they both replied in unison, exchanging secretive glances that clearly conveyed 'We’ll see about that.'
The stove blazed brightly, and it didn't take long for them to prepare a meal: a large bowl of yellow rice, a pot of potatoes stewed with pickled cabbage, a plate of steamed sausages, a bowl of stir-fried cabbage, and another bowl of cucumber salad. The bowls were generous in size, filling up the large round table completely. Before anyone could express their gratitude, the old man pulled out a large Sprite bottle from a corner by the water tank and cheerfully poured drinks for everyone one by one.
Wheat lifted his cup and took a sip, only to spit it out with a series of "puh, puh, puh," which amused everyone at the table.
"What a fine feast we have here!" Old Shepherd said without any pretense. He picked up a large porcelain bowl and scooped in some pickled vegetables, balancing on one foot on the edge of his stool as he dug into his meal with garlic.
The others were inspired by Old Shepherd's hearty eating, their growling stomachs prompting them to join in unceremoniously. They all buried their heads in their bowls, the rhythm and frequency of their chopsticks moving faster than Jin Bo wielding his knife.
Chao Yifan shoveled food into his mouth at an astonishing speed, occasionally raising his cup for a drink, completely ignoring Ming Junwei's disapproving glances. Seeing this young man enjoying himself so much, the others could only shake their heads in resignation and let him be. Old Shepherd seemed to be in good spirits, cheerfully serving dishes to the little boy and Wheat while putting down his chopsticks to pull Chao Yifan and Xiao Wei into a game of rock-paper-scissors.
Xiao Wei could hold his liquor well but wasn't very skilled at the game. Initially, he lost quite a bit to the cunning Chao Yifan. However, after a few rounds, Xiao Wei grasped the essence of the game, and soon the three were shouting their cheers loudly, reveling in the fun. In less than half an hour, they had polished off two liters of white liquor.
Ming Junwei and the others sat around the table, enjoying this rare moment of peace while feeling an underlying anxiety. They exchanged glances that made them feel as if they were sitting on pins and needles. Song Yao stretched lazily and whispered something before taking a drag from Old Shepherd's smoking pipe. The old smoker's dry tobacco was too much for her; one puff made her eyes water and her nose run. Not one to back down easily, Song Yao wiped her tears and took several more puffs before grabbing Chao Yifan's drink and downing it in one go.
"What the hell?" Chao Yifan exclaimed as he found his cup empty. Looking up to see Song Yao chugging her drink, he felt emboldened by the alcohol and began rambling nonsensically: "You’ve gone too far! With Da Hai not around, someone has to keep an eye on you!"
Everyone at the table wore expressions that suggested trouble was brewing. Luci kicked Chao Yifan hard under the table and whispered angrily, "What nonsense are you spouting?"
To everyone's surprise, Song Yao didn't react negatively. Standing there, she wiped her mouth where some liquor had spilled and laughed lightly, "Alright then, let’s see how you’ll manage!" With that, she grabbed Xiao Wei's cup again and tilted her head back until it was empty.
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