[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji":3,"chapter-the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-chapter-13":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Siheyuan: Food, Love, and Family in 1960s Beijing",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2314063,4526,"Chapter 13","the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-chapter-13",13,"\u003Cp>He walked into the inner room; his wife Lou Xiaoe was still snoring soundly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since she married in, this woman never lacked food or drink, never had to cook, and grew plumper and plumper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lou Xiaoe, raised in luxury, was already in her twenties, yet her face still looked like that of an eighteen- or nineteen-year-old girl—soft as if you could squeeze water out with a pinch; when she slept, her cheeks were rosy, like a child’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps the room was too warm, Lou Xiaoe’s arm lay outside the cotton quilt, revealing a pale, tender limb like a lotus stem, with a red silk nightgown’s shoulder strap dangling from her shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Damao’s household was well-off; though they didn’t have a heated brick bed like the Li family, they bought more coal in winter and didn’t have to ration it—by morning, the room was warm and cozy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This daughter of a capitalist family, Lou Xiaoe, made Xu Damao both love and fear her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her petite, delicate frame was perfectly curved where it needed to be, tightly toned where it should be—absolutely the finest type for a lover’s embrace. Too bad Xu Damao, though tall and broad-shouldered, was all show and no substance; every time, he’d get nowhere near completion, even with secret pills, he couldn’t hold on!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That morning, Li Xuewu found no firewood left in the shed beside the second gate when he went out to gather wood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He walked into the house and called out to Liu Yin, who was making breakfast: “Mom, there’s no firewood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yin had also noticed the firewood was gone when she woke up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There are vendors selling firewood on the street—listen carefully, and when you hear them calling out, rush out right away. One bundle costs five fen.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu knew that bundle of firewood wasn’t much thicker than Yu Li’s waist—how many days would that last?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine, we’ll make do with the leftover wood at the shed for lunch and dinner. After breakfast, I’ll hitch up the cart, grab the tools, and head to Changping.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Li Xuewu finished speaking, Liu Yin shot it down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why go so far? It’s just a few bundles—why bother traveling all that way? We’re not so poor we can’t afford firewood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Shun also disagreed, but stayed silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu wanted to gather firewood, yes, but he was also craving meat—he needed to get some wild game before the protection laws came out, and he wanted to see if there were any channels available.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then let Xuewen and Xuecai go with you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yin feared Li Xuewu might encounter danger—things weren’t safe these days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Li Xuewu could speak, Li Xuewen spoke first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have to prepare my lessons—Monday’s class depends on them. Besides, we can afford firewood—I’ll pay for it myself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yin scolded sharply: “You! Why didn’t you prepare earlier? You’ve got time to sit around reading for fun, but when it’s time to act, you’re busy!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Yafang pinched Li Xuewen from behind—he fell silent immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing his brother quiet, Li Xuecai edged closer to Li Shun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have to help Dad prepare medicine today.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Liu Yin could scold Li Xuecai, Li Xuewu wrapped an arm around her shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mom, it’s just a short ride. It’s just a cart—I’ll take two others with me. Am I going on a picnic or gathering firewood? Fine, I’ll be back before dark.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Changping...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Li Xuewu was determined, Liu Yin stopped arguing. She pinched Li Xuecai hard—he winced in pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>《I Have a Scroll of Ghost and God Records》\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu sat down first and ate four steamed buns and a bowl of porridge, packed two buns and a slice of salted vegetable, filled a military canteen with hot water, then left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Li Xuewu was eating, Da Lao had already harnessed the horse. He went to the stable, stowed the saddle in his space, then stepped out the front gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Da Lao stood by the cart, tied a saw, axe, and firewood knife to it, hung a spear on the side, then handed Li Xuewu a homemade gun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Take it—the mountains aren’t safe.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu stared at the gun, rolling his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This thing was older than he was—who was protecting whom here—the relic or me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grandma, don’t add to the chaos. Where’s all this danger? Once I enter the mountains, I’m the danger.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu pushed the gun back, picked up the whip, slung it over his shoulder, and led the horse out of the alley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the alley, he couldn’t let the horse gallop freely—someone might get hit. Once past the street entrance, he leapt onto the cart, cracked the whip, and let out a sharp whistle. The big blue horse broke into a full gallop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cars were rare on the road now—most were horse-drawn carts, ox carts, donkey carts. Following the straight road, they left the city behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaning back on the cart, watching the old city blur past, the cold wind felt fresh, his mood lifted. No wonder Shen Congwen said city folks longed to get out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It took over half an hour after leaving the city to reach the outskirts, then turn onto a deserted side path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu stopped the cart, got off, unloaded it, and stowed the entire thing into his space. He’d discovered this finger-space after waking up in the hospital—it wasn’t large, about the size of a medium warehouse in the future, no other functions, just a still, frozen storage space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After stowing the cart, he took out the saddle, tied the horse to a tree, and swiftly fitted the saddle. His grandfather’s saddle was plain—sheepskin base, wooden frame, traditional design—far inferior to modern leather saddles, but perfectly usable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the saddle was on, he unfastened the ropes, slung the red-tasseled spear over his back, stepped into the stirrup, and mounted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air up here really was different!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wuhu! Giddy-up!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Freed from the cart’s restraint, the big blue horse galloped wildly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riding atop the horse, the cold wind bit his cheeks, but thanks to the military overcoat, his legs were cold, his knees weren’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From afar, he looked every bit a young general.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Up close, this kid had snot frozen on his nose—looked like a fool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stopped every five kilometers after leaving the city, took a stroll, rested eight or nine times, and finally entered the mountains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, the mountains hadn’t been developed—unlike future tourist spots, these were wild, desolate lands with no main paths, only narrow trails.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu rode his horse, spear on his back, looking like a bearded outlaw as he entered the hills. The trails were rough—he asked passersby for directions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Excuse me, where do the wild boars live?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Villagers stared at him like he was an idiot and ignored him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he asked the fourth person, someone finally answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu asked the same line again: “Excuse me, where do the wild boars live?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A bald, dark, chubby man carrying a shoulder pole and manure baskets looked up and replied: “Who knows? Ask the village chief!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu slapped himself hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course—he needed to ask the village chief! The chief was the information hub.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu dismounted and walked into the village, found the chief’s house, and arrived just as the chief was leading everyone in spreading fertilizer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh, that smell!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu offered a cigarette and asked if there were any wild boars nearby—he wanted to get some meat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wild boars are dangerous—don’t go messing around. When they’re angry, they’re fiercer than tigers. In hard years, we didn’t even dare enter the mountains. You, alone, think you can hunt meat?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu didn’t argue back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chief, my family’s starving—we’ve got no other choice.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chief took a drag of his cigarette and said: “There are wild boars in the mountains. Every spring they come down and destroy crops—you need traps to catch them. But right now, climbing the mountain drains you of four-tenths of your strength.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that Li Xuewu was determined, the chief stopped urging and pointed to the distant mountains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Follow the slope up, enter the forest, keep going along the forestry road, turn into the valley—you’ll find them there. Might even be overrun.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1371,"2026-06-20T13:46:54.288Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","620825ed0836504d6d2672ebef3a2df58e0a8c75cb1fa4235d425bce0a7038fd","the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-chapter-14","the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-chapter-12",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-cover.jpg"]