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With blankets, clothes, food, pots, pans, ladles, and a folding dining table all acquired.
Transporting these items back involved a long trek through the mountains, and even though everyone was exhausted, the three of them insisted on having a proper meal.
Stewing roe deer meat in a large iron pot, stir-frying shredded potatoes, baking flatbreads, and cooking rice porridge.
Luo Xingyu had now become a voracious eater, but this sumptuous dinner was not her request.
Both Gao Yuan and Xiang Weiguo longed for a rich and normal dinner just as much.
In these apocalyptic times, when the future held no promise, living life had to go on, and it had to be as pleasant as possible. Adding a sense of ritual and moments of extreme joy to life was important to everyone.
"Uncle Xiang, let's have some drink!"
Gao Yuan brought out his liquor, a bottle that cost over a hundred yuan, unable to find any alcohol in stores; this was one of the two bottles Gao Yuan had stored.
Xiang Weiguo shook his head, saying, "No drink, keep it. It may come in handy later on."
Gao Yuan earnestly replied, "There's no use for it now. I saved it to barter with others. In times like these, tobacco and alcohol become even more valuable, but we don't need to exchange with anyone right now, so let's drink up and celebrate properly."
Seeing Xiang Weiguo tempted, Gao Yuan unscrewed the bottle cap and took Xiang Weiguo's lunchbox, pouring half the bottle into it.
Xiang Weiguo sighed and then nodded, "Pour some for yourself too."
Luo Xingyu, with her chopsticks ready and eagerly waiting, softly said, "Then pour me just a little bit too, just a tad."
Without hesitation, Gao Yuan poured Luo Xingyu roughly an ounce of liquor and then took the bottle, saying, "Drink up!"
Luo Xingyu downed the liquor in one gulp, coughing from the strength of the booze; Gao Yuan swallowed his mouthful, the long-missed spiciness filling him with enthusiasm.
As for Xiang Weiguo, he chugged down the half-jin of liquor in one breath.
After gulping down the half-jin of liquor, Xiang Weiguo picked up his chopsticks and exclaimed loudly, "Eat up!"
"Uncle Xiang, that was pretty hardcore..."
Xiang Weiguo, grabbing a mouthful of the shredded potatoes, said, "I can hold my liquor well, downing it in one go gives you a nice buzz. Take your time drinking."
Luo Xingyu cheerfully grabbed a bite of the shredded potatoes and lifted a flatbread with her left hand, smiling with joy, "Delicious, just delicious, truly wonderful, so good."
Gao Yuan, without a word, tried to pour more liquor for Xiang Weiguo, who took away his lunchbox, saying, "The rest is yours, I won't drink, don't pull this on me."
Without another word, Gao Yuan stood up and took the second bottle of liquor from his bag; as Xiang Weiguo urgently tried to stop him, he chuckled, "This one's yours too, don't leave leftovers if you can't finish it, and if you can, don't leave any. Uncle Xiang, haven't you thought about it? Villages are plentiful around here, today we could only carry the essentials, but if we search the houses tomorrow, could we really run out of liquor?"
Xiang Weiguo pondered for a moment and then declared, "Alright! Let's have a good drink tonight!"
The roe deer meat was indeed good, seasoned with soy sauce, vinegar, and various spices, but it was the shredded potatoes, the flatbread, and the rice porridge that were most popular.
The large bowl of stir-fried shredded potatoes made from twenty potatoes was quickly finished, yet all three still wanted more.
Xiang Weiguo stood up, saying, "Give me ten minutes, I'll stir-fry another bowl."
With her belly full, Luo Xingyu's cheeks were flushed as she turned to Gao Yuan, "Brother, I want more drink, give me a bit more, will you?"
Gao Yuan poured another ounce or so for Luo Xingyu, who lifted her water jug towards Gao Yuan, "I want to tell you..."
Gao Yuan held the bottle and Luo Xingyu held her lunchbox; they looked at each other for a while, and ultimately, Luo Xingyu said, "Don't know what to say, the words I had in mind just won't come out, let's drink!"
Luo Xingyu tilted her head back and guzzled the drink, while Gao Yuan took a sip and then bitterly smiled, "I can't down it."
Luo Xingyu wobbled her head, then gazed at the table, with a sad expression, "I want to eat more, I just can't eat anymore..."
"Stop eating, you'll get fat if you keep going like this."
Luo Xingyu pouted, and Gao Yuan immediately said with helplessness, "Don't cry, please, on such a happy occasion, please don't cry."
Luo Xingyu sniffled, "I'm so happy, truly very happy, I won't cry, brother, I want to take a bath!"
Gao Yuan hesitated, Luo Xingyu pouted, "I sleep in the same bed as you every day, don't you find it stinky?"
"It's the same kang, um, it's too cold..."
Luo Xingyu shook her head, "I just want to take a bath, we have a big pot now to heat water, I even brought clothes back, so there's something to wear after the bath. Plus, you promised me, you said you'd find a way to let me bathe, I'm not afraid of the cold."
Just then, Xiang Weiguo came in with more shredded potatoes, cheerily saying, "What are you talking about?"
"Xiaoyu insists on taking a bath."
"Then let her bathe, we have the means to do so now."
Xiang Weiguo settled the matter, then continued with a grin, "Come on, continue drinking, after we finish I'm going to sleep; whatever you do, I won't hear."
Gao Yuan blushed, "Uncle Xiang, that's... not right, you can't say things like that."
Xiang Weiguo laughed heartily, "I don't know anything, haven't seen anything, let's drink. Once I'm good, I'll go to sleep, you two just act like I'm not here."
Luo Xingyu's face turned red, but she said nothing.
After finishing the liquor and the shredded potatoes, Xiang Weiguo stood up and announced, "I'm good now, full and satisfied, off to sleep..."
"Uncle Xiang, Uncle Xiang..."
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Gao Yuan ignored Xiang Weiguo's shouting and calmly walked away. After Xiang Weiguo had left, Luo Xingyu, with a flushed face, looked at Gao Yuan and asked, "What are you doing?"
"I was thinking of asking Uncle Xiang for help, but never mind, I'll do it myself. It's not too much hassle."
Gao Yuan didn't clean up the dining table. He stood up, put on the coat he had just found in the village today, and said, "I'll go get it ready for you. Prepare the clothes you're going to change into, and you can have a wash later."
"Okay."
Gao Yuan went outside; he boiled water in the pot and then, carrying a roll of plastic sheeting, proceeded to the shed he'd already set up beforehand.
He used the plastic sheeting to tightly seal the opening of the shed, which could only accommodate one person, lit the stove inside, and began stacking stones on top of the specially made stove.
After preparing everything, Gao Yuan hung his coat outside the shed and brought the pot of hot water into the shed with an aluminum basin.
Gao Yuan looked around, satisfied that everything was ready, and decided to simply try it out himself.
The shed, built from branches and mud, was solid and only had one door, which was now sealed with plastic sheeting.
Luo Xingyu had no idea that this was the surprise Gao Yuan had been preparing for her; she had thought Gao Yuan was planning to build a toilet.
After hanging the headlamp outside the bathroom, Gao Yuan started to pour water on the hot stones. As the steam rose and filled the entire sealed shed, a Finnish sauna was officially in use.
In the high-temperature steam, Gao Yuan sweated profusely, indulging in the fruits of his labor, when Luo Xingyu's voice suddenly sounded from outside.
"Brother, what are you doing?"
"Don't come in!"
Luo Xingyu had already lifted the plastic and entered.
As a gust of cold air flowed in, both Gao Yuan and Luo Xingyu were stunned; then Gao Yuan said urgently, "Go out, it's cold!"
Luo Xingyu went out, and after a moment, she said softly, "What are you doing?"
"A Finnish bath. Just wait a little while, I'll go first. After I'm done, it will be even warmer inside."
"Oh…"
"You go back inside first. Go back to the room."
"Oh…"
The sounds from outside faded, and Gao Yuan still felt oddly uncomfortable.
He couldn't quite pinpoint the source of his discomfort.
After a while, Luo Xingyu spoke quietly from outside, "I've left your clean clothes here. Remember to change your underwear after you're done."
It seemed normal, and yet not quite.
After taking a bath, Gao Yuan felt refreshed and changed into clean clothes, feeling quite comfortable. However, deep down, it was like a fire had ignited in his heart, one that he couldn't extinguish no matter what.
After stoking the fire and getting the hot water ready, Gao Yuan tidied up the Finnish sauna a bit before heading back to the room, telling Luo Xingyu, "You can have a wash now, just don't take too long, okay? If you need something, call me, and I'll get it for you. Also, I left the headlamp out there for you; don't forget it when you come back."
"Mm, okay."
Luo Xingyu left with a blushing face, whether from shyness or the effects of alcohol.
Meanwhile, Gao Yuan lay on the heated brick bed, covered with the quilt he'd just retrieved today, and tossed and turned for a long time before he finally let out a long, resigned sigh. Then he turned off the flashlight and closed his eyes.
After a long time, just as Gao Yuan was about to drift off to sleep, Luo Xingyu finally returned.
Gao Yuan awoke but decided to feign sleep.
It wasn't long before, listening to the sounds made by Luo Xingyu, Gao Yuan suddenly said as if possessed, "Xiaoyu, how about I clear out a room for you tomorrow?"
"For what?"
"You could have your own room. There's no need to cram together anymore, is there?"
Luo Xingyu was silent for a moment before she said softly, "I don't want that!"
"Mm, go ahead and move. It's not convenient to keep living like this."
"I said I don't want to! I'm scared on my own!" she said sharply before grumpily adding, "I'm not moving, going to sleep."
"Mm, sleep well."
Gao Yuan hesitated, but then Luo Xingyu suddenly said, "Brother, you're a good man, and a fool! A big fool!"
"Mm."
"No more talking, I'm sleepy. Goodnight."
This time Luo Xingyu said nothing more, and after a while, Gao Yuan whispered, "Xiaoyu…"
There was no response.
Gao Yuan always wanted to say something, to do something, but he ended up not speaking again, nor did he do anything else.