Rebirth: Phoenix Riding the Ninth Heaven

Before his sister could reply, Liu Tiedan turned and hurried into the kitchen, continuing his work. As he expertly stirred the thin, almost reflective rice porridge in the pot, he secretly contemplated making a hearty meal for his sister. With that thought, he gritted his teeth and, without hesitation, sprinkled a few more handfuls of flour into the pot, hoping to thicken the porridge enough for his sister to have a full meal.

Soon, Liu Tiedan hurried into the house, carefully carrying a bowl of steaming, fragrant porridge. As he walked, he eagerly called out, "Sister, come here! The meal is ready, come and try it!" His voice was filled with anticipation and excitement.

"I specially made multi-grain porridge today, and added a lot of fresh wild vegetables. It tastes great! It took me a long time to cook this pot of porridge. Sister, you must eat more." Liu Tiedan continued, his words revealing his deep love for his sister.

Wang Liu, who was busy inside the house, heard her brother's call and quickly put down her work and rushed out to help. She was startled when she saw her brother—his slightly immature but powerful hands were tightly grasping an enormous iron pot, struggling to carry it into the house. The pot was filled to the brim with the enticing aroma of multi-grain and wild vegetable porridge.

Wang Liu looked at the huge pot of porridge in front of her, and her heart was filled with sorrow and distress. She couldn't help but complain to her brother: "Tiedan, why are you so ignorant? You are going to take out all the food in the house for us to eat! What will your father and you eat tomorrow?" After she finished speaking, her eyes were already slightly red.

After hearing his sister's words, Liu Tiedan placed the iron pot gently on the table, feeling somewhat embarrassed. He then scratched his head and explained with a simple smile, "Don't worry, sister. We still have food at home. There's definitely enough to eat." However, Wang Liu knew that these days, every household was short of food, so how could there be extra food stored? But seeing her brother's warm attitude, her once heavy heart gradually warmed.

Liu Tiedan hurried into the kitchen and, after searching for a while, finally found several intact, flawless porcelain bowls. He carefully carried them to the table and placed them in front of each person. Then, he returned to the kitchen and, with a wooden spoon, expertly and gently scooped a full bowl of food from the pot, handing it to his brother-in-law and father. When he was done, he looked in the pot and saw some leftovers, but not much.

"Sister, brother-in-law, hurry up and eat while it's hot!" Liu Tiedan greeted everyone enthusiastically. As he spoke, he casually grabbed a slightly blackened steamed bun from the side and handed it to his sister's daughter, Xiaoya. You know, in such difficult times, not everyone could afford steamed buns. Without hesitation, Liu Tiedan gave this one and only steamed bun to Xiaoya.

Little Ya timidly reached out her hand and slowly took the steamed bread. With her wide eyes, she looked first at her mother, then at her father, as if awaiting some instruction. When her mother nodded, she timidly whispered to her uncle, "Thank you, uncle." Then, eagerly stuffing the steamed bread into her mouth, she chewed it with big mouthfuls. She ate so quickly that her face flushed with each swallow, and her neck grew thick with the strain.

Huang Liu, standing nearby, silently watched Xiao Ya wolf down her food, his heart awash with indescribable emotion. He stepped forward and gently stroked Xiao Ya's back to prevent her from choking. He also held up a bowl of porridge and patiently coaxed her to drink it slowly, helping her swallow the steamed bread.

Huang Liu finally breathed a sigh of relief after Xiaoya had finished the whole steamed bread. He looked down at the bowl of porridge in his hand, which was almost empty. A hint of reluctance flashed in his eyes, but he still slowly brought it to his mouth and drank it in small sips.

Everyone sat quietly at the table, contentedly enjoying their bowls of vegetable porridge. The steaming, fragrant bowls of vegetable porridge seemed like a rare delicacy, and everyone ate with extreme caution, fearing to waste even a drop.

Everyone gently lifted their bowls and slowly stirred the porridge with small spoons, allowing the thick broth to blend seamlessly with the fresh, tender leaves. Then, they brought the spoons to their lips, taking small sips, savoring the warm, sweet flavor as it slowly flowed down their throats. Although everyone eagerly wanted more, no one showed the slightest greed. Instead, they politely shared this hard-earned delicacy.

Finally, after the last mouthful of porridge was swallowed, everyone reluctantly put down their bowls and chopsticks. However, the feeling of fullness in their stomachs was only halfway there. Even so, this meal was already the most sumptuous one they had in recent days.

At this moment, Wang Liu stood up and began to clear the pots and pans from the table. She deftly stacked the dishes one by one, then carried them out of the room, ready to wash them at the well outside.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Wang Wu turned to look at his father-in-law. After taking a deep breath, he mustered up the courage to tell him the real purpose of his visit: "Dad, there is something I want to discuss with you. A few days ago, when I went to the city to collect relief food, I happened to see a notice posted by the government. It said that the government was recruiting craftsmen who knew how to build kangs!" At this point, Wang Wu paused slightly, observing the changes in his father-in-law's expression, and then continued,

"I immediately thought of you. Didn't you learn how to build a kang when you were traveling in Northeast China? So, as soon as I got home, I hurried over with my wife, just to ask if you still remember this skill. If you still remember, why not apply for a job at the government office? I heard that if you're selected, you'll not only have two full meals a day, but you'll also receive an extra two pounds of grain!"

When Old Man Liu heard this, his cloudy eyes suddenly shone brightly, and he became extremely excited. He tightly grasped Wang Wu's hands and said in a trembling voice, "Son-in-law! This is really great! This is absolutely true! When I went to the Northeast to make a living, although I went through many hardships, I was lucky enough to make my business flourish!"

"And I've never dared to forget the craft I learned; it's the foundation of my life! How could I possibly forget it? Even until the day I die, I will never forget it! If this succeeds, it must be God's blessing on us, not wanting to let our family suffer! With these two pounds of grains, your family and mine will be able to get through this difficult winter in peace!"

Seeing his father-in-law so excited, Wang Wu's own emotions were ignited, and he instantly became excited. Knowing that his father-in-law had never forgotten that crucial skill, Wang Wu's heart suddenly burned with hope. He pulled his father-in-law's hand firmly and said expectantly: "Father-in-law, now that the matter is so clear, let's go to the government and report it! As long as there is support and help from the government, we will definitely have a chance of survival and make it through these difficult days!" With that, Wang Wu couldn't wait to pull his father-in-law and rush to the government office.

However, at this moment, his brother-in-law Liu Tiedan suddenly regained his composure. He rushed forward, grabbed his father's hand, and said calmly, "Dad, don't worry! Look at the sky, it's going to be dark soon. It's so unsafe to go out in the middle of the night! If you encounter any unexpected situation, it will be more trouble than gain. In my opinion, it's better to wait until tomorrow morning and then go to the county government office with my brother-in-law. Let my brother-in-law and his family have a good rest here tonight!"

The next day, before the sky was barely turning pale, Wang Wu anxiously woke his father-in-law, and the two of them hurriedly set off for the county town. He left his wife and brother-in-law at home to guard the house. Before leaving, the virtuous Wang Liushi rose early and meticulously prepared two steamed buns for her father and husband. Although they were hard, they were the best they could afford in this modest family. She also prepared a jug of water. Water was an extremely precious commodity in these difficult times. However, mindful of the potential thirst they might experience on their journey, Wang Liushi handed the jug to her husband and father without hesitation.

Taking advantage of the early morning light, Wang Wu and his father-in-law didn't dare to pause for a moment, rushing towards the county town. Along the way, his father-in-law's skinny body, emaciated by hunger, looked especially frail, and he had to stop and rest every few steps. Seeing his father-in-law toil so hard, Wang Wu felt a pity. As they walked, his father-in-law became so exhausted that he casually broke off a thick branch from the roadside and used it as a crutch, supporting himself as he continued on his way. They walked and stopped like this, sometimes Wang Wu carrying his father-in-law for a short distance, and sometimes letting his father-in-law walk slowly on the crutch.

After an arduous journey, they finally arrived at the county town around noon. The sun was high in the sky, its blazing rays baking the earth. When they arrived at the place where the results were posted, they found it still bustling with activity. The crowd, so thronging and swarming, completely surrounded the place where the results were posted. Seeing this, Wang Wu's father-in-law, despite his exhausted body, struggled to squeeze through the throng, reaching the soldiers responsible for maintaining order.