I am not Ximen Qing.

I wonder if this counts as returning home in glory? At least Guo Baoshan and Pearl's attitudes are crystal clear; they're extremely satisfied with this young talent, Zhang Honglin. They painted many precious oil paintings for Guo Jinyu's house, framed them, and hung them on the gray-white walls of the three shared rooms with their kang beds. Hanging an oil painting on the walls completely changed the feel of the room. Jinshui and Jingou looked at each other, both agreeing that it was magical, almost dreamlike.

Guo Jinyu's trips outside the mountains were always done quietly before dawn; otherwise, her children wouldn't have let Zhang Honglin off the hook. Because Zhang Honglin wanted to take away their younger siblings' eldest sister, who was priceless. If Jinshui and Jingou knew their eldest sister was going to the bureau with Zhang Honglin, they would be the first to pester her, insisting on taking them, these two third wheels, out of the mountains to see the world. They were now curious about the outside world, especially tired of the monotonous mountains and endless forests. Changbai Mountain was a primitive, wild place, still full of magical, mythical charm—that was its true allure. Guo Jinque, Guo Jinxia, ​​and Guo Jinlan, these three beautiful girls, were also constantly playing pranks on Zhang Honglin. Guo Baoshan's roars and Zhenzhu's kind words were all useless. It was truly strange; they didn't actually allow their sister to marry, and they couldn't let Zhang Honglin steal her love. What was this all about? This is a farce involving a large family of over a dozen people. There's no reason, no excuse, just an absurd existence, nothing to reason with. Is it the instinct of the mountains, the outburst of wildness? Changbai Mountain hasn't been conquered by the power of civilization, so its primal, wild power permeates everything within it. At least the forestry workers tending the forest farms are different from the bureau's regular workers.

Once you're in the mountains, you'll naturally fall in love with sorghum liquor. And once you're in the red pine forest, you'll naturally fall in love with high-proof sorghum liquor—it's all pure grain liquor. The mountains are cold, not just in the bitter winter, but all year round in Changbai Mountain. It's only natural to develop a liking for strong, pure sorghum liquor. Zhang Qinghua, Li Beida, the bookworm, Lin Jingtai, Secretary Zhang, Factory Director Qiao, and Ma Luozi all love to drink and enjoy drinking from morning till night.

In *Jin Ping Mei*, the common people drink almost from morning till night. In *Dream of the Red Chamber*, whether it's the maids, the mistress, the old lady, Baoyu, or even Fang Ouhe, Qingwen, Xiren, and Sheyue in his Yihong Courtyard, they all drink from morning till night. Wine is part of cultural life. But in the Dahe Forest Farm, drinking is elevated to a certain level.

Jin Yu was furious. Hong Lin almost got drunk and missed the train. They were both sitting by the window, able to see the scenery outside. The tickets were obtained by Secretary Zhang from the stationmaster. The carriage was filled with smoke; few people smoked cigarettes, almost everyone was smoking the most pungent dry tobacco grown in the mountains. Almost all the elderly men and women in the forest farm grew opium leaves, not opiates, nor poppies. However, the evil flower of the poppy was also everywhere, because this plant seemed to be particularly adapted to the climate of Northeast China.

China is a country that prohibits drugs, but these poppies are blooming too brightly. Jin Yu thought about how her parents had made an exception last night and allowed Jin Shui and Jingou to drink. The two brothers and their father had both gotten quite drunk, while their mother had taken her four sisters to the wedding banquet. Guo Baoshan couldn't think of a better way to stop his two sons from following their eldest sister around like little shadows. Jin Shui and Jingou really wanted to get their father drunk; they hadn't forgotten how Guo Baoshan had hurt them when they ate the production team's dog last time. Jin Shui gave Jingou a look, and the two took turns toasting their father.

No matter which railway line you take, you'll pass near Guo Jinyu's house. Sitting in the carriage, you can see a large courtyard with red bricks and gray tiles, surrounded by dozens of acres of sunflowers and cornfields on the riverbank. Actually, Dad was drunk, but Jinshui and Jingou weren't. They were retaliating against Dad's bad temper. The two of them stood on the roof, waving scarecrows and shouting incessantly.

"Golden Water is Golden Water and Golden Hook"

"My dad got drunk because of you."

"Jin Yu, I almost got drunk because of you too."

"An excuse: you prefer alcohol."

Zhang Honglin knew that Guo Jinyu disliked wasting time in the production team, but he wanted to explain for his uncle, who was in a daze every day. However, Guo Jinyu was stubborn, inflexible, and not at all tactful or diplomatic; she was too serious. Usually, whether it's lovers, sweethearts, or even pure love, the beginning is full of sweet words and boundless tolerance. At least lovers see beauty in everything, and there's always something to notice. It seemed like Guo Jinyu was judging Zhang Honglin. But Huang Yumin was Zhang Honglin's mother's brother, and his third aunt's brother was innocent. He hadn't offended Guo Jinyu, yet he was being overly arrogant and prejudiced towards his uncle.

The train has already passed several stations, all located deep in the mountains and forests, and each station has facilities for refilling water for the train.

"Look at this! Look at it!"

"What are you looking at?"

"Black goats on the cliff face, how can they climb such steep walls?"

The train stopped again deep in the valley, between sheer cliffs on both sides, to add water and coal before continuing its journey to the bureau. The trip felt strangely like returning to school, where many male and female students remained silent, ignoring all notions of male chauvinism, feudalistic ideas, and the separation of men and women. All that pretense was hypocrisy; they'd all end up with a ton of children anyway. From young maidens to seasoned mothers, the married women of the forest farm were known for their boldness. Besides bathing naked with their sons in the public bathhouse, they dared to bathe naked in the river in broad daylight, startling the men who would quickly retreat. These deep forests could change a person's mindset and spirit, making men more reserved and women more unrestrained and wild.

"Drink if you want. I'm not saying you can't drink, just don't drink too much."

"Jin Yu, don't worry, I never drink heavily, and even if I do, I won't act like Wu Song or Lu Zhishen when I'm drunk."

"I don't want you to bully women like Jiang Menshen."

"Don't worry, I think all men are like Ximen Qing."

"I've never heard of Ximen Qing. Is he the name of the bookworm in your dorm?"

"Jin Yu, how did you know?"

“He seems cultured and has a certain energy, and you have that too, but once you drink a lot of alcohol, that energy disappears.”

The bookworm shares the same surname as Ximen Qing, except instead of Qing, it's Xue, Ximen Xue, just like the bookworm's name. He's truly a passionate and enthusiastic scholar.

Do you think he can go to college?

"Of course you can. If you keep going, and the college entrance examination is reinstated, you can become an official if you pass the exam."

"Yes, Ximen is capable of learning, and he sets a rule for himself not to date girls from the mountains."

"Is he really that ambitious?"

Do you think he has ambition?

"Yes, they even forgo marriage in order to get into university."

In *The Scholars*, Fan Jin, after passing the imperial examination and becoming a scholar, went somewhat mad. He was slapped by his butcher father-in-law, and then returned to normal. At least Ximen Xue's ambitions were no less than Fan Jin's. According to *The Scholars*, Fan Jin's rank was equivalent to a department head, so Ximen Xue's dream wasn't just to be a secretary in a bureau or a factory director; he didn't even consider a bureau chief position. But this is a tradition in China for thousands of years, providing a path to self-redemption for those who love learning.

Society must never break the hearts of scholars. History records three scholars whose hearts were broken: Huang Chao, Li Zicheng, and Hong Xiuquan—all three were figures of great upheaval.

"Yes, that makes sense. I gave up painting."

"No, you've been drawing all along, haven't you? My brother Jinshui really admires you."

"What's there to be impressed with? I'm afraid of him."

"Even my dad is convinced."

Now Honglin is facing another dilemma. She had prepared a huge amount of food back at the bureau, including large sausages, roast chicken, roast goose, and roast duck—all specialties of the communal canteen—given by Guo Baoshan. He had also prepared a lot of mountain produce for himself. Spring and autumn are the seasons for eating frogs, winter is the most dreary, and what about summer? Oh right, Guo Jinyu also brought two buckets of lard, the purest kind. As usual, mountain mushrooms were indispensable, especially elm mushrooms. The comrades in the dormitory would share some with Honglin when they picked them, because her second sister and brother-in-law loved elm mushroom and egg dumplings—they were so delicious!

The gifts prepared this time were too lavish, after all, it was Guo Jinyu's first time visiting her mother's house in Honglin Bureau, and she also had to go to her second sister's house. Her eldest sister was in the city, so they couldn't visit her. However, her brother-in-law, Li Jingshan, kept telling Zhang Honglin that once Honglin got married and started a family, he would definitely go to the mountains to experience what the Great Northern Wilderness was like. On the way, Honglin suddenly faced a dilemma: should she go to her mother's house first, or her second sister's? It wasn't a good decision! With all this stuff, she'd have to divide it between the two families; Honglin was truly perplexed.

"What's so difficult about that you have to go to your mother's house with a bunch of younger brothers and sisters?"

"But my second sister is looking forward to it too."

"Then we'll take it to your second sister at the bureau, and the rest we'll take to your mother's house."

"You can sleep at my second sister's house tonight."

"What about you?"

"It's easy for me. I'll just stay at Mingxin Caotang and make do."

Everything went smoothly, and Lao Jin was quite happy. Hong Lin had brought food and drinks to the family, which would save him a lot of money. Lao Jin had one particularly good quality: he didn't drink alcohol regularly, only occasionally smoking, so he gave all the alcohol to his second sister's husband, who preferred the grain liquor from the mountains. Hong Lin, returning to the bureau from the mountains with a somewhat nouveau riche grandfatherly air, immediately felt particularly oppressed and constrained. At the dinner table, it seemed as if his mother, Uncle Jin, younger brother, and younger sister were all malnourished—hadn't they eaten meat in ages? Chicken, duck, goose, and large sausages were all devoured in one meal. Hong Lin treated his second sister's family and mother's family to a feast back at the bureau. Zhao Mengzhi was also staying at her brother Zhao Mengji's house; she was now his aunt. Hong Lin went to the market and bought a pig's head to nourish his younger siblings. The youngest brother, Jin Suo, was the star of the family; everything revolved around him.

Jin Yu felt a little uncomfortable; she was still hungry and angry when Huang Yupei walked up to her. "These are gifts from my mother. Now I'm giving you two gold rings."

"I don't want it, it's too expensive, no, I don't want it."

Huang Yupei's gesture, once she made it, stunned Guo Jinyu. A pair of gold rings left Jinyu speechless; she dared not accept such a valuable gift so casually.

"Let me know when you want to bring it, and I'll save it for you. This is a gift from my mother. I won't give it to my daughters; they don't need it. I'll give it to my daughter-in-law. I'll save it for you; I'm too busy today." The future in-laws were indeed shrewd; a few words resolved everything, proving that Huang Yupei only had Guo Jinyu in her heart, and that her daughters were all outsiders.

Old Jin was also very kind to Guo Jinyu, almost to the point of being kindred spirits. After Honghua returned, the house became even more lively. After Honghua's trip to Beijing, her status in the family rose again, and she was called "Third Sister" by Hongqi and Hongli.

"Red flower, this is your eldest brother's..."

"My mother's older brother's girlfriend, and her future sister-in-law."

"call my sister"

"Sister, hurry up and marry my eldest brother! He's a famous painter in the bureau, and many girls want to date him." Hongmei clearly kept her distance from Jinyu, only hugging her younger brother Suocai, while Hongqi and Hongli were all smiles and jokes with Jinyu.

"Hey bro, want a soda or an ice pop?"

"Let's go, second and third brothers, together!"

"Red flags and red profits, it's already dark."

"Mother, I'll take Jinyu to my second sister's place for the night. She'll share a room with Zhao Mengzhi. I'll come back to stay here later."

The accommodation problem was indeed a big one. The environment on the mountain was too chaotic, and there really wasn't a single room suitable for Guo Jinyu to stay overnight. After a day on the train and being disturbed until eight or nine o'clock, the outside world was so dark that she could hear owls hooting. Startled, Jinyu suddenly rushed towards Zhang Honglin. This brief embrace took place in the dark valley of Datai. Although she could see the bright lights of her aunt's house in the distance, as well as the lights from the bureau's lumber mill, timber yard, and plywood factory, what difference was there between them and the faint glow of fireflies on the mountain?

The air was filled with the croaking of frogs and the sound of the flowing river below; the stillness made the movement of the water all the more noticeable. Honglin had originally wanted to show Guo Jinyu her father's orchard, with its grapevines, morning glories around the house, and ivy that would provide shade. Guo Jinyu was also touched by the pair of gold rings Huang Yupei wore. And Honglin? This was his first time being so close to a girl, and he suddenly felt a surge of romantic longing. After arriving in the mountains, his creative passion and imagination had been suppressed for a long time.

"Brother, are you okay?"

"Red flag, dividends, hurry home."

"Brother, we'll go with you to your second sister's house."

"No need, brother."

“No, it’s dangerous in these mountains, brother. We only have one brother, so we must protect him.”

Ah! Zhang Honglin sighed to the sky. He had just escaped the harassment of Jinshui and Jingou, and now he was being entangled by his two younger brothers, Hongqi and Hongli.

"Red Flag and Dividend, come back quickly."

"What are you doing, Third Sister? We're protecting our eldest brother and sister-in-law."

"We need to give my older brother and sister-in-law some space. Come back."

For some reason, Hongqi wasn't afraid of Guo Jinyu, this formidable woman, at all, while Hongli followed closely behind. Men and women change in the spring of love; this was the first time Zhang Honglin had forgotten to bring back mountain produce for his aunt. Perhaps because it was too rushed, Honghua noticed that her older brother had changed; he wasn't as artistic anymore, not as purely an artistic youth, and was drifting further and further away from her expectations. A trip to Beijing broadened Honghua's horizons, but it felt like a dream—a dream of trains and green-skinned carriages traveling through different times. Now, she'd forgotten what Beijing was really like; perhaps she was too excited. Beautiful things are fleeting; she only remembered being immersed in a sea of ​​red. It seemed that after her trip to Beijing, the cultural faith that had frightened Lao Jin had vanished. Lao Jin finally breathed a sigh of relief, a long sigh of relief in his heart. He was actually happy; with the school closed, his burden would be much lighter. The promise of Hongmei Hongqi High School became empty words; love is inherently selfish. Where does this person find so much to give and sacrifice? It's not that he doesn't want to love, but the price of love is too high. He paid a heavy price for a son who could burn paper money for him, and raising a large group of children is by no means easy. Old Jin also often argues with Hongying and Zhao Mengji, while Hongmei gives all her love to her youngest brother, showing the love of a mother, a mother, and a sister all in one. This gives Old Jin hope; not every child is so selfish. At least his youngest daughter is full of love and shows enough patience and love for her brother who shares his surname.

Huang Yupei knew perfectly well that her eldest son, Zhang Honglin, had hopelessly lost himself. The man's future had been robbed by the girl from the mountains. She didn't know whether to be happy or sad. Love is selfish; in the end, both the man and the woman abandoned their siblings, their parents, and all their relatives and friends. The love between the man and the woman was selfish and exclusive.

Not only did Guo Jinyu feel the beauty of the red flowers and the benefits of the red flag, but her younger siblings also felt it. The significant change that occurred to their eldest sister after her trip to the mountains meant she no longer cared about Guo Jinchai, nor did she have time to attend to her younger siblings' needs. She wanted to give up everything for her love, Guo Baoshan. This isn't to criticize Guo Jinyu's heartlessness, but simply to emphasize the instinct of human nature—marrying for love, to make marriage a trend. The Dahe Forestry Farm decided that the newlyweds would immediately be allocated a red-brick, gray-tiled family apartment from the Dahe Forestry Farm. For some reason, Guo Baoshan wasn't happy about Jinyu's marriage. Instead, he felt that his daughter, Pearl, genuinely loved her artistic son-in-law. At least, he could tolerate and endure Guo Jinyu's inherent bad temper. Guo Baoshan felt that his children were heartless.