Chapter 2810 Daya Village (IV)

"He can't come back to us," Elder Sister Li said through her tears. "But having even a little of his ashes to bring home would be better than nothing at all..."

"Lieutenant Li's ashes are now interred in the Fallen Soldiers' Cemetery in Nanning," Tan Shuangxi replied, head bowed. This was the question he had dreaded most over these past few days. "If you wish to have him moved back, that can be arranged. But Guangxi hasn't been fully pacified yet, and the roads remain dangerous. It would be best to wait a while before making those arrangements."

"In autumn, I'll bring him home without fail," Elder Sister Li said. "He'll be buried beside Father and Mother."

She began going through Li Anze's personal effects—just that one small notebook—reading each page with meticulous care. Her brother-in-law tried to lean in for a look, but she pushed him away. "I can read. I'll look through it myself. I know Anze's handwriting."

The sea breeze sighed through the trees, setting the leaves to rustling. Swallows darted past the eaves, returning to their nest, and the fledglings began their hungry clamor. Paper pages turned one by one. The sound of tears falling upon them rolled through the heart like distant thunder.

As dusk approached, the damp, cold sea breeze swept a cloud across the horizon, veiling the setting sun. The dying light stained the clouds gold and draped the seaside village in a hazy amber glow. The brother-in-law continued to keep Tan Shuangxi company. A pile of cigarette butts had accumulated on the ground; the book he had been reading earlier lay forgotten beside them, and he seemed not to notice. He asked disjointed, unrelated questions in fits and starts, his eyes betraying bewilderment. Tan Shuangxi recognized that his earlier composure had been merely the last reserves of his reason; this present absent-mindedness was the normal reaction to grief. By now, Tan Shuangxi had considerable experience with such things. Several villagers who had come upon hearing the news sat nearby, eagerly inquiring about the battlefield stories they'd read in the newspapers. Some of it Tan Shuangxi knew something about, but many of the figures and battles they mentioned he had never even heard of.

Seeing that dusk was falling and his mission complete, Tan Shuangxi rose to take his leave from the brother-in-law. Just then, Elder Sister Li emerged from the room, supported by another woman. She had obviously been weeping for a long time. The radiance he had glimpsed when they first met had vanished without a trace. She made no effort to wipe the tear stains from her face; she looked as frail as someone recovering from a serious illness.

"Safe travels, comrades," Elder Sister Li said weakly, then signaled the woman supporting her to hand over a rush basket. "It's nothing fancy—just some food I had prepared for Anze. You were all his comrades-in-arms. Please don't think it beneath you..."

Zhang Laicai was about to decline, but Tan Shuangxi spoke first: "Thank you, Elder Sister Li! We're grateful for the food you've prepared. We'll come visit you again..."

Not long after they walked out of the house, the village head arrived and invited them to eat.

"It's already dark. You won't make the coach in time. Stay at the village office tonight." Then he added: "Everyone heard you were here and wants to see you."

The village head led them through the village's winding lanes until they arrived at a compound. A crowd had already gathered at the hedge gate—a dense throng of forty or fifty villagers, all in high spirits. Though night had not yet fallen, lanterns were already lit in the courtyard, and two gas lamps hoisted high on bamboo poles blazed with brilliant white light.

This was clearly no ordinary "dispatched meal." A dozen or so tables of various sizes filled the courtyard. Judging by the dishes and drinks spread across them, it qualified as a proper banquet.

"Isn't this a bit much?" Zhang Laicai muttered.

Tan Shuangxi spoke up quickly: "Village Head, your hospitality exceeds the standard."

"What standard? Someone's paying—it's not public funds!" The village head waved off the concern. "Besides, this wasn't my decision alone. Everyone agreed, isn't that right?"

The villagers chorused in unison: "That's right!"

With that, the two soldiers were ushered and pushed toward the seats of honor at the head table. Before the bench had even warmed beneath them, a familiar face walked in: Private First Class Chen Kefa from their platoon.

Tan Shuangxi suddenly remembered—Chen Kefa was from this very village. He wore a clean set of laborer's clothes, but the smell of fish clung to him from head to toe. Obviously he had come straight from the fishing boat.

Though only a few days had passed since they'd last met, Chen Kefa greeted them as if it were a long-lost reunion. He first snapped Tan Shuangxi a crisp military salute, then moved in for an embrace. Tan Shuangxi retreated hastily without returning the salute—this was his new uniform, freshly issued after returning to Lingao! Seeing everyone else backing away as well, the private could only grin sheepishly. He greeted the village head, then invited everyone to sit.

"This is your house?"

"That's right, my house." Chen Kefa beamed. "The courtyard was newly built. What do you think? Not bad, eh?"

The private's home was quite substantial—an open-style three-sided compound. His wasn't a small family; he shared the courtyard with two uncles, three households living together, cooking and fishing as one. For fishermen, the capital requirements were considerable, so such clan-style operations were common.

By Tan Shuangxi's standards, the food and drink were lavish indeed. Chicken, duck, fish, and pork—nothing was absent. The seafood dishes especially were prepared in a dazzling variety. According to Chen Kefa, this was the handiwork of his Third Uncle-in-law, who had apprenticed at the Commercial Hall Restaurant in Bairen Town and now made his living as an itinerant cook.

The liquor wasn't local homebrew, either; they had specifically purchased crates of Wenlan River beer from a nearby town and chilled them in well water. As for fruit brandy, soft drinks, and kvass—everything was fully stocked.

"This is too extravagant," Tan Shuangxi said, somewhat taken aback. Zhang Laicai was even more at a loss. It wasn't the season for any festival—what was the occasion? On the other hand, the village head, the stationed police officer, and the other locals sharing the meal seemed perfectly at ease. Apparently, one feast was no longer a significant expense for this prosperous village.

"It's not extravagant. I'm just—what's the phrase—presenting Buddha with borrowed flowers, is that right?" Chen Kefa looked to the village's resident intellectual, the accountant, who nodded with a smile and said, "Close enough."

"Let's go with that." Chen Kefa had already downed half a bottle of beer. "This banquet was originally meant to send off the village's new recruits..."

"New recruits?" Tan Shuangxi was puzzled. "Where are they?"

"Still at the docks sorting out the boat. They'll be here soon!" Chen Kefa said. "He's a fishing hand on my family's boat."

Zhang Laicai interjected: "Wasn't it your cousin's turn for this round of conscription?"

"That's right, it was supposed to be him." Chen Kefa was unconcerned. The Chen family was large and had many sons locally, so besides Chen Kefa already serving in the army, another son was due for conscription this time. By age, it should have been Chen Kefa's cousin, Chen Kecai. But Chen Kecai had just graduated from the Mechanical Technician Training Class and received his technician certificate, so the Chen family couldn't spare him. Hence the idea of finding a substitute arose.

"Is that allowed?" Tan Shuangxi asked, somewhat surprised.

"What's not allowed? The county only specifies how many men the village must send, not who specifically goes." The village head spoke bluntly. "The young man is willing, too. Says there's no future in being a fishing hand. Joining the army is a good opportunity."

Just then, several young men entered from outside. The Chen family patriarch immediately went to greet them warmly.

"Look, the substitute has arrived," Zhang Laicai muttered under his breath.

"Don't say that!" Tan Shuangxi hissed, scolding him quietly. "What kind of talk is that?" Though he also felt something wasn't quite right about the arrangement, there seemed nothing to be said against it.

"Come, come—these are the new recruits we're seeing off tonight." The village head brought the young men before Tan Shuangxi and the others. Chen Kefa's grin widened: "This is Sergeant Tan and Corporal Zhang. Say 'Greetings, Squad Leaders!'"

Six young men formed a crooked line and called out in unison: "Greetings, Squad Leaders!"

Tan and Zhang couldn't help but laugh and grimace at the same time, hurrying to stand and return the salute.

"Sit, sit, everyone." The village head urged them all to take their seats, busying himself making toasts at each table alongside the Chen family patriarch.

Zhang Laicai asked: "Chen Kefa! Your family is paying for this banquet?"

"My family's paying. Where would the village get this kind of money?" Chen Kefa said with evident pride. "My dad and two uncles all want me to leave the army and come back to work with them. But I'm not coming back—wind and waves are nothing compared to being a soldier! Once my leave is over, I'm returning to the unit. Doesn't matter where we fight. Come on, drink up!"

After several rounds, everyone warmed up and the conversation flowed freely. The village head was a local; due to Tan Shuangxi's grandmother, they could even claim a distant kinship. So they talked more. He chatted with Tan Shuangxi in Lingao dialect, showing off a bit of local pride. But Tan Shuangxi, mindful that the stationed police officer was a northerner, insisted on replying in New Speech.

The conversation at the banquet table began with the host family. The village head said enviously: Chen Kefa's family was doing well these days. Not only had they commissioned two new fishing boats built in Hong Kong, but they had also opened a seafood processing plant. Catches went straight from the boat to the plant for processing into various products—far more profitable than selling fresh fish or salted goods. Their roasted fish fillet especially had become a county specialty.

"...The women in his family all work at the processing plant now. Their own fishing can't even keep up with demand; they have to buy more at the harbor. Spanish mackerel gets oven-dried into fillets right at the factory, then sold to East Gate Market. Business is booming."

"Roasted fish fillets? The village used to make those in the old days too..." Tan Shuangxi recalled visiting his grandmother as a child, when she would roast fish jerky for him as a snack.

"This isn't the same as before. You'll understand once you taste it." The village head continued his boasting.

As they spoke, a distinctive fragrance began wafting through the air. Villagers helping with service brought out large wooden trays to each table. Upon them sat enormous oil-paper packages stamped with the "Daya Chen's Fish Fillet" mark.

"Come, come—homemade, self-marketed. Perfect with drinks!" Chen Kefa peeled open the oil-paper wrapper with his hands. A rich aroma billowed forth. Inside lay thin, pressed sheets of roasted fish. "No chopsticks needed. Tear it with your hands—that's how you get the real flavor!"

Tan Shuangxi took a piece and tore off a small strip to put in his mouth. The full taste of the ocean filled his palate—savory, salty, satisfying. A few light chews unleashed layers of subtle pleasure. As an accompaniment to drinks, it was exquisite indeed.

(End of Chapter)