After leaving home, Zheng Beiqiu decided to stop by Luo Xiu’s place first.

He remembered that the Liu family’s old house had been swept away by a flood years ago; he didn’t know if it was still livable, and besides, he really wasn’t comfortable with a young ger living there all by himself.

To get from the east bank to the west bank, one had to cross a small bridge, and he happened to run into Liu Hua right there on the bridge.

“Cousin-in-law,” Zheng Beiqiu greeted him.

Liu Hua turned and stared at him for a moment before recognizing him. “Is that Daqiu?” 

“It’s me.”

“I haven’t seen you in years—I almost didn’t recognize you. Are you back from the barracks?” 

“Yeah, I just got home today.”

“It’s good to have you back. I heard it’s bitterly cold over in Pingzhou—it starts snowing before October, and it’s still freezing cold in April and May.” 

“It’s not too bad. Once you get used to it, it’s all the same.”

“It’s still better to be at home. At least you’re surrounded by family and friends—there’s always someone to look out for you.”

Zheng Beiqiu smiled but said nothing. Family, huh? He feared that if anything happened to him, they’d run away faster than anyone else.

“Where are you headed, cousin-in-law?”

Liu Hua was carrying a wicker basket filled with quite a few things. “I’m going to visit my nephew’s husband. You’ve just gotten back, so you probably don’t know—my nephew, Changfu, has passed away…”

“Oh my, when did that happen?” Zheng Beiqiu feigned surprise. “I even went to Changfu’s wedding. How did he pass away so suddenly?” 

“It was just a few days ago. He went up the mountain with my older brother to gather firewood, but he accidentally fell and died.”

“That’s truly… a pity. Brother Changfu was so young when he passed away. What about his husband now?”

“I originally thought Luo Xiu would go back to his parents’ home with his brother and sister-in-law, but when I asked yesterday, I found out that the ger didn’t want to go back—he moved over here to the old house all by himself.”

When the topic turned to Luo Xiu, Liu Hua couldn’t stop talking. “Ever since Luo Xiu married into the Liu family, I’ve taken a special liking to him—he’s honest, down-to-earth, hardworking, and capable. It’s a pity he’s had such a hard life—his parents died young, and his older brother and sister-in-law are money-grubbing scoundrels who tried to sell him for five guan to that blind man in Xiagou Village. Can you believe people would do something like that?”

Zheng Beiqiu’s expression darkened, and he thought to himself that his return had come at just the right time.

Liu Hua continued, “Unfortunately, my eldest brother’s family has very little land of their own. They used to rely entirely on tenant farming to make ends meet. Now that Changfu is gone, they’ve lost a strong laborer, and life has become even tighter—they simply can’t afford to feed so many mouths.”

Beiqiu was overjoyed to hear this. If not for his respect for the person standing before him, he would have loved to jump up and pump his fists toward the sky—this was exactly what they meant by “when fate strikes, nothing can stand in its way!”

“So, can he manage living here all by himself now?”

“That’s exactly why I’m worried—I came over to check on him. Where are you headed?” 

“Oh, I’m just going to take a stroll over to the east side of the river to visit a friend.”

“I’ll have to go now—we’re almost there.” 

“Okay, take care, Cousin-in-law.”

Liu Hua walked ahead, and Zheng Beiqiu slowed his pace to follow behind him. When they reached the Liu family’s old residence, they could see Luo Xiu—his belly bulging—chopping firewood in the courtyard from quite a distance away.

He’d borrowed the axe from the neighbors to chop some firewood and test whether the new pot heated well. Hearing footsteps, Luo Xiu looked up. “Auntie, what brings you here?”

“Oh my, my dear, why are you chopping wood all by yourself?” Liu Hua quickened her pace and took the axe from his hands.

“It’s fine.” Back when he lived with his parents, he’d always been the one to chop the firewood; it was only in the two years since he’d married into the Liu family that she’d stopped doing it. “That won’t do. You’re pregnant. I’ll have your uncle bring you some to use for now.”

“No need to go to all that trouble…” The two of them went inside.

Once Zheng Beiqiu was out of sight, he quietly stepped forward, set the sack of foxtail millet down in the courtyard, and turned to walk back toward town.

Inside the house, Liu Hua looked around and sighed heavily. “You child, living all alone in a place like this…”

“It’s better than being sold to a blind man as a wife.” Luo Xiu stroked her belly. “Besides, I’m carrying Changfu’s child. What if they treat the baby badly once I’m married there?”

“Don’t blame your father-in-law and mother-in-law—they had no choice. Erfu’s marriage was arranged last year, and with a new bride coming soon and another mouth to feed, they simply can’t afford to support another person.”

“Auntie, there’s no need to try to talk me out of it. I’ve never held it against them. I’m already very grateful that my mother-in-law let me stay in this part of the old house.”

Liu Hua patted his hand and sighed. She was so fond of Luo Xiu; if it weren’t for the fact that her own family was barely making ends meet, she would have taken the child in to care for him—at least until after he’d given birth.

“Let’s not talk about that. I brought you a few things—see if there’s anything you can use.” Liu Hua lifted the cloth covering the basket. “Here are two sets of baby clothes that my third son wore when he was little. I’ve never had the heart to give them away, so they’re perfect for your baby once you give birth. They’re a bit worn, but please don’t turn them down.”

Luo Xiu took them with delight. “Thank you, Sister-in-law! How could I possibly mind? I’m overjoyed!”

“This bag is foxtail millet, and this one is beans. Make do with these for now.” The two bags together amounted to three or four dou. “I already bought some grain—I went to town this morning and got two bags. That’s enough to last us.”

“Silly boy, you’ve got a long life ahead of you. My family isn’t well-off either—besides this little bit of food, there’s nothing else I can do to help. Just take it.” 

“Ah…” Tears glistened in Luo Xiu’s eyes; this was the first time he’d felt the warmth of family since his husband’s passing.

“Here are two taels of silver. Take them for now, and pay me back when you can.”

“Auntie, I know you care about me, but I really can’t accept this money. I have a little saved up, and it’ll be enough for now.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Hua didn’t press the matter. She had scraped this money together from every last penny—life was hard for farmers. They toiled in the fields year-round; after paying the land tax and head tax, they barely had enough to scrape by.

“By the way, my cousin lives next door—technically, you should call her ‘great-aunt.’ If you need anything, let them know; it’s good for neighbors to look out for one another.”

Luo Xiu nodded. “I know—Great-Aunt told me that as soon as I moved in yesterday.”

“That’s good. If I do the math, you’re already six months along. You’ll be giving birth just as the weather warms up. I’ll drop by to see you whenever I have a chance.” 

“Okay.”

There was still work to be done at home, so Liu Hua sat for a while before getting up to leave. Before she went, she took his hand and kept urging him, “It’s really not safe for a young ger like you to live here alone. The village is full of bachelors who can’t find wives. If someone were to get the wrong idea, I’m afraid they might harm you. Why don’t you have a good talk with your older brother? After all, he’s your own flesh and blood.”

“I understand what you’re saying, Auntie, but ever since Mom and Dad passed away, my sister-in-law has been calling the shots at home. My older brother doesn’t care one bit about us. Last year, he even married my little sister off to some old landowner in his fifties in town…”

“Oh…” Liu Hua sighed, understanding how difficult things were for him. “Well, be careful. Lock your door tightly at night. When I have time, I’ll have your uncle come over to help you build a fence and repair the roof.”

“No need to trouble my uncle. I’ll handle it myself.”

“Don’t say it’s too much trouble—it’ll only take an afternoon. Anyway, I’ll head home now and come back in a few days.”

“Take your time on the way home, Auntie.”

After seeing her to the gate, Luo Xiu noticed a sack of foxtail millet sitting in the courtyard. He looked around but didn’t see anyone. Upon closer inspection, the sack looked very familiar—it seemed to have been bought by the cousin who’d helped him carry the rice that morning.

Luo Xiu thought to himself, “That cousin looks pretty intimidating, but I never would’ve guessed he had such a kind heart. Still, I can’t accept this corn myself. I’ll take it inside for now and return it to him once the sack is empty.”

After struggling to carry the corn into the house, Luo Xiu was drenched in sweat. After all, as a pregnant ger, he dared not use brute force for fear of harming the child.

Luo Xiu scrubbed the pot, lit the fire, and used his newly bought pot to cook a bowl of foxtail millet porridge. Watching the smoke curl upward, the aroma of the foxtail millet made his mouth water.

Actually, living alone wasn’t so bad. At least he didn’t have to live under anyone’s thumb. Once the weather warmed up in a few days, he’d fence off the yard, buy a few chicks and ducklings, and once they grew up, he’d have eggs to eat.

When he was little, he used to eat eggs all the time. Back then, his mother would crack the eggs into a bowl, add salt and water, and cook up a big bowl of tender egg custard. The three of them—his mother, his older brother, and his younger sister—would scoop it up spoonful by spoonful.

Unfortunately, he hasn’t had any since his parents passed away. When he lived at his parents’ house, his sister-in-law would hide the eggs, and after he married into the Liu family, he wasn’t allowed to eat them freely either—his mother-in-law would always save up ten or twenty at a time to take to town and exchange for money.

If he tilled the land in front of and behind the house and planted some beans, it would be enough to feed himself. Then he’d find a way to do some needlework for a living—he’d manage to get by. Thinking this, Luo Xiu felt a sense of hope welling up inside him.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Meanwhile, Zheng Beiqiu left the village and headed straight back to town.

It had gotten late when he returned yesterday, and in such cold weather, he didn’t feel like making the trip back, so he stayed the night at a friend’s house, leaving his luggage there.

When he arrived, he happened to catch Zhang Linzi and Erzhu preparing dinner. The two bachelors were making do with whatever they had: they’d cooked half a pot of congee with a few chunks of sweet potato, bought half a roast chicken, and had a jar of liquor sitting beside it.

“Brother Qiu’s back!” As soon as they saw him walk in, both were a bit surprised; they’d assumed he’d have to stay at home for a few days before coming over.

“Are you eating?” Zheng Beiqiu rubbed his ears; the early spring chill was even sharper than winter’s, and his ears had been aching from the cold all the way here. “Zhuzi, go get a stool—Brother Daqiu needs to sit down and have some hot wine to warm up.”

Zheng Beiqiu didn’t hesitate; he grabbed a stool and sat by the stove to warm himself.

“You’re back already? Didn’t you say you were going to fix up that house in the village?” Zhang Linzi handed him a clean pair of chopsticks. 

“I just didn’t feel at home there, so I left.” Zheng Beiqiu didn’t bring up the matter of the silver; after all, airing family dirty laundry would only invite ridicule. “If things aren’t going well, come stay with us, brother. We may not have much, but we’ll provide plenty of food and shelter.”

Yang Erzhu carried over a wooden stool, sat down, and chimed in with a silly chuckle, “That’s right, Daqiu, just stay here. Come with us to the gambling den to work as an enforcer—we can look out for each other in the future.”

Zheng Beiqiu hadn’t planned on going into that line of work. He’d fought on the battlefield for so many years; coming back to work as an enforcer at a gambling den to collect debts would be a source of embarrassment if his former comrades found out.

“We’ll see. I’ll stay here for the night first, then go visit my little sister tomorrow.”

Zheng Beiqiu also had a younger sister named Xiaofeng, five years his junior; she was nineteen this year. A few years ago, she’d married into Xiaguo Village and had a daughter who was now a little over two years old.

He’d been away in the army for so many years and had rarely returned, so he had no idea how his younger sister was doing.

Back when his father was on his deathbed, he had clutched Zheng Beiqiu’s hand and urged him to take good care of his younger brother and sister. Now that he was back, he had to go see them before he could rest easy.