When Song Ning came out of the house, Lan-ger was standing obediently in the courtyard waiting for him. Song Ning handed him the counted copper coins.

Lan-ger’s little hands were a bit grubby. He was used to doing hard labor, and today he’d cut a whole basketful of grass, so his hands were especially dirty. Song Ning placed the copper coins in his hand. Lan-ger looked down and counted them. “That’s too many—five copper coins.”

Song Ning smiled. “Those two coins are for the hay. It’s just right.”

Lan-ger said nothing more, carefully tucking the coins into his chest. “Well, I’m off then.”

“Wait a moment. It’ll be time to eat soon.”

“I already ate this morning.”

“We agreed on room and board. Your grandfather must have misunderstood.”

Chen Cuihua chimed in, “Your grandfather told you wrong. I told him meals were included—you’re supposed to eat all three meals here.”

Lan’er had already lifted his foot to leave, but upon hearing Chen Cuihua’s words, he pursed his lips and hesitated for a moment before going off to help sort the rice straw.

Wei Hu and Chen Cuihua were both busy at home today, weaving straw mats. By tomorrow, they’d be able to thatch the roof of their house. Once it was sturdy, they wouldn’t have to worry about leaks when the heavy summer rains came.

Song Ning watched and shook his head slightly. This ger really knew how to work—he wasn’t about to take any advantage of his family. He’d have him come back a little later in the afternoon from now on; by the time he returned from herding the cattle, it would be just in time for dinner.

Song Ning had been copying texts for a while, but now he didn’t feel like writing anymore. He packed up his things and squeezed in next to Wei Hu to help sort the straw.

He’d never done this kind of work before, so he awkwardly mimicked Wei Hu’s movements. He wasn’t even learning as quickly as Lan-ger standing nearby, which made Chen Cuihua laugh. “Lan-ger is quite the quick learner—he’s even outshining you, Xiao Ning.”

With Chen Cuihua’s praise, Lan-ger worked even harder.

Lan-ger didn’t want to lose this job. He was a frail young ger, still just a child, and there weren’t many ways to earn money in the countryside. It just so happened that the Wei family’s oxen needed tending, and they’d agreed on five copper coins—but they’d even thrown in two extra.

Seven copper coins a day—that was enough to buy two eggs. If he saved up, he could even afford a pound of meat in a month!

Lan-ger thought of the big white steamed buns he’d eaten that morning, and he couldn’t help but lick his lips. Everyone in the village said Uncle Huzi’s family lived well—and it was true. They ate white flour buns first thing in the morning, with eggs inside.

For lunch, he’d just boiled some wild vegetable congee—watery and thin—and now his stomach was starting to growl. He had no idea what he’d eat for dinner.

Song Ning squeezed in next to Wei Hu but didn’t do much work; he just clung to him a bit. While Wei Hu tied straw bundles with hemp rope, Song Ning helped hand him the straw. Neither of them was much of a talker, but with Chen Cuihua there, she’d chat with Lan-ger every now and then, making things quite lively.

Chen Cuihua was quite happy inside. Before, it had just been her and Wei Hu at home. Because her family had a bad reputation, no one was willing to visit, and the house had been cold and desolate. Ever since Ning-ger came to live with them, the house had gradually become livelier.

“Lan’er, who do you usually play with?”

“Our two families live far apart, so we don’t see each other very often.” 

“Your grandfather doesn’t come out much these days either.”

Chen Cuihua chatted idly, and Lan-ger hummed in response a couple of times. Hei Dou and Hua Dou were basking in the sun in the courtyard, and the whole yard was quite lively.

As the sun began to set, Chen Cuihua got up to prepare dinner, and Lan-ger hurried after her. “I’ll tend the fire.” 

“Alright, then we won’t need Uncle Huzi.”

As soon as the two left, Song Ning pulled a stool closer to Wei Hu, craned her neck, and whispered to him, “My mom was asking who Lan-ger plays with. I’ve only seen him a couple of times, and both times he was getting bullied by some village kids. That’s just too much.”

“Should I go beat them up then?”

Song Ning knew Wei Hu was joking—after all, as an adult, he couldn’t very well beat up a kid. He gave him a light nudge with his elbow. “Then the villagers would say you’re bullying people with your power.”

After saying that, Song Ning laughed too. “If I see them again, I’ll beat them up.” 

“Sure, and if you can’t beat them, go home and call for help.”

Song Ning shot Wei Hu a glare. “How could I possibly lose to a bunch of kids?”

Wei Hu chuckled, prompting Song Ning to bump into him again. “He might be a ger, but they are still children. Even if it comes to a fight, he certainly wouldn’t lose to a couple of brats.

Song Ning rested his chin in his hand and thought for a moment. He didn’t think he’d ever gotten into a fight with anyone since he was a kid—except for that one time when his mom and Li Guifen were fighting, and he’d headbutted Li Xiaolian.

The aroma of stir-fried vegetables was already wafting from the kitchen, and before long, Chen Cuihua called everyone to dinner. For supper, Chen Cuihua had prepared a stew of radish, glass noodles, and tofu, with pork cracklings added—it was glistening with oil.

She took a large earthenware bowl and heaped a generous serving onto it for Lan-ger. She also grabbed four cornmeal buns from the pot, placed them in a basket, and handed them to Lan-ger. “Go on, if you’re late getting back, your grandfather will come out looking for you.”

Lan-ger wiped his hands on the hem of his shirt and took one of the corn buns out of the basket. “Three will be enough.”

Lan-ger was about to run home with the basket, but afraid of spilling the vegetables inside, he walked cautiously, still holding the basket. Song Ning called out to him, “Lan-ger, you don’t need to come so early in the afternoon. Just come over in the late morning to tend the cattle.”

Lan-ger gave a nod, stepped out the door with the basket, and was gone in a flash.

Song Ning washed his hands and sat down at the table. “That ger works a little too hard.”

Chen Cuihua shook her head. “When Zhang Banxia found him, he’d only just been born. I don’t know how Zhang Banxia managed to raise him. Back then, when he first came to our village, he was carrying a baby and playing the erhu at the village entrance. The village chief took pity on the two of them and let them stay in that dilapidated house at the south end of the village.”

Listening to this, Song Ning felt a pang of unease. How could anyone be so pitiful?

Wei Hu picked some pork fat bits from his bowl and offered them to Song Ning. “Eat up. The food’ll get cold in a minute.” Song Ning gave a noncommittal “Oh,” and finally stopped thinking about Lan-ger.

Early the next morning, Lan-ger came over carrying a basket. He led his ox out, and when he left, he took some food back with him. He was well-behaved and didn’t take more than he needed. Chen Cuihua had even worried the two of them wouldn’t have enough to eat, but even if he put extra in the basket, Lan-ger wouldn’t take them.

Having someone to tend the ox gave the family some relief. Livestock is so precious—it requires careful tending every day. Though Lan-ger was still young, every time he returned, the ox’s belly was always bulging with food.

In the morning, taking advantage of the fine weather, Wei Hu climbed onto the roof to spread out the straw. It took him the whole morning to finish the job. Yesterday, Song Ning had asked him to help patch up Lan-ger’s roof as well, so he had set aside a little extra straw.

In the afternoon, they hitched up the ox cart, and Wei Hu and Song Ning set off together for Lan-ger’s house.

Song Ning sat in the ox cart, idly swinging his legs. He’d been in the village for half a year now and had long since grown accustomed to country life. Though he wasn’t as well-off as he’d been with the Song family, he had no shortage of food or drink, and both Wei Hu and his mother doted on him. He felt his life was actually three times better than it had been with the Songs.

Wei Hu drove the ox cart along slowly. His young Fulang sat up front; whenever Wei Hu glanced back at him, he’d smile—a smile that melted Wei Hu’s heart and gave him even more energy to work.

The oxcart pulled into Lang’er’s courtyard. Wei Hu reached out to help him down. Lang’er was tending to his little vegetable patch in the yard; he’d gathered some discarded pumpkin seedlings from neighbors and planted them there, so they’d have pumpkins to eat during the winter when food was scarce.

Seeing Song Ning and the others approach, Lan-ger hurriedly stood up. “Uncle Huzi, Aunt Ning.”

“We had some straw left over at home. We’d sorted it and set it aside so it wouldn’t go to waste. I figured your roof probably needs re-thatching too, so I had Uncle Huzi bring it over.” Song Ning explained, afraid the young man might read too much into it.

“Thank you,” Lan-ger murmured.

Zhang Banxia was sitting in the courtyard soaking up the sun. When he heard Lan-ger call out, he asked, “Is that Uncle Huzi here?” Lan-ger let out a soft “Ah.”

“Uncle Huzi is going to help us repair the roof.”

Zhang Banxia nodded. “That’s a lot of work. Thanks a lot for that.”

Lan-ger hurried over to help carry the straw. Though he was small, he managed to carry a huge bundle each time. Song Ning didn’t stop him; this little ger was so sensible it was enough to make one’s heart ache.

Zhang Banxia’s home was just a single thatched hut, with a makeshift shed attached to the side where they cooked. The thatch on top hadn’t been replaced in years, and in some places, the roof was completely exposed. The room wasn’t large, so laying the thatch went quickly; Wei Hu climbed up and had it done in no time.

Lan-ger boiled some water and poured a cup. “Auntie Ning, have some water.”

Song Ning nodded and took a couple of sips. While Wei Hu worked on the roof, he was helped by passing up bundles of straw from below; the job was finished in no time.

Lan-ger watched as the hole in his family’s roof was repaired, and he felt truly happy inside. He knew the two of them had helped him out of pity, but Lan-ger didn’t think he was pitiful at all. His grandfather could play the erhu for people, and he could go out and pick wild vegetables. Although life was a bit hard, they could still manage to eat their fill.

But he didn’t know how to repair a roof, and his grandfather was getting old. So if the roof was leaky, it was leaky—it was fine in light rain, but heavy rain was a problem, with water seeping in everywhere. Now that it was fixed, at least it wouldn’t leak this summer.

Lan-ger thought to himself that he’d just have to do a little more work for the Wei family—he’d take good care of their ox and make sure it grew big and strong!

Song Ning looked up and was delighted to see the roof had been re-thatched with fresh straw. “Brother Wei Hu, be careful coming down.”

“No problem. Step aside a bit—I’m coming down.”

Song Ning hurriedly stepped aside, and Wei Hu jumped down nimbly.

Lan-ger watched from the side with envy. If only he were as capable as Uncle Wei Hu, he could earn more copper coins to buy meat for his grandfather!

It would be a while before Lan-ger’s family could afford to repair their roof, so Lan-ger grabbed a sickle from home and decided to tag along. He called out to Zhang Banxia, “Grandpa! I’m going out to tend the cattle. I’ll be back for dinner!”

Zhang Banxia nodded, and only then did Lan-ger set off. His grandfather was old; not only was he blind, but his hearing was failing as well.

Song Ning waved to Lan-ger. “Hop on. We can ride back together.”

Lan-ger had hardly ever ridden in an oxcart before—only once, when they went to town to sell bamboo shoots. Hearing Song Ning call him up, Lan-ger happily climbed aboard.

Although their homes weren’t close, who wouldn’t be happy to ride in an ox cart?

Once they arrived home, Wei Hu unhitched the cart, and Lan-ger led the ox out the door. Song Ning watched as they walked away, then chuckled softly. “Lan-ger’s quite capable.”

Wei Hu rested at home for two days before heading back into the mountains. Song Ning got up early to help pack their belongings, preparing plenty of food and drink. Since cooking in the mountains was inconvenient, Chen Cuihua had also risen early to make a large batch of flatbreads.

With Wei Hu back in the mountains, the house felt emptier. Though Song Ning was reluctant to see him go, he understood that Wei Hu wanted to earn more silver. Fortunately, the weather was just right—neither too cold nor too hot.

There wasn’t much work to do at home at the moment. Song Ning spent his time copying texts, while Chen Cuihua would occasionally go to their fields to weed. Even the family ox no longer needed tending—Lan-ger had taken on the responsibility himself.

Chen Cuihua was someone who couldn’t sit still. Now that the family had an oxcart, her desire to start a small business flared up again. Chen Cuihua was quick-witted, so as soon as she returned from the fields, she discussed the matter with Song Ning.

At first, Song Ning wasn’t entirely on board. “Mom, I can’t make that call. Brother Wei Hu told me how hard you’ve worked in the past. Now that things are a bit better at home, you should stay home and rest—you deserve a few days of peace and quiet.”

Chen Cuihua snorted. “I’m still young, son. I’m not some old woman in her seventies or eighties who can’t work anymore. I just can’t sit still. There’s not much to do around here, and when I’m idle, I feel restless all over.”

Chen Cuihua thought to herself that now that the family had an oxcart, sitting around was pointless. She might as well make some extra money while she was still young. She’d wanted to start a small business before, but the family’s savings had been spent in previous years. Now that she had a few taels of silver on hand, it seemed like the perfect time to try her hand at a small business.

Song Ning looked a bit hesitant. “Mother, let’s wait until Brother Wei Hu comes home to discuss this. Running a business out there is really hard work.”

“Well, it might have been hard work back then, but now we have an ox cart. I don’t have to carry all those pots, pans, and utensils to town on my back anymore. How hard could it be?”

Chen Cuihua had made up her mind to set up a small business in town. She was a woman of action; the very next day, she drove the ox cart into town to find someone to make flat iron skillets.

Chen Cuihua planned to make butter pancakes. It was simple—a common snack at the market—but since every family had their own recipe, the flavors naturally varied. She intended to make two kinds: one with a vegetarian filling of chives, and another with a savory meat sauce.

Song Ning didn’t dare to tell Chen Cuihua what to do, and with Wei Hu currently up in the mountains, he had no one to consult with. He could only watch as his mother set off with a beaming smile to buy the necessary supplies.

Chen Cuihua was always a woman of action; within a couple of days, she had everything she needed. The most expensive item was a large flat-bottomed pan, which cost her over two taels of silver.

Chen Cuihua couldn’t bring herself to spend money on an iron stove for the cooking area—it was far too expensive. Although it was more convenient, it was simply too costly. Instead, she mixed some yellow clay in the courtyard and built a simple earthen stove herself; they could just haul it all to town together when the time came.

Song Ning watched from the sidelines without saying a word. His mother was brimming with energy right now, and he didn’t want to dampen her enthusiasm. He and Wei Hu were eager to support her, but she refused to sit idle—in just two days, she’d already managed to get nearly everything ready.

A large mud stove was drying in the courtyard, and the flat-bottomed pan had been brought back as well. Chen Cuihua was just waiting for the stove to dry so she could set up a stall in town.

Qiu-ger came over to find Song Ning, carrying his basket. As soon as he arrived, he spotted the clay stove drying in the courtyard. “Ning-ger, what on earth is your family doing here?”

As soon as Song Ning saw Qiu-ger arrive, he hurriedly pulled out a stool for him to sit on. “My mom said she’s going to sell butter pancakes in town.” 

Qiu-ger let out an “Ooh. Aunt Cuihua sure is hardworking.”

The two sat in the small courtyard chatting idly. Song Ning had been copying texts for a while and was feeling a bit tired, so he decided to tidy up. He brought out some roasted sunflower seeds and a pot of longan and jujube tea.

Qiu-ger sat nearby, leisurely embroidering. Song Ning pushed the snacks over to him. “How’s your appetite been lately?”

“It’s still the same. It’s not even hot yet. Wait until July or August when it’s at its hottest—I don’t know how I’ll survive then.”

Though Qiu-ger said this, his face still lit up with joy. After all, the arrival of a new baby was cause for celebration; having a little one running around the house would certainly liven things up.

Song Ning looked at Qiu-ger with envy. He loved children, and so did his mother. He was getting a bit impatient, and Qiu-ger could see right through him. He teased him, “Hey, you’ve only been married for a short while. What’s the rush?”

Song Ning chuckled. “I’m not at all.”

“By the way, I heard you hired Lan-ger to tend the cattle?”

“Yeah, that little guy works like a horse. Not only has he fed them until their bellies are round as balls, but I’d say even my cows are spotless—he must have given them a good scrub.”

“That’s great. I’ve heard people in the village gossiping—plenty of folks want that job at your place. Not just kids, but even adults with nothing better to do.”

The two were sitting in the courtyard chatting when Chen Cuihua returned carrying a basket filled with spring chives and a small piece of meat. The pastries in the oven were nearly dry, and she planned to head to town tomorrow to sell her butter pancakes.

“Qiu-ger, you’re here. You’ve been so busy lately—why haven’t you been coming over to visit as often?”

Qiu-ger didn’t hide it; he smiled and said, “I’m pregnant.” Chen Cuihua was surprised for a moment, then smiled and said, “No wonder Granny Sun has been looking so radiant lately—so there’s happy news in the family.”

“It’s still early—it won’t be two months yet.”

“Mom, are our pickled bamboo shoots ready to eat yet? I was thinking of packing a bowl for Qiu-ger to take with him later.” Song Ning was thinking of Qiu-ger; she knew he didn’t have much of an appetite, so she figured the appetizing bamboo shoots at home would be perfect to send along with him.

“Let me take a look. Those bamboo shoots have been pickling for a few days now; they should be ready.”

Chen Cuihua said as she went to the main room to lift the lid of the jar and take a look. She scooped out some bamboo shoots to taste; they were tangy and spicy, with a refreshing bite. “They’re ready. Qiu-ger, take a bowl home with you when you leave.”

Qiu-ger replied happily; Aunt Cuihua was a master at making these kinds of dishes.

Chen Cuihua scooped out a bowl. “You two should both try some—Ning-ger hasn’t had this before either.”

Chen Cuihua used tender bamboo shoots—specifically the tips—for her pickled bamboo shoots with chili peppers. They were crisp, tender, and refreshing. The two of them nodded in approval as they ate; it would make a perfect little snack for everyday enjoyment.

Qiu-ger really liked it. “Aunt Cuihua, thank you. These bamboo shoots are delicious.”

“Just come by and have some more whenever you finish this. It’s nothing special—it’s just that bamboo shoots are hard to digest, so you should eat them in moderation.”

Qiu-ger had wanted to eat more, but hearing Chen Cuihua say that, he didn’t dare eat any more. So he decided he’d just have a little bit each day.

Qiu-ger sat there for a while, then carried the bamboo shoots away when it was time to eat. The tangy aroma of the bamboo shoot tips made his mouth water; if Aunt Cuihua hadn’t told him not to eat too much, he would have polished off the whole bowl.

In the afternoon, Chen Cuihua was in a rather good mood as she sorted through the chives in the courtyard. The chives in her family’s vegetable patch hadn’t grown yet, so she’d gone to the village to buy some. These were the first spring chives of the season, with a rich, mellow aroma—they’d make the most fragrant butter pancakes imaginable.

Song Ning had been copying the Heart Sutra for a while and came over to help, but Chen Cuihua told him to rest. “It’s just a little bit of chives. I’ll have them sorted in no time—I don’t need your help.”

“Mother, let me go with you to town tomorrow. I’ve copied a few pages of the Heart Sutra already, so I’ll drop them off at the study first.”

“Alright, then we’ll go together.”

Chen Cuihua knew full well that Song Ning was worried something might go wrong with her first business venture. She felt that as a farmer’s wife, there was nothing she couldn’t handle, but having someone by her side on the first day did put her mind at ease a little.

“Cuihua, you’re busy.”

Granny Sun stood at the door, holding a basket and smiling ingratiatingly. Chen Cuihua called out, “Coming! Come on in. Hei Dou and Hua Dou have both gone into the mountains.”

Only then did Granny Sun step inside. Her basket was filled with tender young watercress. “The watercress in my yard is growing quite well. I picked some for you to try.”

Chen Cuihua knew Granny Sun all too well. They hadn’t gotten along before, but things had improved a bit just before the New Year when Qiu-ger came to her house to learn how to cut paper cutouts. Granny Sun never visited without a reason, so Chen Cuihua wouldn’t dare eat the watercress without asking what was on her mind first.

“Go ahead, what’s on your mind?”

Granny Sun chuckled twice. “Well, you see, my Qiu-ger took a bowl of pickled bamboo shoots from you the other day. I noticed he really liked them, so I wanted to ask how you make them.”

“Oh? Since when has he been so good to your son-in-law?”

Granny Sun smiled sheepishly. “Well, Qiu-ger hasn’t been eating much lately.”

When Chen Cuihua realized that was the reason—and since it wasn’t anything difficult—she teased her a bit before explaining the recipe to Granny Sun. “It’s hard to find fresh bamboo shoots this time of year; they’re all old now. If you want some, you’ll have to head up into the mountains.”

“Oh, I know. I’ll head into the mountains first thing tomorrow morning to look for them.”

“You really are something. What were you making such a fuss about before? That Qiu-ger is a really good lad. Just look—now that you’ve stopped causing trouble, isn’t life at your house pretty decent?”

Song Ning’s lips curled into a smile. Granny Sun had indeed changed somewhat since before; she now understood how hard things had been for Qiu-ger.

When Granny Sun heard Chen Cuihua speak to her this way, she merely smiled and nodded in response. After all, she needed a favor from her. In the past, if Chen Cuihua had said a single critical word to her, she would have fired back immediately—not like now, listening with a smile on her face.

“These bamboo shoots are hard to digest, so have your Qiu-ger eat less of them. Instead, you could pickle some Chinese cabbage or radishes—they’ll be ready to eat by the next day and just as refreshing. When summer comes, and the cucumbers are in season, you can make some pickled cucumbers too. If you don’t know how, just come find me then.”

Granny Sun agreed eagerly. Chen Cuihua got up to fetch the brine for her. “It’s only for your Qiu-ger. If it were a stranger, I wouldn’t part with the brine.”

Granny Sun was even more delighted. She hadn’t expected Chen Cuihua to actually give her the brine. These pickled bamboo shoots might sound simple, but the brine is the key. Some people just don’t know how to make it—not only do they fail to capture the right flavor, but some even end up spoiling the dish.

Granny Sun thanked her repeatedly. She hadn’t expected Chen Cuihua to be so kind to her. After all, she’d spent plenty of time gossiping about Chen Cuihua’s family behind their backs—a thought that made her blush even now.

Chen Cuihua served her a large bowl of brine. “You’re a lucky one, aren’t you?” 

Granny Sun said cheerfully, “So are you, so are you.”

Granny Sun walked away holding the brine, thinking she’d start by pickling some radishes and turnips today. Tomorrow she’d head up the mountain early to find some wild asparagus. It was getting hard to find them at this time of year; if she’d known Qiu-ger liked them, she would’ve gone to the back mountain to gather some much earlier.

Seeing how much Granny Sun cared for Qiu-ger, Song Ning felt genuinely happy. Qiu-ger had had a rough time before, but now that Granny Sun was treating him so well, he realized that poverty wasn’t the real problem—what mattered most was having a united family.

When he saw Qiu-ger today, he seemed a bit subdued, but his complexion was actually quite good—a sign that he’s doing well these days.