Song Ning had originally planned to have Lan-ger come over here to sleep, with Wei Hu keeping an eye on him, and then send him back during the day. But Lan-ger refused, so Song Ning had no choice but to drop the idea.

Chen Cuihua hadn’t gone to set up her stall in town these past two days either. She’d told the regulars who came to buy her pastries that she had family matters to attend to and would be taking a few days off, planning to return to town in a few days.

When Chen Cuihua returned from town, she sighed heavily. That Zhang Banxia was a pitiable man—no one knew where he’d drifted in from—and yet he’d taken in a young boy and worked so hard to raise him to adulthood.

For the past few years, the old man and his son have been lucky just to have enough to eat; they probably don’t have much money to spare. Since Lan’er will be living with her family from now on, she felt he deserved a decent send-off. When Chen Cuihua returned from town, she brought back some fabric.

Lan-ger still came over every morning to tend the cow for a while; the rest of the time he stayed at home. Song Ning and Wei Hu also dropped by from time to time to check on him. Lan-ger wasn’t crying anymore; he just sat there with a stern little face, tending to Zhang Banxia and feeding him rice porridge every day.

At noon, Song Ning came over with a basket of food. Before he even entered the house, he heard people talking. Song Ning was puzzled—could it be that Zhang Banxia had some relatives after all?

“Lan’er, listen to what Auntie says—she’s only looking out for your best interests. That family owns several acres of land; if you go there, you’ll never want for food or clothing. They’re willing to pay five taels of silver to cover your grandfather’s funeral expenses. Five taels of silver—that’ll easily cover the cost of the coffin.”

“This is the kind of family you couldn’t find even if you searched high and low with a lantern. As soon as Auntie heard you were in trouble, she immediately found a family for you. Think about it—you have no relatives or friends in the village. Once your grandfather is gone, who will help you with the arrangements? All of this costs money.”

Song Ning walked in carrying a basket. He’d thought someone in the village wanted to adopt Lan-ger.

His family, the village chief, and Lan-ger’s grandfather had already made arrangements regarding Lan-ger, but they hadn’t told him yet. They were afraid he’d be heartbroken if he found out his grandfather was dying, so they’d kept it from him.

“Lan-ger, who’s here?”

Hearing someone approach, the people inside hurried out. The woman had white powder on her face, wore a headband, and had a bright red silk flower pinned behind her ear. Lan-ger didn’t recognize her, but Song Ning did—wasn’t this the matchmaker from their wedding two months ago?

Song Ning pulled Lan-ger aside. His chest heaved with anger. “You want to sell Lan-ger off!”

The matchmaker gave a nervous laugh. “No, no. It’s just that a family heard about Lan-ger and wants him to come live with them.”

Song Ning wasn’t a child—he understood perfectly well. He was so furious that his face flushed red and his hands trembled. This matchmaker clearly intended to have Lan-ger become someone’s child bridegroom!

Lan-ger is still so young!

Song Ning glanced around and spotted a large broom leaning against the door. Without hesitation, he grabbed it and swung it at the matchmaker with all his might,

“You wicked witch! You evil old hag!”

The matchmaker, hit by Song Ning, clutched her head and yelped, quickly running to hide in a corner. But Song Ning wouldn’t let her off the hook; she chased after her, still wielding the broom. “I’ll teach you to act so wicked! I’ll teach you!”

The matchmaker tried to fight back, but Song Ning was wielding the broom. As Song Ning smacked her face again and again, the matchmaker covered her face and fell to the ground. Song Ning stood with one hand on her hip and the broom in the other. “Who sent you here?”

“No one sent me, no one sent me…” 

“Then you’re the one who’s bad!”

Song Ning raised the broom and struck her again with all her might. The matchmaker was knocked to the ground and rolled around in pain. Lan-ger had never seen Song Ning so furious before; he stood by, too frightened to utter a word.

Song Ning was panting from exhaustion, but the matchmaker still wouldn’t let up. “I’m only doing this for Lan-ger’s own good. Who are you to him, anyway? With Zhang half-blind and dead, Lan-ger is all alone and pitiful. I only found him a match because I felt sorry for him.”

“Get lost! What am I to him? From now on, I’m his stepdad!”

The matchmaker didn’t believe it. “Chen Cuihua is such a shrewd woman—she wouldn’t keep a freeloader around. A burial shroud and coffin cost at least a few taels of silver; where would a little kid like him get that kind of money? You’re taking my kindness for granted. Lan’er, tell me yourself—do you want this or not?”

Song Ning also glared at Lan-ger, as if, should Lan-ger say yes, he’d grab a broom and beat him senseless.

Seeing that Lan-ger had fallen silent, Song Ning finally relaxed a little. “What does a kid like him know? Stop sweet-talking him!”

The matchmaker scrambled to her feet and brushed the dust off her clothes. “You really can’t make this decision. Lan’er, if you’re willing, I’ll give you the silver right now so you can properly take care of your grandfather’s affairs.”

Song Ning grew even angrier. It was obvious she’d come prepared—she’d even brought silver with her. Enraged, Song Ning swung the broom at her again. The matchmaker lunged forward to wrestle the broom away; after all, this matter concerning the half-blind man wasn’t something a mere young lad like Song Ning had any business meddling in.

Lan-ger was so frightened he started crying. Seeing that Song Ning was being shoved so hard he was about to fall, Lan-ger took off running.

This matchmaker had been running back and forth through the surrounding villages for years—what family’s affairs didn’t she know? What kind of people hadn’t she dealt with? She’d just taken quite a few blows from Song Ning; the broom had even scratched her face, making her even angrier. If it weren’t for the fact that Chen Cuihua and Wei Hu were formidable figures, she wouldn’t have held back against this young man just now.

Now, seething with anger, she wanted to go teach Song Ning a lesson. Song Ning was furious too. Zhang Banxia wasn’t even dead yet, and here came this fly, drawn by the scent. The two of them scrambled for the broom, and Song Ning even kicked the matchmaker in the shins. Relying on his youth, he didn’t come out on the losing end.

“You little brat, how dare you hit your old lady!”

The matchmaker shoved Song Ning aside, snatched the broom, and raised it to strike him. Song Ning took two steps back and was caught by someone who grabbed his waist. Tears were streaming down his face; he’d been fighting the matchmaker while crying just moments ago.

Although he hadn’t gotten a clear look at the person, he knew it was Wei Hu coming over. He blinked and finally saw who it was—it was indeed Wei Hu. Seeing Song Ning being bullied, Wei Hu couldn’t stand it. After all, he wouldn’t even let his husband do the cooking.

The matchmaker swung her broom at him, but Wei Hu reached out and flung both her and the broom aside.

Chen Cuihua arrived shortly after. As soon as she saw the matchmaker shoving Song Ning so hard he nearly fell to the ground, she let out a curse and rushed over.

“You sly tongue! How dare you hit someone from my family!”

Chen Cuihua was a fierce woman. She charged forward, straddled the matchmaker, swung her arm in a wide arc to slap her, then grabbed the matchmaker by the head and slammed it against the ground. Song Ning was so startled by her reckless fury that he froze—even when his mother fought with Li Guifen, she hadn’t been this brutal.

Wei Hu wiped the tears from Song Ning’s face, his tone somber. “Where did she hit you?”

Song Ning sniffed and shook his head. “She didn’t hit me—I hit her! She was trying to sell Lan-ger!”

Song Ning was still furious. Right now, his mother was pinning the matchmaker to the ground and beating her. Song Ning pushed Wei Hu aside and rushed over, grabbing the matchmaker’s hands. “Mom, hit her!”

Lan-ger was crying his eyes out nearby. Watching Song Ning go to fight the woman, he felt as if he’d done something wrong and began crying even harder.

With the two of them beating the matchmaker, she stood no chance against Chen Cuihua to begin with, and now with Song Ning joining in, she was beaten so badly she couldn’t fight back. Her face was covered in bruises, and blood streamed down her nose.

Only when Chen Cuihua had had her fill did she stand up. “Speak! Where were you planning to take Lan’er?” 

“N-nowhere…”

Wei Hu came over and pulled Song Ning to his feet. Song Ning was still trembling slightly. He and Wei Hu were here every day, but someone had taken advantage of the brief moment they went home for lunch.

Chen Cuihua kicked him. “Speak up! I don’t think you’re in any pain.”

“I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you. It’s Dahei from the next village. I told his family, and Dahe’s mom asked me to come over and smooth things over.”

As soon as Chen Cuihua heard this, she was so furious that she kicked her again. “Great! You want to marry Lan’er off to some idiot? Damn it all!”

The matchmaker didn’t dare say another word. She scrambled away, crawling and rolling. Not only had she failed to make a good deal, but she’d also been beaten up. Where could she go to complain now?

Lan-ger was still crying. Song Ning, afraid of scaring him, pulled him over. “Don’t listen to that nonsense. We’re still here with your grandfather—what’s there to be afraid of?”

Lan-ger just kept crying. He knew his grandfather was dying, and with only a few hundred wen in his pocket, he couldn’t even afford a coffin.

“All right, stop crying. I’ve talked it over with Uncle Huzi and Auntie. From now on, you’ll live with us. Your grandfather knows about this too. Don’t be afraid.”

Lan-ger let out a wail and began crying even harder. “Aunt Ning, my grandpa… is my grandpa going to die?” Song Ning sighed, not knowing how to explain it to him. Both grandfather and grandson had led such hard lives.

“All right, stop crying. Go eat. In a little while, help your grandfather eat some food, okay?”

Only then did Lan-ger nod. Song Ning found a handkerchief and wiped his face.

Chen Cuihua peeked into the room. She gasped and hurriedly called out, “Huzi, Huzi, come quick and take a look.”

Wei Hu hurried in as well. Inside, Zhang Banxia was breathing shallowly, barely taking in any air, and muttering Lan-ger’s name under his breath. Chen Cuihua quickly brought Lan-ger over. “Good boy, don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid.”

Song Ning also wanted to go in, but Chen Cuihua stopped him. “You’re too timid—don’t go in.”

Lan-ger started crying again. Song Ning sighed and wiped away his own tears. Wei Hu went out to call for help, and a few young men from the village came over to prepare the body for burial.

Wei Hu provided the money for the coffin, which was hauled over by oxcart. That night, Lan-ger was taken home. Chen Cuihua set up a small bed in her room for Lan-ger to sleep on. The little one was still crying in his sleep, which brought tears to Chen Cuihua’s eyes as well.

The next morning, the village chief came early to help. Upon hearing that Zhang Banxia had passed away, the young men of the village spontaneously gathered with shovels to lend a hand, and Sun Dazhuang also arrived.

Upon hearing the news, Li Gui’er grabbed a shovel and was about to go help, but Li Guifen stopped her. “What are you going over there for?”

“I’m going to help dig the grave.”

“Is it your turn to play the dutiful son or virtuous grandson? Lan-ger is part of Chen Cuihua’s family now—if anyone’s going to dig the grave, it should be her family.”

“Mom, why are you being so petty? Zhang is half-blind and has no relatives. Any able-bodied man in the village would lend a hand.” Li Gui’er ignored his mother and walked over with his shovel.

Li Guifen just couldn’t shake the feeling of unease. She muttered a few words at Li Gui’er, “You’re the one who’s petty!”

Zhang Banxia was an outsider with no relatives in the village, so the next day, a few men went to the back mountain, found a patch of wasteland, and buried him there.

Since people had come to help, they had to be offered a meal. Chen Cuihua bought some tofu and a piece of meat to whip up a simple dish. Grandma Sun came over to help wash the vegetables, and several other women and men from the village pitched in as well.

Chen Cuihua was actually surprised that Old Lady Sun had come to help; she usually wouldn’t put up with the slightest inconvenience, especially since Qiu-ger was still pregnant.

“Granny Sun, why did you come?” Chen Cuihua asked.

Granny Sun replied irritably, “If you, Chen Cuihua, can come, why can’t I? Are you going to hog all the good deeds for yourself?” Chen Cuihua couldn’t be bothered to argue with her. “Then you cut up this tofu. I’ll go stir-fry the vegetables. He’ll be back in a little while.”

Three or four women and men pitched in to prepare the meal, with Song Ning helping out on the side. Everyone who came to help had brought something with them—some brought a few eggs, others a basket of vegetables, and still others a bowl of rice.

There was quite a lot of produce, so Chen Cuihua didn’t bother sorting it—she just threw it all into a pot to cook.

After helping out, the crowd didn’t stay for a meal. As soon as the food was ready, they all started to leave. Chen Cuihua tried to stop them, urging them to stay for a bite to eat, but no one was willing to stay. Zhang Banxia’s family had nothing to their name—it was Wei Hu who had provided the money—so how could they possibly eat here after just coming over to lend a hand?

There were seven or eight men who had come to help; they went to the back hill to bury Zhang Banxia and then returned.

Now only Chen Cuihua and Song Ning remained. When the others returned, she served each a bowl of hot food. After a simple meal, everyone went home.

There wasn’t much of value to pack up at Zhang Banxia’s place. The only thing Lan-ger took with him was the erhu, and Song Ning led him home.

Lan-ger shared a room with Chen Cuihua. Just as before, he got up early every morning to tend the cattle, then followed Chen Cuihua to town to sell butter pancakes. However, he wasn’t as lively as he used to be, and Song Ning sighed softly at the sight.

A few days later, Qiu-ger came by as well, carrying a basket filled with eggs. Qiu-ger was a bit unsteady on his feet these days, so when Song Ning saw him, he hurriedly helped him sit down on a stool. “Why did you come? And why bring so many eggs?”

“I was getting bored at home. Lan-ger’s grandfather had a funeral a few days ago, but I couldn’t really help out. My mom wouldn’t let me go over there—she was afraid I’d bring home bad luck. So since I had some free time, I brought over some eggs. How’s Lan-ger doing?”

Song Ning shook his head. “He’s still not saying much.”

“He’ll come around eventually. The poor kid. I heard that on the day his grandfather passed away, that matchmaker—what’s her name, Qiaokou?—showed up. What a piece of work. I heard you even got into a fight with her. Did she hurt you?”

“No, I’m tough. I grabbed a broom and hit her a bunch of times.”

“Lan’er is just a young lad. If your family hadn’t taken him in, who knows what kind of dirty, scheming people would have had their eyes on him. Ah, life is always a bit harder for a boy like him.”

Qiu-ger brought over a basket of eggs—it must have taken him ages to save up for that. Song Ning refused them; Qiu-ger was in the middle of recuperating right now, so how could he possibly accept his eggs?

Song Ning tried to talk him out of it for a while. “My family certainly won’t go short on food because of Lan-ger. Take these eggs back and eat them yourself.”

Qiu-ger insisted on taking seven or eight eggs. “Then I’ll just take a few. Don’t refuse me—why should we be so formal with each other?” Only then did Song Ning give in. The two chatted for a while, and then Song Ning carried the basket and walked him home.

Song Ning boiled one of these eggs every day for Lan-ger to eat. The little guy had been heartbroken lately; it would likely take him a while to get over it.

Wei Hu has been going down the mountain more often lately; he usually returns after just two or three days. With the heavy summer rains, there are plenty of wild delicacies to forage for in the mountains—mushrooms and the like have already started to sprout—and many villagers have been heading into the mountains to gather them.

Wei Hu dries some of the mushrooms he gathers in his yard, while others he sells directly to restaurants in town. Mushrooms sell quite well; wealthy families love these mountain delicacies.

In the past, Chen Cuihua would also go into the mountains to gather mushrooms, wood ear fungus, and other mountain delicacies as soon as summer arrived, but this year, since she’s set up a stall, she no longer goes into the mountains.

Chen Cuihua could tell that Lan-ger had been feeling down lately. Since he didn’t have any playmates in the village, she simply suggested he tag along with Wei Hu into the mountains. “There are plenty of mountain delicacies up there right now. Why don’t you and Uncle Hu go together and gather some?”

Only when he heard they were going to work did Lan-ger nod in agreement.

Although he was well-fed and well-cared for at Aunt Chen’s, he still couldn’t stop thinking about his grandfather.

Previously, when Wei Hu went into the mountains to gather wild delicacies, he’d get up before dawn. But this time, since he was taking Song Ning and Lan-ger along for fun, he slept in until daybreak.

Chen Cuihua packed the basket with meat-stuffed pancakes, roasted nuts, and malt candy—enough to fill it to the brim. It didn’t look like they were heading out to forage for mountain delicacies; it looked more like they were going on a picnic.

“Go on, then. When you come back with the mushrooms, we’ll fry up a chicken for dinner.”

It has been getting hotter and hotter lately. They’d laid straw mats on the beds and hung bamboo blinds at the entrance to the main room to keep out the flies and mosquitoes.

It was still a bit cooler now that they’d just finished breakfast, but it would get even hotter by noon. A walk in the mountains would be a welcome respite from the heat.

The three of them each slung a basket over their backs. The forest on the mountain is at its densest this time of year, with wild grasses creeping all over the ground. Song Ning is afraid of bugs, so he holds a stick in his hand, constantly tapping the grass along the path.

Lan-ger, on the other hand, didn’t seem afraid at all. Carrying a small basket on his back, he walked in the middle, looking just like a little radish.

Song Ning had never foraged for mountain delicacies before. Some mushrooms were hidden so well beneath the leaves that even Lan-ger had already picked several. Song Ning craned his neck, searching too. “Why can’t I see any?”

Wei Hu had been going into the mountains to pick mushrooms these past few days, and every time he came back, he’d managed to fill half a basket. He’d thought it would be easy, but now that he was here himself, he couldn’t even spot any.

“Auntie Ning, over there, over there!”

Lan-ger pointed them out to him. Song Ning quickly craned his neck to look. “Where? Where?” 

“There! Right at your feet.”

Song Ning looked down intently for a while and finally found it under the fallen leaves. The mushroom was the same color as the leaves, so it took him a while to spot it. Song Ning beamed, “I found one too!”

Lan-ger smiled too. He’d gone into the mountains to look for mushrooms on his own before, but he’d never dared to venture too far in—he’d just searched around the edge of the woods. Now that Uncle Huzi was leading them, he’d be able to gather more to take home.

The two boys, one older and one younger, set to work searching side by side. Wei Hu chuckled softly. He’d brought them here today just for fun; he wasn’t expecting to gather much in the way of mountain delicacies. When they got tired, they’d simply head back.

It was Song Ning’s first time venturing into the mountains to forage. His eyes lit up every time he spotted a mushroom. He’d heard these mountain delicacies were quite valuable—it was just like picking up pennies!

Lan-ger was in high spirits today as well, bending over to search. His backpack was already filled with quite a few mushrooms.

Wei Hu, who spent most of his time roaming the mountains, naturally knew where the mushrooms were plentiful. He led the two of them around, and even Song Ning managed to find quite a few.

By noon, the three of them sat under a tree eating flatbreads. They spread out the food they’d brought in a big pile and ate and played together as if they were just having fun.

It was rare to see Lan-ger smile like that. Song Ning coaxed him into eating a peach, making his little face turn red, and Song Ning leaned against Wei Hu and giggled.

The three had wandered quite far, so after resting for a while, they turned back. Wei Hu suggested picking some soapberries to take home, and Song Ning and Lan-ger perked up again. The path back was rough; in some spots, vines covered the ground. Lan-ger was small, and as he walked, his feet got tangled up, nearly causing him to trip and fall.

Song Ning burst out laughing, grabbed him by the collar, and pulled him to his feet. “This path is rough. Let Uncle Huzi carry you.”

Lan’er shook his head hurriedly, “No, no.” 

“What’s the big deal? Uncle Huzi is strong as an ox.”

How could Wei Hu disobey his husband? He shifted the basket forward, grabbed Lan-ger, and hoisted him onto his back. Only then was Song Ning satisfied. “Let’s go. You’re still just a kid—what’s there to be shy about?”

Lan’er had never been this close to Wei Hu before. His grandfather was too old to carry him often, so being carried by Wei Hu made him so nervous he didn’t dare move a muscle—which made Song Ning laugh again.

The three of them walked together toward the soapberry tree. Although it was cooler in the woods, it was the height of summer, and walking for a long time still made

Song Ning was drenched in sweat, so he pulled a pear from his backpack and began to munch on it.

It took them a while to find the soapberry tree. Wei Hu used to come here often to gather soapberries; there was even a bamboo pole left in the grass. They just had to knock them down. Song Ning and Lan-ger picked them up from the ground. The tree was quite large, and it filled more than half the basket.

Song Ning and Lan-ger competed to pick them up; there were quite a few scattered on the ground. With this many soapberries, they’d have more than enough for their daily laundry, and there were even enough left over to take to town to sell.

Song Ning’s face was flushed from the heat. Glancing over, she saw that Lan-ger’s little face was bright red too. Song Ning smiled at him. “Let’s both take a bath when we get home. Your aunt said she’s cooking chicken today.”

On the way back, Wei Hu carried the heavy load on his back, while Song Ning held Lan-ger’s hand. It was still early when they arrived home.

Chen Cuihua had already returned from town. She’d bought a big rooster there today—it had been a while since they’d slaughtered a chicken at home. Right now, Chen Cuihua was sitting in the courtyard plucking the feathers.

“Come inside and have a drink of water. You two are all hot and sweaty. I bought some grapes today too—they’re soaking in water right now. Go get some to eat.”

Song Ning replied and happily fetched the grapes. “Lan’er, come over and eat some grapes.”

Wei Hu washed his face and emptied out the mushrooms the three of them had picked. He set some out in the sun to dry and washed the rest to stew with the chicken for dinner.

Song Ning stared at the big, plump chicken and swallowed hard. “Mom, that chicken you bought is really huge.” 

“It weighs a full six jin—it’s certainly not small.”

Lan’er sat beside Song Ning, munching on grapes. He was clinging to Song Ning like glue these days. Song Ning enjoyed braiding Lan’er’s hair into little plaits and teaching him to read and recognize characters.

The two of them sat there staring at the chicken, and Chen Cuihua laughed. “You’re really that hungry.”

Chen Cuihua cut up the chicken before it was time to cook, went to the vegetable patch to pick some Chinese chives, added oil to the wok, and started stir-frying. She also threw in some mushrooms picked that very morning, along with glass noodles and dried winged beans. The aroma made Song Ning’s mouth water.

Song Ning nudged Lan-ger. “I’ll give you a big chicken drumstick later.”