That afternoon, somehow, the Feng family heard they’d returned and specially brought over some firewood. Old Man Feng knew Wei Qingshan was now an official and felt a bit stiff seeing him. “It’s cold—burn this to keep warm.”

Wei Qingshan thanked him and grabbed some roasted nuts from inside to give him. “How’s the family holding up this year?”

“Ah, it’s okay, it’s okay.”

Old Man Feng left after delivering the firewood. He secretly wiped away tears as he thought of his ger. Ah, if only the disaster hadn’t struck, his ger would be of marriageable age by now.

By afternoon, He Daniang and Shi Tou had also come by, bringing food. They chatted for a while before leaving.

Visitors streamed in all afternoon—some delivering supplies, others stopping for a chat. Even Dong-ger’s family sent more rice, and Chun-ger brought tofu. The household certainly wasn’t short of food now.

Everyone in the village knew Wei Qingshan and Lin Yu had made something of themselves now. Word was they’d bought a house in the county seat. One worked as an official, the other ran a shop. Today, they’d even returned in a horse-drawn carriage.

Few families in the village even owned mules, let alone horses. Not a single horse could be found in the entire village.

Lin Yu felt exhausted just from talking to the villagers. He hadn’t slept well the night before, and today the house hadn’t stopped receiving guests. He yawned.

After dinner that evening, he went to bed early.

With Tuan-ger in tow, Lin Yuguang had little to do. The next morning, he didn’t rise too early. Wei Qingshan got up early to sweep the snow and heat water. When Tuan-ger woke up, Lin Yu played with him in bed for a while.

Tuan-ger stretched his little feet and climbed onto Lin Yuguang, opening his mouth to nibble on Lin Yuguang’s chin. Tickled, Lin Yuguang giggled, “No mischief.”

The two of them wrestled playfully on the bed, their voices filling the room. Wei Qingshan could hear them even while boiling water outside. A smile tugged at his lips as he carried a basin of hot water inside.

Wei Qingshan reached down and scooped Tuan-ger up. “Our little Tuan-ger is in such a good mood today.”

“Ah~” Xiao Tuan clung to Lin Yu, refusing to let go. When Wei Qingshan picked him up, his tiny hands grabbed Lin Yu’s undershirt and wouldn’t let go, tugging it open.

Lin Yu blushed and hurriedly tied his undershirt back up. It was all Xiao Tuan’s fault—this early in the morning, he’d been seen by Wei Qingshan.

Wei Qingshan, however, was in a good mood. His fulang was so bashful—even after several years of marriage, he still blushed easily. He’d never agree to fool around with him during the day.

“I’ll dress Tuan-ger. You get up and wash your face first.”

Lin Yu murmured softly, “It’s the New Year. Let’s put that red jacket on Tuan-ger.”

“Alright, our little Tuan-ger is getting dressed.” Wei Qingshan deftly began dressing the child, who sat obediently as his father lifted his arms and legs.

Once dressed, Tuan-ger grumbled softly, reaching out his tiny hands for Wei Qingshan to pull him up from the bed. Too bundled up to stand on his own, Wei Qingshan lifted him up in his arms. “Come on, let’s go see the snow with Daddy.”

Wei Qingshan held Tuan-ger at the main hall doorway to watch the snow. Yesterday’s snowfall wasn’t deep, but Tuan-ger loved snow and struggled against Wei Qingshan, wanting to go into the courtyard. “Ah, go~”

Lin Yu’s face turned stern. “No, it’s cold outside. Play inside.”

Though Tuan-ger couldn’t speak yet, he was sharp. When his stepfather refused, he turned to his father, tugging Wei Qing Shan insistently. “Daddy, Daddy~”

Wei Qingshan couldn’t resist the little one’s whining. “Then just stand by the doorway to watch. Your little father won’t let you go out.”

Wei Qingshan scooped a handful of snow for him to play indoors, and only then did Tuan-ger stop fussing about going out.

Zhao Yueniang had also gotten up by now. “Brother, what should we have for breakfast? How about pancakes?”

“Sounds good.”

After breakfast, the four got busy again. Wei Qingshan chopped meat for dumpling filling while Lin Yu, holding Tuan-ger, helped by mixing the seasoning. This year, Wei Qingshan and Zhao Yueniang would handle all the dumpling-making.

After Wei Qingshan finished pasting the door gods, the family of three carried a bag of malt sugar to visit the Shi Tou family for New Year’s greetings. He Dongdong had given birth to another ger and a boy, both still very young.

When Lin Yu arrived, Yun-ger and Lei-zi were rolling snowballs in the courtyard. Spotting him, they both rushed over. “Lin Ama!”

“Aye.”

He Dongdong hadn’t visited Lin Yu yesterday, as the two little ones were still too young to go out. Hearing the commotion in the yard, she peered out. “Yu-ger! You’re here! Come inside quickly!”

Lin Yu hadn’t met the two little ones yet. Now, both babies lie together in a cradle, with a charcoal brazier burning nearby.

He Dongdong motioned for Lin Yu to look. “See? You haven’t met them yet.”

Lin Yu peeled back the swaddling cloth to peek. Both little ones were awake now, eyes wide as they played with each other.

He Dongdong grumbled, “You have no idea how exhausted I am. Now I’ve got two more on my hands.”

Though he complained, He Dongdong was clearly delighted. A growing family was a blessing. Shi Tou had mentioned their land was scarce; if anyone in the village sold plots, they’d buy a few more acres. That way, when the children grew up, they wouldn’t have to worry about food.

Lin Yu was overjoyed. He placed a prepared silver bracelet on each child’s wrist. He Dongdong gasped in surprise. “Why such precious gifts?”

Though small, a child’s silver bracelet easily costs one or two taels of silver! His family lived comfortably enough, but they knew when to spend and when to save. Even though Yun-grr and Leizi were already quite old, they didn’t even have silver bracelets.

“I couldn’t come for the full-moon celebration, so consider this a belated gift.” Lin Yu called Yun-ger and Leizi over and slipped a bracelet onto each of them. He Dongdong was startled and hurriedly protested, “They’re both grown now. You can’t just give them both at once!”

“Take them! Take them! How could I give only to the younger ones and not the older? Besides, I watched Yun-ger and Leizi grow up as my children.”

He couldn’t show favoritism among the four children. If later, two received gifts while two didn’t, outsiders would think he was biased, and the children might easily fight.

Lin Yu had brought such precious gifts, and He Dongdong felt terribly indebted. “Stay for dinner tonight. I’ll send Shi Tou to fetch Yueniang.”

Before Lin Yu could speak, He Dongdong cut him off. “No, you can’t refuse. Stay a while longer. I want to talk with you.”

Lin Yu also wanted to chat with He Dongdong longer. “Alright.”

Only then did He Dongdong brighten. He pulled Lin Yu cheerfully to sit on the inner room bed, letting Tuan-ger play on the mattress while the two younger children remained under Shi Tou and his mother’s watchful eyes.

Seeing Lin Yu, He Dongdong had endless things to say. He asked about their situation at the county government, then chattered away about village matters, his eyes sparkling as she rattled off details like beans spilling from a sack.

Lin Yu smiled as he listened to He Dongdong talk. He was just the same as ever.

He Dongdong grew a bit displeased when talking about his maternal family. “Hmph, you wouldn’t believe it. That butcher shop in town is now run by my eldest brother. I heard from my mother that my second sister-in-law wasn’t too happy about it at first. She doesn’t have any ill intentions, but she just made the family unhappy.”

“Now my eldest brother doesn’t even bother with the harvest from their fields. He just hauls enough grain into town to get by. My second sister-in-law cheered right back up. My eldest sister-in-law often brings back treats from town when she visits. Not long ago, she even bought two bolts of fabric for the kids to make new clothes for the New Year. You wouldn’t believe how thrilled my second sister-in-law was.”

“He Ersao is a good person, just a bit slow to catch on sometimes,” Lin Yu remarked.

“Things are peaceful over there now. My eldest brother sells meat in town, my second brother farms at home, and life has improved for them. All thanks to you and Brother Qingshan.”

He Dongdong was living comfortably now, and his parents’ home was also improving. Over here, Shi Tou had a carpenter’s skill, and his family was doing well, too. The whole big family was living in harmony and happiness.

The two sat together, chatting warmly. He Dongdong’s eyes crinkled with laughter. “This year, we’ve added these two little ones to the family. At first, we thought it would be just one, but then two came along. It must be because of the dolls you embroidered on my wedding quilt when I got married. They’re multiplying like rabbits!”

Lin Yu chuckled. “Don’t talk about yourself like that.”

“Hehe, this time we had another ger. I just hope he doesn’t turn out like Yun. You wouldn’t believe it—nowadays, even Leizi can’t beat him in fights. When he goes out to play, he often beats other kids until they cry. He doesn’t act like a ger at all. It worries me to death.”

“He’s just like you were as a kid,” Lin Yu teased.

“He’d better not be like me! I’m nearly driven to despair. What ger is this fierce?”

The two chatted while nibbling on snacks. Yun-ger and Leizi were older now, no longer needing constant supervision, so they played independently in the courtyard.

At noon, He Dongdong cooked lunch. It was the New Year season, and every household prepared extra food. He Dongdong stewed the fish they had at home, adding tofu inside—the kids could eat tofu if they couldn’t have fish.

He also stir-fried two meat dishes and some preserved vegetables. As they sat down to eat together, He Dongdong placed a large piece of fish into Lin Yu’s bowl. “This fish came from Uncle Shi Tou’s place. Try some.”

Fish was a rare treat in winter, and He Dongdong had specially prepared it for Lin Yu’s visit.

Lin Yu hadn’t had fish in quite some time and enjoyed it immensely, even drinking two bowls of the fish broth. He fed some tofu to Tuan-ger, who seemed to like it too.

After dinner, Tuan-ger grew sleepy, so they headed home. The village was bustling now, children darting back and forth along the paths. Though rural life was frugal, it was a New Year for the children. Many wore hand-me-downs, some even patched clothes, but all were clean and cheerful as they chased each other down the roads.

A few days after the New Year, Wei Qingshan drove his cart to Hulu Village. This village was somewhat remote, and he had never heard of it before. Lin Yu didn’t know where his great-aunt lived either.

They asked around until they found the village. When they mentioned the maiden name of his great-aunt, the younger villagers didn’t know who they were looking for. It was an elderly woman who pointed them to a house.

It turned out this great-aunt was married into the Ding family. No wonder Lin Yu hadn’t been able to find her.

A child ran ahead of the carriage to guide them. The great-aunt’s home was tucked away in a narrow alley too narrow for the carriage to pass through, so they stopped at the entrance.

Wei Qingshan helped Lin Yu and Tuan-ger down. It was the New Year, and the village was full of people with time on their hands. Seeing the carriage enter the village, many craned their necks to look, “Whose relatives are these? They must be wealthy!”

Lin Yu gave the child a piece of malt sugar. “Thank you.”

The delighted child ran off to announce their arrival. “Uncle Ding! Uncle Ding! You have guests!”

“What guests?”

Uncle Ding came out to look. Outside stood a well-dressed couple holding a handsome child. He pondered for a moment—he didn’t have any relatives this wealthy.

“Who are you looking for? Did you get the wrong house?”

“Uncle Ding, it’s Lin Yu. My mother is Zhao Wan’er. We came to visit my great-aunt today.”

Uncle Ding pondered for a moment. “Is your uncle Zhao Jiazhu?”

“Yes.”

Uncle Ding let out a sigh. “I remember now. I couldn’t recall your mother’s name at first. Come in, come in.”

Uncle Ding hurriedly ushered them inside. It wasn’t surprising he hadn’t remembered this distant connection—Lin Yu’s grandmother and his own mother were sisters. The relationship was neither close nor distant, and with his family’s poverty and remote location, the two households had long since stopped visiting each other.

“Big Brother, who’s this?” Second Uncle Ding asked.

“It’s Wan’er’s ger.”

“Which Wan’er? I can’t recall.”

“The son of the daughter from our aunt’s family.”

Only then did Second Uncle Ding realize. “Oh, oh, oh! Wan’er passed away over ten years ago. I just couldn’t place it.”

Lin Yu had never visited this side of the family and didn’t know how many maternal uncles lived here. He still called out to them. Glancing at the Ding family courtyard, he saw only one main house and two side rooms. Both maternal uncles lived crammed together. The household seemed crowded with children—five or six of varying ages. An older child was even holding a baby in their arms.

The two heads of the household hurriedly ushered Lin Yu and Wei Qingshan inside. The moment Lin Yu stepped in, his vision dimmed—the room was far too dark.

“Sit down quickly. I never imagined you’d grown so tall.”

“Elder Cousin, is my great-aunt still with us?” Lin Yu inquired.

“She passed away several years ago.”

With a seemingly well-off relative visiting, the children from both families huddled together like startled chicks. Lin Yu glanced over and smiled at them. The oldest appeared to be married, while the others were likely around ten years old. The youngest seemed to be five or six.

His two uncles’ families seemed to live in poverty. With so many children in the household, and the weather still cold, the little ones wore only thin, tattered clothes, bulging and puffed out. Lin Yu noticed they were stuffed with straw.

Lin Yu had brought two bundles of dried fruit and a piece of cured meat when he came—considered a generous gift for visiting relatives in the countryside. He untied one bundle of fruit. “Come, everyone, have some.”

Uncle Ding addressed the children from both households: “This is your cousin.”

The children stood timidly, hesitant to approach. Lin Yu handed them the fruit. “Have some fruit.”

Only then did the children reach out to take the fruit. Lin Yu saw their hands were frozen with chilblains. The children took the fruit but seemed reluctant to eat it. One child licked it twice before hiding it away.

Uncle Ding rubbed his hands together. “I remember you were called Yu-ger, right? You’ve been gone so long, your uncle has even forgotten your name.”

Lin Yu hummed in acknowledgment. Uncle Ding didn’t know why Lin Yu had suddenly come. His mother had been dead for years—could it be just to see his old mother?

Wei Qingshan didn’t beat around the bush. He said they wanted to find someone to put their name on the county government’s shop, offering ten taels of silver a year.

Uncle Ding stammered, “Ten… ten taels!”

He’d never seen that much silver in his life. “Of course! Of course!” he hurriedly agreed.

Wei Qingshan explained clearly, “But think carefully. Once you sign on, you’ll be registered as merchants. For three generations after that, no one in your family can take the imperial examinations.”

Uncle Dinh nodded repeatedly. “We’re willing! We’re willing! Do we look like the sort who could afford to send kids to school?”

Second Uncle Ding didn’t compete with his elder brother. Since the eldest had spoken, it wasn’t his place to say anything.