After the fifteenth, the ice and snow on the mountain gradually melted. Wei Qingshan shoveled all the snow in the courtyard into the vegetable garden. The brazier inside the house that was often used no longer needed to be lit. When Lin Yu and the others sat in the courtyard sunbathing, they even felt a bit hot at noon if they wore too much.

After Wei Qingshan cleared a space, Lin Yu and the others brought Lei-zi and Yun-ger to play in the courtyard. The two little ones could already get down on the ground now and could even walk a few steps with support.

Yun-ger was a bit bolder. When placed on the ground, he could stand for a bit. He was dressed very thickly and wasn’t very stable when he stood—just like a tumbler toy. Lin Yu let go of his hand and teased him, “Yun-ger, come to Ama, come find Ama.”

Yun-ger stretched out his little hands. “Aya! Dad”

“You come here, come here.”

Yun-ger took two steps with his little legs and lunged into Lin Yu’s arms, then held onto Lin Yu’s arm and giggled. Lin Yu helped him stand up properly. “Ah, our Yun-ger is amazing.”

In the blink of an eye, the two children were almost a year old. Yun-ger and Lei-zi could both say ‘Dad’ now. Especially Yun-ger—no matter who he saw, he called them ‘Dad’. Lin Yu had tried teaching him several times, but just couldn’t get him to learn correctly. Lei-zi, who was slower at speaking, actually learned to say ‘Mama’ and would occasionally blurt it out.

On the other side, He Dongdong was also teaching Lei-zi to walk. When he put Lei-zi down on the ground, the child didn’t dare move. He Dongdong coaxed him to walk two steps, and Lei-zi pouted and was about to cry. “What are you crying for? Look, your little brother can walk a couple of steps. Come here, come to Daddy.”

Little Lei-zi just stood there and didn’t move. He looked left and right, reaching out his little hands, wanting someone to pick him up. When he saw his Little Daddy ignoring him, he reached his little hands toward Lin Yu. “Ama~ Ama~”

He Dongdong squatted down and called him, “Calling your Ama won’t help. Come on over quickly.”

Lin Yu was also holding Yun-ger and standing opposite him. “Lei-zi, come over to your little brother.”

Little Lei-zi just stood there motionless. After standing for a while, his legs began to weaken, and he started wobbling. Zhao Yueniang walked over, ready to catch him. Little Lei-zi saw his savior coming and quickly hugged Zhao Yueniang’s leg, then plopped right down on top of her shoe.

He Dongdong went over and picked him up. “Still a boy, yet your courage isn’t even as big as a walnut—worse than your little brother. Alright, go play in the cradle.”

He Dongdong took off his shoes and placed the little one into the cradle. Lin Yu also put Yun-ger in it, letting the two little ones stand by holding onto the bamboo railing.

The three adults were playing with the little ones. It was just past noon, and the weather was warm. Lin Yu even felt a bit hot and sat down on a stool, drinking a sip of tea.

“Qingshan said once the snow melts and the roads dry, we can go down the mountain.”

“We finally got through this year. It wasn’t easy.”

“Isn’t that right? Once we’re down the mountain, we can plant rice.” Lin Yu was especially happy when he mentioned this. The drought was over. Last year, they bought three mu of paddy field and two mu of dry land.

This year, they could start farming. And the three mu of paddy field at home were in an excellent location—right by a small irrigation canal. Last year’s drought had lowered the water level of the river at the village entrance, not to mention the small canal at the edge of the field—it had dried up completely with not a single drop of water left.

But the rain and snow last winter had been plentiful. It was likely that the irrigation canal already had water in it.

Everyone was quite happy, just waiting for the roads to dry so they could go down the mountain. He Dongdong was getting anxious, too. They had lived up in the mountain for several months now and hadn’t even spent the New Year together. During the winter, they had been short on food and grain. He didn’t even know how his family was doing.

As soon as the snow on the mountain melted, the tender green wild grass underneath was revealed. Seeing that the road had become easier to walk, Wei Qingshan first led the mule to the village to check on the situation. If everything was fine, he would prepare to move Lin Yu down the mountain. It was time to plant the fields at home.

Two big bamboo baskets were hanging on either side of the mule. Lin Yu helped pack unused items into them—thin clothes, quilts, and even the large iron pot was brought down first. They would make do with the small iron pot for the next few days. As for the remaining sack of grain, they wouldn’t move it yet. Who knew what the situation in the village was like?

Wei Qingshan led the mule down the mountain, and Lin Yu and the others closed the courtyard gate and stayed home to wait for news.

Wei Qingshan led the mule all the way down the mountain. The journey was peaceful, and he didn’t encounter anyone. When he arrived at the village, he saw that there were quite a few bamboo fences set up around it. He Dazhu was patrolling with several others. Although the court had already eradicated the major groups of bandits, there were still some scattered criminals on the loose that needed to be guarded against.

At present, every household in the village has nearly run out of grain. Those roaming criminals had even less to eat. Only after the first batch of rice was harvested could this natural disaster truly be considered over.

He Dazhu spotted someone approaching from afar and led his group over. “Who’s there! Stop!”

When they got close, they saw clearly that it was Wei Qingshan. “Qingshan! You’re back! Come in quickly. Yesterday, Shi Tou came to me saying he was planning to go up the mountain to bring you all down.”

They moved the fence blocking the way and let Wei Qingshan in. He Dazhu told the others to continue patrolling and went home together with Wei Qingshan.

“Is the village still alright?”

“It’s alright, it’s alright. The village organized the strong young men to guard the place. During the winter, there were a few scattered groups of criminals, no more than five or six each time—not a real threat. They were driven away by the villagers. Now even those who fled from the village have returned. I heard the court has already taken care of the large groups of bandits; only small scattered ones are still on the run, so we still have to stay alert.”

He Dazhu felt very grateful to Wei Qingshan. His younger brother and two little nephews had all depended on Wei Qingshan’s protection to survive safely through the hard times.

It had been nearly a year since he last returned. When the courtyard door was opened, there were fallen leaves and some dry grass inside. Now that he heard the village was safe, Wei Qingshan planned to tidy up over the next few days and head down the mountain.

There wasn’t even a drop of water left at home now. He Dazhu helped Wei Qingshan unload his things and pulled him along, saying, “It’s nearly noon, come on, let’s go eat at my place.”

As soon as He Dazhu reached the gate of his courtyard, he shouted, “Mother! Mother! Qingshan is back!”

Someone immediately came out of the house. The whole family came out. After surviving a natural disaster, it was already a blessing within misfortune that everyone in the family had made it through safely.

He Daniang hurriedly poured hot tea for Wei Qingshan. “Was the road safe?”

“It was fine,” Wei Qingshan replied.

He Dazhu, smiling, rubbed his son Huzi’s head. “Go find your Uncle Shi Tou and tell him your Uncle Qingshan is back down the mountain.”

“Alright!” Huzi ran off to find Shi Tou.

The He family was very warm and friendly toward Wei Qingshan, asking about their situation on the mountain. It had been a hard year for everyone. He Daniang wiped away tears at hearing that her two grandsons were safe.

Wei Qingshan’s family had done a great favor for both the He and Shi families by taking their people up the mountain to shelter them. Surely Yu-ger had helped with taking care of Lei-zi and Yun-ger a lot.

When Shi Tou and Shi Niang got the news, they rushed over. Shi Tou looked delighted and smiling. “Qingshan-ge! You’re back!”

Shi Niang handed two eggs to He Dasao and told her to cook them for lunch. Right now, with grain being so scarce, these two eggs were more precious than anything.

Shi Tou asked about how they had been doing on the mountain. It had been a whole winter without seeing his husband and children—he missed them terribly. Shi Niang was endlessly grateful to Wei Qingshan, wiping away tears while constantly thanking him.

Everyone sat down together to discuss when to head down the mountain. He Daniang slapped her thigh. “No need to wait for tomorrow, let’s go this afternoon and bring a load down first. As for the people, we can bring them down tomorrow. Look at these three strong workers here—they can all help Qingshan.”

At noon, Shi Tou and his mother left. Every household was short on food, and the He family still had three children. If the adults ate, then the children would get less, so of course the two didn’t stay to eat at the He family’s.

Wei Qingshan had lunch at the He family’s—some coarse-grain cornbread, a small plate of pickled vegetables, and a dish of golden stir-fried eggs, which Shi Niang had brought over.

The three children stared at the plate of eggs, swallowing hard, but under the adults’ gaze, they didn’t dare eat and could only watch with longing. Wei Qingshan pushed his bowl over. “Huzi, you two eat.”

Huzi had just reached out his chopsticks when He Daniang smacked his hand. “No manners! You two take your cornbread and go eat over there.”

Huzi and Hutou, the two brothers, dejectedly took their cornbread and started to leave. After this winter, both adults and children had sallow complexions. Wei Qingshan had been hunting in the mountains, so his family didn’t lack for meat. They raised chickens, and eggs had never run out—how could he compete with the kids for food?

Wei Qingshan called them back. “Huzi, Hutou, come here.”

He used his chopsticks to place eggs into their cornbread. The two children’s eyes lit up. “Thank you, Uncle Qingshan!”

The two five- or six-year-olds hugged their cornbread and began munching away. Wei Qingshan only ate one hard cornbread and two bites of pickled vegetables. As for the rest of the stir-fried eggs on the table, he didn’t touch them again.

After lunch, four people set off with the mule cart back up the mountain. The cart could only go halfway. The two He brothers stayed with it while Wei Qingshan and Shi Tou led the mule into the mountain to carry supplies. On the way down, three of them would push and escort it back home, while Wei Qingshan would head back up again.

Shi Tou was about to see his husband and children soon. He couldn’t stop smiling the whole way. The mountain road was long, and a round trip would take the whole afternoon and still not be enough.

When Shi Tou arrived, Lin Yu and He Dongdong were in the courtyard playing with the children, teaching them to walk. Shi Tou saw that his husband’s face was rosy and the two children had been well cared for—white and chubby, almost able to walk now. The sight made Shi Tou’s nose sting with emotion.

“Dong-ger.” He called out softly.

He Dongdong turned his head and saw Shi Tou, not expecting him to have followed them into the mountains today. “Shi Tou!”

He Dongdong wanted to go forward, but he still had the family’s little brat in his arms. Shi Tou wiped the corner of his eyes and walked over, squatted down to look at the two children. “Lei-zi and Yun-ger are already this big.”

“Exactly, they’re almost able to walk.”

Yun-ger had already forgotten what his own father looked like. When he saw Shi Tou approaching, he was so scared that he burrowed straight into Lin Yu’s arms. Even Lei-zi didn’t give any face at all, waving his little arms to keep Shi Tou from touching him.

He Dongdong held the child and stood up. “Stinky Lei-zi, just one winter and he already doesn’t recognize his own father.”

“How come you’re up here at this time?” Lin Yu asked.

Wei Qingshan had tied up the mule. “We’re moving some things down the mountain today. Tomorrow we’ll go down for good. Dazhu and Erzhu are waiting to receive us at the bottom.”

“That’s fast.” Although he already knew they were planning to go down the mountain these past few days, he hadn’t expected it to be this quick. He hadn’t even packed anything yet.

Lin Yu put Yun-ger into the cradle. “It’s getting late, so I’ll hurry and pack.”

He Dongdong also put Lei-zi in, letting Zhao Yueniang coax the two children to play for now while the others went to pack their things.

Lin Yu grabbed a carrying basket and collected all the wind-dried wild rabbits and pheasant meat under the kitchen shed. He filled two baskets to the brim and still couldn’t fit it all. There wasn’t much else on the mountain, it was just that there were more hunted animals in the yard. They’d be able to haul everything down in one day tomorrow.

The mule carried four bamboo baskets on its back, all filled with wild rabbits and pheasants. Wei Qingshan and Shi Tou each carried one bamboo basket and went down the mountain.

Halfway down, they loaded everything onto the mule cart and let the mule pull it down. Tomorrow, when Shi Tou came back up, he’d lead the mule in again.

After Wei Qingshan and the others finished lunch and left, He Daniang took He Dasao and He Ersao He to clean up the courtyard at Wei Qingshan’s house. Shi Niang also came over carrying a broom.

By the time He Dazhu and the other two returned, the sky was already dark. After unloading the goods, Shi Tou simply brought out a quilt from home and slept on the cart overnight to keep watch. Early the next morning, after breakfast and before it was fully light, he entered the mountain again to fetch the others.

He Dazhu and He Erzhu were still waiting halfway down. Since Shi Tou knew the way, he led the mule into the mountain alone.

Lin Yu and the others also had breakfast early and started packing. Everything was placed in the yard, waiting to be taken down together later.

Shi Tou came early today, happily helping to load things onto the mule. The two adult men carried heavy items. Wei Qingshan even led two deer by hand, with one more left to be brought down in the afternoon. Lin Yu and Zhao Yueniang carried bedding and furs in their baskets.

He Dongdong also carried things. The two children were now big and a bit heavy, so they just had Shi Tou carry them. He held one in his arms and strapped the other on his back.

The whole group set off down the mountain in grand fashion. This courtyard on the mountain had taken Lin Yu and the other two several days to build. As they left, he felt a little reluctant, but thinking about the farmland that still needed tending in the village, his reluctance was mixed with joy.

The group walked and rested along the way. When He Dazhu and the other saw them coming down, they rushed up to help carry things. They had already carried everything quite far and were a bit tired. Lin Yu wiped the sweat from his forehead, and the things he was carrying were taken by Wei Qingshan and loaded onto the mule cart.

The mule cart was piled high with goods. He Dazhu and He Erzhu each picked up one of their little nephews. He Dazhu shifted Lei-zi in his arms, “Aiyo, he’s gotten a lot heavier.”

He Dazhu helped move the things. The mule cart had cages full of hunted animals. It was clear that his younger brother and the two nephews hadn’t suffered up in the mountains. When he saw his Dong-ger, even his little face had rounded out. The two nephews were also fair and chubby—all thanks to the care from Wei Qingshan and his husband.

Now that they weren’t carrying anything, the walk downhill became much more relaxing. Everyone chatted and had smiles on their faces, making it feel like the journey wasn’t far at all.

He Daniang and Shi Niang were waiting at the gate of Wei Qingshan’s house. When they saw them coming, they hurried over to greet them. “You’re back!”

Shi Niang saw that her two grandsons were safe and sound, and she was so moved that she kept wiping her eyes. Thank goodness, thank goodness—the family had finally made it through.