Of the three sisters, Tang Nuang was, judging by her appearance, the one who required the least concern. Even after several days of exhausting travel—her hair slightly disheveled and her clothes a bit wrinkled—her skin remained fair and smooth, and when she held out her hands, a pair of silver bracelets glinted on her wrists.

“You’re living well, Third Sister,” Tang Zhen said as she touched her sister’s hand; there wasn’t a single callus on her palm.

Tang Nuan looked at her second sister, smiled, and said, “It’s been quite good.” Spotting her husband carrying their luggage nearby, she smiled gently and continued, “My in-laws treat me well. My mother-in-law treats me like her own daughter. I used to help out with cooking and laundry, but my father-in-law is so kind—he said those chores were too hard on me, so he hired an elderly housekeeper not long ago.”

“You even have someone to take care of you?” Tang Zhen was speechless.

Tang Nuan replied, “It’s just some light housework, but not having to do those chores makes things much easier for me. I just have to take care of the two kids. Lei’er is old enough now; after the New Year, his father said he’d send him to a private school to learn to read and write.”

“Learning to read is good,” Tang Xianling, who had been listening nearby, said as he ruffled the little boy’s hair. “You’ll be starting school next year.”

Zhao Lei, acting all grown-up, said, “Studying is great. I’m not afraid of hard work.”

“Good boy.”

Zhao Jing listened as his wife praised the Zhao family and his parents to her own family. Seeing his son—smart, quick-witted, and well-behaved—he felt a surge of pride and was overjoyed. He said loudly, “It’s all thanks to Nuanniang’s excellent parenting. I also want to thank my mother-in-law for letting Nuanniang marry me.”

“It’s all a matter of family destiny. I’m at ease knowing Third Sister has married you,” Jiang Yun said cheerfully.

Tang Nuan knew her mother was different from before, but she hadn’t expected her to speak so kindly upon their reunion. She smiled and said gently to her husband, “Shall we take the luggage inside first, Wu-ger?”

“Sure. Let’s put your luggage in the main hall first, Third Brother-in-Law,” Tang Xianling stepped over to lend a hand, while telling his brother-in-law not to go to the inn—their mother had rented a courtyard not far away in Second Alley, which was very convenient.

Zhao Jing nodded in response and exchanged some polite remarks, saying things like, “Thank you for your help, little brother,” and “Thank you, Mother-in-law, for your thoughtfulness,” and so on.

Tang Xianling smiled cheerfully.

When Third Sister had returned from the funeral earlier, she’d brought only Xiangxiang with her. At the time, Tang Xianling had actually felt that Third Sister’s husband treated her rather indifferently—after all, it was such a long journey, and he’d felt comfortable letting Third Sister, a woman, return alone with the child.

Now that he saw it, well, every family has its own affairs, but his Third Sister certainly had a way of keeping her husband in line. Moreover, she didn’t dwell on the funeral trip; she didn’t harp on it or make a big scene, but just went about her own business.

It’s also true that Third Sister doesn’t have much of a father-daughter bond with Old Tang—she just goes through the motions to save face.

“Brother-in-law, sit down and rest for a bit. Have some tea. Once the hot water’s ready, you and my third sister can wash up and freshen up a bit. I’ll go make dinner,” Tang Xianling said.

Zhao Jing nodded upon hearing this and added, “You’re really going out of your way for us.”

A little while later, Jiang Yun called for Zhao Jing’s third wife to bring the child over for a wash. Once they were finished, Zhao Jing, displaying the manners of a true “gentleman,” bowed his hands to his mother-in-law, as if regretful, and said, “Please forgive me, Mother-in-law. To be honest, when my father-in-law passed away, I should have brought Nuan’s child back for the funeral. It’s my fault.”

Tang Nuan was about to speak when she heard her mother say, “How could we blame you? It’s not your fault.” Tang Nuan slowly exhaled, a smile spreading across her face.

Zhao Jing was good in every other way—he earned a living to support the family without straying, doted on their children, and treated her with tenderness, care, and affection. But he was extremely concerned about saving face. While Zhao Jing could say “It’s my fault” or “Blame me” himself, if anyone else echoed those words, he would be displeased.

He would surely say afterward, “This person must hold a grudge against me; I can’t get too close to them.”

Jiang Yun sighed and reassured her third son-in-law, “Your father-in-law passed away suddenly; it was hot back then. I sent word to the three girls that as long as you meant well, that was enough. I knew you had a long journey ahead and that your business was thriving—how could you possibly let that be delayed? Besides, if you hadn’t meant well, Sanniang and the child wouldn’t have come back for the funeral. They stayed for a few days, keeping me company and comforting me with their words; it made me feel much better. I really must thank you.”

“Not at all, not at all. Hearing you say such things, Mother-in-law, puts me to shame.” Zhao Jing looked quite embarrassed.

Jiang Yun’s gaze was loving and assured as she nodded repeatedly. “They say a son-in-law is like a second son. You’re a good, dutiful man—I know that in my heart. I’ll have complete peace of mind knowing that you and Third Sister will live a happy life together from now on.”

“Don’t worry, Mother-in-law. I’ll take good care of Nuanniang.”

Tang Xianling thought to himself: I’ll have to pay a visit to Sister Zhou’s house this year! I’ll go wish her a Happy New Year!

Zhao Jing, his face glowing with joy, returned to the main hall to sit down and drink tea. Looking out at the courtyard, he saw that his own daughter was dressed more beautifully than the three girls from his second sister’s family. She was also lively, quick-witted, and articulate—a real source of pride. His gaze fell on the necklaces worn by those three girls.

They were actually wearing longevity lockets?

He’d have to buy a set for his own Xiangxiang later.

Surely a girl from the Zhao family couldn’t be outdone by the daughters of grain merchants in town, could she?

In the kitchen, Jiang Yun asked Third Sister to go sit in the main hall. Tang Nuan smiled. “Are you really going to send me away, Mother? It’s rare for me to come back—it’s only right that I help out with the cooking.”

“Your hands are so delicate; don’t rough them up,” Tang Zhen said.

Tang Nuan didn’t respond. Tang Xianling brought out a box of sunflower seeds for Third Sister to eat; Second Sister hadn’t meant to snap at her earlier. Tang Nuan grabbed a handful of seeds and sat by the stove, munching as she occasionally tossed a piece of firewood into the fire. The glow from the stove cast a warm light on her face, making her look even more beautiful.

Of the three sisters, the youngest was the most striking.

“Every family has its own set of problems,” Tang Nuan said as she sat there, looking at her second sister. “I’m not saying anything, but I can handle it. Second Sister, if you’d been in my shoes, you’d know I’ve swallowed my share of bitterness too. But life goes on, and I’ve made it through.”

Jiang Yun’s eyes welled up as she listened.

As for her son-in-law, Zhao Jing—whom she had just been praising—she’d already discussed him at length with Xiangping earlier. Back when Sanniang brought Xiangxiang back for the funeral, her son-in-law hadn’t even shown up at such a critical moment. The person was dead, after all—they hadn’t exactly been sworn enemies or harbored deep grudges. Why on earth didn’t he come?

Xiangping had said, “This man must be proud and care too much about saving face. Everyone says the dead come first—if he won’t even come when his father-in-law dies, it shows his heart is cold and hard.”

Jiang Yun was startled when she heard this; her hands were trembling as she asked Xiangping what to do.

Xiangping added, “But the fact that he let Sanniang bring the child back shows that Sanniang’s life at the Zhao household isn’t too bad—she can get by—and your third son-in-law listens to her.”

Hearing her third daughter’s words, Jiang Yun couldn’t help but think: Sanniang had only just been married off there. The journey was so long, and she was in a strange place with no one to rely on. Living all alone at the Zhao household, with Zhao Jing’s terrible temper, Sanniang must have suffered a few setbacks and had her heart broken a few times before she figured out how to navigate things and managed to get by as she does today.

Tang Zhen paused for a moment, then lowered her head in shame. Why had she let resentment build up inside her? She didn’t know who to take it out on, so she took it out on her third younger sister—even though her third younger sister hadn’t done anything wrong to her.

Seeing her second sister like this, Tang Nuan didn’t seem to mind; she smiled, stood up, and reached out to take her second sister’s hand. But the moment she touched it, she froze—her second sister had married a small merchant, yet her hands were almost as rough as those of their eldest sister, who worked the fields.

“Does your husband treat you badly?”

Tang Zhen didn’t dare meet her third sister’s gaze; she lowered her eyelids slightly and said, “He’s fine. Things at home are all right—we get to eat meat every now and then. It’s all good.”

What kind of “fine” is that? Tang Nuan wanted to say something but swallowed her words.

The two sisters sat in the kitchen—neither too cold nor too warm—exchanging small talk. Jiang Yun and Wu-ger cleared away the lunch dishes. They usually ate dumplings, but Tang Xianling thought his brother-in-law was a pretentious show-off who valued face. To save his third sister’s face—and out of consideration for their mother’s well-meaning words—he decided to cook some hearty dishes.

Tieniu hadn’t come back yet.

Tang Xianling took his time cooking, so he’d grab a snack to tide himself over while he waited. Jiang Yun boiled some dumplings and brought them to the main room first, so Sanniang, her husband, and the children could eat ahead of everyone else.

Zhao Jing spoke politely, saying he wasn’t hungry and that it was fine, but in reality, he was a little displeased. He felt that as guests who had traveled a long way, his mother-in-law was fobbing them off with just some dumplings—it felt like they were being treated rather poorly.

Tang Nuan stood nearby and explained in a soft, gentle voice; with just a few words, she managed to cheer Zhao Jing up again.

Zhao Jing served dumplings to his daughter and said, “Later, let’s buy a longevity lock for our Xiangxiang too—a silver one, and a bigger one at that.”

“Why on earth are you buying this?” Tang Nuan said this, but her expression was full of tenderness, showing no sign of objection. She teased, “Daddy really does love our Xiangxiang.”

Zhao Xiangxiang replied sweetly, “Daddy loves me the most~.”

“Of course I do. You’re Zhao Jing’s daughter—if I don’t dote on you, who will?” Zhao Jing said cheerfully.

Zhao Xiangxiang took a bite of her own dumpling, then urged her father to try one. “They smell so good!”

“All right, all right. Daddy will have some too,” Zhao Jing said, finding the dumplings delicious now as well.

Before long, Tieniu returned, bringing fish and shrimp with him. Tang Xianling knew that everyone at home had just finished eating dumplings and wasn’t very hungry, so he took his time preparing the meal. It wasn’t until around two or three in the afternoon that he had a full table of dishes ready.

Zhao Jing took one look at the fish, shrimp, and duck—all substantial, hearty dishes—and felt delighted. It wasn’t so much for the food itself, but rather, as his wife had said, because her younger brother had specially prepared a feast to welcome them. Since it took a little longer to prepare, and he was afraid they might go hungry, he had served the dumplings first.

His mother-in-law and brother-in-law weren’t serving food based on who was at the table, nor were they looking down on the Zhao family or on him.

The feast continued.

The meal lasted until dusk. At the table, his third sister’s husband didn’t discuss business or trade, but instead shared amusing anecdotes about Shijing Prefecture. His remarks subtly implied: “Although we’re just a prefecture and county—nothing compared to Fengyuan City—Shijing Prefecture is still quite lively and prosperous.”

Tang Xianling had already picked up his mother’s tricks. As he listened to his third sister’s husband talk about the bustling temple fairs and such, he put on the expressions of an attentive listener—“Wow,” “I’ve never seen anything like that,” and “That’s so cool”—and casually remarked, “Shijing Prefecture is actually pretty big and wealthy.”

Finally, after eating and drinking their fill, they saw off his third sister, her husband, and their family to their rented house. In the afternoon, Tang Xianling had just finished baking some small cakes; the fragrant aroma of milk and sweetness drew a crowd of children. At mealtime, the five children didn’t eat much of their regular meal—they devoured the small cakes instead.

“Wow! My big sister was right—Uncle’s baking is delicious.”

“The cupcakes are delicious, and the feast was delicious too.”

“Uncle, you’re so amazing!”

Zhao Xiangxiang was beaming with pride as she told her younger brother, “I told you so,” “Uncle is just so amazing,” and “It’s so delicious.”

Tang Xianling packed a box of honey buns for the siblings; if they got hungry at night, they could just toast them on the stove and eat them.

After everything was settled, Tieniu and Tang Xianling headed back—their mother didn’t see them off, staying in the courtyard to keep Second Sister and the children company.

On the way back, Tang Xianling visibly let out a deep sigh, which made Tieniu smile slightly. Tang Xianling’s expression relaxed as he said, “My third sister has it tough, too. It’s really like she’s trying to coax a man just as she would a son.”

He’d only been doing this for a few days, and his efforts had been fairly superficial. After all, as his third sister’s younger brother, he couldn’t very well be sucking up to his brother-in-law every day. Although Zhao Jing was a man who valued his reputation, he knew how to draw the line to avoid any appearance of impropriety, so Tang Xianling didn’t find it too uncomfortable.

“My third older sister—” Tang Xianling thought to himself, “It would actually be quite fitting if she majored in early childhood education back in the modern world—she’s an excellent preschool teacher.”

Huangfu Tieniu clasped her husband’s hand. “Our third sister can win him over with just a few words.”

“Actually, looking on the bright side, all my third sister has to do is say a few flattering words, and her husband actually buys real gifts for his wife and kids—so that’s not so bad,” Tang Xianling said.

It’s better than someone who demands emotional investment but won’t spend a penny.

The pair of silver bracelets Third Sister wore on her wrists weren’t cheap.

As the two walked and talked, back at their rented house, Zhao Jing wrung out a warm washcloth and handed it to his wife, telling her to wipe her hands first. After she was done, he wiped his own hands with the same cloth, saying, “Coming back this year and seeing my mother-in-law and younger brother, I realized I was too narrow-minded before and misunderstood them.”

“It’s not that you lacked generosity. Speaking of what happened back then…” Tang Nuan said, her expression turning pitiful as she sighed, “My father has already passed away, so there’s no point in bringing it up anymore.”

She meant it wasn’t Zhao Jing’s fault—it was all her father’s.

Seeing his wife’s sadness, Zhao Jing’s heart immediately softened. He took her hand and said, “All right, all right. I won’t bring that up again. Back then, it wasn’t easy for your mother and younger brother living under your father’s roof. But everything’s fine now. If you ever want to come back with the children—even if I’m too busy to come meet you—just stay for a few days. And when I do have the time, I’ll personally escort you here.”

Tang Nuan gazed tenderly at her husband. “You’re so kind—so generous-hearted—and you don’t hold grudges.”

Zhao Jing grinned from ear to ear, overjoyed.

“My brother-in-law is a real whiz in the kitchen. Don’t worry—business at the family shop must be going great. And I think your mother looks much younger than she used to.”

“Both kids couldn’t stop eating today.”

“My younger sister’s husband is such a kind-hearted man, too—he went out of his way to take Coachman Ma to the inn.” At this point, Zhao Jing felt even more satisfied. He felt that the fact that his coachman, his brother-in-law, and his sister’s husband all treated him with such seriousness and respect was a sign of the high regard they held for him.

What wonderful people.

And so, all his previous grievances toward his in-laws vanished without a trace.

The Tang family’s small courtyard.

Tang Zhen was cradling her Si-ger, lulling him to sleep, when she and her mother chatted casually: “Your third younger sister’s life may seem glamorous on the surface, but Zhao Jing has a short temper—she has to keep him happy.”

“Huh?” Tang Zhen glanced over, puzzled as to how that had come up.

Jiang Yun thought to herself, “Erniang really is following her lead. She’s a bit slow on the uptake, but even a blockhead can be persuaded. If she can take Xiangping’s advice to heart, Erniang can take mine too.”

It didn’t matter if she was slow to catch on—as long as she eventually did.

So, having put it so bluntly, Jiang Yun also spoke of the hardships Third Sister had endured. Upon hearing her mother’s words, Tang Zhen suddenly had a lightbulb moment and murmured, “No wonder Third Sister said every family has its own set of problems—so that’s how it is.”

She then thought of herself—she, too, had married far from home—

“It hasn’t been easy for you either. Both of you sisters married so far away; it must have been tough when you first arrived at your in-laws’ home,” Jiang Yun said, turning to Erniang.

Tang Zhen, her heart full of grievances, shed a few tears as she recounted many details of her early days in the Cui household. Her mother-in-law was constantly finding fault with her, but Bo’an treated her kindly—

“How does he show his affection? Did he hire a housekeeper to do the work for you, or does he do it himself?”

Neither. Tang Zhen shook her head, looking a little shy. “He says Mother-in-law acts this way because she has my best interests at heart. He’s the only son in the family, so eventually I’ll be the one running the household. I’m still young and don’t handle everything perfectly yet—how will I manage the household in the future? If I work hard now, things will be better later.”

Jiang Yun was taken aback. She didn’t say anything in the end, just told Erniang she’d worked hard, though she thought to herself that once Erniang settled in here, she could invite Zou Ling and Lu Sanniang from next door over for a chat and some light conversation.

Over the next few days, nothing major happened. It was the New Year, after all—just the usual visits to neighbors to exchange New Year’s greetings. The Cui family—father and son—came by carrying New Year’s gifts: a bag full of red eggs and some sweet cakes.

Cui Dabao was all smiles, bowing to everyone and wishing them a Happy New Year.

“Happy New Year to you too, Uncle Cui,” Tang Xianling said, smiling from ear to ear, as he introduced him to his second sister: “He’s our neighbor from the neighborhood.”

Tang Zhen: “I remember them. They used to come over to our house all the time to eat tangyuan.”

“Right, right, right,” Father Cui nodded. “Is this Erniang? It’s been a long time—she’s grown so much.”

Tang Zhen smiled and replied, “Happy New Year, Uncle Cui.”

Tang Xianling continued, “Cui Dabao has taken over the breakfast business. I’m too busy to handle it all, but he’s a whiz at baking flatbreads.” He added, “He and his husband just had a ger half a month ago—his name is Cui Xiaoyuan. Ever since the baby was born, I haven’t seen him look down even once; he’s been smiling at everyone.”

“People are always in high spirits when they have something to celebrate,” Cui Dabao agreed happily. “My little Xiaouan has put on a bit more weight lately. His eyes are round and bright—he’s so cute. If it weren’t so cold and I weren’t worried about him catching a chill, I’d definitely bring him over for you to see, Boss.”

Tang Xianling: “Don’t do anything rash. Wait until the little one is a bit sturdier.”

“Right, right, right,” Father Cui nodded, smiling too. “Douzi said he wants to see you, but the caretaker taking care of him said he absolutely mustn’t go out or catch a chill.”

Tang Xianling: “If he misses me, I should be the one going to see him.”

“Well then, Boss, don’t bring any gifts when you come—otherwise, all that giving and receiving will make us feel like strangers,” said Cui Dabao.

Tang Xianling readily agreed, “Alright, I’ll just bring Tieniu. The two of us will come empty-handed—just two mouths to feed—and eat at your place.”

Father Cui and Cui Dabao were delighted.

Tang Zhen saw that the Cui family—father and son—were beaming whenever they spoke of their younger ger; their joy was genuine, not just a facade. She couldn’t help but think of her own Si-ger, who didn’t even have a name—

Not only did her Si-ger have no name, but her first three daughters didn’t have names either.

They all bore the Cui surname, yet their lives were worlds apart.

Once the Cui father and son had left, Jiang Yun told Tang Zhen the reason Cui Dabao had taken over preparing breakfast at home. Tang Zhen was stunned several times as she listened: First, it took Cui Dabao and his husband four years to conceive, and they’d only had one ger. The family truly doted on him—even though life wasn’t exactly easy back then and times were hard, they still hired a helper to care for him during his postpartum confinement…

Jiang Yun mentioned this on purpose, wanting to tell Erniang: “Look, this is what a family that truly treats you well is like.” But she didn’t dare to say too much; she just hinted at it a couple of times and stopped, letting Tang Zhen draw her own conclusions.

Sister Tong and A-Liang also came to pay New Year’s calls; Sister Tong even brought her daughter along.

There were so many young girls in the Tang family’s courtyard that they got along just fine, calling each other “sister.”

Jiang Yun paid a visit to Zhou Xiangping’s home; the next day, Zhou Xiangping came over for a visit as well. She also visited the Lu family, where Chen Qiaolian brought her daughter and daughter-in-law, along with some pastries and peanuts, to pay their respects…

Later, the “Cat Gang”—Xiao Mi and his two brothers—also arrived. Xiao Mi carried a jar of wine and some dried meat made by his master to offer New Year’s greetings. These three were quite a sight. What Tang Xianling hadn’t expected was that when Xiao Mi paid his respects to the boss, he knelt right there and banged his head three times on the ground.

Tang Xianling was terrified: !!!

“Please don’t do that again. There won’t be a next time,”

Tang Xianling said solemnly to Xiao Mi.

Xiao Mi scratched his head and chuckled, “I know the boss doesn’t like it when people kowtow or kneel, but I just… I just wanted to kowtow to you.”

Da Yuan explained from the side, “Boss, he’s not very articulate. What my junior brother means is that you’ve been so good to him, and he doesn’t know how to repay you. Since it’s the New Year, and he’s still young, it’s okay for him to kowtow to you as a New Year’s greeting.”

Mr. Tang handed out red envelopes to the three cat brothers—not much, just twenty copper coins in each—and finally ruffled Xiao Mao’s head. The little guy had a crew cut; his hair was fuzzy and prickly like a kiwi fruit, which was quite fun to touch.

Xiao Mi said that when the master took the little apprentice home, within a few days the master got lice on his head. Later, they discovered the youngest had given them to him, so they shaved the youngest’s head.

“What about your master?”

“He got his head shaved too,” Da Yuan replied.

Tang Xianling: Hahahahaha.

Tang Nuan’s family stayed here for the entire Lunar New Year—which was quite a rare occurrence.

This shows just how pleased Zhao Jing was with his mother-in-law and brother-in-law this time.

Tang Xianling: …Thanks a lot.

Early on the fifteenth, the Lantern Festival, while it was still dark outside, the courtyard gate began to bang loudly. Huangfu Tieniu went to open the door, and when he did, Uncle Zhang was standing there.

Zhang Huai was alone, carrying a basket on his back, shivering from the cold, having traveled through the night in the wind and snow.

Huangfu Tieniu was taken aback.

Zhang Huai grinned, raised his hand to pat Tieniu on the arm, and said cheerfully, “This is your first year as a married man. Since our village is so far away, I didn’t let your uncle or me—Hainiu—come, but I had to come myself to see you and get to know the place.”

“Uncle,” Tieniu opened his mouth, his voice catching slightly, unable to find the words to say.

Zhang Huai laughed heartily, “It’s not cold—we’ll warm up as we walk.”

Huangfu Tieniu hurried to usher Uncle Zhang inside.

As soon as Tang Xianling learned that Uncle Zhang had arrived, he sat up abruptly. “Xu Village is so far away—did Uncle Zhang borrow a cart?” There was only one household in the village that owned an ox cart, and they cherished it so much that they never lent it to anyone. Besides, given Uncle Zhang and Uncle Wang’s nature—they never wanted to trouble others—they certainly wouldn’t have asked a neighbor they didn’t know well for such a favor.

Sure enough.

Tieniu said, “He walked all the way here through the night.”

“I’ll go ask Mother for some frostbite ointment. You boil some hot water for Uncle so he can soak his feet first—no, actually, he really needs to soak them at Xiangtangzi. It’s open by now,” Tang Xianling hurriedly instructed.

Tieniu: “I know.”

“Come back after you’re done soaking, and I’ll cook a meal—I’ll make some of Uncle’s favorites.”

“Okay.”

Jiang Yun was very warm toward Zhang Huai—a genuine warmth, not just superficial politeness. Zhang Huai, being straightforward, said, “He’s been married for a while, but I’ve never visited before. Now that I’ve seen him, I’m put at ease.”

“He looks young, but he’s been level-headed since he was a child.”

“Whether it’s Xianling or not, he’s a good kid. The two of them often come back to the village to visit us. Just by watching how Xianling handles things, I can tell that Tieniu made the right choice—both of them are down-to-earth and know how to manage their lives.”

Jiang Yun nodded repeatedly.

Tieniu wanted to take Uncle Zhang to soak in the hot springs, but Zhang Huai thought it was too much trouble and declined. “I’m not some delicate young master—it’s just a night’s journey. Why spend that kind of cash…?”

“Uncle, you’re young now. If you don’t listen, you’ll end up with arthritis in your old age, and my uncle will have to take care of you,” Tang Xianling said boldly from the side.

Zhang Huai: …

Jiang Yun was worried that her Wu-ger was being too blunt—how could he speak like that? What if his in-laws took offense?

“All right, I’ll go. We’ll talk later,” Zhang Huai relented.

Tieniu had already hitched the cart and was taking Uncle Zhang off to soak in the hot springs.

Tang Xianling stayed home to cook a feast. Zhao Xiangxiang and Zhao Lei were overjoyed—they’d get to eat Uncle Wu’s cooking again. The three young ladies from Second Sister’s family came to help, but Tang Xianling shooed them away, telling them to go play and that they didn’t need to do any work.

Uncle Zhang brought a lot of mountain delicacies—dried mushrooms, a few skinned and cleaned rabbits, and hats and neck warmers sewn from rabbit fur, which were probably made by Uncle Wang.

That day’s midday meal looked simple, but it was actually particularly satisfying—after all, it was the New Year, and with feasts of rich, meaty dishes every day, a light, fresh meal was a real treat.

After the meal, Zhang Huai was about to leave. “I’m worried about your Uncle and Hainiu being home alone,” he said.

“Uncle, ride the mule back,” Tang Xianling said.

Zhang Huai paused, then waved his hand to decline.

“The mule was bought by Tieniu, but even if I’d bought it myself, we’re family—we shouldn’t be so formal. Besides, if you ride the mule back, you can bring it back next time and even bring Uncle Wang and Hainiu to our house, saving you a trip on foot,” Tang Xianling said, thinking to himself, “Why not buy a cow for Uncle Zhang’s family?”

But Uncle Zhang and Uncle Wang weren’t the type to accept such a generous gift.

Hearing this, Zhang Huai still agreed, waved goodbye cheerfully, and mounted the mule.

After seeing Uncle Zhang off, Tang Xianling spoke to Tieniu about giving a cow to Uncle Zhang’s family.

“Uncle Zhang must be well-off,” Tieniu said.

Tang Xianling: “Huh? If he has a lot of money, why wouldn’t he buy a cow?”

“Uncle Zhang said he’s incredibly strong. He used to be a hunter—his muscles were just as impressive as you described, though his looks are nothing special. Uncle Wang was terrified the first time he saw him, but his imposing, powerful build made him feel secure. Now that he’s farming, he can’t let his strength go to waste. With just those few mu of fields, why put the ox through all that hard work…”

Tang Xianling: Dazed.

Uncle Zhang, the ox.

On Men’s Physical Fitness.