As the sun rose and set, morning clouds colored the sky once more.

On the fifth day since acquiring the hoe, Shu Wanxiu finally cleared all the weeds around the thatched hut, cultivating every suitable spot for planting vegetables and sowing seeds.

The weather had remained fine for several days, and the threshing ground was constantly occupied with villagers sun-drying the previously harvested but still damp rice.

Since learning about this, aside from reclaiming land, Shu Wanxiu dedicated part of her day to bringing Shu Shouyi to the threshing ground to assist everyone.

Sometimes she helped turn the crank of the wind grain separator, aiding others in sifting out grain ash, straw stalks, and shriveled grains from the dried rice. Other times, during grain storage, she used a grain basket to carry loads of dried rice back and forth for families.

Though her capacity and time were limited unable to assist every household the villagers noticed her efforts and grew considerably warmer toward her.

Shu Shouyi, whose health improved day by day, also gained several playmates his age from frequently descending the mountain and interacting with the village children.

That evening, after helping Pang Lizhang’s family sift grains, Shu Wanxiu was covered in grain ash but was insistently invited by Chen Sanhe to stay for tea unlike the plain boiled water she offered guests, this was genuine tea brewed with tea leaves and boiling water.

Grain ash itching on the skin, Chen Sanhe asked her daughter-in-law Chen Lian to take Shu Wanxiu to the well to wash her face and hands with cool water. She then went inside, fetched two handfuls of roasted beans and two handfuls of fresh chestnuts, giving half to Shu Shouyi and instructing him to hold them in his clothes and eat slowly while seated.

When Shu Wanxiu returned from washing, Chen Sanhe tried to press the remaining half upon her.

Having come down to help as a way to repay the villagers’ kindness, Shu Wanxiu felt it unreasonable to accept so much food in return after offering only modest assistance.

Despite her flustered, strenuous refusals, she couldn’t hinder Chen Sanhe in the slightest.

Chen Sanhe firmly placed the two handfuls on Shu Wanxiu’s lap, then clapped her hands triumphantly and plopped back into her chair.

As Shu Wanxiu hurriedly picked the roasted beans from her lap into her hands, Chen Sanhe watched leisurely, took a sip of tea, and began chatting casually.

“These past couple of days, I’ve been home tending to the grain drying, so your Uncle Pang went into the western mountains to gather firewood for winter. Deep in the woods, he found these chestnuts in one area.”

“Don’t let their small size and tough shells fool you eaten raw, they’re incredibly crisp and sweet! If you prefer them soft, just bury them in the fire ash while cooking to roast them.”

Unconsciously slowing her movements, Shu Wanxiu responded, “I find chestnuts delicious whether crisp or soft. Back home, this was the season for picking chestnuts and pinecones in the mountains. My family preferred pinecones, but I’ve always liked chestnuts more.”

Recalling those times, a smile touched Shu Wanxiu’s lips.

However, Chen Sanhe didn’t notice this and only asked curiously, “Pinecones? What are those?”

Although pine trees grew in the south, their pinecones were small and bore no edible seeds.

Having learned during her flight from famine that southern pine trees didn’t produce edible pinecones and that many southerners were entirely unaware northern pines could yield edible ones Shu Wanxiu wasn’t surprised by the question.

She patiently and meticulously explained these differences to Chen Sanhe, even gesturing: “The pinecones back in my hometown can be as big as this, with pine nuts inside that are tiny like this…”

“Oh… so they’re about the size of roasted beans? What do they taste like?”

“They have the fresh scent of pine trees with a hint of sweetness.”

Chen Sanhe smacked his lips twice, “Next time I go into the mountains, I’ll have to look for them. Why is it that the same kind of tree bears fruit up north but not down south?”

Hearing the childlike seriousness in her tone, Shu Wanxiu’s eyes curved into crescent moons as she smiled.

“Don’t laugh! When Auntie finds some,” she pointed her finger successively at Shu Wanxiu, Chen Lian, and Shu Shouyi, “each of you can have one.”

This made even Chen Lian, who was standing nearby, burst out laughing.

Shu Wanxiu thanked her in advance anyway, saying she would ‘await the good news.’

The next day, Shu Wanxiu watered the planted vegetables while stepping on the morning dew. After breakfast, she took Shu Shouyi into the mountains to gather firewood for winter storage.

“Don’t look around aimlessly. Stay close to Auntie and watch your step.”

Although they had been living halfway up the mountain for many days, their usual activities were limited to the foot of the mountain and around the house. This was the first time either aunt or nephew had ventured further up.

Fortunately, there was a path trodden by villagers leading straight up the mountain. Though there were some weeds on both sides, they could still pass through by pushing them aside.

Shu Wanxiu walked ahead, slowly exploring the path while verbally instructing Shu Shouyi.

“Understood, Auntie.”

After walking for about half an hour, they reached an area with sparse weeds and open visibility. Shu Wanxiu stopped and took a few chestnuts from her pocket.

“Auntie will gather firewood around here. You stand right here and shell these chestnuts to eat. If you hear Auntie call you, you must answer, understand?”

Of the handful of chestnuts Chen Sanhe had given them yesterday, Shu Wanxiu had only allowed herself to eat two or three, saving the rest. She planned to use them during their recent firewood gathering trips to keep the child from wandering off.

Shu Shouyi looked around hesitantly for a moment before uneasily accepting the chestnuts.

Shu Wanxiu had no better solution. Gathering firewood required crawling through various places where clothes could easily get torn, and worst of all, they might encounter hornet nests.

“Be good. Auntie will gather firewood where you can see me. If you get scared, you can call for me too.”

Shu Shouyi reluctantly nodded.

Before stopping, Shu Wanxiu had noticed numerous dry branches in this area. After settling Shu Shouyi, she immediately bent down and began collecting them from the woods.

At first, Shu Wanxiu could hear Shu Shouyi calling her even when she ventured slightly farther away. After making two trips to transport the firewood to the roadside and instructing him to guard the wood while eating, he gradually grew calmer.

In a little over an hour, she gathered four bundles of firewood. The majority consisted of dried camphor tree branches blown down by the wind, with a small amount of pine and fir branches mixed in.

Remembering how Aunt Chen said Village head Pang had found an entire tree full of chestnuts in the mountains, she carefully scanned the surroundings. Unfortunately, she didn’t even spot a single chestnut tree leaf.

Having gathered this much firewood was sufficient. Shu Wanxiu mustered her strength to gauge the weight and abandoned the idea of dragging two bundles back at once. Instead, she honestly used all her strength to pull one bundle, letting Shu Shouyi walk ahead as they headed home.

This way, Shu Shouyi accompanied her for three trips. When preparing to transport the final bundle, Shu Wanxiu noticed he was clearly too exhausted to walk much further.

The mountain path was difficult to traverse, especially since at this hour, Shu Shouyi should have been taking his afternoon nap in the bedroom.

After weighing her options, Shu Wanxiu decided to leave him behind, though not without repeated admonitions.

“Auntie will be back soon. You must not go near the water, must not enter the mountains, must not play with fire, and must honestly sleep.”

Shu Shouyi agreed to each condition.

Watching him enter the room and lie down, Shu Wanxiu finally set out again.

The forest was lush and verdant. Without a little tail following her, Shu Wanxiu gradually quickened her pace, eventually breaking into a light run.

The wind whistled past her ears, and birds startled by her movement fluttered away from the trees with frantic wingbeats.

Having completed the journey without major incident, she felt her heart sink halfway upon reaching home.

The bedroom door, which had been securely bolted from the inside when she left, now stood slightly ajar. Immediately dropping the firewood, she dashed into the house in a few swift steps.

The bed was empty.

She even shook out the thin quilt piled together no trace of Shu Shouyi anywhere.

After the initial panic, she raised her voice and shouted.

“Shouyi!”

“Shu Shouyi!”

“Where are you? Come out now!”

Despite her blood rushing, heart pounding, and head buzzing, there was no response for a long time.

As her legs grew weak and she leaned against the wall for support, on the verge of collapse, a timid voice emerged from the corner.

“Auntie.”

The voice came from near the stove. Shu Wanxiu turned to see half of Shu Shouyi’s head peeking out.

Not daring to blink, she walked over as if treading on cotton, her steps unsteady.

Only after confirming that Shu Shouyi was safe did her stinging eyes finally blink.

“Why didn’t you sleep properly? Why did it take so many calls from Auntie before you answered?” She held herself tightly, restraining the fury boiling inside her.

The moment she realized he was missing, she had cursed herself as an eternal sinner, condemning her carelessness with the most venomous and terrifying words. She would rather have been snatched by wild beasts or torn apart by ghosts in the mountains.

“Auntie, I… I…”

Shu Shouyi stammered, wanting to explain, but his mind was still in a daze, unsure how to articulate it.

Recognizing Shu Wanxiu’s severe expression, he grew anxious, grabbed the hem of her clothes, and pulled her toward the fire pit used for cooking.

From a distance, Shu Wanxiu spotted a grayish lump.

Drawing closer, she realized it was a… dead rabbit lying on the ground?

Her anger and lingering fear suddenly transformed into confusion and disbelief.

Finally, she stared blankly and asked four words:

“What happened?”