The sudden refugee resettlement matter had kept Pang Zhishan shuttling back and forth for two days, leaving much work unfinished in his family’s fields. Upon returning from the Shu family yesterday, his first order of business was instructing his wife to prepare breakfast earlier over the next few days so he could head to the fields right after eating.

True to his word, after hastily finishing his morning meal, he hoisted his hoe over his shoulder to head toward the fields. But before he could even step out the gate, he ran into Xun Yi who had come looking for him.

“Young Xun? Weren’t you supposed to be in the county town?”

Xun Yi nodded. “I obtained the iron materials and returned home last night.”

Pang Zhishan lowered the hoe from his shoulder with sudden understanding. “Right, you’ve been gone for two or three days already.”

He opened the fence gate and beckoned Xun Yi inside. “Come in, come in, let’s talk inside. I’ll have your auntie pour you some water.”

“No need, Uncle Pang. I need to hurry back to forge the iron. I just wanted to ask your advice about something.”

Having learned about the refugee situation from Lin Xinghua the previous night, Xun Yi remembered how he and his sister had fled famine in the central plains ten years ago and received help from the villagers. Hearing that new refugees had arrived in the village and everyone had donated tools for the mountain settlement, he felt compelled to contribute despite missing the initial donation drive. However, unsure what the Shu family still needed after the collective donations, he sought Pang Zhishan’s counsel.

Understanding his intentions, Pang Zhishan patted his shoulder affectionately. “Good lad, you’ve truly grown up.”

With pressing fieldwork awaiting him, Pang Zhishan skipped formalities and pondered briefly before identifying the Shu family’s most urgent need. “The mountain’s covered with thick weeds, and I’ve seen them struggling to clear land for vegetable plots. During this busy farming season, nobody can spare their farming tools. Why not donate a hoe?”

“Alright.” Xun Yi agreed without the slightest hesitation, responding before Pang Zhishan’s words had fully settled.

Ironware didn’t come cheap always priced higher than wooden utensils or coarse pottery, with even simple items costing several hundred coins. Most villagers couldn’t afford to give away farming tools so freely.

Fortunately! Fortunately, this young Xun lad was capable, having opened a blacksmith shop in the village where locals could buy farming tools and knives at discounted prices. Now his contribution would prove invaluable for settling the Shu family.

Xun Yi’s immediate agreement delighted Pang Zhishan more than receiving a free hoe himself. “When do you plan to deliver it?”

Unfamiliar with the Shu family aunt and niece, Xun Yi felt showing up unannounced with a hoe would be inappropriate. Noting Pang Zhishan’s likely unavailability during daytime, he proactively suggested they go together at dusk to make the delivery.

With matters settled, Xun Yi returned home to fire up his forge and begin his ironwork, immersing himself in his tasks.

…

Shu Wanxiu had set her sights too high, leaving her utterly defeated by reality.

Yesterday’s intense labor had left her hands blistered, and the unhealed sores began hurting so badly shortly after today’s work began that she had to take multiple breaks.

Despite gritting her teeth and persevering, by the same hour as yesterday she had only managed to clear slightly over half the plot.

She similarly burned the wild grass for fertilizer and scattered coriander seeds over the turned soil.

Hauling water up the mountain proved equally taxing. With only one wooden bucket that couldn’t be carried over the shoulder, she had to hand-carry it, switching hands five or six times along the mountain path until all the blisters on her palms and fingers burst open.

With seven or eight wounds on her hands, it was inevitable that water would get into them while washing vegetables and rice, each time causing piercing pain.

Fortunately, she hadn’t taken a midday nap today. After bathing at noon, she had used the nap time to wash the clothes she had changed out of, so they didn’t have to be washed now.

After taking medicine for several days and having better meals recently, Shu Shouyi hadn’t had any episodes these past two days.

Seeing the wounds on Shu Wanxiu’s hands, he had actually learned to take initiative and find things to do.

Unfortunately, he was too young, and Shu Wanxiu didn’t dare let him near the fire pit at all, so she could only endure the pain and do it herself.

But compared to the physical pain she was experiencing now, she was actually more worried about the future.

Since childhood, her family hadn’t allowed her to do much farm work – partly because they genuinely doted on her, and partly because as a spinner, her hands couldn’t become too rough. This was especially true for spinning finer and more expensive fabrics.

After just two days of farm work, her hands had already become much rougher, with many small cuts added. If this continued year after year, even if she eventually saved enough money to buy a loom, it would be difficult to spin silk as she had done back home.

Preoccupied with her worries, Shu Wanxiu was absent-minded even while preparing the evening meal. When she saw the rice in the pot had bloomed, she picked up a bowl ready to serve the porridge.

Shu Shouyi, who had been thinking about eating all along, couldn’t help but say: “Aunt, aren’t you adding Chinese Leek?”

“Oh, yes, we need to add it.”

She poured the ladle of porridge she had just served back into the pot and added the previously prepared Chinese Leek.

After the vegetables were cooked and she served the porridge again, Shu Shouyi drank while cautiously looking up to ask: “Aunt, can we have porridge with eggs for tomorrow’s evening meal?”

Shu Wanxiu took a moment to respond, “Yes.”

She had actually planned to add eggs to today’s evening meal but had forgotten.

“From now on, we’ll have egg porridge every day until all those eggs are finished.”

It was no exaggeration – even before fleeing the famine, Shu Shouyi had never eaten so many eggs consecutively. Hearing this, his emotion wasn’t just excitement anymore; it was more appropriately described as exhilaration.

He wriggled on his stool, drank his porridge in big gulps, then scrambled down from the stool. After running around the shed twice, he still felt it wasn’t enough and went hopping toward the front of the house.

Just as Shu Wanxiu was about to tell him to slow down and not go too far, she saw him stop in his tracks, standing on tiptoe and stepping backward step by step as if he had seen some monstrous beast.

“What’s wrong?” Shu Wanxiu’s tone became tense because of his behavior.

Shu Shouyi didn’t answer until he turned and ran back to hide behind Shu Wanxiu, then stammered: “Th-there’s someone.”

What kind of person could frighten a child like this?

Shu Wanxiu immediately put down her porridge bowl and comforted him: “Don’t be afraid, let aunt go take a look.”

Though she appeared to stand up and walk steadily in that direction, she was actually nervous inside.

The sun was about to set, and if some evildoer suddenly appeared in these mid-mountain areas, what would they do?

Fortunately, after mustering her courage and taking two steps forward, she heard crisp, decisive footsteps accompanied by Pang Lizhang’s hearty voice: “Shu girl? Is Shu girl there?”

Shu Wanxiu’s raised heart instantly returned to its place as she called back: “I’m here!”

Changing her small, quick steps to large strides, she went out to meet them. It was indeed Pang Lizhang, though he was accompanied by a tall young man.

Well… not just tall, but also quite sturdy.

No wonder Shu Shouyi was afraid. Under normal circumstances, when encountering a man of such build, Shu Wanxiu would have to detour around him.

But with Pang Lizhang accompanying him now, the visitor was naturally a guest.

Though inwardly somewhat apprehensive and unaware of the visitor’s identity, out of respect for Pang Lizhang, Shu Wanxiu warmly invited the man to sit in the main hall while she went to fetch stools and pour water.

“Stop, no need to trouble yourself.”

At Pang Zhishan’s words, Shu Wanxiu obediently stood still.

Seeing her remain in place, Pang Zhishan continued, “You know how many households there are in our village. Yesterday I introduced you to most families, except one household that’s been away on business these past few days – you haven’t met them yet.”

Pang Zhishan tilted his head left and gestured with his lips, “Well, this young fellow here, surname Xun.”

“He lives at the foot of the mountain and runs a blacksmith shop. You’ll come to learn that his ironware is the finest within ten miles. If you need any ironware, feel free to go to him – he gives villagers a discount.”

Shu Wanxiu nodded earnestly, committing the young man’s appearance to memory.

“He couldn’t make it yesterday, so today he specially asked me what your household still lacked.” Pang Zhishan pointed toward the field outside, “I thought, with all this wild grass to clear and vegetables to plant, I took the liberty of having him bring a hoe.”

Xun Yi, being a man of few words, didn’t know what to say in this situation. He simply handed over the hoe in silence after Pang Zhishan finished speaking.

Only after receiving Pang Lizhang’s “hurry up and take it” glance did Shu Wanxiu accept the new hoe with both hands.

“Thank you, Brother Xun… thank you, Pang Lizhang.” Shu Wanxiu expressed her gratitude, her sallow face flushing red.

No one knew that having grown accustomed to addressing elders as “uncle” recently, she had nearly mistakenly addressed this young man as belonging to an older generation.

Xun Yi didn’t pay particular attention to her hesitant address, merely nodding slightly without saying more.

Pang Zhishan, however, looked quite pleased with himself. With hands clasped behind his back, he surveyed her once more and mentioned his observation from passing by earlier, “You’ve cleared another plot of land today?”

“Yes, I’ve planted some coriander. Auntie gave me quite a few winter vegetable seeds – if I don’t plant them soon, it’ll be too late.”

Gripping the sturdy wooden handle in her palm, Shu Wanxiu thought: with this new hoe, the process of clearing land and planting vegetables should progress much faster.

This response made Pang Zhishan think Shu Wanxiu was someone with clear plans. Glancing toward the direction she’d emerged from and spotting the pot over the fire pit and the congee bowl on the stove, he said nothing more.

“Go ahead with your evening meal then. We’ll take our leave now.”

Pang Zhishan turned to leave, and Xun Yi followed.

Clutch the hoe handle, Shu Wanxiu watched them walk away, silently committing this benefactor Xun’s appearance and characteristics to memory: tall, sturdy build, thick eyebrows and big eyes, not talkative, and the most skilled craftsman for miles around.

Oh, and his blacksmith shop was at the foot of the mountain.

She suddenly recalled the wisp of smoke she’d seen at the mountain foot this morning… that wasn’t cooking smoke at all – it must have been the blue smoke from the blacksmith’s forge.