Tai Jizu stood up to go open the door, but Zhuzhu, held in his arms, clung tightly to his collar and refused to let go.
Yang Lihua called for Tai Yongan to open the door instead, then said to her husband with a smile, "Zhuzhu already knows how to cling to people. She's so attached to you like this—you probably won't be able to leave the house in the future."
Tai Jizu patted his daughter with his rough, large hand, smiling willingly.
"Me? I'd be happy staying home watching over my daughter for the rest of my life."
Yang Lihua chided him, "What nonsense are you talking? When she grows up, she'll have to marry someone!"
Everyone laughed. At that moment, Tai Yongan led Tiedan and Tiedan's Father to the doorway.
Tiedan's Father carried a pole of firewood over his shoulder—the pieces split to uniform lengths, neatly stacked.
The panic from last night was gone from his face, replaced by overwhelming gratitude.
The father and son knelt down the moment they entered the house.
"Sixth Uncle, thanks to you last night for saving Tiedan's life. We've come to kowtow in thanks."
Tiedan's Father's eyes were red as he pressed his son down, and they thumped their heads to the ground three times.
Old Master Tai quickly tucked his pipe under his left half-arm and personally helped the father and son to their feet.
"We're all from the same clan—helping each other is only right. Why come all the way to kowtow? That's too formal!"
Tiedan's Father was clumsy with words. He pointed at the firewood outside and said sheepishly, "Sixth Uncle, we don't have anything at home, so I just chopped some firewood…"
"Good, good—we're actually short on firewood for cooking right now. Your timing couldn't be better." The old master pulled him to sit down and accepted the firewood readily, without the slightest hint of disdain.
Only then did Tiedan's Father relax and settle properly onto the bench.
Yang Lihua poured him a bowl of hot water and asked, "Tiedan still looks a bit listless—didn't his fever already break?"
Tiedan's Father had been chopping wood all morning, and his lips were blue from the cold. After a few sips of hot water, he felt much better.
He was about to respond when his stomach suddenly growled loudly, making him hurriedly reach down to cover it.
But how could you muffle a sound like that…
Old Master Tai sighed, then glanced at his eldest daughter-in-law.
Yang Lihua understood and quickly went to the kitchen to fetch two husk-and-bran steamed buns, pressing them into Tiedan's Father's hands.
Tiedan's Father flushed red with embarrassment. He had come to express gratitude, yet here he was, looking like a beggar taking advantage of their kindness.
He wanted to refuse, but seeing his son staring fixedly at the buns, he finally handed them over.
Tiedan practically snatched the buns and crammed them desperately into his mouth.
The buns were dry and coarse, getting stuck in his throat, so he pounded his chest with his fist.
Zhuzhu was playing with a bird egg when the noise startled her—her little hand loosened, and the egg dropped with a splat, smashing to pieces.
Zhuzhu was frantic, struggling to pick it up.
Yang Lihua quickly patted her daughter and whispered soothingly, "Don't pick it up, Zhuzhu. It's broken—can't play with it anymore."
Tai Yonglu and Tai Yongyue were upset about the egg too, glaring at Tiedan.
Tiedan paid them no mind. After finishing the buns, he pounced over, scooped up the broken egg, and shoved it—shell and all—into his mouth…
Tiedan's Father couldn't stop him and wished he could crawl into a crack in the ground!
Old Master Tai couldn't bear to see him so embarrassed, so he shooed his grandsons, "Take Tiedan out to play in the yard for a bit. Don't hold up the adults' conversation."
Children don't hide their ailments. With food in his belly, Tiedan perked up and shouted, "I saw a squirrel in the old tree at the village entrance—there's gotta be a tree hollow with hazelnuts stashed in it. Come on, let's go dig them out!"
With that, he ran off ahead, and Tai Yonglu and Tai Yongyue immediately forgot their anger and followed close behind.
The room quieted down. Tiedan's Father was about to apologize again, but Old Master Tai waved his hand and brought up another matter instead.
"Looking at your house last night, it's really in bad shape. Once spring comes, if there's time, I'll have Jizong go take a look and help you patch it up, maybe add some fresh thatch. Otherwise, when summer rains come, water will definitely leak inside."
Tiedan's Father was grateful and nodded vigorously. "I'll do as Sixth Uncle says. When spring comes, I'll go cut some grass."
They exchanged a few more pleasantries, and then Tiedan's Father took his leave to go home.
After seeing him off, the old master took his granddaughter and felt her fair little forehead—only relaxing once he confirmed she wasn't feverish.
Zhuzhu was curious about Grandpa's brass pipe and reached out to touch it.
The old master hesitated for a moment, then used the pipe to tease his granddaughter, making the chubby little girl grab at it while giggling uncontrollably.
Tai Jizong sat by the doorway weaving a basket. He casually wove his niece a delicate cricket cage the size of a round date.
Liu Dongniang quietly went to the kitchen, fetched another bird egg, and placed it inside.
This way, the egg would never break again.
Zhuzhu hugged the cage, shaking it now and then, her big eyes full of joy and curiosity.
Yang Lihua took the opportunity to teach her daughter to say "thank you."
Zhuzhu was still struggling with her disobedient little tongue when Tai Yonglu and Tai Yongyue came running back.
Tai Yonglu's padded jacket hung open, one corner of his shirt bundled up to hold something. He shouted, "Grandpa, we dug out pine nuts! Tons of pine nuts!"
Tai Yongyue was hopping and yelling too, "Roast the pine nuts, Grandpa—roast us some pine nuts!"
The old master leaned in for a look and laughed as well.
"Oh my, these pine nuts are quite big! Which unlucky squirrel had its home raided by you two?"
Despite his words, Old Master Tai still tended to the brazier, placing a few red-hot pieces of charcoal inside and covering them with a tile shard.
The tile soon grew hot, and when the pine nuts were poured onto it, a rich fragrance of pine filled the entire room.
Tai Yonglu and Tai Yongyue crouched by the brazier, drooling with craving.
Zhuzhu struggled to get down and squeezed in beside them to join the excitement.
The little milk-ball of a child couldn't quite squat steadily, but wedged between her brothers, she looked at this one, then that one, grinning happily with her little mouth, rows of tiny white teeth gleaming bright.
A pine nut heated up and suddenly burst open with a crisp crack.
Startled, the little milk-ball plopped right down onto her bottom!
"Mama!"
Zhuzhu's cry was especially loud as she scrambled up and toddled unsteadily to hug her mother's leg.
Yang Lihua found it both amusing and heart-wrenching. She quickly shielded her daughter, then took off her shoe and pretended to smack the brazier, scolding, "Bad brazier! Scaring my girl! I'll beat you to death!"
After that, she stroked her daughter's head to comfort her, "Pat the fur, no scare! Pat the ear, scare's here! Mama's little piggy treasure is the bravest, afraid of nothing!"
Zhuzhu nestled in her mother's arms like a frightened little animal, staring at the pine nuts on the tile, her little heart full of conflict.
They looked delicious, but they were so scary!
They explode!
Old Master Tai quickly used his pipe bowl to crack open two cooked pine nuts and brought the kernels to his granddaughter's lips.
Zhuzhu instinctively opened her mouth and ate them. Her big eyes immediately lit up, and her little mouth moved cheerfully as she chewed.
So fragrant!
So yummy!
Everyone couldn't help but laugh. Tai Yonglu and Tai Yongyue busied themselves cracking pine nuts to feed their little sister…
Outside, the north wind had stopped at some point during the night, and snow began to fall softly, making the window glow white.
The next morning, as usual, Liu Dongniang cooked while Yang Lihua tended the fire. The men and boys carried big brooms and swept the courtyard clean, all the way to the village entrance.
But not long after breakfast, the courtyard gate was pounded on again!