Ever since moving to their new home, Ye Qingyan had shared a room with Qi Qiuyun — and sure enough, Qiuyun was no longer afraid on her own.
After a few days, she grew used to the place, and her opinion shifted: this house truly was comfortable to live in. Ye Qingyan had made the right call.
What weighed most heavily on Qiuyun now was this: their grain was nearly gone.
When they moved, Ji Dehua had given them ten pounds of grain, saying simply to let him know when it ran out and he’d bring more. But these were hard times — no family had extra to spare. Rations meant to feed three people now had to stretch across five. It was never going to be enough.
With winter settling in, the months ahead meant staying indoors. No work in the fields meant no work points earned. The bitter cold made even tending their private vegetable patch impossible.
“Alas…” Qiuyun heaved a long, heavy sigh, overcome with worry.
Ye Qingyan walked into the kitchen and found her mother staring at the grain bin, sighing. She knew at once what troubled her: food.
“Mom, don’t worry about grain. I’ll find a way.”
Qiuyun murmured a reply, but her furrowed brow never softened. Clearly, she didn’t believe her daughter could solve such a serious problem.
Ye Qingyan said nothing more. A hundred words meant far less than action. Once she laid results before her mother, the woman would believe.
After a simple lunch, Ye Qingyan said, “Mom, I’m going up the mountain for a while — see if I can find any wild vegetables.”
“At this time of year? There may not be any.”
“Worth a try.”
Qiuyun smiled sadly. “It’s not safe going alone. Let me come with you.”
“Your health isn’t good — rest here. I’ll take Chu Yi with me; I’ll be fine.” Ye Qingyan pulled on her heavily patched cotton-padded jacket, slung her wicker basket over her shoulder, and set off for the hills with the dog.
She wandered at an easy pace, scanning hopefully for anything edible. Deeper into the woods they went — and luck struck. Ye Qingyan spotted several wild chestnut trees.
Not bad! No pheasants or hares, but wild chestnuts would do perfectly. They’d fill empty bellies at the very least.
Setting her basket beneath the tree, she climbed it quickly and surely, moving with neat, practiced skill. She gathered the basket half-full — roughly twenty pounds, enough to test her strength to carry back. Any heavier and she’d never manage.
She shouldered her load and turned for home.
“Woof! Woof! Woof!”
Chu Yi suddenly grew excited, barking loudly before darting off to the right.
“Chu Yi! Come back!”
The dog seemed to be chasing some small creature and was soon nearly out of sight. Ye Qingyan hurried after him, slowed considerably by the heavy basket on her back.
When she caught up, she stopped short. Chu Yi stood alert beneath a tree — and at his paws lay a hare, apparently having run headlong into the trunk and perished.
“Well now, Chu Yi — who knew you had such skill!” Ye Qingyan patted his head in praise. “Wonderful! We’ll have meat tonight — and you’ll get your share.”
The hare had been chased by Chu Yi straight into the tree. He was the true hero of the hour, and Ye Qingyan wouldn’t hold back her praise.
She gathered leaves to wrap the hare, then tucked it safely into her basket alongside the chestnuts.
What a haul! By the time she reached home, her shoulders ached beneath the weight.
Qiuyun had fretted ever since her daughter left. At the sound of footsteps, she hurried outside.
“Mom — come look!” Ye Qingyan waved excitedly.
Qiuyun came over with a smile. “What have you brought back? All this mystery…”
When she saw the hare and the basket brimming with chestnuts, her eyes went wide with surprise. “Did you… catch this yourself?”
Ye Qingyan grinned. “I won’t take credit. Chu Yi found it! He chased the hare, and it ran straight into a tree! Chu Yi is the real hero!”
As if understanding every word of praise, Chu Yi stood tall and proud, eyes gleaming bright.
Qiuyun was quick to chime in. “Yes indeed! Our Chu Yi is marvelous!”
The hare weighed nearly three kilos. Mother and daughter cleaned and prepared it together, and soon Ye Qingyan set a rich, braised hare stew simmering — filling the air with a wonderful aroma.
She ladled a generous portion into a bowl, covered it carefully, and placed it in her basket. She meant to bring it to her uncle’s home.
When she arrived, Qi Qiming opened the door and stepped aside to let her enter. Ye Qingyan nodded and walked inside.
“Have you eaten yet?” Qi Qiming asked. “Mother’s just finishing cooking — stay and join us.”
“Thank you, but I can’t. Mother’s waiting for me at home.” Ye Qingyan set down her basket and placed the bowl of braised hare on the table.
When the lid was lifted, a mouthwatering scent swept through the room, instantly stirring hunger.
“Wait — what?”
All three stared in disbelief. Could this be real? A whole bowl of meat?
Ji Dehua swallowed hard. “Qingyan… what is this? Where did you get hare?”
Ye Qingyan told them the whole story of that afternoon.
When she finished, Zhao Mei beamed and said, “When you first wanted to keep that dog, I thought it unwise — people barely had enough to eat, why feed a dog? Now I see it clearly: this dog brings good fortune to the household!”
“Haha!” Ji Dehua laughed warmly, then turned to Ye Qingyan. “But you and your mother both need nourishment. Take this back home with you.”
“There’s plenty more where this came from,” Ye Qingyan said quickly, grabbing her basket and heading for the door. “This is for you all! I really must go — goodbye!”
That evening, Ye Qingyan savored the delicious braised hare. It was her first taste of meat since being reborn — and the emotion nearly brought her to tears.
Once a high-ranking executive earning millions a year, she’d never imagined a day when a simple mouthful of meat would bring such pure, unbridled joy.
Of course, her present hardship was only temporary. The national college entrance examination had been reinstated earlier that year, and other reforms were slowly unfolding. Ye Qingyan already had a clear vision for her future.
Registration for this year’s exam had closed — she would simply wait until next year. Until then, she would spend every day preparing for the exam… and finding ways to earn money.
After all, in any era — money makes all the difference.