Dinner was already prepared, but the kids had caught a few rabbits. Mrs. Zhu knew the family’s habit—if they caught game, they had to eat it that same night. There was no way they would save the meat for the next day. She carried two rabbits into the yard and, with quick, practiced movements, cut their throats to drain the blood.
The rabbit skins had to be kept, but Zhao Xiaobao didn’t get to watch that part. Seeing her curious expression, Zhao Ertian walked over and turned both her and her chair in another direction, coaxing her, “Xiaobao, don’t look. Little kids shouldn’t watch this.” Skinning rabbits was too bloody—better not let a little girl see it, or she might have nightmares.
Although Zhao Xiaobao really wanted to watch, she was obedient. Puffing her cheeks, she nodded. “Second brother, Xiaobao won’t look.”
“Good girl.” Zhao Ertian patted her head and went back to stacking firewood.
By now, it was getting dark. Zhao Sandi came down the mountain carrying a bundle of firewood. Behind him, Zhao Deng and Zhao Xi each carried a smaller bundle. After setting them down in the yard, the two boys immediately turned and ran toward Zhao Xiaobao.
She had been waiting for them. As soon as they came close, she glanced at her second brother. Seeing his back turned, she quickly stuffed a piece of candy into each of their mouths and waved her hand. “Okay, go, go—don’t let Second Brother see.”
“Mm-hmm.” Zhao Deng and Zhao Xi instantly put on calm expressions and pushed each other as they ran into the house.
The evening sky changed quickly. The village was unusually quiet, with only the occasional bark of a dog or someone coughing. The kitchen fires in each house had gone out, leaving only soft voices and the clinking of bowls and chopsticks drifting from inside.
Wang Shi returned from the fields with her two grandsons. As soon as she stepped into the yard, she smelled a faint scent of meat. She glanced toward the kitchen—the doors and windows were tightly shut, not even a crack showing.
Most villagers were related in some way. In these hard times, every family lived frugally. If they had something good to eat, they kept it to themselves. Even when cooking meat, they would close the doors and windows tightly to keep the smell from spreading—otherwise, other people’s children might come over, staring longingly at your door. Then what would you do—give them some or not?
To avoid trouble and conflict, every family did the same. The Zhao family was no exception.
Seeing her mother return, Zhao Xiaobao ran over on her short legs, holding up a piece of malt candy. “Mom, Mom, eat candy.”
“I don’t like candy. You keep it for yourself,” Wang Shi said gently, patting her daughter’s head and making an excuse.
Seeing that her mother really wouldn’t eat it, Xiaobao didn’t insist. She turned and made faces at Zhao Gu and the others, signaling her nephews to follow her, then ran into the house first.
Wang Shi pretended not to notice. She washed her hands in a bucket, took off the towel from her neck, rinsed it, and hung it on a rope to dry.
“Daughter-in-law, is dinner ready?” she asked.
“Yes, Mother. It’s ready—we were just waiting for you.”
As she spoke, the kitchen door opened. Sun Shi came out first carrying a large bowl of porridge. Luo Shi followed with a stack of bowls and chopsticks, and Zhu Shi came last with a full pot of stewed rabbit. None of the three women had empty hands.
“Then let’s eat,” Wang Shi said. She called to her son in the backyard, “Third, come wash your hands and eat.” Then she shouted toward the rooms, “Xiaobao, and you boys—come out and eat…”
In this household, the mother’s word was law. When she called for dinner, no one dared delay. Even the children hiding inside to secretly share candy ran out immediately.
Two tables were pushed together, and the whole large family sat around them, filling every seat.
Old Man Zhao and Wang Shi had three sons and one daughter: the eldest Zhao Dashan, second Zhao Ertian, third Zhao Sandi, and the youngest daughter Zhao Xiaobao. The three sons had each married: the eldest son’s wife was Zhu Shi, the second’s was Luo Shi, and the third’s was Sun Shi. Among the grandchildren, Zhao Wu and Zhao Feng were from the eldest branch, Zhao Gu and Zhao Deng from the second, and Zhao Xi from the third.
The five boys’ names together formed the phrase “abundant harvest of the five grains,” symbolizing full granaries and prosperity.
With three sons, five grandsons, and Old Man Zhao himself, there were fourteen people in total—nine of them were men.
In other families, fourteen people could squeeze around a large table. But not the Zhao family—their door frames were even higher than others’, otherwise they would hit their heads walking upright. The grandsons took after the sons, and the sons took after the father. Just looking at Old Man Zhao, he was big and strong, and all his descendants were just as sturdy.
With such strong bodies came big appetites.
Each person could eat as much as three others. The family’s grain supply was never enough, which was always a worry.
Fortunately, heaven seemed to take pity on them by sending Xiaobao to their family. Only then did life feel hopeful.
Wang Shi placed a rabbit leg into her daughter’s bowl and gave Zhao Ertian a look.
Zhao Ertian pressed his lips together, then picked up another rabbit leg and put it into his youngest sister’s bowl. “Xiaobao, eat.”
With two rabbit legs, Zhao Xiaobao smiled so wide her eyes disappeared. Sweetly, she said, “Mom is the best, Second Brother is the best. Xiaobao likes Mom and Second Brother the most.”
Wang Shi smiled and nodded. “Eat slowly. It’s all yours. No one will take it from you.”
Old Man Zhao raised his chopsticks and said, “Let’s eat.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the boys were the first to reach out. Each quickly grabbed a piece of rabbit meat and stuffed it into their mouths, chewing loudly and happily.
Zhao Dashan and his brothers first placed a piece of meat into their wives’ bowls before taking some for themselves.
Only two rabbits were cooked that night. It wasn’t a lot, but it wasn’t little either—yet with such a big family and big appetites, after just a few rounds of chopsticks, the pot was nearly empty.
Soon, the sounds of slurping porridge and crunching meat and bones filled the air. The usually thin porridge felt much more satisfying when paired with a big pot of stewed rabbit. Everyone enjoyed the meal.
After dinner, Zhu Shi and her sisters-in-law quickly cleaned up the dishes. Wang Shi went to the kitchen to heat water to bathe Zhao Xiaobao.
The boys ran around the yard, chasing and playing noisily.
Zhao Xiaobao climbed into her eldest brother’s lap and used her short fingers to count the stars in the night sky, listening to her father and brothers talk.
The whole family sat in the yard enjoying the cool evening. Old Man Zhao picked his teeth and sighed. “Two years ago, the north had a snow disaster. This year, the south is suffering from drought. I feel uneasy.”
He had a vague sense of worry. The weather had been unreliable these past years. If Wanxia Village didn’t have a small river, and people hadn’t been carrying water daily to irrigate the fields, this year’s harvest would have been even worse.
He rubbed his rough hands together unconsciously, his brow tightly furrowed.
Zhao Dashan supported his chubby little sister to keep her from falling and said, “More people are going to town looking for work this year. In the past, carrying heavy loads at the docks could earn more than a dozen copper coins a day. Today, I asked around—people are willing to do it for eight or nine coins, and they’re still fighting for the jobs.”
What he didn’t say was that he would have been willing to do it for even less, but his father refused. He had even been scolded by a steward for asking.
Carrying loads was hard labor that wore down the body, but there were always poor people with strength willing to do it. The docks never lacked workers, no matter how low the pay.
In the past, his father would not have stopped him. But things were different now.
“The water is ready. Xiaobao, come take a bath,” Zhu Shi called from the kitchen.
Zhao Xiaobao slid off her brother’s lap and ran over quickly.
Wang Shi mixed cold water into the tub and tested the temperature. Once Xiaobao arrived, she closed the kitchen door, picked up her daughter, undressed her, and began washing her hair and body.
“You little dirt monkey, let me see how dirty you got in the forest today,” Wang Shi teased while lathering soap into her hair. “Oh my, look at this foam—it’s all black. You’re so dirty.”
“I’m not dirty,” Xiaobao protested, kicking her legs.
“Not dirty? Your neck is practically wearing a necklace of mud.” Wang Shi held her firmly. “You mustn’t go into the mountains with Xiao Wu and the others again. You’re still young—the mountains are dangerous.”
Xiaobao just hummed and said nothing.
Wang Shi didn’t press further. Xiaobao had been clever since birth. While other three-year-olds could barely speak clearly, she was already articulate and thoughtful. The family usually indulged her—except for dangerous things, she could have whatever she wanted.
After the bath, Wang Shi wrapped her in a towel and carried her back to the room.
Old Man Zhao lit mugwort in the yard to drive away mosquitoes. The window of the main room was half open. Inside, Xiaobao lay crooked on the bed, half asleep.
He quickly gestured to his second son. Zhao Ertian, already holding a hoe, walked over immediately. The father and son quietly entered the room.
Xiaobao was almost asleep. In her drowsiness, she felt someone hold her small hand. The rough fingers tickled her palm, and she instinctively curled her hand.
Then she heard her second brother’s nervous voice. “Xiaobao, today I gave you a rabbit leg. Am I… am I good?”
The rabbit leg had been so delicious. Xiaobao smacked her lips and mumbled, “Second Brother is good. Xiaobao likes Second Brother.”
Zhao Ertian glanced at his father. Old Man Zhao glared at him—why are you looking at me?
Zhao Ertian coughed, his dark face turning red. The tall man crouched by the bed, holding a hoe in one hand and his little sister’s hand in the other. In his rough voice, he coaxed, “Xiaobao, Second Brother wants to visit the place where the immortals live. You… you take me there…”
Before he finished speaking, Old Man Zhao’s eyes suddenly widened.
The place where Zhao Ertian had been crouching was now empty.
In the dim room, only Old Man Zhao stood there, stunned.
Even though he had been mentally prepared, the sight still made his heart pound and his legs tremble. He almost fell to his knees before the empty bed.
The immortal… had responded!