The gate to that household was tightly shut, but the straw curtain over the window kept fluttering in the wind.
Through the gaps where the curtain failed to cover the window, Xu Qinghe could vaguely make out an elderly man lying on the heated brick bed while the rest of the family gathered around him, weeping.
“Ai… Second Uncle Wang still didn’t make it through the winter.”
When she turned back, Xu Qinghe saw the grief and helplessness in Aunt Liu’s eyes.
“This cursed weather won’t stop until it’s frozen someone to death.”
Aunt Liu gritted her teeth, her voice filled with both hatred and fear.
Xu Qinghe understood.
For ordinary people in ancient times, winter was a season of death.
Cold, hunger, and illness—any one of them could easily take the lives of people at the bottom of society, lives that others considered cheap and insignificant.
And in winter, all three hardships descended upon them at once.
After cursing the weather, Aunt Liu suddenly realized what she had said and turned to Xu Qinghe with concern.
“Qinghe?”
Xu Qinghe knew Aunt Liu was worried that the sight would remind her of her own parents.
She immediately offered a reassuring smile.
“Let’s go, Auntie. We should fetch the water. It’s getting late.”
“Right, right. Let’s go.”
Aunt Liu still looked worried, but she didn’t ask any further questions, silently blaming herself for speaking without thinking.
The village well was simple and primitive.
The water buckets had to be pulled up by hand.
By the time Xu Qinghe filled two buckets, her arms were trembling with exhaustion.
Meanwhile, Aunt Liu hauled up two full buckets with ease, only breathing a little harder afterward.
The difference between them was impossible to ignore.
Xu Qinghe silently made up her mind to eat more in the future.
No matter what, she wanted to become as strong as Aunt Liu.
When they returned, they poured all four buckets into the water jar, filling it halfway.
By then, darkness had fallen.
“That should be enough for now. Tomorrow, I’ll have Dazhuang bring over another two buckets, and the jar will be full.”
The water in the jar was still sloshing gently as fine yellow sediment slowly settled to the bottom.
Xu Qinghe reached out and touched the water.
The well water had only recently thawed after winter and was icy cold.
“Qinghe, let’s go.”
Aunt Liu had already pushed open the gate and was waiting in the courtyard.
Xu Qinghe paused.
She thought about whether there was anything in her house she could bring to the Liu family in return.
There was barely any grain left.
There were no eggs.
And everything else was impossible to explain.
In the end, she could only remember this kindness and repay it in the future.
“Coming.”
After locking her gate, Xu Qinghe followed Aunt Liu to the Liu family home.
By the time they arrived, Sister-in-law Liu had already prepared dinner.
The whole family was seated around the table, waiting for them.
A tallow lamp flickered beside the stove.
Its light was dim, but the atmosphere felt warm and welcoming.
With so many people gathered together, the room felt cozy even without additional heating.
No one looked displeased at her presence.
Instead, they warmly invited her to sit down.
Young Brother Liu even shared half of his egg with her.
Five bowls of hot, thick millet porridge and a plate of pickled vegetables.
In modern times, it would have been an ordinary meal.
In ancient times, it was already considered quite good.
After eating her fill, Xu Qinghe didn’t stay long.
Aunt Liu walked her home.
Only after giving her a long list of instructions and reminders did Aunt Liu finally leave.
Xu Qinghe locked the gate behind her.
Looking at her dark and freezing house, she rubbed her hands together and quickly blocked every gap that let in the wind before taking out her small desk lamp and brazier.
Thinking about the meal she had just eaten, she rubbed her stomach and hesitated for a moment.
In the end, she decided she still needed a little more food.
Not much—just a small bowl of wontons and a cucumber.
During dinner at the Liu family home, she had noticed that everyone except Young Brother Liu had bleeding gums.
She remembered reading that fresh vegetables were scarce during ancient winters and that many common people showed symptoms of scurvy.
Xu Qinghe ran her tongue over her own gums.
She didn’t think she had any problems yet, but she still took out a fresh cucumber and started eating it.
Afterward, she curled up under the blankets.
One moment she checked her phone; the next, she organized items in her farming space.
The brazier crackled occasionally, sending sparks into the air.
Staring at the glowing coals, her thoughts drifted.
Although the space was an incredible advantage, she had realized since arriving here that there were still many problems she needed to solve.
Things like repairing the house were minor issues that didn’t need immediate attention.
But the farmland she might not be able to keep had to be dealt with as soon as possible.
She had been conflicted earlier that afternoon.
Now, however, she felt that selling the land to the Liu family might be the best solution.
Given the close relationship between the Liu family and the original owner’s family, she didn’t need to worry about them refusing to pay or deliberately offering an unfair price.
She was willing to sell the land to them cheaply.
But there was a big difference between doing something willingly and being forced into it.
Moreover, the Liu family held considerable standing within the village.
They were all able-bodied workers with good reputations.
If she handed over this “hot potato,” she wouldn’t have to worry about causing them trouble.
Besides, the Liu family had recently welcomed a new daughter-in-law.
In the future, there would be grandchildren to feed.
More farmland meant more grain and greater security.
From every angle, the Liu family seemed like the best choice for helping her resolve the problem of her land.
Having made up her mind, Xu Qinghe decided to find an opportunity to discuss it with Aunt Liu.