The frightened squeals of the piglets rang out, successfully drawing the sow’s attention back to them.
Yu Chunmiao wanted to move faster—she really did. But her legs were already weak with terror, and she could barely muster any strength. Still, when she glanced back and saw Qi Rong risking himself again to lure the wild boar away, she gritted her teeth. Pressing her body tightly against the tree, she wrapped both legs around the trunk and climbed with everything she had.
Qi Rong was clever. Every time the boar charged halfway toward him, he climbed back up the tree just in time.
At last, Yu Chunmiao grabbed hold of the first branch and managed to climb onto the second.
Clinging tightly to the trunk, she shouted,
“Rong’er! I’m up the tree! What do we do now?”
“We wait,” Qi Rong answered. “Just stay put. If we don’t provoke her and she can’t get us, she’ll leave eventually.”
It was the only option. They couldn’t fight, and they couldn’t outrun her.
But Qi Rong had underestimated a mother boar’s ferocity.
For two full hours, the sow kept ramming the tree he was in. Leaves rained down, and a chunk of bark was smashed clean off the trunk—but she still refused to leave.
Yu Chunmiao was terrified. The sky was growing darker by the minute.
Back at the Qi household, dusk had already fallen. The aunt and nephew still hadn’t returned, and the family was frantic.
Chen Ruolan cried until her eyes were red. Her husband and eldest son had both been lost to the mountains—she didn’t dare imagine what would happen if her youngest son and daughter-in-law were taken too.
In her heart, she prayed: A-Zheng… go to the mountains. Watch over Chunmiao and Rong’er.
Qi Chong felt as though his heart was being twisted in a vise. He pounded the bed with his fist, hating how useless he was.
“Big Brother, I’ll go find them,” Qi Yuan said firmly. “Don’t worry. It’s just following the stream uphill. I’ll bring Sister-in-law and Rong’er back tonight.”
He pointed to the cabinet. “Father’s hunting knife is in there. Take it.”
Qi Yuan grabbed the knife, lit a torch, and headed up the mountain.
Chen Ruolan went to Qi Chong’s bedside. “Should I go to the village and ask for help?”
Qi Chong shook his head. “They’re unreliable. Father sacrificed himself for the villagers and lay bedridden for over two years—did anyone visit? We went door to door borrowing money for medicine; did anyone lend us even a single tael? I’d rather die than rely on them again.”
Chen Ruolan leaned against the bed, her voice trembling. “They’ll be fine. Chunmiao will be fine. Rong’er too.”
Qi Chong’s tears finally fell. “I’m not worried about Rong’er. He grew up in the mountains—he climbs trees better than a monkey. I’m worried about Chunmiao. What if she runs into a snake… or a wolf…”
He didn’t dare continue.
That day, she’d cried at the sight of a single snake in the courtyard. Now it was dark in the mountains—danger or not, she must be terrified.
His heart ached unbearably.
Night had fully fallen, yet the boar still wouldn’t leave. Yu Chunmiao cried out,
“Rong’er, what if I drew her over here? If she hits your tree again, what if it falls?”
Lowering his voice, Qi Rong replied, “Don’t be scared. My tree is connected to another one—I checked. If it starts to tip, I’ll jump over. Don’t shout.”
To keep the boar focused on him, Qi Rong snapped off a branch and hurled it at her.
Come at me. Don’t go near my sister-in-law.
Suddenly, a wolf’s howl echoed through the forest—closer than before.
The boar froze. Snorting nervously, she gathered her piglets and retreated in another direction.
Compared to two “monkeys” in trees, the wolf was the greater threat.
After a while, Qi Rong called out, “Sister-in-law, wait for me—I’ll come get you.”
Seeing his small figure moving toward her through the darkness, Yu Chunmiao finally felt a bit of relief. She carefully climbed down as well.
They hoisted their baskets and started back. The moon wasn’t full yet, but its pale light barely illuminated the mountain path.
“Big Sister-in-law—Rong’er—!”
Qi Rong’s eyes lit up. “It’s Second Brother! He came looking for us!”
“Second Brother—we’re here!”
Through the dense forest, they spotted a flicker of torchlight approaching.
They hurried forward and soon met Qi Yuan.
Seeing them safe, Qi Yuan finally relaxed. “Thank heavens. Mother and Big Brother were beside themselves. Are you hurt?”
Yu Chunmiao shook her head. “We’re fine. Let’s talk on the way—don’t keep them waiting.”
Qi Yuan took Yu Chunmiao’s basket and led the way with the torch. Qi Rong excitedly recounted the encounter, and before long, all three arrived home.
Chen Ruolan had been waiting anxiously at the gate. When she saw them from afar, she rushed inside to tell Qi Chong.
“They’re back,” she said breathlessly. “They walked home themselves. They should be alright.”
Qi Chong let out a long breath and leaned back against the bed. The weight on his chest finally lifted.
The moment Yu Chunmiao entered the courtyard, she dropped her basket. Chen Ruolan rushed over, circling her anxiously.
“Are you hurt? Are you alright?”
Yu Chunmiao shook her head vigorously. “I’m fine, Mother. It’s all thanks to Rong’er—we should buy him a huge pig leg to eat!”
Qi Rong puffed up proudly, his lips sticking out so far they could’ve held a pound of pork.
“Chunmiao… Rong’er…”
Qi Chong’s hoarse voice came from inside.
Yu Chunmiao ran into the room and saw him sitting upright, worry written all over his face.
“Chunmiao—are you hurt?” His concern was unmistakable.
The moment she saw him, all the fear and grievance she’d held back came flooding out.
Tears streamed down her face as she threw herself into his arms, sobbing loudly.
“I was so scared… I thought I’d never come back.”
Qi Chong wrapped his arms around her without hesitation. Her cries were muffled against his chest, and it felt as though his heart were clenched tightly in her grasp.
The others quietly withdrew from the room. Qi Rong even covered his eyes.
Yu Chunmiao burrowed deeper into his embrace. In neither of her lives had she ever known the comfort of being held.
As the gambler’s daughter Yu Chunmiao, she swallowed her grievances alone—she couldn’t even cry, surviving only by clinging to memories of her mother’s smile.
As the rider Yu Chunmiao, she’d fallen and injured herself countless times, never daring to complain. She treated her wounds alone and showed up the next day strong as ever.
Qi Chong’s rough hand stroked her shoulder and patted her back, sheltering all her fear within his embrace.
When her sobs finally eased, he said softly,
“It’s all because of me. We won’t go into the mountains anymore. I’d rather stop taking medicine than let you face that danger.”
Yu Chunmiao immediately pushed him away. “No! Doctor Yu said your bones won’t heal properly if you stop. You’ll limp for life—and all that suffering would be for nothing!”
Qi Chong wiped her tears. “But the mountains are too dangerous. I’m afraid something will happen to you.”
She pouted and said softly, “Just hug me again. If you do, I won’t be scared.”
He pulled her back into his arms, rubbing her shoulders and back, his chin brushing the top of her head. His heart had softened into cotton.
Nestled against him, Yu Chunmiao recounted the day’s ordeal.
“…It was all thanks to Rong’er. He was amazing.”
Qi Chong’s expression darkened as he listened. “We absolutely can’t go back up the mountain. A lone wolf can soon gather a pack, and wolves will drive wild boars everywhere—even into the village. Let’s find another way to make money, alright?”
Muffled against his chest, Yu Chunmiao replied, “Until we think of another way, we still have to go. Second Brother said I was too greedy today—I should’ve come back as soon as I heard the wolf howl. I won’t make that mistake again.”
They clung to each other for a long time, unwilling to part—until Yu Chunmiao’s stomach growled loudly.
“You haven’t eaten. Go eat,” Qi Chong said softly, hardly believing such gentleness came from his own voice.
She shook her head. “No… let me stay a little longer.”
Holding her felt too good—she couldn’t bear to let go.
He coaxed her gently. “Go on. Don’t starve yourself. I’m not going anywhere.”
She stubbornly shook her head and hugged him even tighter. Lacking strength, he let her cling to him and finally said,
“Then… should I ask Mother to bring dinner in?”
At that, Yu Chunmiao sprang out of his arms. “No way! I’m perfectly fine—I’ll eat on my own. You rest.”
After eating and washing up, she didn’t even bother emptying the wash water before collapsing into bed.
Qi Chong sat upright, eyes open, long after Qi Yuan had nearly fallen asleep beside him.
Qi Yuan had worked a full day as a carpenter, then spent the evening washing and drying pinellia with their mother, only lying down around ten. He’d stayed up with his brother until nearly midnight. Normally, he’d be snoring before eight.
“Big Brother, go to sleep,” Qi Yuan yawned. “Sister-in-law must be asleep too. She had an exhausting day.”
“Second Brother, how many days until you can come back?” Qi Yuan needed to return as soon as possible to take over Yu Chunmiao’s trips into the mountains.
With his eyes closed, Qi Yuan replied, “Seven more days.”
Master Xiao was a well-known craftsman. Even though Qi Yuan had already completed his apprenticeship, unless he finished a full term of work, outsiders wouldn’t consider him fully trained. He had held on this long—there was no way he would give up in the final seven days.
When it came time to change the medicine, Yu Chunmiao washed her hands and volunteered to help Qi Chong.
Watching Doctor Yu dress the wound before had seemed even easier than wrapping a horse’s legs.
She removed the bandages, took off the splints, and wiped away the old medicine.
The dark bone-regenerating paste inside had already dried and hardened into clumps. She gently blew on the wound and carefully picked the pieces away one by one, revealing Qi Chong’s pale, smooth calf.
It was the first time Chen Ruolan had seen the wound clearly—a gash nearly twenty centimeters long. She covered her mouth, tears welling up.
Yu Chunmiao rolled up her sleeve and compared her arm to his leg.
“Qi Chong, your leg is even whiter than my arm. No good—we need to darken it a bit.”
Qi Chong laughed, and just like that, his mother stopped crying.
Qi Rong handed over the jar of medicine. Using a bamboo spatula, Yu Chunmiao carefully spread the ointment over his calf. When it came time to rewrap the bandages, she had Qi Rong lift his leg slightly and, starting from the ankle, wrapped the gauze upward smoothly and neatly—just like bandaging a horse.
In no time, a tidy, professional-looking wrap appeared on Qi Chong’s leg.
Chen Ruolan stared in shock. It was already surprising enough that her daughter-in-law wasn’t foolish—but she could read, recognize herbs like river snails and pinellia, draw blueprints for chamber pots, and now she could even bandage wounds?
“Chunmiao, did you learn this somewhere? How did you wrap it so well?” she couldn’t help asking.
After a moment’s thought, Yu Chunmiao replied, “I watched Doctor Yu when he treated him. He taught me.”
After saying that, she quietly let out a breath of relief—something Qi Chong noticed.
She then placed a wooden splint along the side of his calf, wrapping it securely—two layers per splint, four splints in total. When she finished, it looked even better than Doctor Yu’s work.
Finally, she cut the end of the gauze in half and tied a neat bow behind his knee.
Qi Rong lowered his brother’s leg and praised her sincerely.
“Big Sister-in-law is amazing. Doctor Yu only showed her once, and she did it perfectly.”
Her explanation convinced both the mother and the younger brother—but Qi Chong wasn’t fooled. Still, he chose not to question it for now.
Yu Chunmiao continued going up the mountain for another three days. Fortunately, Qi Yuan came back every evening, so she no longer had to go to town. He carried the baskets to sell in the mornings and handed her the money at night, also buying whatever the household needed. That freed up her mornings for gathering herbs.
More time meant more harvest—and more savings.
She calculated that after covering the family’s daily expenses, she had saved nearly twelve taels in six days. The cost of two treatment cycles was already secured, which eased her mind greatly.
On the fourth morning, she handed Qi Yuan six taels and asked him to bring back the medicine for the next cycle that evening, along with rice and flour.
Qi Yuan accepted the silver cheerfully.
“Got it. Today’s my last day working—I’ll be back for good tonight.”
At first, he’d had some reservations about letting his sister-in-law manage the money. But after seeing how attentively she cared for his brother—and even tended to their mother when she coughed at night—his respect for her only grew.
Yu Chunmiao carried the medicine into Qi Chong’s room. He could now drink it on his own. Taking the bowl, he said,
“Maybe we don’t need the painkillers this time. I’m not in pain.”
She immediately knew he was lying. How could it not hurt? She shook her head vigorously.
“Even if you, I, and Mother all agreed, Doctor Yu wouldn’t. One glare from him and I’d be scared to death—I’m not telling him. Besides, Second Brother’s back today. We’ll manage.”
That was just an excuse. She wasn’t actually afraid of Doctor Yu—but she knew he truly would get angry if they stopped the pain medicine.
And honestly, the painkillers probably weren’t the expensive part anyway. The bone-regenerating medicine was.
Qi Chong glanced out the window.
“Maybe don’t go out today. I think it’s going to rain.”
She agreed. Staying home turned out to be the right decision. By late morning, thunder rumbled and heavy rain poured down. She heated water and washed her hair properly for once.
Qi Rong carried a bucket of hot water into Qi Chong’s room.
“Sister-in-law said she’ll wash your hair later. She asked me to remove the headboard panel.”
He quickly dismantled it, leaving just the frame.
Yu Chunmiao, her hair half-dry and loosely tied, came in. She had Qi Chong lean his head out through the frame, placed a stool with a basin underneath, and gently poured warm water over his hair.
Qi Chong only had to lift his eyes to see her delicate face. Damp strands clung to her fair neck, her skin glowing softly in the light. Fine downy hairs were visible, and her translucent earlobes looked like flowers kissed by morning dew—temptingly delicate.
His Adam’s apple bobbed. Without thinking, he reached out and gently pinched her earlobe.
“Ah!” Yu Chunmiao yelped, clapping a hand over her ear and retreating.
“That tickles!”
Startled, Qi Chong withdrew his hand at once, stiff as a plank.
“I—I’m sorry… I don’t know what came over me…”
She reached out and flicked his earlobe in return.
“Ticklish? Ticklish?”
He caught her hand quickly.
“Alright, Chunmiao, spare me.”
It was ticklish—but also strangely fun. Still, fun would have to wait until his leg healed.
She laughed, covering her mouth.
“I’ll let you off this time since you’re injured. Otherwise, I’d go straight for your armpits.”
Just imagining it made Qi Chong shiver.
“Just hearing that makes me itchy. But don’t worry—if I ever make you angry in the future, you can tickle me as much as you want. I won’t resist.”
That was his weakness—his brothers had always known it.
The rain eased in the afternoon. By evening, Qi Yuan returned with two baskets filled with rice, flour, meat, vegetables—and his carpentry tools.
Yu Chunmiao curiously picked them up one by one as he put them away.
He introduced them patiently:
“That’s an ink line. Long plane, short plane, round plane… These are drills—pull drill, hand drill, crank drill. These are chisels. Straight saw, crosscut saw, mortise saw…”
Holding up a pull drill, she asked,
“So you just pull the cord to drill holes?”
“Yes. Anything you want to drill?”
She shook her head.
“No, I’ve just never seen such a complete set of tools.”
She’d seen carpenter tools in her grandmother’s village as a child—but never purely hand-powered drills.
Electric drills are so much nicer, she thought. And you can change bits.
Qi Yuan chuckled.
“When Big Brother’s leg heals, I’ll make you a new set of furniture. The room’s fine, but the bed is old and too small. I learned a lot of new designs from my master. I’ll find some ash trees in the mountains and make you a big, sturdy one.”
An image flashed through Yu Chunmiao’s mind—her and Qi Chong lying on a wide, solid bed…
“I—I’ll go bring your brother his medicine,” she said quickly, face burning, and fled.
In the kitchen, Chen Ruolan was pouring the medicine into a bowl.
“Chunmiao, Yuan’s back. Tonight, are you sleeping with Chong’er or with me?”
Yu Chunmiao froze.
Lies. TV dramas lied to me. Where was the ancient modesty? One complained the bed was too small, and the other pushed her straight into her son’s room.
It wasn’t impossible—but Qi Chong was still injured! Was her mother-in-law hoping she’d take the initiative?
“I’ll sleep with you, Mother,” Yu Chunmiao said firmly.
Chen Ruolan nodded solemnly.
“That’s true. The bed is too small and old anyway—it creaks if Chong’er moves. When Yuan has time…”
“Mother—Mother—Qi Chong needs his medicine!”
Yu Chunmiao grabbed the bowl and fled before things went any further.
The weather cleared for two days. She stayed home cooking, boiling medicine, washing and drying pinellia.
One afternoon, Qi Yuan and Qi Rong returned early.
Qi Rong went into Qi Chong’s room, where Yu Chunmiao was trimming his toenails.
Dejected, Qi Rong said,
“Big Brother, Sister-in-law, the Three-Step Jump is gone. We’ve already dug up to the cliff.”
Yu Chunmiao replied calmly,
“We’ve finished two treatment cycles. We still have eight or nine taels, plus what you earned today—enough for two more cycles. We’re only short one. Let’s all think of something else to sell.”
Qi Chong thought for a moment.
“It looks like rain again. Rong’er, remember the two mushroom patches behind the mountain?”
Qi Rong slapped his forehead.
“That’s right! Father took us there before. One bamboo fungus patch and one red mushroom patch. Baiwei Restaurant in Qingshi County buys those regularly.”
Yu Chunmiao swallowed hard.
“Red mushrooms? Red mushroom stewed chicken—that flavor is heavenly.”
In her old world, wild dried red mushrooms could sell for hundreds—sometimes over a thousand—per pound. They couldn’t be farmed, only found in the wild. Sadly, most on the market were dyed fakes. After leaving her village, she’d never tasted the real thing again.