Gu Nianzhi ran into the bedroom and took out two hundred copper coins and a tael of silver for Mrs. Liu.
“Mother, take this money. Whatever you want to buy, just buy it!”
Mrs. Liu had always refused to handle money. Even the money for buying the table had been borrowed from Gu Nianzhi and returned after use.
She wanted to refuse again, but thinking that constantly asking Gu Nianzhi for money was inconvenient, she accepted it this time.
She went once more to Big Niu Auntie’s house, bought ten wen worth of needles and thread, and borrowed a pair of scissors before returning home.
Big Niu was a quiet man, and Auntie Niu wasn’t one to gossip. Mrs. Liu felt safe dealing with them.
These past few days, Mrs. Liu had been sewing at home, while Gu Nianzhi and her brother tended the yard, fed the chickens and rabbit, and even brought back some beautiful wildflowers from the mountain with Eleven to plant in the yard.
Five days later, the yard was finally arranged.
Outside, a half-human-height fence enclosed the space. Along the fence, various wildflowers and grasses from the mountain were planted. The siblings even dug up a winter peach tree from the mountain to plant beside the vegetable patch. Outside the kitchen, a two-meter-tall osmanthus tree had been planted.
Gu Nianzhi had discovered it while checking traps on the mountain. Two days ago, she placed the osmanthus in her space, and when she reached the woods near her home, she carried it back herself.
Mrs. Liu was stunned to see her eleven-year-old daughter carrying a two-meter-tall tree home. She still couldn’t accept that the delicate little girl had been raised into a little strongwoman.
The mother and children moved the wooden table under the osmanthus tree. Sitting there, looking at the beautiful small yard, they were almost mesmerized.
Mrs. Liu thought, if only they didn’t have to flee famine… she had never dreamed of such a life.
Meanwhile, at the Gu family’s old house, Grandmother Gu looked at the nearly empty rice jar. She poured half of the freshly measured brown rice back into the container.
Gu Tiezhu, working as an accountant in town, brought home three hundred wen a month. Gu Dachui had also found a job in town, earning twenty-five wen a day. With the month not yet over, the family had to make do with brown rice porridge and wild vegetables to fill their stomachs.
After several days of wild vegetables, Grandmother Gu felt weak and light on her feet.
She thought to herself that at least those three money-losing mouths were gone; with three fewer people, they could survive until the end of the month.
The silver Gu Tiezhu and Gu Dachui brought home went toward supporting Gu Chengwen’s schooling. With the remaining food—wild vegetable and coarse flour porridge—the family could make it through the year without starving.
When she realized the Zhang family couldn’t repay their grain, she was angry, but she only scolded Zhang Cuihua for a few days.
After all, she was Gu Chengwen’s biological mother, and Zhang Cuihua had given birth to two sons for the Gu family in one go. She was still satisfied with this daughter-in-law.
Compared to Grandmother Gu, things were worse for Gu Tiezhu.
With a monthly income of six hundred wen, the family’s rent for five people consumed three hundred wen, leaving little for Grandmother Gu.
The family drank thin rice porridge at the table, accompanied by a small plate of pickles and stir-fried cabbage.
“Husband, should we hold off on paying the public dues this month?”
If they paid, the whole family would starve.
Gu Tiezhu nodded. At worst, they could make up an excuse: that silver was needed for Chengwen’s studies.
Seeing the worried expressions of Gu Tiezhu and his wife, Gu Tingqin handed over the money she had earned by embroidering handkerchiefs over the past few days.
“Father, Mother, I earned fifty-two wen with my embroidery. Though it’s not much, it can buy some dishes for the household.”
A cabbage costs one wen each on the street. While fifty-two wen wouldn’t buy meat, it would buy enough cabbage to last half a month.
“You’ve been thoughtful, Tingqin.”
Zhang Cuihua took the coins from her daughter and placed them inside.
In this life, Zhang Cuihua’s greatest confidence came from giving birth to two sons and a daughter.
Her eldest son passed the entrance exam; her second son apprenticed at a martial arts school. Though neither earned a salary, their futures were bright.
Her daughter, Gu Tingqin, had been raised well. Though not as beautiful as the second household’s daughter, she was gentle and delicate, nothing like a typical rural girl.
She only hoped her daughter would marry a scholar or someone accomplished, so she could benefit as well.
That night, a heavy rain fell on Qingshan Town, thunder rumbling, waking the mother and children in their thatched cottage.
Gu Nianzhi looked outside at the dark, rainy scene. Eleven whimpered in the rain—his small shelter must have leaked.
Gu Nianzhi braved the rain and brought Eleven inside. The dog was soaking wet and shivering.
She took a towel from her space to dry him, then placed the protagonist’s last worn-out piece of clothing as a bed for him.
After all, new clothes were almost ready; there was no need for him to sleep on new garments.
At dawn, the entire Lihua Village was shrouded in mist, with light rain still falling.
Mrs. Liu lit the stove, and the three of them sat inside, warming themselves with Eleven.
With nothing else to do in the cold, Mrs. Liu returned to her room to continue sewing.
Gu Nianzhi had Gu Nian’an tend the fire while she cooked a pot of rice.
The fatty meat bought earlier had been rendered by Mrs. Liu, and a large bowl of lard remained.
Gu Nianzhi soaked some of Mrs. Liu’s dried wild vegetables and stir-fried them with the lard.
After the meal, they fed the leftovers to Eleven. Gu Nian’an patted the dog’s head and sighed:
“Eleven is so lucky! I never had such good food before.”
Seeing him act so mature, Mrs. Liu and Gu Nianzhi laughed.
During the day, the rain finally stopped.
Mrs. Liu stayed home sewing while Gu Nianzhi took Gu Nian’an to the river.
After the heavy rain, the river had risen considerably.
“Sister, are we fishing today?”
Gu Nianzhi shivered looking at the rushing river.
Not on such a cold day!
“Do you remember how we caught the small river fish?”
“Yes!”
Gu Nian’an thought carefully and then led her to a shallow river bend upstream.
“Sister, we can block this small section with stones.”
“How clever!”
Gu Nian’an blushed at the praise, happily carrying stones to the riverbank.
“Don’t move. Let me do it.”
Gu Nianzhi made him stand aside. She didn’t dare let such a small child enter the river.
She stacked some stones to partially block the shallow area, then led Gu Nian’an up the mountain to explore and see what else was nearby.
After a while, they found nothing edible besides wild vegetables—the outskirts had likely been harvested by villagers, leaving only abundant wild vegetables that regrew daily.
Returning to the river, they had trapped many small fish and six grass carp weighing two to three jin each.
They brought home a wooden bucket half-full of small fish and strung the six grass carp together.
The siblings returned home happily.
Mrs. Liu then told them the clothes were ready.
Gu Nian’an hesitated to touch the new clothes, asking Mrs. Liu to put them aside until he had bathed that evening.