Meng Qiufeng stopped in front of a pine tree.
“Is the gold and silver buried here?” Chen Rou looked up at the towering pine, excitement glittering in her eyes.
Meng Qiufeng handed the umbrella to her.
“Hold the umbrella for me. I’ll dig.”
Chen Rou’s voice became even gentler, her gaze full of warmth as she looked at him.
“Alright. Be careful.”
Meng Qiufeng pulled a small shovel from inside his coat, crouched down, and began digging with all his strength.
Not far away, Meng Qiushi hid behind a large tree, his eyes fixed tightly on the scene ahead.
Under the yellow glow of the kerosene lamp, sweat covered Meng Qiufeng’s face despite the freezing winter weather.
Wrapped tightly in layers of clothing, Meng Yu peered through a gap and watched his movements intently.
No one knew how much time passed before Meng Qiufeng finally stopped after digging nearly a meter deep. By then, he was covered in mud and utterly exhausted, yet his eyes shone brightly.
The moment Chen Rou saw the box, her voice rose excitedly.
“You found it!”
Meng Qiufeng wiped the sweat from his face with his sleeve, jumped into the pit, and hauled the box out.
It was a wooden chest about half a meter long, secured with a brass lock.
Meng Qiufeng took out a piece of wire and fiddled with the lock for a few moments before it clicked open.
Chen Rou crouched beside him, setting the kerosene lamp nearby. Holding the umbrella, she exchanged a glance with him.
“Brother Qiufeng, hurry and open it.”
Meng Qiufeng lifted the lid. By the dim, flickering light of the lamp, Chen Rou finally saw the chest filled to the brim with gold and silver.
A radiant smile bloomed across her face. Ignoring the dirt all over Meng Qiufeng, she threw her arms around him tightly.
“This is wonderful, Brother Qiufeng! We finally have money to buy grain!”
After discussing it, Chen Rou and Meng Qiufeng decided to take only two gold bars for now to purchase grain, while reburying the rest of the treasure.
If they brought everything home, they might not be able to protect it. Buried underground was the safest place.
Working together, they buried the chest again. Meng Qiufeng then circled the area, pulling up dead grass and scattering it over the disturbed soil so he would immediately know if anyone had tampered with it later.
“Let’s go home.”
Hand in hand, Chen Rou and Meng Qiufeng left.
Only after their figures completely disappeared did Meng Qiushi step out from behind the tree.
He walked over to the buried treasure, rubbing his hands together excitedly as he prepared to dig.
“Little Yu’er, help Daddy take the shovel out from your space.”
“Daddy, I’ll do it!”
Meng Yu struggled to climb down.
Meng Qiushi quickly set her on the ground and carefully adjusted the coat wrapped around her. He could not let his daughter catch cold.
Meng Yu placed both hands over the soil. She could retrieve objects within one meter of her.
Sensing the chest below, she effortlessly transferred it into her space.
Seeing Meng Qiushi staring at her in confusion, she immediately took the chest back out again.
A wooden chest suddenly appeared before him. Meng Qiushi first froze in shock, then broke into delight.
“This… this chest…”
“Remote retrieval!” he exclaimed.
He hurriedly opened the box. The moment he saw the gold and silver packed inside, happiness nearly made him faint.
“When we get back and show your mom this treasure, she’s definitely going to praise me!”
Meng Qiushi pinched his daughter’s little cheek.
“Little Yu’er, hurry and store the chest away. Let’s go home.”
A small smear of dirt now stained Meng Yu’s cheek, though she was completely unaware of it. She flashed him a sweet smile.
Meng Qiushi’s clothes had already been soaked through by the snow. After descending the mountain, he entered Meng Yu’s space and changed into a fresh set of clothes.
To be extra cautious, he even changed into a clean pair of shoes.
Outside, goose-feather snow was falling heavily. Meng Qiushi quickly picked up his daughter and hurried home.
As soon as he pushed open the courtyard gate, he ran straight into Meng Qiufeng, who had just come out to dump a basin of foot-washing water.
The smile vanished from Meng Qiufeng’s face as he cautiously asked,
“Third Brother, when did you go out? I didn’t see you leave.”
Meng Qiushi brushed the snowflakes off his clothes.
“I only went out a little while ago. Little Yu’er insisted on seeing the snow.”
Then he shot Meng Qiufeng a sidelong glance.
“What? Do I need to report to you every time I leave the house now?”
A bad feeling rose in Meng Qiufeng’s chest. He glanced toward the mountain direction before absentmindedly returning to his room.
Inside, Chen Rou had just finished soaking her feet and climbed into bed. A smile still lingered on her lips, but when she saw Meng Qiufeng walk in looking troubled, she asked with concern,
“What’s wrong?”
“Third Brother just came back from outside. I’m worried about the treasure in the mountains. No, I need to go check it again.”
With such a treasure hidden away, it was only natural for Meng Qiufeng to feel uneasy.
“Then hurry and go take a look. Be careful on the road and come back early,” Chen Rou urged softly.
Even if their suspicions were unrealistic, checking would still provide peace of mind. After all, this was not ten or twenty yuan—it was an entire chest of gold and silver.
Braving the heavy snow once more, Meng Qiufeng headed back out.
Meng Qiushi cracked open the window slightly. The cold wind rushed in, making him shiver.
Watching Meng Qiufeng leave, he silently thanked the heavens for Meng Yu’s remote retrieval ability.
Xu Chunhua lay beneath the blankets, rubbing warmth back into Meng Yu’s icy little hands.
“What’s gotten into you two? Ever since you came back, neither of you has stopped smiling.”
Meng Qiushi climbed into bed after removing his coat and leaned close to Xu Chunhua’s ear, whispering everything that had just happened.
Xu Chunhua’s eyes widened in delight, her lips curving upward uncontrollably. Her beautiful peach-blossom eyes sparkled brightly.
She immediately pulled shut the bed curtains, blocking Meng Wei and Meng Qing’s line of sight.
“It’s late. Time to sleep.”
In one smooth motion, she blew out the candle.
A while later, in the pitch-black room, a soft female voice sounded quietly.
“Xiaowei, Xiaoqing, are you asleep yet?”
Receiving no answer, Meng Yu brought Xu Chunhua and Meng Qiushi into her space.
The moment they entered, Xu Chunhua rushed straight toward the chest and opened it.
“Oh my heavens—we’re rich!”
Meng Qiushi picked up a gold bar and weighed it in his hand before leaning his handsome face close to Xu Chunhua like a child seeking praise.
“If I hadn’t noticed Meng Qiufeng acting suspiciously and followed him, we’d never have gotten this treasure. Chunhua, aren’t I amazing?”
“Amazing, amazing.”
Xu Chunhua cupped his face and kissed him several times enthusiastically.
Meanwhile, Meng Yu sat quietly on a little wooden stool, watching her lovey-dovey parents.
“To celebrate today’s harvest, let’s kill a chicken,” Xu Chunhua declared as she closed the chest and looked toward the flock of chickens inside the fenced enclosure.
Every chicken there was plump and well-fed, looking absolutely delicious.
The space contained spare cookware and seasonings. Meng Qiushi entered the coop, selected a fat hen, and began preparing it.
Xu Chunhua handled the fire while Meng Yu sat nearby with her chin propped in her hands, watching Meng Qiushi slaughter the chicken.
Watching and watching, she gradually became sleepy.
Her little head bobbed drowsily, making her look irresistibly adorable.
Xu Chunhua dusted off her hands and carried Meng Yu over to a wooden bed nearby.
Since they often worked inside the space and little Yu’er frequently got sleepy there, Meng Qiushi had specially built a simple wooden bed for her.
When Meng Yu woke up again, she sniffed the air and smacked her lips twice.
Meng Qiushi walked over carrying a large pot of chicken soup, while Xu Chunhua held two aluminum lunch boxes filled with freshly steamed white rice.
“Little Yu’er, let’s head out.”
Back outside the space, Xu Chunhua pulled back the bed curtain and gently shook awake the sleeping Meng Wei, Meng Qing, and Meng Che.
“Wake up, get up and eat something.”
The candle flickered as red wax dripped slowly downward. In the freezing weather, a bowl of hot chicken soup warmed the entire body.
After eating their fill, the children rubbed their stomachs contentedly and drifted back into dreams.
Meanwhile, Meng Qiufeng finally returned to the courtyard, battered by wind and snow. Chen Rou hurried over to brush the snow from his clothes.
“Everything alright?”
Meng Qiufeng shook his head and smiled.
“Everything’s fine. It’s late—let’s rest.”