Chapter 19: Collecting Chestnuts

Yang Qingyan stepped into the house, utterly exhausted. She walked straight to the sofa, slumped down, and leaned back. She thought to herself that she really needed to train harder. Back in the apocalypse, with such harsh conditions—lack of medicine, constant dangers—she had managed to perform six surgeries in a row without issue, relying on sheer willpower and medical skills. But now, after just one C-section, she was already this drained. As she pondered, drowsiness overtook her, and she soon fell asleep on the sofa.

Mu Nanhe followed her inside. Seeing her in this state, his heart ached for her. He quietly went into the bedroom, fetched a soft blanket, and carefully draped it over her, taking great care not to wake her. His gaze lingered on her sleeping face, filled with tenderness, before he turned and headed to the kitchen. He planned to prepare some food to help her recover her strength. Before long, soft sounds of cooking filled the kitchen.

Yang Qingyan slept deeply, as if she had thrown all her exhaustion into her dreams. When she slowly woke up, she felt refreshed, her energy fully restored.

Stretching lazily, she glanced around and noticed that Mu Nanhe was already gone—likely off to his duties at the base. As she wandered through the house, her eyes landed on the “traces” he had left behind. A sheet of xuan paper lay neatly spread out, adorned with his bold, powerful handwriting. The elegant strokes carried a scholarly charm rarely seen in his usual demeanor, making it hard to look away.

Beside it, several carefully prepared dishes sat on the table, their colors enticing, rich aromas curling into the air, instantly awakening her appetite. A smile unknowingly crept onto Yang Qingyan’s lips. She picked up a pair of chopsticks, took a bite, and instantly, her taste buds were ignited with delight. At that moment, her appreciation for Mu Nanhe deepened even further. He was always like this—never one to voice his concern outright, but always showing it through his actions. In the smallest details of daily life, he silently cared for her, making her feel warm and secure.

A crisp knocking sound suddenly broke the quiet of the house.

“Qingyan, are you home?” Liang Huantao’s voice carried through the door.

Yang Qingyan had just finished eating. She put down her chopsticks, stood up, and responded, “Coming, Sister Liang.” She quickly walked to the door and opened it to see Liang Huantao standing there with a bright smile, her face full of energy.

“Qingyan, the chestnuts on the mountain are ripe! A few of us wives are planning to go collect some—wanna come?” Liang Huantao invited enthusiastically, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Ever since Huzi got better, I feel so much lighter every day! I just want to get out and move around.”

Hearing this, Yang Qingyan’s eyes lit up. She had been wanting to find an opportunity to exercise and strengthen her ability by absorbing natural essence. Without hesitation, she agreed, “Of course! I’d love to go.” With that, she turned back into the house, grabbed a basket, and headed out with Liang Huantao toward the mountain.

As they walked along the winding mountain path, Liang Huantao couldn’t stop talking. Looking at Yang Qingyan with admiration, she said, “Qingyan, I heard you performed surgery on Wei Wan this morning. You’re amazing! That was a life-saving operation! Everyone in the housing compound is talking about how you’re a true heroine.”

Yang Qingyan, slightly embarrassed by the praise, chuckled softly and humbly replied, “You’re amazing too, Sister Liang. Your cooking is delicious! I love stopping by your place for a meal. As for me, I just happened to have studied medicine, so I helped where I could.”

Liang Huantao linked arms with Yang Qingyan and warmly said, “Qingyan, if you like my cooking, just come over anytime! I’ve been trying to think of a way to repay you for what you did for Huzi.”

As they chatted, they had already arrived at the mountain. Yang Qingyan lifted her gaze—the mountainside was lush with trees, their dense green foliage stretching as far as the eye could see. Among the branches, clusters of plump chestnuts hid inside spiky husks, as if waving at them in greeting. This time, Yang Qingyan’s steps were light and effortless, completely different from her last two climbs, where she had been panting and exhausted. She stopped quietly, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath of the crisp, mountain air filled with the fresh scent of grass and trees. At the same time, she secretly activated her ability, quietly absorbing the free-flowing energy of nature. A moment later, she felt a surge of vitality flow through her body, leaving her feeling refreshed and full of energy.

Liang Huantao, watching Yang Qingyan’s relaxed and content expression, couldn’t help but grin as well. She glanced Yang Qingyan up and down, then teasingly said, “Qingyan, I’ve noticed you’ve put on some weight since you first came here! Look at that rounder, rosier face—your features are getting more delicate too. And hey, even your chest has gotten a lot fuller! My husband always says that when a man takes a wife, all he hopes for is that she lives a comfortable life. Your husband, Captain Mu, is one lucky man!”

Liang Huantao’s words made Yang Qingyan’s cheeks flush red in an instant. She let out an embarrassed laugh and playfully scolded, “Sister Liang, you’re teasing me again! Stop that.”

Before long, cheerful voices and the sound of footsteps echoed along the mountain path. The other wives were arriving one after another. As soon as they spotted Liang Huantao and Yang Qingyan, one of the more outspoken ones, Sister Wang, hollered loudly, “Liang! Qingyan! You two got here so fast! We rushed all the way, afraid of making you wait too long.”

Liang Huantao laughed, stepping forward to greet them while helping one of the wives carry her tools. She explained, “I left with Qingyan right away after asking her, so we just got here a little earlier. Let’s not waste time—this is the perfect moment to gather chestnuts! They look amazing this year. If we wait too long, someone else might pick them all.”

The group entered the chestnut grove, where towering chestnut trees stood tall, their branches thick with leaves. Nestled among them were countless round, spiky chestnut husks, hanging like tiny hedgehogs from the branches—cute yet daunting.

Liang Huantao, experienced as she was, took the lead. She grabbed a long bamboo pole and positioned herself under a tree. Tilting her head up, she carefully examined the branches, pinpointing a spot where the chestnuts were clustered. With a firm grip, she swung the pole forcefully.

A series of crackling sounds rang out as the chestnut husks rained down, bouncing onto the leaf-covered ground, with some even rolling into the nearby grass.

“Alright, ladies, let’s get to work!” Liang Huantao called out.

The other wives quickly followed suit, and soon, the forest was filled with the whoosh of bamboo poles, the thud of chestnuts hitting the ground, and the sound of their cheerful laughter. The lively atmosphere turned the task into a joyous event.

Not wanting to be left behind, Yang Qingyan copied Liang Huantao’s movements, gripping her bamboo pole tightly and swinging it at the branches. But as it was her first try, she hadn’t quite mastered the strength needed—only a few chestnut husks fell.

She frowned slightly, adjusted her stance, and struck again. This time, her effort paid off—a cascade of chestnut husks tumbled down.

“Well done, Qingyan!” Liang Huantao praised with a smile.

Yang Qingyan returned a bashful grin before crouching down to pick up the chestnuts. However, the spiky husks were tricky to handle. If she wasn’t careful, they could prick her fingers. She carefully nudged them into one spot with her foot, then put on gloves before gently peeling the husks open to extract the chestnuts and place them into her basket.

A nearby wife, Sister Li, noticed and chuckled. “Qingyan, that’s too slow! Let me show you a trick.”

She picked up a chestnut husk, placed it under her shoe, and skillfully rolled it back and forth. Within seconds, the husk split open, and the chestnuts rolled out. “See? This way is much faster and less effort! Though it does wear down your shoes a bit.”

Everyone burst into laughter.

As the baskets filled with chestnuts, beads of sweat appeared on their foreheads, but their faces glowed with satisfaction. At one point, someone accidentally got hit on the shoulder by a falling chestnut husk and let out an exaggerated ouch, but before anyone could fuss over them, they laughed it off, joking that it was just the chestnuts giving them a “friendly greeting.” The playful remark sent another wave of laughter rippling through the group.