Wei Cheng said, “To see my mother.”

“I have a small silver lock, my father made it for me when I was born. It’s worth about half a tael of silver. My mother kept it for me when we went to Qin’s family, saying she was afraid it would be stolen. Before she remarried, she mentioned giving it back to me. She was afraid the Wei family would find out. Now I’m not living with the Wei family anymore, I want my silver lock back. Then we’ll have money for clothes and food.”

Guan Guan looked at Wei Cheng, feeling uneasy. He stopped walking.

Wei Cheng looked at him curiously. “Why did you stop? Do you need to pee?”

“No.”

Guan Guan looked up at Wei Cheng. “Don’t go. Can we get the lock?”

“Why?”

Wei Cheng said, “It’s my long-life lock, it’s mine, I need to get it back.”

He thought for a moment, smiling, pinching Guan Guan’s cheek. “Are you afraid that if I see Mother and my brother, I’ll abandon you?”

Guan Guan shook his head.

Wei Cheng believed him. He said, “My mother never liked me. She remarried and ignored me. I won’t bother her life. I don’t like that child either, I won’t consider him my real brother. Guan Guan, don’t worry, you’ll be my only brother.”

Guan Guan said nothing, holding Wei Cheng’s hand again, walking quietly, but he couldn’t eat his roasted ground beans anymore.

Maoxi Village was close to Jianghe Village, but the children were small, and it took an hour to arrive.

The wealthy family’s house was as large as Li Maode’s, with blue tiles and a sturdy black wooden gate, not the ordinary earthen gates of villagers.

Wei Cheng knocked. A dark-faced worker came out, sizing Wei Cheng up. “Who are you looking for?”

“I’m looking for your…” Wei Cheng hesitated, “…your wife.”

The worker frowned. “Who are you? Leave your name, I’ll tell the mistress.”

Wei Cheng said, “Wei Cheng, from Maoxi Village.”

The worker’s eyes widened. “You’re Wei Cheng?”

“Do you know me?”

The worker smiled. “You and your mother lived in Jianghe Village for three years. I know you. Wait, I’ll tell the mistress.”

The worker went inside.

Wei Cheng looked at Guan Guan, who was looking at the snow, uninterested in the grand gate.

Wei Cheng patted his head. “Cold?”

Guan Guan smiled. “Not cold, Brother?”

“Brother’s not cold either.”

The gate and eaves were large, providing some shelter from the cold.

The worker didn’t return.

Wei Cheng’s face grew increasingly grim.

He didn’t expect anything from Qin Shi. He’d suffered alone, his mother ignoring him. He knew she didn’t like him.

She didn’t like him because of his father.

Qin’s family was poor. After her brothers married, they were destitute. They wanted to marry her off to a wealthy family. Qin Shi was beautiful, sought after by many, but the dowry remained unsettled.

Qin Shi liked a scholar, but the scholar’s mother looked down on Qin’s family. Wei Da Nian fell in love with Qin Shi and offered his life savings as a dowry. Qin’s family married her off, avoiding gossip.

After marriage, Wei Da Nian gave all his hunting money to Qin Shi. But Qin Shi disliked Wei Da Nian’s roughness, the smell of blood, and his scars. Wei Da Nian indulged her. They had Wei Cheng.

Wei Cheng looked like Qin Shi, with fair skin, a high nose bridge, and large eyes. Only his height resembled Wei Da Nian. Qin Shi initially liked him.

But Qin Shi disliked Wei Da Nian, remarrying Song quickly after the mourning period, becoming pregnant and giving birth to a son. She ignored Wei Cheng.

Last year, Wei Cheng secretly visited Qin Shi. She looked at him indifferently and told him to leave.

Wei Cheng understood his mother had no maternal affection for him.

After a long time, as it grew dark, a tune was heard.

The voice stopped at the gate. “Who are you two? What are you doing at my gate?”

Wei Cheng patted Guan Guan, who was playing in the snow. “I… I’m looking for your wife.”

“You are…?”

Wei Cheng said, “Wei Cheng, from Maoxi Village. I need to see your wife.”

“You’re Wei Cheng!”

Song Tian approached, Wei Cheng smelling his strong alcohol breath.

He patted Wei Cheng’s shoulder. “Your wife is your mother. And this is…?”

Wei Cheng didn’t say much about Guan Guan, only, “He came with me.”

“Why not come in? This is your home.”

Song Tian knocked on the door. The dark-faced worker opened it, glancing at Wei Cheng, then saying, “Master, please come in…”

Song Tian glared. “Why did you let the children wait outside? What will people say? They’ll say I mistreat my stepson! Didn’t you tell the mistress?”

The worker said, “I’m sorry, I forgot.”

“Next time, let Wei Cheng in directly. I won’t punish you this time.” He smiled at Wei Cheng. “Come, let’s see your mother…”

Wei Cheng understood, but for his silver lock, he needed to see Qin Shi.

Song Tian rambled, “You’re heartless, you didn’t visit your mother…”

“She misses you…”

“She’s your mother, you should support her…”

“Don’t blame your mother for remarrying. I’m lucky to have her. If it weren’t for her looks, I’d have a young girl instead…”

Wei Cheng clenched his fists, following Song Tian into the hall.

In the spacious hall, Song Tian waved to a servant. “Bring some snacks. Cheng had a hard life, he doesn’t get to eat these things. Bring a variety.”

The servant understood and left.

Song Tian boasted about his wealth and how lucky Qin Shi was to marry him.

Guan Guan wanted to cover Wei Cheng’s ears.

The servant returned with two small plates.

One had colorful cake crumbs, mostly thumb-sized pieces, some dusty.

The other had dried fruits, mostly shells, a few hard, unbreakable ones. She hadn’t intended to give them good snacks.

Song Tian glanced at them, smiling. “Cheng, eat. And this little one, you look like brothers, both fair.”

Wei Cheng held Guan Guan’s hand, silent. Guan Guan clung to him.

Wei Cheng said, “Thank you, but keep these for your children.”

He didn’t want to be rude, as his lock was with Qin Shi.

Song Tian chuckled, dropping his pretense. “They don’t eat these. These are for the pigs. You’re lucky to get them.”

Wei Cheng was about to respond, when Guan Guan said, “You eat these?”

Song Tian sneered, “They’re for pigs, can’t you understand, little bastard!”

“I understand.”

Guan Guan said obediently, “Guan Guan thinks you’re a pig. You’re fat and smelly, do you sleep with pigs?”

Song Tian’s face turned red. “You little bastard!”

“Oh, what’s the noise?”

A gentle woman’s voice came from outside.

Wei Cheng turned and saw Qin Shi, wearing fine blue clothes, silver hairpins, and a bracelet, holding a chubby baby.

Song Tian sat up. “Son, I missed you.”

He looked at Qin Shi. “What did Bao’er eat today?”

Qin Shi slowly listed the foods: goat’s milk, meat and egg soup, cakes from town (only eating the filling, throwing the crumbs), a piece of spine, cabbage and pork buns, and hawthorn soup…