Chapter 16.2: Sharing a Room? Absolutely Not…

Before noon, Su Yi’an finished packing and set off into the deep mountains with Madam He, each carrying a back basket.

Finding Yun Niang last time had been a stroke of luck. This time, Su Yi’an couldn’t find the way. Despite following the same direction, the path was nowhere to be seen. If she hadn’t gone to town with Yun Niang, she might have doubted whether they had even met on the mountain that day.

“There are marks on this tree, like someone hacked at it with a machete,” Madam He said, tracing the deep gashes. “Let’s follow these marks.”

Villagers only came to the mountains for firewood and fruit. No one would bother carving such deliberate marks on trees. Su Yi’an agreed. They followed the trail along the massive trees until they finally spotted a small courtyard enclosed by a bamboo fence.

No wonder Yun Niang had been so surprised anyone could find her—this place was truly hidden.

The bamboo fence was just as they remembered, but this time several hunting dogs roamed the yard. After checking for people, Su Yi’an knocked on the gate.

Inside, Yun Niang was mending Zhuang Shan’s clothes. The hunter’s garments were constantly torn by thorny branches. Instead of discarding them, she patched every hole. The patches had grown so numerous they nearly formed a solid layer.

Woof! Woof! Woof!

Hearing the commotion outside, the three hunting dogs charged toward the door. Though the door separated them, Madam He still recoiled two steps in fright.

“Go check it out,” Yun Niang said, needle in hand, without looking up. “Three-Ear is barking so loudly—someone must be nearby.”

Zhuang Shan nodded, pushed open the door, and stepped outside. He whistled, and the hunting dogs eagerly surrounded him, falling silent.

Su Yi’an hadn’t expected Zhuang Shan to answer the door and hesitated, unsure how to greet him.

“It’s you,” he said calmly, stepping aside. “Yun Niang is inside. Go on in.”

He closed the gate behind them. Madam He clung tightly to Su Yi’an’s side, terrified the dogs might pounce. She’d heard these were no ordinary puppies—they had tasted blood and could kill livestock. Their ferocity was legendary.

“Yun Niang,” Su Yi’an called from the doorway.

Yun Niang set down her needlework and smiled. She paused, surprised to see Madam He behind Su Yi’an. “Aunt He,” she greeted. “Come in and rest. Have some water and fruit. I asked you to visit ages ago—what took you so long?”

Su Yi’an blushed. If she hadn’t needed a favor, she wouldn’t have come. It wasn’t that she disliked Yun Niang, but now that Yun Niang was married, frequent visits felt inappropriate.

“I can already smell the delicious food you mentioned,” Yun Niang said. She wasn’t one for small talk and immediately guessed Su Yi’an had something to share when she saw the bamboo basket.

“Try it and see what you think,” Su Yi’an said, pushing the basket forward. “Someone almost stole this last night.”

She had no intention of hiding the break-in. If kept secret, the thief might return. The villagers already disliked the He family—and now, someone had stolen from them. Utterly humiliating.

Yun Niang’s chopsticks froze mid-air. Frowning, she asked, “Were you hurt? Did you catch the thief? Why don’t you bring Er Zai down with you for a few days? He’s great at guarding the house.”

Madam He’s heart warmed. This girl was truly kind. No wonder Su Yi’an had agreed to come—they were kindred spirits.

Still, bringing the dog down was out of the question. She was far too afraid.

Su Yi’an shook her head. “It was too dark. By the time I came out, the thief was gone. That’s why I think we need a proper wall around the house.”

Yun Niang had wanted to say this for a while. The He men were too frail to get out of bed. If something bad happened, what could the women and children do?

Seeing Yun Niang eager to help, Su Yi’an smiled. “Later, Zhuang Shan and I will take you to the bamboo grove. It’s deep in the mountains—hard to find alone.”

Only then did Yun Niang finally try a piece of meat. One bite and her eyes lit up. Despite being simply chopped and cooked, the flavor was incredible.

“Did you add lard?” she asked, savoring it.

“No need,” Su Yi’an replied. “It’s just the little pig—mixed lean and fat meat.”

Yun Niang couldn’t stop after one slice. If she got used to this, she’d crave it constantly.

“There are two more uncooked sausages,” Su Yi’an said. “You can steam or boil them. I usually boil them, but steaming brings out more flavor.”

Yun Niang waved her hands. “One plate is plenty! Zhuang Shan and I can’t finish two more—they’ll go bad!”

“That’s the good thing about these,” Su Yi’an said. “They keep for a few days uncooked—but they’re best fresh.”

Yun Niang didn’t refuse again. Having accepted the gift, she was now determined to help the He family build their bamboo fence.

Zhuang Shan tidied the yard until Yun Niang emerged in work clothes. Then the four of them—plus the obedient Er Zai—set off into the mountains.

After about fifteen minutes, they reached a bamboo grove. The stalks were as thick as Su Yi’an’s forearm, each one easily split into three pieces. They selected suitable bamboo, chopped it down, and bundled it with rope.

Since there was more bamboo than they could carry, they left the cut stalks with Yun Niang. This way, Su Yi’an could return alone later.

Meanwhile, the He family didn’t need to gather firewood, but they hadn’t forgotten Su Yi’an’s instructions. He Xingchen and He Ningwen stood before the house, sticks in hand, listening to directions. One on the left, the other on the right.

He Yunhuai’s window was open. He and his elder brother leaned out, guiding them on how to mark the fence’s boundary. The area for the gate needed to be clearly defined.

The space in front of the He house had always been a wide stretch connected to the mountain path. Building a courtyard meant separating their property from the public trail. If they took too much land, villagers would complain. Too little, and it would feel cramped—especially if they ever replaced the bamboo fence with stone.

Several days passed. Fourth Sister-in-Law Yang remained curious. She kept hearing villagers say Second Young Master He had come back to life, but she refused to believe it. If he was truly alive, how had she never seen him?

Today, she found an excuse to climb the mountain, dragging another Fourth Sister-in-Law with her. From a distance, they saw the two He children playing on the ground with sticks.

“Second Uncle, is this okay?” He Xingchen asked, waving his stick toward He Yunhuai at the window.

“Second Uncle?” Fourth Sister-in-Law Yang pricked up her ears. That brat’s second uncle was the one who’d supposedly been dying…

She followed He Xingchen’s gaze and saw a man crouched by the window—He Yunhuai. Though pale, his handsome features remained striking—far surpassing her own Fourth Brother Yang.

She paid little attention to him, though. If Doctor Wang said he was alive, then he was. What really caught her attention was the large circle drawn on the ground.

Unable to resist, she pulled He Xingchen aside. “What are you doing, little rascal? Why draw such a big circle?”

He Ningwen quickly pulled her brother back, eyeing the woman warily. “We’re going to build a fence around the house,” she said coolly.

“Build a house?” Fourth Sister-in-Law Yang’s voice rose. “That costs a fortune! I thought your family was broke? Didn’t your bride come with no dowry? How can you afford to build a house?”

“Not a house,” He Ningwen clarified. “Just a small bamboo fence to keep thieves out.”

“Thieves?” Fourth Sister-in-Law Yang’s eyes lit up. This was big news—there were thieves in Eternal Sun Village!

He Ningwen saw her chance. “Auntie, you wouldn’t believe it. Someone came in the night to steal meat! Our family is already poor. We finally bought half a catty of meat—and someone tried to steal it!”

To her, intestines were still meat. And it had been stolen! Utterly infuriating.

“Really? That’s awful! We definitely need to be more careful,” said Fourth Sister-in-Law Yang. Hearing this, she no longer wanted to go up the mountain. She had news to share.

“Hey, why aren’t you going up the mountain anymore?” the other woman asked.

“What’s the point now? Let’s hurry back and tell everyone. If that thief stole from the He family today, he might target our homes tomorrow!”

The other woman nodded quickly and followed. This was serious. If they caught that thief, they’d beat him to death!