That day, Madam Wang went up the mountain early once again. Meanwhile, Li Xiaohan was planning what to cook. Today, they only had pork cracklings stir-fried with shepherd’s purse. But if there was enough, it should still satisfy the people helping with the house construction.

Still, good food could comfort the heart—so why settle for less or slack off when it came to meals?

It just so happened that it rained yesterday, and now that the weather had cleared up, the wood ear mushrooms in the fields should have grown well. So she decided to pick some. 

Soft and tender, they would make a great dish.

With that thought in mind, Li Xiaohan picked up her bamboo basket and called out to her father, who was busy at the construction site, “Father, I’m going to the field to pick some wild vegetables.”

“Alright,” Li Xiandong responded without even looking up. He was completely at ease with his daughter now.

But just as Li Xiaohan walked out of the construction site, she saw Madam Wang rushing back, clearly in a hurry.

Li Xiaohan frowned, worried something had happened. She quickly stepped forward. “Mother, what’s wrong? Why are you running back like this?”

“Xiaohan! Xiaohan!” Madam Wang was out of breath. She glanced around and then lowered her voice, saying, “The Sanqi… I think the Sanqi has sprouted!”

“Really? Mother, take me to see it right now!” Li Xiaohan grabbed her basket and linked arms with her mother as they hurried ahead.

Soon, the two arrived at Li Xiandong’s plot.

Yesterday’s rain had left the dead grass beneath the trees damp. Perhaps it was because of that rain that tiny, trembling sprouts had started to poke out from under the grass—tender and slender, a sight that brought joy just by looking at them.

Li Xiaohan carefully parted the dead grass and looked closely underneath. “Mother, this looks great. These really are Sanqi sprouts.”

“Right? Right?” Madam Wang’s smile widened little by little. “There’s more over here, and also under that tree over there.”

Li Xiaohan examined the area closely. “Mm, they all look really healthy. Mother, take good care of them and water them more during this time. Three years from now, once they’ve matured, we’ll be rich.”

“Alright!” Madam Wang nodded enthusiastically. Just thinking about how much the Sanqi had sold for in the past, she already saw these sprouts as treasures.

Thanks to the good news, Li Xiaohan was in a much better mood. While cooking the wood ear mushrooms, she even added two eggs. The dish came out fragrant and tender.

That evening, after dinner, Li Xiandong noticed Li Xiaohan smiling as she cleaned up the dishes and curiously asked Madam Wang, “What’s going on today? Why are you and Xiaohan both so happy?”

Madam Wang was holding a bundle of firewood. She turned to look around carefully and only after confirming no one else was nearby did she lower her voice and say with a grin, “There were too many people around earlier, so I didn’t tell you—but the Sanqi has started sprouting.”

“Really?” Li Xiandong’s already-large eyes widened even more, like copper bells, and his dark face seemed to glow.

“It’s true,” Madam Wang grinned and nodded. “I took Xiaohan to see it this morning.”

With her confirmation, Li Xiandong was overjoyed. He rubbed his hands together repeatedly and even spun around a few times on the spot. “I’ve got to see it for myself. I won’t feel at ease until I do.”

“But you’re working on the house right now. You can’t leave. What if someone asks where you went?”

That question stumped Li Xiandong for a moment. He couldn’t think of a good solution, but after a while, he gritted his teeth and said, “Next time it rains and construction has to pause, I’ll go then.”

“Alright.”

Li Xiaohan understood her father’s anxiousness. All she could do was quietly hope for rain. Fortunately, the heavens didn’t disappoint those who worked hard—another heavy rain came just a few days later, and Li Xiandong finally got to see the Sanqi sprouts he had been longing for.

The days flew by. One after another, more Sanqi continued to sprout. They grew taller and taller, gradually producing one, then two, then three small leaves.

Meanwhile, everyone in the village watched as the Li family’s new home took shape—first the land was cleared, then the foundation dug, then the walls went up, and finally, the bricks and tiles were laid…

Before anyone realized it, more than half a month had passed, and the house was complete.

Li Xiaohan looked at their new home—gray tiles, blue bricks, with a courtyard in the center. The main hall faced the front gate, surrounded by four side rooms and four corner rooms. It was spacious and bright.

Of course, compared to the high-rise buildings and villas of her previous life, this was nothing. There were no appliances, no renovations—it was more like a half-finished house. But Li Xiaohan couldn’t help but love it more the longer she looked. It gave her a deep sense of peace.

“Father, Mother, look at our new house. No one can split us apart ever again.”

Sure enough, both Li Xiandong and Madam Wang had faces full of joy and hope.

This house wasn’t just a house. It marked the beginning of a new life.

Even though building it had cost most of their money, and they would still need more in the future to buy furniture and other essentials, the constant unease was gone. They wouldn’t have to face that hopeless fear ever again.

Li Xiandong believed that with his own hands, he could create a good life.

With rare confidence, he declared, “I’ll make sure we all live a good life.”

“Mm! Father, you will,” Li Xiaohan said with a nod.

She didn’t want to sleep on a straw-covered kang bed anymore. She didn’t want to keep using the same bedding that had been around for over ten years. She didn’t want to sleep in an empty, bare room. She wanted to live in a comfortable new house. She wanted a new cotton quilt, new clothes, a clothes chest, a desk, stools… Now that the unfinished house was built, it was time to start preparing for the interior work.

“Father, remember last time I said I liked the scent of that wild mulberry tree and asked you to find some to make the bed board? You haven’t forgotten, right?”

“I remember. You told me to look for that tree in the wild and to find the biggest one possible. Your mother has already found one, though it’s a bit far. In the next day or two, I’ll ask Brother Guiqian and Deyou, as well as Jiajin, Jiayin, and a few of Xinhe’s nephews, to help cut the tree down and bring it home. The smaller branches we cut off can be used as firewood for the housewarming.”

Most people at the time preferred fir or pine wood, so his daughter’s liking for the scent of this wild mulberry tree was quite unique.

Maybe she was like her grandmother.

But wood is wood—if it smells nice, that’s even better.

A bit more effort wasn’t a big deal.

But before that, there was something else to take care of, Li Xiandong thought to himself.

Now that the house was ready, it was time to prepare for the housewarming banquet.

They first went to the old man who sold fish and asked for a large batch. Since he rarely received such big purchases, he happily agreed.

After settling the fish, Li Xiaohan took Madam Wang to the butcher to reserve thirteen jin of pork belly, ten jin of pork fat, and ten jin of big bones.

The butcher only slaughtered one pig a day, so naturally, he didn’t have that much pork belly, fat, or bones on hand. But he had connections in the business and would make sure to gather everything they needed.

Still, the butcher couldn’t help but ask with some hope, “You want everything chopped, as usual?”

“Yes, chopped,” Li Xiaohan replied without hesitation.

The butcher gave a sullen nod. “Alright.”

Ten jin of big bones… his butcher’s knife was going to take a beating again.

Making money sure wasn’t easy!

Li Xiaohan had also gradually come to realize that the steel-smelting techniques of this era weren’t very advanced—knives just weren’t hard enough.

“Why don’t you have a special bone-chopping knife made?”

Li Xiaohan remembered how butcher stalls in the markets back then had different knives—slicing knives, deboning knives, bone-chopping knives.

Maybe certain jobs really needed the right tools?

The butcher looked troubled. How would he even go about making one? And wouldn’t it be expensive?

Seeing his hesitation, Li Xiaohan offered another idea. “If not, why not just use an axe?”

She had seen short videos in her previous life—burly men in snowfields using axes to chop frozen bones. The sheer force and masculine energy practically burst through the screen.

Sure enough, the butcher’s eyes lit up. An axe had strength behind it, and he already had one at home—no need to spend extra.

“Alright! I’ll make sure to take care of it properly for you.”

With the fish and meat settled, Li Xiaohan could finally breathe a little easier. There was still tofu, dried goods, salt, sugar, sauces, vinegar… everything had to be prepared one by one.

While Li Xiaohan and Madam Wang handled the food preparations, Li Xiandong went around notifying their clan members.

A housewarming banquet was a big deal. It was important to notify people in person to show respect, especially those who were well-regarded in the clan. Li Xiandong would be busy with this for the next few days. He couldn’t afford to miss anyone—otherwise, it would be taken as an offense.

He also needed to go to the clan storage to borrow tables, stools, plates, and bowls. They had to coordinate with close clan members to help move all these bulky items out.

…

The whole family bustled about in high spirits, all in preparation for the big day.