Chapter 19

Xu Wanchun had never deliberately asked about her adoptive mother’s past.

But in a small village, there are no secrets. Hear a bit here and a bit there, and that was enough to piece together the whole story.

According to the rumors, Li Shanhai was a good-looking, capable, and filial man. Even after becoming successful, he brought his parents to the city to enjoy a better life.

Even though abandoning his original wife wasn’t exactly right, most men still understood—and even envied—him.

After all, people aim higher. Who wouldn’t want a city wife? And besides, he compensated her financially.

Otherwise, how could an illiterate village woman like Xu Hehua have built such a fancy brick house?

Blinded by envy and jealousy, people conveniently forgot what Xu Hehua had endured—how she raised the entire family through war and famine, how she drove away one scoundrel after another.

They didn’t know that after losing her only son, how close she came to breaking down, or how she managed to survive it all.

People are laughable like that. They only see what they want to see…

These thoughts passed quickly through Xu Wanchun’s mind. She scanned the man’s slightly complex expression and scoffed inwardly, though her face stayed calm. “Mom, I’m a little hungry.”

The little girl’s innocent voice broke the momentary standoff.

Li Shanhai was the first to react. He looked at his ex-wife—who had grown even more beautiful—and asked in disbelief, “You… got remarried?” They had only been divorced for a few months!

Xu Hehua didn’t even bother replying. She lifted her daughter onto the donkey’s back, then mounted as well. With a pat on the donkey’s rear, they rode off without a word.

Ignored, Li Shanhai’s face darkened further, though he didn’t try to stop them. He simply stood there and watched them leave.

Only after they disappeared from view did he turn and continue walking up the mountain with a scowl.

This trip back to the countryside was for a funeral—his second uncle had passed away. As the nephew, he had to attend.

His father originally planned to come too, but caught a cold right before leaving and couldn’t make the journey. So Li Shanhai came alone.

As for why he came to Qingshan (Green Mountain), it was because his parents insisted he visit the grave of his deceased son, Tiedan.

To be honest, he had no strong feelings about the son he never met. He didn’t dislike him, but he wasn’t fond either. After all, he was his biological child.

So paying respects along the way wasn’t too much of a burden.

He just hadn’t expected to run into the ex-wife he had long forgotten.

Truthfully, when they married, he was just eighteen—young and lovestruck. Xu Hehua was beautiful, so he had been fond of her.

But that fondness faded as he saw more of the world.

When he met his current wife, a city nurse who showed interest in him and asked if he was single, he lied and said yes.

Why? Because she was a city girl.

Did beauty or affection matter? Could that feed you?

And it turned out he had made the right choice. Now, he was a city man with a city wife and two city children.

Thinking of that, Li Shanhai chuckled and the stir of emotion he’d felt upon seeing his ex-wife settled back into calm.

They likely wouldn’t see each other again. No need to care.

Xu Hehua might be pretty, but she was stuck in a mountain village with mud on her feet.

He, on the other hand, had already stepped into a better future.

He wasn’t wrong.

And he didn’t regret it!

—

On the other side—

“Mom, that was Li Shanhai just now, wasn’t it?” Xu Wanchun finally asked after they’d walked some distance.

Xu Hehua smiled. “Oh? You even know who Li Shanhai is?”

Seeing that her mother was calm, Xu Wanchun relaxed completely and spoke more casually, “I guessed. Didn’t the aunties say he was really handsome?”

“You think he’s not?”

“Well… not ugly, exactly…” How to put it? Li Shanhai had a square face with thick brows and big eyes, a straight nose, and a decently upright look. Dressed in a crisp Zhongshan suit with a pen in his chest pocket, he did look quite presentable for this era.

But… at best, he was just decent-looking.

Especially since he looked like a full-fledged middle-aged man—people might even believe he was a decade older than her current mom.

Handsome? That was handsome?

Xu Wanchun couldn’t help but compare: “In my opinion, at least someone like my master could be called handsome!”

Xu Hehua burst out laughing. “What do you know about handsome, little miss?”

Xu Wanchun rolled her eyes. “I may be young, but I’m not blind. I know what looks good! Like me and you—we’re both good-looking. And so is Master’s wife—she’s a real beauty.”

Originally feeling a bit upset after running into Li Shanhai, Xu Hehua was now laughing again thanks to her daughter’s flattery.

Seeing that, Xu Wanchun beamed. “Mom, I saw him carrying yellow paper earlier. Was he there to visit my brother’s grave too?”

Xu Hehua responded generously, “Probably. Tiedan never got to meet his father. It’s good for them to meet, even like this.”

“Our dear Ms. Xu Hehua really is the best mom.”

“Hey, you little rascal, always sweet-talking me.”

“Hehehe…”

—

Neither of them mentioned the encounter with Li Shanhai to anyone else.

That noon, the two families had a meal together—white flour dumplings—and then came the gift-giving:

“Wishing our Taohua health and growth, and cleverness too!”

“May Taohua excel in her studies and have a bright future!”

“Wishing my daughter Taohua a lifetime of happiness and peace.”

That birthday, Xu Wanchun received the most heartfelt blessings from her elders.

No cake, no candles, no fancy food—just a few plates of cabbage and pork dumplings. But it still brought tears to her eyes. She was usually calm and collected…

Seeing the little girl’s large apricot eyes welling with tears, Su Nan panicked first. She quickly pulled out a handkerchief to wipe her face while gently coaxing her, “No tears today, okay? It’s your big day—you need to stay pretty! Come, see what gift I got for you.”

Xu Wanchun blinked hard, forcing back her emotions, and smiled with curiosity. “What did Master’s wife prepare?”

Su Nan picked up a bag from the back of a chair.

Inside was a full winter outfit—cotton jacket, cotton pants, and even a pair of cotton-lined leather shoes. “…This must be expensive?”

Su Nan waved it off. “Master’s wife has money.”

“Thank you, Master’s wife.” After nearly half a year of getting to know each other, they understood each other well. Xu Wanchun didn’t insist and accepted it readily. But in her heart, she made a note to return the favor when her master and his wife had birthdays—every year.

“This is from me.” Cao Xiu handed over a wooden box.

“You prepared something separately?” Xu Wanchun was surprised. She’d been shocked by the ginseng at the apprenticeship ceremony, and since they were husband and wife, she’d assumed the gift was from both.

Cao Xiu raised his chin proudly. “Go ahead, open it.”

Xu Wanchun did, and then fell silent.

“Don’t you love it?” Cao Xiu grinned smugly at her stunned face.

She did love it, but… who gives pulse diagnosis records as a birthday gift?

Even though she knew these were a treasure trove for medical students, she was still speechless.

Still, she didn’t show her inner complaint and thanked him obediently, “Thank you, Master. I really like it.”

Su Nan, sitting to the side, couldn’t help but mock her husband: “Taohua, your master’s such an old-fashioned stick. Every birthday since Jingliang was little, he’s been giving stuff like this.”

Cao Xiu was indignant at her ridicule. Those records were copied by hand from his ancestors’ scrolls—extremely valuable!

So Master Jingliang was a fellow victim. Xu Wanchun felt better instantly, then turned expectantly to her mother.

Xu Hehua left the room for a while and returned with an orange tabby kitten in her arms.

The kitten was fierce—barely palm-sized but still managed to puff up and hiss.

Afraid it would scratch her daughter, Xu Hehua warned, “Just look, don’t touch it. It’s feisty.”

Xu Wanchun hadn’t expected this. Back in the modern day, she could only admire pets online due to her busy schedule. But now, in the 1950s, she actually owned both a cat and a dog?! And it was a big orange tabby! She was stunned and thrilled. “Where’d you get it?”

Xu Hehua quickly locked the squirming furball away before explaining, “Got it from Aunt Lancao’s family.” Then she added, “Keep it locked up a few days until it settles down. Don’t tease it, okay?”

Xu Wanchun nodded eagerly. “Don’t worry!”

—

The day after her birthday—

It was Xu Hehua’s first day teaching literacy.

Class was set for 3 p.m., but at 2:30, the mother and daughter set off.

Xu Wanchun was only coming along to cheer her mother on.

She could tell that after she offered to sit in on the first few classes, her mom wasn’t nearly as nervous anymore.

“Looks like someone’s already here.” The class was held in a house in the center of the village. Its owners had moved away last year, and since no one bought it, the place had been entrusted to the neighbors.Xu Wanchun glanced at the gathering crowd nearby, reached out to hold her mother’s hand, and reassured her, “I’m here with you. Just explain it the way we practiced last night—don’t be afraid.”

It wasn’t exactly fear, just a deep sense of discomfort. Everything felt unnatural. But since she had already agreed, she had to go through with it. Xu Hehua took a deep breath and gritted her teeth. “Don’t worry, I’ll hold on.”

Anyone who didn’t know better would think she was about to go fight someone. Xu Wanchun nearly laughed.

Just then, the people in front of the house spotted them and came over.

Among them was Xu Hehua’s closest friend, Xu Lancao. She clutched her best friend’s arm proudly and with excitement, “Oh my gosh, Hehua, you’re amazing! You’re even a teacher now!”

A nearby woman chimed in with admiration, “Uncle Jingjun said Hehua would be teaching literacy classes. I was shocked!”

“Exactly, who would’ve thought Hehua’s actually educated?”

“And that outfit Hehua’s wearing today looks so polished, her skin’s looking fair too—really, she looks as proper as that lady teacher from the primary school.”

“Where did you get that fabric? I haven’t seen it before. I want to make one too.”

“Her pants look nice too…”

“Why isn’t Taohua (Wanchun) in class today?”

“Oh wow, how come Taohua looks prettier every single day?”

Seeing how the topic kept veering off-course, Xu Hehua quickly pulled her daughter aside, struggling to get through the crowd, and finally let out a sigh of relief. “Let’s just head to the classroom already. Isn’t class about to start?”

A woman sewing shoe soles nearby said indifferently, “I’m just doing this to give Uncle Jingjun some face. I’m already over forty—what do I need to study for?”

That comment drew a lot of agreement. Many women said they just showed up to save face, not because they really cared about the class.

Xu Wanchun had already anticipated this scene and discussed it with her foster mother beforehand. So she wasn’t at all surprised by the indifference from the women holding handicrafts.

She was only worried her mother might be disappointed—she’d worked so hard to prepare for the lesson.

Thinking this, Xu Wanchun looked up at her mother. Surprisingly, she didn’t see any hint of disappointment on her face.

Xu Hehua truly wasn’t upset. After all, her daughter had already broken down the situation for her.

In her mind, even if only one person came today, she would still give her best.

It wasn’t about others—this was something Xu Hehua herself wanted to do well.

With thoughts racing through her mind, she stepped into the makeshift classroom.

It was even more rundown than the elementary school.

Aside from a blackboard, there was nothing in the room.

Just a few small stools, which the women had brought themselves.

With time to spare, Xu Hehua didn’t start teaching immediately and instead sat down to chat about village gossip:

“…The youngest from Hu Ermazi’s family, that kid called Gou Dan, ran off following a vendor yesterday.”

“What? I didn’t hear about that! Was he really lost?”

“Not quite. That vendor was selling flatbread. Gou Dan’s mouth was watering, and he followed the guy for several miles.”

“Hahaha! That kid’s like seven or eight, right? How did he get back?”

“How else? The vendor happened to go to the village where Gou Dan’s maternal grandpa lives. The grandpa recognized him. Lucky the vendor wasn’t a bad guy…”

“Oh gosh… Speaking of kidnappers, back when things were chaotic, if a kid got taken, who knows what would’ve happened.”

Everyone fell into uneasy silence, then started gritting their teeth, deciding to give their own little monkeys a good beating so they wouldn’t keep running off.

It was rare for all the village women to gather like this. One topic led to another:

“…Xu Jinghai’s chickens have been stolen twice this month already. Who knows which shameless person did it.”

“Might not be a person. Could be an old yellow weasel.”

“How do you know it’s a weasel?”

“Didn’t Xu Jinghai keep watch all night and still lose his chickens?”

“Yikes, stop it already. That’s creepy!”

Xu Wanchun had been listening intently. She leaned over and whispered to her mother, “What if the thief comes to our place?” A weasel was one thing, but if it was a human thief, it could be dangerous—just the two of them living there.

Xu Hehua didn’t catch her daughter’s concern and casually said, “Don’t worry, we’ve got Danggui.”

Xu Wanchun was speechless… What could a little puppy possibly do?

“What’s everyone standing around for? Why hasn’t it started yet?” Xu Jingjun, who had come specifically to keep order, frowned when he saw everyone still chatting in the room.

As the respected village elder, Xu Jingjun’s words carried weight. The moment he spoke, everyone quieted down, those without stools stood obediently.

Xu Hehua instinctively stood up. Receiving a look of encouragement from her daughter, she took a deep breath, straightened her back, and walked to the blackboard. She picked up a piece of chalk and wrote the numbers 1 to 10, then turned to the group with a slightly stiff smile: “For our first class, let’s start with something simple…”

People are always like this. Before crossing a threshold, they’re anxious, nervous, restless—under intense pressure and wanting to quit.

But once they get through it, and look back, it all feels… not so bad.

That’s exactly how Xu Hehua felt now. The moment she picked up the chalk and started writing, her heart suddenly settled.

Normally, a class would last an hour. But when you’re focused, it feels like it’s over in a blink.

Xu Jingjun stood by the door and watched the whole class.

When the women finally began leaving in twos and threes, he praised, “Hehua, that was a great class. Your handwriting looks neat, too. If I didn’t know better, I’d have thought you were a real teacher!”

His words were a bit exaggerated, but completely sincere. He had originally come to help control the crowd, worried they wouldn’t listen—but it turned out he wasn’t needed at all.

Having successfully finished the class, Xu Hehua was still riding a high. She didn’t even bother being modest. “I’ll keep working hard.”

“Good, good,” said Xu Jingjun. He loved hardworking young folks.

—

On the way home…

Xu Hehua was beaming. “Taohua, you’re going back to school tomorrow. I can manage on my own.”

But Xu Wanchun was preoccupied. She just gave a distracted “mm.”

“What are you thinking about?” Noticing her daughter spacing out, Xu Hehua ruffled her hair.

“That chicken-thief situation.” Maybe it was all the crime-awareness videos she’d seen in the modern world—or her years living alone—but Xu Wanchun was naturally very cautious. She always believed girls should stay alert.

Xu Hehua was still wrapped up in the excitement of teaching. It took her a second to catch up. “You mean Uncle Jinghai’s chickens?”

Xu Wanchun nodded. “If it’s just a weasel, that’s fine. But if it’s a person, we’re living off to the side, just two women. It’s dangerous.”

“Hahaha, silly girl. You think I live near Doctor Cao’s place just because it’s quiet?” Her daughter’s scrunched-up worried face made Xu Hehua laugh.

“Wasn’t that the reason?”

“Mostly. But also—your mom’s got some strength. Most men can’t handle me.”

“Really?” Xu Wanchun knew her mother was strong, but out here, many women could carry 100-pound sacks, so she hadn’t thought much of it.

Being a widow wasn’t easy—especially a pretty young widow.

Back in the day, Xu Hehua had beaten off more than a few scoundrels trying to take advantage or sneak in over the wall at night.

She’d even learned a few moves from someone skilled in self-defense.

Because she hit hard and was known for being fierce, she gained a reputation in nearby villages and finally got some peace after two years.

Of course, she didn’t want to dirty her daughter’s ears with those details. She just said simply, “Things were messy back then. I learned a few tricks. A small-time thief doesn’t scare me.”

Her mom sounded confident, but Xu Wanchun was still uneasy.

When they got home, she told her master and mistress about the chicken thief rumors. That night, before bed, she brought Danggui the dog inside from the yard.

Xu Hehua looked helpless. “How’s the dog supposed to guard the house if it’s inside?”

Xu Wanchun: “Dogs have great hearing—they’ll still hear something. If it’s outside and a thief comes, one stomp and it’s dead. Poor Danggui, right?”

Seeing her daughter cuddling the dog at the end, Xu Hehua gave both the girl and the pup a light smack, growling, “Fine, do what you want—but you’re not allowed to sleep with it in the bed, or I’ll give you a good whack!”

Wanchun rubbed her sore back and complained to the dog, “Danggui, Mama’s so mean!”

“Woof woof woof…”

—

October arrived.

The weather got colder by the day.

Mornings were the worst.

The next morning, Xu Wanchun shivered through her wash-up and only came back to life after holding a hot bowl of porridge.

“In a few days I’ll start heating the brick bed,” Xu Hehua said. Having grown up here, she was used to the cold. She hadn’t expected her daughter to be so sensitive to the chill. Looks like she’d have to go into the mountains and chop more firewood.

Xu Wanchun shook her head. “It’s not that bad yet. If it gets worse, I’ll let you know.”

Xu Hehua fished a piping hot boiled egg out of the pot and handed it to her. “Then stick this in your coat to warm up.”

This time, Wanchun didn’t refuse. After tucking the egg into her coat, she started worrying about the animals. “Mom, let’s let Danggui and Fuling (the cat) stay inside for winter. It’s too cold outside.”

Upon hearing that, Xu Hehua gave her a knowing look. “Weren’t you saying yesterday you were worried a thief would step on Danggui? I think you just want to raise them indoors.”

I’m not! I didn’t!

Xu Wanchun felt so wronged. She had genuinely been worried about thieves yesterday.

But since her mom didn’t believe her, she quickly changed the subject: “Are you going out today?”Xu Hehua said, “…The sorghum is almost ripe. I’ll go check the field in the morning and then head into the mountains. I’ll only be back by afternoon for the literacy class. You should go to your master’s house for lunch; I’ve already told Sister Nan.”

This was Xu Wanchun’s first winter up north, but she understood the importance of stockpiling. Honestly, they’d already started drying wild vegetables and mushrooms since summer. “You’re going alone? Spending the whole day in the mountains?”

“Not just me,” Xu Hehua replied. “Your Aunt Lancao and the others are going too. The chestnuts are ripe now. Once it snows, it’ll be hard to pick them.”

Xu Wanchun handed a piece of cornbread to the cat and dog at her feet and offered, “I’ll go with you. We can pick more that way.” She couldn’t just sit around and wait to be fed.

Xu Hehua waved her off. “No need. Go to school! There are over ten adults going. What use is a short-legged little runt like you?”

Calling her short again! Xu Wanchun angrily took a big bite of the cornbread. “I’ll grow taller!”

“Still won’t be taller than me,” Hehua said without even looking up.

Xu Wanchun: …ARGH!!!

She was about to snap for real!

Just then, the sound of a car engine came from outside.

“What’s going on?” Xu Hehua got up and quickly walked out.

Wanchun followed with her bowl of porridge in hand.

It was someone at her master’s place.

A soldier had arrived in a military jeep.

Just as she wondered why a soldier would show up, she heard her master shout, “Taohua! We’ve got an emergency! Come with me!”

Startled, Wanchun had no time to think. She handed her bowl to her adoptive mother and sprinted after her master.