Cheng Wanwan reached up and touched her head, only to be pricked by a spiky round ball.

It felt familiar. She pried it open with her fingers and was instantly surprised—it was a chestnut.

Looking up, she saw a chestnut tree hidden among the towering, ancient trees.

At this time of year, the chestnuts were wrapped in green husks, making them nearly invisible from a distance.

She had been worrying about what to eat for dinner, and now, food had practically delivered itself to her doorstep.

Cheng Wanwan hugged the tree trunk and gave it a shake.

A shower of chestnuts rained down.

The commotion caught the attention of Auntie Wang and Auntie Fugui, who were foraging nearby. Auntie Wang had sharp eyes and immediately recognized what had fallen.

She bent down and picked up three bird eggs. “Alright, let’s split them evenly—no fighting,” she said.

With that, she lifted her basket and tugged her son, Wang Niuqiu, along as she headed toward Cheng Wanwan.

Auntie Fugui quickly wrapped up her own bird eggs and followed.

There wasn’t just one chestnut tree here—there were at least three or four growing together. Each of the three women took a tree and began shaking them.

The only sound in the forest was the rustling of leaves as they worked in rare silence.

They all understood: if they were too slow, others would soon arrive to claim their share of the already limited chestnuts.

Cheng Wanwan managed to fill an entire basket.

Auntie Wang and Auntie Fugui’s baskets were also brimming.

Only then did their movements begin to slow.

By then, others had arrived and quickly joined in gathering chestnuts.

Cheng Wanwan had collected over twenty pounds—more than enough for many days.

She wasn’t greedy, so she shouldered her heavy bamboo basket and went to reunite with her four sons.

As she walked, she kept scanning the forest.

If she could find a large patch of wild chestnut trees, then even if there was no harvest this year, the people of Dahe Village wouldn’t have to starve.

But to her disappointment, there were only those four chestnut trees in this area.

“Mother, look at the wild fruits I found!”

Zhao Sidaan proudly held out a handful of small, red and green fruits.

Zhao Dashan and Zhao Ergou had also gathered plenty, filling their baskets with wild vegetables and mushrooms.

The group headed to find Zhao Sanniu.

He was chopping firewood halfway up the mountain, with a tall stack of neatly bundled dry branches at his feet.

The five of them returned home with a bountiful harvest.

It was still early—not yet time to prepare dinner.

Cheng Wanwan told her sons to start peeling the chestnuts.

She planned to make sugar-roasted chestnuts for them as a snack.

These chestnuts weren’t fully ripe yet and still had a slightly astringent taste, but they were edible.

After peeling, she washed them clean, cut small cross-shaped slits on each, and steamed them in a large pot.

She then poured all the lard she had rendered in the morning into the pan and heated it up, adding a generous handful of rock sugar to make syrup.

Watching from the side, Wu Huiniang winced at the extravagance.

That was half a jar of lard—enough to last two to three months—gone in one go.

Oh well. They had gone months without even a hint of oil in their food before, and they had survived.

When the syrup turned a rich brown color, Cheng Wanwan dumped in the chestnuts and stirred them constantly, lowering the flame.

The chestnuts gradually changed color.

A gust of wind carried the sweet, nutty aroma through the courtyard.

Zhao Dashan, who had been working outside, took a deep breath. “Whoa! What’s cooking in the kitchen? It smells amazing!”

Zhao Sidaan dropped what he was doing and ran straight into the kitchen, swallowing hard. “Mother, the chestnuts smell so good!”

Cheng Wanwan handed the spatula to Wu Huiniang, and the two women took turns stirring.

The chestnuts in the pot glistened with caramelized sugar, their golden interiors peeking out from the slits, coated in a glossy layer of oil and syrup—utterly mouthwatering.

“Here, Sidaan, try one!”

Cheng Wanwan picked up a hot chestnut from the pot and tossed it over.

Zhao Sidaan yelped as he juggled the scorching nut in his hands, but he couldn’t resist peeling it open and popping it into his mouth.

It burned, but the flavor was divine—fragrant, sweet, and soft.

Who knew chestnuts could taste this good?

A big bowl of sugar-roasted chestnuts was set on the table to cool.

Just then, Zhao Erwang called from the courtyard entrance, “Auntie, Grandma sent me to bring you some chestnuts.”

Cheng Wanwan stepped outside and saw him holding a large bowl filled with boiled chestnuts, their warm aroma still wafting in the air.

She accepted the bowl. “Thank you. Tell your grandma I appreciate it.”

Zhao Erwang didn’t linger.

He remembered the time he had come to play with Zhao Ergou and had been scolded harshly by Cheng Wanwan.

She was the person he feared most. As soon as he finished his errand, he bolted.

“This kid…”

Cheng Wanwan shook her head.

She had wanted to send some sugar-roasted chestnuts back with him.

She returned to the house and handed each child a handful of chestnuts. “Eat these and then go play. Be back in an hour for dinner.”

Zhao Sidaan, mouth stuffed full, mumbled, “There’s still dinner today?”

Just eating these chestnuts was enough to fill his stomach—who still had room for dinner?

Cheng Wanwan put the remaining chestnuts away. “These are just snacks. Don’t eat too many, or you’ll get a stomachache.”

Zhao Sidaan nodded eagerly, his pockets already bulging with chestnuts.

Since his mother had given him permission, he dashed outside to play.

Under the big locust tree in the village center, a crowd of children had gathered around Wang Niuqiu. From afar, their envious gulping was audible.

“Niuqiu, can you give us one to taste?”

“Niuqiu, can I at least lick one?”

Wang Niuqiu stood proudly in the middle, his pockets brimming with chestnuts.

He ate one after another, savoring each bite.

The children who didn’t have chestnuts at home drooled as they stared longingly at his pockets.

Today, many families had chestnuts.

The village head’s wife had also gathered quite a few.

Zhao Tiezhu, the village head’s eldest grandson, walked by with a bowl, eating as he went.

The children surrounding Wang Niuqiu immediately turned their attention to Tiezhu.

Tiezhu, rather generous, said, “I don’t have much left, but you can each have half of one.”

There were six kids.

He tossed out three chestnuts, and they each shared one, looking utterly content.

“Tiezhu, your grandma’s chestnuts are delicious!” one of them said.

Tiezhu lifted his chin proudly. “My mom made them. My mom cooks the best!”

Wang Niuqiu disagreed. “No way! My mom’s chestnuts are the best!”

“Move aside!” Zhao Sidaan squeezed in. “My mom’s are the best!”

One of the sharper kids, Houzi, smirked and said, “Well, we only tasted Tiezhu’s. So of course his mom’s are the best!”

The other five kids nodded in agreement.

Wang Niuqiu immediately thrust out his chestnuts. “Then hurry and taste my mom’s!”

Zhao Sidaan was just as quick. “Mine too! Try them!”

A handful of chestnuts were offered.

The six kids’ eyes sparkled as they gobbled them up, savoring each bite.

After chewing thoughtfully, all six pairs of eyes turned to Zhao Sidaan.

Houzi swallowed and asked, “Sidaan, isn’t your mom just known for beating people up? How can she cook so well?”

“My mom doesn’t hit people!” Zhao Sidaan puffed out his chest proudly. “My mom is the best mom in the world!”