Wei De quickly followed.

Wei Cheng breathed a sigh of relief. Fang Pozi favored the scholarly Wei Zhi and her beloved Wei Linlang the most, then the sweet-talking Wei De and her youngest son, Wei Sannian. The lazy and greedy Wei Tian was far down the list.

But Wei Tian at least had parents and an older brother; Wei Cheng was in a far worse position.

He took Guan Guan from the firewood pile. The child was quiet and obedient.

It was fortunate it was winter, with plenty of firewood in every house. In summer, hiding Guan Guan would have been impossible.

A long, soft gurgle came from the woodshed. Wei Cheng glanced at Guan Guan, whose face flushed as he rubbed his belly. “It’s… not… Guan Guan.”

Wei Cheng coughed, smiling. “You’re hungry. Brother will roast some ground beans for you.”

He’d been so sick because of collecting ground beans on that snowy day. If he’d waited even a day, he wouldn’t have gotten so ill.

Wei Linlang suddenly craved ground bean dumplings. Fang Pozi, always looking for an advantage, had several baskets of ground beans in their cellar and ruthlessly ordered him to dig more from the field of a wealthy villager. The wealthy family had a lot of land and crops, and their hired workers were a mixed bunch, always leaving some things behind. In winter, poor villagers would sneak onto their land to forage, and they turned a blind eye.

Many children were digging, but Wei Cheng had no decent winter clothes, his shoes were torn at the heels, and he fell ill after being exposed to the wind all day. Fortunately, he’d secretly stashed away ground beans and sweet potatoes, enough to barely survive. The Wei family didn’t feed him during the winter, as there was little work to be done.

He boiled his medicine in an old medicine pot—his father’s, left behind because the Wei family considered it unlucky. He then strung some ground beans on a stick to roast over the fire.

He didn’t worry about the smell of medicine and roasted food giving him away. The woodshed was far from the other rooms, rarely visited unless they needed firewood or tools in the summer.

Guan Guan huddled by the fire, his round eyes fixed on Wei Cheng, swallowing hard, looking at him with confusion. “Smells good, Brother. Chicken leg?”

Wei Cheng was taken aback, suppressing a cough and smiling. “It’s not a chicken leg, it’s ground beans. They’re delicious.”

Thinking of chicken legs, Wei Cheng swallowed. “Of course chicken legs are the best. Fragrant… I’ve almost forgotten the taste. When I was little, I often went into the mountains with my father. When he caught wild chickens, he’d roast them for me. A small fire, roasting the chicken leg until crispy and tender, the golden-brown skin glistening with oil, sprinkled with a few grains of salt…”

Guan Guan licked his lips, his small hand covering Wei Cheng’s mouth. “Don’t talk, Brother.”

Wei Cheng laughed. “Alright, I won’t. When we go to the mountain again, I’ll catch a rabbit for Guan Guan!”

Both children devoured the roasted ground beans. Guan Guan ate the most enthusiastically, even the burnt parts, his face smudged with black. He’d never tasted anything so good.

“Brother.”

Guan Guan licked his lips, still wanting more. “Guan Guan doesn’t want chicken legs or rabbits. Guan Guan wants… beans every day…”

Wei Cheng smiled, finding Guan Guan endearing, far more so than the precious Wei De. He wiped the child’s face.

“Alright, Brother will roast them for you.”

The two children sat by the fire. Wei Cheng thought of Wei De and wondered if, once Guan Guan found a new home, the new family would have children who might be as mean as Wei De and Wei Tian, mistreating Guan Guan.

But what could Wei Cheng do?

He was also a dependent. In spring and autumn, he foraged in the mountains, saving a few coins to buy winter food, which was almost gone.

Wei Cheng felt uneasy, sighing. “Guan Guan, listen to Brother.”

“If… if you have relatives who treat you badly, who hit you or scold you, come find Brother.”

Seeing Guan Guan’s confused, watery eyes, Wei Cheng patiently explained, “Look, Brother roasted ground beans for Guan Guan, bought Guan Guan new shoes. Brother didn’t hit Guan Guan, Brother didn’t bully Guan Guan.”

Guan Guan understood, nodding like a chick pecking at rice.

“If someone hits you, scolds you, doesn’t give you food… even if they give you food, it’s bad. Don’t be afraid, come find Brother. Understand?”

“Understood.”

Guan Guan said in a milky voice, “Brother is good. People who hit Guan Guan and Brother are bad.”

Wei Cheng scratched his head, feeling ashamed. “Yeah… that’s right.”

Was he good? He couldn’t even help Guan Guan…

After they finished eating, Guan Guan got sleepy, his long eyelashes fluttering lazily, his dirty little hand clutching his clay pot. Wei Cheng put the child on the bedboard to sleep. He wanted to move the pot, but the child held it so tightly, no one could touch it.

Wei Cheng let him be, squatting to slowly boil his medicine, planning to feed Guan Guan a bowl when he woke up.

Two peaceful days passed. Wei Cheng finished his medicine and planned to visit the village head the next day.

That night, the dilapidated door was violently kicked open.

Wei Cheng woke easily, hearing footsteps outside. He used the old quilt to cover Guan Guan, who also woke up.

He whispered, “Don’t make a sound.”

Guan Guan, sleepy-eyed, nodded fearfully.

In the darkness, the newcomers entered, but they weren’t after Wei Cheng. They seemed to be looking for tools like hoes and hammers.

Wei Cheng listened as they talked about “catching golden frogs,” “that dog Ma Lao San,” and “hurrying,” forming a plan. He quietly put on his shoes and coughed, “Second Uncle, Third Uncle.”

Wei Sannian held up an oil lamp, taking a breath. “Damn, that scared me.”

Remembering something, he pretended, “Cheng, you’re awake?”

Such a commotion, and he wouldn’t have woken up unless he was dead asleep.

“Couldn’t sleep because of my cough.”

Wei Cheng: “Third Uncle, where are you going? Do you need my help?”

Wei Sannian looked at him, nudging the silent Wei Ernian. “We’re short a person to watch the traps. Bring Cheng along, he’ll be extra help.”

Wei Ernian grunted in agreement.

Wei Sannian waved. “Put on your coat, come along.”

Seeing Wei Ernian and Wei Sannian leave, Wei Cheng pulled a wooden box from under the bed, finding two ragged autumn jackets. He put them on, then his short, worn winter coat, gently lifting the quilt. “Guan Guan, sleep. Brother will go catch golden frogs to buy food.”

A small dirty hand emerged from the quilt, grabbing Wei Cheng’s sleeve. A pitiful voice, “Brother.”

The village head hadn’t returned, and Wei Cheng’s stashed potatoes and beans were almost gone. He and Guan Guan would go to bed hungry tonight.

Guan Guan looked pitiful, his lips pursed. “Cold, Brother, don’t go.”

“Don’t cry, don’t make a sound.”

Wei Cheng said in a mature tone, “Sleep. You won’t be hungry when you’re asleep. Brother will be back when you wake up.”

As soon as Wei Cheng stepped outside, a gust of wind and snow hit him. The snow had started again.

His teeth chattered from the cold. He hugged his sleeves, following Wei Ernian and Wei Sannian into the deep forest of Maoxi Mountain.

After a while, they ran into several groups of villagers, carrying torches, heading up the mountain.

Wei Sannian met a friend, they talked for a bit. Wei Sannian wiped his nose on his sleeve, grumbling, “Damn it, Ma Lao San must have leaked the news.”

Wei Cheng heard clearly. There were rumors that someone had sold many “golden frogs” in town, making a fortune.

These “golden frogs” were a rare and expensive type of frog found in dense forests, especially the females, hence the name. They could be caught three times a year: spring, autumn, and the most valuable winter frogs. But the deep mountains were dangerous, with wolves, leopards, and bears, so few dared to go.

Wei Da Nian had risked his life hunting wild boars, entering the deep mountains with several others, only to be carried back, his body badly mauled by a bear. The story was known throughout the surrounding towns.

Wealth comes with risk. People had tried to enter the mountains, but this was the first time someone had caught winter frogs. Apparently, male frogs fetched eighty cash each, females two hundred! Five females meant a tael of silver! Poor farmers rarely saw a few taels of silver a year, so who wouldn’t be envious?

The “Ma Lao San” Wei Sannian mentioned was a lazy villager. He’d told Wei Sannian the news, which somehow spread throughout the village.

Wei Sannian’s friend was Gou Sanshi. He glanced at the taciturn Wei Ernian, then at Wei Cheng, not seeing his face clearly in the dark, mistaking him for Wei Sannian’s son. “Why bring the child? If you meet a bear, you won’t be able to run.”

Wei Sannian glanced back, smirking. “My dead brother’s kid.”

He muttered, “If we really meet a bear, a tender child is tastier than an adult.”

Gou Sanshi laughed, patting Wei Sannian’s face. “You, you, Wei family’s bad intentions are all on you.”

Wei Cheng, diligently memorizing the mountain path, was unaware of their conversation. He didn’t trust Wei Sannian and Wei Ernian. He followed to take advantage, something he’d done many times before.