Chapter 48

What did it mean to survive a catastrophe?

It was probably exactly how Li Chen felt at this moment.

He couldn’t help but tighten his embrace around the person in his arms, lowering his head and burying his face in her shoulder.

Only this way could he confirm that this wasn’t just his imagination.

This was real!

After a long while, he leaned in, his dark, gleaming eyes gazing at her.

He was asking for her consent.

Shen Yiyi was so nervous that her heart felt as if it would leap into her throat.

To her, in a way, this was their first time.

No words were needed.

She wrapped her arms around his neck.

---

At the break of dawn, Li Chen woke up.

His eyes were half-closed when he suddenly realized something.

He lowered his gaze and traced her silhouette through the dim light of the night. Unable to resist, he tightened his arms around her.

This wasn’t a dream!

Overcome with emotion, he gently brushed aside her damp strands of hair and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

It was time to get up—he still had to go to work.

Reluctantly, Li Chen got out of bed. Moving carefully, he put on his clothes and headed out. The room was still dark, and in his carelessness, he accidentally kicked something, producing a crisp “clang” sound.

He held his breath, anxiously turning back to check.

She didn’t wake up!

Letting out a sigh of relief, a hint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes.

She was sleeping so soundly—it seemed that last night had truly exhausted her.

He made his way to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

These past few days, he and Shen Yiyi had been waking up together to cook. The quiet, early mornings had unknowingly become their shared, unspoken time of solitude.

But this morning, without her, Li Chen found himself feeling a little unaccustomed to it.

He cooked a pot of lean pork congee, carefully slicing scallions and ginger to add in.  

Before Shen Yiyi changed, he had always cooked for himself as well, but he rarely put in so much effort.  

He never bothered making things like corn pancakes or steamed cornbread. Most of the time, he would simply throw a handful of rice into the pot, mix in some sweet potatoes, sorghum, or corn, and cook a porridge. Then, he would grab some vegetables from his small plot of land and stir-fry them.  

If he went up the mountain, he would catch some wild game. If he went to town, he would buy some meat.  

But more often than not, he simply made do with pickled vegetables.  

It wasn’t that he was lazy. He had to work to earn labor points, come home to do chores, tend to his private plot, and take care of Three Baos. He simply didn’t have the time or energy to fuss over food.  

Still, compared to many families in the village, he was doing well. At the very least, he made sure there was always enough to eat. The ratio of rice in their meals was much higher than coarse grains.  

That was why, although Three Baos looked thin, he wasn’t as emaciated as some of the children in the village who barely had enough to eat.  

At first, Li Chen had planned to do the same as usual—cook a simple pot of mixed grain porridge and be done with it. But then, he remembered how Shen Yiyi had been emphasizing balanced nutrition these past few days. And thinking about how much she had endured last night…  

So, he put in extra effort and went to find the meat she had bought yesterday.  

After cooking, he even thoughtfully added some coal to keep the congee warm, so it wouldn’t be cold by the time she woke up.  

Once he had eaten, he went inside and woke up Da Bao and Er Bao.  

He told them to get up, reminded them that their Mom was sleeping in the next room, and instructed them not to disturb her. He told them there was lean pork congee ready, so they should eat by themselves. If their little brother woke up, they were to take care of him and stay inside. No playing outside until their Mom was awake.  

Then, he left for work.  

Da Bao and Er Bao: “……”

Shen Yiyi groggily woke up, reaching out to the side, only to find the space next to her already empty.  

Yawning, she unintentionally caught sight of the sunlight refracting through the window.

Faint voices drifted in from outside. A jolt ran through her.  

What time was it?  

Outside  

After Li Chen woke up Da Bao and Er Bao, they got up on their own, washed up, and had breakfast. When Xiao Bao woke up, they helped him get dressed, then took him to wash up and eat as well.  

Mom still wasn’t awake!  

Er Bao and Xiao Bao started to miss their Mom. Xiao Bao crouched at the door, peeking through the gap, while Er Bao climbed onto a stool to look through the window.  

Before they could see anything, their eldest brother sternly stopped them. “Dad said Mom is very tired, and we are not to disturb her rest. Xiao Bao, don’t lie on the ground—it’s dirty! Er Bao, get down right now, that’s dangerous!”  

Er Bao sighed like a little adult. “Big Brother, what should we do then?”  

Da Bao took out a picture book. “Let’s look at this!”  

Er Bao and Xiao Bao’s eyes lit up. The three of them each grabbed a small stool, huddling together to read the book.  

Time passed bit by bit until a knock sounded on the door.  

“Second daughter-in-law!”  

“It’s Grandma!” Er Bao said, quickly running over to open the door for Mother Li. “Grandma!”  

Mother Li saw Er Bao and smiled, ruffling his hair. When she stepped inside and saw Da Bao and Xiao Bao, she asked: “What are you three up to?”  

“Looking at pictures!” Da Bao answered proudly, holding up the book for her to see. “Mom bought it for us!”  

Mother Li took the book and glanced at it, thinking to herself that her second daughter-in-law was really willing to spend money. The warmth in her smile deepened as she handed the book back.  

“Where’s your Mom?” she asked.

“Mom hasn’t woken up yet!” Xiao Bao pouted in grievance. His two older brothers, though unable to read, could still understand the stories through the pictures, but he could only look at the images.  

Whenever he saw something exciting, he would let out a loud “Wow!” and want to see more, but by then, his brothers had already turned the page.  

He kept asking them what the pictures meant. At first, they answered patiently, but as his questions piled up, they grew annoyed and simply shoved a picture book into his hands, telling him to look at it on his own.  

Not like Mom at all.

Mom would always patiently teach him.  

He missed her…  

Hearing this, Mother Li was momentarily stunned. She had never come over this early before and wasn’t familiar with Shen Yiyi’s daily schedule.  

It was already noon—why hadn’t she gotten up yet?  

Da Bao noticed the large bundle in Mother Li’s hands and asked: “Grandma, are you here to see Mom?”  

Mother Li set the bundle down. “I do have something to talk to her about…”  

“Dad said Mom was really tired last night and told us not to disturb her.” Er Bao added casually. “Grandma, maybe you should come back later?”  

Mother Li was taken aback. Before she could respond, the door to the front room opened. She looked up.

Shen Yiyi, seeing Mother Li, also froze for a moment before instinctively tugging her outer coat tighter.  

She was still wearing her silk nightgown underneath. Knowing there were people outside, she had hurriedly thrown on one of Li Chen’s jackets to cover up.  

Mother Li immediately understood the situation. Her face flushed, and she cleared her throat.  

Shen Yiyi gave an awkward smile. “Mom, what brings you here?”  

Mother Li lifted the cotton bundle in her hands and said: “I heard a few days ago that you were looking to trade for cotton but couldn’t get any. Since I had some free time today, I went to my Mom’s village and exchanged two pounds of cotton for you.”  

Shen Yiyi was momentarily stunned. She hadn’t expected Mother Li to go out of her way just for her.  

In truth, she had already taken out quite a bit of cotton yesterday, but she didn’t mention it. Instead, she smiled and said: “Then Mom, wait here for a moment. I’ll go change my clothes.”  

“Alright.” Mother Li replied.