Chapter 8: New Hope

At daybreak, after carefully sorting out the spoiled ones, they still had a full fifty jin (about 25 kilograms) left!

Zhao Hu muttered, “Mom, Sis, haven’t you noticed that as long as An’an is with us, good things keep happening? The wild fruits from before, and now these hickory nuts — even though there’s been a drought for three years, none of it’s gone bad!”

“Isn’t that the truth?” Qin Ying kissed An’an on the cheek. “She’s our little lucky star!”

Aunt Zhao beamed, “It’s your sister’s good fortune! Us mother and son are just lucky to be part of it and bask in An’an’s blessings!”

An’an: Hehe, it takes less than 0.001 energy to remove a bit of odor, yet I’m gaining 0.03 energy. Who’s feeling proud? I’m not saying~

Qin Ying quickly said, “Auntie, if you say that, you’re not treating me like family!”

Thinking of the past, her eyes couldn’t help but well up with tears. “If it weren’t for you back then, I probably would’ve become a pile of bones by now…”

“Alright, alright!” Aunt Zhao hurriedly patted her hand. “That was my fault, I won’t say things like that again!”

Zhao Hu’s eyes twinkled. “If you ask me, Sis should change the way she addresses you too. Always calling you ‘Auntie’ doesn’t sound like we’re family.”

Aunt Zhao looked at Qin Ying and smiled.

Qin Ying sniffled, holding back her tears, then smiled and said, “I’ve been wanting to change what I call you — I was just afraid you wouldn’t accept it.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Aunt Zhao grinned from ear to ear. “Getting such a smart and capable daughter for free — I’d laugh myself awake in my sleep!”

Qin Ying then called out brightly, “Mom.”

Aunt Zhao sweetly responded and gently stroked An’an. “Once An’an can talk, she’ll be able to call me ‘Grandma’ too, fair and square!

“Ai! To think, I had such a hard life in the first half, but it looks like I’ll be enjoying blessings in the second half!”

An’an giggled along. Hehe, another 0.01 energy gained. What’s wrong with a little smile?

When she smiled, her round eyes curved like crescent moons and her rosy little mouth spread into a wide grin. It was so infectious that the hearts of the three adults melted. They surrounded her with kisses for quite a while.

An’an gleefully received another 0.02 energy and even giggled out loud.

At home, An’an no longer wore swaddling clothes. She was dressed in a little outfit made from Zhao Hu’s old clothes, and she played and napped in a large bamboo basket in the yard.

The basket was placed under the eaves, so she wouldn’t be exposed to the sun.

After doing some work, the three of them would take turns playing with her and delivering a fresh wave of energy. As long as An’an was awake, she was happy to cooperate.

Based on her age, An’an was already over seven months old and could sit up for a short while.

But she still slept most of the day. There was no helping it — her current energy reserves weren’t enough to keep her awake for more than half an hour at a time.

A few days later, the three Zhao family members finally discovered a hazelnut grove in the direction opposite their two acres of land, about a two-hour walk away. Not only was the ground covered in nuts, but there were still plenty hanging from the branches.

They were perfectly preserved, without the slightest odor.

After harvesting them all, the total weighed at least a thousand jin (500 kg) if not more.

The Zhao family kept some for themselves and brought it home before informing Uncle Chen Jiu.

Uncle Chen came with people to harvest the rest. He even had them carry water to sprinkle around the roots of the trees, just in case — a hopeful gesture.

Everyone was grateful to the heavens and the mountain gods for this gift.

But Uncle Chen scolded, “Shouldn’t we be thanking the three Zhao family members the most?”

The villagers looked a little embarrassed and quickly came over to thank them.

Naturally, the Zhao family responded with utmost humility.

An’an smiled and collected 0.5 energy.

After the villagers dispersed, Zhao Hu tickled An’an’s little foot and grinned. “They’re thanking the wrong people! The one they should really thank is our An’an!”

“Keep your mouth shut!” Aunt Zhao gave him a stern glare and looked around nervously. “It’s fine to say things like that in private, but never say it in front of outsiders!

“You can know a person’s face but not their heart. If anyone harbors ill intentions toward An’an, we’d have nowhere to cry!”

Zhao Hu immediately covered his mouth with his hand and shook his head hard, signaling that he wouldn’t make the same mistake again.

An’an blinked her big dark eyes. Wow, Grandma is a really good person~

Qin Ying picked up An’an, fed her some water, and softly said, “Mom’s right. From now on, we shouldn’t even talk about it privately.”

As a child, she studied with her father and understood the saying, ‘A man’s wealth is his own downfall.’

After a moment’s thought, she added, “After the autumn harvest, we won’t need to worry about food anymore. If there’s nothing else to do, I’ll teach Huzi how to read and write.

“Although I haven’t touched a book in over ten years, I still remember the things I learned when I was little.”

Aunt Zhao clapped her hands and smiled. “That’s wonderful!”

An’an gained another 0.1 energy from the Zhao family — this was the second time she’d received a large amount from them.

Combining this with the joy she saw on their faces when she first woke up, An’an blinked thoughtfully. So the more genuine their feelings toward her, the more energy she could collect.

It wasn’t that their usual feelings weren’t sincere — if they weren’t, she wouldn’t receive any energy at all. It was just that the emotional value she absorbed in those specific moments was different.

A villager came over and asked, “Sister-in-law Zhao, what are you all laughing and chatting about?”

Aunt Zhao didn’t hide it. “Yingzi said she plans to teach Huzi how to read and write during the winter when there’s nothing else to do.”

“Learn to read?” the villager scoffed. “What good is that? In a year like this, can reading fill your belly?

“Even if it weren’t a famine year, us farmers learning to read won’t help us grow more food.”

Qin Ying pressed her lips together and said nothing.

Aunt Zhao gently patted her arm. “Don’t listen to his nonsense. We know the benefits of reading for ourselves!”

“Exactly,” Zhao Hu added, “Once I learn to read and write with Sis, maybe I can find work in the city someday. Then I’ll bring both Mom and Sis to live there!”

Aunt Zhao laughed. “What’s so great about living in the city? I hear renting a place is expensive, and you’ve got to pay for everything — food, drink, even going to the toilet!

“It’s not like here in the countryside. We can gather enough firewood in one go to last for days!

“As long as the heavens don’t curse us, even if the harvest isn’t great, we can still forage in the mountains and won’t starve.

“Look at us — pushed this far, and yet we still managed to find food in the mountains, didn’t we?”

“That’s true,” said Uncle Chen Jiu, who had quietly walked up at some point. He chuckled, “No wonder they say ‘Heaven never seals all exits.’

“Logically, after three years of drought, even if you found dried goods, they’d likely have spoiled.

“Yet the hazelnuts and pine nuts we’ve found are all in perfect condition!

“But still, Heaven’s been kind to us — we can’t be ungrateful.

“These nuts, we can’t just eat them all. Every household should save a few dozen to plant back in the mountains.

“If water can still come from the mountain, maybe this disaster is almost over!”

Qin Ying quickly agreed, “You’re absolutely right, Ninth Uncle! You’ve seen a lot in your years — we’ll follow your lead!”

Uncle Chen stroked his beard and laughed heartily. He had become the pillar of the village. Now, whatever he said, the villagers obeyed without question — he was even more respected than before.