Chapter 19.2

During the day, Qin Qingman had been chased by wild boars, battling both wits and strategy. She was physically and mentally exhausted.

That night, with a man of great strength in the house, she felt a surge of safety and slept soundly until morning.

She didn’t even have a single dream.

She had no idea what had happened in the courtyard during the night, but when she woke up the next morning and counted the pieces of meat in the yard, not a single one was missing.

In the morning, the sunlight streamed through the window into the room, and Qin Qingman lazily opened her eyes.

Stretching comfortably, she smiled.

Since she had arrived here, last night had been the most peaceful and restful night she had experienced.

Even though a relatively unfamiliar man slept in the east room, she had truly slept soundly.

She turned over, hugging the blanket and smiling to herself.

Both of the stoves in the house were still burning, and the hearth in the hall had not gone out.

The temperature in the entire house was just right. Even when Qin Qingman stuck her bare feet out from under the blanket, she didn’t feel cold. The house even had the warmth of modern heating.

“Bang.”

At that moment, Qin Qingman heard the door of the east room swing open with a loud bang. She had just slipped her feet back under the blanket when the bedroom door burst open, and Chuchu, clutching his little pillow, peeked anxiously into the room.

Seeing Qin Qingman, the boy let out a sigh of relief.

With his lips pressed together, Chuchu ran to the bed without saying a word, clambered up, and lay down flat.

Since his blanket was still in the east room, he didn’t try to pull at Qin Qingman’s; he simply lay there, stiff and silent.

One look was all it took for Qin Qingman to realize that Chuchu was upset.

With a quiet sigh, she glanced at Wei Ling, who stood by the doorway, and gave a slight shake of her head. After Wei Ling gently closed the door, she turned to Chuchu, pulling back her blanket with a soft, amused voice, “Little Chuchu.”

Chuchu shut his eyes, refusing to respond to her.

He had been frightened.

When he opened his eyes first thing in the morning, it wasn’t his beloved sister he saw but Wei Ling, with whom he had only spent half the night.

Chuchu felt both startled and scared; he was afraid Qin Qingman was gone, that she might have left him.

That was why he had immediately run to the east room to find her.

To be fair, he didn’t have any issues with Wei Ling; he was just afraid of losing his sister because of him.

Chuchu pouted—he was not ready to forgive Qin Qingman.

Although Qin Qingman hadn’t raised children before, she was from an era of endless online information.

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, she had come across plenty about raising kids and knew how to handle an upset child.

“Chuchu, Sister is cold.”

With the blanket lifted, Qin Qingman spoke to him in a pitiful tone.

Instantly, his tightly shut eyes opened, and his little body automatically rolled under the blanket with her.

Seeing that he was willing to share the blanket, Qin Qingman quickly covered them both up and hugged Chuchu, explaining, “It was wrong of me not to discuss it with you first before sending you to the east room yesterday. Sister is sorry. Will you forgive me?”

Chuchu didn’t say a word; he only held onto Qin Qingman’s arm a little tighter.

Knowing he lacked a sense of security, Qin Qingman reflected for a few seconds before continuing, “It was my fault. I had thought you really liked Ah Ling, so I wanted to give you two more time together. But I forgot to tell you in advance. Chuchu, rest assured, Sister hasn’t abandoned you. Whether or not I get married, you are my family. We’ll always be together.”

“Really?”

Chuchu’s voice suddenly piped up.

“Really. You’re my little brother. You’re so young—if I weren’t here, who would protect you from the bullies?” Qin Qingman looked earnestly into Chuchu’s eyes.

“Sister, you mustn’t leave me. You’re the only family I have.” Chuchu said, his little hands tightly gripping her arm.

His words were tinged with sadness and caution, showing just how much he depended on her.

Qin Qingman’s nose tingled, and she hugged him close, reassuring him, “You’re also my only family. How could I ever leave you? Someday, Sister will help you study and watch you build a life of your own.”

“Sister, you can’t just forget about me because of Brother-in-law.” Chuchu said with a bit of a pout. Ever since learning that Wei Ling was his “Brother-in-law.” he had been extremely excited.

But when he woke up this morning and didn’t see his sister—only Wei Ling—his feelings toward his new Brother-in-law had cooled significantly.

He even felt a hint of criSister, as if someone were taking his sister away.

Qin Qingman hadn’t anticipated that her decision last night would trouble Wei Ling, so she decided to make it up to him. She pretended to ask, “Chuchu, do you dislike Ah Ling?”

Chuchu’s little brows furrowed. He didn’t dislike Big Brother Wei, but he was genuinely worried that, now that his sister had Brother-in-law, she would ignore him and stop caring about him.

Seeing Chuchu remain silent, Qin Qingman understood that he was still stewing, so she decided to push things a bit further. “Well, Chuchu, if you really don’t like Ah Ling, then I won’t keep him around.”

Outside the door, Wei Ling almost burst into the room.

He felt wronged—deeply wronged.

He hadn’t done anything wrong, so why was he suddenly about to be “abandoned”?

“No way!”

Chuchu hadn’t realized that Qin Qingman was just using a tactic.

He thought she meant it, and he became flustered.

Although he hadn’t spent much time with Wei Ling, the sense of security Wei Ling brought him was more than he could even recall feeling from his own father.

Wei Ling, hearing Chuchu’s quick response, breathed a sigh of relief from outside the door.

The typically composed General Wei found himself nervous for the first time.

If his old friends could see him now—worrying and love-sick over a girl—they’d never let him live it down, laughing that he’d “lost control of his family.”

At this thought, Wei Ling’s mood turned slightly somber.

He could never go back.

He had already fallen on the battlefield, and now he was a person of a different time, a thousand years in the future.

All his old friends had become mere historical records.

His life and legacy were only mentioned in a few short lines—he was no longer the great General Wei who commanded an army of a million.

—o—o—o—

Meanwhile, inside the room, Qin Qingman had no idea that her words had stirred Wei Ling’s memories. She was still teasing Chuchu, “What’s wrong? Aren’t you the one who doesn’t like Ah Ling? If you don’t like him, I’ll find someone else to marry. I’ll keep finding someone until you’re happy with my choice.”

Chuchu, oblivious to the fact that Qin Qingman was teasing him, saw her serious expression and immediately panicked. He began speaking up for Wei Ling, “Sister, I don’t dislike Big Brother Wei—really, I like him very much.”

“If you like him, then why are you unwilling to sleep in the same bed with him?” Qin Qingman was determined to clear up any misunderstandings Chuchu might have toward Wei Ling.

Chuchu quickly shook his head, then nodded, and after hesitating for a few seconds, finally explained, “Sister, Big Brother Wei is great. I don’t dislike him at all. I’m just not used to sleeping with him. Not seeing you makes me feel scared.”

“Chuchu, you’re a boy, and I’m a girl. We’ll have to sleep in separate beds sooner or later. There are only two beds in the house, so if you don’t sleep with Ah Ling, then what should we do? I can’t have Ah Ling sleep with me, can I?” Qin Qingman used this moment to prepare Chuchu for future independence.

If she really ended up marrying Wei Ling, Chuchu would inevitably have to sleep in a different room.

To be fair, Chuchu was already five, which was old enough for him to have his own room.

If it weren’t for the fact that she had arrived in this world sharing a bed with him and that he looked small due to poor growth, Qin Qingman wouldn’t still be sharing a room with him.

Qin Qingman’s statement filled Wei Ling with joy outside the door, but inside, Chuchu wasn’t as happy. With a small, crinkled frown, he declared, “No way, Sister! You can’t share a bed with Big Brother Wei!”

To emphasize his point, the child decisively threw off the covers and sat up straight, looking earnestly at Qin Qingman to make his stance clear.

Qin Qingman found this both surprising and amusing, so she asked, “Why?” After all, a boy as young as Chuchu shouldn’t have much sense of propriety between men and women.

“Mother told me I must protect you. If you haven’t married, you can’t share a bed with anyone else.” Chuchu declared, remembering the words clearly.

His mother had repeated them over and over as she clutched his hand on her deathbed.

Qin Qingman, with the soul of someone from another world, was momentarily stunned upon hearing this.

But then, she felt herself truly accepting this family, along with the bonds and memories that came with it.

She had accepted Chuchu and, in a way, had also accepted the original parents who had passed away.

“Alright, Sister won’t share a bed with anyone else.” Qin Qingman said, gently pulling Chuchu back under the covers.

Although the room was now warmer, the air still had a chill. Letting him sit out like that could risk a cold, and in these times, a simple cold could be life-threatening, unlike the advanced medicine she remembered from her former life.

Once snug back under the covers, Chuchu stopped pouting, though his little brows furrowed thoughtfully as he made a compromise. “Sister, tonight, I’ll move to the east room and share a bed with Big Brother Wei.”

He figured it was necessary to keep a close watch on his future Brother-in-law.

“Alright.” Qin Qingman’s smile reached her eyes, full of warmth.

—o—o—o—

Outside, Wei Ling, seeing that the issue was resolved, sighed inwardly. It seemed he’d need to win over his little brother-in-law in the future.

With this thought in mind, Wei Ling went to the kitchen to add more firewood.

He’d need to put some wood in the stove in the main hall as well; otherwise, if the fire went out, there wouldn’t be any hot water ready when Qin Qingman and Chuchu got up.

—o—o—o—

In the west room, Qin Qingman, having resolved the room-sharing issue, recalled some things she’d overheard Chuchu and Wei Ling discussing the previous day.

Her expression turned serious as she asked, “By the way, is there something you forgot to tell me?”

“No, there’s nothing.” Chuchu replied, a bit bewildered.

“Think carefully—who came to our door yesterday?” Qin Qingman prodded him gently.

“Oh, right! It was Sister Caiyun and the others. They were terrible! While you weren’t home, they came by just like those aunts and tried to snatch our food. Jianming and his gang even tried to catch Da Bai and Xiao Bai for meat!”

Chuchu then went on to recount, in great detail, how he’d been bullied at home while alone the previous day. He also took the opportunity to tattle on his cousins.

With his sister and future Brother-in-law in the house now, Chuchu felt a great sense of security.

After all, his future Brother-in-law had even caught a wild boar!

Now, he wasn’t the least bit scared; in fact, he almost hoped his cousins would come back, so his sister and Brother-in-law could put them in their place.

Being young, Chuchu didn’t hide his thoughts, and Qin Qingman could see right through him—his feelings laid bare on his little face.

Originally, Qin Qingman had been furious upon hearing that, after she left for the mountain, Qin Caiyun brought several of her petty cohorts over to make trouble at their home.

But seeing the eager look on Chuchu’s face now, she found it hard to keep a straight face. She returned home late last night, so she’d missed the sorry state of Zhu Hongxia and Qin Caiyun.

Truly, it was a pity.

“Sister, let me tell you—Caiyun looks terrible now. Her whole head lost a lot of hair, with blood seeping through all those cuts. And the aunts… all of them had to be carried inside yesterday!”

Chuchu continued to describe Zhu Hongxia and the others’ miserable state to Qin Qingman.

He’d been scared out of his wits being home alone yesterday, and now, he couldn’t resist making fun of these relatives with wicked intentions.

“Oh, right! Sister, do you think Second Aunt and the others will make us pay their medical bills?”

Chuchu, who had been quite pleased with himself, suddenly thought of this crucial point, and his small face tightened instantly.

His family couldn’t afford to pay.

Oh no, had he messed things up?

Seeing Chuchu’s big eyes well up with tears, Qin Qingman quickly ruffled his hair and said confidently, “Don’t worry. You didn’t go over to their house and tell the geese to bite them. They came to our place to stir up trouble, so our geese attacking them counts as self-defense. Even if they went to the police, they wouldn’t have a case.”

“Really?”

Chuchu blinked, and the mist in his eyes quickly disappeared.

“Of course it’s true. Not only won’t we pay their medical fees, but I’ll also demand compensation for emotional damages. Qin Caiyun, a grown adult, coming over to bully her five-year-old cousin—what nerve! Just wait; I’ll make sure she apologizes to you.”

Qin Qingman wasn’t bluffing; she truly planned to deal with Qin Caiyun.

“Sister, you’re the best!” Chuchu’s entire face beamed with joy.

“Happy now?” Qin Qingman reached out to ruffle his hair again.

“Happy. Sister, I’m really happy!” Chuchu gave Qin Qingman a big, unrestrained smile.

“If you’re happy, then get up already! Ah Ling has been up for a while now, and we’re still lying around—it’s disgraceful.” Qin Qingman pulled back the quilt and got out of bed.

Their clothes were already neatly folded and set on the warm bed. The warmth radiating from the bed had also heated their clothes, so dressing up felt cozy rather than chilly.

While Qin Qingman dressed, Chuchu busily dressed himself, too.

Although he was small, he was nimble, and by the time Qin Qingman finished tidying herself up, he had dressed himself as well.

Once they were both up, they knew they needed to tidy up the bed.

Qin Qingman folded the quilt and placed it on the chest at the end of the bed. She smoothed the sheets and only then took Chuchu out of the west room.

—o—o—o—

In the main hall, Wei Ling had added firewood to the stove, keeping the room at a stable, cozy temperature. Just a sweater was enough to keep them comfortable while working in the hall.

Qin Qingman reached out to feel the clothes that had been drying by the fire overnight. After a full night of heat, they were now completely dry. She folded them neatly, placing her and Chuchu’s clothes in the west room, and Wei Ling’s on the kang (heated bed) in the east room.

“Big Brother Wei!”

While Qin Qingman was busy, Chuchu, with toothbrush in his mouth, followed the delicious scent of braised meat all the way to the kitchen.

As soon as he entered, he saw Wei Ling adding firewood to the stove.

Chuchu immediately dashed over to the stove, his eyes glued to the big iron pot with the lid on top.

Although he couldn’t yet see what was inside, he knew there would be meat today.

“Good morning, Chuchu.”

Wei Ling tossed the firewood into the stove, stood up, and greeted the child.

Chuchu looked up at him.

In the morning light, he could clearly see Wei Ling’s handsome features. Though Chuchu didn’t know many words to describe it, he simply thought Wei Ling looked very nice—just like how his sister looked nice when she stood beside him.

Qin Qingman also followed the aroma of braised meat into the kitchen.

By the time she entered, she had already washed up.

“Sister, it smells so good. The meat smells amazing.” Chuchu said, still brushing his teeth as his mouth watered.

This was the most delicious-smelling braised meat he’d ever encountered. His stomach growled loudly, responding to the tempting scent before he’d even seen the meat.

“There are some steamed mixed-grain buns on the stove in the main hall. Quickly finish washing up, and we’ll eat the meat for breakfast.” Qin Qingman said, already swallowing at the smell herself as she lifted the pot lid.

The already mouthwatering aroma intensified, so much that the three of them couldn’t help but swallow hard.

“Grrooooowl—”

Chuchu, ever quick-witted, snapped back to reality and dashed out of the kitchen to rinse out the toothpaste foam in his mouth. He washed his face thoroughly with warm water in the main hall, and before leaving, he obediently applied a layer of clam oil to his cheeks.

In snowy weather, facial protection was a must, or else the skin could easily chap and crack.

As he returned to the kitchen, Chuchu immediately ran to Qin Qingman’s side to peer into the pot.

At that moment, Qin Qingman was gently stirring the contents with a pair of chopsticks. The large pot of braised pork had simmered over low heat all night, thickening into a rich broth. The meat on the pig’s head was so tender that it fell apart at the touch of the chopsticks.

“I need to deliver some of this meat to the party secretary and the two village heads.” Qin Qingman explained to Wei Ling as she carefully lifted the pig’s head meat from the pot and set it in a basin to cool. “Since Ah Ling hunted this wild boar, we’re not required to give half of it to the village. But as a courtesy, it’s still good to make a gesture—think of it as making things clear and keeping good relations.”

As she spoke, she prepared the meat for cooling. Once it was cool enough, she would place it in a basket with some buns, ready for delivery to the neighbors.

“I’ll follow your lead on everything.” Wei Ling said, content not to interfere with Qin Qingman’s social exchanges.

“Sister, should we put the fire out now?” Chuchu asked, watching the steam rise from the pot.

“Just leave a little warmth.” Qin Qingman replied.

She needed some residual heat in the stove to keep the pot’s contents—pork intestines and liver—from freezing.

Once the buns were done steaming, she could take out the braised organs, slice them up, and have them ready to eat without any extra cooking.

Wei Ling wasn’t in a rush to return to the military camp. With their recent engagement, he and Qin Qingman wanted to make the most of the time to get to know each other better, treating this as an early gesture of commitment to their marriage.

While waiting for the buns to finish, Qin Qingman decided to take Wei Ling to deliver some portions of the meat.

The head meat was divided into four portions.

One portion went to the brigade secretary Zheng Anguo, one portion went to the families of Security Officer Qian Xiangyang and Women’s Director Zheng Guihua, and the last portion was kept for their own family. The entire pig’s head was thus divided.

As Qin Qingman packed the meat into a basket, she noticed the hopeful look in Chuchu’s eyes.

After a moment’s thought, she used her chopsticks to pick a piece of pork from the portion reserved for their own family. She warmed it in the pot until it thawed, then held it out to Chuchu. “Try it.” she offered.

“Mm!” Chuchu nodded enthusiastically and opened his mouth, savoring the piece as he bit into it.

The braised pork was tender and flavorful, without the slightest hint of greasiness—just pure savory goodness.

Chuchu was so delighted that he could barely speak; instead, he nodded eagerly at Qin Qingman, his big eyes curving into happy crescents.

Seeing Chuchu’s joy, Qin Qingman’s own eyes crinkled with a warm smile.

Just as she was about to set down the chopsticks, she caught a glimpse of Wei Ling’s slightly envious expression.

Envious… of what?

In an instant, she understood.

Her heart skipped a beat, and, before she even realized it, her hand moved faster than her thoughts.

When Qin Qingman came to her senses, she was already holding a warmed piece of meat to Wei Ling’s mouth.

Wei Ling didn’t mind that the chopsticks had just fed Chuchu; he simply opened his mouth and took the piece from her.

Like Chuchu, his eyes curved into delighted crescents as he savored the meat. His mood was evident—so good that even his earlobes turned a faint shade of red.

“Let’s go deliver the meat.”

Qin Qingman set down the chopsticks, feeling too shy to meet Wei Ling’s gaze. She picked up the basket of buns, ready to head out.

But Wei Ling stopped her just in time…

Wei Ling stepped forward, cutting off Qin Qingman’s movement, and offered her a piece of the warmed pork head meat with his chopsticks.

Faced with the tender morsel at her lips and Wei Ling’s steady, expectant gaze, a deep blush rose on Qin Qingman’s cheeks.

“Sister, you should eat some too. It’s really delicious!” Chuchu, having finally swallowed his own bite, chimed in on Wei Ling’s behalf.

Wei Ling nodded eagerly, his eyes hopeful as he looked at Qin Qingman.

With two pairs of expectant eyes on her—each with a different but equally warm intensity—Qin Qingman’s heart raced.

Was she really about to accept this indirect “kiss” with Wei Ling in front of Chuchu?

She felt it was almost too much to handle.

Yet, despite her hesitation, a rebellious feeling of satisfaction stirred within her.

“Sister, try it—it’s really good!” Chuchu urged her, noticing that the cold air would soon chill the piece of meat on the chopsticks.

In the end, Qin Qingman couldn’t let down both Wei Ling and Chuchu’s double-layered anticipation.

She leaned in and took the piece from the chopsticks, letting Wei Ling’s heart skip a few beats in response.

As he gazed at her now slightly glossy red lips, Wei Ling’s heart was both unsettled and deeply moved.

—o—o—o—

The gifts Qin Qingman delivered included not only portions of the pork head but also a ten-pound slab of meat for each family, a gesture considered incredibly generous in Kaoshan Village.

In return, each family offered some food of similar value, mostly in the form of grains, given how scarce meat was this season.

Watching Wei Ling carry the sacks of grain on his shoulder, Qin Qingman gained a renewed appreciation for the Kaoshan Village spirit of fairness and generosity.

The fair-minded leadership in the village meant that the people here generally possessed decent character.

As for Qin Qingman’s few troublesome relatives in the Qin family, it seemed they had only taken advantage of the original homeowner’s vulnerability.

If she had been able to stand her ground or seek fair treatment from the village head and director, Zhu Hongxia and her ilk wouldn’t have dared to bully her repeatedly.

Having delivered the gifts and received a supply of grains in return, Qin Qingman felt fully satisfied.

With this food, she and Chuchu could make it comfortably through the winter and all the way until planting season in the spring.

As for Wei Ling, as a military member, he had a stable source of food and didn’t have to worry about meals.

Back at home, the buns had just finished steaming a few minutes earlier, emerging soft, springy, and filled with a warm, wheaty aroma.

Qin Qingman sliced some pork head, braised intestines, and liver for a cold platter, and stir-fried some garlic sprouts with pickled cabbage to accompany it.

The meal, rich with savory meat, left everyone in the household fully content.

After eating and resting for a bit, Qin Qingman asked Wei Ling to help carry the neatly divided portions of meat from the courtyard to the well.

She covered them with snow for cold storage—close enough to both the well and the kitchen for convenient access.

After finishing these chores, she prepared a pot of braised pork lungs, having carefully cleaned and readied them. Pork lungs were a real treat in winter, just as flavorful as other cuts.

With the world outside covered in snow, they settled in for a cozy day indoors, enjoying the warmth of their little home. However, Zhu Hongxia, who hadn’t gained any advantage from her previous attempts, wasn’t about to let things rest so easily.

Just as the three were gathered around the stove enjoying the fire, a loud banging sounded from their front gate. Peeking through a crack in the window, Qin Qingman spotted at least twenty heads outside.

The size of this crowd looked serious.