The fish pond of the brigade is located at the intersection of the main road at the end of the village and the rice fields.

Han Cheng and the little kids followed Xiao Bao to the brigade’s fishpond, where several people had already secured their spots.

Xiao Bao’s idea of a good spot was right by the road because you could see clearly without having to go down. However, the fishpond was quite small, and there were only a few good spots near the road. Xiao Bao rushed over, placed a small stool, and secured a decent spot.

The three children formed a circle, and Han Cheng placed the fire lantern between them and said, “Rub your hands together and warm them by the fire.”

Xiao Doubao struggled to get down to the ground, and Xiao Zhuzi said, “Uncle Han, give me Xiao Doubao. I’ll hold him and keep him warm.”

Han Cheng placed Xiao Doubao in Xiao Zhuzi’s arms, picked up Fantuan, and sat on Fantuan’s small stool.

Some of the members of the commune recognized Han Cheng, but he had a strong aura, so they didn’t dare to approach him for a chat. However, they were soon attracted by the children dressed in identical cotton-padded jackets, looking as if they were carved from jade. They stared at the children, forgetting their idle chatter.

“Xiao Bao, Xiao Bao…”

Xiao Bao followed the source of the voice and saw his classmates arriving. When he noticed a dirty little troublemaker following behind, Xiao Bao couldn’t help but frown.

A close friend of Xiao Bao, a dark-skinned boy, ran over When he saw Fantuan and the others, he widened his eyes and looked at them for a while. Then, when he turned to Han Cheng, he was momentarily stunned and quickly took a few steps back.

Xiao Bao frowned even more fiercely and said, “What are you doing, Goudan? My uncle is handsome, not scary at all.”

Goudan swallowed his saliva and waved to Xiao Bao, avoiding Han Cheng’s gaze.

Xiao Bao said. “There are no secrets in our family. Fantuan, Zhuzi, and Xiao Doubao are all my good brothers. If you have something to say, say it here.”

Goudan said. “Everyone in your family looks so good.”

Xiao Bao’s tightly furrowed brow relaxed, and he proudly said, “Of course!”

Goudan made a start, and the bold Auntie became more enthusiastic: “Xiao Bao, these are all your aunts… uh… your cousins?”

Xiao Bao nodded vigorously and proudly said, “Yes, this tall and handsome man is my uncle, and they are all the children of my aunt and uncle.”

Xiao Bao never felt that Zhuzi was not a child of his aunt’s family. For him, they were all the same.

Han Cheng nodded politely towards Auntie and said, “Hello, I’m Han Cheng.”

Fantuan and Zhuzi also greeted her with lowered eyes, “Hello, Auntie.”

The old Auntie felt rejuvenated hearing the word “Auntie” and exclaimed happily, “Hello, hello! You’re so well-behaved and polite. Auntie has some melon seed, would you like some?”

The old lady thought that the children in the city were very arrogant, but she didn’t expect them to be so approachable.

Fantuan shook his head and said, “No, thank you. Auntie, you can eat it yourself.”

The old lady looked enviously at a very good-looking child and said, “Comrade Han’s three sons are so well-behaved and handsome, you’re truly blessed.”

Han Cheng was never good at idle chatter, especially with strangers. He politely replied, “Yes, we are blessed. Thank you,” and stopped talking.

Auntie understood that there wasn’t much to talk about with her, but she was the only one here who could strike up a conversation with the famous “Director Han” and his children. That was enough to make her happy.

More and more members of the fish-catching community came to see it, and the road and the field ridges were crowded with people.

Liu Shuixian didn’t know when Han Cheng arrived, and seeing him still made her feel uneasy. However, looking at the several children beside him made her feel a little better. What did it matter if they were handsome? Su Xiaoxiao married him and ended up becoming a maid. Taking care of several children would be chaotic. In a couple of years, she might turn into an old, haggard woman.

It was too cold, so Su Weimin instructed everyone to open more outlets to drain the water as quickly as possible. They just need to use nets to prevent the fish from escaping.

Han Cheng has a fire lantern, so the temperature is not cold. The members who didn’t bring fire lanterns couldn’t withstand the cold, so they made several bonfires by the roadside and in the fields. Fortunately, there wasn’t much snow, so it could still be lit on the ground. Everyone gathered around the bonfires and waited for the fish to come out.

Goudan and Laidi grabbed some rice grains and placed them on the bonfire. When the grains cracked inside the fire, the yellow rice turned into white popcorn. They used sticks to scoop it out and ate it, savoring each mouthful.

Goudan grabbed a handful and asked Xiao Bao if they wanted some.

Fantuan and Zhuzi couldn’t sit still and were about to join them by the bonfire when they heard Su Weimin shout, “The fish are coming out!”

Han Cheng and the children’s attention was drawn back, and they quickly looked towards the fish pond. When they saw the bottom of the fish pond, there was fine black and gray mud underneath. Various fish, whether grass carp, bighead carp, or crucian carp, were twisting and turning in the mud. Some of them, due to a lack of oxygen, couldn’t help but jump out of the mud to breathe in fresh air. When they flipped their tails and exposed their white bellies, they blended with the increasingly heavy falling snow, defying gravity and quickly falling back into the water. Some members got splashed with mud by the jumping fish but still had smiles on their faces.

When the fish jumped up, Xiao Doubao clapped happily with narrowed eyes. Fantuan and Zhuzi couldn’t help but exclaim, “Wow, wow, wow!” Fantuan said, “Xiao Bao, it’s just as you described; the fish jump like they’re dancing, and you can see their white bellies.”

Xiao Bao nodded and said, “If it were warmer, they could jump higher. It’s getting cold, so not many of them are jumping. In the past, they used to jump as a group.”

Zhuzi said, “A group of fish jumping? That sounds incredible!”

Xiao Bao replied, “It’s incredibly beautiful!”

The joy of a bountiful harvest overpowered all the harsh cold, and the faces of the members were filled with contented smiles. This year, being able to catch a few more fish meant they could finally enjoy a prosperous year.

Although Han Cheng is aware of the hardships of rural life, he has never lived in the countryside and cannot fully empathize with them. However, today he was infected by the joy of this bountiful harvest and felt genuinely happy for them.

Rural life was simple and pure, and their happiness was equally simple. A handful of popcorn in the hands of children and an extra fish distributed to the whole family are enough to make them happy for a long, long time.

Suddenly, an umbrella appeared over Han Cheng’s head, and when he turned around, he saw his wife’s smiling face with cute little dimples.

Han Cheng smiled too. His happiness was also quite simple—his wife’s smile and the laughter of his children were all he needed for happiness.

Han Cheng ignored the presence of others and reached out to take the umbrella from Su Xiaoxiao’s hand, pulling her to stand in front of him. “Why did you come out in this cold?”

Su Xiaoxiao was fully equipped with a lantern and didn’t find it particularly cold. “You’ve all been out here for so long; I came to take a look.”

The children were very happy to see Su Xiaoxiao come. They surrounded her, chattering about which fish had jumped, which ones were wagging their tails, which fish had shown their white bellies, which fish Grandpa had caught, and which one had escaped…

Watching the hardworking people below and seeing the joy of their bountiful harvest reflected on their faces, Su Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but smile. below, and the joy of harvest on their faces.

No one dared speak to Han Cheng, however, when they saw Su Xiaoxiao, they couldn’t help but praise her:

“Xiaoxiao, you’re getting more and more beautiful.”

“Yeah, and you look younger, like an eighteen-year-old girl.”

“Your kids are quite extraordinary too. How did you raise them? Raising children in the city must be different from how we do it, right?”

Su Xiaoxiao smiled and answered each question without impatience.

……….

With many hands to help, they quickly caught all the fish that met the standards. Those that didn’t were released back into the pond to continue raising them until they were fat.

Su Weimin and Su Zhenhua came up from the fish pond, and Su Xiaoxiao walked over with a lantern in her hand. “Dad, second brother, warm your hands first; it’s so cold today.”

Su Weimin, on the other hand, walked away. “Xiaoxiao, I don’t feel cold when I’m working, but I’m dirty. Stay away and don’t get your clothes dirty.”

Su Zhenhua chuckled, “Xiaoxiao, working doesn’t make you feel cold; it’s sitting still that’s cold. We’re about to start sorting the fish. If you feel cold, you can go back first.”

“I’ll help you keep track of the records.” Su Xiaoxiao, who was originally responsible for keeping track of the village’s allocations, was quite skilled at this task.

Su Weimin shook his head and said, “There are educated youth who specialize in measuring centimeters. You don’t need to do this. Dad will be done soon, and you should go back quickly.”

Xiao Fantuan crawled over and curiously pointed to the chubby fish, asking with curiosity, “Grandpa, what kind of fish is this?”

Fantuan had seen Wuan fish and Crucian carp but had never seen this chubby fish. He wanted to touch it but was stopped by Su Xiaoxiao.

Su Weimin said, “A bighead carp is a type of fish with a big head and less meat than grass carp. Its meat is not compact, and everyone doesn’t like it, but this year it is the fattest.”

The bighead carp was a delicacy, and Su Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but think of steaming it with chopped chili. “Dad, let’s get more of the bighead carp, I like to eat bighead carp.”

Su Weimin had never refused his daughter’s requests before and nodded, “Alright, if my daughter likes it, I’ll get more bighead carp later.”

“Grandpa, which one is the pond loach?” Zhuzi was most curious about the pond loaches that Xiao Bao had mentioned.

Su Weimin shook his head and said, “There are none here; you’ll only find them in the rice fields. You’ll be able to see them when you come back during your summer vacation.”

Su Weimin was really busy and was called away after only a brief chat.

A few children were happily watching the fish, carrying small stools and bouncing ahead. Han Cheng was holding Xiao Doubao, Su Xiaoxiao was carrying an umbrella, and the whole family happily went home.

Liushuixian couldn’t believe what she was seeing. In the six months since Su Xiaoxiao married Han Cheng, she hadn’t become the worn-out wife she had imagined in the chaotic countryside. Instead, she had transformed into a completely different person, more refined and beautiful than any city girl Liushuixian had ever seen. Whether it was her dress, appearance, or complexion, she was nothing like the rustic village girl from the Su family.

The children were also clean, pretty, and well-behaved city kids. They looked at her with trust in their eyes—not the wicked stepmother she had imagined. If someone didn’t know better, they might think they were all her own children.

Liu Shuixian had only seen daughters of high-ranking families in the city wear the clothing she was wearing. And the way Han Cheng looked at her, his caring gaze…

Liu Shuixian is not blind. No matter how much she tries to deceive herself by saying that Su Xiaoxiao is not living a good life, she can’t. Without any doubt, Si Xiaoxiao has lived the life that all women dream of.

Liu Shuixian couldn’t accept this. Why not her? They had both gone on blind dates and both met Han Cheng. Why not her? If her husband hadn’t died and she had followed him with the army, could she have had the life Su Xiaoxiao has now?

………..

Other members who didn’t need to wait in line for fish gradually headed home. When they reached the intersection leading to their homes, Han Cheng saw the silhouette of someone ahead that seemed familiar, but he couldn’t quite remember where he had seen them before.

When he and Su Xiaoxiao got married and had a banquet, almost everyone on the production team attended. So, perhaps he had seen this person back then, but he didn’t think much of it and continued walking toward the courtyard behind Old Su’s house.

Li Yufeng had cautioned Xiao Bao not to greet his “grandparents,” who lived in the courtyard. He had to act like he didn’t recognize them, or it would cause trouble.

Xiao Bao listened to his grandmother’s words; even though he was very familiar with them, he pretended not to see them outside and wouldn’t come forward to greet them. This was also a tacit understanding between them.

Han Cheng brushed past them like this.

---

Notlucia: Hello everyone, I’m back! I kinda disappeared for a month, huh? No updates or anything. My bad for ghosting like that! I promise to make it up to you all this January. Oh, almost forgot – HAPPY NEW YEAR! Wishing y’all a year full of happiness and success, not just this year but for the years ahead too!!

---