“Is anyone home?”

Just as a few people finished eating and were about to clean up, a voice came from outside the door.

“Who could it be at this hour?” Aunt Qian was puzzled, standing up to open the door.

Hearing the voice, Zhou Song paused briefly and then turned his head to look toward the entrance.

Shen Lanshu had just asked the question and was waiting by the door. When it opened, she smiled and said, “Sorry to disturb you.”

Aunt Qian glanced at her, thinking she looked unfamiliar. It was rare for her to encounter someone in the village she hadn’t seen before. Her curiosity was piqued, and she asked, “You must be new to the village, right?”

“Yes, my surname is Wu. I hope I’m not interrupting your meal.” Wu Lanshu wasn’t surprised that Aunt Qian recognized her. In a small village, news traveled fast.

“Ah, we’ve already finished eating,” Aunt Qian said, waving her hand casually. “My surname is Qian.”

“Madam Qian,” Wu Lanshu politely nodded, showing her respect.

Aunt Qian found the address both refreshing and awkward. “What’s with all the ‘madam’ and ‘formalities’? We’re just simple country folk; we can’t handle such titles. Come in and have a seat.”

Wu Lanshu chuckled and followed her inside. As she turned her head, she was surprised to see a familiar face. “Zhou Boy?”

Zhou Song had already recognized her from the conversation outside, so he wasn’t too surprised now. He stood up and greeted her, “Aunt Wu.”

Wu Lanshu was quite surprised, “This is your home?”

“No,” Zhou Song shook his head. “I live next door. I’m just visiting.”

Wu Lanshu understood now.

Aunt Qian, who had been listening to their exchange, was thoroughly confused. “You two know each other?”

Lin Erzhu also looked at them in surprise.

“We’ve met a couple of times,” Wu Lanshu smiled. “He’s helped me before.”

After exchanging a few simple words about how they knew each other, it seemed like their relationship had suddenly become a bit closer. Aunt Qian even warmly asked if she had eaten yet and offered more food if she hadn’t.

Wu Lanshu politely declined, saying, “I’m not here to eat. I actually came to ask for a favor.”

“What’s the matter? Just tell me, if it’s something I can help with, I definitely will.” Aunt Qian knew they were newcomers and that moving to a new village probably came with its share of inconveniences. She was happy to lend a hand.

Seeing Aunt Qian’s enthusiasm, Wu Lanshu felt more at ease. “It’s like this… my family member, Qingzhu, isn’t in great health. I assume you may have heard something about it.”

Qingzhu… Zhou Song silently repeated the name in his mind. Was that the person’s name?

Wu Lanshu didn’t notice his reaction and continued, “Recently, we’ve been trying to get him to eat better to strengthen his body. The family we’re staying with has some eggs, but most of them were sold before we arrived, and they don’t have many left. They don’t raise many chickens either, so there’s not enough. I heard your daughter-in-law is expecting, and your family has been saving eggs. I was wondering if I could buy a few from you. I don’t need much, just enough for two days. By then, the other family’s chickens should lay more eggs, and I’ll buy from them again.”

Hearing this request, Aunt Qian had no objections. “That’s no big deal. We raise plenty of chickens, and they’ve been laying quite a few eggs. My daughter-in-law can’t finish them all.”

She waved her hand, then gestured to her son, “Erzhu, go gather some eggs for your aunt.”

“Thank you so much…” Wu Lanshu hesitated, unsure how to address Aunt Qian. Since calling her “Madam” seemed to make her uncomfortable, she thought for a moment and said, “I suppose you’re a few years younger than me, so I’ll take the liberty of calling you Sister Qian.”

“That sounds so much more friendly.” Aunt Qian had initially heard rumors that Wu Lanshu came from a wealthy family and assumed she’d be difficult to get along with. But seeing how friendly and kind she was today, Aunt Qian was delighted.

“How far along are you?” Wu Lanshu turned to look at Liu Fang, who was sitting nearby.

“Five months,” Liu Fang said, feeling a bit shy around strangers. She gently touched her belly and smiled.

“That’s such a blessing! You must take good care of yourself,” Wu Lanshu smiled as well, before turning her gaze to the quiet man beside her. “Zhou Boy, at your age, you should be married by now, right?”

Given Zhou Song’s strong and handsome appearance, in a village like this, many families would surely approach him for marriage.

“Not yet,” Zhou Song answered quickly, though he didn’t know why.

Wu Lanshu was surprised. Before she could ask why, Lin Erzhu returned with a small basket of eggs.

“I brought ten. I hope that’s enough,” Lin Erzhu said, handing the basket to his mother.

Aunt Qian took the basket and passed it to Wu Lanshu. “Take these home first. If it’s not enough, come back for more.”

Wu Lanshu quickly accepted the basket, then pulled out some coins from her sleeve to give to Aunt Qian.

“No need for money. Just take them; they’re just from our chickens,” Aunt Qian pushed the coins back, refusing to accept them.

Wu Lanshu was taken aback by the warmth and generosity, realizing that the people here were far better than those in the harsh capital. Smiling more genuinely, she said, “Alright, then I won’t stand on ceremony. Once our house is finished, I’ll invite you all over for a meal. You must come!”

“Absolutely, we’ll be there,” Aunt Qian grinned widely.

With the eggs in hand, Wu Lanshu didn’t stay long and soon bid farewell.

Aunt Qian saw her out, then sighed and shook her head, “It’s not easy for them.”

Zhou Song’s gaze lingered at the door. He had wanted to ask about that person’s health, but he knew it wasn’t his place to ask, and he had no reason to.

“Brother Song, what are you staring at?” Lin Erzhu nudged his arm, holding an empty plate.

Zhou Song snapped out of his thoughts, shook his head, and followed him to the kitchen with the dishes.

Aunt Qian wouldn’t let them help with the rest of the cleaning and sent them outside to relax.

Liu Fang, feeling tired from sitting too long due to her pregnancy, excused herself to rest in her room, planning to resume making baby clothes later.

By now, the sky had started to darken, with a soft orange hue on the horizon. Zhou Song, not wanting to linger and disturb them further, headed home, carrying some unspoken thoughts with him.

His house was quiet, without any chickens or ducks. He used to enjoy the peace, but today, he suddenly wondered if raising a few chickens wouldn’t be so bad…

——

Once Zhou Song set his mind to something, he acted on it. The next day, he asked Lin Erzhu to help him find someone in the village selling chicks and buy a few for him.

Meanwhile, Zhou Song went to the backyard to prepare a space for building a chicken coop.

“Brother Song, why did you suddenly decide to raise chickens? Didn’t you always say their constant clucking was too noisy?” Lin Erzhu asked, holding a basket filled with ten fluffy yellow chicks that he had gone all the way to the neighboring village to buy.

He reached out to play with the chicks before looking up at Zhou Song, who was clearing a space near the vegetable garden. “Are you tired of eating wild game from the mountains and now want to raise your own chickens for food?”

Zhou Song ignored him, surveying the cleared space and mentally calculating what he needed. He turned around and said, “I’m going to the mountain to cut some bamboo for the fence.”

“Huh?” Lin Erzhu quickly put down the basket and chased after him. “I’ll help you!”

There was a large bamboo grove near the village. The bamboo grew fast, so even though villagers would occasionally cut some, it didn’t affect the growth.

Lin Erzhu rarely visited this area, but as they walked deeper into the bamboo grove, he felt a cool breeze. He touched one of the bamboo stalks and remarked, “No wonder people say it’s nice to sleep on bamboo beds in the summer. This is really refreshing. Do you think I should cut some bamboo and make a bed?”

Zhou Song, busy picking which bamboo to cut, casually replied, “You could start by making a bamboo mat.”

Lin Erzhu thought that was a good idea but then realized he wasn’t very skilled at such delicate work. With a sigh, he helped Zhou Song choose bamboo suitable for making a fence.

For a fence, it’s best to use smaller bamboo stalks, which are easier to shape. Zhou Song picked a few, cut them down, bundled them together, and carried them on his shoulder, not needing any help from Lin Erzhu.

Watching Zhou Song effortlessly carry the large bundle of bamboo, Lin Erzhu marveled at his strength. He himself could never carry such a load. To make himself useful, he grabbed the machete and followed behind, feeling a bit less redundant.

As they descended the mountain, Lin Erzhu glanced at Zhou Song, who seemed completely at ease, and asked, “Brother Song, what’s been going on with you lately?”

Zhou Song turned to look at him, silently asking what he meant.

“I just feel like…” Lin Erzhu trailed off, “You’ve been acting strange lately.”

Though Zhou Song was always quiet and stoic, Lin Erzhu had known him long enough to think he understood him fairly well. While he couldn’t quite put his finger on it, Zhou Song had been behaving oddly — like fetching water frequently or suddenly deciding to raise chickens. These were small, normal things, but to him, they were out of character for Zhou Song, whose life was typically monotonous and unchanging.

Even his mother had suggested he raise chickens for eggs to strengthen his body, but Zhou Song had never done it before. Why the sudden change of heart?

Lin Erzhu squinted suspiciously, “Brother Song, you wouldn’t happen to…”

Zhou Song felt an inexplicable jolt in his heart under that gaze, pursing his lips without saying anything.

“You wouldn’t happen to have…” Lin Erzhu leaned closer, “been influenced by something at the Zhou family’s place, would you?”

“…” Zhou Song shot him a look, speeding up his pace, not wanting to talk to this fool.

“Hey, Brother Song, is that it?” Lin Erzhu quickly caught up. “If something’s bothering you, you should tell me. Don’t bottle it up. Talking it out helps, you know…”

Zhou Song stopped and turned to look at him.

Lin Erzhu halted and immediately shut his mouth.

“I have nothing going on. I just felt like raising chickens. Got it?” Zhou Song said, expressionless, staring him down.

Lin Erzhu nodded quickly.

With a soft sigh, Zhou Song stopped paying attention to him and carried the bamboo on his shoulder, walking ahead.

Lin Erzhu didn’t dare speak anymore and quietly followed. In his mind, though, he thought: Brother Song only ever ignored me when he got annoyed, but today he actually glared at me!

Secretly glancing at Zhou Song, he thought to himself, It must be that day at the Zhou family’s house. He was definitely affected by something!