It was Sunday.

Xu An did not have school that day and helped in the fields, picking vegetables. Xu Ning instructed him to start with the cucumbers, noting that together with the ones picked yesterday, they had enough to pickle a jar.

They gathered a large basket of green beans, briefly blanched them in boiling water, and then laid them out to dry into dried beans. They also soaked some pickled vegetables and sliced the eggplants to sun-dry.

The two of them were busy all morning, with vegetables spread out everywhere in front of the door. Xu Ning hung the last string of chili peppers on the wall and went to pick a watermelon to put in cold water.

Xu An fetched a basin of water from the tank for her to wash her face, then went back inside to grab a sickle and cut a bunch of chives. He said, “Sister, I just kneaded some dough; let’s make dumplings to eat today.”

Xu Ning poured the water she used to wash her face onto the vegetable patch and replied, “Sure, if you want to eat them, let’s make some. I’ll fry a couple of eggs later, and let’s make a filling of chives and eggs.”

“I also soaked some black fungus earlier; we can add that in too.”

Xu An’s cooking skills had improved significantly; as long as he was home, Xu Ning had nothing to worry about. He handled all the cooking and cleaning, and he had earned quite a few work points from the fields as well—he was now earning six work points every day.

Xu Ning watched with satisfaction as the young man cut chives. He was nearly 1.7 meters tall, taller than she was. She had stopped growing once she reached 1.64 meters. Unknowingly, they had been here for three years. The little boy who used to cry easily had grown into a young man.

In two months, she would also turn 17. Perhaps due to the good food they had eaten over the past two years, she had developed quite rapidly; wearing the underwear she had taken from the storage space made her figure more noticeable.

She had already been teased several times by Wei Lanlan and the others. Nowadays, she wore loose-fitting clothes in darker colors to hide her shape, making it less obvious.

Xu Ning sighed. No matter how short she cut her hair, she still didn’t look like a boy. She might as well let her hair grow out! After all, she was known in the village for her strength, so there shouldn’t be anyone foolish enough to come looking for trouble.

When Xu An returned with the chives, he saw his sister lost in thought and asked, “Sister, what are you thinking about?”

Xu Ning smiled at him and replied, “I was just thinking about how our little An has grown into a young man now, and he’s taller than I am.”

Xu An smiled shyly and said, “Sister, I’ve grown up now and can earn quite a few work points. You should do less work and not tire yourself out so much; I’ll take care of things at home.”

Xu Ning patted the shoulder of the young boy, who was not yet 14, and replied, “I know, little An. From now on, you’ll be my support.”

“Sister, aren’t you going to the city tomorrow to deliver vegetables to Grandma Wang? I still have some cucumbers and tomatoes left unpicked. In the afternoon, I’ll go dig some wild vegetables from the mountain. You can take them all together tomorrow!”

“I have nothing to do this afternoon, so I’ll go to the mountain with you.”

The next morning, while Xu An was cooking, Xu Ning picked the tomatoes and cucumbers from the field and set them aside with the wild vegetables they had dug up the previous day, ready to take to Grandma Wang.

As Xu Ning rode her bike to the youth camp, she noticed a stranger—a woman—knocking on a door. She glanced at her but continued on her way.

Grandma Wang was at home making shoes. When she saw Xu Ning arrive, she asked her to try on a pair to see if they fit.

Seeing that they were shoes made for her, Xu Ning hurriedly said, “Grandma Wang, why are you still making shoes for me? I have shoes to wear. Grandpa Wang goes out to sweep every day, so he wears out his shoes. You should make him a couple of extra pairs.”

Grandma Wang took Xu Ning’s hand and smiled, “I’ve made some for your Grandpa Wang, but you’re out working in the fields every day—when would you have time to make shoes? Since I’m just sitting at home, I might as well make a few pairs for you.”

After saying that, Grandma Wang went back into the house and brought out a bundle containing three pairs of shoes and several insoles. “I made these a bit larger than your feet, but with these insoles, they should fit just right. Hurry and sit down to try them on!”

Xu Ning happily sat on a stool and tried on the shoes. She laughed, “Grandma Wang, your craftsmanship is truly impressive! These shoes are incredibly comfortable.”

Grandma Wang beamed with a smile that made her eyes disappear, saying, “I learned this skill from my wet nurse. Her shoes were much better than mine. I haven’t even mastered half of what she could do.”

Xu Ning cheerfully complimented, “If this is just half of your skill, it’s already amazing! I want to learn how to make shoes from you in the future.”

Grandma Wang replied joyfully, “That’s wonderful! Whenever you have some free time, I’ll teach you.”

Xu Ning still needed to go to the supply and marketing cooperative, so she didn’t linger any longer. After putting down her items, she said, “Grandma Wang, I have to go buy some things at the cooperative, so I won’t wait for Grandpa Wang. I’ll come visit you both again soon. These vegetables and grains are all grown by me, so please don’t hesitate to eat them.”

Grandma Wang walked her to the door and said, “Be careful on your way back! Ride your bike slowly. Both your Grandpa Wang and I are in good health, so you don’t need to come over here all the time.”

After leaving Grandma Wang’s house, Xu Ning first went to the post office to withdraw the money that Lu Xiaotang had sent her. She also mailed the letter she had written to him. Standing at the door of the post office, she thought for a moment before riding her bike to the recycling station.

She didn’t believe it; if others could find good things at the recycling station after crossing over, then surely she wouldn’t be that unlucky. The old man at the recycling station didn’t recognize her. He glanced up at her and asked, “What do you want?”

With a cheerful smile, Xu Ning replied, “Sir, I’m here to find some newspapers to use for wallpaper.”

The old man waved his hand, allowing her to enter. Today, there seemed to be more items than when she had visited before. Xu Ning felt a bit excited as she carefully sifted through everything, coming out with a stack of newspapers and a few books. The old man weighed her items and told her it would be 23 cents.

After exiting the recycling station, Xu Ning cast one last dejected glance at the small place. She sighed, finally realizing that she did not possess the fate of a female protagonist. There was no need to come here and embarrass herself anymore.

When she reached the supply and marketing cooperative, Su Hongying noticed her dirty clothes and the smudges of unwashed dust on her face. She asked in surprise, “Xiao Ning, did you fall off your bike?”

Feeling embarrassed, Xu Ning laughed and said, “I just accidentally took a tumble.”

Without waiting for Su Hongying to ask more, she quickly pulled out the soy sauce and vinegar bottles, asking her to fill them up.

After the cooperative, Xu Ning found a secluded spot to take out some grains and meat from her storage space.

On her way back, Xu Ning pondered whether Lin Miao had ever been to the recycling station. After all, she was the female protagonist of the story, and it wouldn’t be surprising if she found some treasures—something that this small supporting character could only envy.

What she didn’t know was that Lin Miao had already made several trips to that recycling station, and like her, had found nothing at all.

As Xu Ning rode her bike past the youth camp toward the back door, she spotted Xiao Mo coming over from the cow shed, with Grandpa Qi standing at the entrance watching.

Ever since he started earning work points, this little guy had made more friends in the village and had little time to come find her. Now, he would just swing by to grab a bite to eat and then leave.

She got off her bike and curiously asked, “Oh, isn’t this the little tiger with the jade face? What brings you here to play today? Where are your little buddies?”

Xiao Mo sighed and replied, “San Dan and Xiao Wang got into a fight. They both told me not to hang out with the other, and they’re both my good brothers. I’m really caught in the middle, so I decided not to go out today and came over to keep you company instead.”

Xu Ning chuckled and said, “You boys are just a bunch of kids. Good brothers, huh?”

Xiao Mo frowned seriously and said, “Sister, you don’t understand how men feel. Is my second brother back from school? I want to go find him and have a chat.”

With that, Xiao Mo placed his little hands behind his back and headed toward the back door. Xu Ning and Grandpa Qi exchanged knowing nods before she pushed her bike and followed Xiao Mo.