“Alright, have some buns. By the time you’re done, the porridge should be ready,” Su Xiangwan said calmly.

Sure enough, Song Qingshan, with mud-covered hands, called out, “Song Donghai, go fetch some water for me to wash my hands.”

Lu Dan perked up his ears but quickly found an excuse. “I’m making milk for Zhizhi right now.”

“Gou Dan, go then,” he said next.

Gou Dan replied enthusiastically, “Alright!”

He grabbed a basin and went out. In no time, he returned with water.

However, just as Song Qingshan was about to dip his hands into the basin, he stopped. “No, you wash your hands first.”

“This water is specially for Dad to wash his hands,” Gou Dan said, shaking his head proudly. “I won’t use it for myself.”

Song Qingshan tugged at his ear, turned around, and went out to pour the water.

He fetched fresh water to wash his hands himself.

The little rascal had been too lazy to fetch real water, peed into the basin, and tried to fool him!

After washing his hands, Song Qingshan picked up a soft, white bun.

He took a bite, glanced at Su Xiangwan, took another bite, and looked at her again before stuffing the whole bun into his mouth.

One after another, he ate three buns without even pausing for breath.

They were so delicious that his eyes nearly popped out.

The buns were filled with chives and crispy lard bits.

Though the aftertaste was strong, the flavor was heavenly.

Soon, night fell, and it was time to sleep.

As usual, the two little “guards” huddled on either side of Song Qingshan.

“Listen, tomorrow I need to head to the county again. For at least the next three to five years, my work will be based here in Qingshui County. After that, no matter where I go, I’ll take you and the kids with me. Sound good?” After a full meal, Song Qingshan seemed a bit euphoric.

Su Xiangwan, holding little Zhizhi, was dressing her.

The tiny clothes were hand-stitched by her original self, but now they were too small.

She was tearing apart an old military uniform scavenged from the old house to sew new clothes for the baby.

“What kind of work is it? If you think it’s inconvenient to say, I won’t ask. I won’t ask about anything in the future,” Su Xiangwan said.

But in her heart, she was quite pleased.

The once cold-hearted man was now willing to confide in her.

If the old lady found out that step by step, her most filial son had been pushed toward the woman she hated the most, she’d probably be so furious her seven orifices would bleed.

Serves her right—this is exactly what she intended to do.

“You know they’re building a reservoir in Qingshui Gorge, right?” Song Qingshan asked.

Su Xiangwan didn’t reply.

“I’m now the regiment commander of the engineering corps responsible for the reservoir’s construction. I oversee the entire project. That reservoir, due to its geographical conditions and engineering difficulty, was deemed an impossible task.

Initially, experts from the Soviet Union were involved in the project, but they later withdrew entirely. They even spread the word internationally, claiming the project was unachievable. Right now, countless people in the world are waiting to see us fail.

Whether or not this reservoir gets built rests entirely on my shoulders,” Song Qingshan said calmly. “Try not to mention it to anyone, especially my mother. If she finds out, she’ll definitely cause trouble, dragging our ancestors and everyone into the mess.”

Su Xiangwan gave a soft “hmm” but didn’t say anything.

The man’s words this time were half true.

Indeed, they were building the largest reservoir on the upper reaches of the Yellow River.

However, in addition to that, they were also tasked with another mission: surveying and constructing the first nuclear power plant in the history of the Republic of China.

Ever since the United States and France began developing nuclear power, the Soviet Union and Others had followed suit.

The nuclear power plant project was the top priority for Song Qingshan. Unfortunately, according to the book, this plan ultimately failed due to interference and sabotage by spies.

This event wasn’t part of the storyline of the book. As someone familiar with history, Su Xiangwan knew this was a real event that occurred during a critical period in the Republic’s development.

Early the next morning, Song Qingshan started up the tractor and headed straight to the county seat of Qingshui.

The entrance to the county was a narrow valley flanked by two tall mountains with a river running through.

Now, this place was a massive construction site—the location of the reservoir.

The highest point of the reservoir was on the hillside, now visible if one looked up.

Construction on the reservoir had begun in 1963.

However, by 1966, when the revolutionary wave swept across the country, coupled with the withdrawal of Soviet experts, work was forced to stop.

A once-grand reservoir ended up as little more than a foundation.

Although Song Qingshan seemed timid and subdued at home, his demeanor completely changed once he reached the regiment headquarters.

“Commander, Commander, the chief engineer from Beijing should be arriving soon. Shall we prepare for a meeting now?” Liu Xiangqian, the head of the Seventh Regiment, ran up and saluted.

Song Qingshan asked, “Has Director Fang from the County Personnel Department been here again? Is he still trying to get information about us?”

“He’s been here, but we didn’t let him in. Why do you ask?” Liu Xiangqian replied.

In truth, units like theirs were directly controlled by central authorities and prohibited local personnel from interfering.

Key figures like the commander, designers, and political commissars might be known to county-level officials, but since their appointments didn’t go through the county personnel office, they couldn’t uncover anything despite their attempts in this information-scarce era.

Song Qingshan’s brother-in-law, Fang Gaodi, was the head of the County Personnel Department.

His responsibility included sending laborers and literate temporary workers to the construction site.

So when he promised to secure a job for Song Laosan, it was within his official duties.

However, charging 500 yuan to exploit Song Laosan was entirely his own doing.

“Tell him to wait at home tomorrow. Just say the commander wants to meet him. Oh, and don’t let him know who the commander is,” Song Qingshan instructed.

Liu Xiangqian saluted and ran off. “Yes, Commander!”

Song Qingshan turned around, retrieved a brand-new military uniform from under the tarp in the tractor, changed out of his old one, and headed to the meeting.

Driving the tractor back in the evening, Song Qingshan stopped outside the Red Star Commune.

As usual, he took off the new uniform and changed into a slightly worn one before heading back to the village.

He spotted Su Xiangwan in the fading sunlight, carrying a round-faced little girl on her back.

Two young boys with baskets full of wild grass trailed behind her.

Along with a group of women, they were all heading toward the village.

Song Qingshan didn’t know his wife, Su Xiangwan, very well.

Their interactions totaled about ten days.

She constantly compared him to Tingxiu, saying things like, “Tingxiu is so fair-skinned, and you’re so dark,” “Tingxiu has such a fiery temper, and you’re so passive,” and “Tingxiu has a cold, handsome demeanor, while you’re always grinning.”

When someone doesn’t like you, even your smile becomes a crime in their eyes.

To Song Qingshan, Su Xiangwan seemed like a romantic, impractical woman who didn’t consider others’ feelings and centered everything around herself.

Still, they had children together.

Having faced death once, Song Qingshan thought nothing else mattered as much as raising his children to be healthy and well-fed.

Hearing the chugging sound of the tractor, Su Xiangwan turned around.

The boys, Gou Dan and Lu Dan, dashed after the tractor like playful puppies.

After parking outside the labor reform site, Song Qingshan got off, holding something in his hand, picked up Lu Dan, and prepared to head to the old house.

Before leaving, he asked Su Xiangwan, “Do you want to come with me?”

Given the family feud over property division, it was impossible for Su Xiangwan to go to the old house.

She replied, “I’m making oat noodles tonight. If you want to eat at the old house, that’s fine. If you want to eat at home, I’ll make an extra bowl.”

Song Qingshan’s lips twitched.

Su Xiangwan could tell he was tempted.

Food had a way of tethering his spirit.

Meanwhile, at the old house, his mother lay sick on the kang bed, fuming.

If not for her strong constitution, she wouldn’t have survived two famines or raised six children.

But this time, her anger had truly made her ill.

“Mom, I bought you two boxes of flavored Xiaoyao Pills, your favorite ones from Fozi. They soothe the chest and promote circulation. Why don’t you take one?” Song Qingshan said, holding her hand.

This son of hers seemed simple and honest—silent under any scolding or beating—but unyielding when it truly mattered.

It was infuriating.

The old lady looked up at him, then slowly peeled open a pill and ate it.

But she said, “Qingshan, you’ve really changed. You’re nothing like you used to be.”

In the past, Song Qingshan had been straightforward.

Although he claimed to send equal amounts of money to his wife and mother, he always sent Su Xiangwan only 30 yuan.

The rest, only the old lady knew how much she actually received.

Now he had learned to be secretive.

Back when the family split, he was so ruthless, but now he came bearing medicine as a gesture of filial piety—it was enough to infuriate the old lady to the core.

Still, the old lady took the medicine.

After all, she had no qualms about spending money from this particular son.

The way his mother chewed brought back memories for Song Qingshan—how he and Song Tingxiu had gnawed at tree bark as children while the old lady sat with a handful of husks, chewing slowly and deliberately.

This was his mother, the woman who raised him from childhood.

No matter how old she got or how many wrinkles and gray hairs adorned her, Song Qingshan still loved her—just as he loved his three children.

To avoid making her sick with anger, he bought her the Xiaoyao Pills.

After watching his mother take the medicine, Song Qingshan held her hand, patted it gently, and left the house.

Outside, he saw his father returning from the fields, dust-covered and clapping his hands clean.

Quietly, Song Qingshan slipped a pack of cigarettes into his father’s hands. “Dad, I’m heading home now.”

“Stay for dinner?” his father asked.

Song Qingshan waved. “No, Xiangwan is making dinner at home.”

The old lady said nothing but, after Song Qingshan left, pulled out an envelope and handed it to Song Laosan (her third son). “Laosan, you must make your mother proud. This job cost five hundred yuan. If you can’t rise to the level of your elder brothers, your mother will have no hope left in this lifetime, understand?”

Ultimately, what elders want is for their children to succeed, right?

Taking the money, Song Laosan stood up immediately. “Got it, Mom. I’ll head to the county now and find my brother-in-law.”

“This can’t reach your elder sister’s ears. You know how she hates pulling strings and using connections,” the old lady quickly added.

Among the children she bore, while Qingshan and Tingxiu were both exceptional, her pride was her eldest daughter, Song Dahua.

As a labor model, Song Dahua had even gone to Beijing to meet the nation’s leaders.

And Song Dahua loathed her mother’s attempts to use connections for the youngest son.

Laosan assured her, “Don’t worry. The money is for my brother-in-law. She won’t know a thing.”

Since there were no vehicles available, Laosan set out on foot with Song Erhua, trekking thirty li to the county town.

---

Meanwhile, Su Xiangwan was sieving flour at home.

She said, “Let’s make some noodles first. Later, I’ll buy a pound of oat flour and make you two some sweet-fermented grains to try.”

She was determined to restore the reputation of sweet-fermented grains in Lu Dan’s eyes.

But to Gou Dan, she said, “Gou Dan, you must understand, Little Ashe is gone now. From now on, let’s not mention her, alright?”

Gou Dan lowered his gaze and pursed his lips. “Alright.”

It wasn’t that Su Xiangwan was petty, but the weight of Little Ashe in Gou Dan’s heart was second only to his mother and Zhizhi.

In the future, a girl who looked exactly like Little Ashe would appear in his life, but she would fall for Lu Dan instead.

This unrequited love would become a significant catalyst for the brothers’ fallout and become a rivalry.

---

When Song Qingshan entered, Su Xiangwan was scooping freshly boiled oat noodles from the pot.

A bowl of sour noodles with no fancy ingredients—just pickled chives and wild scallion bulbs—turned out to be surprisingly delicious.

“Did you take the medicine to the old lady?” Su Xiangwan asked with a smile.

Song Qingshan hummed lightly in response, saying nothing as he picked up her watch to wind it.

As he wound the watch, he opened the back cover and stared thoughtfully at the inner workings.

“Hurry up and eat,” Su Xiangwan said, placing a bowl of noodles in front of him. “It’s just a broken watch. What’s so fascinating that you have to stare at it every day?”

Song Qingshan rubbed his hands together and picked up the bowl. “Lu Dan and Gou Dan, why do you two always look at me like I’m wronging you?”

Lu Dan replied, “The family split wasn’t fair.”

Gou Dan added, “Zhao Guodong is my real dad.” Such cutting words!

“Well then, tomorrow Dad is giving your mom five hundred yuan. Will that make the family split fair?” Song Qingshan teased.

“Five hundred? That much?” Lu Dan’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.

“Hurry up and eat. Stop eavesdropping on adult conversations,” Song Qingshan said as he fed a mouthful of noodles to Lu Dan.

Lu Dan slurped the noodles into his mouth, only to burn his tongue, leaving it bright red. Grimacing, he blew air furiously to cool it down.

Gou Dan, who loved to see his older brother in trouble, pointed at Lu Dan’s face and burst into laughter.

Su Xiangwan immediately gave Gou Dan a light slap. “You’re brothers—don’t laugh at your brother like that.”

To avoid Lu Dan feeling slighted, she also gave him a playful pat. “Blow on it before you eat. Look at how greedy you are.”

Later that night, when it was time for bed, the family dynamic took a cozy turn.

With two cotton quilts in the house now, Su Xiangwan laid one as a mattress and used the other as a cover.

Lu Dan and Gou Dan, finding the bedding soft and comfortable, snuggled up next to her with Zhizhi on the middle.

The family lay together warmly and happily—except for Song Qingshan, who was left sitting at the edge of the kang bed.

Without a quilt to use, he still relied on the old military coat he had brought home.

“Come over and sleep. What, are you afraid I’ll eat you?” Su Xiangwan teased.

Song Qingshan didn’t reply.

He lay rigidly on the bed, as if he were on duty.

Gou Dan had already fallen asleep, but Lu Dan sat up and whispered to Su Xiangwan, “Mom, Dad isn’t really sleeping. He’s standing guard.”

Sure enough, if someone were to prop him up and hand him a rifle, he’d look exactly like a soldier standing at attention.

“Let him be. If he wants to sleep like that, let him. We’ll see how long he can keep it up,” Su Xiangwan thought to herself.

October was approaching, and the nights were growing colder.

If he didn’t come over to share the quilt soon, he might just freeze on that kang bed. “Let’s see how long he can hold out,” she mused silently, half amused and half exasperated.