Gu Linchen lay on the bed, thinking about everything he had done today. He was truly exhausted—he had gone to town, walked for hours, then climbed the mountain in the afternoon to carry a pig back, and later cooked dinner. No wonder his arms were sore! He massaged his arms, thinking how great a spa would feel right now. He really wanted a relaxing massage. But when he remembered the lively dinner earlier, he couldn’t help but smile. It had been a tiring day, but he felt genuinely happy. Suddenly, he found himself missing home—missing outings with friends, sitting in a bar, going fishing together… He was homesick.

The next morning, after finishing his run, Gu Linchen returned home. His father had already gone to work, and Feng Ge’er was setting the table.

“You’re back, Lao Gong. Breakfast is ready.”

“Mm. Where’s Xige’er?” Gu Linchen noticed he wasn’t in bed.

“He went to the backyard with Mother to feed the chickens.”

That morning, when Xige’er saw eggs on the table again, he was thrilled. So, when Gu Linchen’s Mother invited him to feed the chickens, he eagerly followed her, hopping along.

After breakfast, Gu Linchen mentioned he was going to the mountains to cut some bamboo to make chopsticks, as they didn’t have enough for guests. Taking a machete, he headed out. Meanwhile, Feng Ge’er cleaned up the dishes and let Xige’er play at home alone. Since Gu Linchen’s bloodstained clothes from the day before had been soaking overnight, Feng Ge’er decided to wash them at the river before the fabric was ruined.

In the mountains, Gu Linchen chopped down two thick, straight bamboo stalks. Noticing a few fresh winter bamboo shoots sprouting from the ground, he used his machete to dig them up carefully. They were quite large, perfect for a stir-fry with meat later. He imagined a delicious bamboo shoot stir-fry that would easily make him eat two bowls of rice. Peeling the shoots and tying them with vines to the bamboo poles, he cheerfully carried them down the mountain.

When he returned, only Xige’er was home. Gu Linchen’s Mother and Feng Ge’er were still out. He pulled a stool into the yard and started carving the bamboo into chopsticks. His hands were unpracticed—though he knew the method, doing it himself was slower than expected. Xige’er squatted beside him, watching curiously and occasionally handing him pieces of bamboo. Remembering the woven bamboo toy Huzi had yesterday, Gu Linchen thought about buying one for Xige’er the next time he went to town since he didn’t know how to make them himself.

By the river, Feng Ge’er was busy scrubbing the bloodstained clothes. Despite soaking overnight, the stains were stubborn, even with soap. Others who arrived later had already finished their washing, while he was still working on the first garment. A whole basin of clothes remained unwashed beside him.

He He’er, who had just finished his own laundry, approached with his basin. Noticing the fine quality of the fabric Feng Ge’er was scrubbing, different from their rough hemp clothes and clearly valuable, he understood why Feng Ge’er was so focused.

“Feng Ge’er, you still have so much laundry left. Let me help you wash.”

“Thank you. Isn’t your family busy today?”

“Not really. Tieniu and Father went to work, and Mother is home.”

He He’er then noticed the delicate wooden hairpin in Feng Ge’er’s hair, which looked just as beautiful as a silver one. Nudging Feng Ge’er with his arm, he teased, “Hey, is that hairpin from your husband? It looks really good on you.”

Feng Ge’er blushed with a smile, a little shy. “Mm, he bought it for me yesterday when he went to town.”

“Seems like your husband has really changed for the better. Looks like your hard days are finally over.”

He He’er was genuinely happy for him, remembering how Feng Ge’er used to come to the river with bruises on his body.

Although his husband’s family was poor, he treated him well. So, when he saw Feng Ge’er dressed too lightly in the cold winter, with lips turning purple and his cracked hands bright red from the cold, still washing clothes in icy water with bruises on his arms, he felt deeply sorry for him. He walked over to offer help, but at that time, Feng Ge’er refused, saying the water was too cold and that he didn’t want to make him sick. He had no friends in the village, and this person was good-hearted, even though he came from another village, so he squatted down and helped wash clothes together. Afterward, Feng Ge’er thanked him profusely, and they went to the mountain to gather firewood, where he helped first. Later…

“He He’er, what are you thinking? You seem so lost in thought. I’ve been calling you, but you didn’t respond.” Feng Ge’er noticed that He He’er hadn’t moved, and he was at risk of ruining the clothes his mother had left to wash.

“Oh, nothing much. By the way, your husband caught a wild boar by himself yesterday. He’s quite impressive.”

“Mm,” Feng Ge’er smiled, but then thought of what had happened the day before and said, “Yesterday, when he went up the mountain, he really scared both me and Mother.”

“That’s understandable. I heard the wild boar was huge. If it had injured him like Gu Shui…”

“Yeah…”

The two of them continued to wash while chatting. When Feng Ge’er returned with the clothes, he saw that his husband’s hands were covered in blood. Startled, he dropped the bucket and ran over to grab his bleeding hand.

“Lao Gong!” Feng Ge’er exclaimed urgently, looking down and rummaging in his pocket.

“Don’t worry, the wound isn’t big. Xige’er already went inside to get some cloth strips.”

Gu Linchen had never done this before, so he was slow and careful when handling it. He had become distracted and accidentally cut himself. Fortunately, it wasn’t deep. In this backward era, he feared getting tetanus. Recently, he had been working on making quilts, so the scraps of cloth were stored in his mother’s room, and finding a strip wasn’t difficult.

Just as Feng Ge’er was about to go get the cloth, Xige’er ran out with the cloth strip. Feng Ge’er quickly bandaged Gu Linchen’s hand and told him to rest for a bit. “Leave it for now; I’ll take care of it.” Gu Linchen agreed and rested, knowing he wasn’t skilled and that it would be bad if his hand was injured, making it harder to cook later.

After hanging the clothes out to dry, Feng Ge’er came back and saw Gu Linchen carving something. “Didn’t you say you wouldn’t do anything else?” he said, surprised.

“Mom!” Xige’er called out, raising his small face to get Feng Ge’er’s attention.

Gu Linchen looked up and, without pausing his work, replied, “I found some bamboo shoots on the mountain today, so I dug them up. The skin at the top is a bit tough, so I’m peeling it off. It’ll be perfect for stir-frying with meat at lunch.”

Feng Ge’er was about to say that bamboo shoots didn’t taste very good when Xige’er, with his soft and sweet voice, said, “I’ve had this before, Dad. It doesn’t taste good. It’s bitter and hard to chew.” He even pouted a little.

“Who cooked it for our Xige’er?” Gu Linchen asked with a smile, looking at Xige’er’s little face.

“Mom did,” Xige’er replied.

Gu Linchen glanced at Feng Ge’er, as if teasing him, saying, “See? Your son doesn’t like your cooking.”

Feng Ge’er: “….”

In the past, when food was scarce in the winter, villagers would go up the mountain to look for food. He would run to the mountain at dawn, specifically looking for bamboo shoots. They were much tastier than tree roots, which some villagers would resort to eating when they couldn’t find anything else. The bamboo shoots, peeled and boiled in water with a bit of salt, were a simple but delicious meal.