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Qi Chong clenched his fists, gritting his teeth. "Mother, I don't need to marry anyone. Once I get rid of this crutch, I can still earn money to help my younger brother marry and support Qi Rong's education."
Chen Ruolan cried even harder. "You think I don't know that even if you get rid of the crutch, you'll still be limping? When your younger brother comes back as an apprentice, let him save up for his own wife. Once I'm gone, there won't even be a woman in the house who understands the cold and warmth."
"Mother!" Qi Chong interrupted her.
Her words pierced Qi Chong's heart. He knew his mother's intentions and was willing to sacrifice for his brothers. But he would rather live in a thatched hut in the mountains for the rest of his life than buy a wife just to make do; he wasn't a fool.
Seeing her eldest son’s stubborn expression, Chen Ruolan realized that continuing the conversation would be futile. "The girl has already been bought. Whether you want her or not, she is now part of our family. I can't bring myself to sell her again."
She pushed Yu Chunmiao's selling contract toward Qi Chong and said, "If you don't want her, then sell her yourself. Just remember to find her a good home; don’t ruin the girl’s future."
A beautiful young lady who was also simple-minded—if she were sold to someone unscrupulous, she could end up in a brothel or as a concubine. Chen Ruolan was confident that her eldest son wouldn't have the heart to do that and felt reassured handing the decision over to him.
Qi Chong stared blankly at the selling contract, deciding he would find a suitable arrangement for her later. For now, she would have to stay at home.
When he came back to his senses, his mother and younger brother had already left the room.
"Brother, I don’t want to study; I want to go up the mountain with you," Qi Rong said, but before he could finish, his elder brother gave him a sharp look that silenced him.
Chen Ruolan entered the kitchen and found Yu Chunmiao not only had washed the pots and pans but also cleaned the stove and dining table thoroughly. The remaining half pot of chicken soup was set aside in cold water to cool.
Looking at the tidy kitchen, Chen Ruolan suddenly felt a lump in her throat. Surely it was her husband watching over them; it was remarkable how quickly they found such a capable daughter-in-law.
"Yu Chunmiao, take a break; let me show you around the house," she said.
Yu Chunmiao followed the mother and son duo into the yard. On the left side of the yard were the storage room and wood shed, while on the right side stood a toilet.
From the outside, the house appeared to have three rooms: in the center was the hall, on the right was Qi Chong's room, and on the left was Chen Ruolan's room. The kitchen was at the back of the house next to Chen Ruolan's room.
Next door to Qi Chong's room were two other rooms belonging to his younger brothers.
If one were to overlook Qi Family’s property from above, it would resemble a square with an indentation in it.
To Yu Chunmiao’s surprise, there was a well in the backyard. In this era, most villagers shared several wells; digging one well could cost two or three taels of silver—something no one wanted to spend.
However, since Qi Family lived independently and was at least ten minutes away from the village, having their own well was indeed very convenient.
"This well was dug by your father-in-law after he hunted an Azure Wind Antelope and sold it to pay for it," Chen Ruolan said with a smile that couldn't be hidden as she spoke of Qi Fu. "That Azure Wind Antelope weighed at least sixty pounds! He tracked its footprints and droppings all day before finally catching it."
Yu Chunmiao thought about how similar this place was to her hometown in southern mountainous regions; Azure Wind Antelopes were deer-like creatures. She had seen one once when she was young but later learned they became protected animals—those who caught them faced severe consequences.
Qi Rong felt proud hearing about his father's story and raised his chin. "Just that one Azure Wind Antelope sold for nearly two taels of silver!" But then he seemed to remember something else and grew unhappy again. "Father should have sold it secretly at night so no one would see."
Chen Ruolan gave her younger son a light tap on the head and said, "Stop rambling about the past. It's all behind us. Hurry up and go dig some wild vegetables."
The vegetables at home had been harvested, and the newly planted cucumbers and seedlings were still in their early stages. If they didn’t gather wild greens, the family would be left without anything to chew on.
Qi Rong responded with an "Oh" and headed towards the front yard when Yu Chunmiao called out to him, "Can I come with you?"
Digging for wild vegetables was her favorite activity as a child, and she didn’t want to miss out. Moreover, she wanted to get closer to her brother-in-law and learn more about the Qi family.
Understanding her intentions, Qi Rong looked at his mother. After a moment's thought, Chen Ruolan decided it wouldn’t hurt to let Yu Chunmiao join them. It would be good for her to get familiar with the family and the surrounding environment.
"Go ahead, but don’t wander too far. Take care of your sister-in-law," she instructed.
Yu Chunmiao couldn’t help but smile; even though she was an adult, she still needed a half-grown child to look after her. But since it was her mother-in-law's wish, she was happy to accept it.
So, the two of them each carried a bamboo basket and took a small shovel as they walked up the mountain along the path in front of the yard.
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