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Xu Fang wiped her tears as she sat down, looking more pitiful than her hungry mother-in-law. Even though Yu Chunmiao had arrived in a fit of anger, her fury had mostly dissipated by now.
Qi Chong walked into the yard and looked at the wild vegetables laid out to dry, reminiscent of the times when his family was poor. He picked a leaf of wild vegetable and put it in his mouth, finding it increasingly bitter as he chewed.
When he returned inside, Xu Popo was outside while Xu Fang was inside. The sound of Xu Fang's lamenting echoed from within: "You’re hurting here and there all day long. Why don’t you just stop? Staying at home, we could manage with just two steamed buns a day. What’s the point of digging up all these wild vegetables? Just looking at that green patch outside makes me sick."
Xu Popo squatted by the wall, crying as she said, "Wild vegetables are food too! If you add more to the buns, can't I eat them?"
Qi Chong thought of his father, who had promised to help the villagers go up the mountain. Wasn’t it because he saw these struggles? To care only for oneself or to help the villagers through tough times—his father chose the former. What about him?
He walked to the kitchen and said to Xu Fang, "You should let Xu Popo eat more these days. Give me some time to think of a solution."
Xu Fang wiped her tears and stood up, saying, "You’re the village chief; I’ll listen to you. But if you can’t come up with a solution and our food runs out, I won’t let you off easily."
Qi Chong simply replied, "I won’t let that happen."
The couple stepped outside but didn’t head home. Qi Chong took Yu Chunmiao for a walk around the village. Every household was similar; in their yards, aside from clothes drying, there were wild vegetables.
Children ran along the road in ill-fitting clothes that clearly belonged to their older siblings. Noticing Qi Chong’s heavy expression, Yu Chunmiao squeezed his hand and asked, "What are you thinking about?"
Qi Chong stopped and asked her, "You mentioned that in your world’s villages, everyone can have enough to eat. When children grow up, they get new clothes and shoes. If they want meat, they can buy it anytime—not just during festivals. Wild vegetables are an occasional treat rather than a necessity."
Yu Chunmiao looked at a child playing with pebbles on the ground and replied, "Yes, and every village has schools where children can attend for free for nine years. They learn everything from Goose Goose Goose to 'Worry first for the world and rejoice later.'"
"Worry first for the world and rejoice later," Qi Chong repeated quietly.
As night fell, the couple did not engage in their usual intimate activities since it was Qi Fu’s memorial day. Qi Chong lay on his bed with his hands under his head, staring blankly at the ceiling. Yu Chunmiao rested on his chest, tracing her fingers over his abdominal muscles.
"Yu Chunmiao," Qi Chong suddenly said out of nowhere, "I want to take the villagers up the mountain."
Yu Chunmiao continued her actions, saying calmly, "No."
Qi Chong suddenly sat up, looking at her intently as he asked, "Did you guess?"
"I figured it out when you told Xu Fang that you were coming up with a solution," Yu Chunmiao replied, sitting up with a serious expression. "I was certain when you silently recited the phrase about worrying for the world before yourself. I’m not completely unaware, but today is not the day to make a decision. I’ll give you three days to think it over. If you still feel the same way then, I will definitely support you."
Yu Chunmiao was concerned that he might have been moved by the plight of Xu Popo's family and made a hasty decision without proper consideration.
Qi Chong pulled her into his embrace and softly said, "Yu Chunmiao, you truly..."
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