12 A New Father?

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With the two children not at home, Ye Qingzhi went to the kitchen to check. The rice pot was empty, indicating that the children had already eaten lunch. She first put away her things, then changed her clothes, preparing to go to the private field to pick some vegetables.

The original owner was indeed very capable; the fields were full of vegetables. At the base of the ridges, climbing crops were planted, and beans grew along the ridges—nothing wasted.

String beans, eggplants, cucumbers, pumpkins, and chili peppers—all in no time, Ye Qingzhi had filled a large basket to the brim.

“Qingzhi, you’re picking vegetables? The cucumbers in your garden grow so well,” said Sister Wang, passing by with her basket slung over her arm.

“Yours aren’t bad either,” Ye Qingzhi glanced at her basket and smiled.

“No, mine are all crooked and twisted. Hey, Qingzhi, do you know about your father-in-law’s family matters?” Sister Wang asked mysteriously.

Ye Qingzhi looked confused. “What matters?”

Sister Wang’s face fell with regret; she thought Ye Qingzhi knew and wanted to test her.

“I mean the headache your mother-in-law has been dealing with. Did your father-in-law really forgive her?” Sister Wang’s tone was that of someone eager for gossip.

Ye Qingzhi pinched a pumpkin vine; this would be delicious once prepared.

“You know my relationship with my father-in-law—I never visit them. How would I know their family affairs?” Ye Qingzhi rolled her eyes inwardly.

Knowing Ye Qingzhi’s nature—never meddling in others’ business and only sweeping the snow in front of her own door—it was normal for her to be unaware.

“Then you have a good relationship with Aunt Ye. Do you know about her daughter Juzi getting engaged? Who is the groom? What does he do?” Sister Wang changed topics.

Now Ye Qingzhi was truly baffled. Juzi is getting engaged? How come she hadn’t heard?

“I haven’t heard anything. It’s nonsense. Don’t spread rumors,” Ye Qingzhi said firmly, aware of Sister Wang’s big mouth, but not expecting it to be this loose.

“I’ve already heard. Aunt Ye was introduced to a matchmaker recently and often goes to Dayang Village. Apart from Juzi reaching marriageable age, who else in her family is looking to marry? Don’t keep it a secret—Is he from Dayang Village?” Sister Wang curled her lips, figuring it’s not a bad thing, so why keep it under wraps?

Ye Qingzhi suddenly realized the root of the matter was still linked to her.

“It’s nonsense. You know Aunt Ye’s character; she’s always helpful. She’s probably assisting relatives or friends. Juzi is still young; just a few days ago, Aunt Ye told me to wait a few more years,” Ye Qingzhi denied outright.

Sister Wang disagreed. Juzi is already seventeen and will be eighteen soon. If she wants a good match, she should start looking early.

“Juzi isn’t a kid anymore, Qingzhi. My family has a nephew, twenty years old, just three years older than Juzi. We have plenty of strong laborers and abundant grain every year. Since you get along well with Aunt Ye, help put in a good word!” Sister Wang linked arms with Ye Qingzhi, very affectionate.

So that was their plan. Ye Qingzhi pulled her arm free, picked up her basket, and walked off, saying, “Sister Wang, have you forgotten my current situation? Would it be appropriate for me to help your nephew?”

Sister Wang paused, suddenly remembering Ye Qingzhi had recently become a widow.

Although the old customs were fading, the common folk were still quite superstitious. Having a widow whose husband just passed away involved in matchmaking could stir resentment.

“Well, Juzi is still young, no rush to find someone. Qingzhi, I have things to do; I’ll leave first,” Sister Wang said awkwardly.

Since Wei Jiancheng hadn’t returned home for six years, Ye Qingzhi had been raising the two children alone. It seemed nothing had changed, so Sister Wang often forgot Ye Qingzhi was now a widow.

Back home, Ye Qingzhi dumped the vegetables on the ground, a large pile.

Other families had many members and could finish three big pots of food per day, but her family had only three. The original owner had planted a lot of good vegetables, which were always dried and taken to the market to exchange for things.

Ye Qingzhi planned to dry them too, but she wouldn’t exchange them. First, she now had money; second, by September, she would take the children with the army. Vegetables were much harder to come by in the northwest than in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, so all the dried vegetables would be brought along.

“Mom, you’re back!” Wei Anjie ran in, sweat dripping from his head.

“Where did you two go this afternoon? What about your brother?” Ye Qingzhi poured a bowl of warm water for him just as Wei Anmin came in, and gave him a bowl too. “What did you do this afternoon, all sweaty?”

“We went fishing with Wei Zhiqiang and the others. I put a really big one into the big water jar in the front yard,” Wei Anmin drank a few sips, excitedly explaining.

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“Fishing? You didn’t go to deep water, right?” Ye Qingzhi followed Wei Anjie into the yard to see the fish, which looked to weigh over a pound.

The brothers shook their heads. They always remembered their mother’s warning not to go into deep water. Even if Wei Zhiqiang and the others teased them for being cowards, they only played where the water was shallow.

“Both of you remember: don’t go to deep water. Safety first. Don’t think you’re fearless just because you can swim. Most drownings happen to good swimmers. Also, always warm up before going into the water. If you get a cramp, even shallow water can be dangerous,” Ye Qingzhi warned again, worried.

The two children nodded obediently. When their mother opened the cupboard and handed them two pieces of mung bean cake, they knew it was the gift from the Liberation Army uncle.

“Mom, how much did the yams sell for?” Wei Anmin took the cake but didn’t eat it immediately.

“Four yuan and twenty-four cents,” Ye Qingzhi answered honestly. She believed letting the sensible children know some of the family’s finances would ease their minds.

Sure enough, knowing the yams could bring money made Wei Anmin visibly more relaxed, and Wei Anjie’s smile grew even brighter.

“Tomorrow morning, Mom wants to take you to meet Uncle He. He said he’d take you to catch wild chickens and rabbits. Do you want to go?” Ye Qingzhi asked, seeking their opinion.

They had already been prepared to meet He Qiming, and now hearing about catching wild chickens and rabbits, they were even more excited.

That evening, Ye Qingzhi cooked in the kitchen while the two children watered the vegetables in the backyard.

“Brother, are we really going to have a new dad?” Wei Anjie was somewhat lost.

“Probably. Don’t worry, the new dad is a Liberation Army uncle. He’ll definitely treat us well. Actually, having a dad at home would be good. Mom wouldn’t have to work so hard. Haven’t you noticed? Mom’s been happier these days, not like before,” Wei Anmin lowered his head, his tone low.

Wei Anjie also recalled the old days when their mother was busy spinning like a top all day, never resting, often staring at the moon or their father’s clothes at night, sometimes hiding under the covers to cry silently.

“Okay, then tomorrow we’ll observe Uncle He carefully. If he really treats Mom well, I’ll agree to have him as my dad,” Wei Anjie nodded firmly.

Besides their nervousness, the two children were filled with hope. Though they said they had enough with just their mother, deep down they craved fatherly love.

The next morning, the children rose earlier than Ye Qingzhi. After washing up, they even prepared breakfast.

Wei Anmin, always thrifty, boiled four eggs—one for each of them.

“Well, the sun must be rising in the west! You actually cooked so many eggs?” Ye Qingzhi teased.

“Mom!” Wei Anmin sighed, helpless.

He was frugal for the family’s sake, but now that the yams brought money, he wouldn’t be so stingy—though saving where appropriate was still necessary.

“I know, Mom, I’m just joking with you,” Ye Qingzhi ruffled his hair.

After breakfast, packing the eggs and some pastries, Ye Qingzhi prepared to leave.

“Qingzhi, going to pick wild vegetables again? There’s already too many at home to eat. Why pick more?” Sister Li saw Ye Qingzhi carrying a basket and asked curiously.

“Not picking wild vegetables today, just going to gather firewood. Where are you two headed?” Ye Qingzhi returned the question to Sister Li and Sister Wang.

“We’re going with Sister Wang to find some tofu firewood. My husband suddenly said he wants to eat tofu made with firewood. By the way, since you go up the mountain every day, have you ever seen tofu firewood?” Sister Li looked at Ye Qingzhi expectantly.

Tofu firewood? Ye Qingzhi racked her memory. It was also called Guanyin tofu. She had eaten it in her previous life but never seen the raw material.

Previously, she had been focused on looking for gastrodia, and the last two times she went up the mountain, she was preoccupied with romance—no time to notice tofu firewood.

Of course, Ye Qingzhi couldn’t say that outright. She pretended to recall, then shook her head. “I don’t think I’ve seen it. If I did, I would have cut some already. I’ll look again today. If I find any, I’ll tell you.”

Sister Li and Sister Wang nodded. If Ye Qingzhi had seen tofu firewood, she would have harvested it since she only picked wild vegetables, which meant there truly was none around Niutou Ridge.

“Okay then, let’s go look over there. I remember a few trees, though I don’t know if someone else has cut them down,” Sister Li muttered as they left.

Watching them walk away, Ye Qingzhi breathed a sigh of relief. She feared they would say they were going to Niutou Ridge, which would ruin today’s plan.

At the spot, Ye Qingzhi didn’t see He Qiming but found his mark left behind—he had probably gone after prey again.

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“Mom, is Uncle He not here yet?” Wei Anmin looked around, then down towards the mountain. “Mom, from here you can see the whole village.”

“Really? It looks like a big chicken drumstick,” Wei Anjie said happily.

“Be careful, don’t stand too close to the edge,” Ye Qingzhi warned, fearing they might fall.

Just then, a rustling sound came. The three turned to see He Qiming emerging from the forest, carrying two wild chickens.

“Wild chickens?” Wei Anjie ran over, staring at the colorful birds, wanting to touch one but afraid of getting pecked.

“It’s okay. I’m holding its head down, you can touch it,” He Qiming said kindly.

Hearing that, Wei Anjie was delighted. But as he reached out, he glanced back at Ye Qingzhi and Wei Anmin, waiting for their nod before happily touching the bird.

He Qiming looked at the hesitant Wei Anmin standing still. “Do you want to touch it?”

Wei Anmin hesitated, then shook his head.

He Qiming raised an eyebrow; the older one clearly had more caution than the younger.

“That’s fine. When I was chasing them, a few escaped. I remember the direction; I’ll take you there, and you can catch them yourselves. I also know a rabbit’s nest. I’ll take you to catch rabbits later,” He Qiming said with a slight smile.

The children’s eyes sparkled. If they weren’t still getting to know him, they would have jumped up and urged him to hurry.

Ye Qingzhi chuckled softly. “This is Uncle He, Qiming. These are my two sons: the eldest, Wei Anmin, and this is Anjie.”

“Hello, Uncle He!” the boys said in unison.

“Hello, Anmin, Anjie. Nice to meet you,” He Qiming extended his hand and shook theirs solemnly.

Being taken seriously like this greatly increased the boys’ fondness for him.

They first went to the wild chicken nest but found no chickens—only a clutch of seventeen eggs, which thrilled the children immensely.

Next, they went to the rabbit’s den. He Qiming and Ye Qingzhi lit a fire at one entrance, while the boys guarded the other.

After a while, the smoke drove the rabbits toward the boys’ side. Quick and agile, each boy caught one rabbit. He Qiming caught two, and Ye Qingzhi even managed to catch a small one.

“I caught one! Ha ha, I caught one too!” Ye Qingzhi laughed more exaggeratedly than the children.

He Qiming put out the fire and covered it with soil to prevent any fire hazards. Seeing the joy on the mother and children’s faces, a smile lifted the corners of his mouth.

“I set two traps over there. Let’s go check if there’s any prey,” He Qiming said, tying the rabbits and tossing them into the basket.

“Great! Uncle He, you’re so amazing. Can you catch a big tiger?” Wei Anjie, now quite familiar with him, asked.

“If there’s a wooden spear, yes. Bare-handed, no,” He Qiming said, eyeing the steep slope ahead. He scooped up Wei Anjie, tucking him under his arm, and swiftly climbed up before putting him down. Then he leapt down again and carried Wei Anmin up.

“Uncle He, I can climb up myself,” Wei Anmin’s face flushed red as he mumbled.

“I know you can, but your mom would worry. Better I carry you up,” He Qiming smiled, set him down, then jumped down again to help Ye Qingzhi.

The brothers watched as He Qiming held Ye Qingzhi’s hand, carefully climbing up, then confidently led the way, clearing branches and warning them about difficult spots or lending a hand.

Is this what having a father feels like?

A tall and mighty presence shielding them from wind and rain?