After finishing dinner, Zhao Yan helped Madam Chen clear the table.
Seeing that Madam Chen felt a bit awkward about his actions, Zhao Yan turned and went back to his room.
Zhao Yan understood that Madam Chen's awkwardness stemmed from a difference in mindset. In his past life, he had always helped his mother clean up after meals—doing household chores like that was second nature to him.
Ever since his mother passed away from stomach cancer three years ago, Zhao Yan had long been used to eating alone, as cooking for one felt too lonely, coupled with his busy work schedule.
Zhao Yan had been eating takeout for three years.
Tonight, having a meal with his family for the first time in ages and clearing the table made Zhao Yan feel deeply nostalgic.
Yet he was also mindful of Madam Chen's feelings; they would take things slowly and not rush.
Zhao Yan's room was on the far eastern side, close to the mountain.
The room was originally quite small, and Zhao Gao had intended to let Zhao Yan live in the largest room in the middle, but Zhao Yan had declined.
He slept alone and only needed to return to his room to sleep at night; the rest of the time it was dim inside, and luxuries like candles were something their family could not afford right now.
So Zhao Yan had let Zhao Gao and Madam Chen take the large middle room, since the two of them needed more space, whereas he was just a bachelor and would be quite content having any place to sleep.
As for Zhao Yun, she lived in the room on the far western side, which was closer to the kitchen.
Zhao Yun was thrilled to have a room of her own. A new home, a new room, and now a new life—she would no longer have to endure the constant scolding of her grandmother and eldest aunt.
Zhao Yun felt utterly liberated.
The sun slowly rose from the east, and another busy day began in the village.
The same was true for Zhao Gao's household. Because the excitement had not yet worn off, Madam Chen had barely slept at all last night.
Hearing the distant crowing of a rooster, Madam Chen immediately turned over and got up.
Though she tried to keep her movements light, Zhao Gao still woke up beside her.
Zhao Gao was in much the same mood as Madam Chen, but his mind was still clouded with anxiety—not the worry of being disowned by his clan, but anxiety over their future livelihood.
Right now, the family was as poor as could be, without a single copper coin to their name, nor any farmland. Zhao Gao felt completely lost as to how they would make a living going forward.
He had tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep, and as soon as he heard movement beside him, he woke up too.
"Zhang Shi, go back to sleep. It's still early, I'll get up and prepare breakfast," Madam Chen said to Zhao Gao while smoothing her hair and clothes.
"No, I can't sleep either. I'll get up and help you so you can have an easier time," Zhao Gao said, immediately getting out of bed.
Madam Chen loved this feeling of pulling together toward the same goal, both of them working hard for this household and their two children.
As long as the children were well-off, Madam Chen was willing to endure any amount of hardship.
The cornmeal steamed buns that Aunt Wang had brought yesterday were finished last night, so today the family had no choice but to cook pure white rice.
Eating pure white rice on a completely ordinary day made Madam Chen's heart ache a little.
Yet there was no alternative; the family only had those two dou of rice left to cook, and they certainly couldn't fill their stomachs on salted vegetables alone.
Madam Chen grabbed a handful of rice, let a bit slip back through her fingers, and then placed the small handful into an earthenware jar to wash. Once washed, she added a ladle of water and set it on the stove to cook.
Zhao Gao had already got the fire going, so Madam Chen simply sat there to tend to it.
Carrying the family's only wooden bucket, Zhao Gao stepped through the morning dew to fetch water from the river. The water brought back last night had been completely used up.
Sanlang and Yun'er would need to wash up shortly, and there were still plenty of chores in the kitchen that required water.
Zhao Gao thought to himself that he had better hurry, otherwise the family would have no water to use.
Walking at a brisk pace, Zhao Gao reached the riverbank in no time at all.
*I should find time to come here and catch some fish to add a dish to the table and help nourish everyone's health,* Zhao Gao thought to himself.
After making three round trips, the family's water vat was finally full, and Zhao Gao wiped the sweat from his brow.
Seeing that there was nothing left to do in the kitchen, he walked over to the yard and picked up the makeshift broom he had tied together yesterday to sweep.
Aside from weeding, the yard had already been swept yesterday, and after a whole night, it still looked very clean.
Even so, Zhao Gao swept the courtyard with great enthusiasm.
*Swish, swish, swish.*
Zhao Yan had still been fast asleep, but the persistent "swish, swish, swish" sound right outside forced him to open his eyes.
The room was still somewhat dark. Zhao Yan groped his way out of bed, pushed open the door, and saw his father industriously cleaning up.
The ground didn't even look dirty; he honestly had no idea what his father was sweeping.
"Sanlang, you're awake! Go wash up quickly, your mother is almost done making breakfast," Zhao Gao said, spotting Zhao Yan standing in the doorway in a daze, prompting him with a smile.
"Dad, I know. I'll go wash up right now," Zhao Yan said, heading toward the kitchen.
Zhao Yun was already up, constantly following behind Madam Chen to help out. Zhao Yan suddenly realized that although it was still very early, he had inexplicably become the one "sleeping in."
...
Zhao Yan finished washing up in a hurry and found that Madam Chen had already set out the meal.
Since the family had no bowls, the porridge was served in the gourd ladles Zhao Gao had made yesterday; cutting a single gourd in half made two "bowls."
There were precisely four people in the family, so Zhao Gao had only prepared two gourds.
Looking at the gourd bowls in front of him, Zhao Yan didn't know whether to laugh or cry; this truly was survival in the wilderness.
Going up into the mountain today was a necessity, whether he liked it or not.
Improving the family's living conditions was his top priority right now.
Sipping the porridge at just the right temperature—though the water far outweighed the rice and felt watery the moment it hit his stomach—it tasted simply wonderful early in the morning, especially paired with a little bit of salted vegetables.
The additive-free, pollution-free rice and pickles made Zhao Yan feel as though he had finally escaped food filled with modern technology and heavy additives.
The rich, fragrant aroma of the rice made him eat with immense relish.
After finishing the meal, Zhao Yan didn't forget his main objective. He planned to mentally prepare his parents first.
"Dad, Mom, I'm planning to go take a look in the mountain later and find some edible things to bring back," Zhao Yan said, looking at Zhao Gao and Madam Chen.
"The mountain is dangerous, Sanlang, you'd better not go. Your dad is going to town today to carry heavy loads; Dad will earn money, so don't you worry, Sanlang," Zhao Gao hurriedly said.
"That's right, Sanlang, what your dad says is true. The mountain is so dangerous, you shouldn't go," Madam Chen chimed in to persuade him.
"Dad, Mom, don't worry, I know my limits. I'll just look around the outer edges and won't go deep inside," Zhao Yan explained. "I've been cooped up at home for too long and feel stifled anyway, so I want to go over there to clear my head. Things are tough at home right now, and I want to do my part for our family. Please say yes, Dad, Mom."
Zhao Gao and Madam Chen fell silent after hearing this. Thinking about it, what Sanlang said made sense; people from the village often went into the mountain to gather firewood, and if anything happened, they could look out for one another.
With that thought in mind, Zhao Gao and Madam Chen finally agreed.
"Go if you want to, just be careful. And don't worry too much about home, your dad is here," Zhao Gao said. Seeing his son all grown up and wanting to share the burden for the family, his heart swelled with immense relief.
Still, the necessary warnings had to be given, but since Sanlang had always been sensible and knew his boundaries, Zhao Gao could put his mind at ease.
Seeing that both parents had agreed, Zhao Yan finally breathed a sigh of relief. What he wanted was the family's support rather than sneaking off on his own, which would have forced him to invent excuses for whatever results he brought back later.
Zhao Yan didn't want to be so circuitous, so he had laid his cards on the table today. Fortunately, Zhao Gao and Madam Chen were relatively open-minded and respected their children's ideas.
After breakfast, Madam Chen and Zhao Yun cleaned up, Zhao Gao got ready to head to town to carry heavy loads, and Zhao Yan prepared to head into the mountain.