A voice drifted in from outside—Gu Juncheng. Was he ordering the boy to stand in the corner again? She quickly got out of bed and washed up, just in time to see Gu Juncheng stepping out of Zhiyuan’s room. Upon seeing her, Gu Juncheng cleared his throat and averted his gaze. Lin Qingping was speechless. *What on earth is going through his head?* “What happened to Zhiyuan?” Gu Juncheng’s expression finally returned to normal. “The little rascal learned to run away from home! I caught him at the village entrance and dragged him back.” It hit Lin Qingping like a ton of bricks. Zhiyuan’s words from yesterday: *I’ll leave…* He actually meant it. She carried a glass of milk into Zhiyuan’s room. For such a small boy, his military posture was impeccable, his little frame ramrod straight. He didn’t even turn his head at the sound of someone entering. “Zhiyuan,” she called to him. “Have you had your milk today?” Zhiyuan tilted his head slightly but ignored her. The ice between them had yet to break. Ever since she had married into the family, she had paid him no mind. Zhiyuan didn't like her, but he understood one thing clearly: she was Uncle Gu's wife, one of his own. So when people outside badmouthed her, he had to defend her, if only to protect his Uncle Gu’s honor. Lin Qingping looked at the little boy, her heart filled with a tender pity. “Here, drink your milk.” Just like last time, she held it to his lips. This time, however, he didn’t drink, ducking his head to avoid it. “What’s wrong? Can you tell me?” she asked patiently. “I heard from your Uncle Gu that you were trying to leave?” The word “leave” finally got a reaction out of him, but he only buried his head lower. “I’ll go after Uncle Gu returns to the army.” “Why do you want to leave? Where would you go?” she asked, astonished. Zhiyuan fell silent again. Lin Qingping thought for a moment, then set the glass of milk down. “What if I told you I won’t let you leave?” At that, Zhiyuan’s head snapped up. Lin Qingping saw it then—the boy’s eyes were red-rimmed again. “I won’t let you leave, Zhiyuan,” she repeated. “Then… then you’ll give me eggs, and milk powder…” the little boy stammered. “What does that have to do with you leaving?” She was confused. Zhiyuan’s head drooped. “That’s how it is in the operas and the stories. They give you good food and wine, then a farewell gift, and send the guest on their way…” Lin Qingping was stunned. So that was the misunderstanding. Such a sensitive and precocious child, his mind was always working overtime… “I… I…” Lin Qingping pulled the stammering boy into her arms. “Zhiyuan, that’s not what I meant at all. You’ve misunderstood. From now on, you’ll have eggs and milk every day. I’ll make them for you, right here in this house. I just want you to grow up big and strong, just like your Uncle Gu.” Zhiyuan said nothing, but Lin Qingping could feel a damp patch spreading on the thin fabric of her summer blouse where his face was pressed against her. *Zhiyuan, thank you for calling me ‘Mom.’ In this life, we’ll start over, you and I…* Lin Qingping didn’t make Zhiyuan continue standing in the corner. After watching him drink his milk, she boiled an egg for him, and then she started on the family’s meal. In her past life, she had worked in the restaurant business and was a gifted cook. But during her time in the Gu family, she had earned a reputation for being gluttonous and lazy, never lifting a finger and hoarding any good food for herself. But today, she walked into the kitchen. Her mother-in-law, Liu Fen, stared as if she’d seen the sun rise in the west. “Um… Juncheng is back after so long. I want to make him something to eat,” Lin Qingping explained. “You… you can go take care of other things. I’ll handle this.” No matter how much of a drama queen her daughter-in-law usually was, the sentiment for her son softened Liu Fen’s heart. She relinquished the kitchen to her. Resources were scarce in the countryside during this era. Her mother-in-law treated oil and sugar like treasure, using them sparingly. Lin Qingping didn't dare be wasteful, making a meal with only the ingredients at hand. She steamed a large pumpkin until it was soft, mashed it into a pulp, and mixed it with cornmeal to make a heaping basin of pumpkin pancakes. Not wanting to waste oil by deep-frying, she pan-fried them with just a hint of it. They were delicious; the pumpkin grown in their own village was naturally sweet, and the finished product had a subtle sweetness that would become popular in desserts decades later. Next, she grilled the tofu directly over the fire, sprinkling it with chili powder and salt. While it lacked the spectacular burst of a molten-centered tofu dish, it was leagues better than her mother-in-law’s tendency to either stir-fry it into a mush or burn it black. She then charred the green beans in a cast-iron wok, did the same with the green peppers, and then tossed them together. The aroma was so intense her mother-in-law thought she had set the kitchen on fire. A large plate of stir-fried cabbage completed the meal. When the dishes were on the table, Zhiyuan’s eyes lit up, fixed on the pumpkin pancakes. Her mother-in-law was equally shocked. Lin Qingping placed two pancakes on Zhiyuan’s plate first, then said to her mother-in-law, “Mom, you start eating. I’ll go get Dad and Juncheng.” She assumed Gu Juncheng was helping his father in the fields, but when she got there, only her father-in-law was present. After calling him for the meal, she continued her search for Gu Juncheng. She circled the village but couldn't find him. Instead, she saw a crowd of villagers running toward the back mountain. “Hurry! There’s been a landslide on the back mountain! Someone’s hurt!” “Let’s go see!” The villagers, young and old, were a kind-hearted bunch, all rushing toward the mountain. A chill went down Lin Qingping’s spine. Could Gu Juncheng be up there? She had looked everywhere else. She broke into a run, following the villagers up the mountain. Soon, they reached the site of the landslide. Looking up from below, Lin Qingping saw him. Gu Juncheng was dangling from a tree, one hand gripping a branch, the other holding onto a person: Chen Xia. Chen Xia’s cries echoed through the valley. “Brother Juncheng, Brother Juncheng, don’t let go! I’m so scared…” Lin Qingping’s heart leaped into her throat. The tree he was clinging to was already groaning, about to give way. The two of them weren’t actually that high off the ground. If Gu Juncheng simply let go, they would survive, though whether they’d escape without broken bones was another question. More importantly, Gu Juncheng had died young in her past life. The shadow of that memory made her unable to bear the thought of him facing any danger at all. She didn’t dare even shout his name, terrified the shock might make him lose his grip. The villagers below had unfurled a large fishing net. “Juncheng!” they yelled up. “Let go! We’ll catch you!” “Alright! I’m letting go! Hold it tight!” Gu Juncheng shouted back. Then, he released his grip, and the two of them fell into the net. The moment Lin Qingping saw him land safely, a wave of relief washed over her. But then she saw the two of them in the net. Chen Xia threw her arms around Gu Juncheng’s neck and burst into tears. “Waaaah, Brother Juncheng, thank you! Oh, thank you! I was so scared…” Lin Qingping noticed Chen Xia was wearing a green blouse. She suddenly remembered the figure in green she’d glimpsed disappearing behind a tree the other day… A woman’s intuition—alarm bells started ringing in Lin Qingping’s head. Chen Xia was the one who had broken off her engagement with Gu Juncheng because she couldn't stand Zhiyuan. But hadn't Chen Xia gotten engaged to a young man from the city who was sent to the countryside for "re-education" and moved to the city with him? That was before she and Gu Juncheng had even married. What was she doing back here now?