Time flew by amidst the whirring of shovels and the piling of bricks.

In the Great Northern Wilderness, the days are extremely long in summer. It wasn't until the sky was ablaze with a magnificent sunset, turning half the sky red, that the brand-new red brick toilet and bathroom in the corner of the courtyard was finally completed.

The dusty brick walls were still damp, and the wooden door was heavy and sturdy, with a brand-new iron lock on it.

Although simple, it was a world of difference compared to the previous tarpaulin shed that leaked air from all sides.

"Commander Huo, take a look, is it alright?" Foreman Lao Zhang rubbed his hands, which were covered in mud and calluses, with a simple smile on his face, revealing a set of teeth that had been stained yellow by cheap tobacco leaves.

Howard inspected it carefully; the walls were smooth, the door frames fit perfectly, and the roof felt was laid out properly.

He nodded, took out the wages he had prepared beforehand—a thick wad of small bills, counted clearly—and handed it to Old Zhang: "Master Zhang, thank you all for your hard work, you did a great job! Here's your wages, please count them."

Old Zhang took the money, his rough fingers, wet with saliva, quickly counted it, his smile widening as he repeatedly said, "Oh, Commander Huo, you're too kind! It's nothing, it's nothing! This money is just right!"

He turned and called to the exhausted workers, "Brothers, pack up your gear! Commander Huo has settled the bill!"

The workers cheered and hurriedly gathered their tools and pushed the cart.

The thin worker remained silent, but like the others, he took the wages distributed by Old Zhang, stuffed them into his pocket without even looking at them, lowered his head, pushed the empty cart, and followed the group as they creaked away from the courtyard. His figure quickly disappeared into the twilight-shrouded dirt road of the family compound.

Howard stood at the gate of the courtyard, watching the construction team walk away until the last figure turned the corner and disappeared from sight, before he slowly withdrew his gaze.

The afterglow of the setting sun gilded his hard profile, and beneath the calm surface of his deep eyes lay an unyielding vigilance.

He turned around, preparing to go back into the house to check on Mingzhao.

Just then, the gate to the neighboring courtyard creaked open.

Li Xiaocao carefully carried out a large, rough porcelain bowl covered with a white cloth. She immediately spotted Huo Hua standing at the courtyard gate, and her face broke into a warm yet slightly awkward smile: "Commander Huo! You're back!"

Howard paused, then nodded politely: "Sister-in-law Wang."

Li Xiaocao carried the bowl and walked quickly to the gate of Huo Hua's courtyard. She glanced into the house and asked, "Is Mingzhao inside? I'll bring her some food."

She lifted the white cloth covering the bowl, revealing four fist-sized, snow-white steamed buns inside, clearly made with a lot of white flour, emitting a simple, earthy aroma.

"Sister-in-law Wang, there's no need to be so polite. We have food at home," Huo Hua said politely, his tone gentle but distant.

"Oh, Commander Huo, please don't refuse!" Li Xiaocao said quickly, raising her voice a little. "I promised Mingzhao the day before yesterday! I steamed some buns for her to try! I noticed you weren't here yesterday, so I quickly brought them over today! I promised her!"

Her tone carried a simple stubbornness, as if fulfilling this "promise" was an extremely important matter.

Howard was slightly taken aback.

Did you make a promise with Mingzhao? Mingzhao, who rarely speaks and is as clueless about human relationships as a child, actually made a promise with her neighbor to collect steamed buns?

He looked suspiciously at the simple white steamed buns in Li Xiaocao's hand, then looked back at the tightly closed door of his own main room.

After a moment's hesitation, he called out into the house, "Zhaozhao? Sister-in-law Wang has brought you some steamed buns."

A few seconds of silence filled the room. Just as Howard thought Mingzhao wouldn't come out and was about to politely decline again, the door to the main room was gently opened.

Mingzhao stood at the door, still wearing that faded old jacket, holding her brand-new grid sketchbook in her arms.

Her gaze first fell on Li Xiaocao's face, as if to confirm her identity, and then slowly moved down, settling on the bowl of steaming mixed grain buns.

Her eyes were calm, without the sparkle she had when she saw the new wardrobe, or the cold sharpness she had shown when she noticed the "eyes" earlier.

It was a kind of... almost procedural confirmation.

When Li Xiaocao saw her come out, her smile became even more genuine, filled with the ease and joy of completing a task. She handed the bowl forward: "Mingzhao, here! I promised you, it's fresh out of the pot and still warm!"

Mingzhao looked at the steamed buns in the bowl, then looked up at Li Xiaocao's expectant eyes.

She didn't say anything, but simply reached out her thin hand and picked up the top bun from the bowl.

The steamed bun was a little hot, but she held it very steadily.

Then, she nodded very slightly but clearly to Li Xiaocao.

He didn't say "thank you," but the nod he made carried more weight in Howard's eyes than any polite words. It was Mingzhao's fulfillment and acknowledgment of the "agreement."

Li Xiaocao clearly understood as well.

Her smile was like a blooming sunflower, radiant and content, and she exclaimed repeatedly, "Oh! Good! Good! Take it and eat! If it's not enough, we have more at home!"

She shoved the bowl into Huo Hua's hands, "Commander Huo, you and Mingzhao can share the rest!" After saying that, as if afraid that Huo Hua would refuse again, she turned around and quickly walked back to her own yard, her steps so light that she seemed to be flying.

Howard held the bowl with three steamed buns left, watched Li Xiaocao disappear behind the gate of the neighboring courtyard, then looked down at the simple food in his hand, and finally turned his gaze to Mingzhao beside him, who was holding a steamed bun and curiously poking at its soft surface with his fingertips.

He was overwhelmed with mixed feelings.

The world of Mingzhao seems to be embracing the everyday life of this era at an extremely slow yet incredibly steady pace.

For her, this act of "agreeing" and "receiving" might be a more difficult step forward than learning to say "thank you".

——

The small courtyard next door.

Wang Aiguo was squatting on his doorstep, holding a tattered palm-leaf fan, fanning himself idly to ward off the annoying mosquitoes.

Seeing Li Xiaocao return empty-handed with an undisguised smile on her face, he curled his lip and said sourly:

"Oh, you've delivered them all? There were only a few steamed buns, and you wouldn't even let your own man have a bite, but you gave them all to the neighbor? What kind of love potion did Mingzhao give you?"

Li Xiaocao's smile vanished, but her back straightened ramrod. She walked to the stove, deftly lifted the pot lid, and inside were several smaller, but whiter, two-part steamed buns (cornmeal mixed with wheat flour).

"promise."

She took one out, walked up to Wang Aiguo, and shoved it directly into his hand, her movements displaying a decisive and authoritative air.

"Eat up! There's plenty!" Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unprecedented confidence. "Look at you, so pathetic! A few sorghum buns are nothing to be so sour about?"

Wang Aiguo was given a steamed bun and paused for a moment, looking at his wife's eyes, which appeared exceptionally bright and spirited under the dim light, and her straight back.

He lowered his head and took a bite of the soft, two-grain steamed bun in his hand, chewing it slowly, the aroma of wheat mixed with the sweetness of corn spreading in his mouth.

He suddenly chuckled, his voice carrying a sense of relief and a barely perceptible satisfaction.