"But son, it's so hard to buy cotton quilts these days!" As Mrs. Ke spoke, tears rolled down her cheeks again.

“It’s alright. I usually live in the labor camp and rarely come back. When winter comes, I’ll squeeze in with Xiao Heng, and when I have the chance, I’ll buy a new quilt,” Ke Wenpei said.

“Yes, Grandma, don’t cry. My brother and I can share a bed, and I can give the blanket to Dad.” Ke Wenpei’s daughter, Xiaomin, also spoke her first words of the night.

Standing to the side, Xiao Heng suggested, "Even if we can't buy it, it's okay. We can still grow cotton. Our family of four has four acres of land. We won't have to rely on our uncles, grandparents, and great-grandparents for help. We can just plant a small plot or two, and that will be enough to make a cotton quilt for Dad."

After a pause in her sobbing, Ke's mother realized that this made sense, so why was she still so upset?

Even Ke Wenpei never expected that he could grow these non-food crops in his own fields.

It seems that the mindset was formed because they were exploited too much in the past, always worried about not having enough to eat, and only dared to grow high-yield crops such as corn, sweet potatoes and potatoes.

Bian Haifang and Bian Haitao stopped walking out, realizing that they had forgotten about the two acres of land.

Bian Haitao grinned and put his things on the ground, saying, "Brother-in-law, shouldn't my sister get a share of that land too?"

“We don’t want your sister’s land, but our land has nothing to do with you either,” Ke Wenpei said firmly. “There’s no room for negotiation.”

"How can that be? My sister also worked hard; she got a share of your harvest." Bian Haitao said shamelessly, refusing to budge.

“The land in our family is all cultivated by the four of us. You know what kind of person your sister is, right?”

Ke Wenpei paused for a moment, then continued, "We don't need the harvest from her land this year. You can bring people to collect it when the time comes."

After the summer grain harvest is complete, we'll go to the land department to complete the formalities and transfer her land to your Bianjia Village. It'll save us the trouble of managing it in the city.

Bian Haitao's eyes lit up; he thought it was a good idea. Wouldn't that mean he'd legitimately have an extra acre of land?

Moreover, it's easier to manage if it's brought to the village.

He was about to say something more when the leader who had come to maintain appearances couldn't stand it anymore. He ordered the things to be thrown out and said, "Get out of here right now. If I ever see you shamelessly licking my boots again, I'll break your legs."

Bian Haitao shuddered, shrank his neck, and then rolled out shakily.

How could he forget that his brother-in-law was not the same as before, and that there were more than a dozen menacing figures sitting in the living room?

Bian Haifang was also startled. She never expected that her usually invincible brother would suffer such a setback, and she could only endure it without daring to resist.

It seems that what her brother said was true; if he hadn't rushed to protect her, they would have used violence to force her to sign the divorce papers.

Thinking of this, she felt even more grateful. Pushing her suitcase, she followed her brother out the door.

The moment she stepped out of the door, Ke Wenpei's cool voice came from behind her, "Leave the house key behind you."

Bian Haifang froze, not expecting that the other party had seen through her little scheme.

She reluctantly pulled the keys out of her pocket, threw them on the ground, turned and glared at Ke Wenpei, "With your stingy attitude, I won't come even if you invite me next time."

Then he slammed the door and left.

Xiao Heng picked up the key and put it in his father's hand.

He saw his mother hide it while he was supervising the construction, and he had just secretly told his father about it.

Having finally started a new life, he didn't want that woman to reappear and ruin their peaceful days.

Ke Wenpei held the key in his hand, not having time to lament the end of his marriage, when he heard his boss cough, "When you have time, you should change the lock cylinder. Nobody can guarantee she doesn't have a spare."

Ke Wenpei nodded, thinking that was the right thing to do, and soon after, he went to change the lock cylinder.

What he didn't know was that this action prevented him from being robbed again. Moreover, it was by the most difficult-to-guard-against "insider."

Seeing that it was getting late, the leaders of the labor force got up to say goodbye.

Ke Wenpei didn't try to stop him, after all, his home had nothing to offer and he was simply unable to provide hospitality. Even the nighttime negotiations he was conducting tonight were conducted using a desk lamp he had borrowed from the labor team.

After everyone had left, the family of four sat on the sofa, staring at each other blankly.

Ke Wenpei felt utterly exhausted by this damn life. He stared for a while until his eyes started to ache, then said, "Go back to sleep, it's getting late."

Mrs. Ke sighed, "Son, don't think too much. The rice and flour in the kitchen can last for three to five days if you eat them sparingly."

Tomorrow I'll take Xiaoheng and Xiaomin to dig for wild vegetables. At this time of year, lamb's quarters are especially tender, and so are elm leaves and toon leaves—they can all be eaten as a meal or a side dish.

Ke Wenpei gave a muffled "hmm," but his mood didn't improve at all.

He was indeed having a headache about where to get his own food. After all, the laborers had already made an exception once, and he was too embarrassed to ask again. He had also already borrowed from all his neighbors.

As for supermarkets, it's unclear when they will reopen. Furthermore, it's uncertain whether their rice, flour, and cooking oil will be prioritized for disaster relief.

With something on his mind, he lay in bed unable to sleep. He didn't fall asleep until dawn the next day.

Then he bid farewell to his mother and children and returned to the guard.

When he returned to his dorm, he found more than a dozen plastic bags piled on his bed. The bags contained either rice or flour, and each bag weighed about one or two kilograms.

His roommates told him that it was a gift from the laborers who had gone home with him yesterday, but since everyone's family was struggling financially, the gift was a little light, and they hoped that Ke Wenpei wouldn't mind.

But how could he mind? No amount of affection can compare to the kindness shown in times of need.

Ke Wenpei thanked them gratefully, and then silently engraved their names in his heart.

After that, he continued to work diligently as always.

Although there were often rumors about his marital status among the labor workers, he always turned a deaf ear to them.

After a while, no one said it anymore.

However, thinking about his family, he would always try to save two steamed buns from his meals, then take them back to his dormitory to slice and air-dry them.

When we get home, we can take it back with us to give our mothers and children an extra meal.

Time passed day by day. He was in good spirits, but he was getting thinner and thinner.

Finally, the holiday arrived, and he returned home carrying a bag of steamed bun slices and more than ten kilograms of grain, only to find that the family, consisting of one adult and two children, were practically skin and bones.