The main tasks on the mountain now are watering and weeding, which aren't too strenuous, but they still require people to do them.

As the two old men pushed a cart of hay back to the cowshed, the team's bell rang, which meant that the morning's work was over, and everyone could go home to cook and rest.

Without Gu Hanting even needing to greet him, Jiang Weihan went straight to the courtyard where Jiang Qiao and the others were staying.

"Hey little girl, what did you eat? How did you manage to turn into a living person?"

Jiang Qiao said with a smile, "I felt a little bad for my parents before, but I should be considered normal now. No matter how I change, I am still Jiang Qiao."

The old man sniffed the air in the yard. "Girl, didn't you cook anything delicious?"

Jiang Qiao smiled and looked at the old man. "Who said that? Making delicious food can make people smell it too? Wait for me to get you one to take home and eat."

When Jiang Qiao pulled out a ball of mud, Jiang Weihan was dumbfounded. "What is this? Are you going to eat dirt now? No way!"

Jiang Qiao stuffed the things into the old man's arms. "You can just pry them open when you get home and eat them. You'll understand what's going on once you see what's inside. Or, why don't you eat some here?"

The old man waved his hand and said, "No, it's too crowded during the day. It's better to be careful. I'm thinking of supporting my brother."

"Grandpa Jiang, I'll come over to your house for a visit tonight, don't go to bed so early."

Jiang Weihan knew exactly what Jiang Qiao had been up to in the past; they had really benefited a lot from Gu Hanting over the past few years.

Just as everyone was about to eat, Gu Hanting and Qiao Jie returned.

"Quickly, we're waiting for you to eat. Grandpa Qiao, how are you? Are you tired? If you are, we won't treat anyone anymore. You can just stay home and rest. Our family isn't short of money."

As Qiao Jie washed his hands, he sighed, "I know about our family, but it's different for other families. Without me as their doctor, what would they do if they got sick?"

"Go to the hospital, I can't bear to. If you just tough it out like this, it'll become a serious illness. I'll just consider it an act of kindness, helping out whenever I can. I've worked hard my whole life, and you want me to stop? I feel terrible."

Jiang Qiao smiled and handed the old man a towel, saying, "As long as you like it, we'll do whatever makes us happy."

During the meal, Jiang Qiao casually asked about the situation here.

Speaking of this year's crops, the old man had a rare smile on his face. "Not bad, at least a little better than last year. Fortunately, the irrigation ditches and reservoirs we dug have worked. Everyone is working hard, so we can at least fill our stomachs. It's just a matter of how much or how little we have."

"Thankfully, the grain you procured beforehand solved everyone's immediate crisis; otherwise, another batch would have fallen ill."

Qiao Jie nodded in agreement, "That's right, otherwise a lot of people would really have collapsed."

The old man nodded as he ate the vegetables with dipping sauce, "Our homemade sauce is still the best. Girl, take some back with you when you leave."

Jiang Qiao chuckled, "It's not just sauce, my third uncle even asked me for vegetables. We'll really bring some back with us later."

"Grandpa, Grandpa Qiao, why don't you come back with us? You said your son and grandson are all in the city, so there's not much point in you staying here. And no one says people can't leave. The saying 'raising children to provide for old age' isn't just empty talk; it has to be put into practice."

Gu Hanting smiled and shook his head. "I'm not going to the city. My identity is only one reason. You know, at my age, I can still move around. If I stay quietly in the city, I'm worried about my health. It's good to be able to move around more in the countryside. I'm much better off these past two years than before—"

Gu Zhixuan and Gu Zhihong nodded in agreement. "That's right. When we came back, a lot of people talked to us about things in the city. Before, when they saw us, they would try to stay far away, as if we were carrying a plague. Now that I think about it, it all feels like a dream."

"Yes, some people have asked me if I'm going to study in the city. Grandpa, will they keep doing this?"

Jiang Qiao broke off chicken legs and put them in the bowls of the two old men. "I can't say for sure if it will always be like this, but it certainly won't get too bad. We've all grown up, and we still have my dad and uncle. Anyone who dares to bully our family members again is asking for a beating."

After hearing this, the two brothers looked at Jiang Qiao and chuckled, "When the time comes, we'll fight together. We're brothers in arms, and fathers and sons fight side by side. Even though we have few kids, each of us can do the work of ten."

Let me tell you, your brother is completely different now than before.

"Are you still getting beaten up?"

Gu Zhixuan smiled and shook his head. "Although I also got hit, I fought back more often, unlike at the beginning. Your idea is good. I'll have Zhihong join me later. Where else can you find such a good thing with so many free sparring partners? By the way, you have to get me some food later. You have to make sure the horse runs and you also feed it."

Jiang Qiao nodded. "Okay, I'll give you some more money and tickets later. My brother's expenses will naturally increase after he goes there. Your uncle's money might not be enough, but I have some here."

Gu Zhihong was embarrassed first, but Jiang Qiao put her arm around her younger cousin's shoulder and said, "What's there to be embarrassed about? We're siblings, blood relatives. Who could be closer to us than us?"

"If we have the ability, then of course we'll help you. But once you're an adult, even if you asked me to take care of you, I wouldn't bother. So, during this time, focus on learning, not just from books, but more importantly, on how to conduct yourself in society. Just don't become a bookworm. It's okay if you're not good at studying, but you need to figure out how to be a good person."

"Sister, don't worry, I'm not that kind of person."

Gu Hanting took out the watch that Jiang Qiao had bought for him from his pocket. "This was bought for you by your sister back then, but it's too conspicuous in the countryside. Now that you're going to study in the city, you need this. Wear it so you can check the time. With this watch, at least you won't be late."

Gu Zhihong happily accepted it. He had seen it before and liked it very much, but in the countryside, buying a watch was a big deal. If a landlord's grandson wore this, wouldn't he attract hatred? So he had never dared to wear it. Now he finally had the chance.

Gu Hanting took a bite of chicken leg meat and said while chewing, "Girl, there's something else Grandpa hasn't said yet. Don't be fooled by the fact that things are calm for now. It's all because of the food shortage. Everyone is focused on eating and not thinking about anything else but how to survive."

But when a person is full and has nothing to do, he will start to think about it. It's just that we, as ordinary people, can't see the undercurrents behind it.

You said that when we go to the city, the people we know are at most the neighbors around here. The relationship between us is probably just a nodding acquaintance. It's different in the countryside. Generations of people have lived together here. Everyone knows each other. If something happens, everyone will be more considerate.

"If anything really happens in the future, I'll be much safer in the countryside than in the city."