It was another snowy day, and Chen Yunyun struggled to get out of bed.

As soon as she stepped out of the main room, a cold wind blew straight in through the seams of her clothes, causing Chen Yunyun to shiver and shrink her neck.

I poured out the dumplings I made last night from the sieve; they were already frozen solid. I started boiling water and decided to have some dumplings for breakfast.

Once the water was boiling vigorously, Chen Yunyun prepared a dipping sauce. The combination of chili oil and vinegar was perfect for the dumplings.

Several people sat around the table, the fire in the stove behind them burning fiercely. The heat made Chen Yunyun's back scorch, so she took off her clothes.

Each of the three had a bowl overflowing with dumplings in front of them. The third child's bowl only had two pitifully big ones, but the little guy didn't care about that. He stared intently at the dumplings, and clear drool dripped down his bib.

The dumplings were made last night, and both of the older children helped out.

At first, Da Wa and Niu Niu didn't know how to wrap them; their technique was clumsy. They tore the wrappers or put too much filling in, causing it to leak out...

Chen Yunyun patiently helped them wrap the package with her own hands.

Children learn quickly, and in no time they had wrapped the dumplings beautifully. Chen Yunyun generously rewarded each of them with a piece of beef jerky.

Homemade dumplings have thin wrappers and generous fillings, made with pork and chopped cabbage, all soaked in delicious broth. One bite and they burst with juice, so fresh and delicious!

Dip them in the sauce on the side, and they're incredibly flavorful, filling your mouth with the aroma of dumplings.

Perhaps because they cooked it themselves, the two children ate more than usual.

Fearing they might have indigestion, after breakfast and a short rest, I let the two children run laps in the yard.

Chen Yunyun was holding a ball of cloth and cotton, preparing to make a scarf, when Niu Niu came over and whispered, "Mom, when is Dad coming back?"

Hearing the question, the eldest child also looked over.

Chen Yunyun paused, casually fiddling with the cloth ball. "Your father wrote that he can't come back for the New Year because he has a mission. He said he'll have to wait until after spring next year to come back."

This was also Chen Yunyun's explanation to the villagers. After all, the children's adoptive father had disappeared, and she couldn't conjure one up; she could only coax and deceive them.

That day, she redeemed a "good item" from the system, so even if someone came to cause trouble, she wouldn't be afraid. After all, Chen Yunyun, who had earned 100 points, now had a trump card to protect herself!

Seeing Niu Niu's disappointed look, Chen Yunyun added as if possessed, "Your dad sent the money back. Let's have a good New Year this year."

"How about we make a new dress for Ah Tian?"

Children love new clothes, and I thought Niu Niu would be happy, but to my surprise, Niu Niu held her hand and said with a tender look, "Mom, I don't want you to be tired."

Niu Niu's little hands, calloused from the heat, were still resting on Chen Yunyun's, conveying a continuous stream of warmth.

For some reason, Chen Yunyun felt as if her most tender spot had been touched, and her whole demeanor softened.

She squeezed Niu Niu's little hand and praised her, "Ah Tian is so sensible! Mommy loves Ah Tian so much!"

Niu Niu smiled shyly, and Chen Yunyun pulled her into her arms. The two of them watched the snow together under the eaves, enjoying a very leisurely time.

A few days ago, Tiger's mother was getting breakfast for Tiger at a state-run restaurant when she passed by the post office and saw Chen Yunyun coming out of the post office.

Chen Yunyun's hands were empty, and a look of worry appeared between her brows.

The whole village knew that Chen Yunyun lived off the money her husband sent back, so when she saw this, Hu Zi's mother wondered: Had she not received a letter from Zhijun? Or had Zhijun not sent any money?

After Chen Yunyun left, Tiger's mother, as if possessed, stepped into the post office to inquire and stuffed a meat bun into his hand. Only then did the post office clerk relent.

"That woman was looking for a letter from her husband. He works in the military. We haven't received any letters from them for months, and she keeps coming over every few days to ask. It's really annoying for us."

Tiger's mother stared wide-eyed, stammering, "What did you say?"

The post office clerk repeated it again.

Tiger's mother frowned even more deeply, a deep furrow appearing on her forehead. Zhijun hadn't sent any letters back?

Where did Chen Yunyun get the money to repay the debt?

They even lied to the villagers, saying that Zhijun would be coming back for the Chinese New Year.

Tiger's mother was in a daze and didn't even know how she got back to the hospital.

Tiger was still lying in the hospital bed, his face dark and pale, and he had visibly lost a lot of weight.

My son sleeps a lot and is awake for little time; in the past few days, he has even started bleeding from all seven orifices.

The doctor said it was like a common cold, but the more they treated him, the weaker he became, and it looked like he only had a few days left to live.

Zhang the hunter stayed by his son's side every step of the way, and hadn't slept well for several days. His eyes were filled with frighteningly red blood vessels.

Seeing that Tiger's mother looked like she'd lost her soul after buying breakfast, and that two of the meat buns were missing, Zhang the hunter was so angry that he kicked Tiger's mother.

The kick landed squarely on Tiger's mother's back, causing her to fall to the ground, her head bleeding profusely.

“I told you to go buy breakfast, and you still sneaked some. You clumsy thing, get out of here.”

Zhang the hunter spoke sternly and harshly, and Tiger's mother dared not disobey, so she could only hide in the corridor and wrap her head with a cloth.

After Tiger's mother left, Zhang the hunter scooped the rice porridge he had brought back for his son to eat.

Tiger's eyes were half-open, his gaze unfocused.

He couldn't get any food into his nose, and blood started seeping from the tip of his nose.

Seeing his son like this, Zhang the hunter slammed the bowl down on the table, spilling all the rice porridge and making a mess of the table.

What a lousy hospital! They almost killed his son! Damn it!

Enraged, he kicked the door open and went outside, attacking any doctor he saw, shouting all the way to the doctor's office.

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