Lin Wanqiu clutched the one yuan and fifty cents she had just received from Master Li, her fingertips burning from the edge of the banknote, a warmth that spread through her heart. This money wasn't relief grain distributed by the brigade, nor was it a handout from someone pitying her; it was money she had earned honestly from the vegetables she grew in her spatial dimension, every penny carrying the fresh scent of the earth and her own confidence. She glanced down at Chen Nian'an, who was clutching the hem of her clothes, his eyes still glued to the empty bowl, and couldn't help but ruffle her son's hair: "An'an, from now on, Mommy can buy you candy."
Shen Nian'an blinked his dark, grape-like eyes and shook his little head like a rattle: "I don't want candy, I want to drink vegetable soup with Mom." He still remembered the bowl of soup with golden egg flowers floating on top, so delicious that he almost swallowed his tongue. It was much sweeter than the frozen sweet potatoes he used to secretly pick up.
Lin Wanqiu chuckled at her son's honesty and led him into the house. Just as she stepped over the threshold, she noticed the withered grass in the corner of the courtyard rustle. Her heart tightened, and she unconsciously pulled Nian'an behind her back—she'd felt like someone was watching her these past few days. The other night, while clearing land in the back hills, she'd bumped into a dark figure. She hadn't seen the face clearly, only remembered that the person was tall and didn't look like a typical village farmer. Could it be that Old Lady Shen had sent someone to spy on her again?
She deliberately raised her voice, pretending to tidy up the firewood in the yard: "It's too cold in this weather. I'll have to tighten the fence more tomorrow so the stray dogs don't eat the vegetables." As she spoke, she glanced at the corner of the wall and saw that the withered grass had moved again, but then it stopped moving.
Once she was sure the people in the shadows had left, Lin Wanqiu breathed a sigh of relief and pulled Nian'an into the house. She carefully slipped the money into a wooden box under the bed. This box was part of the original owner's dowry; it was carved with several nearly worn-out peonies. Inside, besides the 1.5 yuan, there were only a few sewing needles and half a bar of soap. Touching the cool surface of the box, she thought to herself: If the canteen could consistently buy vegetables, she could earn a stable income. She would save enough money to completely sever ties with the Shen family, then find a secluded place to build a small mud house, and the two of them could live a peaceful life.
Just then, Aunt Wang's voice came from outside the door: "Is Wanqiu home?"
Lin Wanqiu quickly stuffed the box back under the bed, dusted off her hands, and opened the door to greet her: "Aunt Wang, is there something you need?"
Aunt Wang held a chipped, rough porcelain bowl filled with cornmeal, a simple, honest smile on her face: "I just ground some fresh cornmeal, brought it for you and An'an to try. I haven't thanked you yet for bandaging my old man's wound the other day."
Lin Wanqiu felt a warmth in her heart. Aunt Wang was one of the few honest people in the village. A few days ago, Grandpa Wang fell and sprained his leg while chopping firewood on the mountain. The village's barefoot doctor wasn't there, so she secretly used the anti-inflammatory medicine from her spatial storage to treat the wound. She never expected Aunt Wang to remember it so fondly. She quickly declined, "Aunt Wang, you're too kind. It's nothing. Please take the cornmeal back for your child. My daughter and I still have enough to eat."
"Don't be so polite with me!" Aunt Wang shoved the bowl into her hands. "It's not easy for you, a woman raising a child alone. This little bit of cornmeal isn't worth much; just consider it a little something to help An'an recover." As she spoke, her gaze swept over the fence in the yard, and she lowered her voice to ask, "I think I just saw Chef Li from the commune canteen come by. How do you know him?"
Lin Wanqiu's heart skipped a beat. If this got out, Old Lady Shen might come to make a scene again. She quickly laughed it off: "I just chatted with Master Li a couple of times when the grain was being distributed the other day. He asked if we had any extra firewood, so I gave him a few pieces. That's all."
Aunt Wang didn't ask any more questions, gave her a few more words of advice not to overwork herself, and then turned and left. Lin Wanqiu looked at the cornmeal in her hand, feeling a mix of emotions—most of the villagers were simple and honest people, but there were troublemakers like Old Lady Shen and Zhang Lan, so she had to be even more careful with selling vegetables.
The next morning, before dawn, Lin Wanqiu woke up. She tiptoed out of bed, careful not to wake Nian'an, and slipped into her spatial dimension by the dim light from the window. As soon as she entered, a warm and cozy atmosphere enveloped her, more than ten times warmer than the cold winter outside. The vegetables in the garden had grown considerably, a lush green that was pleasing to the eye, and the newly planted spinach nearby had sprouted tender shoots, so tender they seemed to burst with juice. She squatted down and picked a full basket of vegetables, then took two tomatoes from the warehouse—these were a rare treat in winter—thinking she'd give two to Master Li as a thank you for accepting her vegetables.
Just as she finished packing the vegetables, she heard Nian'an crying from inside the house. Lin Wanqiu quickly left her spatial dimension and rushed into the inner room, where she saw Shen Nian'an sitting on the bed, rubbing her eyes with her little hands and calling out "Mother." She quickly picked up the child and gently comforted her, "An'an, don't be afraid, Mother is here. Did you have a nightmare?"
Shen Nian'an buried her head in her arms, her little shoulders trembling: "I dreamt that Grandma stole Mom's vegetables and even hit Mom."
Lin Wanqiu's heart clenched, knowing that her son was frightened by Old Mrs. Shen's past actions. She patted her son's back and said firmly, "Don't worry, An'an, Mom won't let Grandma bully us anymore, and no one can take away our vegetables."
Once Nian'an calmed down, Lin Wanqiu dressed him, boiled two eggs, and used flour from her spatial storage to make a thin pancake, which she rolled with vegetables for her son's breakfast. Shen Nian'an wolfed down his food, leaving crumbs all over his face. As Lin Wanqiu wiped his face, she thought to herself: I need to save enough money quickly so we can move out as soon as possible and let Nian'an completely escape the shadow of the Shen family.
After breakfast, Lin Wanqiu packed the greens into an old cloth bag and put two tomatoes into another bag. She told Chen Nian'an to stay home and not open the door, then slung the bags over her shoulder and headed towards the commune canteen. The commune was three miles from the village, all along dirt roads that froze solid in winter, making her feet ache. She walked with uneven steps, but her heart was full of energy—this bag of greens could sell for a good amount of money, and with a few more trips, she could raise enough money to move out.
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