Only Lang Yue'e's former mother-in-law couldn't force a smile, her face twitching with anger as Yan Xue's veiled sarcasm and mocking tone got under her skin.
With Yan Xue making such a scene, she couldn’t keep kneeling—otherwise, it would truly look like emotional blackmail. She could only shake Yan Xue off with a sharp jerk.
Not that Yan Xue was particularly keen on restraining her. Though she’d gained some strength from recent labor, holding back someone so stout was still a struggle.
She let go smoothly, offering a hasty apology, "Auntie, don’t be mad. I just didn’t want my own people to suffer, so I got a little carried away."
Her own people?
Lang Yue'e's mother-in-law wasn’t buying the apology, her anger still simmering, now mixed with confusion.
She’d met all of Lang Yue'e’s relatives at her son’s wedding—she didn’t recall any girl as fresh-faced as this one.
Then Yan Xue casually dropped, "Right, I’ve got a brother lined up for Yue'e. We’re practically family now—can’t let her get shortchanged, can we?"
So that was the "family" she meant. Even Lang Yue'e was taken aback, let alone her former mother-in-law.
Yan Xue kept going, "This brother of mine is a real catch—tall, over six feet, hardworking, dependable. Took forever to find someone this perfect. If just anyone could sweet-talk her back, where would that leave our pride?"
She peddled this so-called "brother" the same way Liu Chuncaidid her own brother, even recycling the praise Qi Fang’s great-aunt had once used.
The last bit, though, was pure provocation. Lang Yue'e's former mother-in-law caught it immediately and sneered, "Making things up, aren’t you? A man like that would settle for a divorcee?"
"What’s wrong with being divorced? The Marriage Law allows it—means even the state sees it as normal and right."
Yan Xue gave her a look that said, Your thinking’s outdated. "Our family doesn’t care about that. My brother’s no fool either—unlike some who marry good women only to beat them..."
She paused, as if suddenly realizing something, and offered a sheepish smile, "Sorry, Auntie. Didn’t mean to bring up your son."
The apology only made it clearer: Yes, I’m absolutely talking about your son.
Lang Yue'e's former mother-in-law’s face turned ashen. Yan Xue pretended not to notice, cheerfully adding, "Only hassle’s the kid. Lucky for us, your family didn’t want him—solved that problem real neat."
Infuriating?
Beyond infuriating!
She might as well have pointed at the woman and said, Even beasts spare their young—your son’s worse than an animal.
Lang Yue'e's former mother-in-law had seen catfights and heard shrews curse, but never someone who could choke you with rage without a single swear word.
She itched to slap Yan Xue, but the girl had already danced out of reach. With the forest farm workers around, she stood no chance anyway.
All she could do was jab a finger, sputtering "You—you—" until rage stole her voice.
Just then, the rest of the family team noticed the tension. Though a step behind Yan Xue, they quickly crowded in, a chorus of placating voices.
Most, of course, sided with Lang Yue'e. Unable to get a word in, the woman finally hurled her cloth bundle to the ground and stormed off.
Two steps later, she doubled back to snatch it up—too furious to think straight. Fabric cost money, tickets, and labor; no way she’d let that ingrate benefit.
Watching her flustered retreat, Lang Yue'e felt the weight she’d carried since their encounter finally lift.
"Satisfied?" Yan Xue sidled up, grinning. "People like that need the harshest words—otherwise, they’ll walk all over your kindness."
Lang Yue'e was kind—too kind. That’s why she’d believed Kang Peisheng’s first apology, heeded her mother-in-law’s pleas to endure, letting his abuse escalate...
After a quiet moment, she said sincerely, "Thank you."
"Funny—I thanked you this morning, now you’re returning the favor by noon."
Yan Xue’s chuckle finally drew a small smile from Lang Yue'e.
Others lightened the mood: "Who knew you had such a sharp tongue, Xiao Yan?"
"Xiao Yan’s right—what’s with the kneeling? Trying to force a yes?"
Someone teased, "You sounded so convincing. What, you’ve really got a brother for our Yue'e?"
"Sure do," Yan Xue smirked. "But he’s nine years younger. If Yue'e doesn’t mind a cradle-snatcher..."
That got a real laugh from Lang Yue'e, soon joined by the others, the earlier tension forgotten.
But Yan Xue’s morning request stuck with Lang Yue'e. Within days, she returned with news: she’d arranged with the farm to send at least a cartload of treetops.
Qi Fang happened to be scrubbing his boots by the door, fresh from patrol. After Lang Yue'e left, he remarked, "I’ve got connections for lumber if you’re building."
Yan Xue blinked before realizing he thought the treetops were for construction. "No need—they’re for something else."
Something else?
Qi Fang glanced up but didn’t press, just propped his rinsed boots on the windowsill to dry.
With plans still half-baked, Yan Xue preferred not to elaborate. Instead, she asked, "Patrolling again tomorrow?"
"No. Today wrapped it up—only that one black bear around."
She knew. While no more bears appeared, the patrol hadn’t returned empty-handed: two wild boar groups and a badger den.
Less dangerous than bears but crop-menaces—boars rooted with their snouts, badgers tunneled for potatoes and sweet potatoes. Clearing the woods safeguarded both logging crews and farm fields.
The team earned a daily bonus, plus half a boar and a bottle of badger oil.
Boar meat paled next to bear—tough, gamy, needing heavy seasoning and slow cooking. She’d rendered the fat for lard. The badger oil, though, was treasure, healing burns, scalds, or frostbite alike.
"So no lunch to pack tomorrow?" she checked.
Qi Fang’s hand stilled mid-pour. Eyes down, he said, "No."
"Let me anyway," Yan Xue countered. "I’m making my own—one more box is nothing."
This time he looked at her, tone flat, "Up to you."
But she was learning: nothing was ever "up to you" with this man. He was finicky, prone to silent spells. If not for his kindness—staying nights to ward off her nightmares—she’d have given up.
She shot him a look. "Speak up next time, or I won’t pack for you."
He stayed quiet a beat, then dodged the prompt: "Need me back tomorrow?"
Aside from Qi Fang, Liu Weiguo, and some members of the security team on mountain shifts, most of the patrol team members were heading home.
During these days of patrolling, Qi Fang would come down with Old Man Liu every day and stay at home—or more accurately, stay by Yan Xue's side.
Perhaps it was the effect of that embrace the other day, but feeling his warmth had inexplicably soothed Yan Xue. Sometimes, when she slept restlessly at night, she would unconsciously move closer to him.
Now, hearing his question, she immediately understood what he meant and smiled. "No need, I'm already fine."
Qi Fang silently watched her without saying a word.
Yan Xue, afraid he wouldn’t believe her, insisted, "Really, I didn’t have any nightmares last night."
She had always been independent and quick to adapt. Even if she hadn’t fully recovered, she wouldn’t let someone neglect their work just to stay with her.
"Got it." Qi Fang didn’t press further and turned to go back inside.
The next day after work, however, he appeared at the commuter stop at the foot of the mountain. It was Lang Yue'e who spotted him first, nudging Yan Xue. "Isn’t that your Qi Fang over there?"
As the weather grew warmer, the man no longer wore a hat when he wasn’t in the work area. His tall figure and handsome face stood out distinctly in the crowd.
Yan Xue walked over, but before she could speak, Qi Fang gave her a brief glance and said plainly, "Finished early today. I came back to get something."
Since he didn’t elaborate, Yan Xue played along, pretending not to know. Still, she returned the favor the next day by putting extra effort into his lunchbox.
After two consecutive days of "coming back to get something," the man finally ran out of excuses for returning home.
Yan Xue, however, continued preparing his meals. Every noon, he would come to pick them up himself. With plenty of bear meat and wild boar still left at home, the lunches remained hearty.
This became the envy of the entire work crew. One man even went to the family quarters to ask his wife if she could pack him lunch too, only to be scolded, "Pack lunch? I’m already swamped every day! At night, I still have to wash and take care of the kids. If you don’t like the canteen food, go hungry!"
"You have no idea—you’ve become the model of a devoted wife in our crew. Every noon, someone sighs about how lucky Qi Fang is. Good thing the logging season’s over."
The logging season officially ended after the thaw, and everyone finally got a break. Liu Weiguo also found time to drop by again.
Fresh off work, the man was full of lazy chatter. Only after rambling for a while did he remember the alarm clock he’d brought. "Qi Fang, can you fix this for me?"
Qi Fang barely glanced at it. "Who’s it for?"
After all, just last month he’d repaired a small mantel clock for the Liu family—something that would last years without issue. There was no way the Lius needed an alarm clock.
Sure enough, Liu Weiguo grinned. "It’s for Zhou Wenhui."
Zhou Wenhui was the female educated youth who’d once praised his fishing posture. She was also the one who’d twisted her ankle when they encountered a bear in the mountains.
Yan Xue chuckled. "You’re doing well for yourself, huh? Things moving along already?"
"Just average, just average," Liu Weiguo waved modestly, though his grin betrayed his pride. "I’ve only just made some progress—nowhere near you two."
Yan Xue asked, "So how’d you manage it?"
"Didn’t you tell me to find ways to be good to her? Well, she twisted her ankle, so I made a point to check on her every day, brought her food… one thing led to another… heh…"
That single "heh" said it all.
So those nights during patrol when he could return home—he’d used them to court his future wife.
"You fixed a mantel clock, so an alarm clock should be easy, right?" Liu Weiguo grinned at Qi Fang. "I promised Zhou Wenhui you’d definitely fix it."
"Then why don’t you fix it yourself?" Qi Fang replied flatly.
Liu Weiguo rubbed his hands sheepishly. "I don’t know how! Besides, didn’t your wife say you gotta know what the other person wants? Right now, she wants this alarm clock fixed. Do me a solid, buddy."
Well, well—so this was his game.
Yan Xue rolled her eyes.
In the end, Qi Fang did fix the alarm clock. It wasn’t difficult—just a few misaligned parts from being dropped.
Liu Weiguo left with effusive thanks, only to return two days later with another request. "Can you fix a watch?"
Even Yan Xue found it amusing. "At this rate, Qi Fang might as well become a watchmaker. Whose is it this time?"
"One of the male educated youths in Zhou Wenhui’s group." Liu Weiguo scratched his head awkwardly. "After Qi Fang fixed her alarm clock, her roommates found out and teased her about it. Word got around, and when I went to see her, they asked if watches could be fixed too."
He laughed nervously. "I only said I’d ask. If you can’t fix it, Qi Fang, I’ll just tell them it’s beyond repair."
"Come back the day after tomorrow," Qi Fang said. "It’s too dark today."
Watches were different from clocks and alarm clocks—tiny parts, intricate work. Poor lighting made even disassembly risky.
Liu Weiguo understood. "You busy tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow, Yan Xue and I are selling the bear gallbladder."
Preserving the bear gallbladder wasn’t hard—refrigeration or drying would do. But it was too valuable to leave lying around at home. With the break, they decided to sell it.
Liu Weiguo immediately advised, "Sell it in the county then. The medicinal company there pays better than in town."
Qi Fang and Yan Xue had already planned to do just that and gave an acknowledging hum.
Yan Xue suddenly thought of something else. "Do you know if there’s a pharmaceutical factory in the county?"
"You need medicine?" Qi Fang immediately looked at her.
She shook her head. "No, just want to ask about something else."
She didn’t elaborate, so he didn’t press.
Liu Weiguo, however, was curious, but Yan Xue only said he’d find out later. He thought for a moment. "I think there is, but I’m not sure. You’ll have to ask around when you get there."
The forestry center was too remote—over an hour to Chengshui Town, then another transfer to the county. Few went unless necessary, so no one knew much about the area.
Yan Xue didn’t ask further. The next morning, she and Qi Fang took the small train to Chengshui Town, then transferred to a long-distance bus for the county.
Buses in this era still had only one door. When the vehicle stopped, the waiting crowd surged forward in a rush.
The conductor stood by the door shouting, "Make way! Make way! Let passengers off first! Don’t block the door!" as they collected tickets one by one.
By the time Yan Xue and Qi Fang squeezed aboard, there were no seats left—barely even standing room in the aisle.
The crowded space carried a mix of odors. An elderly man beside them carried a burlap sack, its lumpy contents bumping into them occasionally, its surface caked in mud.
Yan Xue noticed Qi Fang’s frown deepening. Remembering how particular he was about cleanliness, she guessed he was struggling.
Just as she was about to offer to switch places, he guided her forward with a hand on her back, shielding her between the seats and the aisle—away from the old man’s sack.
Yan Xue was taken aback, and the elderly man on the other side seemed to have noticed as well, quickly apologizing to them.
Qi Fang didn’t say a word, keeping one hand on the back of the seat as he stood in that position the entire time until the two of them got off in the county town.
Yan Xue hurriedly checked his pants and, sure enough, they were smeared with mud, while her own trousers remained relatively clean.
Noticing her gaze, the man bent down and brushed off the dirt, his expression calm as he asked, "Shall we go straight to the medicinal materials company’s purchasing station?"
"Mm," Yan Xue replied, dusting off her own pants before stopping someone on the street to ask for directions.
The purchasing station in the county was much larger than the one in Chengshui Town. In fact, it was more of a shared facility between the medicinal materials company and the local products company.
When Yan Xue asked a passerby for directions, they pointed into the distance and said, "That tallest building over there." To her surprise, it was a four-story building.
The structure was built with black bricks and adorned with carvings, clearly an old building with some history. The first three floors were dedicated to purchasing common mountain goods and medicinal herbs, while the fourth floor handled more valuable items like animal pelts, ginseng, and deer antlers.
Yan Xue glanced around and noticed quite a few people there to sell their goods—likely not just from the surrounding county but also from other towns like theirs.
She turned to Qi Fang and found him looking back at her. Their eyes met, and neither rushed to inquire about prices, choosing instead to observe for a while.
As expected, the prices offered in the county were higher, averaging about 10% more than in town. For ordinary items, it didn’t matter much, but for high-value goods, selling here was clearly more profitable.
After watching for a bit, they approached a counter, and Qi Fang took the lead, asking directly, "Is your manager here?"
The clerk immediately understood that this was a big deal—one they likely couldn’t handle themselves. "Wait a moment, I’ll go get him," they said.
Soon, the manager arrived. He seemed slightly surprised to see two such young and strikingly attractive individuals, as those who usually brought in high-quality goods were seasoned hunters who had spent years in the mountains.
However, he didn’t let his surprise show. When Qi Fang produced the bear gallbladder, the manager didn’t react with astonishment either. Instead, he carefully inspected its quality and weighed it on a small scale. "This is a top-grade golden gallbladder, still fairly fresh, though not particularly large. If you’re selling, I can offer 750 for it."
That was equivalent to a year and a half of Qi Fang’s salary—no wonder Liu Weiguo had said that with just this gallbladder, Yan Xue’s fright hadn’t been in vain.
Just as Qi Fang lowered his gaze, seemingly deep in thought, he felt a tug on his hand.
Yan Xue stepped forward slightly, smiling sweetly at the manager. "You shouldn’t lower the price just because we’re young. Though this golden gallbladder isn’t the biggest, it came from a black bear that was provoked—so the quality is the best. If you don’t believe me, take a needle, drip a drop into liquor, and you’ll see it sink straight to the bottom without dispersing."
This was clearly someone who knew what they were talking about. Most people wouldn’t even know about the sinking test—they’d have sold it the moment they heard such a high offer.
The manager looked at her and pretended to hesitate. "Fine, 800. That’s a fair price—you can ask around if you don’t believe me."
Yan Xue kept smiling. "Uncle, you’re not being honest here. I checked several places before coming, and everyone said yours was the fairest. If 800 was acceptable, we’d have sold it in town—they offered more than that there. 900, or we’ll take it elsewhere."
"810, not a penny more," the manager said through gritted teeth.
The fact that he was only raising the price in increments of ten suggested they were nearing his limit. Yan Xue had a good sense of this but still pressed, "850. We came a long way, and now that it’s spring, you might not get another gallbladder of this quality, right?"
After some back-and-forth, they finally settled on 820.
The manager wrote out the receipt in front of them and directed them to collect the payment on the other side. "You’re quite the negotiator, young lady. I’ve never met anyone who haggles as well as you."
With the deal done, everyone was all smiles. Yan Xue chuckled. "That’s because you were indulging me. With your experience, you meet more people in a day than we do in a year."
"Heh, I really haven’t met many who can talk like you," the manager said with a laugh, handing them the receipt. "Take a look—820."
They went to collect the money, counted it twice, and then Qi Fang tucked it into the inner pocket of his shirt beneath his sweater.
Once they left the purchasing station, Qi Fang glanced at Yan Xue. "Did you really check prices in town?"
"When would I have had the time?" Yan Xue’s eyes curved mischievously. "I just figured he might be lowballing us because we’re young, so I tried bargaining a bit."
Overcharging familiar customers and exploiting newcomers were two common practices in business.
The former relied on trust—people you knew well might not suspect you of cheating them. The latter was simply taking advantage of those who didn’t know better.
Having spent years in markets in her past life, Yan Xue was well aware of these tricks and didn’t believe for a second that the manager’s first offer was fair. Qi Fang, on the other hand, had never dealt with such things before. His hesitation earlier had only been because he’d asked Old Man Liu beforehand and knew roughly what bear gallbladders sold for.
Still, even Old Man Liu’s highest estimate had only been 800. The extra 20 was purely thanks to Yan Xue’s bargaining skills.
Qi Fang had never known she was so good at haggling.
Since their reunion after eight years apart, she had proven herself to be intelligent, resilient, hardworking, and far more composed and level-headed than other girls her age. Every trait seemed to contradict the hazy image he held in his memory.
Only her petite stature and sweet, delicate face remained unchanged.
The more time he spent with her, the more that indistinct memory faded, replaced by the vivid, spirited young woman before him.
As he gazed into her smiling, crescent-shaped eyes, Yan Xue suddenly tugged at his sleeve. "I remember seeing a department store when we first arrived. Let’s go take a look."
Her steps quickened as she spoke, finally showing a bit of the youthful energy expected of a girl her age—and a faint echo of the child she’d once been.
Qi Fang said nothing, simply following her to the nearby department store and trailing behind as she browsed from the first floor to the second, then back down again.
When they went upstairs for the second time, he finally asked, "Don’t you want to buy anything?"
Yan Xue’s face was a picture of indecision, but she lowered her voice and answered swiftly, "It’s not that. I’m worried that since we sold something for so much, someone might be watching us."
She wasn’t afraid of pickpockets—the money was safely tucked inside Qi Fang’s shirt, beneath layers of clothing, making it impossible to snatch.
What worried her was robbery. An amount close to two years’ wages was enough to tempt desperate people, especially in an era without surveillance cameras and with lax controls on firearms and knives.
This was an answer Qi Fang had never considered, and he glanced at Yan Xue with newfound appreciation.
Yan Xue knew she sounded paranoid and laughed it off. "Just treat it as me being overly cautious."
"Not really," Qi Fang said unexpectedly.
When she looked at him in surprise, his voice remained even. "When we left the purchasing station, a few people started following us."
Qi Fang: Don’t touch me! Oh, you’re targeting my wife? Fine, touch me instead...
