No one expected Yan Xue to ask Guo Chang'an to help her with work—not even Guo Chang'an himself.
For a moment, everyone’s faces showed surprise. Aunt Guo, in particular, seemed about to say something but hesitated, unable to voice her thoughts.
What could she say?
That her son Chang'an had limited mobility, that he was already enough of a burden without adding to it? Say that right in front of him?
No one understood Chang'an’s proud nature better than his own mother. Words like that would only wound him deeply.
"Don’t worry, the work isn’t heavy. It won’t tire Chang'an out," Yan Xue reassured her, as if unaware of her hesitation.
"That’s not what I’m worried about," Aunt Guo replied instinctively, though she couldn’t explain further.
Yan Xue turned directly to Guo Chang'an. "It’s just tasks like packing spawn and nailing bark caps—things you can do sitting down. My spawn will be ready in a couple of days, and I want to plant it while the timing’s right. I’m afraid I won’t have enough hands, so I thought I’d ask for your help. Would you be interested?"
This made Aunt Guo, Guo Changping, and Jin Baozhi all turn their eyes to Guo Chang'an.
After a long silence, Guo Chang'an lifted his gaze to meet Yan Xue’s. "You’re really asking me to help?"
"Of course," Yan Xue replied with a smile. "You did a great job with the spawn cultivation last time, and you were quick to help me save the spawn during the flood. I think you learn fast, and you’re careful. Having you around would put my mind at ease."
Her praise was completely sincere, her smile genuine—things Guo Chang'an hadn’t heard or seen in a long time.
He might have been confined to his home, but he wasn’t blind or deaf. Sometimes, when people passed by outside, they’d mention him with sighs of pity.
"Such a shame," they’d say. "So young, and already like this. What’s he going to do with his life? Poor Aunt Guo, what a burden."
Some pitied him, some felt sorry for him—but no one had ever told him he was quick to learn, careful, or…
That he could still be useful.
His gaze fixed on Yan Xue. "I’ll do it."
Then, turning to the rest of his family, he repeated firmly, "I’ll go."
Aunt Guo couldn’t argue anymore, afraid of hurting his feelings.
After Yan Xue returned to her cabin, she went to her son’s side, hesitating.
"Mom, I want to try," Guo Chang'an said before she could speak. "She said the work isn’t hard. If it’s too much, I’ll come back."
Aunt Guo still wavered, but Jin Baozhi, usually quiet, spoke up. "Let Chang'an try. If Yan Xue says he can do it, he probably can."
She worked with Yan Xue in the same team and knew she wasn’t the type to make empty promises.
Guo Changping, though unfamiliar with Yan Xue, supported his brother getting out more. "If Chang'an wants to go, let him. He’s helping, not working for wages. It’s not like he has to finish everything in one go."
With that, Aunt Guo had no choice. "Fine. I’ll ask Yan Xue when she needs you, and I’ll take you there myself."
---
"You wanted to help him, didn’t you?"
Later, when they were alone in the inner room, Qi Fang finally spoke, his voice low.
"Not entirely," Yan Xue admitted. "Guo Chang'an really did well with the spawn cultivation. Not a single bottle was wasted, and he’s meticulous."
During the flood, when everything was chaotic, not everyone would’ve thought to move the spawn to higher ground or realized the nights were too cold.
"If he has the skill and the interest, giving him something to do is better than letting him rot at home."
Yan Xue knew what it was like to watch someone struggle. If she could offer an umbrella, she would.
In her past life, when her father lost his leg, it was after the wave of factory closures—even the welfare factories meant for disabled workers had shut down.
He searched everywhere for work but found nothing, until he finally resorted to selling goods at the market. At first, they were so poor they could only eat the unsold stock.
Later, she learned that her sweet words and cute face could draw customers. Slowly, their situation improved, and her father picked up the tricks of the trade.
She still remembered the look on his face when sales were bad—heartbroken but trying to hide it. Being sweet-tongued had become second nature to her.
Guo Chang'an’s situation wasn’t the same, of course. The forestry station would probably assign him light duties, but "light" also meant no future. Beyond work, he needed respect and recognition.
Yan Xue set aside a contaminated jar of spawn and turned to find Qi Fang watching her quietly.
"What?" she asked, puzzled.
"Nothing." He took the jar from her. "These need to be thrown out?"
"Yeah, contaminated ones are no good."
Qi Fang dumped the contents onto the pile of mud and broken glass they’d cleared from the house, then set the jar aside to wash later.
As Yan Xue moved on to other tasks, he suddenly remarked, "Qi Fang is a good name."
Why was he randomly praising his own name?
She frowned. "Are you talking about yourself or someone else?"
He didn’t answer, only pinched her cheek lightly with his long fingers before going back to work.
---
On the third day after the flood, the narrow-gauge railway finally reopened, and the town sent a shipment of supplies—especially food and vegetables—to the forestry station.
Second Old Lady fought through the crowd but only managed to grab a few eggplants. "There were too many people. The moment the goods were unloaded, they were gone."
With the flood ruining everyone’s gardens, it was no surprise.
Yan Xue took the basket from her. "You should rest. Next time, let Qi Fang go. He’s tall and strong."
"Is that what tall people are for?" Second Old Lady chided lightly, sitting down to catch her breath. "What a waste, all those vegetables. We’ll have to replant everything, and the grain fields too."
Vegetables grew fast, but the grain was a lost cause. This year’s harvest would take a hit.
As the couple sprinkled lime powder—freshly distributed by the forestry station—around the house, Second Old Lady remembered something. "I ran into Old Lady Zhao from the next street. She asked how many bricks you used to build this place."
With so many houses collapsed or cracked after the flood, Yan Xue’s sturdy home had become the standard. Nearly everyone planning to rebuild came to ask.
Expensive? Yes. A hassle? Absolutely. But it was solid—better than losing everything in the next disaster.
In the following days, the forestry station’s locomotive didn’t just bring supplies; it also hauled wagons full of bricks ordered by the families.
Between rebuilding their own homes and helping others, even the second round of sapling cultivation was put on hold. But for Yan Xue, it meant she finally had time to transplant the mature spawn into logs for cultivation.
The tree species most suitable for mushroom cultivation are broad-leaved trees, with diameters ranging from 6 to 10 centimeters and lengths between 1 to 1.2 meters.
Qi Fang borrowed a hand drill to bore holes into the logs—each hole 1.3 to 1.6 centimeters in diameter and 1.5 to 2 centimeters deep into the wood. The holes were spaced 8 to 10 centimeters apart, arranged in staggered rows of four.
Once the holes were drilled, he filled them with wood chips inoculated with mushroom spores, packing them tightly. Then, he covered each hole with a bark cap slightly larger than the hole itself—about 2 millimeters wider—and hammered it firmly into place.
In some regions, corn cobs were used instead, followed by wax sealing to better prevent contamination from other fungi. However, they didn’t have the means for that at the moment.
Guo Chang'an was assigned the task of hammering the bark caps. Even with one hand being less dexterous, it wasn’t a problem—he just needed to position the caps properly and strike accurately.
To ensure he looked presentable, Aunt Guo had even given him a haircut at home before he stepped out.
Yet, when Guo Changping helped him to the worksite, whispers still followed. Though no one said anything outright, sidelong glances lingered on his visibly impaired right hand and leg.
Guo Chang'an pressed his lips together, his hands clenched tightly, but he kept his back straight, refusing to acknowledge the pitying or curious stares.
It wasn’t until he entered Yan Xue’s courtyard and saw the bustling scene that he finally relaxed. Yan Xue greeted him with such natural ease that he exhaled in relief. "What do you need me to do?"
"Just help us hammer the bark caps," Yan Xue said, demonstrating by pressing a pre-cut bark piece into a hole and tapping it in with a few strikes. She glanced at him. "Not too hard, right?"
Indeed, it wasn’t difficult. As long as the cap was aligned correctly and his hand steady, even one-handed strikes would suffice.
Though his right hand wasn’t fully functional, it wasn’t entirely useless either—just weak. It could still manage light pressure.
Seeing him nod, Yan Xue handed him a hammer and brought over a stool for him to sit on.
The stool was placed cleverly, right next to the house wall. By bracing his left hand against it, Guo Chang'an could stand or sit with minimal effort.
Aunt Guo hovered anxiously, ready to assist, but Guo Changping gently pulled her back. "We’ll head back now and come pick him up at noon."
"Come fetch him in the evening instead," Yan Xue suggested. "We can certainly spare a meal for lunch."
But Guo Chang'an insisted, "I’ll go home for lunch. I’m here to help, not to impose further on your kindness."
With that, he picked up a bark cap, pressed it into place with his right hand, and attempted to hammer it with his left.
At first, his coordination was off. The cap flew off under the hammer’s strike, and his right hand took a glancing blow.
He frowned but ignored the sting, reaching to retrieve the cap—only for a small hand to snatch it up before him.
Yan Jigang pressed the cap back onto the hole and gave him a shy, encouraging smile, silently signaling him to try again.
The boy’s eyes were clear and earnest, his quiet presence more reassuring than any words.
Guo Chang'an lowered his gaze, carefully avoiding the boy’s fingers as he hammered the cap in. Once secured, Yan Jigang immediately handed him the next one.
Soon, the two fell into a rhythm—one pressing, the other hammering—their coordination improving until they moved swiftly down the row of holes.
Yan Xue flipped the log to inoculate the other side, and the pair followed behind, sealing each hole until the entire log was done. Qi Fang then carried it into the shed.
The logs were stacked in pairs, each layer perpendicular to the one below, forming a crisscrossed pile about a meter high. They’d remain this way until mushroom buds appeared, after which they’d be spread out.
By the time Lang Yue'e arrived, several stacks of inoculated logs filled the shed, and Guo Chang'an had grown noticeably more adept.
She seemed surprised to see him working at Yan Xue’s but hid it well, greeting him warmly. "Chang'an, you’re here too."
His hands paused briefly before resuming. "Sister Yue'e." Clearly, they knew each other.
Lang Yue'e didn’t linger, simply saying, "Carry on," before turning to Yan Xue. "About Qi Fang’s training application—the town rejected it."
"Rejected?" Yan Xue couldn’t hide her shock. She set down her tools and followed Lang Yue'e to where Qi Fang was working.
Hearing the news, Qi Fang frowned. "What reason did they give?"
"They said you hadn’t turned eighteen when you started working, so those early months shouldn’t count toward your seniority. That leaves you short of the three-year requirement for the training."
Lang Yue'e, clearly sent by Secretary Lang, explained further. "Others in your situation—starting work before their birthdays—were never penalized like this. And after all these years, who’s nitpicking now? My father thinks you might’ve offended someone."
Normally, the town’s forestry bureau wouldn’t interfere with the forest farm’s recommendations. Challenging a candidate meant challenging the entire farm’s judgment.
But this time, they had. Yan Xue exchanged a glance with Qi Fang, both likely recalling his transfer from the town’s machinery repair shop to the forest farm.
"Has the final list been posted?" Qi Fang asked.
"Not yet," Lang Yue'e said. "They’ve just asked the farm to submit another name. My father suggests you try pulling strings while there’s still time. This year, they’re hiring three chainsaw operators at once—next time, you might have to wait for a retirement."
The expanded hiring was due to the farm’s tractors doubling from two to four, increasing both transport capacity and logging scale.
Once the new hires were settled, the farm wouldn’t need more operators unless production surged again.
Secretary Lang and Lang Yue'e were clearly doing them a favor by sharing the news early. "The sooner you act, the better," she urged. "This won’t stay quiet for long."
They thanked her, and after she left, Yan Xue studied Qi Fang’s expression.
"We’ll talk later," he said calmly, picking up the hand drill to resume work.
But the news leaked faster than expected. That evening, as the group washed up for dinner, Yu Yongzhi showed up unannounced.
Bare-chested and clutching a liquor bottle, he leaned against the doorframe. "Eating dinner?"
Qi Fang’s frown was subtle but unmistakable—even if going shirtless was common among men in the forest farm during summer, he still shifted slightly to shield Yan Xue. "What do you want?"
"Always so serious. Can’t a man visit without a reason?"
Yu Yongzhi wasn’t drunk yet—his speech wasn’t slurred, but his attitude was just as grating as ever.
Moreover, he wasn’t even that close with Qi Fang. Showing up unannounced like this definitely meant trouble.
Sure enough, as soon as Yu Yongzhi saw Qi Fang’s usual indifferent expression, he clicked his tongue. "Look at you, always wearing that deadpan face. Who else would piss people off if not you? I don’t take it personally because I’m magnanimous, but not everyone’s like me. That’s why the town revoked your training spot, huh?"
News traveled fast. If their families hadn’t been on bad enough terms to involve town or even county-level connections, Yan Xue might’ve suspected his family had a hand in it.
Yu Yongzhi even put on a show of solidarity. "Those idiots at the town forestry bureau just love sticking their noses where they don’t belong. Who the hell cares who our lumber farm sends for training?"
Turns out he’d heard Qi Fang’s spot got axed too and came to gloat, finding comfort in shared misfortune.
The smugness on his face was barely concealed as he lifted a liquor bottle. "Come on, let’s have a drink. Screw those town morons. Who cares about being a chainsaw operator? Just follow my lead—switch to the security department."
Yan Xue had long said the farm director couldn’t control his son. Sure enough, as soon as she and Qi Fang returned from their hometown, they heard Yu Yongzhi had already transferred to security.
Now, bringing it up in front of Qi Fang was clearly a flex. After all, Qi Fang didn’t have a father who was the farm director or an uncle at the county forestry bureau to bail him out when he screwed up his own opportunities.
Qi Fang knew this but showed no displeasure, simply agreeing, "Sure."
Yu Yongzhi seemed surprised but swaggered in with his bottle. "Why weren’t this agreeable earlier?"
Before he could take two steps, Qi Fang added calmly, "It’s boring with just us. Call your second brother-in-law over too."
Yu Yongzhi froze, his brow furrowing. "Why him?"
Even though Liang Qimao had taken his sister back, Yu Yongzhi hadn’t forgotten what he’d done. The mere sight of that brother-in-law put him in a foul mood.
"If you don’t want to invite Brother Liang, that’s fine. I’ll drink with you two."
Yan Xue stepped out from behind Qi Fang, smiling as she rummaged for ingredients. "But we’ll need to cook another dish."
She glanced at Yu Yongzhi’s bottle. "This isn’t enough. I’ll go buy two more jin." She turned to fetch money.
The moment she offered to drink with him, Yu Yongzhi’s face paled. Hearing she’d buy two more jin turned it downright green, tinged with a stomachache.
Damn, this woman drank like it was water. Last time, she downed six or seven liang in one go without batting an eye.
Grimacing, he shot Qi Fang a look. "Since when do we let women join men’s drinking sessions?"
Qi Fang replied deadpan, "My wife pities me and doesn’t want me drinking too much. You’ll understand when you’re married."
It was the first time Yu Yongzhi had heard such words delivered with a straight face. At first, he thought he misheard, but the realization made his teeth ache worse. "Forget it. If you want to drink with her, go ahead." The schadenfreude half-watched was no longer worth it, and he hurried out.
Yan Xue had only pretended. Once he left, she returned to serving dinner.
The Second Old Lady, unfamiliar with these affairs, didn’t pry but caught the key point. "Xiao Qi, what spot got taken from you?"
"Town training," Yan Xue said. "We found out this afternoon. It’s no big deal."
But if it were truly no big deal, who’d come by just to gloat?
The Second Old Lady knew it wasn’t as simple as Yan Xue made it sound, but these matters were beyond her. She stayed quiet to avoid upsetting them further.
After a long day, once dinner was done and Yan Jigang had studied two pages of characters and a page of math under his college-educated brother-in-law’s guidance, he could barely keep his eyes open.
Yan Xue helped him lay out his bedding. He washed up, crawled in, and was out in no time. Yan Xue, however, was wide awake.
So was Qi Fang. Putting away his pen, he glanced at her. "Can’t sleep?"
"I’m worried you can’t," Yan Xue whispered. "With the flood, you stopped taking your medicine. Has your sleep improved?"
"Somewhat." Qi Fang was never one for elaboration.
But then he looked at the sleeping Yan Jigang and back at her. "Let’s talk outside."
The implication was clear. Not wanting to wake Yan Jigang, Yan Xue slipped on her shoes and followed Qi Fang quietly into the yard.
Summer nights beyond the pass lacked cicadas, but crickets provided a steady chorus. The moment they stepped out, a cool breeze greeted them.
Yan Xue took a deep breath. The silver lining of no phones or internet was fresh air and starry skies.
Just as the thought crossed her mind, Qi Fang took her hand, following her gaze upward. "I’ve counted every star up there."
"During insomnia?"
"Mn. It calms the mind. You should try it."
"I’d rather count money. Same effect, but happier."
Her words made him turn. "You once said you wanted money for Grandma and Jigang?"
"Not just them," Yan Xue admitted. "Money means security. No matter what happens, you can handle it better. Look at the flood—several homes collapsed. The better-off still hurt, but they’re not ruined. Others have to beg for loans."
Like Li Shuwu’s family. They earned well but spent it all, leaving no savings. Their house collapsing was a disaster.
"Your risk tolerance is impressive," Qi Fang remarked.
No matter what life threw at her, she never faltered—always a little ball of sunshine.
He squeezed her hand. "When I first joined Chengshui Machinery Repair, I was in a technical role."
"Because you were a college grad with experience?"
In this era, ordinary workers started as apprentices, only becoming regular employees after a year. They had to learn from scratch.
Qi Fang confirmed with a hum. "I’d done their work in college workshops."
Yan Xue connected the dots. "Did you block someone’s promotion or make enemies?"
"Close enough." He wasn’t surprised by her sharpness. "Someone else wanted that role. I found out later."
The rest was easy to guess. When times changed, some grew bold, seizing the chance to push him down to the lumber farm. And with his teacher’s situation, he’d rather lay low than draw attention.
It never occurred to me that someone could hold a grudge for years. When Qi Fang signed up for the chainsaw operator training, this person was determined to thwart him, making sure he wouldn’t get the position.
“Should we try pulling some strings for this?” Yan Xue mentally ran through all the connections they could leverage.
Secretary Lang surely had contacts in the town’s forestry bureau, and Zhou Wenhui’s uncle worked in the logistics department there too. But she wasn’t sure how feasible it would be to get this sorted.
Just as she was lost in thought, the man beside her spoke calmly, “No need.”
Yan Xue paused, then remembered he hadn’t been particularly eager for the training in the first place. It was only because Liu Daniu and Hu Changjiang had recommended him that he’d applied.
Still, after over two years at the forestry station, Wu Xingde had tracked him down again. She wondered how long the notebook incident would keep him at bay this time.
Knowing how things unfolded in the original story, Yan Xue couldn’t shake her unease. With no clear solution in sight, her brows furrowed slightly.
But the moment they did, a long finger pressed against her forehead, gently smoothing the crease away.
The man wrapped an arm around her, his tone and expression composed, yet his peach-blossom eyes shimmered with quiet intensity.
He said, “I won’t switch to being a chainsaw operator. I’ll go to the repair workshop instead.”
Qi Fang: That’s right—I did say both names were well-chosen~
