Wang Shuo didn’t return until midnight, his face etched with exhaustion.
"What’s wrong?"
"An unexpected hailstorm destroyed the experimental fields. We managed to salvage some seedlings, but most were beyond saving. How’s everything at home?"
Torn between his worries for the fields and his family, Wang Shuo had rushed home only after realizing there was nothing more he could do.
"Your godmother helped fix the roof. Everything’s taken care of."
"That’s good. Mom, I might not come home for the next few days. I need to head back now—every bit we can save counts..."
Wang Shuo’s heart ached at the thought of his experimental sweet potatoes. The hail had battered the seedlings, and once the ice melted, the tubers underground would be ruined too.
"Are you short on hands?"
Wang Shuo nodded, hurrying back as quickly as he had come.
Yang Yufen hadn’t slept yet, clearing away hail with the hope of salvaging what she could. She overheard the commotion next door.
"You’re still up too?"
Aunt Wang stepped out, holding an oil lamp, and spotted Yang Yufen.
"Too upset to sleep."
"Same here."
Aunt Wang sighed.
"Why don’t we go help?"
Yang Yufen suddenly suggested, thinking of the vast fields ruined by hail. If left waterlogged too long, the crops would be lost for good.
"Good idea. Let’s grab sickles. I’ll tell Yaoyao to keep an eye on Miaomiao."
"I’ll get a flashlight. Do you have one at home?" Yang Yufen asked quickly.
"Yes."
The two elderly women moved with remarkable efficiency, pulling on rain boots and packing sickles and flashlights into baskets before heading out.
"Here, you hold the light. I’ll pedal. Let’s go straight to the agricultural institute’s experimental fields—they’re closest."
Yang Yufen wheeled out her bicycle while Aunt Wang slung the basket onto her back.
"Where are you two off to?"
Army Commander Liao spotted the flickering light in the dead of night and called out when he recognized Yang Yufen and Aunt Wang.
"We’re going to help with the salvage work. The kids are at home—could you keep an eye out during your rounds? We’ll be on our way now."
Before he could reply, Yang Yufen pedaled off into the distance.
From afar, they could see flashlights flickering across the experimental fields—everyone was scrambling to save the harvest.
Yang Yufen and Aunt Wang approached.
"We’re here to help. Once these are cut, will someone come to collect them?"
"Yes, yes! Thank you so much!"
The person who looked up was just a young boy.
Yang Yufen and Aunt Wang secured their flashlights and bent to work without another word.
Yang Yufen, a seasoned farmer, moved swiftly, clearing a large section in no time. The field was silent except for the sound of labor, everyone working tirelessly until the first light of dawn.
"Godmother? What are you doing here?"
Wang Shuo was stunned when he spotted Yang Yufen.
"Not just me—your mother’s here too. Go check on her first."
Yang Yfen rubbed her lower back, unused to such intense labor after so long.
The experimental plots were small and distinct, making it impossible to use harvesters, especially with the damage from the hail.
Yang Yufen noticed many others had come to help.
The mature crops could still be salvaged, though it was tedious work. The newly sprouted seedlings, however, were beyond saving.
Wang Shuo soon found his mother.
"Mom, why did you and Godmother come? You must be exhausted."
He quickly helped her sit on the ridge—she had clearly been working for hours.
"We were worried at home. An extra pair of hands speeds things up."
And it wasn’t just one extra pair. Everyone understood the value of food, having lived through hard times.
"I’ll take your mother back to rest and eat. We’ll return later to help."
Yang Yufen walked over. With so many hands, the section was already cleared.
"Alright. Thank you, Godmother."
Wang Shuo had too much to attend to, so he watched as Yang Yufen steadied the bicycle, his mother perched behind her, before turning back to work.
"A three-wheeler would be better. I’ll get one later."
Yang Yufen gripped the handlebars tightly. The rain-soaked ground was treacherous—grassy patches were manageable, but the bare spots were slick with mud. Only when they reached the main road did it get easier.
Back at the residential compound, the two women headed straight to the noodle shop for breakfast.
"After yesterday’s hailstorm, where have you two been at this hour? You’re covered in mud!"
Gui Xiang quickly brought them two steaming bowls of noodles.
"We went to help salvage the crops. How are Ershun and the others? What about the beans in their fields?"
Yang Yufen suddenly remembered.
"They’re fine. The fields are a loss, but the shop can’t stop. The old man and Ershun picked all the beans yesterday, so the damage isn’t too bad. If the beans don’t grow back, we’ll plant something else."
After nearly losing her husband and son, Gui Xiang now valued people over anything else. As long as everyone was safe, nothing else mattered.
"That’s what counts."
Yang Yufen hadn’t thought much about it yesterday—fixing the roof had taken all evening.
"Did you get the roof repaired?" she asked.
"Yes, yes. A few regulars helped yesterday. We had spare tiles in the yard, so it’s all fixed. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have opened today."
When the hail started, Gui Xiang had ushered everyone inside, shutting down business for the day. Grateful for her kindness, the customers pitched in, and she repaid them with hot bowls of noodle soup.
As Gui Xiang recounted the events, Yang Yufen listened.
"Count yesterday’s expenses as operational costs. Don’t deduct them from your own earnings."
Yang Yufen made sure to remind her before leaving.
After freshening up and resting at home, they planned to return in the afternoon. But Wang Shuo came back first, his knees and clothes caked in mud—less from work and more from a fall.
"Are you hurt anywhere?" Fang Fen asked worriedly.
"I’m fine."
Wang Shuo shook his head.
"I’ll heat water for you and find clean clothes."
Fang Fen hurried to the kitchen.
"Alright."
Wang Shuo nodded.
Yang Yufen approached when she heard the commotion.
"Godmother, you and Mom should rest this afternoon. The higher-ups have sent people to help."
Wang Shuo was genuinely concerned about the two elderly women’s well-being.
"Staying home is boring. Look around—the kids aren’t even here. There’s barely any land to tend to, and I’ve got nothing to do all day."
Yang Yufen was blunt.
Wang Shuo paused, struck by an idea.
"Godmother, if you’re bored, how about I find you something to do? It’d even pay. The agricultural institute has many experimental fields. The students are busy with studies and experiments, so the fields get overgrown or need extra hands during harvest. What do you think?"
He realized his mother also loved working the land, but he’d been too preoccupied before. If the two elderly women worked together, they’d have company and stay active.
"And you can go home whenever you need, work when you want."
"That sounds perfect!"
Yang Yufen’s eyes lit up.
