Chapter 191: Old Yan Is Back

Looking around, he spotted a few figures in the backyard and strode over.

His stomach was already growling with hunger, but suddenly, Yan Huaiwen halted in his steps.

After hesitating for a moment, he moved closer.

The smell became even clearer.

It was an overwhelming stench, growing stronger the nearer he got.

Holding his breath, he asked in a loud voice, “Why aren’t you resting? What are you all doing?”

Upon hearing what sounded like Old Yan’s voice, Yan Yu was the first to run over.

Her bandaged hands pinched her little nose, making for a rather amusing sight.

When she saw him clearly, she cheered excitedly, “Uncle! You’re back! Our whole family missed you so much!”

Li Xuemei shook her head with a smile.

Her daughter—Old Yan hadn’t even been away on some long journey…

Yan Huaiwen’s lips curved slightly. Although the word “miss” was a bit dramatically expressed, his little niece’s joy was genuine. There was no faking her enthusiasm, and he found it quite endearing.

“Where’s your father and your older brother?”

Now that he had a clear view of those present, he was surprised to see Aunt Rong still around—but the men of the household were nowhere to be seen.

“Uncle, Dad and Big Brother went to transport some saplings. They’re fruit trees! They’ll grow plums and apricots—so tasty! Wait here, I’ll go get you some!” Yan Yu was about to dash off when Da Ya, who had just walked over, stopped her.

“Your hands aren’t convenient for that. I’ll go get some for father,” Da Ya said softly.

Yan Yu glanced at her bandaged hands, then grinned sheepishly, momentarily forgetting about them.

“What happened to your hands?” Yan Huaiwen had noticed them earlier. He stepped forward and gently lifted his little niece’s hands, turning them over to inspect them.

“They got scraped from holding the hoe, but it’s nothing, Uncle! Just a bit of broken skin. They’ll be fine in a few days,” Yan Yu said with a cheerful smile.

She could act spoiled and complain about pain, but at her core, Yan Yu wasn’t a fragile girl.

She had already felt the pain and received a fair share of sympathy from her parents. In her mind, the matter was over.

Yan Huaiwen looked at his little niece, then at his daughter, who was handing him a piece of apricot. His gaze lingered on their dusty, worn clothes, now with fresh signs of wear and tear.

A trace of admiration flickered in his eyes.

Helping the family without complaining about hardship—Qianchu and Ruyu were both good children.

Taking the apricot from his daughter, he popped one into his mouth. It was indeed delicious.

“How many saplings did you buy? Where will they be planted?” Yan Huaiwen asked.

Instead of answering, Yan Yu asked thoughtfully, “Uncle, have you eaten yet?”

Yan Huaiwen shook his head slowly.

She exaggerated her expression, gasping dramatically. “It’s this late and you haven’t eaten yet? Uncle, you must be starving! Aunt Rong, are there any buns left at home?”

Aunt Rong shook her head.

Yan Yu thought to herself: Of course not—those chive and pork stuffed buns were too delicious to have any leftovers.

Aunt Rong gestured a few times, and Li Xuemei translated for her, “She says she’ll go cook some noodles.”

Yan Huaiwen responded politely, “Much appreciated.”

Aunt Rong waved her hands frantically, looking a little flustered, before hurrying off to prepare the meal.

Seeing his uncle’s gaze shift toward the vegetable patch they had just been working on, Yan Yu quickly explained, “Aunt Rong is really good at tending the land! We just planted potatoes in the garden. Once we’ve sown all the seeds on our land, if there are any left over, we’ll plant them here in the courtyard. That way, we can just pick them whenever we want to eat.”

“Uncle, sit and wait a bit. The food will be ready soon.”

Da Ya brought over a cup of warm water.

After washing up, Yan Huaiwen took a clean robe and stepped into the gap between two rows of bricks, swiftly changing out of his dirty clothes.

When he emerged, holding the soiled garments, Da Ya immediately stepped forward to take them from him. Without waiting until the next day, she began scrubbing them right away.

Yan Huaiwen: …

That wasn’t really necessary in such a hurry.

Once seated again, Yan Yu was ready to give her report.

Clearing her throat, she said, “Uncle, we’ve finished opening up the ten mu* of land by the river, and the seeds have all been sown. The ten mu near the village is almost done, and it should be finished in the next day or two. The five mu up north near the mountain hasn’t been touched yet. Dad said he wants to plant fruit trees there instead of vegetables.”

“Saplings don’t require much care, and once they bear fruit, we can sell them. In between the trees, we can scatter some vegetable seeds for our own consumption, to feed the livestock, or to sell.”

Yan Huaiwen considered this and asked, “Does your father think there aren’t enough hands to manage everything?”

Yan Yu blinked and replied, “That’s right! The land is too much for us. Growing vegetables is still manageable, but if we plant grains in the future, we might not be able to keep up. Dad doesn’t want to spend money hiring help, so he said selling fruit and using the money to buy grain is just as good.”

Yan Huaiwen nodded slightly and didn’t say more.

Knowing Tianyou had thought things through and had a plan, he let the matter rest.

“Also, Uncle, Dad has already sold a lot of charcoal!” Yan Yu added excitedly. “The estate selling us saplings was introduced to us by the grandmother who buys our charcoal.”

As they spoke, Aunt Rong brought over a bowl of steaming noodles.

A simple broth-based noodle dish, with two eggs nestled on top and bright green leafy vegetables scattered between the strands.

Yan Huaiwen took a sip of the soup first.

Warmth spread through him, all the way to his heart.

Then, he quickly but neatly finished the entire bowl.

Noticing how hungry he had been, Yan Yu kept quiet.

After he set the bowl down, she asked with concern, “Uncle, was it really tough in Crouching Tiger City? Did you have enough to eat? Where did you sleep? The weather in Guanzhou is really different from Qishan—it’s hot during the day and cool at night. We’ve been using blankets at night. Did you have blankets where you were staying?”

Da Ya, having just hung up her father’s clothes, hurried over as well, eyes wide with anticipation, waiting for his answer.

Yan Huaiwen beckoned them closer and spoke gently, “The yamen has cooks preparing meals, and they deliver them on time. The food is still warm when we receive it, with both vegetables and meat. At noon, we even get an extra bowl of soup.”

“As for accommodations, they are quite adequate. We have bedding, and if anything is lacking, we can borrow from nearby officials on duty. This time, Man Shan and I returned to bring back some fresh clothes as well.”

Hearing this, Da Ya immediately moved to pack, but Yan Huaiwen stopped her. “No rush.”

“Dad, everything is fine at home. You don’t have to worry,” Da Ya said softly.

Yan Huaiwen nodded slightly.

No one could see the waves in his heart.

Their house was still just a foundation.

They sat on brick stools, gathered around a brick table.

The scent from the backyard still lingered—not as strong, but faintly present, still distracting.

The night breeze carried a slight chill, but the hot bowl of noodles had warmed him through, even making him break a sweat.

His sister-in-law looked more refreshed than before, likely because Aunt Rong’s help had lightened her burden.

The speed at which their land was being cultivated had exceeded his expectations.

Even at this late hour, the household was still busy.

Tianheng and Tianyou had gone to fetch saplings. Da Ya and Er’ya were in the backyard planting vegetables.

Everyone in the family was working hard for their small home.

How wonderful… truly wonderful…

Just as he was feeling grateful for how everything in this life was steadily improving—

Tianyou’s excited voice rang out.

“Hahaha! Look what I brought back!”

(Chapter End)

* 1 mu ≈ 0.165 acres