Chapter 112

An An had cried so much his voice was hoarse. Lying on a clean cloth, his tiny hands and feet flailed in the air in panic.

When he saw someone approaching, he let out another round of wailing.

“Waaah… waaaah…”

Beside him lay a rabbit that had crashed into a tree and died. Its white fur was stained with blood, and it had clearly breathed its last.

With such a gory scene right in front of him, it was no wonder An An had been scared out of his wits.

Li Dazhuang walked over and picked An An up, gently rocking him to soothe him. His eyes scanned the surroundings warily, and once he was sure no one else had seen anything, he quickly wrapped the dead rabbit in the cloth.

Using little An An as cover, he carried the rabbit home.

An An had already been terrified by the rabbit that had come charging at him. Now his father was using him to hide the rabbit, and his whole body was resisting. He kept kicking with his little feet.

Ever since the production team was formed, Li Dazhuang hadn’t had much luck catching any animals—aside from that sheep he’d brought back last time.

Now that a dumb rabbit had practically delivered itself to his doorstep, he couldn’t be more thrilled.

Even as An An kept kicking him with his tiny feet, Li Dazhuang wasn’t angry. Instead, he bent down and planted a loud kiss on his chubby little cheek, laughing heartily.

He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d smelled meat. He’d been craving it for ages!

The little one, who had just been miserable moments ago, was now on the verge of tears again after being kissed. He sniffled, his eyes brimming with tears, but he stubbornly held them back.

“Mmm…”

An An might be young, but he was clever and perceptive from birth. He knew that crying in front of his father wouldn’t help—if anything, it might just make his dad laugh at him.

So even if he had tears, he’d hold them in until they got home. Once Grandma saw, she’d definitely help him teach his dad a lesson.

Li Dazhuang was still riding high on excitement and didn’t notice the little guy’s silent scheming. All he could think about was getting the rabbit home as quickly as possible.

Once they arrived, Li Dazhuang shut the courtyard gate behind him.

Granny Li saw his sneaky behavior and immediately frowned, scolding him:

“You’re a father now. Why are you still acting like a thief?”

For once, Li Dazhuang didn’t talk back. Instead, he pushed his mother into the house and shut the door behind them.

His attitude made Granny Li realize something was off. She didn’t keep nagging but instead peeked out the window to make sure none of the neighbors had noticed anything. Then she lowered her voice and asked:

“What happened this time?”

Before Li Dazhuang could answer, An An—who had been holding back his tears the whole way—finally let them fall like fat raindrops. His little mouth quivered in grievance, and the sight made Granny Li’s heart ache.

She quickly took An An into her arms, gently patting his back to comfort him.

“What’s wrong, my little darling? Did your father tease you again?”

Granny Li had raised many children and was used to talking to them even before they could understand. But very few were like An An—able to give her some kind of response.

Getting a reply from him made her all the more delighted. If she didn’t chat with her precious grandson every day, she felt like something was missing.

An An, eyes red, gave a soft “mm.” Granny Li shot her son a fierce glare.

So old and still no sense of responsibility.

Good thing they hadn’t split the family yet. If Li Dazhuang had to raise An An on his own, the child would probably go hungry three days out of five.

“You’re a grown man, and you still make your son cry on purpose. You think that’s something to be proud of?”

Of course it wasn’t—but it wasn’t exactly shameful either.

Besides, even if it was, Li Dazhuang couldn’t care less. Grinning smugly, he lifted the cloth to reveal the rabbit.

It had only just died and was still warm.

Granny Li’s eyes widened. She glanced at her son and then at the rabbit, lowering her voice even further:

“Did anyone see you on the way back? Weren’t you supposed to be checking the rice paddies? How’d you end up on the mountain?”

If someone had seen him, they’d definitely lose Work Points!

“No, Ma, I didn’t go up the mountain.”

“You think you can fool me? If you didn’t go up the mountain, did the rabbit just come up to you and ask to be caught?”

Granny Li said it offhandedly, but Li Dazhuang chuckled and replied:

“That’s exactly what happened. It ran straight into a tree, and I brought it back.”

He explained how he’d gone to clear a blocked ditch, left An An in the shade, and heard him crying. He figured he’d finish the job quickly and then comfort the boy. But when he turned around, the rabbit was already dead.

Granny Li looked at the unusually plump rabbit, then at her son’s face, clearly hoping for praise. She smacked him hard on the head.

“Good thing it was just a rabbit that ran itself to death. What if it had been a snake and bit him? Even if it wasn’t a snake, what if the rabbit had stepped on him? That would’ve hurt!”

“Ma, I know I was wrong. So, what should we do with the rabbit?”

Granny Li picked up the rabbit. An An, who had been sulking, sniffled and stared at it too.

Eating it was out of the question. Everyone was already going hungry, and the smell of meat would attract attention.

Even if they cooked it at home, the aroma could drift to the neighbors and bring the team leader knocking. That would be a disaster.

“We still have some salt at home. I’ll have your brother clean it up later and hang it to dry.”

“Alright.”

Honestly, Li Dazhuang would’ve preferred to eat it right away, but for safety’s sake, he held back.

He no longer treated Work Points like they were optional. He’d worked hard for every single one, and losing even one felt like a stab to the heart.

Elder Brother Li knew this had to be kept secret. That night, after everyone was asleep, he quietly got up to handle it.

Sister-in-law Li heard the commotion and got up too, helping him fetch water. Two people working together was faster than one.

It was late, and everyone was exhausted, so they weren’t too worried about being overheard.

“This rabbit… it really ran into you on its own?”

Sister-in-law Li had lived a long time and had never heard of such a thing. Since when did rabbits offer themselves up? Had it gone stupid?

“Stop talking.”

Elder Brother Li hadn’t heard of it either, but the rabbit was in his hands—so it must be real.

Whatever the reason, the rabbit was theirs now.

Since they were being sneaky, Elder Brother Li kept his voice low, afraid of waking the neighbors.

Sister-in-law Li understood and stayed quiet, just helping silently.

Once they’d cleaned everything and made sure no traces were left, they rubbed salt on the meat and stored it in a jar, just like Ma had instructed.

Getting up in the middle of the night to do this was tiring, but once they lay back in bed, neither of them felt exhausted.

They exchanged a glance, eyes shining with excitement.

The team leader had already told them that after the autumn harvest, communal meals would end. By year’s end, when the team slaughtered pigs, they’d get a share too.

Once it was all mixed together, who would be able to tell what kind of meat they were eating?

Inside the spatial system, An An’s body was faintly glowing with golden light.

Each time An An completed a mission, a portion of the luck that had been stolen from him through the Xie family’s dark rituals would return.

After so many missions, a small fraction had already come back. Even if it was just one ten-thousandth, it was enough to noticeably improve An An’s fortune.

That rabbit really had run toward him. Weak and helpless as it was, it was still a wild animal, and wild animals had instincts.

It could sense its fate: either be eaten by a stronger predator or be caught and eaten by humans.

There was no escaping death. So it chose the most advantageous option—rubbing up against the little one’s Golden Light of Merit, hoping to earn a better reincarnation.

On their production team, the team leader wasn’t overly strict. After spring rains, the mountains yielded all kinds of wild goods—mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and more.

Granny Li was one of the cooks for the communal kitchen. After a rain, she’d often head into the mountains to gather fresh ingredients.

The newly sprouted bamboo shoots were tender and short, and there were all sorts of mushrooms and wild greens. A quick search could fill a whole basket.

Li Dazhuang had gone from whining all day to gradually adapting to the team’s labor. Before long, he was back to bragging again.

People used to say that his parents raising a son like him was a tragedy.

Now, those same people had to admit that the Work Points he earned were no less than those of the village’s most diligent young men.

In fact, he was doing even better than some of the ones who used to be praised.

Summer arrived quickly, and weeding became the most dreaded task.

It wasn’t just the scorching sun that made their eyes sting with sweat. The real torment came from the snakes, bugs, and ants that thrived in the dense summer vegetation.

Stepping on something slimy could scare someone half to death.

Every time the team leader saw how motivated everyone was, he regretted not implementing the system sooner.

Even Li Dazhuang, who used to give him headaches, was now obediently working in the fields—let alone the others.

The summer heat made even little An An sweat buckets.

Granny Li, during a break, took some of Xiaohua’s old clothes, resized them, and dressed An An in them.

As long as kids stayed out of the sun, it didn’t matter if their arms and legs were exposed.

After months of careful feeding, An An’s skin was as fair as the sheep milk he drank. Xiaohua grew more and more fond of her younger brother, who was far better looking than their older sibling.

Without needing reminders from her mother or grandmother, she came over every day on her own.

She’d hold his little hand, tug his tiny feet, and delight in watching him blow bubbles or pout in anger. Everything about him amused her.

Sister-in-law Li’s biggest worry had been that her two kids might sneak off to the river. Children this age were playful, and with the adults busy working, it was impossible to watch them every second.

Every time she heard about a child drowning in a nearby village, she’d have nightmares.

Shitou was old enough now that, even though she doted on him, she still made him help in the fields to earn Work Points. He was part of the family, after all.

{石头 (Shitou) (Nickname) – “stone/rock,” symbolizing being strong, healthy, and solid.}

With Shitou by her side, she didn’t have to worry about him. That left only Xiaohua.

Knowing Xiaohua adored her baby brother and wouldn’t leave him behind to play alone gave Sister-in-law Li peace of mind.

Most importantly, ever since An An was born, her lazy good-for-nothing brother-in-law had finally started working!

Throughout the entire spring plowing, Li Dazhuang hadn’t tried to sneak off once. He earned full Work Points every day and sometimes even brought An An out for a walk—and occasionally came back with meat.

Even if they couldn’t eat it yet, just knowing they had meat hidden at home made Sister-in-law Li want to laugh.

Life was finally starting to look up.

Maybe it was because Li Dazhuang had been so ridiculous before, but now even the slightest improvement felt like a big deal to Sister-in-law Li.

Still, because of his past behavior, she couldn’t bring herself to like him too much.

So she gave all the credit to little An An. The more she looked at him, the more she adored him.

She believed it was thanks to his birth that her shameless, lazy brother-in-law had finally turned over a new leaf.

Sister-in-law Li even had Elder Brother Li fix up the old cradle Xiaohua used. It was the perfect size for An An now.

With the cradle, An An no longer had to lie in the stuffy house. They moved him to the shade under the apricot tree in the courtyard.

Xiaohua, who loved playing with her brother, could stay nearby and still see what was going on outside, so she didn’t get bored.

Every time An An lay there staring at the rustling leaves, he worried one might fall and hit him on the head. The longer he stared, the more anxious he became—until he finally shut his eyes tight.

“Waaah~”

No matter how he tried to avoid it, a leaf still landed beside him. Little An An grabbed it in his tiny hand and stared at it for a long time.

Xiaohua kept a close eye on him to make sure he didn’t put the leaf in his mouth, but otherwise let him play.

An An noticed her watching his leaf. Though he was reluctant to part with his new toy, he saw how intently she was looking and, after a moment of thought, offered it to her.

Xiaohua blinked in confusion as she took the leaf, tilting her head at her brother.

“You don’t want to play with it anymore?”

An An’s eyes widened slightly. He didn’t answer, but Xiaohua, who knew him well, could tell that wasn’t what he meant.

“Hmm? Then what is it? You’re giving it to me?”

An An gave a soft “mm” and gently patted the back of her hand.

“Heehee.”

Xiaohua stared at the leaf he’d given her for a long time. It was just an ordinary leaf, but now it looked beautiful.

“Wow~ You’re the best, little brother~”

An An blushed at the praise and covered his face with his hands, giggling shyly.

Granny Li returned just in time to see the sweet moment between the siblings. The smile on her face deepened, the fine lines at her temples more pronounced.

In the village, most babies An An’s age could already sit up.

But Granny Li had always been cautious. Since An An was raised on sheep milk, she knew he couldn’t be compared to the other children.

So she hadn’t tried to help him sit yet. She figured that once his body was ready, he’d sit up on his own. Judging by how sharp he was, he clearly wasn’t a fool.

In the summer, the mountains were full of ripe wild fruits. The team leader turned a blind eye to these little things, and many people would pick some on their way back to give to their children.

Some mischievous kids, with their parents’ permission, would even sneak up the mountain to forage.

Today, Granny Li had good luck. She found a bunch of ripe fruit that no one else had picked yet—though some had already been half-eaten by bugs.

She carefully picked the best ones and brought them home, then divided them into three portions. Since little An An was still so young, he only got two.

An An stared at the ones in his sister’s hand, then looked at the pitiful pair in Granny Li’s hand. When he realized those were meant for him, his lips quivered in grievance.

After all, he was the one Granny Li had raised with her own hands. Add to that his sweet and obedient nature, and in Granny Li’s heart, little An An had already begun to take the place of Li Dazhuang, becoming the one she doted on the most.

“It’s not that Grandma doesn’t want you to eat more, An An. It’s just that you’re still little. Eat too much and your tummy will hurt, okay? Be good.”

An An sniffled, still feeling wronged, but at least he didn’t throw a tantrum. He opened his mouth wide like a baby bird waiting to be fed.

Granny Li had picked the two ripest fruits just for An An—perfect for a little one who hadn’t even grown teeth yet.

With just a gentle press of his lips, the fruit would burst into sweet juice.

These wild berries were incredibly sweet, and the village kids rarely managed to find them.

An An’s chubby little face lit up with satisfaction, and beside him, Xiaohua beamed as she said, “Thank you, Grandma.”

Shitou hadn’t returned yet, so the portion meant for him was stored in the cupboard—he could have it when he got back.

Amid the daily busyness, time flew by. In the blink of an eye, summer was coming to an end.

The rice in the fields had already bent low with grain. Anyone with a bit of experience could tell—it was going to be a good harvest this year.

Unlike last year, when every household had to tighten their belts just to get by.

The brigade leader was probably the happiest of them all when he saw the lush, golden paddies in their team’s fields.

Everyone in the production team had shed their previous laziness. Now, they were all eagerly looking forward to the Autumn harvest.

By this time, little An An could already sit up. Every time Li Dazhuang came home, the first thing he did was scoop up An An and take him out for a stroll.

As for his old gang of loafers and troublemakers, he barely kept in touch anymore—except when he wanted to show off his son and fish for compliments.

He was a man earning Work Points to support his family now. He didn’t want to waste time talking to those childless layabouts.

Granny Li and Sister-in-law Li saw this change and were secretly delighted.

Before the Autumn harvest, Sister-in-law Li brought something up to her mother-in-law.

She hadn’t planned to mention it at first, but now that her brother-in-law seemed to be turning over a new leaf, the thought kept circling in her mind.

“Mom, someone asked me to find out—does Dazhuang want to remarry? It’s been a long time since the first one passed. While An An is still young, there are quite a few women willing to come and be his mother.”

Li Dazhuang used to be a lazy good-for-nothing, always eating and loafing around. Most people were fed up with him.

But he was undeniably handsome, and that roguish charm of his had fooled more than a few naïve girls.

Back then, no one seriously considered him, because good looks couldn’t fill your stomach.

He was truly lazy—wouldn’t lift a finger at home or in the fields.

Living with a man like that meant a lifetime of hardship. No matter how good-looking he was, it just wasn’t worth it.

But now that he’d changed, the whole village had noticed.

He’d been working steadily for months, and his performance wasn’t any worse than the other young men in the village. If he kept it up, there were definitely women willing to consider him.

Plus, with his love of showing off, he was constantly parading his son around the village whenever he had a free moment.

Most people in the village already knew Li Dazhuang had a son who looked like a little celestial child from a New Year’s painting.

That sweet, well-behaved face could melt anyone’s heart. People couldn’t help but want to scoop him up and raise him themselves.

A reformed scoundrel paired with an adorable little An An—no wonder so many people were asking Sister-in-law Li to test the waters.

Granny Li listened to her daughter-in-law’s words, hesitated for a long time, then shook her head.

“Let’s not.”

First of all, her son’s transformation hadn’t lasted that long. Who knew if it was just a passing phase?

What if he seemed fine now but reverted to his old ways later? They’d be ruining some poor girl’s life.

Besides, Granny Li had other worries.

Others might think An An was still young and could be raised to treat a stepmother like his real mother.

But Granny Li didn’t see it that way. What if An An really did come to see her as his mother, and then she had her own child and favored the younger one? An An would be heartbroken.

Just imagining her precious grandson’s hurt little face made Granny Li ache inside.

“Mom, aren’t you going to ask Dazhuang what he thinks?”

“Ask? Even if you did, I’m sure he’d say the same.”

Granny Li wasn’t worried about that. She knew her son’s nature—she’d raised him, after all.

He might act like he enjoyed making An An cry, but if An An ever truly got upset, he’d panic more than anyone.

Whenever he had a moment to spare, he’d take An An out for a walk.

Unlike before, when he’d ask around east and west and annoy everyone, now he just wanted people to see how cute his son was.

He spent so much time with An An and was even willing to change for him—no one would believe he didn’t care.

Sister-in-law Li had genuinely disliked her brother-in-law before, but now that he was trying to do better, she sincerely hoped things would go well for him.

So that evening, she brought it up with Li Dazhuang.

“Thinking about marrying again?”

Li Dazhuang was bouncing An An in his arms when he heard that. This little guy, if nothing else, had the cutest smile when he laughed, showing off a few tiny teeth. No matter how many times he saw it, he never got tired of looking.

At the sound of those words, little An An’s face turned serious. He stared at his father with suspicion.

“What are you looking at me like that for?”

Hearing the slightly stern tone, the spoiled little guy didn’t hesitate—he reached up and gave his dad’s nose a hard pinch.

“Ow, ow, ow! Fine, fine, I won’t say it anymore, okay? Let go of your little claws!”

Only after An An gave a little huff did Li Dazhuang feel his nose was finally free.

Don’t be fooled by how tiny this kid looked—he had quite the grip. It really hurt!

“You little rascal. Just wait till you’re a bit older—I’ll tan your hide!”

Instead of being scared, An An buried his head in his father’s chest and let out a pitiful whimper.

Li Dazhuang wanted to wave him off, pretend he wasn’t falling for it.

But when he felt those little hands clutching his shirt, he just couldn’t bring himself to scold him.

“Alright, alright, I won’t spank you.”

Watching the way father and son interacted, Sister-in-law Li felt something stir in her heart.

She waited until Li Dazhuang had soothed An An before bringing up the matter again.

“Quite a few families asked me to talk to you. How about meeting someone after the Autumn harvest?”

In their village, once someone was gone, that was it. The sooner you found a new partner, the better.

In times when people couldn’t even fill their bellies, talking about love was laughable.

“I’d rather not. Please help me turn them all down.”

“Huh? Why?”

Sister-in-law Li hadn’t believed her mother-in-law when she said Dazhuang would refuse.

Even her own husband, if she died unexpectedly, would probably find someone new within a year under the excuse of needing help raising the kids.

“I’m only just barely earning Work Points now. Raising An An already takes everything I’ve got, and I still need help from the family. I don’t want to bring someone else into this.”

“The fewer mouths in the house, the more food we get.”

What he said was painfully realistic. Hunger was their biggest problem. Even Sister-in-law Li, who had always been kind-hearted, began to waver.

He was right. If her brother-in-law remarried, that would be another mouth to feed.

If they had more kids, that would mean someone staying home to care for them, costing the family a laborer.

Letting her daughter help with An An was fine—he was sweet and easy to care for. Even a child could manage him.

Whenever she came home and heard her daughter talk about her little brother, her eyes sparkled. She clearly enjoyed it.

But who could guarantee another child would be like An An?

Sister-in-law Li was one of the few mothers in the village who didn’t favor sons over daughters.

She loved her children equally, even teaching her son to give way to his younger sister.

Helping with An An was for the good of the whole family.

But if there were more kids later, what if her daughter got worn out?

What if the new wife didn’t like how her daughter cared for the kids? Her daughter was so timid—she probably wouldn’t even know how to talk back.

The more she thought about it, the more Sister-in-law Li felt that if her brother-in-law truly didn’t want to remarry, maybe keeping things as they were was best.

“If you’re sure about this, then I won’t push you.”

With that, she got up and left quickly, afraid she might change his mind.

Back in her own room, Xiaohua was already asleep. Seeing her daughter lying there so sweetly—even if she wasn’t as pretty as An An—Sister-in-law Li still saw her as her treasure.

Soon, the Autumn harvest arrived. No matter how much Li Dazhuang adored his little An An, he couldn’t carry him around all day like before.

He was soon groaning from exhaustion. After all, he’d been a lazy bum for years. His mother had even helped him with a lot of the work when she could.

Mostly, all he did was carry his son around and show him off.

Now, thrown from the intensity of Spring Plowing straight into the chaos of Autumn harvest, it was killing him.

And on the second day of the harvest, the brigade leader returned from a county meeting with big news.

A massive storm was coming, set to last three days.

The rice was nearly ready, and this was one of the rare good harvests in recent years.

If the storm hit before they brought it in, everything would be lost.

The brigade leader said the storm would arrive within a week, so they had to start harvesting day and night.

Even after dark, they had to keep working in the fields.

They’d toiled all year for this. And the brigade leader had promised that after the harvest, each household could manage its own food.

Just the thought that this grain might finally be theirs was enough to keep everyone working nonstop. They wished they could sleep in the fields if it meant saving the crop.

At first, Li Dazhuang whined nonstop, trying to think of ways to slack off at home.

If this kept up, he’d be a wreck by the end of the harvest—flat on his back, unable to do anything, much less parade his son around like before.

But when he heard about the coming storm, it was like someone lit a fire under him.

An An had grown a lot. The sheep that had been giving him milk had already been sent back to the mountain.

The only reason they’d kept the sheep so long was because the brigade leader had made an exception for the child’s sake.

Now that An An was older, keeping it any longer would stir resentment among the villagers, even if the brigade leader allowed it.

If Li Dazhuang really wanted to keep the sheep, it wouldn’t be hard.

No one would come check. He could just claim he’d returned it.

Pick a dark night, slaughter the sheep, and stash the meat. That fat sheep could feed them for days.

In the past, that’s exactly what Li Dazhuang would’ve done.

But after An An came along, many of his bad habits started to fade. He was afraid of setting a bad example.

That sheep had kept his son alive. Without it, An An wouldn’t have made it.

If someone in the village had nursed An An, by custom, he’d have to call her godmother.

You couldn’t do that with a sheep, of course—but the debt was real.

What if, when An An grew up and asked what happened to the sheep that fed him for months, he found out it ended up in his dad’s stomach?

Li Dazhuang might not care about much, but he truly loved his son and cared what An An thought of him.

He didn’t want his son to resent him later.

They’d already brought back plenty of meat from their walks. His mother had hidden it all away. They didn’t need that sheep.

So, for once, Li Dazhuang did the right thing. He even called the brigade leader over and took An An, Shitou, and Xiaohua to return the sheep to the mountain.

As the sheep walked away, it kept looking back, clearly reluctant to leave.

Without sheep milk, his mother said An An would have to start drinking rice water and eating solid food.

That meant Li Dazhuang had to work hard during the Autumn harvest to earn more fine grain for his son.

Li Dazhuang, so exhausted his eyes could barely stay open, reached up to wipe the sweat from his brow. He thought back to yesterday, when he’d come home hoping to hug his son, only for the little rascal to pinch his nose and complain that he smelled. Grinding his teeth at the memory, he made a silent vow in his heart.

Today, no matter how much An An kicks and squirms, he’s getting that hug.

That brat’s still too young to understand how much his old man has sacrificed for him. Say a few words and he’s already clawing at you with those tiny hands—and boy, do those little grabs hurt!