Flip the table and divide the family property! Take his wife and daughter into the mountains and eat

Zhao Shanhe followed him into the house, took off his coat, and hung it on a nail behind the door.

On the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), Niu Niu was sleeping soundly, wrapped in a small quilt, her little belly rising and falling with each breath.

Lin Xiu walked in carrying a chipped enamel basin, squatted down to test the water temperature, and handed him a hot towel.

Zhao Shanhe took the towel and looked at his wife's slightly pale and tired face in the lamplight, and his heart tightened slightly.

He didn't rush to wash his face, but instead reached out and grasped Lin Xiu's hand as she was rolling up her sleeves.

Lin Xiu paused for a moment, glanced at her sleeping daughter subconsciously, and said in a low voice, "What's wrong? You smell like alcohol."

Although she said that, she didn't pull her hand back. The room was quiet for a moment, then Lin Xiu lowered her eyes slightly and asked softly:

"Will you go back to the Red Star Factory again?"

"I'm not going."

Zhao Shanhe answered decisively, pulling her close with a slight effort: "The accounts are settled. From now on, that place has nothing to do with us."

"It's better if we don't go. As long as the whole family is safe and sound, that's better than anything else."

"Um."

Zhao Shanhe responded softly and pulled Lin Xiu into his arms.

He closed his eyes and gently rested his chin on his wife's hair.

The faint scent of soapberry emanating from Lin Xiu filled the air, while the even, deep breathing of her daughter echoed from the edge of the kang (heated brick bed), and the occasional crackling of firewood came from the stove.

The tension that had been building for days finally eased in the most ordinary yet reassuring atmosphere of everyday life.

Combined with the aftereffects of that half-jar of strong liquor, extreme fatigue instantly overwhelmed him like a tidal wave.

He sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), holding the real comfort in his arms, and fell into a deep sleep without even wiping his face.

……

The next morning.

In the mountains in spring, the air has a cool and refreshing feel.

The tender green buds that had just sprouted on the branches were covered with dew, and a few clear birdsongs pierced through the thin mist, breaking the tranquility of Kaoshantun.

The early spring sunlight streamed into the house through the bright windows of the red brick and tile house, landing perfectly on the earthen bed.

Zhao Shanhe turned over and slowly opened his eyes.

He slept very soundly and didn't even have a dream.

He stared at the clean, smooth roof for a few seconds. The heaviness of his hangover had completely dissipated, replaced by a series of lazy, aching sounds emanating from his joints.

The bed next to her was empty; Lin Xiu had already gotten up.

Zhao Shanhe sat up, grabbed a clean pair of coarse cloth clothes from the side and put them on, then pushed open the door to the main room.

In the courtyard, the spring breeze carried the moist scent of thawing earth.

Lin Xiu was sitting in front of a large wooden basin in the middle of the yard, washing clothes.

She rolled up her sleeves, revealing her fair forearms, and vigorously rubbed the coat Zhao Shanhe had taken off yesterday with both hands, a fine layer of sweat on her forehead.

Niu Niu wasn't idle either. Holding a newly sprouted willow branch, she squatted at the foot of the red brick wall, giggling and teasing the family's two dogs.

The Azure Dragon was enormous, as robust as a small calf, its blue fur gleaming in the morning light.

It was steady and calm, lying on the ground, letting the little girl gently stroke its nose with a willow twig. It just snorted and let her do as she pleased.

The black dragon next to it was much smarter. It was slightly smaller, but its ears stood straight up and its eyes darted around.

It flitted left and right, cooperating with the willow branch in Niu Niu's hand, and would occasionally lie down on the ground to show its belly and please her, making the little girl laugh so hard she was doubled over.

Hearing the door open, the mother, daughter, and two dogs turned around together.

"Woof!" The black dragon reacted the fastest, its tail wagging like a flower, and it darted over in a flash.

The Azure Dragon slowly stood up, shook its thick fur, and followed behind with steady steps.

"Dad, you're awake!"

Niu Niu dropped the willow branch, toddled over with her short legs, hugged Zhao Shanhe's leg, and looked up at him with her soft, sweet face, exclaiming in a charmingly innocent voice, "Daddy, you're finally awake! The sun's already high in the sky!"

Zhao Shanhe bent down, scooped his daughter into his arms with one hand, and casually rubbed the black dragon's head that was leaning towards him, then patted the green dragon's thick neck.

He playfully poked his daughter's cheek with the stubble that had just sprouted on his chin, causing the little girl to dodge away repeatedly, her clear laughter echoing in the yard.

"There's cornmeal porridge and cornbread warming in the pot, and hot water has been prepared for you in the basin. Hurry up and wash up and eat."

Lin Xiu looked up at him, casually tucked a stray hair behind her ear, and smiled with barely concealed joy.

"Okay."

Zhao Shanhe put Niu Niu down and walked to the basin to wash his face haphazardly.

Cool water droplets slid down his cheeks, instantly making him feel refreshed.

Instead of rushing to get his rice bowl, he walked to the woodpile by the courtyard wall and picked up the axe with its wooden handle worn smooth and shiny.

He took off his coat, leaving only a thin shirt, and swung the axe down hard at a thick wooden stump.

"Snap!"

The firewood split in two with a crisp sound, echoing through the red-brick courtyard.

Zhao Shanhe swung his axe one blow after another, his movements swift and powerful.

The early spring sun shone on his broad back, and soon a fine layer of sweat seeped out, completely expelling the chill and gloom that had accumulated in his bones over the past few days.

"Snap!"

As the last piece of rough wood was split in two, Zhao Shanhe casually tossed the axe aside beside the pile of firewood and exhaled a long puff of white breath.

He was drenched in sweat and felt completely refreshed, as if the gloom he had picked up in the city over the past few days had been completely dispelled.

The Azure Dragon yawned as it lay at the base of the wall, while the Black Dragon trotted over and sniffed around the broken pieces of wood at its feet.

"Alright, stop chopping and come eat quickly, the porridge will get cold."

Lin Xiu had finished washing the clothes sometime earlier and had set out the food on the table in the main room.

Zhao Shanhe hastily wiped his sweat with the towel draped around his neck and strode into the house.

On the table was a large bowl of thick, golden-brown cornmeal porridge, a small basket of steaming hot cornbread, a dish of mustard greens drizzled with sesame oil, and a plate of golden-fried local eggs.

Zhao Shanhe didn't stand on ceremony. He pulled over a long bench, sat down, grabbed a cornbread, took a big bite, and then swallowed it down with cornmeal porridge.

The familiar aroma of whole grains slid down his esophagus into his stomach, warming him and making him let out a satisfied sigh.

Niu Niu lay on the edge of the table, watching him eat with longing eyes. Lin Xiu sat opposite her, using her chopsticks to push the scrambled eggs towards him while jokingly teasing him:

"Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you."

Zhao Shanhe grinned, quickly finished a cornbread in a few bites, and then drank the porridge from the bowl.

After eating and drinking his fill, he leaned back comfortably in his chair, took out a cigarette from his pocket, and put it in his mouth.

Just as he was about to strike a match, he glanced at Niu Niu next to him and threw the matchbox back onto the table.

The warm spring sunshine shone down on the courtyard.

Zhao Shanhe, with an unlit cigarette dangling from his lips, looked past the red brick wall at the distant, rolling old forest, his gaze gradually darkening.

The family wasn't short of money, but Da Niu and the others were still injured, and the road to Hongxing Machinery Factory was blocked.

So many brothers who've risked their lives for him are counting on him; he can't just sit there doing nothing forever.

We need to carefully consider what our next move should be.