1940s: I supported my wife and sister-in-law by hunting.

On the other hand, Liu Chuncao, the widow, had no idea that Chen Gaoshan had risked his life to retrieve the crabapple from the ice hole. It was only when her neighbor, Old Sister Li, came over to chat with her at the foot of her wall that she learned about it.

After hearing what Sister Li said, Liu Chuncao almost dropped the corncob she was rubbing in her hand.

Chen Gaoshan is going to crawl into the ice hole like this, I hope he doesn't get sick from the cold.

She and Chen Gaoshan had at least shared a bed and worked together, so she was still worried about him. She couldn't just eat his food and forget the good he had done for her.

She was terrified that Chen Gaoshan would really get sick from the cold and become completely useless.

If he falls apart, who will support her in the future, and she will no longer be able to benefit from him?

Her eldest daughter was still so young, and her mother-in-law was blind. The whole family depended on her for support. She was a widow without a husband, and she had no one to rely on in this village.

Does she really have to be like Widow Li next door, who would let any man who came to her door, as long as he gave her some food and was willing to help with the farm work, swallow her pride, lie on the kang (heated brick bed) with her legs spread, and let them do whatever they wanted to her?

Just thinking about such a life made her feel uneasy, and she would never want to go through that unless absolutely necessary.

The village head, mindful of the two widows, one old and one young, who were struggling financially, specially allocated two large fathead fish to their family.

Liu Chuncao cleaned the fish and put it in a pot to stew.

But she had no appetite for fish; her mind was entirely on Chen Gaoshan.

And so we endured it, and seven days passed in the blink of an eye.

She was concerned about Chen Gaoshan's situation, but dared not ask Old Li next door, for fear of being found out and gossiped about.

But I don't know how he is doing.

She tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep soundly, and her liver was also affected by her work during the day. While sewing shoe soles, she accidentally pricked her hand with a needle, drawing blood before she came to her senses.

After much deliberation, Liu Chuncao gritted her teeth. Since she couldn't avoid it anyway, she might as well sneak a peek near Chen Gaoshan's house during the day. As long as she was sure he was alright, she could finally relax.

At this moment, the blind grandmother was sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed) holding Daya, who was sleeping soundly in her arms.

"Mother, I'm going out to run some errands. You stay home and keep a close eye on Daya. Make sure she doesn't climb to the edge of the kang (heated brick bed) and fall off."

Although the mother-in-law is blind, she is very perceptive. These past few days, her daughter-in-law has been unable to eat or sleep, and has been sighing constantly.

She heard everything and guessed what was going on, but she didn't say anything.

"Go early and come back early. Da Ya won't sleep for long; she'll wake up and cry for milk soon."

Liu Chuncao picked up a coarse cloth scarf from the side of the kang (a heated brick bed), wrapped it around her head and half her face, leaving only her eyes showing, and pushed open the door and went out.

Along the way, she walked carefully, choosing to walk along the base of walls and small paths, her eyes constantly looking around, afraid of being seen by the villagers.

As a widow, going to a man's house was bound to attract gossip, and her bad reputation only made things worse.

But if these rumors reach the Chen family and Chen Gaoshan's wife finds out, and he cuts off his support, then she, her mother-in-law, and Daya will really have no hope for the future.

They walked with trepidation, looking back every few steps, circling around most of the village, and finally managed to get near Chen Gaoshan's house.

Just then, Chen Gaoshan, carrying a chamber pot, walked to the latrine in front of his house and poured the contents of the pot into the pit.

This cesspool is where the Chen family accumulates farmyard manure. It contains not only human excrement but also the manure from their horses and chickens, all of which are fermented here in the spring and then used as fertilizer in the fields.

He had just picked up the empty chamber pot and turned to go back to the yard when he caught a glimpse of a figure walking towards him on the path to the west. The figure's head was covered by a scarf, and the body looked somewhat familiar.

The light was so bright that he couldn't see who it was at first. He squinted instinctively and took a closer look.

Isn't this Widow Liu Chuncao? What's she doing here?

Liu Chuncao immediately recognized the tall man at the door; it was Chen Gaoshan, whom she had been thinking about for several days.

She dared not take another step forward, so she stood about ten meters away from him and waved to him.

Chen Gaoshan quickly scanned his surroundings to make sure no one was paying attention, then hurriedly carried the empty urine bucket into the yard and placed it in the corner.

Chen Liu was busy inside with Xinghua and Lianhua. The two sisters had just become pregnant, and the whole family was busy making baby clothes and blankets. Their hearts were all with the children, and they didn't pay any attention to him at all.

He quickly put on his thick cotton-padded coat, cotton hat, and thick glove covers.

He lifted the curtain and went outside, calling out into the house.

"I'm going out for a bit, I'll be right back!"

He picked up an empty cloth bag at the door, looked around to make sure no one was there, quickly took out thirty pounds of cornmeal from his storage space, stuffed in two cans of pork, and then carried the bag and walked briskly toward Liu Chuncao.

Liu Chuncao walked quickly ahead with her head down, while Chen Gaoshan followed behind, carrying a cloth bag and keeping a distance, as they headed towards the grove of trees on the west side of the village.

This forest is rarely visited; the pine forest is dense.

Before long, the two walked into the grove one after the other. Liu Chuncao looked around, then quickly hid behind an old locust tree, waiting for him to come over.

As the footsteps grew closer, and she was certain that Chen Gaoshan was right in front of her, Liu Chuncao could no longer contain herself. She stretched out her arms, hugged his waist tightly, and buried her face in his chest.

"Do you know how I've been getting through these past few days? You had such a big problem and didn't even send me a message. I couldn't eat or sleep, and I couldn't close my eyes all night. I was constantly worried that something might happen to you, and what would happen to Da Ya and me?"

Chen Gaoshan got excited immediately after being hugged by her, ever since Xinghua and Lianhua became pregnant.

He hadn't been with a woman for three days. He was young, strong, and full of energy, and he never thought he'd have enough of a woman every day.

At this moment, smelling the unique, faint milky scent emanating from Liu Chuncao, and with her soft body pressed against him, a surge of heat instantly rose within him, rushing straight to the top of his head.

He looked down at the woman who was leaning on him in his arms, bent down, and kissed her neck.

"I'm perfectly fine, nothing's wrong with me, don't worry. I know what you're worried about. With me here, you three will definitely not go hungry. I'll give you everything you need and help you with everything you need."

Liu Chuncao nestled in his arms, her eyes constantly glancing warily at the intersection behind them. Once she was sure no one was coming to this grove, her worries subsided.

She clutched Chen Gaoshan's coat collar, staring at him with teary eyes.

"Shanzi, don't you miss your sister at all? I miss you so much, my heart is breaking, I can't concentrate on anything. Don't you miss me even a little bit?"

As she spoke, she took his hand.

"Don't you want to be here?"

He asked tentatively, half-jokingly, "Shanzi, in this cold weather, have you ever gone into the woods with someone before?"

He leaned against the old locust tree, looking at the spring grass in front of him with tears in its eyes.

No, you're the first one.

Liu Chuncao buried her face in his chest, and the snow on the ground crunched under their feet.

Half an hour later, the two of them fastened their pants and buttons.

Chen Gaoshan bent down and patted the snow off her knees and trouser legs with his hand muffler, then let out a burp.

"This is thirty catties of cornmeal, enough for you three to eat for a while."

"You go first, I'll come back later."

Liu Chuncao quickly wrapped her head with a headscarf, her face still flushed, and her lips were red and swollen from his touch.

She hurriedly straightened her clothes, carrying the cloth bag, and carefully left the grove.