Chapter 335: From Now On, We Go Our Separate Ways

Chapter 335 From Now On, Each to Their Own Fate and Fortune

When Fu Lei first met his demise, many comrades came to visit the family, asking if they needed any help.

At the time, Zhou Linglan was immersed in grief. She thanked everyone for their kindness, but declined their offers of assistance.

Among them, Cao Guohua had brought the most items—ranging from staples like rice, oil, meat, and vegetables to cash and furniture. Though the quantity was substantial, since it was delivered alongside other comrades, it didn’t stand out too much.

Unwilling to disregard their goodwill, Zhou Linglan kept a token amount of rice and oil but returned everything else.

Especially cash and valuables—she took none of it.

She had a sharp memory. She remembered how this bundle’s tight knot was tied and even recalled whose hands had once held this small package.

Yet she couldn’t remember why it had been left behind, much less why she had tucked it away at the bottom of a chest.

After a moment of thought, Zhou Linglan rewrapped the item and took it with her as she headed out toward the cowshed at the back.

Back then, everyone turned in early, especially in winter, when folks would’ve eaten straight from their beds if they could. Dinner was finished early, and sleep came just as quickly.

Since Cao Guohua had moved in, Zhou Linglan hadn’t set foot there—not even steering clear of this route entirely.

Standing before the cowshed, Zhou Linglan noticed a faint glow seeping through the door crack—the person inside was still awake.

She set the bundle down, knocked lightly three times, then turned and left.

She didn’t walk any faster than usual, maintaining her normal pace without looking back even once.

By the time Cao Guohua threw on his coat and opened the door, the moonlight still allowed him to make out her slender back receding into the distance.

He didn’t call out to stop her, only fixed his gaze on her back until she vanished completely around the corner. Then, slowly, he withdrew his gaze and bent down to pick up the bundle.

Inside was the gold bracelet left to him by his ancestors—several taels in weight, a family heirloom, and the only valuable possession the Cao family had.

They had gone on the same mission. Fu Lei had died; he’d made it back alive. He was guilt-ridden, yet there was nothing he could do, no real help he could offer them.

Zhou Linglan wouldn’t even take a small sum of money—there was no way she would accept something so precious.

The only chance he had was during the crowded memorial service, when he tossed it into some random box.

He had hoped that if she ever found it while rummaging through the chest, she would assume it was something the Fu family had stashed away.

At least in an emergency, it could be pawned for cash.

He had never said a word about it, nor left any markings. He had no idea how she had been so certain it belonged to him and had returned it with such certainty.

Clutching the bundle, Cao Guohua calculated the time and realized it was about time for him to bow out.

Over the years, he had bided his time, not even exchanging a single word with Zhou Linglan. He had simply stood silently behind her, hoping that if the day ever came when she truly needed help, she wouldn’t be left with no one.

It was for the best if his presence was never needed—he was content to remain an invisible shadow.

Fortunately, though times had been tough for her these past years, she had managed to make it through unscathed.

From the moment Fu Zhengtu returned, Cao Guohua knew it was time for him to step aside.

Returning to his bed, he lit a cigarette and pulled out a yellowed photograph from his bedside.

It was Fu Lei and Zhou Linglan’s wedding photo—something Fu Lei had kept with him for years, taking it out now and then for a look.

Cao Guohua had given all of Fu Lei's belongings to Zhou Linglan, except for this one photo he kept.

In the photo, Zhou Linglan was young, beautiful, and smiling gently—no doubt the crush of many young men back in the day.

He’d been there too when Fu Lei saved her.

Whenever Fu Lei took out the photo to look at it, he would always snatch it jokingly, just to steal a few more glances.

That was as close as he ever got to her.

Miss one chance, miss them all.

In this lifetime, it could only be this way.

Cao Guohua struck a match and set fire to the wedding photo he had carried with him for years—someone else’s wedding photo.

As the ashes fell, the bitter wind howled through the leaky cowshed, scattering the ashes like they were nothing. From then on, they’d go their separate ways, each left to their own fate.

...

With a lazy stretch, Uncle Mu asked, "Ah Hang, where are we going today?"

Fu Yuanhang replied, "Gotta help Ma pack, so we might not have time to play. But in the afternoon, I can take you to make a sweet potato pit-oven."

Uncle Mu frowned. "Huh?"

Fu Yuanhang explained, "Some sweet potatoes got left in the ground. We’ll dig a hole, put some charcoal in, and roast them underground. That’s how you get the best damn sweet potatoes."

It had been a long time since he’d had them that way. When times were lean, he’d sneak into the family plot to roast sweet potatoes like this—nothing beat it.

The leftover charcoal ash could even be used as fertilizer, making next year’s sweet potatoes bigger and sweeter.

Uncle Mu blinked, then gave a thumbs-up. "Genius! That’s next-level good. Let’s hurry and pack so we can go make the pit sooner!"

Zhou Linglan woke up early to make egg drop porridge for the children. She cracked two eggs into a bowl, poured in two ladles of piping-hot rice porridge, stirred it, then added chopped green onions, a few drops of sesame oil, and a splash of soy sauce. A fancy treat—the kind you’d only make for special guests back then.

Uncle Mu had never tasted such delicious egg drop porridge before. It was so fresh it made his teeth tingle.

"Auntie, this porridge slaps! I’ve never had anything this good!"

Though Auntie Zhong was frugal, Uncle Mu ate eggs like candy growing up, which was why he was so strong.

Fu Yuanhang said, "The eggs come from our own chickens, laid in the morning and cooked right away. Of course they taste good."

Uncle Mu nodded eagerly. "Same deal as the sweet potatoes—roasting them straight from the ground. Fresh is best!"

"Are you two going to make a sweet potato pit-oven?" Zhou Linglan asked.

Uncle Mu nodded. "Yeah! Ah Hang says it’s the best way to roast them."

Zhou Linglan agreed. "It really is delicious. Let’s go at noon. I’ll butcher one of the hens, and we can roast that too."

Uncle Mu blinked. "Butcher the hen? But who’ll lay eggs then?"

Zhou Linglan smiled. "They’re a hassle to travel with. If we don’t eat them, we’ll have to give them away anyway. If we want to raise chickens later, we’ll start over with new chicks when we get there."

"Let's butcher it!" Uncle Mu nodded emphatically. "We must kill and eat it right away—freshly butchered and roasted, how delicious that'll be!"

Uncle Mu finally understood: when ingredients are fresh, any cooking method tastes amazing! Give it away? No way! Might as well enjoy it ourselves!

After breakfast, the three of them quickly packed up. Zhou Linglan had quite a lot to take with her—just the wild mountain produce she had stored was plentiful.

Uncle Mu suggested, "Auntie, we have so much foraged goods. Why don’t we sell some in the city? City people would pay good money for this quality stuff."

Zhou Linglan replied, "Absolutely not selling. We’ll just share some with each household. It’s not really that much anyway."

"Mom, let’s pack the things that can be mailed first. In the afternoon, we’ll ask Uncle A Niu to take us to the post office and send them ahead. The trains are packed to the gills—we can’t carry so much," Fu Yuanhang said.

Uncle Mu snapped his fingers. "Now that's thinking ahead! Auntie, you have no idea how packed the trains get near the New Year. Ah Hang and I got packed in like sardines!"

Zhou Linglan nodded. "I was thinking the same, but I planned to mail them tomorrow morning on the way. Still, since there’s so much, we can pay Uncle A Niu to make a trip this afternoon."

Uncle Mu said, "It’s settled then! Let’s hurry and pack. After we have our roast chicken and sweet potatoes, we’ll go mail the stuff!"