Changes

Fang Yuan first picked up the bolt of thick grey-blue cotton cloth and handed it to Liu Wanwan.

"Look, this cloth is sturdy. It should be enough to make new winter clothes for you and Little Bean Sprout."

Liu Wanwan took the bolt of cloth in a daze, her fingers unconsciously stroking its surface.

It felt thick and solid beneath her fingertips, carrying the distinct scent of new cloth.

She could no longer remember how long it had been since she had touched fabric this good. The garment she wore was still from when she had married into the family, patch upon patch, long since unable to keep out the cold.

Her eyes reddened at once, and her voice caught in her throat.

"This... how much did this cost...?"

"And this." Fang Yuan did not answer. He took out the other two bolts of cloth from the basket, the ones the charming woman had said were suitable for lining clothes.

"This dark blue one is thick too. It can be made into outer pants. This soft, fine one can be worn next to the skin—it won't scratch."

Little Bean Sprout finally could not hold herself back. She stretched out her tiny hand and carefully touched the slightly lighter-colored fine cotton cloth.

It was soft to the touch, and delight immediately bloomed across her little face. She looked up at Fang Yuan, her big eyes sparkling.

"Brother, is... is this for Douding?"

"Yes, to make new clothes for you and your sister-in-law." Fang Yuan smiled and rubbed her head.

By then, Liu Wanwan had noticed the other things in the basket.

When she saw the full measure of plump, jade-white rice grains, her breathing nearly stopped.

Then she saw the small bag of snow-white fine salt, as well as the handful of dark red dried chili peppers wrapped in oil paper...

"White rice... fine salt... and chilies?" She took them out one by one, her voice trembling as though she could not believe her own eyes. "Husband... these... these are all..."

"The wild boar meat sold for a good price, so I traded it for these." Fang Yuan's tone was calm, as if he had merely done something trivial. "From now on, use fine salt when cooking. Add some chilies when stir-frying vegetables or stewing meat—they'll ward off the cold too. As for the white rice... we can cook a dry meal once in a while."

Liu Wanwan looked at those things, then at the new cloth in her hands. At last, her gaze fell on Fang Yuan's face—tired, yet unable to hide its sharp vigor.

At last, her tears fell.

But these were tears of joy, tears shed at the sight of hope.

She wiped her face hard, then broke into a smile through her tears.

"Good! Good! I'll go make dinner right away! Tonight... tonight I'll stew the meat with this fine salt and chilies! It'll be delicious, I guarantee it!"

Little Bean Sprout clapped happily as well. "New clothes to wear! Meat to eat!"

Hugging the new cloth and white rice as if they were priceless treasures, Liu Wanwan hurried lightly into the kitchen.

Like a cheerful little sparrow, Little Bean Sprout chattered as she followed her in, scrambling to help her sister-in-law light the fire and wash the vegetables.

To her, having new clothes to wear, having her brother stop pulling a dark face and losing his temper, and having fragrant meat to eat was simply the happiest thing in the world.

Soon, the sounds of the two busying themselves and their low, joyful conversation drifted from the kitchen.

"Wanwan, stew more meat," Fang Yuan called toward the kitchen.

"Alright! I know!" Liu Wanwan's smiling voice came back. She had long noticed that Fang Yuan's appetite had recently become astonishingly large.

While the sky had yet to fully brighten and the snow was still falling, Fang Yuan picked up the chopping knife that had become ever more familiar in his hand.

He went to the Courtyard Corner, swept aside the snow, and revealed the remaining half of the wild boar.

The blade flashed, and dividing the meat became increasingly practiced and efficient.

He cut precisely along the bones and joints, breaking the pork down into large pieces that were easier to store and use.

With every clean, decisive stroke, a notification of increased proficiency quietly surfaced in his mind. Though each increase was slight,

small streams made a great river, and he never tired of it.

Before long, the pork had been fully divided.

Without pausing, he picked up the bamboo broom leaning against the wall and began sweeping the courtyard.

He started where the pork had been piled, thoroughly sweeping the snow stained with blood and scraps of meat into a corner at the base of the courtyard wall.

Then he carefully swept the entire courtyard, especially the places where he had been moving about earlier.

Every trace that might have been left behind was either buried beneath the flurrying fresh snow or muddled by his sweeping.

After finishing all this, a light sheen of sweat appeared on his forehead, but the courtyard no longer showed any signs that a large prey animal had been dealt with there in the middle of the night.

As long as the snow did not stop, within an hour or two, every trace would be perfectly covered.

Finally, he went to the courtyard gate and began clearing the snow in front of it.

He not only swept away the snow before the threshold, but also forcefully cleared a narrow grey-black path leading toward the village trail.

In such a bitter winter, if no one swept it, the snow at the entrance could rise past one's calves in less than half a day, making it difficult to walk.

In the past, Liu Wanwan had always done this laboriously after daybreak. Often, she had barely cleared a path before fresh snow covered it again.

Since he was home today, he did it in passing.

After finishing everything, he leaned on the broom and stood at the entrance, looking around.

Unable to resist, Liu Wanwan looked outside through the kitchen's small window.

She saw Fang Yuan swinging the broom, briskly sweeping the snow aside and clearing the path before the gate.

His figure looked especially solid amid the dim Morning Light and falling snowflakes, without the frailty and... gloominess of a scholar that he had once possessed.

Yes, gloominess.

Liu Wanwan thought silently to herself.

The Fang Yuan of the past had seemed shrouded beneath a thick layer of dark clouds.

The pressure of the imperial examinations and the hardship of their family circumstances weighed on him like two great mountains, leaving him unable to breathe and making his temper impatient and volatile.

If she said one word too many, it might bring an irritated rebuke from him or a long stretch of silence.

When she and Little Bean Sprout were at home, even their breathing unconsciously grew quieter, for fear of provoking him.

But ever since he had awakened from that fainting spell, he had seemed like a different person.

Though he still did not speak much, the gloomy, violent air around him had vanished.

In its place was a steadiness and decisiveness that put people at ease.

He took the initiative to share the housework, patiently teased Little Bean Sprout, and unhesitatingly refused her suggestion that she go wash clothes.

Then he firmly shouldered the livelihood of the whole family.

These were things the old Fang Yuan could never have done, things he had not even dared imagine.

"Perhaps... after facing the trials of life and death, a person really can grow up overnight?"

Liu Wanwan softly asked herself in her heart.

Other than that explanation, she truly could not understand how a person could undergo such a great change in so short a time.

But this change was what she and Little Bean Sprout had longed for beyond measure.