"Old Zhang, are you really planning to sever ties with your Fourth Branch?" Village Chief Zhang Wenyuan couldn't help but ask.
"Chief, this isn't about what I want. The Fourth Branch has truly chilled the hearts of our entire family."
"Exactly! We must sever ties! Let's see how that little slut survives afterward!" Old Lady Liu interjected venomously, gnashing her teeth. She'd suffered multiple setbacks under Xu Xiu's hands these past two days, constantly seeking revenge but finding no opportunity.
Hearing Old Lady Liu's words, Xu Xiu merely sneered inwardly while remaining fixated on obtaining the plot of land at the village's end. That worthless piece of earth meant nothing to the main family, but to her, it held immense significance - a crucial asset for future plans. If they wanted to discard the Fourth Branch so easily, they'd have to surrender a pound of flesh first. Even redundant flesh, once carved out, would bring Xu Xiu satisfaction.
"Dad, if you insist on severing ties, then do so. Just grant our Fourth Branch that plot of land."
"What's the fuss about some worthless land? Take it if you want!"
Xu Xiu finally relaxed upon hearing this. Sighing, she turned to Zhang Wenyuan: "Chief Uncle, let's include that village-end land deed in the severance agreement."
From her tone, Zhang Wenyuan knew she'd conceded. He advised: "Zixuan's wife, why persist? That land can't grow anything. How will you and Zixuan survive?"
"Chief Uncle, it's not me wanting this severance. It's Dad and Mom forcing it. I dare make no demands - just need a roof over our heads."
Zhang Wenyuan pointed accusingly at Old Zhang: "Old Zhang! Aren't you afraid of divine retribution?"
"Retribution?" Old Lady Liu cut in impatiently. "When this Xu Xiu laid hands on her Mom-in-law, did she fear retribution? Enough talk! If she's so capable, let her sign!"
The more Old Lady Liu thought about it, the more she believed this course correct. The Fourth Branch had cripples and children - only Xu Xiu could work. Previously submissive, now even her two sons couldn't match Xu Xiu's ferocity. Better sever ties before they come begging for money - something Old Lady Liu would never allow!
Thus, Xu Xiu 'reluctantly' signed the severance agreement, obtaining the village-end land deed. None could guess her inner excitement holding that document.
"Now that we're severed, get out!" Old Lady Liu snapped immediately after signing.
Xu Xiu glanced at the pork on the ground and bedridden Zhang Zixuan. Estimating nearly a hundred pounds remaining, she realized her penniless state couldn't handle roof repairs alone with young children. Old Lady Liu also eyed the pork, moving to grab it but freezing under Xu Xiu's piercing glare. She'd wait until they left to claim it.
Knowing the Old Zhang family's nature, Xu Xiu worried abandoning the pork would endanger Zixuan if left behind. As she hesitated, Liu-Tou arrived with village friends Zhang Zhiyong and Zhang Haifei - former fellow escorts of Zhang Zixuan. After witnessing Zixuan's paralyzing fall, Zhiyong (the village chief's son) had quit that dangerous profession.
"Mom! I brought Uncle Zhiyong and Uncle Haifei to help carry Dad!" Liu-Tou beamed.
Old Lady Liu nearly combined seeing this - hundreds of pounds of pork slipping away! Not one to surrender, she steeled herself and marched toward Xu Xiu.
"That pig's at least a hundred pounds! We'll take most of it back!" she declared stiffly.
"What's your claim?" Xu Xiu fired back. "Did you raise it? Cut any grass? Pluck a single hair during slaughter?"
Old Lady Liu gaped speechless.
"No answer means no connection. How dare you demand our pork?" Xu Xiu hoisted the meat onto her shoulder, instructing the men: "Please carry Zixuan and our belongings."
Emaciated from two years' starvation, Zixuan weighed nothing towards Zhiyong. Their scant possessions easily filled Haifei's arms.
"The pork...that pork..." Old Lady Liu sputtered incoherently, Old Zhang similarly apoplectic. Xu Xiu ignored them, shooting meaningful glances before sauntering out.
Their triumph faded upon reaching the village-end shack.
"Zixuan, is this even habitable?" Zhiyong exclaimed.
Xu Xiu stared dumbfounded at the crumbling thatched hut - untouched since Zixuan's accident two years prior. The miracle was it still stood at all.
"Stay with my family temporarily," Zhiyong offered.
Xu Xiu vehemently waved this away - sheltering with the Village Chief's household would risk exposing her secrets.
"Don't stand at the ceremony, sister-in-law. This place needs serious repairs."
"Now the weather is still good, not cold. As long as we fix the roof first, we can make a living here for a while. If we tidy up the inside of this house a bit, it's still livable."
When she said this, Xu Xiu had already started working.
To be honest, no matter how dilapidated this place was, Xu Xiu still loved it.
Seeing Xu Xiu's determination, Zhang Zixuan also spoke up: "Brother Zhiyong, just put me over there."
Following the direction Zhang Zixuan pointed out, Zhang Zhiyong finally noticed there was a wooden plank in the room.
By now, Xu Xiu had already begun cleaning the house.
It wasn't that she was diligent—she had no choice.
She will be staying here tonight.
After setting Zhang Zixuan down, Zhang Zhiyong didn't leave immediately. Instead, he and Zhang Haifei started repairing the roof.
Seeing everyone busy, Liu-Tou and Qi-Tou followed behind Xu Xiu, helping her gather and tidy things.
Er-Ya stood by Zhang Zixuan's side. "Dad, are you thirsty? Should I get you water?"
"Dad isn't thirsty!" Zhang Zixuan replied gently.
He never dreamed that one day they would leave their home.
But thinking about the days ahead, Zhang Zixuan's face clouded with worry again.
Looking at his paralyzed legs, he had often hated himself.
He hated his helplessness, his inability to protect his wife and children.
Xu Xiu didn't know Zhang Zixuan's thoughts. Right now, her mind is focused on one thing:
How to earn money and how to exchange the medicinal water from the supermarket to treat Zhang Zixuan.
But given the chaos in the house, she probably couldn't venture into the deep mountains today.
"Mom, should we build a stove too?" Liu-Tou asked, looking at the pig in the room.
"Oh! I almost forgot! Wait here—Mom will go build it now."
Nothing mattered more than filling their stomachs.
Fortunately, when they left, she had brought the pot, knife, and the small amount of rice they'd been using these past few days.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have known how to cook at all.
When Zhang Zhiyong and Zhang Haifei saw Xu Xiu preparing to cook, they quickly said:
"Sister-in-law, don't make food for us. The roof repairs are almost done anyway."
"That won't do! I've already put the rice in. You must try your sister-in-law's cooking."
With that, she raised the knife and chopped the pig's trotters into pieces.
She then cut two large portions of pork separately.
These were meant for Zhang Zhiyong and Zhang Haifei to take home.
Luckily, the Zhang family had left some firewood there, so she didn't need to gather more.
But eating only pork trotters without vegetables would get tiresome, even for Xu Xiu, who'd been eating them for days.
Looking around the small house, Liu-Tou and Qi-Tou were managing the cleanup well.
As the old saying went: Poor children mature early.
In the apocalypse, children their age would still be cuddling in their moms' arms.
But here they were, worrying about adult matters.
Unconsciously, Xu Xiu felt a pang of sorrow.
"Liu-Tou, Qi-Tou, rest when you're done. Mom will check the backyard!"
"Go ahead, Mom! We're not tired!"
Located at the village's edge and surrounded by mountains, the cottage's backyard led straight to the foothills.
Now that spring has just passed, there should be plenty of wild vegetables.
The backyard revealed a crystal-clear mountain spring.
A few steps ahead lay the mountain's base, seemingly rarely visited.
"Coco, Coco, any unusual plants around here?"
"Nothing yet. Don't worry—my system scan will alert me. But those plantain herbs near you are medicinal, you know?"
"Medicinal? These?" Xu Xiu asked incredulously.
"Exactly! Dry them and sell them to town herbal shops. Easy money," Coco insisted.
"Really?"
"Absolutely!"
Convinced, Xu Xiu immediately pulled up a plant.
The area was covered with them—far more than she could handle alone.
Let alone washing and drying them all.
Thinking of Zhang Zhiyong and Zhang Haifei, an idea formed.
"But with so many weeds here, aren't there others you want? What's your scanning range?"
"Two meters around you."
Xu Xiu: "..." Her immediate surroundings showed nothing. Was this range even useful?
"But Xu Xiu, aren't those fern shoots ahead edible?" Coco asked.
"Saw them!" She'd noticed earlier.
Observing the trees, Xu Xiu recalled wheelchairs from the apocalypse.
After being bedridden for two years, Zhang Zixuan deserved credit for enduring.
A wheelchair could let him do handcraft and stay occupied.
With this thought, Xu Xiu quickly gathered fern shoots and chopped a sizable nanmu tree to carry back.
"Xu Xiu! Check your three o'clock—something there!" Coco suddenly urged.
Dropping the wood, Xu Xiu pushed through the grass.
There it was—an unusual plant she couldn't name.
"I'll dig it up. How do I..."
Before she finished, the plant vanished into Coco's system.
"How many points is this worth?" Xu Xiu pressed.
"2.5 points!"
"What? That's all?"
"Better than most. Many plants are only 0.5 points."
"So I can exchange it for 2.5 points?"
"Yes. Want to exchange now?"
"Not yet," Xu Xiu sighed.
Aside from the pig, they had nothing.
They lacked everything.