After finishing the last bite of pancake, Wei Lian's daughters leaned back with happy sighs, bellies round and satisfied. But toddlers—no matter how tall their bodies—always wanted to move right after eating.
"Mama, walk walk?"
"Mama we go round?"
"Mama tummy full!"
Wei Lian laughed softly.
"Alright. Let's walk around the house."
The four of them stepped out into the front courtyard. The noon sun was gentle, casting muted shadows over the mud walls. Wei Lian looked around, taking in the place that had once suffocated her… and now felt like hers.
She studied the entire property carefully, slowly.
The house was simple:
✔ One room in the west
Her daughters' bedroom, where the four of them slept.
Large windows, good ventilation, but it got too cold at night.
That must be fixed someday.
✔ One room in the east
A storage room filled with broken barrels, cracked baskets, and dusty crates left by the original owner.
Needs cleaning.
Needs purpose.
✔ Kitchen + central sitting area
Connected in the middle of the home.
The heart of the mud house.
✔ A surprisingly large backyard
Her vegetables grew here now.
And her flower patch.
A space full of possibilities.
✔ A front yard
With bathing area, old wooden stool, washing corner, and—
A well.
Old, cracked, but still working beautifully.
✔ Surrounding tall mud walls
Protecting the courtyard from animals.
Giving privacy, peace, and safety.
Wei Lian exhaled deeply.
"For a start, this is a good home."
Her daughters nodded, copying her serious expression.
---
✨ Future Plans — A Home of Bricks & Tiles
Wei Lian mentally calculated her money.
Her total savings:
✔ 3 silver taels
(Enough to buy grain for weeks)
✔ 500 copper coins
(Enough to live a month carefully)
✔ 90 pieces of scented soap
(Easily worth 6–10 silver taels in the ancient market)
✔ Vegetables growing
(Her strongest income soon)
The house was made of mud, uneven and cold.
She had dreams now.
If she could sell vegetables, soap, and later pottery—
She could turn this mud house into brick walls
She could make tile roof
She could build a proper kitchen
A warm room for her daughters
And maybe even—
A bathing room with hot water.
She felt excitement stir inside her chest.
Her daughters would grow up safe.
Warm.
Protected.
Loved.
---
✨ The Old Cycle Cart — A Treasure
As she walked into the front yard, something caught her eye.
Covered in dust.
Leaning against the far wall.
A cycle-cart with one big stall wheel and wooden box attached.
Her breath stopped.
This was her husband's only valuable possession that the stepmother-in-law had allowed her to take before throwing her out.
He once used this cart to sell sweets on the roadside before his stepbrother opened the big sweet shop.
Wei Lian brushed her hand over the wooden box.
It was old.
Dusty.
But strong.
With cleaning and repair—
She could turn it into a mobile stall.
To sell:
• vegetables
• noodles
• pancakes
• scented soap
• and later… handcrafted plates and pots
"Mama, what this?" Qingmei asked.
"A treasure," Wei Lian whispered.
She smiled, feeling a spark of hope.
---
✨ Building a Home for the Chicks
The chicks were chirping around the yard, following her daughters in a messy little parade. Even the weak mother hen had recovered enough to stand and eat.
Wei Lian clapped her hands.
"Girls, how about we build a home for the chicks?"
The daughters' eyes widened.
"Home?"
"Chick house?"
"Yes yes!"
Wei Lian crouched and drew the plan in the dirt:
A small coop
A roof
A warm nesting corner
A tiny fenced yard
Soft straw inside
The girls stared at the drawing seriously, then burst into giggles.
"Mama can draw!"
"Mama make house!"
"We make together!"
Wei Lian ruffled their hair.
"We'll need dry wood, bamboo sticks, and grass."
They searched together.
The daughters carried long sticks, dragging them proudly.
Wei Lian picked up straighter branches and rope.
They built:
• A square wooden frame
• Bamboo walls tied with rope
• A small slanted roof
• A side opening to place food
• Soft straw bedding
It wasn't perfect.
But it was:
Warm.
Safe.
Dry.
Homemade.
The chicks hopped inside immediately, chirping approvingly.
Her daughters clapped in delight.
"Mama, they like it!"
"They sleep here?"
"So cute!!"
Wei Lian kissed their cheeks.
"Yes. They will grow here."
---
✨ Preparing For Tomorrow's Market
When they returned inside, Wei Lian glanced at the neat rows of pottery drying in the sun:
• jars
• bowls
• plates
• cooking pots
• sauce pan
• the five-hole burner
All fully dry.
She smiled proudly.
"Our kitchen will look new."
She carried the items inside carefully, one by one.
✔ Filling the Jars
She asked her daughters:
"Give Mama a little sugar… some salt… spices… sauce… vinegar."
The girls opened their space and handed her everything carefully.
Wei Lian filled each jar:
One jar sugar
One jar salt
One jar chili powder
One jar mixed spices
One jar soy sauce
One jar vinegar
One jar chili sauce
One jar dried herbs
The kitchen immediately looked different—
Organized
Clean
Efficient
Beautiful
She placed the bowls and plates onto a shelf.
The new sauce pan and pots went beside the stove.
Then she placed the new five-hole burner in the center.
It looked magnificent.
A large clay masterpiece that would help her cook two or three dishes at once.
Her daughters gasped.
"Mama new stove!"
"It big!"
"Five hole!"
Wei Lian tapped the smooth clay proudly.
"Tomorrow morning we can start cooking on it."
---
✨ Dinner Time — Chicken Noodles
She checked the sun.
It was dipping toward the mountains.
"Time for dinner."
The girls rushed to wash hands.
Wei Lian prepared:
• freshly grown vegetables (beans, carrots, leafy greens)
• chicken slices
• homemade noodles (from earlier leftover dough)
She boiled water in a pot on the temporary stove.
Added noodles.
Then cooked chicken with vegetables separately:
1. Add a spoon of oil
2. Add chicken slices
3. Stir until lightly golden
4. Add vegetables
5. Add salt, chili, and a bit of soy sauce
6. Toss until fragrant
7. Mix with noodles
The aroma filled the entire house.
Her daughters' eyes sparkled.
"Mama cooking yummy!"
"Noodles!"
"Eat now!"
Wei Lian served four bowls.
They slurped happily, noodles dangling from their mouths.
Qingmei dropped noodles on her lap.
Xiaotang got sauce on her cheek.
Xinyu quietly ate every bite with satisfaction.
Wei Lian ate slower, warmth filling her heart.
Dinner was peaceful.
Simple.
Happy.
---
✨ Evening Baths & Bedtime
After dinner, she heated water and bathed her daughters again—
a quick wash to remove sweat and dirt from their day of running around.
Hibiscus soap for hair.
Lavender for body.
Clean.
Soft.
Fragrant.
She bathed herself last, washing the clay and dust from her hands.
Finally, she tucked her daughters into bed.
The soft mattress
Fresh pillows
Warm blankets
Happy, full stomachs
Xinyu snuggled into her side.
Qingmei curled like a cat.
Xiaotang rested her head on her mother's arm.
Wei Lian stroked their hair.
"Good night, my loves."
"Mama good night…"
"Love Mama…"
"Mama sleep…"
The candles dimmed.
The house quieted.
Another peaceful day ended.
Tomorrow—
She would go to the market.
With soap.
With vegetables.
With hope.
Her new life wasn't just beginning—
It was thriving.