The storm faded by dawn.
Wei Lian woke with three warm bodies sprawled across her—one hugging her neck, one draped across her stomach, one clinging to her legs like an oversized sleepy kitten.
She gently freed herself, tucked a blanket around them, and stepped outside the room. Daylight revealed the full misery of the house: dust thick enough to choke on, cobwebs like gray silk, broken bowls, rotten bedding. It was no home—just a ruin waiting to crumble.
Wei Lian tied her hair, rolled up her sleeves, and got to work.
She dragged everything out into the courtyard—bedding, clothes, mats, broken furniture, old sacks. Dust exploded like fog.
"Mama! Help!"
Three half-asleep giant toddlers stumbled out, rubbing their eyes. Wei Lian smiled. "Good morning. Let's clean."
Cleaning was a game to them. The eldest fetched buckets from the well, the middle hauled bedding, the youngest proudly carried small bowls. They washed everything, scrubbing bedding until clear water dripped off and spreading clothes to dry in the sun.
The girls laughed as water splashed everywhere.
Their childish joy made even the broken mud house seem warm.
Wei Lian swept the floor until dust clouds rose like fog.
She wiped windows, fixed the straw blocking the drafts, dusted beams, and repaired a few cracks
Wei Lian swept until dust clouds rose like fog. By noon, the house no longer smelled like rot. It smelled like sun, soap herbs, and hope.
She cooked millet porridge with a pinch of salt from Xiaotang's space. The girls devoured it like starving kittens. After eating, they washed dishes—more water on themselves than on the bowls. Wei Lian laughed and bathed them again, dressing them in the cleanest clothes she could find.
They looked like three awkward teenagers with baby souls…
but leaving them clean and adorable.
Just as she finished braiding their hair, a knock came from the courtyard gate.
"Lian! You awake?"
The familiar voice made Wei Lian straighten.
Shen Yi stood at the entrance, smiling warmly, a large basket in hand. She stepped inside and froze at the sight of the freshly cleaned house.
"Oh my— You already cleaned this place? You're incredible!"
Wei Lian smiled modestly. "Just swept a little."
Shen Yi snorted. "A little? This hut hasn't been this clean in ages! Here, take this."
She opened the basket. Inside were three pounds of chicken, two pounds of pork, and a bundle of fresh vegetables.
Wei Lian blinked. "This is too much."
"It's not," Shen Yi insisted. "You're alone, no husband, three silly girls to care for, and no income and , how can I not help?. Take itThese came cheap today anyway."
Her daughters peeked from behind her legs.."
Shen Yi then added, "Oh, and I'm going to town tomorrow morning to buy medicine for my mother-in-law. If you want, you can come with me. You need supplies, right?"
Wei Lian paused. Town. Supplies. A chance to start something.
"I'll come," she said softly.
Shen Yi grinned. "Good. I'll stop by at sunrise."
She waved at the triplets. "Be good for your sister-in-law!"
Then she left.
The moment the gate closed, the girls cheered. "Mama, chicken!!" "Mama, meat!!"Mama, feast today??" the youngest asked with hopeful sparkling eyes.
Wei Lian laughed softly. "We'll make something nice tonight."
She stored the meat in the cool wall-shelf that acted like a natural fridge in ancient time . While moving old jars aside, she noticed a small dark hole in the wall—barely the size of her fist.
"What's this?"
She reached in. Her fingers brushed something cold. She pulled it out—a cloth pouch. Heavy.
Her heart thudded.
She opened it—
Silver.
Five whole taels of silver.
Enough for months of food.
Enough to start a small business.
Enough to not fear starvation.
The original owner must have hidden it… and forgotten.
Wei Lian closed her eyes, breathing deeply.
Heaven wasn't cruel.
She had daughters with magical spaces.
She had food.
She had a friend.
She had silver.
She had a chance.
She placed the silver safely away and looked around the house one more time.
Walls cracked but clean.
Windows patched but bright.
Clothes drying in the sun.
Her daughters chasing each other with childlike laughter.
"Mama, can we play?" the eldest asked.
Wei Lian nodded.
"Yes. Stay where I can see you."
She watched them run around the yard—three long-legged girls with toddler minds, stumbling and giggling.
She smiled softly.
This wasn't the world she belonged to.
But it was the world her daughters were safe in.
And she would rebuild everything from ashes