With fifteen units of spiritual energy, I could finally begin my cultivation.

The couple immersed themselves in their cultivation until the sun dipped below the horizon. Only then did Meng Yun open her eyes and lead Jin Yanchuan down the mountain.

Jin Yanan and his younger brother had returned early, having chopped a great deal of firewood and even caught a wild rabbit.

The two brothers arrived home brimming with excitement, only to find their father organizing the woodpile by the shed, their mother sitting silently on a stool with swollen, reddened cheeks, and their little sister listlessly seated nearby.

“Father, mother, what happened at home?” Jin Yanan hurried over to ask.

“Your eldest uncle came, trampled everything, even struck your mother, and went inside to snatch the silver,” Jin Qiao’er said, pointing at the front door and the woodpile.

“That beast,” Jin Yanan growled, grabbing a cleaver, ready to fight.

Zhou Yaru, seeing her son hobbling out on his injured leg, was terrified and quickly followed after him. “An’er, come back.”

“Mother, those people are beasts. I want to kill them,” Jin Yanan shook with rage.

“An’er, it’s not worth risking your life over them,” Zhou Yaru held her son back.

“Mother…” Jin Yanan's eyes reddened as he gently touched his mother’s swollen cheek.

“If it really comes to it, we’ll just move,” Jin Shan said helplessly.

“All right, let’s wait until Chuan’er and Yun’er return, then we can discuss it,” Zhou Yaru replied, weary, and went into the kitchen to prepare dinner.

Jin Shan silently began to prepare the wild rabbit.

Jin Yanzhe looked up at the sky in silence. He knew something about the troubles at home and understood why his parents would rather endure humiliation than move away.

But how long could they keep hiding and enduring?

As the sun set, the whole family gathered at the gate, gazing anxiously toward the back mountain.

“Mother, why haven’t elder brother and sister-in-law returned yet? You shouldn’t have let them go. Brother is like that, and sister-in-law is nothing but skin and bones. It’s too dangerous to be on the mountain,” Jin Yanan said anxiously.

“They said they would stay at the base of the back mountain, so I didn’t stop them,” Zhou Yaru regretted deeply.

“There are tigers and wolves up there. I heard their roars several times. If they don’t come back by now, I’m afraid they’ve encountered danger,” Jin Yanan said, worry etched across his face as he looked toward the mountain.

Jin Yanzhe remained silent, biting his lip until it turned red. His once vigorous elder brother, full of ambition and dreams, had become disabled after a failed examination. This world was truly unjust. Their parents were so honest, yet their grandmother and several uncles bullied them. Why was this happening?

Just as the family’s worry peaked, two figures appeared on the back mountain. Jin Yanchuan hopped along like a joyful little bird.

---

“Wife, it was so comfortable on the back mountain. My head doesn’t hurt anymore,” Jin Yanchuan said, waving a branch he had snapped off somewhere.

“Did your head hurt before?” Meng Yun was surprised; this was the first time she learned that Ah Chuan had headaches.

“Yes, it was a dull, constant ache. I’d gotten used to it, but today on the mountain, I felt especially relaxed,” Jin Yanchuan explained.

Meng Yun thought back to the injury Ah Chuan had sustained to his head—it must have caused internal bruising, leading to his diminished mental faculties. The back mountain was indeed a good place. She would have to go there every day. Today, she had made progress too—there were already faint traces of spiritual energy within her.

“There they are—mother and father!” Jin Yanchuan was the first to spot the family waiting at the courtyard gate.

“Mother, father, we’re back!” Jin Yanchuan ran toward them, as joyful as a fledgling returning to the nest.

“Ah, be careful not to fall. What’s in the basket? It’s bouncing out,” Zhou Yaru said, visibly relieved to see Ah Chuan return safely.

“Shh, it’s the wife who gathered it—she said it’s medicine and can be sold for silver,” Jin Yanchuan whispered.

“Yun’er knows herbs!” Zhou Yaru couldn’t help but praise.

“My wife is amazing,” Jin Yanchuan said, shaking his head in admiration.

“Yes, your wife is amazing,” Zhou Yaru smiled, patting her son’s head.

Jin Yanzhe hurried over to Meng Yun, picking up the herbs that the eldest brother and sister-in-law had dropped.

“Sister-in-law is back!” The young boy’s face still held traces of innocence, yet he was already remarkably handsome.

“Back already? Why is everyone here? Did we come back too late? Father, mother, sorry to have worried you. We shouldn’t have returned so late,” Meng Yun felt guilty for causing concern.

“It’s nothing, as long as you’re back. An’er said there are tigers and wolves on the back mountain; mother was just worried,” Zhou Yaru said.

Entering the courtyard, with light now visible, Meng Yun finally saw Zhou Yaru’s face clearly. “Mother, what happened to your face?”

Zhou Yaru lowered her head.

Jin Qiao’er recounted the day's events once more.

“Are they even human? How much silver did he take?” Meng Yun asked.

“About one or two hundred coins,” Zhou Yaru whispered.

“Mother, let’s eat first. We can talk about this later. Do we have eggs at home?” Meng Yun asked.

---

“Yun’er, do you want some? There are still five left. I’ll cook them for you,” Zhou Yaru stood up.

“Mother, I won’t eat. Cook two for me later. I’ll peel them and roll them on my face to reduce the swelling,” Meng Yun said.

“No worries, it will be fine by tomorrow,” Zhou Yaru said, but she was surprised that her daughter-in-law wanted to use the eggs on herself.

“Mother, don’t waste them after. You can wash and eat them too. If you don’t, I’ll cook them,” Meng Yun said, already planning to sort the herbs.

“All right, all right. I’ll cook them later. Hurry and wash up for dinner,” Zhou Yaru urged.

With the whole family reunited, the troubles at the old Zhou family home were temporarily forgotten.

“Mother, there’s a market tomorrow. I finished embroidering ten handkerchiefs. I’ll take them to the embroidery workshop to exchange for some money,” Jin Qiao’er said.

“Good!” Zhou Yaru served rabbit meat to her husband and children.

“Tomorrow’s the market. Mother, I want to go too,” Meng Yun remembered that in Wanqing Town, every fifth and tenth day of the month was market day. Villagers from over a dozen nearby villages would gather to buy and sell local specialties, vegetables, and mountain goods. It was always a lively occasion.

“All right, you can go,” Zhou Yaru agreed, though she almost had a heart attack thinking about the only silver in the family being taken by the eldest brother.

Meng Yun noticed her mother-in-law’s thoughts but said nothing.

“Wife, I want to go too,” Jin Yanchuan tugged at Meng Yun’s arm, pouting.

“Sure, you can go,” Meng Yun patted his hand. “But first, eat!”

After everyone had eaten their fill, night had fully fallen. Under the glow of the oil lamp, Meng Yun sorted the herbs, while Jin Yanan brought hot water to the eldest brother and sister-in-law before returning to his room.

“Wife, I want to cuddle some more!” After washing up, Jin Yanchuan clung to her again.

“Ah Chuan, will you listen to your wife?” Meng Yun changed into an old set of clothes.

“Yes, I always listen to my wife. Mother said that from now on, I must obey my wife,” Jin Yanchuan said proudly, pouting.

Seeing his tough, handsome features make such a childish expression, Meng Yun smiled, feeling a sweet warmth in her heart.

“Then you sleep on your own later. I’m going out for a while. If I don’t come back, don’t go looking for me, okay?” Meng Yun spoke gently, her face soft with affection.

“Can’t I come with you?” Jin Yanchuan tilted his head and asked.