Chapter 70: My Son‑in‑Law Is a Hero! A Father‑in‑Law

Qianyingcun is not far from Shanwan Village; taking the shortcut along the mountain path, it takes about an hour to arrive.

After the snow, the mountain road is a bit slippery; Lu Qingshan, fearing Xiao Xue would get tired, usually carries her on his shoulder.

The little girl rides on her father's broad shoulder, her view wide, giggling with joy, and her small hand keeps patting Lu Qingshan's head.

Lin Yue'e walks beside them, watching her husband carefully protect their daughter and occasionally turning his head to speak to her; her heart feels filled with something warm.

"Qing Shan," she says softly, with a hint of uncertainty, "are you really planning to build a new house at the start of spring?"

Feeling the weight of his daughter on his shoulder, Lu Qingshan replies confidently, "Hmm, the village chief has already approved the land. We'll start construction in spring and aim to have you both moved in by summer."

He pauses, his voice softening, "We'll build a bigger, brighter house, and Xiao Xue will have her own room. We'll install a good heated kang inside, so the winter cold won't bother us. The courtyard will be larger too, so you can raise chickens and ducks."

Lin Yue'e listens to his description, an involuntary longing appearing on her face, then a hint of worry: "How… how much will it cost? Our family's resources are thin…"

Lu Qingshan lifts a hand, gently patting the back of her hand, which feels a bit cool, and then he naturally grasps it.

"Don't worry about the money; I've got you," he says. His palm is broad and warm, conveying a reassuring strength.

Lin Yue'e feels the warmth of his palm, her cheeks flushing slightly; she hums and asks no further.

Arriving at the Lin household in Qianyingcun, Lin Huainian and his wife Li Cuilian spot them from afar and rush out to welcome them.

"Yue'e! Qing Shan! Xiao Xue! Come in quickly, it's cold outside!"

Lin Huainian sees Xiao Xue perched on Lu Qingshan's shoulder, his face breaking into a smile; he grabs his granddaughter and plants a kiss on her flushed little face.

"Ah, my dear niece, I've missed you to death!"

Li Cuilian holds Lin Yue'e's hand, examining her from head to toe; she notes her daughter's complexion has become much rosier, the usual worry gone from her brows, though the corners of her eyes are slightly reddened.

"You've gotten a bit thinner, but you look much more spirited. This outfit is really nice—did you make it yourself?"

"Hmm, Mother, let's go inside quickly," Lin Yue'e replies with a smile.

Entering the house, warm steam hits their faces.

The brother-in-law Lin Yueqiang is indeed not home.

Li Cuilian shakes her head at the mention of her son, sighing, "Yue'e, your brother disappeared early this morning, saying a friend called him; who knows where he's been loitering now."

She glances at Lu Qingshan, with an implied meaning: "If he had half the steadiness of Qing Shan, I'd be offering high incense."

Lin Huainian shoots his wife a look: "It's the New Year; why bring up that good-for-nothing boy, it's a buzzkill!"

He turns to Lu Qingshan, his face instantly full of smiles: "Qing Shan, quickly, sit on the kang; the snow outside makes the road slippery, you must be exhausted, right?"

As soon as Xiao Xue steps inside, Grandfather Lin Huainian scoops her into his arms.

The little girl isn't shy at all; she reaches out to touch Grandfather's stubble, then tugs at Grandmother's hem, calling "Grandpa, Grandma" in a sweet, sticky voice.

The house instantly fills with Xiao Xue's bell‑like laughter and the hearty responses of the Lin elders.

The dishes are quickly set on the table.

A plate of golden‑yellow scrambled eggs, a bowl of home‑pickled sauerkraut stewed with vermicelli, and a pot of over‑cooked homestyle chicken; the chicken broth is topped with a layer of golden chicken fat, its aroma filling the air.

Although not exotic delicacies, they're all vegetables grown in their own fields, and the freshly boiled White Flour mantou in the pot steam up, exuding a simple wheat fragrance.

Lin Huainian pulls out a bottle of baijiu that's been stored for many days, pours a generous cup for Lu Qingshan, and serves himself as well.

"Qing Shan, come, have a few drinks with this old man!"

He lifts his cup, his face flushed with excitement, his voice louder than usual: "Qing Shan, this time you not only brought honor to Shanwan Village, but also gave our old Lin family a great reputation!"

Lin Huainian gulps a large mouthful, smacks his lips, and continues: "You don't know, now the whole Qianyingcun envies our Shanwan Village for producing such a talent as you. Everyone says your village has a bear‑slaying hero, a man who dared to challenge a several‑hundred‑kilogram black bear and actually beat it! A few days ago I attended a meeting at the township office, and the secretary specifically asked about you, praising you as a role model for the youth."

Li Cuilian also laughs beside them, her face full of pride: "Isn't that right! These past few days, whenever villagers see me they're all very polite, calling me 'Yue'e Mother' one after another, asking me, saying your husband truly has skill, bringing meat to the whole village and satisfying many families' hunger. I heard that the five‑poverty‑households in your village each received dozens of kilograms of meat, plus bear oil and pork lard; that's a great act of virtue! Hearing that makes my heart bright!"

Lu Qingshan wears a faint smile, says little, mostly listening quietly and feeling this belated recognition, his heart a swirl of emotions.

This peace and happiness are things he never dared dream of in his past life. Now, he weaves them together piece by piece with his own hands.

He spends more time caring for Lin Yue'e and Xiao Xue, serving them dishes and reminding Xiao Xue to eat slowly.

Lin Yue'e watches her husband's steady profile, then the sincere smiles on her parents' faces and Xiao Xue's content eating, a warm glow in her eyes. She knows all these changes stem from the man beside her.

Xiao Xue eats with a greasy little mouth and puffed cheeks, like a successful thieving squirrel, occasionally shouting unclearly, "Chicken smells! Grandma's cooking, so tasty!"

After eating her fill and drinking, she snuggles in Grandfather's arms, listening to Grandfather tell fragmented anecdotes from his military days.

After a while, her eyelids start to droop, she rests her head on Lin Huainian's leg, falls into deep sleep, a faint satisfied smile lingering at the corner of her mouth.

Lin Huainian carefully adjusts his posture, fearing to wake his granddaughter, and seeing Xiao Xue's sweet sleeping face, his wrinkles seem to smile open.

Li Cuilian takes a small cotton jacket and gently drapes it over Xiao Xue.

Watching his daughter's sweet sleeping face, his wife's gentle smile, and hearing his in‑laws' heartfelt praise, Lu Qingshan lifts the now‑cool cup of wine before him and drains it in one gulp.

That wine, mildly spicy at first sip, then carries a lingering sweetness that warms all the way to the deepest part of his heart.

Outside, snow has begun to fall again, fine and dense, blanketing the whole world in a layer of white velvet.

Inside, the hearth burns brightly; the family sits together, warm and tranquil.

In this moment, Lu Qingshan feels that everything he's done, suffered, and risked after being reborn is worth it.