After transmigrating, he supported his family by working at a garbage dump.

"I was just saying she was pretty, and now she's been injured by the snow."

Zhang He returned from the vegetable garden in the backyard with a shopping basket in her hand, her face full of regret. "Several of the newly planted lettuce plants were ruined by the frost."

She then had Xu Wenjie help her take some bamboo poles to the vegetable garden in the backyard to build a frame, and covered it with the grass that hadn't been burned off a few days ago.

Zhang He looked at the damaged vegetables and sighed with heartache.

Xu Wenjie comforted her, "At least you're still alive. You'll grow back once the snow stops."

Zhang He nodded, praying in her heart that it would be of some use.

Snowflakes fell softly and continuously.

It had only snowed for one night, and the snow on the ground was already as thick as Xu Zhuzhu's ankles.

The sky is still overcast with dark clouds, and it doesn't seem like they're going to stop easily.

Xu Zhuzhu sat by the stove, her head propped up by her hands, her eyes half-closed, listening to Xu An recite a text to her.

Seeing that she was drowsy, Xu An nudged her and asked, "Zhuzhu, did you remember what I just taught you?"

Xu Zhuzhu drooped her eyelids and rubbed her face with both hands. She was very sleepy, but she didn't want to dampen her brother's spirits.

So he nodded perfunctorily, "I'll remember... spring, summer, autumn, winter, green bamboo and evergreen pines..."

Xu An nodded with satisfaction, looking like a promising student.

When Zhang He returned from the backyard, she saw that Xu Zhuzhu was listless, so she told her to stand up, "It's almost lunchtime, don't fall asleep."

Xu Zhuzhu, with a pained expression, was helped up by Zhang He. "It's easy to feel sleepy when you're warmed by the fire. Your father is weaving bamboo curtains in the yard. Go and take a look, and wake up from your drowsiness."

They had already asked Old Man Deng to fix their door. It not only opened and closed smoothly, but he also added a wooden bolt inside, making it very sturdy.

Besides, the straw curtain they made before is still usable, so why does his father want to make another one?

"We should also surround the stove shed, so that it won't be difficult to start a fire when it's snowing."

Zhang He explained.

Xu Zhuzhu lazily peeked out from behind the curtain and into the courtyard. A cold wind rushed in, and Xu Zhuzhu shrank her neck, which indeed made her more awake.

Inside the kitchen, she saw her father intently weaving a bamboo curtain. His every move was very skillful, and his technique even seemed somewhat professional.

Xu Zhuzhu strongly suspects that her father may have secretly learned some skills from Old Man Deng.

She eagerly moved forward.

"Father, I'll help too."

Xu Wenjie didn't mind that she was in the way, and smiled and agreed, even letting her hand him the split bamboo strips.

The father and daughter's back-and-forth actually helped Xu Zhuzhu wake up quite a bit from her drowsiness.

By lunchtime, Xu Wenjie's bamboo curtain had been woven to a height equivalent to half a wall, and the quality looked quite good.

After dinner, Zhang He said she was going to Li Quanfu's house to see the chicks and asked the two children if they wanted to come along.

During a period of clear weather, Zhang He felt that the yard was too deserted, and after thinking it over, she decided that she should raise some chickens and ducks.

When Zhang He went to ask Hu San Niang about it, she found that Li Quanfu's family had an old hen incubating eggs, so she immediately made a reservation.

Tell her that you'll give her a few of the next brood of chicks.

Hu San Niang readily agreed.

A few days ago, news came that the brood of chicks had all hatched. The mother hen was to take care of them for a few days, and Zhang He would go and choose them when she had time.

Zhang He replied that she would go after the market, but she didn't expect it to suddenly become so cold.

If the chicks are brought back now, they might not survive the night without their mother, so I decided to go and see what to do today.

Xu Zhuzhu shook her head; she wanted to take a nap.

However, there was one thing she was very puzzled about: could chicks really hatch in such cold weather?

Zhang He patted her soft cheeks. "You didn't hear that right. Of course, they hatched a long time ago. Your Aunt Li said she was worried that the chicks were too small to raise, so she left them at their house for the mother hen to take care of for a while."

Xu Zhuzhu said "oh" and lay down on the bed, falling asleep immediately.

Xu An also shook his head. He had missed a lot of his studies yesterday because he went to the market, and he needed to catch up quickly.

Seeing that the two children were not interested, Zhang He didn't ask any more questions. She put on her hat, carried her small basket of vegetables, and walked towards Li Quanfu's house.

Xu Zhuzhu fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow and even started snoring softly.

The trip to the market must have really exhausted her, or perhaps the teleportation she experienced really took a toll on her mental health, and she hasn't recovered yet, which is why she keeps feeling sleepy.

Xu An sat in front of the stove, silently reciting words while watching over the sleeping Xu Zhuzhu.

Who would have thought that Xu Zhuzhu had only dozed off for a short while when she heard someone knocking on the door outside the courtyard. Xu Zhuzhu, still in her dream, suddenly stood up.

Xu An, who was standing to the side, was startled.

"Zhuzhu? Are you alright?"

Xu Zhuzhu shook her head, rubbed her sore eyes in confusion, and asked Xu An, "Did Mother come back so soon after she left?"

Xu An didn't know either.

As the brother and sister were guessing, the curtain was lifted, and Xu Wenjie led a small person into the room.

The boy was wearing an ill-fitting thin cotton-padded jacket, and his exposed wrists and ankles were red from the cold, with obvious cracks on his dry skin.

Her cheeks flushed an unusual red from the cold, but her eyes, those unusually bright eyes set in her thin face, were the only exception.

It's Deng Tuanyuan.

"Brother Tuanyuan? What brings you here?"

With guests arriving, Xu Zhuzhu naturally couldn't sleep.

Xu Wenjie pulled Deng Tuanyuan into the house, sat her on a stool to warm herself by the fire, and asked with concern, "Are you freezing?"

Deng Tuanyuan shook her head, but her stiff movements told everyone a more accurate answer.

Xu Wenjie poured Deng Tuanyuan a bowl of hot water to warm him up.

He helped Xu Zhuzhu put on her shoes and said with a gentle smile, "Your brother Tuanyuan said he has something to talk to you about, but he won't say what it is. He's being quite mysterious."

Xu Zhuzhu tilted her head and looked over; Deng Tuanyuan was sitting there stiffly.

His father then instructed from above, "Take good care of your brother Tuanyuan, and don't be naughty."

Both children nodded obediently.

Xu Wenjie then returned to the courtyard, satisfied, and resumed his bamboo curtain business.

……

There were only three children left in the house. Xu An had never met Deng Tuanyuan before, so Xu Zhuzhu quickly introduced her to her brother.

The two children, despite their young age, greeted each other in a surprisingly consistent manner, bowing and clasping their hands in a very polite way, clearly taught by their father.

Only then did Xu Zhuzhu notice that Deng Tuanyuan's arms were bulging, as if he was carrying something.

She watched as Deng Tuanyuan's nose turned red from the cold, and he stood there blankly without saying a word. She then warmly urged Deng Tuanyuan to drink some water to ward off the chill.

Once Deng Tuanyuan's stiff limbs had relaxed a bit, she looked at Deng Tuanyuan with a grin.

"Brother Tuanyuan, it's so cold, what brings you here?"

Xu An also looked at Deng Tuanyuan with a face full of curiosity.

Under the unwavering gaze of the two, Deng Tuanyuan's already unnaturally cold cheeks were tinged with an unusual red, making her look even stranger.

Deng Tuanyuan's lips twitched, but he didn't say anything. He simply took out a bamboo pig from his pocket and handed it to Xu Zhuzhu.

This pig is so lifelike, with a round head and round ears. It has a crooked mouth, blinks its eyes and arches its eyebrows, looking very cute and playful.

It looks more like a cartoon pig!

"Hey! Isn't this the pig you made up last time? You finished it so quickly?"

Xu Zhuzhu took the pig, her eyes lit up, and she was overjoyed.

"So cute!"

She held the pig up and down, examining it closely.

Compared to the last time I saw it, it seems to have changed quite a bit, as if it has been re-woven, especially the ears.

Xu Zhuzhu couldn't resist and tugged at it, discovering that the ears could actually move. Pulling up the ears revealed a hole underneath. "Why isn't this finished?"

Deng Tuanyuan pursed her lips, looking at Xu Zhuzhu with expectant eyes. Hearing Xu Zhuzhu say this, she suddenly felt a little insecure and nervously said:

“You said last time that it would be even better if it could hold things inside. I tried to make holes on its back, but it didn’t look good when woven that way, so I moved them to the ears.”

Then he asked Xu Zhuzhu to turn the pig over again. "Look at the belly, it can be opened too. I don't know if it's the kind you mentioned last time. If not, I'll re-weave it."

Xu Zhuzhu was overjoyed. She never expected that Deng Tuanyuan, at such a young age, would not only have such exquisite skills but also be able to apply what he learned to other situations. She was truly impressed.

They exclaimed repeatedly, praising, "Brother Tuanyuan is amazing! This is exactly what I said last time."

Xu An also came over to take a look. Seeing such a delicate and adorable little pig, he also praised it and looked at Deng Tuanyuan with admiration.

Deng Tuanyuan smiled shyly, "I'm glad you like it."