Chapter 5: The Descent of the Pear

“Yuelan, I want to discuss something with you.”

After a moment of tender warmth, Su Da hesitated, then steeled himself. “I want to go into the mountains to see if I can find some food to bring back.”

“What did you say?!”

The young woman suddenly raised her voice, startling the sleepy little Bao awake. She then heard her father say, “Yuelan, keep your voice down and listen to me. There’s no food left at home. The two sacks of sweet potatoes in the cellar were smashed to mush yesterday. Last night, your mother rummaged through the ruins of the kitchen for a long time and only found a small bag of usable black flour. There are so many mouths to feed in this family; that little flour won’t last three days. Besides, your body is already injured—you need proper nourishment. And if you don’t eat, little Bao won’t either... If I don’t figure out a way, our whole family might not survive this winter! Do you understand what I mean?”

Faced with the harsh truth, Liu Yuelan looked at her husband, her eyes reddening.

How could she not understand? She knew the state of the household very well, but she also understood what it meant for him to go into the mountains.

It meant that he would face danger alone for the sake of their family.

It was the dead of winter! People were starving, and the wild beasts in the mountains were no different.

The beasts were also searching everywhere for food.

If man and beast met, there was no telling who would end up as whose prey.

“We can think of other ways. I... I can go back to my parents' home and borrow some grain from them. I’m fine, really! Don’t go into the mountains. There has to be a way for us to survive the winter...” The young woman’s words were scattered and uncertain, lacking conviction.

Su Da sighed in silence, once again clasping his wife’s cold hand tightly.

“Yuelan,” he said, “life at your parents’ place isn’t much better than ours. Besides, emergency help doesn’t solve poverty, and long-term hardship is hard to manage. We have to rely on ourselves. This time, trust me, okay?”

Liu Yuelan choked back tears and sobbed, “You only know how to squeeze me like a soft persimmon. How will you explain this to my parents?”

“My mother told me to check on Xiuer’s in the morning. I’ll enter the mountains from there. If your mother asks, just say you don’t know. Don’t worry, I value my life. With you and our two children waiting at home, I will definitely come back—three days at the fastest, five days at the slowest.”

He was a steady, honest man, but also stubborn. Once he made up his mind, nothing could change it.

Knowing nothing she said could alter his decision, Liu Yuelan bit her lip hard as tears slid down her cheeks.

Little Bao yawned again, sleepiness overtaking her—something a child her age couldn’t control.

She had thought that once “Dad” and “Mom” finished speaking, she could finally rest peacefully. But the next moment left her staring in astonishment.

“Mom! Su Da said he’s going into the mountains tomorrow!” The young woman wiped away her tears and shouted at the top of her lungs.

The Su family’s small courtyard was cramped; even the squeaking of mice in the neighboring corner could be heard clearly. So when the woman raised her voice, the entire household was immediately shaken like by an earthquake.

***

“Brat! Do you think just because you’re a father, your mother won’t deal with you?! You dare go into the mountains? Want to die? Wait—you’ll get a beating from me right now to settle this once and for all, so I don’t have to go into the mountains to retrieve your corpse!”

Su Da was speechless.

Little Bao was silent.

Things had just gotten lively.

Before long, the old Mrs. Su stormed in, followed by Old Man Su, Su Er, He Da Xiang, and a group of helpers, carrying oil lamps, handing out brooms, sticks, and even a rolling pin ready for action.

Su Da, a strong and handsome man in his twenties and father of two, was beaten and scolded right under the watchful eyes of his wife and daughter.

He was somewhat relieved that his three little ones were sleeping soundly in another room, not coming over to watch the commotion, and that his daughter was still a clueless infant—this preserved a shred of dignity for him as a father and elder.

“Mom, don’t hit! Don’t hit! We’re running out of food!” Su Da dashed from one side of the room to the other, trying to reason with his mother.

Old Mrs. Su sneered, unmoved, wielding her stick fiercely. “No food, so you want to send yourself to your death? Save the family some grain?”

Silence.

Old Man Su stood silently, holding a broom, cornering a spot. Su Er grabbed the rolling pin from his wife, guarding another corner, fanatically fanning the flames. “Mom, see? You used to say our eldest son was honest and dependable, but he’s got big ideas! He even dares to sneak off into the mountains!”

And without inviting him!

Su Da twitched at the corner of his mouth. “I never thought you’d be so good at sowing discord!”

“Mutual, mutual. Don’t judge a book by its cover!”

“Su Er, wait for me—ah!”

Old Mrs. Su’s stick landed firmly on Su Da’s leg as he hopped about, and agonized screams floated through the room, making everyone wince.

The instigator, Liu Yuelan, averted her eyes guiltily, picking up the awakened child and pretending she saw and heard nothing.

Finally, worried about scaring her little granddaughter, Old Mrs. Su huffed and tossed aside the stick, turning to hold the child. “You stay home these next few days. You don’t need to go to Xiuer’s in the morning anymore. Let the second son go instead.”

Su Da held back a sigh. “Mom, once the food runs out, there really won’t be anything to eat, and it’s still at least three months until spring—”

Before he could finish, Su Er handed the rolling pin back to their mother.

Su Da fell silent.

Little Bao, having watched the uproar, was now quiet, showing no expression besides the reflexive yawns of a sleepy child.

But after hearing the adults say the food was almost gone several times, little Bao suddenly remembered something.

She seemed to have food.

After being sold to the laboratory in her previous life, she had never returned to see that wondrous place.

She wondered if the pear tree was still there. If it was, and if it still bore fruit, then there would be food.

Thinking this, little Bao glanced at the old woman holding her.

Grandma’s face was stern and looked fierce.

If she suddenly produced fruit, how would Grandma and the others react?

Would they be like her parents were before?

If so, they would surely think she was a monster.

Little Bao’s eyes brightened—then she could finally die!

Excited, she clenched her fist without thinking.

Thump, thump thump—

In the unnerving silence of the room, several strange sounds echoed.

Old Mrs. Su instinctively held her grandchild close, frowning as she looked up at the ceiling with worry. “The roof’s leaking again? Is it hail?”

The others standing a little farther away all gasped in unison, their mouths open and eyes wide.

“Mom, it’s not hail. Pears are falling...” Su Er stammered, his jaw dropping.

He had seen the pears fall with his own eyes—from the roof area.

Though the room was dimly lit by oil lamps, Su Er was certain he had not mistaken it.

They really were pears—golden yellow, about the size of his fist, rolling just in front of his toes.

As if to confirm his suspicion, several more large pears came thudding down from above.

Everyone in the room was speechless.

It was downright uncanny!