Chapter 22: Chapter 22: Carrying Stones at West Mountain

For lunch, An Ning ate five flatbreads and a lot of the vegetable dishes.

Lin Cuihua had made a huge meal. The reserved mushrooms, glass noodles, and a few potatoes filled a large basin to the brim, more than enough to ensure everyone ate their fill.

"Little Sis, try dipping the flatbread in the broth. It’s delicious."

An Ning looked at the serving basin, which only had broth left, then glanced skeptically at An Guoming and didn’t move.

"Go on, pour the broth into your own bowl."

Once Lin Cuihua spoke, An Ning was immediately convinced and ready to try it.

But first, she asked, "Is anyone else eating?"

Everyone shook their heads. They were genuinely stuffed.

Only after confirming did An Ning act. She polished off the last two flatbreads, mopping up all the broth in the basin.

After her last bite, An Ning set down her bowl. It was unnaturally clean. She patted her stomach.

"Mm, I’m a little full."

’A... little full?’

The rest of the An family felt like their stomachs were about to burst, but An Ning was only *a little* full?

But then everyone remembered An Ning’s sudden increase in strength and figured her appetite made sense.

"We’ll need to make more food from now on."

An Sancheng thought to himself, ’My daughter has never eaten her fill. It’s not like we’re in a famine. We might not have delicacies, but we can certainly provide enough for her to get full.’

"I know." After replying, Lin Cuihua turned directly to An Ning. "If you’re not full, just say so. There’s no need to pretend at home."

An Ning shook her head and looked at Lin Cuihua.

"I’m not pretending. I just became like this today."

She had been using her spiritual power to cultivate her body every day. Her body was getting better and better, and so was her appetite.

"Alright, she’s probably just growing stronger."

An Sancheng’s words earned everyone’s agreement. Only her little brother, An Guoping, was lost in a fog, not quite understanding what was being said.

He did, however, glance at An Ning’s stomach several times. ’Where did it all go?’

After the meal, Lin Cuihua and her eldest daughter-in-law cleared the bowls and chopsticks. An Sancheng prepared to go down to the fields.

"Second son, don’t bother going to work on West Mountain. It’d be a waste of time."

Feeling slighted, An Guoming was nonetheless self-aware. His dad was right.

"I want to go."

An Ning, who had just come out of her room, had barely finished saying "I want to go" when she saw everyone’s eyes fixated on her.

’Are they trying to stop me?’ An Ning decided she had to prove herself.

"I’m not my second brother. It won’t be a waste if I go."

An Guoming, having taken a stray shot, watched An Ning with complete indifference.

"Little Sis, your silk scarf..."

"What about it?"

Standing at the doorway, An Ning’s face was completely hidden.

A red silk scarf was draped over the top of her head, covering her entire face and head, and tied in a knot under her chin.

She looked exactly like she was about to rob someone.

"It’s fine, it’s fine. It looks... pretty good like that."

An Guoming didn’t have the heart to criticize An Ning, but her sister-in-law wiped her hands and walked over.

"An Ning, that’s not how you tie a silk scarf."

"Then how? I think this covers my face and gives the most sun protection."

An Ning’s sound reasoning made her sister-in-law waver. ’She has a point.’

In the end, however, at the sound of a cough from Lin Cuihua, her sister-in-law stepped forward, untied An Ning’s scarf, and retied it a different way.

With the scarf properly tied, An Ning didn’t understand what good it would do tied to her braid, but seeing everyone’s satisfied expressions, she decided not to dwell on it.

"Dad, let’s go work in the fields!"

"No need, An Ning. You don’t have to do the work on West Mountain. You stay home. Your big brother and I will go."

An Sancheng tried to stop her, but An Ning disagreed. "No, I’m going to work."

"You really don’t have to. The work on West Mountain is hauling stones. No girls go haul stones."

An Sancheng finished speaking and turned to leave, but he couldn’t take a single step.

He looked back and saw that An Ning was holding the corner of his shirt. No matter how hard he pulled, he couldn’t move an inch.

An Ning met An Sancheng’s gaze and asked, "Are the stones heavier than you, Dad?"

"No."

"Then why can’t I go to work?"

For the first time, An Sancheng realized just how stubborn An Ning was. No matter what he said, she was determined to go. The crucial point was that no one in the family could hold her back.

What else could he do? ’Fine, come along then.’

An Sancheng and An Guoqing walked in front, with An Ning obediently following behind. The path was filled with able-bodied men; there wasn’t a single woman.

When they arrived, Sun Dazhuang and Accountant Liu were handing out tools. Upon seeing An Ning approach, every one of Sun Dazhuang’s dark wrinkles seemed to radiate displeasure.

"Lao San, what’s your An Ning doing here? This is no place for games. She could get hurt."

An Sancheng didn’t want An Ning to come either, but he couldn’t stop her.

"Captain, An Ning is here to move stones."

"Nonsense! Even a grown man struggles with this work. Your An Ning—"

"I can do it. I can move them."

An Ning stepped forward, snatched a carrying basket out of Sun Dazhuang’s hands, deftly slung it onto her back, and ran off in the direction of the crowd.

She was afraid if she was a moment too late, someone would stop her from working.

Sun Dazhuang watched An Ning run into the distance, then looked down at his own palm. ’How did she take it? I didn’t even let go.’

As for An Ning, she quickly reached the mountain. When the villagers saw her, they all shot An Sancheng, who was trailing behind, the same reproachful looks as Sun Dazhuang.

An Sancheng really couldn’t take it anymore. He cleared his throat and said in a loud voice, "An Ning, if you can’t handle it or get tired, just go home."

’Tired?’

An Ning immediately shook her head. She looked at An Sancheng, who had tried to stop her several times, and said, "Dad, if you don’t want to work, just tell me. I’ll do your share."

"I... don’t... I don’t."

For a moment, An Sancheng was rendered speechless, unable to explain himself.

Meanwhile, An Ning first watched how the others worked. Once she understood, she began.

West Mountain was a mountain of stone. The villagers used tools like axes and pickaxes to break off pieces of rock, which were then carried down the mountain by other villagers with bamboo baskets on their backs.

An Ning was in the group for hauling stones. She placed her basket on the ground. When someone nearby tried to help, An Ning stopped them.

"Thank you, I can do it myself."

An uncle working beside her watched as An Ning lifted a rock with one hand and placed it into her basket as if it were weightless.

She repeated the motion, filling her basket to the brim.

"Hey, hey, you can’t load that much! You won’t be able to lift it."

The uncle had just finished speaking when he saw An Ning casually lift the basket full of stones with one hand and swing it onto her back in mid-air.

The uncle stared after An Ning, questioning his own reality, as she walked briskly down the mountain, completely lacking the caution everyone else showed.

The uncle looked away and tried to imitate An Ning, attempting to lift a rock with one hand. The rock, as if to humor him, budged slightly, but that was it.

The uncle stubbornly tried again twice with one hand. Just then, An Ning returned and saw his efforts. She offered a sincere suggestion, "Uncle, have you tried using two hands?"

The simple-faced uncle nodded awkwardly, his expression turning into a wry smile as he looked down. He knew, but An Ning thought he didn’t. Seeing the uncle lift the rock with both hands, she even praised him.

"That’s right! Great job! Keep it up!"

The uncle watched An Ning leave again with her basket, his expression incredibly complicated.

In all his decades, this was the first time someone had praised him for knowing how to use two hands to lift something!