Don't bark like a dog here.

Suppressing the pounding in her head and the gnawing hunger in her stomach, Du Ruo freshened up and then went downstairs.

“Woof! Woof woof woof!”

“Woof woof! Woof woof!”

“Woof woof woof... whimper...”

As soon as she reached the bottom of the stairs, Du Ruo saw a little girl standing at the doorway, holding a golden retriever nearly as tall as her shoulder, barking at a stray mutt outside the gate.

Yes, barking. The “woof woof woof” kind. It seemed the two dogs had started barking at each other, and then the little girl, eager to help her golden retriever argue, joined in with her own loud barks.

“Yang Yamei! How many times do I have to tell you—your uncle is sleeping upstairs. Stop barking here like a dog. If you wake him, you and Maomao will both get half the vegetables at dinner. No, only the vegetables will be halved, the rice stays the same.”

Before Du Ruo could even laugh, a woman emerged from the kitchen. She was in her thirties, a touch of makeup softening her features, dressed in a floral dress. She pointed at the little girl and scolded her, deliberately lowering her voice as if to keep from being too loud, but the seriousness in her tone was undiminished. The barking ceased immediately.

This woman was Du Ruo’s own elder sister, Du Na, five years her senior. While Du Ruo was still in university, Du Na had married through a family introduction in the neighboring village. They’d bought a home near the Yellow Mountain scenic area and ran a small business there, so they didn’t usually live in the village.

“Heh, sis, it’s fine. I’ve been up for a while. Yaya, do you still remember your uncle?”

Du Ruo chuckled, watching the scene with a sense of warmth that seemed to heal her aches. She walked over, crouched beside the little girl, and looked at her.

The girl glanced at her mother, then at Du Ruo, curiosity in her eyes but silent. Beside her, the golden retriever also sat down, regarding Du Ruo with the same wide-eyed curiosity.

“Hello, Uncle!”

Yang Yamei’s voice was clear and bright. After greeting him, she darted to her mother’s side and hid behind her, peeking out at Du Ruo.

“Brother, you’re awake? Dinner’s almost ready. Dad and your brother-in-law are in the living room—go watch some TV, and I’ll take Yaya to wash her hands.”

Du Na looked Du Ruo up and down before breaking into a smile, then took Yang Yamei by the hand and headed for the door.

“Yaya, Uncle brought you a toy. I’ll give it to you after dinner.”

Du Ruo’s smile only widened as he watched his sister and niece leave. He called out to Yang Yamei.

“Thank you, Uncle!”

She had been sulking after her mother’s scolding, but at the mention of a toy, her eyes sparkled and she flashed Du Ruo a broad, delighted grin.

“Dad, brother-in-law.”

In the living room, the TV was playing a variety show at low volume. Du Jian-ting, Du Ruo’s father, had grown somewhat stout, lounging on the sofa, phone in one hand, cigarette in the other. Across from him, a young man was making tea.

These were Du Ruo’s father and brother-in-law.

“Hmm. Did you sleep well? The air conditioner should be working. I’ll give it a cleaning tomorrow.”

Du Jian-ting’s expression was stern. Normally, he and Du Ruo spoke little, but today he offered this rare gesture of concern.

“Hey, have some tea,” said brother-in-law Huang Baihua, smiling as he poured a cup for Du Ruo and nudged the cigarette box toward him.

“I slept well. I’ll clean the AC myself tomorrow,” Du Ruo replied, studying the white hairs on his father’s head. He hadn’t noticed before just how much his father’s hair had grayed—perhaps because he’d used to dye it before the New Year.

The three men sat together, drinking tea, smoking, and silence settled over them. Only the canned, repetitive laughter from the TV variety show broke the stillness.

“Dinner’s ready! Old Huang, bring out the rice cooker,” Du Na called as she entered with bowls and chopsticks, followed by Yang Yamei and the golden retriever. Her voice broke the awkward quiet.

“Want a drink? Your mom made some wild rose wine last year. I can’t have alcohol now, so it’s just sitting there.”

Du Jian-ting stubbed out his cigarette and looked at Du Ruo.

“Sure, let’s have a little. Sis, you too.”

Only brother-in-law Huang Baihua was allergic to alcohol and never touched a drop; the rest of the family loved to drink, especially Du Na, who’d been fond of it since childhood, though her tolerance was never great.

Du Ruo remembered how, as a child, their father would send Du Na to fetch wine, and she’d sneak sips on the way home, ending up drunk in the fields and carried back by neighbors.

Tonight’s dinner was a feast: stinky mandarin fish, stewed pigeon, dried bamboo shoots, smoked fish—all the dishes Du Ruo had craved while away.

The moment she sat down, the aroma overwhelmed her, and she couldn’t hold back. She bent over her bowl and ate heartily, peppering her meal with words of praise. Only after a bowl of rice and a bit of food in her stomach did she slow her pace.

From time to time, she clinked glasses with her sister, chatting lightly in response to her mother’s questions.

“How long are you staying this time, little brother?” Huang Baihua suddenly asked, and the lively atmosphere instantly quieted. All eyes turned to Du Ruo.

Only Yang Yamei seized the moment, sneaking a piece of fish while no one was looking.

“I’m not leaving this time. I’ll stay home.”

Du Ruo smiled, picking a piece of fish from the back for his niece, carefully checking for bones before putting it in her bowl.

“Here, I’ll get you some soup. Yaya, go easy on the fish—don’t you remember the bone stuck in your throat a few days ago?”

Hearing Du Ruo’s words, the atmosphere warmed again. Du Na placed the soup in front of Du Ruo, then went to check Yang Yamei’s fish for bones.

“I sold the house over there and paid off the loan. There’s one million four hundred and fifty thousand left. Dad, Mom, brother-in-law, if any of you need anything, just let me know.”

Seeing that no one asked for his reasons, Du Ruo was moved and brought up the sale of his house.

“We don’t need it—your father and I don’t have many expenses at home,” his mother spoke up before his father could. Living near the famous Yellow Mountain, even if they weren’t in the most bustling area, they still benefited from the influx of visitors each year.

Du Na said nothing, only putting some vegetables into Yang Yamei’s bowl.

“Got any plans, little brother? With that money, you could buy an apartment in the city, or a storefront for a small business. Even in town, you could get a spacious place—and if you want to do business, your sister could help with some extra funds.”

Huang Baihua looked at Du Ruo as he spoke, clearly sincere.

As an only child, Huang Baihua’s family had bought him both an apartment and a storefront in town. He’d always been grateful that the Du family had married off Du Na without asking for a dowry, and he treated Du Ruo as his own brother.

When he heard Du Ruo wasn’t planning to leave again, his first thought was to help him settle down and plan for the future, even offering financial support.