Camden didn’t say a word and quietly helped carry the items into the yard.

He gazed at the heavy iron machine, about half his height. As soon as it was plugged in, a cool breeze began to waft out.

He walked around it a few times, curious, but hesitated to touch it. He’d heard that these things were quite precious—more expensive than a television.

To his surprise, this was the refrigerator that city folk often talked about, and he hadn’t expected his own brother to bring one back.

In the entire village, he was the only one with such a thing. Even the wealthiest family in the village, who ran the general store, didn’t have one.

Once everything was settled, Camden pulled his brother to the yard entrance and asked, “Where did you get all this money to buy so much stuff?”

Jackson, unhurried, took out a pack of cigarettes, offering one to his older brother while putting one in his own mouth.

He struck a match, lit his brother's cigarette first, and then lit his own.

Jackson took a deep drag, blowing out a thick cloud of smoke as he met his brother’s gaze.

He mumbled a vague assurance, “I haven’t stolen or robbed anyone, and I’m not gambling anymore. I earned all of this with my hard work.”

Jackson didn’t mention his mountain herb-hunting trips to his brother. He had no intention of sharing it with anyone, not even his own big brother, for now.

Because even if he told Camden, his brother couldn’t help him. Worse, if the word got out, it could ruin his income source!

He knew there were still many places he could go to find the medicinal herbs, and if he was lucky, he could find knotweed and catch some wild game too. With just those, he could make a good amount of money.

Come next spring, he planned to bring Camden and their second brother up the mountain, teach them the ropes, and after that, it would depend on their own luck whether they could find treasures.

Camden looked at his younger brother, who now seemed a different person—his eyes shining with a sharp, businesslike glint. It made Camden, the older brother, feel a little unfamiliar with him.

Seeing that Jackson didn’t want to talk about it further, Camden didn’t press. As long as his brother wasn’t heading down the wrong path, he was fine with it.

The two brothers stood in silence for a while, not speaking.

After a moment, Jackson decided to tell his brother about his plan to build a house. He asked if Camden could help supervise the construction and promised to pay him a buck a day.

Camden, listening to this, extinguished his cigarette and said, “A buck a day? That’s thirty bucks a month. A regular worker in the state-run factory makes only a buck a day! We’re brothers, so don’t even mention wages. I’d work for free, no problem. But you know how much building a house costs, right? This isn’t a small matter—it’s going to take a lot of money.”

Jackson nodded, tossed the cigarette aside, and stamped it out with his foot. “I know. I’ve got the money, and I’ll pay you properly. I just need you to help me find a good crew and help pick the materials. I want to move into the new house before winter.”

Camden nodded but didn’t say much more. He assumed Jackson just wanted to repair the three old thatched houses, not realizing Jackson had plans to build a two-story house.

The reason Jackson left all these details to his older brother was because he was already swamped with work. He was determined to gather all the herbs before winter, maybe even luck out and find knotweed, sell it, and get some cash.

If he was really fortunate, he might even catch a few deer, get some antlers, or deer penises—those were worth a lot of money.

As for his sudden wealth and the house-building plan, everyone in the village knew he used to be a gambler. Let them guess what they wanted. Whether he made money from gambling or something else, he didn’t care.

He was just focused on living well now, cherishing every moment with his wife, and giving her the best life he could.

It was still early in the day, and after a brief discussion, the two brothers went straight to the local brick factory to place an order for the building materials.

When Camden heard how many bricks his brother ordered, he was shocked. He finally realized Jackson was planning to build a two-story house!

Watching Jackson pull out two 100-buck bills and hand them to the brick factory owner without batting an eye, Camden felt a pang of regret.

Then, when Jackson said he’d pay the rest once the bricks were delivered, Camden was stunned. How much money was that thick wad of cash worth? Just casually stuffed into his pocket!

Camden couldn’t believe his brother was carrying around such a large sum of money without a care.

As he watched Jackson, who was now acting with such confidence and authority, Camden couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy. His brother now seemed like a different person, almost unrecognizable. If Jackson were dressed in a fancy suit, people would think he was a big city boss.

Everything Jackson did exuded a sense of sophistication and self-assurance. If it weren’t for the small mole under his ear, Camden would have thought someone had swapped his brother out for someone else!

On the way back, Camden still felt like he was in a dream. He was having trouble adjusting to his new, more assertive brother.

In front of him, Camden felt smaller, a little intimidated.

When they reached the doorstep, Jackson pulled five bills from his pocket and handed them to Camden.

“Brother, starting tomorrow, I’ll need you to help me with the materials.”

Camden had never seen so much money in his life. He stared at the bills for a long while before finally daring to take them.

He carefully stuffed the money into his pocket, holding it tightly, afraid he might lose it.

Looking up, Camden met his brother’s sincere gaze and said, “Since you trust me, I’ll make sure everything gets done right—smoothly and beautifully.”

Jackson nodded. He trusted his big brother—if he didn’t, he wouldn’t have asked him for help.

---

At this moment, Sophia was sitting in the main room, carefully organizing the things Jackson had bought.

She tossed the fresh meat into the refrigerator, then pulled out a handkerchief and delicately draped it over the fridge, afraid of letting any dust settle on it and dirtying the appliance.

As she sorted through the remaining household items, she found several sets of women's sweaters, pants, leather shoes, and a few sets of children’s cotton clothes and socks. She ran her hands over the fabric; it felt incredibly soft and smooth.

Sophia picked up the new, thick comforters and gently placed them on the cabinet at the end of the bed.

She glanced at the new women’s sweaters again. The coat Jackson had bought her last time was still sitting neatly, brand new, and this time, he had bought her so many more sets of clothes during his trip to town.

She worked all day in the village, where would she have the chance to wear such fine clothes?

Although Sophia was thinking this to herself, a sweet, warm feeling couldn’t help but rise from deep within her heart.

All the things Jackson had bought were for her, for the child, and for the house. Yet, he hadn’t bought himself a single decent piece of clothing or shoes!

While Sophia was tidying up, Meilani stood by holding the baby, her eyes fixed on the new clothes, envy in her heart that was as intense as a cat eyeing a fish.

The sweaters were the most fashionable styles from the city.

When she had gone to the countryside, she had wanted to buy some, but each one cost more than ten bucks. There was no way her family would approve of spending so much on a sweater.

Now, she saw all the clothes she had wanted but couldn’t afford, and there were more than one set.

Sophia’s man was tall and handsome, and not only was he willing to spend money on his honey, but he also treated her with so much care. When they were moving things, he wouldn’t even let her lift a finger, worried she might tire herself out. He looked at her like she was the most precious thing.

This was a far cry from the lazy, gambling good-for-nothing that the villagers talked about. He was the complete opposite—completely different!

Just then, Jackson walked in with quick strides. As soon as he entered, he saw a strange young woman holding the baby.

He quickly shifted his gaze from Meilani and turned to smile at his wife, asking, "Your friend?"