After the family split up, my stepmother and scumbag father begged me to come home.

Lin Qianqian found a few more sticks, tied the broom heads to them, and swept the cobwebs in the corners and the dust on the ceiling. The dust fell in a flurry, making the three of them cough, but they looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

After working for most of the hour, the room was finally viewable.

"Now all that's left is the window." Lin Qianqian stood in front of the window, looking at the few empty window openings with worry. "Although it's not cold outside, it gets chilly at night..."

Before the words were finished, footsteps came from the courtyard gate.

"Qianqian? Ah Long?"

It was Aunt Ding's voice.

Lin Qianqian hurried out to greet her and saw Aunt Ding carrying a stack of old papers into the yard, followed by Uncle Ding carrying a wooden ladder.

"Aunt Ding? Uncle Ding?" Lin Qianqian was stunned.

"I brought you some paper to patch the windows." Aunt Ding put down the paper, looked around the dilapidated house, and said with heartache, "This old house has been uninhabited for so many years, and it's in such a state. How will you two children manage..."

"Thank you, Aunt Ding!" Lin Qianqian's nose tingled, and she quickly held back her tears. "You came just in time, otherwise we would have starved tonight."

"Don't mention it." Aunt Ding waved her hand and pointed behind her, "Your Uncle Ding will help you put it on in a bit. You kids don't know how to do this."

Uncle Ding had already set up the ladder and smiled at the two children: "I heard from your aunt that you've moved out, so I'm here to nail the windows for you."

"Uncle Ding!" Lin Qianqian and Lin Yulong quickly called out.

Uncle Ding responded and nimbly climbed the ladder, while Aunt Ding handed him paper and paste from below. The couple worked together seamlessly and soon sealed the window openings tightly.

Inside the house, the three children were also busy tidying up. Ding Xiaohu picked up the broken bricks and tiles from the ground, Lin Yulong folded the two pieces of clothing he had brought and placed them in the corner of the kang (a heated brick bed), and Lin Qianqian moved the broken water vat to a suitable location—it couldn't hold much water, but it could hold some odds and ends.

By the time the windows were finished being papered, the room was almost completely tidied up.

Uncle Ding climbed down the ladder again, looked at the rickety wooden door, and without saying a word, found some wooden strips, knocked on them, and repaired the door to make it much sturdier.

"Alright," he said, patting the dust off his hands. "Use what you can for now, and we'll add more later."

Looking at the house that had been tidied up and made feel more lively, Lin Qianqian felt a surge of warmth in her heart. She wanted to invite Aunt Ding's family to have dinner, but looking at her half-full bag of sweet potatoes and the empty stove, she swallowed the words back.

Aunt Ding seemed to read her mind and waved her hand, "Don't bother, let's go home and eat. You two settle in first, there's plenty of time ahead of you."

"Tiger, let's go."

"Mom, I want to stay and help Sister Qianqian and the others!" Ding Xiaohu refused to leave.

Aunt Ding glanced at him, then at the two children, and smiled helplessly: "Alright, then behave yourself and don't cause trouble for others."

"I'm not going to cause any trouble!" Ding Xiaohu had already rolled up his sleeves, ready to get down to business.

After seeing off Aunt Ding and her husband, Lin Qianqian stood in the courtyard, watching the sky gradually darken, and then looked at the dim yellow light coming from inside the house—it was an oil lamp that Ding Xiaohu had lit from somewhere.

"Sister," Lin Yulong poked his head out of the house, "come in!"

Lin Qianqian responded and stepped across the threshold.

Although the room was simple, it was clean and tidy. A straw curtain was laid on the kang (a heated brick bed), and the windows were tightly covered with paper. The reflection of a small lamp was even visible in the broken water vat.

Ding Xiaohu was lying on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), whispering something to Lin Yulong.

Lin Qianqian watched this scene, and the corners of her mouth slowly curved up.

From today onwards, this is home.