"Don't worry, I'm not hungry," Xu Ke said.

In the mountains, people eat quite early. By six o'clock in the evening, most families have finished their meals. After Xu Ke took a walk in the man's yard, he was called into the house by the man.

"Brother, why is it just you at home, where are your uncle and aunt?" Xu Ke asked casually after coming back from outside, washing his hands.

"My mom died in childbirth when she had me, and my dad passed away a couple of years ago. He drank too much one night and fell to his death," the man said while skillfully weaving a small basket with a few branches.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know," Xu Ke said apologetically.

"It's nothing. The whole village knows about this. Besides, I wasn't sad when my dad died. Life was hard with him around, but after he passed, life became much easier," the man said nonchalantly.

The man's hands moved quickly, and in no time, the basket took shape.

"It's dark outside, and there's no light in here; doesn't it strain your eyes to weave like this? Aren't you afraid of making mistakes?" Xu Ke asked curiously.

"There's nothing to it. I've been doing this for over a decade; I'm quite familiar with it. Not to mention, there's a bright moon outside. Even if there was no light inside or out, I could still weave the basket perfectly," the man said with pride in his craft, speaking confidently.

Xu Ke chatted with the man about some trivial matters, showing his admiration. The man, unused to such compliments, was soon pleased just from their conversation. Xu Ke only mentioned a few things about the house, and the man eagerly explained how the house was built, who helped, and when it was constructed, all in detail.

Xu Ke discreetly noted all the information and was woken up by the man at dawn the next day. They had a simple meal with leftovers from the previous day, and the man led Xu Ke towards the village entrance.

Xu Ke feigned sleepiness, yawning as he walked slowly, and asked, "Why are we leaving so early? What time is it? I'm still not fully awake."

The man paused and looked at Xu Ke strangely, saying, "Didn't you mention yesterday that you'd spend the night in our village and leave at dawn? Our village head specifically instructed us to see you off at first light. The sun is up now; don't you want to leave? Do you plan on lingering in the village?"

"Not at all, just didn't expect to wake up so early. If I'd known, I wouldn't have said at first light," Xu Ke replied, noticing a hint of wariness and underlying hostility in the man's eyes.

The man, hearing Xu Ke's explanation and seeing his sleepy state, snorted, "City folks are truly fragile, acting as if waking up early is so difficult. Do city people sleep until late morning?"

"To be honest, I don't wake up this early at home. Usually, I'm up near noon," Xu Ke intentionally said, picking up on the man's slight envy. "In the city, we all live like this, with good living conditions and all sorts of amenities. Have you considered moving out?"

Xu Ke looked at the man's suddenly turned face and continued sincerely, "Honestly, I'm an only child, always wished for siblings. After our long talk yesterday, you feel like a brother to me. I treat you as family, which is why I'm speaking so openly with you."

"Brother, let's move out. Although there's a new road built by the government outside the village, making it easier to go to town, it's still inconvenient. Plus, the village's medical facilities aren't great. For minor ailments, there's the barefoot doctor, but in emergencies, it's too late," Xu Ke said worriedly.

"And there's no school in the village. If you have kids, what about their education? You don't want your kids to stay cooped up in these mountains like you all their life, do you?"

As Xu Ke spoke, the man visibly slowed his pace and seemed thoughtful, but when he noticed Xu Ke's gaze, his expression reverted, even a bit angry.

"Don't try to brainwash me. My ancestors lived here; this is my home, my roots. I'm not going anywhere. Shut up and stop talking to me," the man said, marching ahead with increased speed.

Xu Ke obediently followed behind, watching the man's hurried back with a complex expression.

Because Xu Ke and the man's residence was the farthest, by the time they reached the village gate, the other three from the city and three young men from the village were already there.

As Xu Ke and the man arrived, another villager looked at them discontentedly and said, "Why are you two so late? We've been waiting for a while."

"Sorry about that, we lived a bit farther, but we didn't wake up late," the man who stayed with Xu Ke started with an apologetic stance but then began to explain the reason for their lateness.

"Alright, let's leave it at that; it's not a big deal," the man staying with the bespectacled person spoke. His attitude was notably better towards them compared to the others, but only because of the contrast with his companions.

"Alright, it's daylight now. We kept our promise to host you for a night; now it's your turn to keep your promise. Off you go," the man waved at Xu Ke and his group dismissively, like shooing away annoying flies.

No one from the group had been treated like this before. Thankfully, they were quite tolerant; even when being hustled out of the village, they maintained a dignified composure, without showing aggression or resentment.

The man who had sat beside Xu Ke in the car earlier was still seated next to him, but a different driver was at the wheel this time.

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