He Chose Her, Then Lost Me Forever のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 171 - チャプター 180

The autumn sun hung high over the valley, painting the surrounding mountain forest in vivid shades of amber, gold, and deep crimson. Crisp mountain air blew across the freshly harvested cornfields, carrying the sweet, comforting smell of dry hay, crushed apples, and roasting squash.It was the afternoon of the annual Pine Ridge Harvest Festival, the grandest community gathering of the season. Farmers and townspeople from across the county assembled at the fairgrounds near the river to celebrate a long summer of hard work. Bright red timber stalls lined the dirt paths, display tables groaned under the weight of prize pumpkins and preserves, and lively fiddle music echoed merrily across the crowded grounds.At the Reed family display stall, excitement ran high. Sarah stood behind a long oak table draped in clean white linen, arranging jars of strawberry jam, golden clover honey, and fresh-baked loaves of braided egg bread."Look at the crowd today, William," Sarah said with a joyful smi

The arctic front that struck the valley earlier in the week settled in with relentless force. By nightfall, thick black clouds blanketed the high ridge, dropping a blinding blizzard over the mountain. Heavy snow drifted high against the north wall of the Reed farmhouse, and the howling wind rattled the wooden window shutters like frantic hands tapping at the glass.Inside the cozy living room, the atmosphere was warm and peaceful. A bright fire roared in the brick hearth, casting long, dancing orange shadows across the braided rug.Sarah sat in her favorite rocking chair near the hearth, mending a pair of heavy woolen socks with steady hands. William reclined in his armchair, a wooden pipe held loosely between his teeth as he read through a farm catalog.On the rug near the hearth, Noah and Zero-Zero sat side by side, cleaning and oiling their leather work boots for the long winter days ahead. Buster lay stretched out between them, his chin resting comfortably on Zero-Zero’s knee, let

The crisp winter morning wore on as the pale sun climbed higher over the snow-covered pine ridges. The air outside remained bitterly cold, but the sky was a clear, brilliant blue. Down in the barnyard, the cattle munched contentedly on fresh hay, their breath rising in thick white clouds into the quiet air.Inside the woodshop adjacent to the main barn, William and Noah stood over the wooden workbench. The shop smelled pleasantly of pine shavings, sawdust, and old cedar grease. In the center of the floor lay the heavy wooden timber sled—the farm's crucial horse-drawn runner used to haul oak logs from the upper forest for the kitchen fireplace and heat stoves."The left runner is completely split," William said, running a gloved hand along a jagged crack in the aged hickory wood. "That heavy ice drift near the creek bed last week must have finished it off. Without this sled, we can't haul the firewood we need before the next cold front hits on Thursday."Noah knelt beside the sled, ins

The bitter morning sun rose high above the snow-dusted pine trees, turning the deep white drifts around the Reed farm into a blinding sheet of light. A crisp, howling wind whistled through the wooden eaves of the main house, but inside the kitchen, the scent of hot cornmeal mush, fried pork ham, and fresh chicory coffee made everything feel cozy and peaceful.Sarah stood near the iron cookstove, stirring a heavy black pot with a long wooden spoon. Across the room, William sat at the head of the oak dining table, his calloused hands wrapped tightly around a hot stoneware mug. Noah and Luke were busily lacing up their heavy leather work boots near the back door, while Zero-Zero sat on the low wooden bench beside Buster, gently scratching the hound behind his long brown ears.Suddenly, a loud, heavy TAP-TAP-TAP rattled from the ceiling above the pantry!Sarah stopped stirring her pot instantly, her face tightening with worry as she looked up. "William, did you hear that? It sounds like w

The crisp morning sun broke over the high eastern ridge, turning the frozen valley into a glittering expanse of silver and gold. The bitter air was completely still after the midnight gale, but the temperature remained far below freezing. Long icicles hung like clear glass spears from the wooden roof of the dairy barn, glinting brightly in the cold dawn light.Inside the farmhouse kitchen, the day was already in full swing. A rich aroma of sizzling pork sausage, fried johnnycakes, and boiling chicory coffee filled the warm room.Sarah stood at the long oak stove, flipping golden cornmeal pancakes on a heavy iron griddle. Her face was bright, but a small frown showed on her forehead as she listened to the muffled, metallic clanking coming from the utility room near the back porch."Is that pump acting up again, William?" Sarah asked, setting a high stack of hot pancakes on the table.William walked into the kitchen, wiping his dark-stained hands on a rag. His graying hair was uncombed,