Chapter 127: Eat, Sleep, Brawl

Chapter 127: Eat, Sleep, Brawl

The courtyard bustled with activity, each person engrossed in their own tasks.

After they fetched the water, led by Auntie-in-Chief, the women started busying themselves with cleaning their respective quarters. Water was scarce; three buckets of it were commandeered by Peach Blossom for the kitchen. Time was marching on, and as the sky darkened a shade, the group that had trekked through the mountains all day was famished.

Their small family's room was being tidied up by Mother, so Peach Blossom joined her second sister-in-law, who had left her daughter in the care of her mother-in-law, in the kitchen. They stoked the fire, cooked rice, picked vegetables, and cracked eggs. The men would have to descend the mountain again tomorrow to fetch food and household items. It was no easy feat, akin to building a house from scratch. Peach Blossom felt for Big Tiger. She tallied up the tasks he'd been handling lately - either he was on the move or preparing to be. He hadn't had a moment's rest.

With this thought, she couldn't resist retrieving two pieces of mutton from the basket where meat was stored. She rummaged around, fishing out the lamb spine, completely ignoring the offal this time. She picked only the choicest cuts, regardless of whether it was too late to start stewing them now. She wanted to simmer a large pot of mutton soup and bake some flatbreads to accompany it, intending to serve it as breakfast for them tomorrow.

Mornings were cold, and without a warm meal to start the day, one could feel the chill in their limbs all day long.

Carrying the mutton into the kitchen, Cao Xiuhong quickly filled half a basin with water, and Peach Blossom tossed the mutton inside. Yesterday, they had only given the slaughtered sheep a cursory rinse, not having the time to clean it thoroughly. Blood-stained patches still clung to the mutton, now congealed, requiring a good soak.

"Isn't it a bit late to start stewing mutton?" Cao Xiuhong, quick and efficient, was no less skilled at kitchen chores than Peach Blossom. In the blink of an eye, she had sliced the cured meat into neat, even pieces, arranging them in a plate.

Everyone was exhausted today, the men and the women alike. When Peach Blossom discussed dinner plans with her earlier, they both agreed that a simple meal would suffice tonight. More rice would be cooked, but the dishes didn't need to be elaborate. As long as they were filling, there was no need for extravagant gourmet fare. Once everyone was settled in, they would prepare a grand feast, a celebration of their successful relocation.

Peach Blossom agreed, saying she'd stir-fry a couple of dishes with generous portions to ensure they were filling. But then she brought in mutton, and Cao Xiuhong quickly understood—she realized that Peach Blossom was worried about Dahu. Indeed, since her brothers returned from building the houses, Big Brother Sandstone and her own husband, Ershi, had rested at home for several days. Only Dahu, after finishing the construction, went hunting and then rushed off to the county without a break, returning only to dive straight into more work.

Now it's even worse; whenever there's heavy lifting or moving things around, he's the one leading the way. They complain about being tired after just one trip, their legs weak and unable to walk further, but Dahu can't let go—he takes everything upon himself. Thinking this far, she felt pity for her cousin too, disregarding the icy water that turned her hands red as she vigorously washed the mutton.

As women, they couldn't help much in physical labor, so they aimed not to be a burden, keeping the house tidy and preparing hearty meals with care, ensuring everyone eats happily. In this way, they all contributed their strength together.

"Ershi, fetch some more water!" She leaned out the window, calling to the man standing in the yard talking to Chen Eniu.

"All right!" Chen Ershi responded, picking up the yoke under the eaves, hooking on the buckets and setting off with Chen Eniu towards the stream. During the two months they spent in the mountains, while his wife didn't join them, he and Sandstone would wash clothes by the stream every day, so he knew the path well.

Peach Blossom started cooking rice. The new kitchen was large, with multiple stove eyes designed for when several families came to the mountain, allowing them to cook simultaneously instead of having staggered mealtimes. Otherwise, if one family took their time, occupying the kitchen, the others would have to wait with empty stomachs.

For some reason, everyone seemed to have an unspoken agreement; there was no intention of dividing the food. Grains were stored together, meat and vegetables piled up in heaps, and poultry were raised in communal coops. No one ever complained about fairness or portion sizes, demonstrating remarkable openness and unity.

The feeling of "several families working together as one" was especially palpable to Peach Blossom, who handled the cooking. When it came to rice, the communal stock was entirely at her disposal, with no one ever remarking that "too much rice was wasted today" or "you scooped from my bag by mistake."

"Big Sister-in-law, do you have a moment? Could you wash a pot for me?" Peach Blossom called out. A pot was among the items brought into the mountain today—a valuable iron pot that Uncle's family owned. Peach Blossom spotted it when they were moving the baskets. With her hands full, she called out for help.

The advantage of having many people around is that any request can be easily fulfilled. Before Fang Qiuyan could leave the room, Wu Zhaodi found a pot in the main room, squatted down in the courtyard to wash it, and then carried the shiny pot to the kitchen, asking Peach Blossom, "Where should I put it?"

Peachblossom pointed at the hearth by the window, and Wu Zhaodi placed the pot there. She didn’t leave the room but sat in front of the hearth, rolling up some dry firewood and stuffing it into the stove's opening. She then took a burning log from the stove that was cooking rice and inserted it inside. The dry wood was licked by flames, igniting within moments.

Two full scoops of clear water were poured into the pot. Peachblossom threw in the mutton and lamb vertebrae that her second sister-in-law had cleaned, quickly scalding them in the boiling water.

Chen Ershi returned with two buckets of water, almost intercepted mid-way by his eldest sister-in-law who was cleaning the house. There was quite a commotion outside over a bucket of water. Chen Ershi remembered his wife’s words: there was a lack of water in the kitchen, so he refused to give up even one bucket, much to the anger of his eldest sister-in-law who stomped her feet and called him an obedient fool. Chen Dashi joined in on her side, and Chen Ershi, outnumbered, turned red in the face, unable to argue against the couple. He simply carried the buckets to the kitchen, his defeated retreat causing everyone to burst out laughing.

"Why would Eldest Sister-in-Law ask for water from our Ershi? She should be asking Eldest Brother," Cao Xiuhong defended her husband, engaging her eldest sister-in-law in a verbal battle in the kitchen.

"What’s wrong with an elder sister-in-law asking her second brother-in-law for a bucket of water? It’s perfectly normal!" Fang Qiuyan, who wasn't afraid to speak up even when men in the village made crude jokes, felt free to say anything when teasing her second sister-in-law.

Some men in the village were unrefined, fond of making jokes about their sisters-in-law or younger sisters-in-law. Fang Qiuyan was not one to back down; if provoked in this regard, she could strip a man down to his underwear. But Cao Xiuhong was different. She wasn’t as eloquent as her eldest sister-in-law, and her thin skin meant that she ended up losing the argument, even with her husband on her side. This left Chen Ershi with a red face, and he grabbed his eldest brother, who had been watching the scene, and ran off with the empty buckets.

"Eldest Sister-in-Law’s mouth is truly unmatched." Second Aunt shook her head, unable to suppress a smile.

"Just watch her. She’ll definitely go to the kitchen later to soothe her second sister-in-law. That’s just how it is at home; she loves to stir things up. As an elder sister-in-law, she enjoys teasing her younger sisters-in-law, and then makes amends with kind words. Otherwise, how could they have such a good relationship as sisters-in-law? It’s all because one likes to stir up trouble and then humble herself to make amends!" First Aunt came out with a basin of dirty water, pouring it outside the courtyard while pointing at her eldest daughter-in-law, who was wiping the windows inside, and laughed.

It was only between them as sisters-in-law. If it were any other family, if the second sister-in-law held a grudge, encountering such a sharp-tongued eldest sister-in-law, the two households would never have peace.

Amidst the laughter, Peachblossom had already strained the rice to steam it. She smiled at her second sister-in-law and said, "It’s cold. If we leave the rice porridge, it’ll cool down soon. Second Sister-in-Law, bring it to the main room for the children to drink. I’ll knead some dough to make some flatbreads. Tomorrow morning, let them drink the mutton soup with the flatbreads, and take some along so they won’t travel hungry."

Cao Xiuhong nodded with a smile. She didn't discard the broth after blanching; instead, she skimmed off the scum and found that the soup smelled delicious. She carried it outside and poured some into Xiao Hu's dog bowl. The rest was taken to the old kitchen for the chickens and ducks, regardless of whether they would eat it or not. In her heart, this was still a good thing—a broth with a meaty flavor, certainly better than cold water.

Xiao Hu was originally playing with Tieniu and the others. Seeing the broth in his bowl, he ran over eagerly, tilted his head to sniff it, and then extended his tongue to taste. Instantly, he was scalded and jumped around on the spot.

Despite this, he didn't leave. When he saw the children being called to drink rice porridge, he waited patiently in place. Once the broth had cooled down, he buried his entire head in the bowl and lapped it up noisily.

When Cao Xiuhong served the rice porridge to the children, when it was Goose Egg's turn, she teased him deliberately: "Auntie is pouring rice porridge for Goose Egg to drink. Goose Egg, tell me, who is better, Auntie or your mother?"

Seeing his brother already drinking, Goose Egg was frustrated that he had to answer a question before his turn. Eager to have his rice porridge, he said without hesitation: "Auntie is better, Auntie is the best, Auntie gives Goose Egg rice porridge."

His aunt raised her eyebrows triumphantly at his mother, who had just walked in, and handed the bowl to him, patting his head and praising: "Goose Egg is such a good boy, go ahead now."

Fang Qiuyan was amused but also annoyed. She flicked her youngest son's head and scolded, "Milk is mother," knowing that her second sister-in-law was "paying her back" for something. It was a waste that she had cleaned her house inside and out for her, only to be repaid like this.

"You'd better not sleep in the bed I made for you tonight, ungrateful one. You took advantage of my absence to win over my son." Fang Qiuyan rummaged through her basket, found a clean handkerchief, and tapped her sister-in-law's shoulder while she wasn't paying attention. After the tap, she ran away like a mischievous child.

Cao Xiuhong winced from the pain as she returned to the kitchen, hissing slightly. Peach Blossom thought she had bumped into something outside and laughed, saying, "There's not much left to do in the kitchen. Just stir-fry a couple of dishes, Second Sister should go take a rest."

"What rest? I'm not tired!" She replied with a smile, "It's all because of your Eldest Sister, acting like a child and playing sneak attacks." Seeing her making flatbreads, she washed her hands and helped to finish them. These were to be kept for tomorrow as dry rations for them to carry with them. Since men have large appetites, she didn't make thin flatbreads but rather ones with considerable thickness.

Dozens of pancakes were stacked so high in the basket that there was hardly any room left.

After finishing the pancakes, Peach Blossom was exhausted from kneading the dough until her wrists ached. Cao Xiuhong then took over the task of stir-frying the dishes. The cured meat had been sliced beforehand, and she had her own way of cooking. Unlike Peach Blossom, who preferred to fry the cured meat without any vegetables, Cao Xiuhong knew that with so many mouths to feed, adding vegetables was a necessity; otherwise, there wouldn't be enough to go around.

Especially now, after roughly counting, there were nearly twenty people. It was unrealistic to dream of everyone getting their fill of meat. But at least each person should get two or three slices, right? Otherwise, what's the point of eating? Since the meat portion was limited, they added more vegetables. Regardless of the taste, at least they would be coated in oil and infused with the flavor of the meat. What's the difference between that and eating meat?

Therefore, Cao Xiuhong was much better suited for preparing the communal meal than Peach Blossom. Once the wok was hot, she scraped a small amount of oil into it, then tossed the cured meat in and started stir-frying it vigorously. Under the intense heat, the fatty parts of the meat released their oils. She pushed the meat to one side of the wok to free up space, then poured the drained vegetables straight into the wok.

The start of stir-frying signaled that it was time to eat.

The children were especially alert to this. Led by Uncle Dog, they went to wash their hands. Zhao Sufen, who had finished cleaning the rooms, and Aunt-in-Law also entered the kitchen to help wash the bowls and chopsticks, then carried the steamer baskets out to the main room.

In the depths of the mountains, the white smoke from the chimney was obscured by the dense forest, with tall trees serving as perfect camouflage. As the sky grew completely dark, only one fire remained burning in the kitchen, slowly simmering a pot of lamb soup, bubbles rising gently to the surface.

In the main room, one table wasn't enough for everyone. It was a miscalculation; in previous gatherings, not everyone had been present, and they could manage to squeeze around one table.

But now, it was impossible to fit everyone at the table. Amidst laughter and good-natured pushing, the older relatives ended up sitting while the younger generation stood, holding their bowls.

Peach Blossom and Wei Dahu were among those standing. In their bowls, which they held aloft, were slices of cured meat that the elders seated at the table kept piling on. The dim kerosene lamp illuminated everyone's faces, all of which were filled with smiles.

The children ate without fussing, even competing with their bowls in hand to see who could finish first; they needed no coaxing from the adults. The merry clamor was a delight to hear for the elders, their faces beaming with tenderness as they showered praise on the kids for their good behavior.

Wei Dahu stood by the door, his broad back shielding them from the chilly wind that tried to sneak in through the crack. Peach Blossom stood in front of him, completely sheltered from the cold by his imposing figure.

Peach Blossom nudged him subtly with her elbow, and Wei Dahu immediately bent down, thinking she wanted to whisper something in his ear. But instead, a piece of cured meat landed in his bowl.

"Eat it," she said, noticing his attempt to return the meat. She shifted slightly, using the hand holding her chopsticks to shield her bowl from his view.

"Okay." Understanding her concern for him, Wei Dahu didn't refuse. He savored the meal, the aroma of the cured meat melting his heart with every chew.

"There's still mutton soup simmering in the pot, and plenty of flatbreads in the basket. Eat your fill," Peach Blossom whispered.

Wei Dahu grinned, bending down to whisper back, "Really, I can eat as much as I want?"

Recalling his appetite, Peach Blossom paused, then seriously replied, "Maybe not quite. Leave some for everyone else." If he ate to his heart's content, there wouldn't be anything left for anyone.

Wei Dahu found this hilarious, laughing heartily, drawing the attention of Chen Dashan and his wife standing nearby.

Their first meal in the mountains passed in a lively atmosphere, with not enough benches for everyone to sit on.

After dinner, heating water for washing faces and soaking feet stirred up another bustling scene.

When the courtyard finally fell silent, each room was filled with loud snores, and amidst this cacophony, two muffled groans stood out prominently.

Some were exhausted, replenishing their strength through sleep.

There were tigers, however, who didn't conserve energy by sleeping; they did so by fighting with flowers. The fiercer the fight, the more invigorated he became.

"Words from the Author"

There should be a brief second update later; I'll write after having my meal, and if there are any errors, I'll fix them later.

(Some of you asked about the updates. I post as soon as I finish writing, but the timing is uncertain. Rest assured~ You can expect new chapters before midnight, and I'll let you know in advance if I can't update due to other commitments.)

(However, since the start of this story, I've maintained daily updates without a break, hehe.)