Chapter 78

Chapter 78

In the backyard, while they were watching the donkey and the pig, they heard Big Black barking. Its voice was always loud, so the group emerged from the backyard.

Afraid that the dog might accidentally bite someone, Pei Yan took the lead to the front yard. He saw Gu Lansheng carrying his youngest son, Gu An, into the wattle fence gate. With a stern command, Big Black fell silent.

Before Gu Lansheng reached them, he laughed and said, "I heard you bought a donkey?"

"Yes, I bought it at noon in town. Brother, come in and sit down," Pei Yan greeted him warmly.

Gu An looked up with his big, dark eyes at this tall man before him, his face full of curiosity.

He was very familiar with Gu Lansi and had seen Pei Yan before, but he was always a bit timid because of the long scar on Pei Yan's face.

Gu Lansi also came out, seeing his little nephew first and picking him up. "Oh, you've gained weight again; even Auntie is having trouble carrying you."

"Too lazy, he doesn't even want to walk a few steps," Gu Lansheng complained by the side. Then, addressing his young son, he said, "We're at Auntie's house now. Didn't you want to see the donkey? Come down and walk yourself; it's hot enough as it is."

Gu An was almost four years old, a chubby bundle. Indeed, holding him was a bit too warm. Hearing about the donkey, his little legs started moving, and he hurriedly wanted to get down.

Gu Lansi didn't stop him, putting him on the ground and smiling, "Come, Auntie will take you to see it."

Seeing Old Father and the other younger brothers outside, Gu Lansheng greeted them but did not immediately enter the house. Instead, he looked around the large vegetable garden outside and laughed, "Did you pull out all the spring vegetables?"

Pei Yan nodded and said, "It's time to plant mustard greens and radishes. If we wait any longer, we'll miss the season."

Gu Tieshan and Doggy also came outside. Country folk had nothing else to talk about; they could chat for half a day just about a vegetable garden.

Although Gu Tieshan didn't say anything, he felt gratified in his heart. At first, he thought they were too poor, but now, the more he looked at his son-in-law, the more pleasing he found him. He was truly capable, buying a donkey in just a few short months.

As the sun set, a cool breeze blew, bringing immense comfort.

Hearing that they were leaving, Gu Lansi busied himself pulling lamb's quarters, for them to take back home. The other vegetables hadn't yet produced any melons or vegetables; it wasn't time to eat them yet.

There was no need for excessive politeness among family members. Gu Lanyu and Bamboo Boy casually pulled a large handful of vegetables from the garden, not even bothering with baskets or bamboo baskets. They gathered them into a pile and carried them out the door.

After securing the wattle fence, the two slowly walked back along the pebble path. Gu Lansi sighed contentedly, saying, "This is great. In the future, when going to town, you won't have to walk; just hitch up the donkey cart. Donkeys run quite fast; you can save a lot of time on the road alone."

The prospect of better days ahead was most exhilarating, fueling their motivation even further.

The cool wind gently blew, and Pei Yan felt there was no better time than this. His chest seemed to be filled with a sense of ease and comfort.

Seeing the neat bamboo trellises in the eastern vegetable garden, lush with foliage, he smiled. "In ten days to half a month, when the loofah gourds and green beans mature, we can use the donkey cart to sell them. We can earn a bit."

Just hearing these words made one happy. Gu Lansi smiled broadly. Only the two of them were in the courtyard, and he couldn't find the words to express his joy. Unable to resist, he grabbed Pei Yan's hand and shook it lightly.

As the sky darkened, clouds drifted slowly across the heavens. The two walked slowly, their hands clasped together swaying gently, in perfect harmony and tacit understanding.

*

In the kitchen, the pot heated until oil began to smoke. Gu Lansi dumped a basin of finely chopped lamb's quarters into it.

Sizzle—

He used a wooden spatula to stir-fry it. It cooked quickly, using lard, resulting in tender and bright green lamb's quarters when served.

Then he wiped the pot clean, squatted down to add a couple of thin twigs under the stove, and scooped a bit of lard over the pot. He pan-fried two crucian carp, added water, covered the pot, and after it boiled, put tofu inside.

He added another handful of firewood under the stove, wiped his hands on his apron, cleaned up the preparation table, and then went to the backyard to check.

Pei Yan and Gu Lanyu were building a livestock shed. After several days of hard work, only a little remained.

Pei Yan was laying dry reeds on top, while Gu Lanyu stood below, passing things up to him.

"It's almost done," Gu Lansi glanced over and said, "The fish is already in the pot. When you two finish, wash your hands and rest for a bit before eating."

"Got it, Brother Lansi," Doggy responded, not stopping his work.

The water bowl on the ground was empty, and when Gu Lansi picked up the teapot, it was also empty. So, he refilled it in the front yard.

The sky had been overcast since the afternoon, and the sun wasn't very strong. As it got later, the sky looked somewhat ominous.

Before the sun set completely, the two finished building the livestock shed. They nailed a wooden board to make a trough for the donkey, filling the gaps with a bit of putty and yellow mud mixed yesterday by Doggy.

A bit of wind started to pick up. Pei Yan led the donkey inside and tied it up, then brought some wheat straw and green grass mixed together into the trough. Looking at the spacious interior of the livestock shed, he felt a great sense of security.

Having been back for a few days, the donkey was already familiar with its owner, chewing on the fodder with gusto.

He patted off the straw bits on his body, returned to the front yard to wash his hands, and Gu Lanyu had already sat down to rest.

The fish soup in the pot was ready, and Gu Lansi was serving rice and dishes. Today, after finishing the work, he specially steamed rice and bought tofu to reward the two people who had worked for several days.

Knowing that his brother and Pei Yan had big appetites, he stir-fried a lot of lamb's quarters, scooping out a substantial bowlful. The crucian carp and tofu soup was also served in a basin. These two dishes were enough for the three of them to eat.

"Let's eat, let's eat," Gu Lansi called out.

Doggy, who had worked all afternoon, was indeed hungry. He didn't hesitate to dig into his meal with them, burying his head in his food.

Pei Yan chuckled and also picked up his rice bowl to start eating.

Gu Lansi scooped a bowl of fish soup for each of them and placed it aside to cool, laughing, "Eat slowly, no rush. If it's not enough, there's still more in the pot. I steamed a lot today, so help yourselves to more vegetables."

He tasted a bit of the lamb's quarters himself; it was very fresh and tasted incredibly refreshing.

By the end of the meal, only a little fish soup was left uneaten. The fish meat and tofu were completely consumed. Gu Lansi washed the pots and dishes, letting the two of them rest in the main room.

"When autumn arrives, the rabbits in the mountains will be fat. Brother Yan, if you have time, let's go up the mountain to catch rabbits. If we catch many, we can sell them for a bit of money." Gu Lanyu envied his accurate slingshot skills and his love for play, so he wanted to make plans to go up the mountain together.

Pei Yan chuckled softly and nodded, "Alright, let's go together when the time comes."

Gu Lanyu was delighted to hear this confirmation and continued, "If I don't call Lanxing, he'll surely nag me for days when he finds out. I'll invite him along; he can at least be an extra pair of hands."

They often played together, inevitably thinking of their younger cousin.

As they spoke, the rain began to patter down outside, splattering against the muddy ground and leaving pools of water in its wake.

"It's raining," Gu Lanyu remarked as he stood up for a glance outside. "Judging by the intensity, it looks like a heavy downpour. I'll head back now."

Pei Yan also rose to his feet for a look, saying, "Put on your hat."

Before Pei Yan could fetch one, Gu Lanyu smiled and said, "There's no need. It's such a short distance; I can just run back."

He didn't have anything with him, having eaten his fill, so after bidding farewell, he dashed off. Passing by the kitchen, he called out, "Brother Lanshi, I'm heading back first."

Gu Lanshi was washing the pots when he heard this and hurried to the kitchen door to look. Seeing his brother already running out of the courtyard gate, he shouted, "You've just eaten, run slower."

"I know," Gu Lanyu replied, but his legs kept moving at the same pace, disappearing from sight soon after.

"Really, if he had just put on his cape and hat, he wouldn't have needed to run," Gu Lanshi muttered to himself.

Pei Yan stood under the eaves of the main room, hearing this and laughing. "I was about to get them for him, but he ran out before I could even reach for them. He sure has quick legs."

Looking at the curtain of rain before him, he continued, "It's fortunate we asked Dog to help; otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to set everything up so quickly."

"Yes, the rain came right after we finished setting up," Gu Lanshi agreed with a smile.

Seeing the rain intensify, he thought to himself how lucky they were to have set up the shelter in time. Otherwise, the donkey would have had to take refuge in the woodshed, which was cluttered with firewood and various items, not nearly as spacious as the animal shed.

*

Night fell.

The sound of rain pattered outside while the people inside had already climbed onto the bed.

The rain made it a bit chilly, so the two of them snuggled into the same quilt, unlike the hot summer nights where they would be sweating.

Gu Lanshi rested his leg on Pei Yan's, his mood quite pleasant. He yawned, a tear welling up in his eye, which he wiped away with a smile. "In a while, I'll buy some cotton and make you a couple of winter coats. That way, you'll have something warm to wear during the winter."

"Mm-hmm." Pei Yan was also tired, giving a low response as he placed his right hand on Gu Lanshi's belly and closed his eyes.

"Do you have winter shoes? I have both a coat and shoes," Gu Lanshi asked, feeling the roughness of the large palm on his stomach. But each caress brought an inexplicable comfort, so he didn't resist it.

Pei Yan spoke softly, "I have a pair, the one I mentioned before, made by my aunt."

"Mm-hmm." Gu Lanshi recalled, saying, "One pair isn't enough. I'll make you another pair for changing, and new cotton will be warmer to wear."

"Alright." Pei Yan agreed, rolling over to lie on his side, trapping his husband's leg between his own. Holding him close, he chatted aimlessly, gradually drifting off to sleep.

*

At the beginning of the third watch, after a few roosters crowed in the distance, the courtyard began to stir.

When the first crow sounded, Pei Yan glanced out the window. It was still early, so he didn't get up immediately. Now, he emerged to wash up.

The first batch of long beans was ready to be picked. After washing up, he and Gu Lanshi, without bothering to eat, opened the courtyard gate and headed straight to the vegetable patch to harvest the long beans.

In the woodshed, Big Black lazily got up from the sack upon hearing voices. Shaking his body, he used his paws and mouth to open the woodshed door, swaying his tail lightly as he made his way to the vegetable patch.

The long beans grew splendidly, longer than a forearm. Gu Lanshi, who was originally a little drowsy, perked up after picking for a while.

All the mugwort had been pulled out, and the eight plots of land on the west side had been planted with radishes and Chinese cabbage, four plots each. They hadn't sprouted yet, looking barren.

On the east side, the long beans, luffa gourds, and melons all had vegetables hanging from them. The long beans grew faster, while the luffa gourds and melons were only half-grown, still tender.

Gu Lanshi selected the longer ones, picking them in bunches, leaving the smaller and shorter ones untouched, allowing them to grow for another two days.

Six rows of long beans were planted in one plot, twelve rows in total. The two of them picked in separate plots, and the first batch grew abundantly. In the end, they harvested four baskets, three large and one small.

Pei Yan led the donkey to the front yard to hitch the cart, while Gu Lanshi left a large bunch of long beans for the two of them to eat. Then, he took out a stack of sweet rice cakes from the steamer basket.

It was a bit cold in the morning, and the clay pot on the mud stove boiled with water. He placed a handful of wild tea leaves in the teapot and poured boiling water over them.

Although the rice cakes were cold, they could be paired with hot tea to fill their stomachs. After eating, they could go to town with Pei Yan to sell the vegetables.

After eating, fearing they wouldn't return in time to feed the pigs, he carried a large bundle of half-dried grass to the back yard. Seeing that Pei Yan had finished hitching the cart, he said, "Scoop a ladle of bran and chop some grass to mix in for feeding the chickens and ducks."

Pei Yan responded affirmatively, entering the utility room to scoop out a gourd ladle full and heading to the back yard as well.

After feeding the livestock, Gu Lanshi tossed two coarse steamed buns to Big Black and placed the scale he had brought from home on the cart.

Pei Yan hugged a bundle of fodder for the donkey and led it out, moving the four bamboo baskets from the vegetable patch onto the cart.

Once Gu Lanshi locked the door, the two of them, along with the donkey and cart, headed towards the village. The path there was often trodden by people, making it smoother than the route by the river.