Chapter 87

Chapter 87

Days flew by in the routine of foraging wild vegetables, stockpiling pig fodder, and gathering firewood. Gradually, autumn deepened its hold, transforming the lush mountains into a landscape of withered leaves and desolate scenery, as the air grew increasingly crisp.

The frost-sensitive vegetables wilted under the pervasive autumn chill, no longer as lush as before.

Gu Lanshi and Pei Yan were in the large vegetable plot, uprooting vines. The last harvest of green beans and melons had been gathered, seeds saved for planting next year.

Almost a dozen large loofah gourds hung from the vines, now dry and yellow—perfect for scrubbing pots and washing dishes.

They didn't need to worry about the radishes and Chinese cabbage in the western plot; these cold-resistant crops were growing well and would be ready for harvest in another half month, just in time for the onset of winter.

After clearing out the spring vegetables from the courtyard earlier, they had planted these two types in their place. Now sprouting, the late planting made them concerned about growth in the colder weather, so they covered the seedlings with a layer of wheat straw at night.

Gu Lanshi carried a pile of uprooted vines over to the cart. These vines had grown old, their leaves withered and yellow, unappealing even to livestock.

Beyond the neatly cultivated plots, there was some spare space, like the gap between the fence and the vegetable field, wide enough for a cart.

But the piles of dead vines served no purpose here, only adding to the clutter. It was better to haul them away to the dry riverbed nearby.

Dead leaves clung to Gu Lanshi's clothes as he stood beside the cart, brushing them off. He glanced at Pei Yan, who was pulling bamboo stakes out of the ground.

These stakes could be reused next year, so Pei Yan didn't toss them onto the cart but carried a large bundle back to the courtyard, storing them in the woodshed to protect them from the elements. If they rotted, they'd have to cut new ones from the mountain next year.

"Should we plant more radishes?" Gu Lanshi rolled up his sleeves and continued uprooting the remaining vines.

Pei Yan emerged from the courtyard, pondering the question. "Though it's getting cold, these plots are empty. We might as well scatter some seeds. If they grow, great; if not, it's no big deal. There are only two of us. The crops on the west side, plus the dried vegetables, should be enough to get us through winter."

Chinese cabbage and radishes were common, their seeds inexpensive. Villagers usually saved or traded seeds themselves. Even if some were wasted, it wouldn't cost much.

The vines were tightly entwined around the bamboo stakes. Gu Lanshi gripped the base with both hands, bending over and straining to pull. Amidst his efforts, he didn't forget to answer: "Sure."

He struggled to extract the tangled mass, withering leaves falling onto his head and shoulders. Ignoring them, he first separated the vines from the stakes, which could still be used.

They worked for quite some time. Pei Yan bundled the thin bamboo stakes together, storing them properly in the woodshed, then pulled the cart back out.

Gu Lanshi locked the fence gate and quickly caught up, helping push the cart from behind.

On the return trip, the cart was empty, allowing Pei Yan to move faster alone.

Glancing at the vast, clear blue sky, Gu Lanshi said, "It's early. How about we take some provisions and gather chestnuts and walnuts from the mountain? They should be ripe by now."

It wasn't yet time for lunch, but if they went up the mountain, they wouldn't be able to return in time to cook and eat. Still, every household in the village was busy preparing food supplies for winter. Even though they already had enough vegetables and grains, Pei Yan felt uneasy.

The cart jolted over stones on the road, but he paid it no mind, nodding in agreement. "Good idea. Let's collect as much as we can and see if there are any mountain persimmons."

The persimmons Fang Honghua and Miao Qiulian gave them had been dried. In recent days, Gu Lanshi noticed Pei Yan snacking on a couple whenever he had a free moment. He chuckled. "Alright."

They didn't waste any time upon returning. With bamboo baskets on their backs, they set out again. The chestnut grove was deeper in the forest, so Pei Yan brought along a slingshot and a woodcutter's axe for protection.

In the mountain, eager to reach the grove before others, Gu Lanshi unconsciously quickened his pace.

The forest was dense, and only when they approached did they notice two familiar figures in an adjacent grove—Xu Qier and Xu Rui'er, the brothers were digging for wild vegetables.

Gu Lanshi called out with a smile, "Qier."

Hearing the voice, Xu Qier turned around and greeted them. "Brother Lan, Brother Yan."

His clothes didn't fit well, patched in many places. Gu Lanshi immediately recognized that the garments must have belonged to Xu Yingzi before.

"Digging for wild vegetables?" Gu Lanshi asked. "Do you still have enough rice?"

The boys were young and ate sparingly. They still had a full tael of silver untouched. Last night, Gu Lanshi had thought about this, estimating that their supplies might be running low.

Indeed, Xu Qier said, "We don't have much left. I was planning to ask you for another mace this afternoon."

Gu Lanshi replied, "Come over in the evening. We're a bit busy today. If you come too early, we might not be back yet."

"Okay." Xu Qier nodded.

With nothing else to say, Gu Lanshi bid farewell and continued walking briskly into the mountain with Pei Yan.

Behind them, Xu Qier furrowed his brows, thinking about their dwindling rice supply.

Not just him, even his younger brother, at his age, was entering a phase of increased appetite. Unfortunately, they had only that one tael of silver, which they dared not spend frivolously.

Their home had only one mu of paddy field and one mu of dry field, neither particularly fertile. This year's rice harvest, if they only ate thin porridge, could barely sustain them for half a year.

Combined with that tael of silver, they could scrape by for a year at most.

He knew he was small and weak, unsure if he could find work as a laborer.

Xu Rui'er was still young, turning nine after the New Year. Although capable of farming and weeding, he couldn't match an adult's efficiency.

And even if the crops grew, it would be months before they could eat the harvest.

Life was indeed tough.

Sighing, Xu Qier picked up his bamboo basket and led his brother to dig for more wild vegetables. For now, saving as many wild vegetables as possible was all they could do; worrying about other things served no purpose.

*

This chestnut grove in the mountain ripened later than others. As soon as they entered, they saw fallen chestnut burrs on the ground, some split open to reveal the nuts inside.

Gu Lanshi collected several. A gust of wind sent mature chestnuts pattering down from the trees. He looked up, following the direction of the fall to pick fresh chestnuts, extracting only the nuts and discarding the prickly husks. Bringing them back would serve no purpose and add unnecessary weight.

Squirrels with bushy tails darted through the grove, stuffing a couple of chestnuts into their mouths before fleeing at the sight of humans.

Someone must have already picked through here, as there weren't many chestnuts left on the ground.

Gu Lansi walked over to the shallow ravine nearby, where chestnuts rolled down the slope, and he collected quite a few.

After they had gathered all the good chestnuts they could find around them, Pei Yan looked up at the tree canopy.

The chestnut trees were tall, with branches bearing abundant fruit.

Fortunately, he had brought along a woodcutter's axe. He climbed the tree, sat at a fork, and chopped off a sturdy branch, trimming away the excess twigs and leaves. He then threw the axe down from the tree before climbing higher to reach the fruitful branches, knocking them with a long branch.

Gu Lansi had stepped back a few paces. Seeing the chestnuts raining down like hailstones, his face was filled with smiles.

Without a long bamboo pole, the branches had their limitations, and there were some spots he couldn't reach. Pei Yan didn't force it; he discarded the branch and descended from the tree, joining Gu Lansi in collecting the fallen chestnuts into a bamboo basket.

"That's it," said Gu Lansi, tossing the chestnuts he'd picked into the basket beside him. Seeing that it was still early, he suggested, "Should we go around to the other side?"

"Sure." Pei Yan lifted the half-filled basket of chestnuts onto his back. There were several chestnut groves in the mountains, two of which were close by, while the others required heading further north.

Gu Lansi's bamboo basket contained only a small half-basket of chestnuts, not too heavy.

On their way to another grove, they discovered a few wild persimmon trees, and both instinctively changed direction, heading straight for them.

The persimmons at the highest point were the reddest, with thin skins. When the sun shone through, it seemed as if one could see the sweet, soft flesh inside. Unfortunately, the branches at the tips were too slender to climb and pick from.

The softened persimmons had already been pecked apart by birds, leaving only a few intact ones, not worth the effort to climb high or break branches unnecessarily.

Gu Lansi placed the basket on the ground and stretched on tiptoe to pull down a branch, while Pei Yan climbed the tree to pick the higher fruits.

As Gu Lansi picked, he laughed and said, "We didn't gather many chestnuts, but we've found plenty of persimmons. Our luck isn't bad."

The mountain persimmons were completely yellow, without a single green one left. Pei Yan was delighted, standing in the tree and saying, "Since we've come across them, let's pick them all. We won't be able to carry everything in one trip, so we'll skip the chestnut grove for now and focus on getting these down."

"Alright." Gu Lansi agreed, leaning backward, releasing the branch in his hand, and then jumping to pull down another.

They selected the firmer persimmons to place at the bottom of the basket, with the softer ones on top to avoid breaking the skin.

After filling the basket, the two happily made their way down the mountain.

At the foot of the mountain, they coincidentally met Gu Tieshan, who was heading up after lunch to collect firewood.

"Dad," Gu Lansi's smile grew wider as he asked, "Where are you going?"

"Father-in-law," Pei Yan also greeted him. His expression was relaxed, with a hint of a smile in his eyes.

Seeing it was them, Gu Tieshan stopped and said, "I'm going to chop some firewood to take home."

Gu Lansi was about to ask why he was alone when he saw his mother running to catch up from behind. She had been delayed at the village exit by chatting with some villagers.

"Lan-ge, son-in-law," Miao Qiulian smiled and asked, "Did you pick some mountain fruits?"

Gu Lansi cheerfully replied, "There are still chestnuts below. Tomorrow, have Zhu Ge come and get them, Mom. Have you picked any chestnuts yet?"

"Not yet. These past few days, we've been busy chopping firewood and drying vegetables. I thought we'd go in a couple of days," Miao Qiulian glanced at the persimmons in his basket, which were smaller than those grown at home. She said, "We should go pick some. You two don't have any persimmon trees."

Gu Lansi said, "There are more over there. Let's put these away and go pick another batch. Mom, do you want to come?"

Miao Qiulian wouldn't dream of taking food from her sons' mouths. Poor things, they didn't have much land or fruit trees, so she hurriedly said, "Mom won't go. We have plenty of persimmons at home. You two go pick them, but don't delay. Go back quickly."

"Got it, Mom." Gu Lansi said, descending the mountain with Pei Yan.

Upon reaching the woods at the foot of the mountain, they heard voices. Turning around, they saw Xu Qier leading his brother out again to dig for wild vegetables. He stopped and called out, "Qier."

After they approached, he shared a dozen persimmons and some chestnuts with them, asking, "How did your persimmon tree fare this year?"

Xu Qier carefully placed the persimmons in the basket and said, "It was alright, a fruitful year. Dried persimmons will be enough for us to eat."

Initially thinking there were plenty of mountain persimmons and wanting to invite the brothers to join them in picking, Gu Lansi said, "That's good. Since you have enough persimmons, you should dig more wild vegetables. Eating too many persimmons can cause indigestion; they can't replace meals."

Xu Qier hoisted the basket onto his back, unable to resist saying, "Thank you, Brother Lan."

"Alright, hurry up," he waved them off. They were all from the same village; there was no need for such formalities. He slung the basket onto his back and hurried home with Pei Yan, planning to make one or two more trips up the mountain. Time was of the essence.