Chapter 146: The First Chill of Autumn

Chapter 146: The First Chill of Autumn

The early autumn sky began to carry a noticeable chill by afternoon.

As the days grew shorter, folks would hurry home to prepare meals before the sun set. If they were late, dinner would be ready only after dark, requiring them to eat by the light of an oil lamp.

Gu Lanshi and Pei Yan were no different. After spending some time gathering grass and wild vegetables in the afternoon, they returned home earlier than most, eager to eat and take advantage of the extra rest.

Before leaving, Gu Lanshi felt a bit cold and added another layer of clothing before heading out with a bamboo basket containing two bowls of chicken soup.

The dough was already prepared, and Pei Yan was slicing bamboo shoots. A simple noodle dish for dinner seemed too plain, so at least there would be a stir-fried vegetable to accompany it.

Once he delivered the items, he could roll out the noodles and cook them, making chicken noodle soup a straightforward affair with pre-made broth and shredded chicken ready to go.

Mindful of the liquid in the basket, Gu Lanshi didn’t rush. Upon reaching his doorstep, he noticed the courtyard gate open and went straight in. Today, Erhei was tied up in the back yard, not wagging its tail to greet him as usual.

"Mother! Zhu Ge’er!" Seeing no one in the courtyard, he called out while walking.

"Lanshi gege," Hua Xishuang hurried out from the house.

Gu Lanshi smiled. "Xishuang, you’re alone at home? I stewed chicken and bamboo shoots today; I brought a bowl for you and Father and Mother to taste."

Hua Xishuang quickly took the bowl from his hands, heading toward the kitchen while apologizing, "Lanyu and I went to gather grass by the river and accidentally got our shoes and pant legs wet, so we came back to change clothes."

Standing outside the kitchen door, Gu Lanshi said, "Now that it’s getting colder, the river water is icy. It’s good that you came back to change. You go ahead and get busy; I’ll be on my way."

"Alright, alright." Hua Xishuang saw him off at the courtyard gate.

Before reaching the old residence, he encountered several village women on the road. Seeing the cloth-covered basket in his hand, they asked where he was going and why he was carrying a basket.

Gu Lanshi smiled and replied, "Nothing much, just visiting neighbors."

He didn’t elaborate and quickened his pace to avoid further questioning.

In the past, he often brought food to his family and his grandmother—vegetables or eggs. His frequent visits were known throughout the village, and some praised him and Pei Yan for their filial piety. He simply smiled, not taking these comments to heart.

One day, while casually visiting home, he found both his eldest and second sisters-in-law present, each having brought melons and vegetables, which were piled up in the kitchen.

Coincidentally, Auntie Osmanthus from next door dropped by. His mother happily praised her two daughters-in-law for their filial behavior. Liu Osmanthus, known for her perceptiveness, chimed in, singing their praises until Zhang Chunhua and Li Yue were beaming with joy.

After everyone left, Miao Qiulian spoke to Gu Lanshi in private, explaining that his frequent gifts to the family had caught the villagers’ attention, causing his brothers and their wives some embarrassment.

There were sincere villagers, but also those who enjoyed stirring up trouble. Not just among the women and men, but even among the unmarried men.

Some openly compared Pei Yan and Gu Lanshi’s filial acts to those of the married daughters and sons-in-law, making his two brothers blush with shame. This prompted the recent increase in visits from their wives, bearing gifts.

However, neither household had as large a vegetable plot as Gu Lanshi and Pei Yan, nor did they have as many chickens. Each brother had two sons to raise. Although they owned houses and land, leading a comfortable life, they couldn’t match the abundance of gifts.

Upon hearing this, Gu Lanshi realized why his brothers hadn’t been taking vegetables from him recently. He, too, felt conflicted about sending gifts to his parents. In the past, when he and Pei Yan were poor, he often relied on his family for food and drink.

Now, with more vegetables and eggs, he gave to his family. If supplies were scarce, he would prioritize himself. After all, his parents, through years of thrift, had accumulated some savings and wouldn’t starve.

Upon returning home, he shared this with Pei Yan. Pei Yan suggested that giving was a matter of the heart, and if they wanted to send gifts, they should do so discreetly.

Upon reflection, Gu Lanshi agreed. Giving away a few vegetables or eggs was a small gesture. They were his parents, not strangers, and it would be unreasonable not to share.

As for his brothers, Pei Yan decided to speak with their father.

Their father understood the situation immediately and directly addressed the issue with his two sons, telling them not to let the gossip of others affect them. Family unity and filial piety were commendable, and outsiders merely sought to create discord. To let idle talk lead to hunger for their wives and children would truly be a sign of incompetence.

With their father’s support, Gu Lansheng and Gu Lanhe put aside their discomfort. It was worth noting that Zhang Chunhua wasn’t someone to be trifled with.

Initially aware of her shortcomings in filial duty, she now felt emboldened knowing her in-laws didn’t blame her. When faced with gossips who tried to bring up the topic, she remained silent, instead subtly revealing their own family’s secrets, indirectly criticizing their lack of filial piety and audacity to judge others.

In the same village, everyone knew each other’s dirty laundry.

Seeing her strength, even Miao Qiulian would occasionally defend her daughter-in-law during social visits, gradually reducing the rumors. With the parents’ protection, there was little room for others to comment.

The gate to the ancestral home was open, and Gu Lanshi entered without hesitation. His uncle’s family wasn’t around, leaving only his grandmother at home.

With chicken soup and meat available, there was no need to prepare anything else. Just warming it up would suffice, much to Fang Honghua’s delight.

At her age, receiving filial offerings wasn’t a big deal, especially given her fiery personality. She was generally amicable unless provoked. However, once crossed, she wouldn’t hesitate to spit in someone’s face, deterring the gossips from approaching her.

After delivering the food, Gu Lanshi didn’t linger long. He still had noodles to roll out. With the basket empty, he moved faster on his return.

Even before crossing the fence, Gu Lanshi spotted a wisp of smoke rising gently into the air.

In the courtyard, the three large dogs each occupied a feeding bowl, heads buried as they devoured their food—soup and steamed buns—in a frenzy, leaving nothing behind. Glancing over, he knew Pei Yan had mixed in chicken broth, so he left them to it, washing his hands at the kitchen entrance before rolling up his sleeves and entering.

After eating, Dahēi licked its bowl for a while, glancing into the kitchen and realizing there would be no more food. It licked its lips, found a spot to lie down, feigning sleep, its tail swaying lightly, clearly content from the taste of meat.

Huīhuī and Huīzai weren’t as composed. After cleaning their own bowls, they took turns licking the other two, ensuring no morsel was left behind.

All three were thorough eaters, leaving nothing behind. Neither managed to find any leftovers.

Pei Yan finished stir-frying the bamboo shoots and, upon seeing Gu Lanshi enter, offered him two pieces to taste for seasoning.

"Just right," Gu Lanshi said after chewing a couple of times. He lifted the wooden basin covering the dough, kneaded it a few times, and began rolling out the noodles.

Pei Yan transferred the bamboo shoots to a bowl, covered it with a plate, then washed the pot, added water and firewood, and poured the chicken broth into a larger pot to heat.

Working together in the kitchen, they felt at ease.

Once the noodles were cooked and topped with chicken broth and shredded chicken, they finally enjoyed a meal of chicken and shredded meat noodle soup.

Smoke rose from the chimneys of Xiaohexiang Village as the men working in the fields began to make their way home.

*

Hua Xishuang worked efficiently, but she was somewhat naive and had just married into the family. She stir-fried a bowl of mugwort and warmed up some steamed buns, but she didn't dare to casually handle the meat dishes.

When Miao Qiulian returned, she heard from her youngest daughter-in-law that Brother Lan had delivered a bowl of chicken soup with pieces of chicken inside. Having spent decades working in the kitchen, she immediately had an idea.

With only one bowl of chicken soup for a family of five, it wouldn't be fair to give more to one person than another. She poured the chicken soup into a pot, added water directly, and asked Zhu Ge'er and Hua Xishuang to cut several types of vegetables. She also added mushrooms and slices of leftover cured meat, which she had cut into small pieces, then cooked a large pot of stew.

Even though she added water, the chicken soup was naturally oily, and with the addition of cured meat, the broth was covered in oil droplets. It looked much more appetizing than plain boiled vegetables. When served on the table, the whole family enjoyed their meal with coarse steamed buns.

After dinner, Gu Tieshan poured himself a cup of tea and sat in the main room, recounting his past with Miao Qiulian. Back when they had just started their own household, life was tough. Whenever they saw a bit of meat broth, they would either use a small spoon to scoop some while cooking vegetables, which could last them for a while, or they would dilute a small bowl of meat broth and make it last for several days. It was nothing like pouring an entire bowl of broth into a dish as they did now.

*

The moon hung in the sky, and stars twinkled continuously.

It was cold at the foot of the mountain in the early morning. The rooster, having crowed early, retreated back into its nest, and the dog remained in its warm den without rising.

Bathed in the moonlight and starlight, Gu Lanshi and Pei Yan yawned as they entered the vegetable garden to harvest vegetables and pick melons.

In recent days, they hadn't picked any more than what they needed for themselves, but another batch had grown, making it perfect timing to sell eggs at the town's tavern. They decided to take the vegetables along to sell as well.

The chill penetrated their lungs through their breaths, but fortunately, both were wearing padded jackets and cotton trousers, which, although bulky, kept them warm enough.

"Today, wear your hats, fur-lined gloves, and everything. Driving the cart will expose us to the wind, so it'll definitely be colder than this," said Gu Lanshi as he picked a calabash gourd.

The entire courtyard was quiet, and even though there was a certain distance between him and Pei Yan, his words were heard clearly.

"Mm, I know," replied Pei Yan, bending down to cut several bunches of mugwort with a sickle.

They didn't have to get up this early to harvest vegetables, but this time, they planned to deliver eggs to the tavern. They had heard from the old nanny that the tavern also did breakfast business. If they arrived late and the restaurant was busy, they might have to wait. It was better to go early, sell quickly, and return home sooner.

After picking enough vegetables, Gu Lanshi stopped working and went back to prepare breakfast, also heating water for the livestock and poultry. They might not return until noon, so they couldn't let the animals go hungry.

Pei Yan finished harvesting all the vegetables and placed the baskets by the side of the gravel road, waiting for the cart to be brought out. By this time, Gu Lanshi had already fed the pigs in the backyard. As for the chickens and ducks, they just needed to pour food into the wooden trough before leaving.

At the moment, they were truly hungry and wanted to eat as soon as possible.

In the kitchen, when the lid of the pot was lifted, steam rose out. The two people standing by the pot felt a wave of warmth, and upon smelling the aroma of the buns, they couldn't help but swallow their saliva.

Yesterday, they had made two batches of buns: vegetable buns and meat buns. Each of them heated up two meat buns.

Gu Lanshi picked up a meat bun, finding it a bit hot. He blew on it and tossed it between his hands. Looking at Pei Yan, it seemed as if he didn't feel the heat at all; after blowing on it once, he took a bite.

The first bite was filled with meat and juice, so delicious that he wasn't bothered by the heat. He finished it in two or three bites and reached for another meat bun in the pot.

Gu Lanshi had just finished one bun, while Pei Yan had already eaten two.

It was so cold in the morning, and they had been working for quite a while. Without food in their stomachs, their hands and feet easily turned icy. Eating a warm bun was truly comforting, warming their bodies as well. Seeing that there were still vegetable buns in the pot, he ate three more before stopping.

"Full?" Gu Lanshi stuffed the last bite of his bun into his mouth. He had eaten four in total, and since he worked every day, his appetite was naturally good.

"Full," replied Pei Yan. Actually, he could still eat more, but since they would be driving the cart soon, and the wind would be cold on the road, eating too much would not be good.

The moon moved toward the west, and although the stars' light was faint, the gathering of starlight provided a sense of comfort.

The donkey cart creaked as it left the house, following the familiar dirt road straight ahead.

Sitting on the plank cart, Gu Lanshi heard two barks from the yard behind him, as if the dogs knew that they had left. Then, the barking ceased.

Huahua, who had just crawled out of its doghouse, stretched lazily and yawned widely. Seeing the steamed buns placed in the food bowl, it was sluggish and not very hungry, so it went back into the den to sleep.

As the dog quieted down, the hens, disturbed by the barking, no longer clucked and huddled in their nests, waiting for the sun to rise.

On the other side, Pei Yan and Gu Lanshi drove the donkey cart into the village. It was still very early, and only two or three households showed signs of activity.

Before the donkey cart left the village, Pei Yan spotted a somewhat familiar figure walking ahead. The person was short and thin. Upon approaching, it turned out to be Xu Qier.