Chapter 154

Chapter 154

The staff at the shop only found out about the incident later. They became aware of it after noticing that Lin Chunyan and Lin Taohong hadn’t shown up, so they sent someone to ask around.

When they heard that Lin Chunyan had fallen into the water, everyone at the shop was stunned and didn’t know what to do for a moment.

Mashi stopped caring about making roast duck and wanted to rush to the village to see Lin Chunyan. Mrs. Song had the same thought, and the two of them quickly gathered what they needed, their faces etched with worry.

Tutor Duan and the others couldn’t go, so they told Mashi and Mrs. Song to hurry over and check on things, then come back with news.

On the way, Mashi and Mrs. Song were too anxious to talk, both fearing the worst for Lin Chunyan. After all, falling into the water in this season could be dangerous.

To make matters worse, it started raining on their way back, and the raindrops pattered down, soaking both of them.

“This has to be Granny Dong’s doing. Why would she just fall into the water like that?” Mrs. Song became anxious, and the tears she had been holding back began to fall.

Though she didn’t say it out loud, she had always treated Lin Chunyan like her own daughter, relying on her emotionally. If something really had happened, Mrs. Song didn’t think she could bear it.

Mashi wasn’t faring much better. Her feelings towards Lin Chunyan were complicated, but now that she was finally living like a human being, it was all because Lin Chunyan had helped her.

She didn’t have to do anything, but she chose to help.

When they arrived home, both women were drenched, and without bothering to dry off, they went to see Lin Chunyan. It was Lin Taohong who couldn’t bear to see them like that, so she started boiling hot water and cleaning up for them.

“Red Lady has grown up too,” Mashi said, looking at Lin Taohong. It had only been two days since she last saw her, but back then, she was still a child. Now, she seemed to have grown a lot, which was very reassuring.

Lin Chunyan spent some time reassuring Mrs. Song that she was okay. “It’s just that my mother is afraid we might catch a lingering illness if we move around too much. We’ll probably be better by tomorrow.”

Mrs. Song nodded hurriedly. “That’s the right thing to do. You must listen to your mother and take care of your health.”

She then turned to Wang Yingniang. “Good child, don’t be too sad. This is the fate she deserved.”

Wang Yingniang forced a smile. After hearing people say this so many times, she had already become numb. Although Lin Chunyan didn’t mind, Wang Yingniang still felt guilty. After all, she was the reason Lin Chunyan had fallen into the water. Even if Lin Chunyan didn’t blame her, Wang Yingniang couldn’t shake off the guilt.

Mrs. Song and Mashi didn’t stay long. Seeing that Lin Chunyan was safe, they hurried back to the shop, not afraid of the rain, only wearing straw rain capes.

When the people at the shop heard about it, they all said it was a tragedy and cursed Granny Dong again, saying she was most likely involved.

For no reason, why would Aunt He want to harm Wang Yingniang and Lin Chunyan? They had even taken the unstable Aunt He back home with them.

Most people just cursed Granny Dong a few times, but only Zhao Liu took it to heart. After work, he went to find Granny Dong.

At Granny Dong’s house, Zhao Liu saw the last person he wanted to see—Sun Anyuan, who was obviously also there to ask about protective charms.

The two men nodded at each other without saying much else. Granny Dong gave something to Sun Anyuan, who then left in a hurry.

Seeing Zhao Liu’s curiosity, Granny Dong explained to him, “This escort officer is here to request a protective charm. Are you here to ask for safety for your mother?”

Granny Dong also tutted twice. In the past, she had considered making a business out of the escort agency. These people had to risk their lives on the road, and buying protective charms was a way to seek peace of mind.

But Sun Anyuan was different from others. Even before Lin Chunyan and Sun Anyuan had come to tear up the charms, Granny Dong had known that he didn’t believe in such things. So, when he came to ask for a protective charm this time, it startled her quite a bit.

Zhao Liu felt a bit bitter. He knew that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t compare to Sun Anyuan in terms of family conditions or personal abilities. But he still wanted to come and ask for safety for Lin Chunyan.

Although Sun Anyuan didn’t say who the protective charm was for, Zhao Liu just had a feeling that it was for Lin Chunyan.

"Yeah, I’m getting one for my mom, and… well, I thought I’d get an extra one too."

Zhao Liu felt awkward saying it outright, so he beat around the bush a bit.

Granny Dong’s business had been slow lately, so she made sure to charge them a pretty penny, leaving her feeling satisfied.

Sun Anyuan stood outside Lin Chunyan’s house, fidgeting with the protective charm, unsure how to hand it over.

Although he didn’t believe in it, he still went to Granny Dong to request one, just in case it might be useful in a critical moment.

This time, Lin Chunyan’s fall into the water had truly frightened him. Every time he thought about it, a cold sweat broke out on his back.

His eyes were fixed on the place opposite Lin Second Aunt’s house, and he fell into deep thought.

Just then, Lin Chunyan came out to pour water and saw him standing there. She called out to him, "Captain Sun, are you here for something? Come in and sit for a while."

Sun Anyuan greeted her and said, "I came by to ask you something."

Sun Anyuan knew that Lin Chunyan didn’t believe in those superstitious things. He didn’t want to give her the protective charm and risk upsetting her, which was why he didn’t go inside immediately.

Inside the house, Lin Chunyan, fearing that Wang Yingniang might still feel guilty, deliberately consoled her.

"Don’t worry about it. You saved my life once before! If not for you, who knows where I’d be now."

Wang Yingniang spat a few times on the ground. "Why bring that up? You would’ve been fine without me. No need to go through all this trouble."

"I knew you’d feel troubled about this, but how could I, your sister, stand by and do nothing? If I had just let go and run away, what kind of sister would I be?"

Seeing that Lin Chunyan was serious, Wang Yingniang hurriedly explained, flustered. "Yan Niang, don’t be angry. I’m just feeling uneasy!"

"I understand. This incident serves as a reminder for both of us to be more careful in the future."

Wang Yingniang nodded and then quietly mentioned Sun Anyuan. "We really owe him a lot. He’s helped us several times already."

Lin Chunyan nodded. These past few days, she had been constantly afraid, recalling the feeling of being submerged in water, which she never wanted to experience again.

Lin Taohong called out from the courtyard, "Captain Sun, what are you doing here?"

Wang Yingniang and Lin Chunyan looked at each other and helplessly said, "He really can’t stay out of our thoughts."

Though Mrs. Zhang was grateful to Sun Anyuan and had warmed up to him, she still kept a watchful eye on Lin Chunyan as he approached.

"I’m not sure if it’ll help, but it might give you some peace of mind." Sun Anyuan, feeling a bit embarrassed, handed over the protective charm, his face filled with unease.

Mrs. Zhang, seeing the protective charm Sun Anyuan handed her, looked at him with more kindness. "I was planning to go find Granny Dong in a few days."

Mrs. Zhang took it and immediately passed it to Lin Chunyan. "You shouldn’t say it’s not useful. At least wearing it will put our minds at ease."

Lin Taohong snatched it away. "If we’re wearing one, I’ll get it myself. Granny Dong isn’t exactly trustworthy. I’ll head to Tongshan soon and get one for all of us."

Sun Anyuan only requested one for Lin Chunyan, which didn’t bother Wang Yingniang at all. If he had requested one for her, she would have been truly alarmed.

Lin Taohong’s words touched Wang Yingniang. After everything they’d been through, Lin Taohong had gone from rejecting her to caring for her, and they had truly become a family.

Sun Anyuan stood there awkwardly, the protective charm in his hand, unsure whether to put it down or give it to Lin Chunyan.

Noticing his discomfort, Lin Chunyan took the charm from him, thanked him sincerely, and hung it on her door.

The yams had been dug up from the mountain a few days ago, and Lin Chunyan had been meaning to sort them. With the nice weather and feeling better, she finally got out of bed and started working in the courtyard.

"Then don't bother peeling them; it's too much trouble, and we're the ones eating them anyway."

Yam peels can cause itching on your hands and arms if you're not careful, so since they decided not to peel them, they simply sliced the yams for drying.

Once properly dried, they could be stored for a long time as long as they were kept in a cool, ventilated place.

Lin Taohong wanted to go to Tongshan, and Mrs. Zhang was also thinking of going to check it out. The frequent issues had been making her feel uneasy.

However, her health hadn't fully recovered yet, so Lin Chunyan wouldn't let her go.

"For heaven's sake, am I really still not better? I've never had to drink so many bitter medicinal soups in my life," Mrs. Zhang said with a look of disbelief.

She was telling the truth; even when sick, no one would spend so much money just to treat a young woman. Life, sickness, and death are all in the hands of fate.

"Still, if I didn't warn you, you might end up with long-term health issues. I don't want to be bedridden and needing someone to take care of me either."

Mrs. Zhang reluctantly gave in. Lin Taohong looked at one and then the other, pouting. "Are you going to let me go alone?"

"I'll go with you," Lin Chunyan said after finishing cutting the yams and stretching her body. "We'll take the bamboo litters up the mountain."

"I'll go too," Wang Yingniang said from the other side.

"So you didn’t want me to go because you were planning to go without me? No way, I’m coming too!" Mrs. Zhang jumped up, insisting on going with them no matter what.

"Alright then, let's get ready and go together," Lin Chunyan relented, making sure Mrs. Zhang wore thick clothes and sending Erlang to town to find a carriage.

The carriage from the village headman's house was being used to send Zhang Erlang off, and there were no carriages in the other households in the village. If they needed one, they'd have to find it in town.

When Second Aunt Lin heard they were going to Tongshan for blessings, she wholeheartedly agreed. "It's good that you're going. There are several temples there, and it’s not just the fertility goddess who grants wishes."

She also offered to prepare some food for the trip. "Even with a carriage, it’s still going to take some time."

Lin Chunyan pointed to her food box. "When Erlang went to get the carriage, we already prepared the food."

They made rice balls with red bean filling, which were convenient to carry and could fill you up.

As the weather turned cold, there were no fewer people going to Tongshan. It was said that many outsiders also came here specifically to pray for children.

This was Wang Yingniang's first time here, and the weight on her heart had lightened considerably after arriving.

She was so sincere that she didn't take the bamboo litter up. "I just want to take a walk to clear my mind."

Lin Chunyan was about to go down and walk with her, but Lin Taohong stopped her. "Let me keep company with Yingniang. Just save the rice balls for me; I’ll eat them when I come up."

Lin Chunyan smiled and nodded. "I’ll save them for you, and you can eat once you get up there."

Mrs. Zhang gave them many more instructions before they took the bamboo litters up.

"Young ladies, are you here to pray on the mountain or for a tour?" The bamboo litter carriers were the same two from last time. Lin Chunyan remembered them and briefly explained their purpose.

"Why are there so many people going up the mountain?" Mrs. Zhang asked curiously.

It had gotten cold, but it was perfect weather for climbing. You wouldn't sweat too much.

One of the bamboo litter carriers said, "You haven't heard yet, have you? The head monk on the mountain is going to teach arithmetic to the students. Many people have sent their children up the mountain! We finally have something good like this here; no need to envy White Cloud Town anymore!"

He chuckled heartily, clearly excited about the new opportunity.

Mrs. Zhang was still unaware of when this had happened and looked up at Lin Chunyan. "Was this Master Duan's idea?"

Lin Chunyan nodded. "Master Duan mentioned this a while ago, but it was only recently that he managed to persuade the abbot."

Master Duan had lived on the mountain for a long time and was very familiar with the place. Seeing that Huang Niangzi had taught many students, and many young ladies had found good paths, he thought of asking the abbot to take on this task.

However, like the private school head, the abbot considered many things and hesitated to agree immediately.

Fortunately, persistence paid off. Master Duan wrote several letters to the mountain, explaining the pros and cons of what Huang Niangzi was doing, which finally changed the abbot's mind.

Mrs. Zhang turned to Lin Chunyan and asked, "Since you knew about this, did you come to Tongshan this time just to check it out?"

Her tone was certain, as if she had been deceived.

Lin Chunyan was both amused and embarrassed. "It's also a side errand. Coming to the mountain to pray is real too."

While waiting for Wang Yingniang and the others to come up, Lin Chunyan went to see the places where mathematics was being taught. However, unlike Huang Niangzi's establishment, here the tuition was the same for young men and young ladies.

For the abbot, allowing young ladies to study here was already a significant compromise. It was unlikely that he would reduce the tuition if an additional young lady joined, as Huang Niangzi did.

As a result, fewer young ladies came to study here. Only a few families who knew that Lin Chunyan's establishment preferred to enroll young ladies sent their daughters.

When Wang Yingniang and Lin Taohong finally arrived, Mrs. Zhang immediately complained to them. "I thought you had really changed and come to pray with us!"

Wang Yingniang, aware of the situation, smiled and smoothed things over. Lin Taohong, who had been panting all the way up, glared at the two angrily for keeping her in the dark.

"Why didn’t you tell me about this!"

Lin Chunyan was speechless. "Honestly, when Master Duan mentioned it, it was in our establishment. Mother, you go out every day to talk with Jin Niangzi, so I can understand you not knowing. But you," she pointed at Lin Taohong, "have been staying with us every day!"

Lin Taohong vaguely remembered that when she heard it was about learning mathematics, she had quickly run away. So, she really couldn't blame others.

Wang Yingniang, feeling much better after the walk up, followed Lin Chunyan to take another look. The abbot, thinking they were interested in enrolling, even sent a young monk to explain the fees to them.

The prices were similar to what Huang Niangzi charged, but it would indeed be a bit of a hassle to walk a short distance to study here.

After the prayer, Mrs. Zhang hung the red charms they had received on each of their clothes and instructed them to take good care of it.

"This was properly blessed, unlike the ones from Granny Dong." She added this sentence, fearing that Lin Chunyan might not believe her.

At noon, they ate the rice balls at the temple, asking a young monk for hot water to go with their meal. The young monk, with a round head and big eyes, brought them hot water several times.

Lin Chunyan, finding him adorable, gave him the remaining rice balls when they left. The young monk smiled and accepted them, bowing several times in gratitude.

Behind Tongshan, there was a large area of poplar trees. By this time, many leaves had fallen, covering the ground.

The autumn sky was very blue, and the sunlight shone through the forest. With a slightly cool breeze, many people went down to play.

While eating her rice ball, Lin Taohong had been looking around and pointed to the nearby area. "Should we go and take a look after we finish?"

Lin Chunyan nodded. "Are you not tired after walking up all this way?"

"Not tired! This is nothing." The moment she heard they could go and play, Lin Taohong forgot all about being tired. After swallowing her rice ball, she followed Lin Chunyan and the others down.

The leaves crunched beneath their feet. After walking not far, Lin Chunyan discovered wild chestnuts.

These wild chestnuts were like the ones from their mountain, still unopened. It would take some effort to prepare them once they got back.

But who cares about the effort? Lin Chunyan and Wang Yingniang both bent down to start picking them up.

"There's also lichen here!" Lin Taohong pointed to something on the ground and said, "Could there be deer on the mountain?"

Deer like to eat this kind of lichen growing on the ground, but Lin Chunyan really didn't know if there were deer here.

A nearby old man wearing a bamboo hat nodded, "Young lady knows this too. We Tongshan did have deer in the past, but I haven't seen any in the last few years."

Deer are very valuable, but the people in these mountains have little chance to eat them. They are usually sold to wealthy families after being hunted.

In the past, when Zhao Huaizi wasn't injured, he had hunted deer, wild boar, and roe deer.

Unfortunately, after he got injured, Lin Chunyan hadn't had these wild games for a long time.

Some tourists who came to pray at Tongshan also came down this way. Seeing Lin Chunyan and the others picking chestnuts, some stopped to join in.

"Have you heard? In Qingshan Village, they can exchange anything for money, even the unwanted chestnuts in the hills."

The tone was full of envy, "I wonder when someone will come to collect chestnuts here. They are everywhere!"

"I've seen people tinkering with those chestnuts too. If they can really make something out of it, be it for people or livestock, everyone's life would be better."

Lin Chunyan listened carefully to their words and stopped after picking a small basket. The women slowly made their way down the mountain.

When they got home, they first poured the picked chestnuts onto a sieve to sort them out. The gloves were the same old ones they had used before. Later, Mrs. Zhang knitted a pair of wool gloves for each of them, but no one was willing to use those.

"You're back?" Liu Niangzi came over holding her cat and asked where they had played on Tongshan.

"There wasn't much to play, just went to the temple to worship, and then picked some chestnuts on the mountain."

Liu Niangzi pouted, "You guys were picking stuff while playing? People might think you can't even afford a meal at home."

"We haven't been able to afford meals for long, and we can't have meat every meal yet. But my Yan Niang says she'll try to let me have meat every meal."

"Only rich families live like that, right?"

Holding her cat, Liu Niangzi went to the mountain to catch mice, especially in the tofu and ham workshops, which needed extra care.

While helping with the chestnuts, Lin Taohong thought about chestnut stewed chicken.

"We had it last year, and after waiting a whole year, we finally have chestnuts again. Let's make it again."

She said it rather pitifully. Wang Yingniang teased her, "Your mouth hasn't gone hungry in any season."

This was true. In spring, there were wild vegetables from the mountains, in summer, all kinds of fruits and melons, and in autumn, vegetables dried in the autumn sun.

Even in winter, they could have a hot pot of lamb.

But Lin Chunyan still went to see Zhao Huaizi to ask if he had any pheasants.

The taste of pheasant is different from that of domestic chicken. Perhaps because they run in the woods all the time, their meat is tighter and the stew is more fragrant.

Lin Chunyan raised chickens in the mountains, letting Liu Niangzi free-range them. They were kept in the woods, allowing the chickens to find their own food.

Zhao Huaizi's arm was injured, so he couldn't hunt large wild animals. He couldn’t sit idle at home, so he often went to the mountains, hoping to find small game to hunt.

These days, with more people on the eastern hill, the wildlife has become smarter and moved to new areas.

Some people had seen snakes, which were mostly non-venomous here. If someone saw one, they’d either chase it away or, like Zhang Manliang, catch it and bring it home for dinner.

Lin Chunyan went over and happened to see Wang Danie coming out with two chickens in her hands. Seeing her, Wang Danie smiled and said, "I was just about to come find you. These are two wild chickens that Uncle Huaizi hunted. Take them home to help you stay healthy."

"What a coincidence, I came here to ask Uncle Huaizi if he had any wild chickens," Lin Chunyan replied without hesitation. "I’ll send one over to you once it’s stewed."

Wang Danie smiled, her round face beaming. She’s been working on the mountain, but she looks more energetic than ever.

"No need to send one over, we only have two wild chickens. You guys keep them. We also bought roast duck today!"

After she got paid, Wang Danie did not hand the money over to Zhao Huaizi. Madam Sun and Madam Hong had taught her to keep it for herself.

Even Mrs. Zhao agreed that since it was the money they earned through a month of hard work, it was better to keep it for themselves.

Wang Danie kept the money herself and, after receiving it, she was not stingy. She bought some fabric for her mother, Zhao Huaizi, and Zhao Muyang.

The dyeing was done at Li Shi’s place, and the price was very cheap, enough to make a new set of clothes for each of them.

She bought two ready-made outfits for herself and planned to wear them on days when she wasn’t working.

With no mother-in-law above her, Wang Danie felt free to spend her money. Zhao Huaizi and Zhao Muyang wouldn’t say anything, and seeing her happy made them both really happy.

Wang Danie had never felt so good about life.

As Lin Chunyan was about to leave with the two chickens, Huan Jier, Jiang Qin's daughter, ran over with quick steps, holding a basket. After greeting her, she handed over the basket.

"My mother made this, Elder Sister Yan. Please accept it."

Huan Jier had been living an unprecedentedly good life lately. Even though her grandmother still wore a stern expression, she was now able to eat two eggs every day!