Chapter 15 Childhood Shadows “If only she weren’t a ghost…”…

Chapter 15 Childhood Shadows "If only she weren't a ghost..."...

Jiang Hongyu came back to find the third couple apparently arguing. As she approached, she saw one holding a kitchen knife and the other a machete, which made her hair stand on end.

"Talk it out calmly, no need for knives," she hurriedly advised, her voice almost cracking with panic.

Tao Chun was amused, "Sister-in-law, were you doing the laundry?"

"She wanted to kill a snake, but I stopped her," Wu Changan explained.

"Oh, oh..." Jiang Hongyu sighed in relief, smiling sheepishly, "I forgot to mention to my sister-in-law, there's a grass snake living under the house. On good weather days, it comes out to sunbathe in the morning and evening. It's not venomous and doesn't harm people."

"I was thinking we'd have snake soup today," Tao Chun glanced at Wu Changan, saying, "Since it keeps the house safe, I won't hurt it."

She handed him the machete, "I'll go help sister-in-law with the laundry."

"It's just a few clothes, no need for help. Go eat, the food is still warm in the pot," Jiang Hongyu avoided, quickening her steps towards the door, not forgetting to say, "Third brother, take the food out of the pot and add water. I'll slaughter the chicken and scald its feathers later."

Tao Chun scooped some water to wash her hands and followed into the kitchen to get the food.

Breakfast was dough drop soup, with pickled bamboo shoots and scrambled eggs on the side.

Tao Chun's stomach had been bothering her, hurting when she was full and also when she was hungry, so she ate until she was about three-quarters full and then put down her chopsticks. Seeing Wu Changan still eating, she quickly said, "After you finish eating, take care of my dishes."

Wu Changan didn't respond; he wouldn't argue with her over something so trivial.

Tao Chun went back to her room to change out of her dirty pants and wet shoes. Considering today was mainly her day, she took out a set of clothes from her trunk: a lotus-colored skirt and a misty green, cross-collar, long-sleeved robe, over which she wore a cloud-white jacket. It was a set of fairly new old clothes, but the colors were fresh and pleasant, quite striking when worn.

Hearing footsteps passing by outside, Tao Chun opened the door and asked, "Do you have a bronze mirror in your room?"

"I'll get it for you."

The footsteps faded and then returned. Tao Chun reached out to take it, and with the bronze mirror in hand, she turned around and went back inside.

Wu Changan waited outside for a while, and seeing she had no other requests, he went to the storeroom to get a carrying pole and bamboo basket to go work in the fields.

Tao Chun practiced braiding her hair three times in front of the mirror, her fingers sore before she got the hang of it. She painstakingly braided a centipede braid and finally coiled it up, securing it with a hairpin at the nape of her neck.

She looked at herself in the mirror, went out and called, "Wu Changan?"

No one answered. She turned around and went to the kitchen to ask, "Sister-in-law, is Wu Changan not home?"

"He's gone to the fields. What do you need him for?"

"I wanted to use his razor to shape my eyebrows. Sister-in-law, do you have an eyebrow razor?"

"Shape eyebrows? I've never done that," Jiang Hongyu shook her head, "Third brother's razor is in his room, you can go in and get it."

Tao Chun hesitated, went back to her room and looked at herself in the mirror again. The more she looked at her arched eyebrows, the more out of place they seemed. She got up and went next door, sneaked into the room like a thief, and then quickly came out.

With the razor in hand, Tao Chun adjusted her eyebrow shape in front of the mirror. There was no eyebrow ink in her bundle, so she went to the kitchen and pulled out two thin burning branches from the stove.

Jiang Hongyu sat in front of the stove, watching her curiously.

Tao Chun grinned at her and ran off with the unlit thin branches.

Using the branch ash as a substitute for eyebrow ink, Tao Chun outlined a pair of distant mountain eyebrows. Satisfied, she blew off the ash that had fallen on her hands and went out to hang the bedding on the line.

"Sister-in-law, I'm here," Xiang Xing came holding a baby in one arm and two live ducks in the other.

Tao Chun hurried over to take the two live ducks, smiling at the boy staring at her, "Let me guess, you're Xiao Mao, right?"

"This is your auntie, isn't she pretty?" Xiang Xing asked.

Xiao Mao grinned.

"Let your auntie hold you and play with you. Mom is going to help your aunt cook." Xiang Xing handed the child to Tao Chun, studying her face carefully, "Did I remember incorrectly? You changed your clothes; it's different from when you came to my house this morning."

"I reshaped my eyebrows, sister. Did you notice?"

"I did. These eyebrows look nice."

Jiang Hongyu came out with a basin. Familiar with her sister-in-law, she didn't need to be polite and directly ordered, "Now that you're here, get to work. There's still hot water in the pot; you can slaughter the ducks and scald them."

"Sister-in-law, where is Little Walnut?" Tao Chun asked.

"Her father took her to the fields to catch birds."

Tao Chun put Xiao Mao on the ground, momentarily unsure of how to entertain the child. Fortunately, the child wasn't fussy, dragging a stick around under the tree in circles. She just needed to stand by and watch.

"Woof—woof."

Tao Chun looked toward the sound. Two large black dogs hesitantly stood not far away, their eyes fixed alertly on her, tails wagging.

She felt relieved. It seemed these two dogs were part of the household.

"Black Wolf, Black Panther, this is family," Xiang Xing called out. "Come in. You two have been roaming the mountains for a few days?"

"They haven't returned for two or three days," Jiang Hongyu said.

The two muscular black dogs wagged their tails and ran outside the kitchen. Jiang Hongyu and Xiang Xing found their licking gross and chased them away for a while.

Xiao Mao called out, "Blackie, blackie, blackie." The two dogs walked over with their tails up, their shiny black eyes fixed on the newcomer in the house.

Tao Chun crouched down to show she meant no harm, admiringly saying, "You two look so majestic, with long legs. You must be able to run like the wind, and with long snouts, you must be very fierce when tearing prey."

Xiao Mao tugged at the dog's fur. The big black dog's majestic aura vanished in an instant. The other black dog, seeing this, ran away.

"Is this Black Panther or Black Wolf?" Tao Chun asked.

"Black Mama—" Xiao Mao answered.

"Black Wolf?" Tao Chun guessed. She called out, and the dog's ears twitched. She laughed, "You are Black Wolf. There's a bald spot on your leg; I remember."

Black Wolf took the opportunity when Xiao Mao let go and slipped away. The two dogs had been running in the mountains for two or three days and lay down to sleep as soon as they returned to their doghouse.

Tao Chun led Xiao Mao to wash the dog hair off his hands, afraid he would bother the dogs again. She took him to watch his mother pluck the duck feathers.

"Sister-in-law, I heard you and the third brother aren't sleeping together?" Xiang Xing asked bluntly. "Don't you like my brother?"

Jiang Hongyu blushed deeply. This person was really troublesome. She wanted to explain but couldn't. There were only three people at home; it must have been her who gossiped with Xiang Xing behind her back.

Tao Chun glanced at her sister-in-law. She didn't blame her. It was predictable. She was newly married; her every move was the subject of others' gossip, and this matter couldn't be hidden anyway.

"Sister, you wronged me. It's your brother who doesn't like me," Tao Chun said with a smile.

Xiang Xing didn't believe it. "The third brother isn't blind. You have a good figure, good looks, and your skin is so white it shines. How could he not like you?"

"I'm not lying. If you can persuade him, I can move into his room tonight," Tao Chun said boldly.

Xiang Xing's eyes showed hesitation, and she murmured, "It shouldn't be. Third brother is afraid of ghosts at night, and he was eager to get married just to find someone to keep him company. How could he not like the person he married?"

"Are you also afraid of ghosts?" Tao Chun seized the opportunity to ask.

"Ghosts aren't people, so of course we're afraid, but since we've never seen one, being afraid or not doesn't really matter," Xiang Xing said with an indifferent expression. "Honestly, ghosts aren't as scary as the wolves in the mountains. Yet, third brother dares to kill wolves but is afraid of ghosts."

"Has he seen one?" Tao Chun laughed. "Otherwise, why would he be afraid of ghosts?"

"When he was a child, he got lost in the mountains and stayed there overnight before my father found him. After he returned, he had a fever and kept dreaming about ghosts," Xiang Xing frowned slightly, puzzled. "When we asked him what the ghosts looked like, he said he didn't see clearly, just shadows following him. We told him the shadows were from the trees in the mountains, but he didn't believe it and insisted they were ghosts. Even now, when he patrols the mountains at night and sees swaying tree shadows, he still can't tell if what scared him that night was just shadows. It's made me unsure if he really saw a ghost."

Tao Chun gasped, "No wonder he can't tell. He was just a kid back then, spending the night alone in the mountains. It's a wonder he didn't die of fright."

"My parents said the same thing. If he's scared of ghosts, let him be. It's not a big deal. As long as someone is with him, he won't be scared. My eldest brother used to sleep with him before he got married, so he wouldn't be scared," Xiang Xing said. "That's why I don't believe he would refuse to sleep with you for any reason."

"If you don't believe me, go ahead and ask him," Tao Chun thought to herself, nearly laughing out loud. She was sure Wu Changan would rather put up with daily beatings and scoldings than share a room with her.

Thinking this, Tao Chun quietly returned to her room. She stealthily put the razor back and decided not to mention it to Wu Changan, lest he become superstitious and be too scared to sleep at night.

Around noon, Wu's uncle's family showed up, seven people in all, young and old. Wu's uncle had two sons and a daughter as well. Both sons were married, with the eldest grandson still nursing, the second daughter-in-law newly pregnant, and the youngest daughter, twelve years old, studying at Taichang Temple outside the mountains.

As soon as Wu's aunt arrived, she went to the kitchen to help with cooking. Tao Chun took Xiao Mao outside to entertain the others. The early autumn in the mountains wasn't too warm, so everyone sat outside chatting.

Tao Chun wasn't familiar with them, but fortunately, they had all studied outside the mountains. They talked about schools outside the mountains, and then the conversation turned to whether certain people from the Marquis of Dingyuan's mausoleum were related to Tao Chun or if someone from Princess Anqing's mausoleum was her classmate, and where they lived... Before long, the young folks had gotten pretty chummy.

By the time the Wu brothers got back, Tao Chun was already sweetly calling them "eldest sister-in-law" and "second sister-in-law." The three of them gathered together, using the eldest sister-in-law's eyebrow razor and eyebrow pencil to shape and draw eyebrows.

Wu Changan brought back two baskets of peanuts. The peanuts hadn't been shelled yet, so he spread them out to dry. The peanuts at the bottom of the basket were rinsed a few times and served on a plate to snack on.

Wu's uncle cracked open a peanut shell and said, "These are a bit shriveled. Which field did these peanuts come from? They didn't grow well."

"From the riverside. Next year, we won't plant peanuts there. We'll turn it into a rice field," Wu Changan said with a grim expression. "They're terrible. Each plant only produced seven or eight peanuts, and they're small."

"You're so hard-headed. I told you long ago that the riverside land is too wet for peanuts, but you wouldn't listen," Wu Changshun said as he sat down.

"The land isn't that wet. Although it's by the river, the terrain isn't low. I thought planting peanuts would save water and be easier to harvest. Plus, peanuts grow underground, so birds can't eat them. There are a lot of birds there," Wu Changan shook his head. "Planting wheat or rice is for the birds, and planting peanuts or sweet potatoes is for the rats, rabbits, and wild boars. Damn those greedy creatures."

Tao Chun couldn't help laughing. She thought to herself that the mountains were the domain of wild animals, and humans couldn't stop them. Fortunately, the sacrificial fields didn't require taxes. If they did, they wouldn't even recover the seeds they planted.

"Lunch is ready, let's set the table," Jiang Hongyu came out and said.

The dining table was already set. Tao Chun was about to go inside to bring out the dishes when the eldest sister-in-law, Cui Liu, handed her the child and said, "It's not your turn to serve the dishes yet. You're both the new hostess and the new guest. Take advantage of being a guest for now and take it easy. There will be plenty of work for you later."

Tao Chun shot Wu Changan a resentful look on purpose, but his heart was as cold as iron. He didn't see her as a person at all and showed no shame.

Three children and twelve adults sat at two tables. The meat dishes included stewed chicken, fried duck, a mix of chicken and duck giblets, and sour bamboo shoot with cured pork soup. The veggie dishes included steamed pumpkin, stir-fried wood ear mushrooms, boiled peanuts, scrambled eggs with chives, and stewed eggs. All were naturally grown in the mountains, full of flavor.

"Sister-in-law, I heard you learned to cook from your aunt in the marquis's residence. Does our cooking suit your taste?" Xiang Xing asked.

"It's delicious. Cooking in the marquis's residence is very refined, with many steps, but the dishes often lose their original flavor. I prefer the way we cook in the mountains. The vegetables are fresh, and the meat is good. No matter how you cook them, they taste great," Tao Chun said.

"You're not being honest. The meat in the mountains isn't always good. Wild boar meat is gamey, with little fat. Fresh meat tastes gamey, and cured meat is tough," Cui Liu glanced at her sideways. "Am I right?"

Tao Chun laughed, "I don't know. Why don't you send me some wild boar meat another day, and I'll try it."

"Sure, autumn is the best time to hunt wild boars. When the corn and sweet potatoes are ready to harvest, they come down to ruin the crops. By then, you'll be eating wild boar meat until you can't stand it anymore," Cui Liu said. "Then you can teach me how to get rid of the gamey taste."

Tao Chun nodded, "I'll think about it."

"I remembered there's still some honey in the jar, I'll go make a pot of honey water." Jiang Hongyu stood up, "I've been so swamped, I completely forgot about it."

"Changsun, are you planning to go into the mountains to collect honey next spring?" asked Auntie Wu, "How about this fall? When you go to collect honey, all four of you brothers should go together, collect more, I want to send a jar to your sister."

Tao Chun sat up straight upon hearing this, she chimed in, "Can we collect honey in autumn? My mother wants to send some local produce to my aunt during the New Year."

Wu Changan glanced at her and said, "We'll see after the fall harvest, if there's time, I'll look for beehives while patrolling the mountains."

Tao Chun understood, he was hinting she should pitch in more.

After the meal, as they said goodbye to Uncle Wu's family, Xiang Xing helped clean the pots and dishes and then went back with Little Walnut. Jiang Hongyu left the napping Little Walnut with Tao Chun and went to work in the fields with the Wu brothers.

While the child was sleeping, Tao Chun washed the dirty clothes and shoes. When Little Walnut woke up, she boiled water to wash her own and the child's hair, and then used her braiding skills to totally charm the kid.

*

At dusk, Jiang Hongyu returned from the fields and saw smoke coming from the chimney. She had a guess, and upon arriving home, she saw Little Walnut sitting in front of the stove tending the fire, and Tao Chun cutting something on the stove.

"What are you doing cooking? I told you to take it easy!" she said gently.

"Everyone is busy, how could I just sit around," Tao Chun turned her head, "Sister-in-law, from now on we'll take turns cooking, you and my brother will be responsible for one day, and Wu Changan and I will be responsible for the next."

Jiang Hongyu had no objections, "What are you cutting?"

"Tender pumpkin, Little Walnut and I found it in the grass to the south. We'll reheat the leftovers from noon and stir-fry a plate of pumpkin strips for dinner," Tao Chun said.

"Alright, you go ahead, I'll freshen up."

Just as they were speaking, Wu Changan returned, he went straight to where the peanuts were drying, but there was nothing on the ground.

"Sister-in-law, did you put away the peanuts?"

"Not me, I just got back, it was your wife who put them away."

"They weren't dry yet, I carried them into the storage room," Tao Chun shouted from the kitchen.

Wu Changan just muttered an "Oh," his feelings were complicated, if only she weren't so mysterious.