Chapter 13 Mountain Home Hearth 13

Chapter 13: Mountain Family Hearth 13

Liu Guyu returned from Lin Xingniang’s place with a basketful of advice and a food cart. Though he felt awkward accepting it for free, he insisted on paying a token amount to make it a proper purchase.

The cart, though old, was well-crafted with sturdy materials and solid construction.

Back home, he shared the details with the family. When Cui Lanfang heard about the child traffickers in town, she immediately grew anxious, hugging Qin Banban tightly before suggesting, “Then… then let Erlang go with you?”

It seemed Cui Lanfang had forgotten that Qin Rongshi and Qin Banban were twins, born on the same day. In her eyes, Erlang was mature and steady—the one she relied on for decisions when she felt uncertain. She had come to see Qin Rongshi as the family’s pillar.

In truth, Cui Lanfang wanted to go herself, but the town doctor had advised her to rest and recover for a while, avoiding heavy labor. Simple chores like cooking and sweeping were manageable, but a full day at the bustling temple fair would be too much for her health.

The moment she voiced the idea, three of them objected at once.

With plans mostly settled, Liu Guyu served four bowls of ice jelly, topping them with peach chunks, crushed peanuts, dried osmanthus, and a drizzle of syrup.

Everyone agreed it tasted even better than the bowl cakes. It was hard to believe it was made from the sour, astringent devil’s fig fruit—marvelous, really.

As the temple fair drew nearer, Liu Guyu and the others grew busier. One day they foraged for wild fruits in the hills, the next they cut bamboo in the mountains, and later they dried osmanthus and fig seeds—constantly on their feet.

Today, coming down from Little Stream Mountain, Liu Guyu and Banban ran into Chen Sanxi.

He was selling caught fish in the village. By the time Liu Guyu and Banban spotted him, only one crucian carp remained in his bucket.

Fish was trickier to cook, so it was cheaper than pork or chicken. Liu Guyu felt tempted.

“Hey, Brother Chen, let me see your fish!”

Hearing Liu Guyu call out, Chen Sanxi stopped with his bucket.

Chen Sanxi had no land of his own, making a living through hunting, fishing, and occasional farm work for villagers. Life wasn’t easy, but as a lone bachelor, he managed to get by—enough to feed himself, at least.

Chen Sanxi handed the crucian carp to Liu Guyu and said bluntly, “It’s almost dead. I’ll give you a discount if you want it.”

A little too blunt.

Liu Guyu was stunned.

He’d never seen a fish sold that way!

But Chen Sanxi clearly had no talent for smooth talk. He spoke little and never sugarcoated the truth.

The fish was indeed half-dead, likely from too long out of fresh water and cramped in a small bucket—seemingly ready to turn belly-up any moment.

Liu Guyu didn’t mind. Almost dead wasn’t the same as dead, after all!

He invited Chen Sanxi home, promising to pay him there.

Chen Sanxi didn’t doubt him. Seeing Liu Guyu and Qin Banban dressed to pick fruit, it was clear they wouldn’t carry money on them.

On the way back, Qin Banban shared half a bunch of wild grapes with him.

At the Qin family’s gate, Liu Guyu brought out the money, traded for the fish, then went out to buy a piece of tofu.

A household in the village specialized in tofu, also making tofu skin and other soybean products. Villagers always bought from them—two coppers cheaper than in town.

“We’ve got the crucian carp, now the tofu. Let’s make crucian carp tofu soup today, with a side of potato rice.”

Back home, Liu Guyu headed straight to the kitchen, tying his apron. Qin Banban quickly stepped in to help, while Cui Lanfang brought a small stool to the water jar near the drain, filling a large basin to wash the freshly picked fruits.

Fresh fruit didn’t keep long. Following Liu Guyu’s method, they’d simmer it into jam that could last a month, making it easier and prettier for the bowl cakes.

As for Qin Rongshi, he was by the stove, tending the fire and studying… already the family’s designated fire-tender.

Liu Guyu worked swiftly—scaled, gutted, and cleaned the fish thoroughly with a few firm scrapes.

Rice was already boiling in the pot. The Qin family didn’t eat rice daily—having it six or seven times a month was considered a luxury.

Today, Liu Guyu planned to make potato rice. The round potatoes were washed and diced. The cooked rice was drained in a bamboo colander set over a large bowl to catch the rice water.

Meanwhile, Liu Guyu heated oil in a wok, frying the crucian carp until golden on both sides. He added plenty of boiling water, scallions, and ginger, covering it to simmer until the broth turned creamy white. Then he added tender tofu cubes, simmering until flavorful before ladling it into a large bowl.

“So fragrant!” Qin Banban exclaimed.

Liu Guyu lifted his chin proudly. “Of course!”

“Alright, set this aside. I’ll stir-fry some wild greens.”

He rinsed the wok, reheated oil, and quickly stir-fried the greens with scallions and garlic, finishing with a sprinkle of salt.

With the dishes ready, Liu Guyu started on the potato rice.

In the meantime, he and Qin Banban gathered the osmanthus and fig seeds drying outside, placing them in finely woven bamboo baskets in the main room. One more day of sun, and they could be stored for good.

Outside, the green mountains met crimson clouds at the western horizon, warm-hued twilight gilding the vast greenery as if brushing the hills with liquid gold.

Liu Guyu stretched, found a small stool indoors, and directed Qin Rongshi and Qin Banban to serve rice and lay out chopsticks.

But no one ate just yet. Qin Rongshi brought four empty bowls to the table, and each first enjoyed a bowl of crucian carp tofu soup.

The soup was served in a plain, chipped earthenware bowl, yet it looked utterly inviting—creamy white broth with a hint of golden oil, the fish tender and flaky, snowy-white meat steeped in savory broth, delicate tofu cubes infused with flavor, and a sprinkle of bright green scallions that whetted the appetite.

After a bowl of warm, comforting soup, they helped themselves to the potato rice.

“Wow… this smells amazing too! There’s even crispy rice crust!”

Qin Banban eagerly eyed the pot, scooping rice with a shovel. The bottom layer of rice and potatoes had formed a golden, crispy crust, aromatic and irresistible.

Food this good could be enjoyed even without other dishes—Qin Banban could easily have two large bowls!

She secretly wished they could eat white rice every day but knew their family’s situation. She kept the thought to herself, not wanting to sadden her mother.

During the meal, Liu Guyu suddenly said to Qin Rongshi, “Erlang, come with me to cut some bamboo in the mountains tomorrow.”

Cutting bamboo was heavy work—he couldn’t ask Banban, a young girl, to help. The only other strong pair of hands at home was Qin Rongshi.

Qin Rongshi, a man of few words, nodded quietly between mouthfuls of rice.

They needed bamboo for small tubes for the bowl cakes, larger ones for the ice jelly, and also to whittle bamboo sticks and spoons—all time-consuming tasks.

Early the next morning, as dawn broke, Liu Guyu and Qin Rongshi headed out.

The midday sun was still scorching hot, and Liu Guyu thought it'd be cooler if they left earlier.

Fu Shui Town was located in the south, where the hot season lasted most of the year. According to the original host's memories, it would take about another month for the weather to cool down.

But that was fine—the hot weather meant ice jelly and bowl cakes would sell better.

The two of them went up to Little Liushan and picked out a few good bamboo to cut.

Liu Guyu counted the bamboo they had cut and roughly estimated that it would be enough for at least five days of the temple fair. However, with so much bamboo, they would probably have to make several trips to haul it all back.

Just as he was thinking this, Qin Rongshi suddenly sucked in a sharp breath, like a pained hiss.

Liu Guyu immediately turned to look and saw a cut about an inch long on Qin Rongshi's palm, bleeding heavily.

"Whoa! What happened?"

The cut wasn’t long, but it was deep, and the blood kept flowing, soon covering his entire hand.

Qin Rongshi had only let out a soft gasp at first but quickly calmed down, even rolling up his sleeves to avoid staining his clothes with blood.

He said, "The wooden handle of the hatchet came loose and accidentally cut my hand."

Liu Guyu then looked at the hatchet on the ground. The blade was made of iron, which was expensive, so many blacksmiths used iron only for the blade and wood for the handle, which made it cheaper but still functional.

But perhaps the Qin family's hatchet had been used for many years, and the originally tightly fitted wooden handle had worn loose, accidentally coming off today.

Liu Guyu fretted as he paced, muttering, "We can't let it keep bleeding like this!"

After a moment’s thought, he reached up and untied the headband from his forehead, using it to bind Qin Rongshi's wound.

Qin Rongshi: "What are you doing?!"

The usually calm and composed Qin Rongshi was suddenly flustered, his voice unconsciously rising. He first glanced at Liu Guyu and saw a bright red dot in the center of his forehead, like a red beauty mark.

It was as if that red dot were not a mole but the sun, searing his eyes and making him immediately look away.

"What are you doing?! You... this..."

Qin Rongshi struggled to pull his hand back, but Liu Guyu held it firmly and quickly tied the cloth strip in place.

He said cheerfully, "What’s the big deal? You’re just a kid—what’s going through your head?"

Liu Guyu remembered that night when there was a thief, and Qin Rongshi had seen him without his headband, reacting the same way.

He found it amusing and couldn’t help teasing him some more.

Liu Guyu: "What are you afraid of? There’s no one else here—only you can see. Nobody else will find out! It’s not like you’re going to tell anyone, right?"

Qin Rongshi: "...That still won’t do."

Liu Guyu knew how important the headband was to the "ger" of this era, but since he wasn’t a native "ger," he understood it in theory but couldn't really feel it.

Having teased enough, he said seriously, "What's wrong with it? We’re family. There’s no need for such reservations among family—your injury is more important! You’re just a kid; why so serious?"

Qin Rongshi: "..."

What could he say?

That they were, nominally, still in the relationship of a brother-in-law and a younger brother-in-law, which made it even more necessary to avoid impropriety compared to ordinary people.

He sneaked another glance at Liu Guyu and saw him dragging two bamboo poles with one hand while using his other arm to cover the upper half of his face, using his sleeve to hide his forehead, as if planning to go down the mountain and return home like this.

Liu Guyu didn’t mind Qin Rongshi seeing the red mole on his forehead, but they might bump into other people on the way down, so he still had to hide it.

Qin Rongshi: "..."

Qin Rongshi sighed softly, then untied his hair ribbon and handed it to Liu Guyu.

He said stiffly, "Cover it properly."

Liu Guyu looked at him. The young man’s hair was completely loose, falling down his back. The morning sunlight filtered through the gaps between the bamboo leaves, casting dappled light that danced on his long hair.

Liu Guyu’s teasing spirit stirred again, and he asked playfully, "Oh, little Student Scholar, don't they say a gentleman should always look proper?"

Qin Rongshi glared at him and grumbled, "I’m not a gentleman; I’m a kid."

Author's Note:

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