Chapter 14 Mountain Home Hearth 14

Chapter 14: Mountain Homestead 14

Liu Guyu had just teased Qin Rongshi, calling him a "kid," never expecting the tables to be turned on him so quickly, leaving him speechless.

He deftly tied the headband around his forehead and tugged at it, asking Qin Rongshi, "Can you check if it's crooked for me?"

Qin Rongshi’s hand was still bandaged with Liu Guyu’s headband—a long, grayish-white strip of cloth, washed clean but now entirely stained red with his own blood.

He only felt the wound on his palm burning hot, the cloth pressed against it like a hot potato.

Hearing Liu Guyu’s question, Qin Rongshi glanced briefly before quickly looking away, answering dismissively, "It’s not crooked."

Liu Guyu didn’t mind his dismissiveness. He crouched down again, using straw rope to bind several bamboo poles together, thinking it would make dragging them easier.

But there were too many bamboos; he’d likely have to make a couple more trips.

Just as he was thinking this, Liu Guyu suddenly spotted a small, tender white bamboo fungus hidden among the fallen leaves, tucked under a shed bamboo shoot sheath like a little sprite in a white gauze dress.

"Hey! Bamboo fungus?!"

Liu Guyu dropped the bamboo in his hands with a clatter and strode over to the bamboo fungus, plucking it and holding it up for Qin Rongshi to see. He exclaimed excitedly, "Erlang! Look! It really is bamboo fungus!"

Liu Guyu beamed brightly, his eyes shining with an intense light. The sunlight fell on him, casting a golden glow, but when Qin Rongshi met his gaze, he inexplicably found him even more dazzling than the sun.

Qin Rongshi unconsciously curved his lips into a smile and nodded at Liu Guyu.

Liu Guyu laughed heartily, then turned and hurried into the bamboo forest, crouching to search for more bamboo fungus. As luck would have it, he actually found a few more, plucking them all gleefully, his smile never fading.

He used his clothes to cradle the bamboo fungus, then dragged several bamboo poles with his other hand, beckoning Qin Rongshi to head down the mountain.

Though Qin Rongshi’s left hand was injured, he used his right hand to help drag the bamboo, following behind Liu Guyu.

On their way back, Liu Guyu noticed farmers harvesting corn in the fields. Suddenly struck by a thought, he turned to Qin Rongshi and asked, "Erlang, what about our family’s fields?"

Qin Rongshi paused before answering, "Rented out."

The Qin family still had two acres of land left. Since Cui Lanfang was in poor health, and neither Qin Rongshi nor Qin Banban knew how to farm, it was better to rent out the land rather than let it lie fallow. They leased it to a family named Chen in the village.

The Chen family had fled to Shanghe Village after a disaster struck their hometown. As outsiders, they had no land of their own and could only make a living by renting fields.

Liu Guyu nodded thoughtfully and was about to say more when he suddenly spotted a woman walking toward them on the dirt path ahead.

He frowned at her, quickly recognizing who she was.

Qiao Huilan, his former self’s stepmother.

Qiao Huilan had married into the family with a son in tow. While Scholar Liu was still alive, she treated "Liu Guyu" very well, even to the point of being indulgent, which ironically made Scholar Liu worry about spoiling the child.

Back then, everyone praised her, calling her virtuous and kind, saying she treated the child from the previous marriage better than her own biological son—a truly compassionate soul.

But after Scholar Liu’s death, she suddenly changed drastically, beating and scolding the original host relentlessly. If outsiders asked about it, she would burst into tears and claim the child was disobedient and needed strict discipline!

Most people pitied her for having just lost her husband, and since the original host was indeed an unlikable character, they didn’t think much of it.

As for "Liu Guyu," by twelve or thirteen, he still couldn’t do anything—never having done chores like washing clothes or cooking—and was practically being raised into uselessness.

Thinking about it this way, they believed Qiao Huilan’s good temper had finally snapped under pressure, and they actually felt sorry for her.

By now, Qiao Huilan had approached them.

She was a master of pretense—always playing the kind and gentle role in front of others, never showing hostility. This was why so many villagers sided with her.

"It’s Gu Yu! Oh, you’ve gathered so much bamboo fungus! So fresh and tender, it looks really delicious."

She peeked into the bundle in Liu Guyu’s clothes, not directly asking for it but hinting heavily that Liu Guyu should give the bamboo fungus to her.

"Your brother took the provincial exams and is returning today! I just bought a chicken and was wondering what to stew it with!"

"This bamboo fungus looks perfect—it’ll surely make a delicious stew!"

Liu Guyu pretended not to understand her hints, instead pulling his clothes tighter to cover the bamboo fungus.

He looked at Qiao Huilan and said, "Luo Niudan is still taking exams? How many times has it been now?"

Luo Niudan—Qiao Huilan’s son’s original name.

After she married into the family, her son took on Scholar Liu’s surname, and Scholar Liu gave him a new name: "Liu Zaiwen." With a scholar as a stepfather, Liu Zaiwen had the opportunity to study, but he lacked talent. It took him three or four attempts to barely pass the county-level imperial exams, and the provincial exams were even harder.

Still, the title of scholar was impressive, and the villagers respected him, addressing him as "Little Scholar Liu."

He also took over Scholar Liu’s private school, now teaching children in the village.

Qiao Huilan’s face stiffened, but the next moment she forced a laugh and said, "You silly child! Your brother hasn’t gone by that name in ages, and you’re still teasing him!"

Then she continued peeking into Liu Guyu’s clothes, as if trying to see right through the fabric.

She added, "Sigh, it’s just that I’m so busy right now. Otherwise, I’d go to the bamboo forest myself and maybe find a few… Hey, Gu Yu, you seem to have so much free time today."

The "free" Liu Guyu was currently dragging bamboo with one hand and holding his bundled clothes with the other.

He nodded, "Yes, yes, I’m free. So free that I climbed the mountain early in the morning to exercise, dragging bamboo to build arm strength. I’m just too free."

Qiao Huilan: "...You child, always joking!"

Liu Guyu’s words drew a laugh from Qin Rongshi, who had been silent until then. Just at that moment, a few villagers carrying hoes passed by.

One asked curiously, "Hey, Scholar's Wife, Liu Guyu, what are you all talking about?"

Before Qiao Huilan could speak, Qin Rongshi spoke up first: "We gathered some bamboo fungus, and Stepmother Liu wants my brother-in-law to give it to her."

Qiao Huilan panicked and hurriedly said, "Hey, you child! How could you say that! I never said such a thing!"

Qin Rongshi pretended to ponder for a moment before nodding and continuing, "Oh, then Stepmother Liu said that since my brother-in-law has nothing to do at his husband’s home, he should return to his maternal home to help out."

Qiao Huilan’s face flushed with anxiety: "I did not!"

She had always maintained a kind and virtuous image in front of others—the villagers praised her for her goodness and wisdom, some even saying that a wife should be just like her. This was a reputation Qiao Huilan had worked hard to build, and she couldn’t let it be tarnished.

She quickly laughed it off to smooth things over: "I was just joking! Who knew the youngsters would take it so seriously!"

The villager with the hoe was also taken aback, regretting having asked in the first place. Well, this was awkward!

He forced a dry laugh and nodded awkwardly.

Qiao Huilan’s face reddened further; she felt she couldn’t stay a moment longer. Mumbling vaguely, she said, "I—I have chicken stewing at home, I should get back!"

She hurried off, leaving the villagers exchanging puzzled glances. After a long moment, someone muttered, "Scholar’s families are something else, eating chicken first thing in the morning?"

Liu Guyu chuckled too, said goodbye to the villagers, and then headed home dragging the bamboo with Qin Rongshi.

Afterward, he made a couple more trips to haul all the bamboo back from the mountain.

By that time, Cui Lanfang had finally prepared breakfast—a few pancakes made with wild vegetables and a veggie soup using yesterday's leftover rice broth.

Since it was still early, Liu Guyu took a bite of the pancake and a sip of the soup before suddenly saying, "There's still time today. I’ll head into town again to buy some things for the stall... Oh, and Erlang’s borrowed book needs returning. See if there’s anything else you’d like to read? I’ll swing by the bookstore and rent another one for you."

This time, Qin Rongshi didn’t refuse and straight up named a book.

Liu Guyu nodded, memorized it.

He went alone this time, in a hurry both ways. He bought some supplies and swung by the meat market to grab two big marrow bones, thinking he’d use them to make bamboo fungus stew.

Bamboo fungus goes better with chicken in a stew, but a live chicken cost too much. The bones from the meat market were cheap—just nine coins for a large marrow bone, with plenty of meat still attached.

The whole family was skinny and underfed. The Qin siblings were at a growing age, and Cui Lanfang’s health was poor, so Liu Guyu wasn't willing to cut corners on food.

Besides, he was confident he could make back the money he'd spent at the temple fair.

He shouldered his basket as he walked home. This trip, he'd bought quite a bit, and the basket felt heavy, so on the return journey, he hopped on a passenger ox cart for one coin.

Coincidentally, he bumped into Liu Zaiwen on the cart.

Scholar Liu (also called Niu Dan) was dressed in a blue and white scholar's robe, wearing a scholar's headscarf, attired as a scholar. However, his skin was dark, and the blue and white robe made him appear even darker.

He had been faking sleep with his eyes closed but opened them at the sound of Liu Guyu boarding the cart. He gave Liu Guyu a cold look, like he didn't know him, then looked away and closed his eyes again.

Liu Guyu: "..."

Fine. As long as he didn’t provoke him, he’d pretend he wasn't there!

But there were two other villagers sitting nearby. One auntie, noticing Liu Guyu and the book in his hand, asked curiously, "Did Liu Geer buy a book? Is it for your Erlang? Is he starting to study again?"

Qin Rongshi was the only scholar in the Qin family and the youngest Student Scholar in the village. Back then, everyone said he was the most promising young man in the village. Who could have predicted the sudden and drastic changes that befell the Qin family? After that, whenever people saw Qin Rongshi, they couldn’t help but feel pity.

Liu Guyu’s basket was filled with all sorts of things—vegetables and meat. Worried the book might get dirty, he had taken it out separately.

Hearing the auntie’s words, he turned to her with a smile and nodded. "Yes, my Erlang is clever—he’s got the makings of a scholar!"

The child was smart, but the family held him back.

The auntie didn’t dare say such things aloud, but she couldn’t help feeling sorry for him inwardly. Out loud, she said, "That’s right, that’s right. Your Erlang is the most promising in our village. Maybe he’ll even come top in the imperial exams one day!"

Hearing this, Liu Zaiwen grew displeased.

He was the only scholar in the village—shouldn't he be the most accomplished scholar?

Clearly, he had forgotten that he had barely passed the imperial exam in last place. He had also forgotten that he had closed his eyes and pretended to sleep as soon as he got on the cart, afraid that other villagers would ask how he had done on the provincial exam this time.

How had he done? He had barely understood the questions.

He opened his eyes, not looking at Liu Guyu, and said indifferently, "Topping the imperial exams isn’t easy. It’s just a pipe dream."

Liu Guyu: "..."

Hey! This Luo Niu Dan!

The cart fell silent for a moment. The auntie who had spoken earlier looked embarrassed, unsure how to respond.

Who didn’t know that topping the imperial exams was difficult? It was just a polite, encouraging remark!

Back when Liu Zaiwen had passed the imperial exam, hadn’t everyone praised him as the reincarnation of a literary star? It was just flattery—did he really believe it?

Enough was enough. There was no need to hold back.

Liu Guyu was also annoyed and said to Liu Zaiwen, "Young Scholar Liu, how come you’re still just a scholar? Why haven’t you taken the provincial exam? Is it because you don’t want to?"

Author's Note:

----------------------

Update [paw][paw]

(Rest day tomorrow)