Chapter 28 Mountain Home Hearth 28

Chapter 28: Mountain Family's Hearth and Home

The medicine prescribed by Doctor Wan worked remarkably well. Although Liu Guyu's injury hadn't fully healed, he could already walk without any problems, which didn't stop him from setting up his stall on market day.

That day, Cui Lanfang also got up early and made two scallion pancakes for the children to take with them on the road.

She saw them off all the way to the courtyard gate, still worriedly urging them, "Be careful on the road, don't overexert yourselves. If you feel unwell, come back early. Erlang, look after your Brother Liu; the injury on his foot hasn't fully healed yet!"

Cui Lanfang had tried to persuade Liu Guyu for a long time yesterday, wanting him to rest and recover before setting up the stall again. But Liu Guyu didn't want to delay earning money, insisting it was fine and that it didn't hurt anymore.

Since Cui Lanfang couldn't talk him out of it, she had no choice but to let him go.

It was already past the autumn equinox, and the sun was rising later. Since they set out early, the sky was still dim. The pale blue sky was imprinted with a white moon, scattered with a few sparse stars, shedding a faint light.

As soon as they reached the gate, a dog barked from across the way—it was the neighbor's big dog barking.

On the road, a donkey cart was waiting, with Lin Xingniang and her daughter sitting on it.

Hearing the sound of the two coming out, Lin Xingniang quickly waved to them. But then, realizing it was too dark to see clearly, she immediately called out, "Liu Brother! Erlang! Over here, come quickly!"

Hearing the call, Liu Guyu hurriedly grabbed the pancakes, and he and Qin Rongshi pushed the cart over.

Lin Xingniang also got down from the cart and helped tie the small pushcart to the back of the donkey cart, saying, "Get on quickly, let's go!"

The woman's eyes were slightly red and swollen, like she'd been crying, but her back was straight, and she didn't show any sign of weakness.

Luo Qingzhu had just been taken back by Qi Shan yesterday. She missed her child, but Qing Zhu was married now, and not even his own mother could keep him for long.

Liu Guyu noticed but didn't ask, afraid of touching a sore spot. He pulled Qin Rongshi onto the donkey cart, and Lin Xingniang also got on, flicking the reins to drive the cart toward town.

This time, Liu Guyu didn't borrow a cart from the village head's family. Firstly, it was the busy farming season, and the village head's ox was in high demand—you couldn't borrow it even if you paid. Secondly, setting up a stall was a long-term thing, and he couldn't always rely on the village head's family for help.

But livestock cost too much. Liu Guyu had asked at the livestock market—the cheapest blue-and-white mule cost five taels of silver (a significant amount of money), while oxen and donkeys were even more expensive.

It wasn't that Liu Guyu couldn't afford it, but given the family's current situation, every coin had to be spent wisely. Spending five taels of silver all at once made even Liu Guyu feel the pinch.

So he had discussed with Lin Xingniang that each time he went with them to set up and pack up, he would pay according to Second Uncle Zhang's cart-driving rates.

Lin Xingniang had said he didn't need to pay, since it was on the way anyway. But even between brothers, accounts should be settled, and precisely because they had a good relationship, he didn't want to take advantage. Liu Guyu insisted on paying.

Once on the cart, Liu Guyu and Qin Rongshi sat close together, munching on the scallion pancakes.

After the delay, the pancakes had cooled considerably, but they still tasted good. The outside was golden and crispy, while the inside was soft and layered, fragrant with scallions. Sprinkled with sesame seeds, the flavor was even more enticing.

Liu Guyu tore off a small piece for Luo Maier beside him, making the little girl giggle.

"Oh, you eat that yourself, don't worry about her! We already ate before we left!" Lin Xingniang said while driving the cart. "We'll leave around this time from now on. Oh, right…"

As she continued, her tone grew more serious.

"There's a market warehouse in the east market for vendors setting up stalls in town to store their goods. My stall cart is kept there—five coppers a day, or a hundred coppers for a month, which works out cheaper."

"Your cart, stools, and whatnot can also be stored there. It'll make coming and going much easier."

Liu Guyu nodded in agreement.

However, he was different from Lin Xingniang. Lin Xingniang went to set up her stall every day, so paying monthly was more economical. But Liu Guyu only went on market days, so paying daily would suffice.

The wheels rumbled heavily as they turned, and the noise accompanied them as they got closer to Fushui Town.

At the town entrance, they paid the entry tax as usual, left the donkey cart at the stable, and they carried their things into town to set up their stalls in the east market.

Liu Guyu hadn't set up his stall for a while, but many people in town already recognized him. The east market was next to the vegetable market, and many women out for early shopping passed by, spotting Liu Guyu immediately.

A stout woman with a vegetable basket walked over, followed by a little girl in a floral dress with red ribbons in her hair.

She said happily, "Oh! Isn't this the ice jelly guy! Ah, last time at the temple fair, I went too late and didn't get any. I've been thinking about it for a long time!"

Liu Guyu was both amused and exasperated by the nickname.

He smiled helplessly and said, "Auntie, my surname is Liu. Now that the weather's cooler, my family isn't selling ice jelly anymore!"

The woman was disappointed. She tilted her head to look at the stall in front of Liu Guyu and asked, "Not selling anymore? Ah, what a pity. So what are you selling now?"

Liu Guyu planned to sell some hot food this time. He was busy starting the fire as he said, "Selling red bean balls and sweet soup. Bowl cake is still available, same price as before."

As he spoke, he brought out a plate of pre-rolled balls—white, red, and yellow, made from taro, sweet potato, and pumpkin, respectively. The red beans were simmered into a paste, and with these balls added, it made a bowl of fragrant, soft, and sweet soup with balls.

The sweet soup was made from cassava, which was simpler to make, but no one ate cassava here. Locals believed it was poisonous, so no one dared to eat it. Only Liu Guyu used it when he first started making bowl cake, digging some up from the mountain.

At first, he hadn't even dared to tell Cui Lanfang it was made from cassava, only explaining after they had eaten it, which still gave Cui Lanfang a scare.

Back to the present, the stout woman craned her neck to peek into the bowls Liu Guyu was handling and finally settled on the three-colored balls, saying cheerfully:

"I'll have this one, then. My child loves sweet balls, and these look good. Two bowls, and four bowl cakes, one of each flavor."

She didn't even ask how much a bowl of balls cost, speaking briskly. Looking at her fine cotton clothes, the thick silver bracelet on her wrist, and the little girl beside her in dyed floral clothes with a gold lock around her neck, it was clear she wasn't short on money.

Getting off to a good start on the first day of the market, Liu Guyu was naturally happy and worked busily with a smile.

"Please wait a moment. The balls just need to be cooked quickly in the pot."

Adding milk to the taro ball sweet soup would make it taste better, but milk was too expensive now. Roadside stalls focused on small profits and quick turnover, so they couldn't offer such fancy fare. Thus, Liu Guyu boiled the balls with red beans and rock sugar. The red beans cooked into a paste, fragrant and sweet, and the taste was still good.

He quickly prepared two bowls and served them in bamboo containers, and said to the woman, "Red bean balls are seven coppers a bowl, four bowl cakes are seven coppers. Since you're my first customer today, I'll just charge you twenty coppers."

The woman smiled as she took out the money and pulled her little daughter closer, calling out, "Take it quickly."

As the mother and daughter left with their items, the next customer quickly asked, "What did you boil this sweet soup with? I can't tell."

The cassava sweet soup was prepared early in the morning and just reheated in town. Those who preferred it cold could have it served directly.

Cassava was pale, but when boiled, it turned yellow, like an orange. Plus, since no one here ate cassava, the customer couldn't recognize it at all.

Liu Guyu didn't answer directly, just smiled and said, "Care to guess? Or buy a bowl and try? If you figure it out, this bowl is on me."

Free?!

The customer was immediately interested, widening his eyes to stare at the sweet soup, saying, "How much? Give me a bowl!"

Qin Rongshi, who was managing the accounts, finally found an opportunity to chime in, "Five coppers."

The customer quickly said, "One bowl! One bowl!"

Liu Guyu asked again, "Alright, would you like it hot or cold?"

The customer was a burly man who seemed healthy and impatient. "Ah, cold, cold! Just like this!" he said, not wanting to wait.

Liu Guyu said no more, quickly serving a bowl and handing it over.

The man hurriedly shoved a mouthful into his mouth, and his eyes lit up as he tasted it.

The onlookers waiting behind asked:

"Well? Well?"

"Is it good?"

"Can you tell what it's made of?"

The man swallowed it whole and hastily replied, "It's sweet, probably with brown sugar? The texture is soft and glutinous, tastes pretty good... but I really can't tell what it's made of. I don't think I've ever eaten this before—must be some kind of fruit, right?"

He was straightforward; since he couldn't figure it out, he immediately paid up.

He added, "My wife would probably like this flavor! Hey, give me another bowl, this one hot! I'll take it back for her!"

Liu Guyu nodded and began heating the sweet soup, while Qin Rongshi scooped the copper coins from the stall board into his palm and stuffed them into the money bag.

Soon, the heated tapioca sweet soup was handed over, and the current customer was seen off.

Some folks in line who hadn’t originally planned to buy anything, just watching the excitement, curiously asked, "Boss! Does the offer still stand—no charge if we guess what it’s made of?"

Liu Guyu: "It stands! It stands!"

As soon as he said this, the onlookers raised their hands and shouted:

"Give me a bowl!"

"Give me one too!"

They all crowded around, and Liu Guyu couldn’t handle it alone. Qin Rongshi quickly stepped up to help serve the tapioca sweet soup—some wanted it hot, others cold—all served according to their preferences.

Out of six or seven people, not a single one could guess what it was made of, and the money they paid was theirs to keep.

But they weren’t upset; instead, they laughed and said, "We’ve really never tasted anything like this!"

After sending off this big crowd of customers, Liu Guyu finally relaxed a bit. Qin Rongshi, still concerned about the injury on his foot, quickly fetched the small stool from under the cart and urged Liu Guyu to sit down and rest.

Liu Guyu complied, then began tallying the earnings. In just this short while, they had already made over fifty coppers.

To his left was Lin Xingniang’s stall. She had been setting up there for over a decade and had a group of loyal regulars; she was still busy at the moment.

To his right was a stall selling douhua.

The people of Fushui Town loved spicy food, so this douhua was also spicy, which didn’t conflict with Liu Guyu’s sweet treats.

A bowl of douhua was so tender it practically melted, topped with various seasonings, sprinkled with scallions and coriander, a handful of zha cai and crushed peanuts, drizzled with glowing red chili oil, a few drops of sesame oil and soy sauce… mixed together, the aroma, don't even get me started!

The douhua stall was run by a young couple. Both seemed kind-hearted, but Liu Guyu still remembered the man selling tangyuan at the last temple fair, so he remained wary of neighboring vendors.

However, the husband from the couple came over with a bowl of douhua, smiling warmly as he asked, "Is this your first time setting up at the East Market? You look new around here."

He was very friendly, and the smile on his face was full of goodwill, making the initially cautious Liu Guyu relax a little.

"My surname is Yang, just call me Yu Geer! We’re stall neighbors, so if you ever need anything, just call on us! My man is strong and can be a big help!"

Liu Guyu was stunned when he noticed Yu Geer’s belly slightly rounded in a gentle curve—clearly, he was pregnant.

He had long known that men here could give birth, but since arriving, whether in the village or the town, Liu Guyu had never seen a pregnant Geer before. This was his first time.

Outwardly, Yu Geer looked no different from any other man, perhaps just a bit more delicate in features, yet he could bear children.

Although he had mentally prepared himself, Liu Guyu was still taken aback.

As the saying goes, you don’t hit a smiling person. Seeing Yu Geer’s enthusiastic approach, Liu Guyu quickly snapped out of it and smiled in return, saying, "Oh, thank you so much! This douhua smells amazing!"

Yu Geer chuckled, glanced back at the tall man tending their stall, and replied, "Ah, it’s my man’s doing. He’s quite skilled!"

Liu Guyu followed his gaze and saw the sturdy man standing behind the stall. He had an ordinary face but an impressive build—broad-backed and bear-waisted. The gray apron tied around his waist looked ridiculously short and narrow on him.

The man seemed rough and clumsy, but he handled the work on the counter with deft efficiency. Serving customers, scooping douhua, mixing seasonings—his movements were smooth as silk, clearly experienced.

Liu Guyu was somewhat surprised. He glanced around and noticed that many stalls at the East Market were run by couples or pairs, but most involved the wives or husbands doing the work while the men either stayed clear or got in the way more than helped.

After a moment, he turned his attention back to Yu Geer, who was wearing a water-green autumn tunic with white trim along the collar—simple and elegant, but certainly not cheap.

After all, dyed fabric was more expensive than plain cloth, especially such a bright, fresh color.

In contrast, his man wore coarse linen, every bit the rough-edged guy.

Willing to spend money on his husband—that probably meant he wasn’t a bad person.

Liu Guyu felt more at ease. He handed the douhua to Qin Rongshi, then quickly started cooking up another batch of sweet balls. He scooped a bowl of red bean balls and offered it, smiling, "You should try my sweet balls too."

Yu Geer didn’t refuse. His eyes brightened as he accepted it, excitedly saying, "Oh! Thank you! Thank you! I love sweet things the most!"

After a few polite exchanges, Yu Geer smiled, his eyes crinkling, and carried the bowl of red bean balls back to his stall.

His man didn’t say anything, busy attending to customers, but amidst the hustle, he bent down and pulled out a folded board from the side of the cart, fixing it into a simple tabletop.

He set a small stool in front of the table, took the bamboo bowl of red bean balls from Yu Geer’s hands, placed it on the table, and helped him sit down.

Throughout this, he didn’t have time to talk to Yu Geer, only asking customers about their preferences—what toppings they wanted, how spicy they liked it, any dietary restrictions. But the series of actions came naturally, as if done countless times before.

Noticing Liu Guyu’s gaze, Lin Xingniang, who had finally finished her work, also looked over and smiled. "Yu Geer and his man grew up together. They’ve always been very close!"

From her tone, it was clear she knew the young couple and had some history with them.

Hearing Lin Xingniang’s voice, Yu Geer, who had been happily eating the sweet balls, looked up. Without embarrassment, he said boldly, "That’s right! Brother Yan and I have been together since we were kids!"

At this, Lin Xingniang, who had been smiling and joking, suddenly thought of her own son and felt a twinge of sadness. She couldn’t maintain her smile anymore, said a few more words, then turned back to focus on her business.

Just then, an unwelcome voice suddenly rang out.

"Oh my, isn’t this Liu Geer? Back at the market again?"

Liu Guyu had just sat down to rest briefly, and hadn’t even finished the douhua from Yu Geer next door when trouble arrived.

He looked up and saw Zhou Qiaozhi standing in front of the stall.

This time, she didn't have her daughter Tian Hexiang with her but was accompanied by a boy around twelve years old.

The youth was stocky, though his skin was somewhat dark. He wore a blue scholar’s gown, which made him appear even darker. A closer look revealed features somewhat similar to Zhou Qiaozhi’s—likely her youngest son, Tian Qiusheng.

Zhou Qiaozhi imitated Cui Lanfang in everything, always striving to outdo her—comparing husbands, comparing children. When the Qin family sent their son to school, she promptly sent Tian Qiusheng to study as well.

Both began their education at Old Scholar Liu’s private school. Qin Rongshi had passed the county exams at a young age and become a Tongsheng, but Tian Qiusheng simply was no scholar. After several years, he had nothing to show for it; even the Thousand Character Classic was all mixed up when he recites it.

But Zhou Qiaozhi’s family was comfortable. Her husband was a peddler, and they were willing to keep paying to keep him in school.

Liu Guyu involuntarily frowned upon seeing the two of them.

This Zhou Qiaozhi was truly a cockroach that just won’t die, constantly picking fights with him, losing every time, yet always coming back for more—hard-headed as they come.

She seemed aware that she couldn’t win a war of words against Liu Guyu, so she turned her attention to Qin Rongshi instead.

Beside Qin Rongshi was half a bowl of douhua, stored in a bamboo tube, which Liu Guyu had shared with him. But Qin Rongshi hadn’t eaten it; he was instead focused intently on reading a book.

The market wasn’t as crowded as a temple fair, so it wasn’t busy from morning till night. Taking advantage of the lull, Qin Rongshi had brought a book to read during his free moments.

Noticing this, Zhou Qiaozhi smirked, tugged at her son beside her, and said triumphantly, “Oh, Erlang! What a shame you were held back by your family! Back then, you and my Tian Qiusheng studied together, but now… Ah, what a pity!”

“Look at you—such promising scholar material! Yet your brother-in-law here, even after making money, doesn’t send you back to study. Instead, he has you helping out at the stall! Tch, tch, is this any way for a scholar to behave? Smelling like nothing but cash!”

Oh, so now she was trying to sow discord!

Liu Guyu snorted in annoyance, crossing his arms as he watched Qin Rongshi, curious to see how he would respond.

Qin Rongshi calmly placed a leaf bookmark in his book, closed it, and carefully stored it in the compartment beneath the stall cart.

Only after finishing these actions did he lift his head to look at Zhou Qiaozhi, saying slowly and clearly:

“Where the mind is settled, there is a school; where the spirit is calm, there lies a library. I read without being confined to a single space—anytime, anywhere. What of it? Does your son only manage to study when seated in a classroom?”

“If you despise the smell of money, Auntie, why do you invite the God of Wealth every year? Aren’t you afraid of offending the deities so much that they won’t come next year?”

Zhou Qiaozhi was baffled by most of what he said, only catching the part about “offending the God of Wealth,” which made her clutch her chest superstitiously in fright.

She was quite superstitious, as evidenced by her seeking talismans for her son during temple fairs.

Flustered, she sputtered, “I… When did I ever mention the God of Wealth? I… I was talking about…”

Stammering and unable to articulate a response, Zhou Qiaozhi faltered. Qin Rongshi glanced at her calmly and said flatly, “You said he stinks.”

Zhou Qiaozhi: “I did not!”

Qin Rongshi: “Oh? Then let the gods judge what’s right and wrong.”

He was making it sound mystical, and Zhou Qiaozhi, who truly believed in such things—especially when it came to matters of wealth—grew even more agitated.

Furious, she glared at Qin Rongshi, then at Liu Guyu, only to find the young man with his eyes closed, hands clasped together, muttering under his breath.

Listening closely…

“God of Wealth, Guanyin Bodhisattva, Jade Emperor, Queen Mother of the West… She said it! She said it! Go after her, go after her, go after her!”

Zhou Qiaozhi: “…Liu Guyu!”

Zhou Qiaozhi was fuming. She had been gripping her son’s wrist, and in her anger, she unconsciously squeezed harder, turning the boy’s wrist red and swollen, causing his entire hand to swell with blood.

Tian Qiusheng pouted and muttered softly, “It hurts,” but his voice was too faint for Zhou Qiaozhi to hear. He said nothing more, standing stiffly in place like a wooden puppet.

Zhou Qiaozhi didn’t notice, but Qin Rongshi, standing opposite them, saw it clearly and frowned slightly.

Humiliated and enraged, Zhou Qiaozhi slapped her thigh and began shouting loudly.

“Oh, heavens! Everyone, come and see! This young man is a jinx! He married into the family and caused his husband’s death!”

Her shouts drew even more onlookers, all pointing and whispering in their direction.

Tian Qiusheng, young and thin-skinned, couldn’t bear the embarrassment and raised his sleeve to hide his face. Tugging at Zhou Qiaozhi’s sleeve, he whispered, “Mom, stop… Let’s go.”

Zhou Qiaozhi shook him off and continued yelling as if trying to shout down the sky.

“He’s a bad omen! How dare any of you buy food from him?! Aren’t you afraid of bad luck?”

The crowd grew larger, murmuring and discussing in hushed tones.

Liu Guyu watched Zhou Qiaozhi with an unreadable, half-smiling expression, while Qin Rongshi’s face turned cold.

Even Lin Xingniang nearby was displeased. She left her stall and strode over, rolling up her sleeves as she scolded, “Zhou Qiaozhi! You meddlesome hag, always spouting bull! How can your rotten mouth be so foul? Throwing all kinds of filth at others! Have you no shame!”

“Qin family’s Da Lang was conscripted and died on the battlefield! What does that have to do with Liu Geer? How can you say such things without a conscience!”

Upon hearing that Boss Liu was rumored to be ill-fated and had caused his husband’s death, some who enjoyed his sweet snacks began to feel uneasy.

Most people in ancient times believed in such superstitions. If this rumor spread and Liu Guyu were branded a “jinx,” it would be nearly impossible to clear his name later. No matter how delicious his food was, people might become too afraid to buy it!

As the crowd hesitated, weighing the truth of the matter, they heard Lin Xingniang’s words.

Oh, so he died in battle.

They breathed a collective sigh of relief.

That great war had conscripted many men—over four hundred from Fushui Town alone—and fewer than one in ten returned.

With so many deaths, it was likely that some in the crowd had lost sons, brothers, or husbands in the war. They couldn’t possibly believe their own family members had been cursed.

Qin Rongshi’s expression turned stern, his tone sharp.

“My elder brother died under the blades and horses of the northern invaders. He gave his life for a century of peace in Dayong and for the safety of the border people. With a few careless words, Auntie, you distort the facts. Do you imply the fault lies not with the invaders, but with my brother-in-law?”

His words riled up those in the crowd who had also lost loved ones in the war. They turned on Zhou Qiaozhi, shouting:

“So that’s what you meant! How vicious!”

“My son died in the war! By your logic, did I, his own mother, curse him?”

“Pah! It was the northern invaders who attacked us first, and now you’re blaming us?”

…

Zhou Qiaozhi hadn’t expected things to escalate like this. Furious and resentful, she faced a crowd of angry accusations but could muster no retort. She seethed at how the two men could twist unrelated matters so skillfully!

As she fumed, Liu Guyu finally stepped forward.

He straightened his clothes, getting ready to put on a show.

Wearing a sorrowful expression, he spoke with feigned solemnity, each word resonating forcefully.

“How can you, Auntie, use the nation’s grief as a tool for argument? During the war, corpses piled like mountains, and blood flowed like rivers. You know nothing of the horrors at the border, understand nothing of the pain in ‘how many return from the battlefield since ancient times?’ You only take pleasure in stabbing at others’ wounds. Do you think your words can hurt me?”

“They cannot.”

“I honor my late husband as a hero. I only laugh at your ignorance.”

He spoke with righteous fervor, though inwardly he was cringing hard enough to scrape holes in his soles.

But the crowd bought it. As his impassioned words faded, silence fell—until someone loudly cheered, “Well said!” followed by thunderous applause.

"Excellent!"

"Well said!"

Zhou Qiaozhi was surrounded by the crowd, too ashamed to lift her head, her face flushed crimson with humiliation.

She knew she had lost the argument again and tugged at Tian Qiusheng in frustration, grumbling irritably, "Let's go! Why are you just standing there like an idiot? Weren’t you just insisting on leaving? Now you’ve clammed up! Looking at you like this just makes me angry—dull as a block of wood! How do you expect to pass the imperial exams like this?"

Tian Qiusheng wore a stiff, expressionless face, showing neither anger nor sadness even as Zhou Qiaozhi pinched his ear and scolded him.

It was like Zhou Qiaozhi was punching cotton—ultimately, she could only curse under her breath and drag her son away.

Liu Guyu raised his chin slightly, puffed out his chest a bit, and watched with satisfaction as Zhou Qiaozhi and her son departed.

Just as he glanced over, he instead noticed an elderly man in a navy blue round-collar scholar's robe and a scholar's hat, giving him an approving smile and nod.

"Young man, you spoke well—you showed real insight."