Chapter 31 Mountain Home Hearth 31

Chapter 31: Mountain Family’s Hearthfire 31

The young shopkeeper scowled and took another step forward, a brush still in his hand as he worked on his schoolwork.

He was already annoyed at having to rush through his homework, and now there was a commotion in the shop—which just annoyed him even more.

He glared at the noisy woman, then turned his head irritably toward the shop assistant and shouted, "What are you standing around for? Didn’t you hear? She said, 'It’s either him or me'—hurry up and throw her out!"

Hearing the young shopkeeper’s order, the woman widened her eyes in fury, pointing first at herself, then at the young shopkeeper who had spoken, and finally at Liu Guyu and the others.

But as soon as her finger pointed toward Liu Guyu, she remembered the pain from before and quickly withdrew her hand, afraid that Liu Guyu might break her finger.

"You! All of you! This is too much! I’m a customer—I’m here to buy things! How dare you throw me out?!"

The scowling young shopkeeper rolled his eyes, stepped forward, snatched the shawl the woman had draped over her shoulders, and took the silk handkerchief she had been fiddling with but hadn’t yet paid for. Then, with a swift motion, he shoved her out the door.

As he did so, he muttered, "Buy my ass! I’m not selling to you! Get out of here!"

Though the young shopkeeper looked youthful, he was tall and sturdy, with firm muscles on his arms. A light push sent the woman stumbling several steps back.

Furious, the woman staggered before regaining her balance, then stamped her foot and yelled, "You! You’re a man… how dare you lay hands on a defenseless woman like me!"

The young shopkeeper rolled his eyes skyward, planted his hands on his hips, and retorted, "But I’m only sixteen—still just a child."

The woman was speechless.

She hadn’t expected such a reply. Taking a closer look at the young shopkeeper before her, she realized he really was only sixteen? Who knows what he ate to grow so big, strong as an ox! He was even taller than many grown men!

The woman was left speechless, wringing her sleeves so tightly she nearly tore them.

She appeared young, around twenty or so, and had no problem making a scene when the shop was empty. But once she was pushed out onto the street, with passersby staring, she finally felt embarrassed.

Blushing deeply, she hid her face in her sleeve, stamped her foot again, and cried, "What a lousy shop! I’m never coming back!"

With that, she covered her face and ran off.

The shop assistant breathed a sigh of relief, then tried to soothe the irritable young shopkeeper’s temper. "Ah, please calm down, young sir!"

The young shopkeeper sulked unhappily, glanced at Liu Guyu and the others, his gaze lingering briefly on Qin Rongshi before waving a hand dismissively. "Alright, alright, go attend to the customers."

With that, he picked up his brush and retreated to the back room, where he could be heard cursing and grumbling under his breath.

It sounded like he was complaining about how difficult his teacher’s assignment was, cursing as he wrote.

The assistant put on an apologetic smile and approached the group, his face full of remorse. "I’m so sorry, truly! We handled that poorly and let you customers get frightened!"

Qin Banban was still hiding behind Qin Rongshi, clutching her brother’s sleeve tightly, occasionally lifting it to wipe her eyes—it seemed she had been scared into tears.

The clothes in the shop were so pretty! Reds, greens, every color imaginable. The shop assistant had shown her many beautiful dresses and even invited her to try them on. Banban was too shy to try any, but she couldn’t resist reaching out to touch the fabric—so soft and smooth.

She was thrilled, secretly thinking to herself that when she grew up and could earn money, she would definitely buy a dress like this to wear.

But just as she finished the thought, she heard a harsh, scolding voice. A female customer had complained about her worn-out clothes, saying that her touch would dirty the new dresses.

Banban, a thirteen-year-old girl with thin skin, couldn’t bear such accusations. At first, she was frozen in shock, but now, as she came back to her senses, tears began to fall.

She wanted to say that even though her clothes were old, they were washed clean! She bathed regularly, and before going out, she had washed her face and hands with soap—they were definitely clean and wouldn’t dirty the clothes!

Banban wanted to speak up, but the female customer was too fierce, her words firing off like a machine gun, her spit nearly hitting Banban’s face. Banban was too frightened to make a sound, suddenly too tongue-tied to speak.

Liu Guyu waved the little girl over, coaxing her to his side. He bent down, stroked her hair, and whispered a few comforting words. Cui Lanfang, heart aching for her daughter, pulled Banban into a half-embrace, calling her "my precious Bao Er" over and over until she finally managed to calm the girl’s tears.

Qin Rongshi, on the other hand, was like a block of wood. He said nothing, only frowned as he watched his sister, lost in thought.

The shop assistant was exasperated, but he was quick on his feet. Quickly, he picked out a small satchel and held it out with a smile. "Look, it’s our fault for not taking good care of you and letting the young lady get upset. This is a little apology gift for her—please, you must accept it!"

It was a small blue-and-white bag, embroidered with vine patterns in soft pink thread, fastened with a wooden bead—just the right style for a young girl.

Banban, her eyes still glistening from tears and slightly red, was mesmerized by the beautiful satchel. She was too shy to accept it, but she couldn’t help kept looking at it, finding it truly lovely. Finally, she glanced shyly at Cui Lanfang, then at Liu Guyu, as if waiting for the adults to decide.

The two adults remained silent, but Qin Rongshi reached out and took the bag. He first muttered a quiet "Thanks" to the assistant, then slipped the strap over his sister’s shoulder.

The young girl’s eyes sparkled, still shimmering with water—like a clear pool reflecting starlight.

No longer sad, she nodded vigorously and said, "Thank you!"

The shop assistant breathed a sigh of relief, then packed up the items Liu Guyu and Cui Lanfang had bought and escorted the group out.

Watching the four leave, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and was about to heave a sigh of relief when he heard the young shopkeeper inside slamming the table and throwing his brush.

He stifled his sigh, not daring to make another sound.

After buying the fabric, the family returned to the village by ox cart.

*

They had to set up their stall the next day, so they ate an early dinner and rested.

The following day, Cui Lanfang got up early to light the stove and started cooking breakfast, then simmered her medicine.

She first soaked a basin of sweet potato noodles, heated oil in the wok, and stir-fried scallions and garlic until fragrant. The spatula clanked against the wok as the hot oil sizzled. Once the aromatics were fragrant, she added the already-prepared spicy pickled vegetables and continued stir-frying.

When it was almost ready, she ladled a scoop of water into the wok, covered it, and brought it to a boil. Once boiling, she added the sweet potato noodles.

The kitchen filled with the savory, spicy aroma, making their mouths water. Liu Guyu and Qin Rongshi, dressed and washed, stepped out.

Liu Guyu followed his nose into the kitchen, grinning as he asked, "Mom, what are you making? It smells amazing."

"Sweet potato noodles," Cui Lanfang replied without turning around, her eyes fixed on the bubbling pot. "It’s almost done. Go pack up the things for the stall. We can leave after eating."

Liu Guyu nodded with a smile, hooking an arm around Cui Lanfang’s arm to peer into the pot. "It really does smell good! Add a bit more vinegar—sour and spicy is the way to go! Thanks, Mom!"

With that, he slipped out again to help Qin Rongshi pack up.

By the time they returned to the kitchen, the sour and spicy sweet potato noodles were already ladled into bowls. Thinly sliced potatoes, parboiled until tender-crisp, were added, and the red broth was sprinkled with chopped scallions, making it even more appetizing.

The noodles were soft yet springy, coated in the glossy red broth, delivering a tangy and spicy kick. At the bottom of the bowl lay a plump poached egg; a light poke released a runny yolk that mingled with the red oil, making it even more irresistible.

Lin Xingniang and her daughter were already waiting outside. Liu Guyu and the others hurriedly finished their meal, gathered their things, and headed out.

As Liu Guyu climbed onto the donkey cart, he said, "Mom, it’s still early! The sun isn’t even up yet—go back to sleep for a while!"

Qin Rongshi added, "You’re still recovering—don’t overexert yourself. There’s no rush to finish the clothes."

Cui Lanfang simply smiled and nodded, watching as the group departed on the donkey cart.

After everyone had left, she didn’t follow Liu Guyu’s suggestion to go back to sleep. Instead, she picked up a broom and swept the courtyard. At her age, she slept lightly, and once awake, she couldn’t fall back asleep. It was better to do some light chores to move around a bit.

As for Liu Guyu and the others, they entered the city before daybreak and set up their stall.

The first light of morning shone on the food stall, and the town gradually grew busier. A few regulars had already shown up, right on time.

"Oh, Boss Liu! You’re finally open!"

"My wife has been craving your food! She asks about it every day!"

"Heh, if you ask me, you should set up every day! That’d be perfect!"

...

Liu Guyu laughed it off but didn’t agree to the customers' request for a daily stall.

There was no other reason—it was just exhausting.

Shanghe Village was too far from Fushui Town. Even by donkey cart, it took over an hour, requiring leaving early and coming back late.

After returning home, they had to prepare food for the next day. Though Cui Lanfang and Qin Banban helped with some preparations during the day, certain things had to be made by Liu Guyu himself to achieve the right flavor.

If they set up stall every day, he’d be worn to the bone within a month.

Liu Guyu considered himself money-minded, but not to the point of working himself to death.

Besides, the food he sold was more like a snack—it couldn’t be eaten as a staple every day. An occasional treat kept people craving it, but if it were available daily, it wouldn’t be special anymore.

Still, if he had enough money in the future, he could rent a shop in town. Then, running a daily business would be much more convenient.

As Liu Guyu daydreamed about the future, he cheerfully helped customers, managing both tasks smoothly.

After seeing off the last customer, he rubbed his shoulders and dropped onto a small stool, turning to Qin Rongshi with a pained expression. "Erlang, could you massage my shoulders? My arms are sore."

As he spoke, Liu Guyu twisted around to look at him and noticed Qin Rongshi had just pulled a book from under the partition and was about to read. Liu Guyu shrugged, feeling too embarrassed to disturb the studious one, and pretended he hadn’t said anything.

But Qin Rongshi silently put the book back and looked calmly at Liu Guyu, his voice calm and even. "Sit properly."

Liu Guyu: "...Oh."

Liu Guyu turned back around, and the next moment, a pair of hands began massaging his shoulders—steady and strong.

Heh, it actually felt pretty good.

Liu Guyu smugly wiggled his toes.

Lin Xingniang, who was nearby, noticed and teased, "Erlang is so filial! Good to his mother, and good to his brother-in-law too!"

Liu Guyu: "..."

The "filial" Qin Rongshi pulled back his hands, looking annoyed, silently picked up his book again, and ignored Liu Guyu no matter what he said.

Not realizing she’d put her foot in her mouth, Lin Xingniang turned back to attend to customers after her teasing.

A burly man stood in front of her stall—his wheat-colored skin gleaming under the sun, towering over Lin Xingniang like a small mountain. He was in good health, wearing only a light autumn jacket even in winter.

Liu Guyu recognized him as Song Qingfeng, the town butcher.

He was originally from Shanghe Village. After his father died young, he took over his father’s pork stall, following in his footsteps as a butcher. He’d probably saved up some money and moved to town a few years ago.

He seemed particularly fond of the flatbread Lin Xingniang made, buying it almost every day.

Even Lin Xingniang was surprised, saying that while she had many regulars, only one came every single day!

"Butcher Song?" Lin Xingniang laughed heartily and asked, "Two pork-filled ones again?"

Just as Song Qingfeng nodded and was about to speak, a woman’s voice suddenly rang out behind him.

"Xingniang! Xingniang!"

It was Cui Lanfang’s voice?!

Not only did Lin Xingniang jump in surprise, but Liu Guyu and Qin Rongshi were also startled, scrambling to their feet to look in the direction of the voice.

Cui Lanfang and Qin Banban hurried over, panting and visibly panicked.

Without even glancing at Liu Guyu or Qin Rongshi, Cui Lanfang rushed straight to Lin Xingniang, grabbed her hand, and cried out:

"Something’s happened! Qing Zhu is missing!"

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Author’s Note: Gu Yu seems to have forgotten to eat the pig’s ear he bought last time...