Chapter 50 Mountain Home Hearth 50

Chapter 50: Hearth and Home in the Mountains

They closed up shop quite late today. By the time they reached home, the sky was utterly dark. Fortunately, the moonlight was bright, the moon hanging like a silvery disk, illuminating the village path.

As the donkey cart entered the village, the branches of the old willow tree at the entrance swayed in the evening breeze, casting long, slanting shadows that resembled the clawing hands of ghosts.

Cui Lanfang stood by the half-open fence gate, peering out, her brows tightly furrowed. Only when she heard the sound of the cart wheels did she finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"You're finally back."

The gate of the Luo family across the way also opened, and Luo Qingzhu peeked out, followed by two large, head-swaying dogs.

"You’re finally back! Why so late today?"

The donkey cart came to a stop, and Cui Lanfang hurried forward to help Liu Guyu and Qin Banban down, asking with concern.

Lin Xingniang answered first, "Since it's just after the New Year, the town is bustling, so we stayed a bit longer. It’s not just us—vendors at the East Market have been closing later these past couple of days."

Cui Lanfang nodded but still insisted, "It’s too late, and it’s already dark. Traveling at night is too dangerous. I think you should close up earlier next time—safety is paramount."

Lin Xingniang chuckled and reassured Cui Lanfang, "Sister, you’re right, but I thought of that too. Normally, I wouldn’t dare to take Mai'er on the road at night, but today Butcher Song came back with us!"

Butcher Song? Luo Qingzhu, who had just helped his sister down, straightened up and couldn’t help but glance toward the cart, but he didn’t see anyone.

Lin Xingniang didn’t notice the young man’s gaze and continued speaking to Cui Lanfang, "He was returning to the village anyway, so we traveled back together. And honestly, having a man along really makes you feel safer!"

Hearing this, Cui Lanfang was reassured.

She had seen Song Qingfeng fight before—he could take on three men without breaking a sweat. He was tall and sturdy, and unless someone was foolish or had a screw loose, no one would dare cause trouble with him.

Standing nearby, Luo Qingzhu hesitated but couldn’t resist asking, "Mom, where is he?"

He asked first, then realized it might not be appropriate and quickly added, "Didn’t he mention pork ribs yesterday? I made radish soup with them. Isn’t he coming to get some?"

Lin Xingniang paused at her son’s question, seemingly lost in thought for a moment before replying, "He said the village head’s family had ordered meat, so he went to deliver it first. He’ll come by later."

Luo Qingzhu nodded, then took his sister’s hand and headed inside, saying, "Mom, let’s go in first. I've heated some water for you to wash your hands and face... Auntie, you should go in too. Don’t stand in the wind."

Cui Lanfang and Lin Xingniang nodded in farewell and returned to their respective homes.

Once inside, Cui Lanfang brought out the food she had kept warm in the pot, setting it out as she asked, "How was business today? Are you going again tomorrow?"

Liu Guyu rubbed his sore shoulders and back, shaking his head vigorously at the question. "No, no more! Two days in a row is exhausting! No matter how busy it gets, I won’t do extra days again! We’ll stick to our usual routine—only set up stall on market days!"

After two consecutive days of selling, he had come home yesterday, eaten, and hurriedly prepared for today’s goods, working late into the night. Today, he had packed up before dawn and set out, exhausting himself so much that his legs felt like jelly.

He couldn’t help but admire Lin Xingniang and her daughter, who sold flatbread every day, rain or shine. They were truly impressive.

Putting that aside, the family went inside to eat. Cui Lanfang asked a few more questions about taking things to Qin Rongshi and was delighted to hear that Qin Rongshi had made new friends at school.

After the meal, Liu Guyu took a couple of laps around the yard to aid digestion and played with Lucky, who was bouncing around at his feet, teaching it to shake hands and sit.

The puppy was too young and restless, unable to sit still for long. It lost interest after a short while and ran off to pounce on Qin Banban’s shadow.

Seeing that it was getting late, Liu Guyu fetched hot water, soaked his feet comfortably, washed up, and went to bed.

He slept soundly until well after sunrise, not getting up until mid-morning (around 10 a.m.), stretching lazily under the covers.

Yawning, he stepped outside and saw Cui Lanfang hanging laundry in the yard. She turned at the sound and smiled, "Awake? I steamed some flower rolls and made vegetable porridge this morning. They’re still warm in the pot. Go eat."

Cui Lanfang always rose early. She had already cooked, washed clothes, and nearly finished all the household chores.

Liu Guyu scratched his head sheepishly, chuckled twice, and trotted over to help hang the laundry.

He said, "It’s so late, Mom. Why didn’t you wake me?"

Cui Lanfang laughed, "You worked hard yesterday. What’s wrong with sleeping in? Banban just got up too. At home, sleep as much as you want! Anyway, there are only a couple of items left—no need for your help. Go eat."

Liu Guyu hugged Cui Lanfang and nuzzled her, saying loudly, "Alright! Thanks, Mom!"

With that, he turned and ran into the kitchen. Qin Banban, hearing the noise, had already served an extra bowl of porridge. The two sat facing each other at the small table and began eating.

"It rained yesterday, but the weather looks nice today. After eating, do you want to go to Little Flow Mountain to pick mushrooms and dig for bamboo shoots?"

Liu Guyu asked Qin Banban.

He wanted to make shiitake mushroom and meat sauce—it would be delicious with porridge or noodles!

Qin Banban, having just set up stall for two days, was still excited about it. Besides, she had slept a long time and felt rested, not particularly tired now. Hearing Liu Guyu suggest going to Little Flow Mountain to pick mushrooms and dig for bamboo shoots, her deer-like eyes sparkled, and she nodded eagerly.

"Let’s go! Let’s go!"

They finished eating, washed the bowls, told Cui Lanfang, and set out with two small bamboo baskets—one carrying a sickle, the other a small hoe for digging herbs.

Just outside, Banban tugged Liu Guyu’s sleeve, tilting her face up to ask, "Brother Liu, should we ask Qing Zhu to come with us?"

Not a bad idea. Liu Guyu quite liked Luo Qingzhu’s personality.

He nodded to Banban, and the little girl immediately went to knock on the door.

Soon, the duo became a trio.

The early spring chill hadn’t completely faded, but by now, the sun was out, warming the entire Little Flow Mountain.

The trees on the mountain had sprouted new buds, tender green tips reaching out. On the sunny slopes, peach and pear blossoms had already bloomed—pink ones lovely, white ones pure—attracting butterflies and bees buzzing around.

To be honest, Liu Guyu wasn’t very good at identifying mushrooms. Last year, finding a cluster of bamboo fungus in the mountains was pure luck.

As he walked ahead, Qin Banban kept calling out from behind.

"Brother Liu! There are poplar mushrooms by your feet!"

"Ah! Brother Liu! There’s chicken mushroom! You stepped on it and crushed it!"

"...Brother Liu!"

…

Liu Guyu: "…"

Liu Guyu stopped, his empty basket on his back, scratched the back of his head, and turned to look at Banban and Luo Qingzhu. He chuckled sheepishly and said, "Maybe you two should lead the way."

Banban nodded emphatically, gripping her small hoe and taking the lead.

The youngest girl walked in front, while Luo Qingzhu and Liu Guyu, both adults, felt no embarrassment trailing behind, chatting as they went.

Luo Qingzhu glanced into Liu Guyu’s basket, saw it was still empty, and generously shared some of his finds, placing them inside.

"That looks much better now!"

It wasn't mushrooms or bamboo shoots, but a handful of fiddleheads.

When spring came, fiddleheads had begun to sprout in the mountains. Luo Qingzhu had just spotted a large patch by the stream and picked a big handful.

The fiddleheads were tender at this time, greenish-purple, their tips slightly curled, and their stems crisp.

Liu Guyu said excitedly, "Fiddleheads! Where did you find them?! How did I miss them?!"

He still remembered the bamboo shoot and fiddlehead wontons he had eaten in town last time—the flavor was unforgettable.

He touched the stems of the fiddleheads; they were so fresh they practically dripped. What a find. Liu Guyu already had an idea: he planned to gather more and make pork and fern dumplings when he returned—surely they would be delicious!

Luo Qingzhu glanced at him with a smile and teased, "You're looking around all over the place, no wonder you couldn't find any!"

It wasn’t just the fiddleheads he missed—he couldn’t find mushrooms or bamboo shoots either!

Luo Qingzhu went on to explain, patiently sharing his experience in detail:

"Mushrooms are often found in the woods, especially where there’s a lot of fallen leaves—they hide underneath! See those two pine trees over there? The ground beneath is thick with pine needles and fallen leaves—there might be some hiding there!"

He personally guided Liu Guyu, teaching as he went. "Look here, the pine needles on the ground are loose and piled up slightly—there must be mushrooms underneath!"

Luo Qingzhu grabbed a little stick and brushed aside the dry pine needles, revealing two mushrooms hidden beneath.

Liu Guyu’s eyes lit up, and he straightened his back confidently. "I get it! I’ve learned it now!"

With that, he hurried ahead and began searching carefully using Luo Qingzhu’s method. Before long, he found a small mound and eagerly brushed it aside…

"Ah!!!"

Liu Guyu jumped back two steps, yelling in disgust.

Qin Banban, who was ahead, immediately stopped and turned around, her eyes wide. Luo Qingzhu also rushed over in a panic, asking anxiously, "What’s wrong? What happened?"

Liu Guyu wore a pained expression, looking like he might cry. "It’s a pile of cow dung!"

"Whose cow got loose and came up the mountain? Doesn't anyone watch their animals?!"

Luo Qingzhu and Qin Banban went quiet for a second before bursting into laughter.

Luckily, there was a stream on Little Liushan. Liu Guyu abandoned his mushroom hunt and dashed toward the stream, holding his hands up.

He crouched by the stream and stuck his hands into the water, scrubbing his fingers, the spaces between them, and under his nails until they were thoroughly clean.

The stream water was cold and clear, with smooth, polished stones visible at the bottom.

Liu Guyu, being curious, flipped over a large blue-gray rock nearby. The stirred-up sediment clouded the clear water, and in the murkiness, he spotted a decent-sized crab scurrying away.

In a flash, he pressed down and caught it, then held it up excitedly. "Look! I caught a crab!"

His shout naturally drew the attention of Luo Qingzhu and Qin Banban, who turned to look.

Liu Guyu was thrilled, though he wasn't sure why. Even though he hadn’t found any bamboo shoots or mushrooms, catching just one crab was enough to make him happy all day. His face was smiling brighter than the sun in the sky.

Luo Qingzhu couldn’t help but smile too. He finally understood why his mother was so fond of Liu Geer—she often praised him at home for being so endearing.

With a personality like his, it was hard not to like him.

Qin Banban, who had grown up playing in the mountains and could catch a basket of small crabs by the age of seven or eight to add to meals, said encouragingly, "Amazing! Liu Geer is so skilled!"

Liu Guyu laughed heartily, putting his hands on his hips, but after his moment of triumph, he put the crab back in the water before running back to join the others.

They lingered on the mountain for over an hour and finally returned with their finds.

They were in good spirits on their way back, but as soon as they reached home, they heard arguing voices in the courtyard.

"Why won’t you accept it?! You even take bamboo containers from other villages, so why not mine?!"

"That's not right! You’re siding with outsiders instead of your own village!"

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Author's note: Writing about mushroom picking reminded me of an incident from a few years ago.

Was it 2021 or 2022? It rained all summer in Chongqing, for two months straight.

In September, when wild mushrooms were in season, they were sold at the market but were quite expensive, ranging from 40 to 80 yuan. However, that year, with all the rain, mushrooms were especially abundant—particularly termite mushrooms (Termitomyces). There were so many! I happened to be back in my rural hometown and saw people heading into the mountains to forage for mushrooms every day. There were crowds daily, and everyone came back with full baskets, something that had never happened in previous years.

Then, one villager went up the mountain to pick mushrooms and found a large patch at the foot of the hill. He picked them all and headed up the mountain. Less than two hours later, on his way back, he passed the same spot and saw another fresh batch of mushrooms growing there—many of them, very fresh.

Mushrooms grow quickly, but not that quickly. He found it strange and went home to fetch a hoe. He dug up the area and discovered a large snake coiled beneath the ground…