Chapter 68 Mountain Home Hearth 68

Chapter 68: Hearth and Home on the Mountain

“Huh? What’s that?”

“What is it?”

The others, curious, gravitated towards Luo Qingzhu. Luo Maier clutched her brother’s arm, craning her neck to peer into the stream. Tucked between the rocks, she spotted a finely woven bamboo trap, brimming with small fish and shrimp.

Luo Maier saw it and, seemingly afraid of startling the aquatic life, deliberately lowered her voice. “It must be for catching fish and shrimp, right? I wonder who set it?”

Qin Banban, standing beside her, tilted her head, a name instantly forming in her mind. Before she could voice it, a cool, male voice spoke from behind.

“What are you all looking at?”

It was Chen Sanxi. He held a wooden bucket, wearing straw sandals, and stood behind the group.

Liu Guyu turned to look and immediately asked, “Sanxi? Did you set this fish trap?”

Chen Sanxi nodded and walked towards the stream.

Liu Guyu quickly smiled and said, “You’re in luck then—it’s caught a lot!”

Chen Sanxi didn’t reply. He walked over to inspect it himself, seeing the trap wedged among the rocks, filtering the flowing stream into countless tiny rivulets. Trapped in front of the net were small fish and shrimp, all lively and energetic, with some shrimp even leaping as if trying to escape.

Chen Sanxi had rolled his pants up to his knees, tucked the hem of his half-length shirt into his belt, and pushed his sleeves up high. He prepared to step into the water, wearing straw sandals.

Qin Banban raised her hand and said softly, “Let me hold the bucket for you.”

Chen Sanxi paused, then turned and handed her the bucket, muttering quietly, “Thank you.”

With that, he stepped into the stream, bent down, and pulled up the trap filled with fish and shrimp.

Luo Maier was already eager, her face alight with excitement. A mischievous girl, she was instantly captivated and wanted to roll up her pants and wade in. “I—I’ll help you too!” she declared.

Before Chen Sanxi could refuse, Luo Qingzhu gently pulled her back.

Luo Qingzhu gave her back a light pat and said, “Don’t cause trouble. It’s March—the water’s freezing! If you catch a cold on your birthday, just see if Mom doesn’t scold you!”

Pulled back by her brother, Luo Maier pouted, her face full of displeasure. But she had no choice except to watch Chen Sanxi wade in the stream with longing eyes.

Still restless, she turned to Qin Banban and said, “Banban, let’s come to Little Stream Mountain in the summer to catch crabs!”

Qin Banban was crouched on the ground, watching the fish and shrimp in the bucket. Distracted, she nodded at Luo Maier’s suggestion. Luo Maier didn’t mind and instead crouched down beside her, watching together.

Chen Sanxi must have set several traps, as his bucket was filled with plenty of lively fish and shrimp. Luo Maier picked a blade of grass and poked it into the bucket, teasing the creatures, while two small shrimp even climbed up to nibble on the grass roots.

Soon, Chen Sanxi came back up but didn’t immediately empty the trap into the bucket.

Holding the trap full of small fish and shrimp, he looked at each of them, his eyes finally settling on Liu Guyu.

“Want to take these home to eat?” Chen Sanxi said abruptly, handing the trap to Liu Guyu.

Liu Guyu’s eyes widened slightly, and he quickly said, “Really? Don’t you need to sell these fish and shrimp?”

Liu Guyu knew this young man relied entirely on his own skills to earn a living, never taking a day off.

Chen Sanxi fell silent, frowning at Liu Guyu’s refusal. Unsure what else to say, he simply bent down, took the bucket from Qin Banban, and pushed the trap into Liu Guyu’s hands instead.

He wasn’t just being generous—he knew he had benefited greatly from working in the Qin family’s fields earlier, eating and drinking well every day, and even receiving higher wages.

Chen Sanxi was a loner by nature and disliked socializing, but he wasn’t ungrateful. Yet, being not good with words, he couldn’t express his gratitude and could only awkwardly hand over the trap of fish and shrimp.

He added bluntly, “Small fish and shrimp aren’t worth much.”

Liu Guyu finally understood his meaning. This young man clearly had a lot of pride; if he refused the gift now, Chen Sanxi might not agree to help out with farming in the future.

Liu Guyu nodded to Banban, then smiled at Mai’er and said, “Well, that’s great then! Let’s take these back to Aunt Lin—we’ll have another dish tonight! Fish and shrimp are so fresh this time of year!”

In early spring, fish and shrimp are plump and tasty, called by locals “peach blossom fish” and “peach blossom shrimp” because they swim among peach blossom petals falling into the streams during the peak bloom in March, which is how they got that pretty name.

Luo Maier was thrilled, her eyes sparkling.

She boldly hung onto Chen Sanxi, circling him.

“You’re amazing!”

“How did you weave this trap? Can you teach me?”

“Thank you for the fish and shrimp! Do you want to come to my house for dinner tonight?”

…

She kept chattering, words pouring out one after another. Chen Sanxi, overwhelmed, didn’t know which question to answer first.

Frowning, he was obviously not used to so much attention. After a long pause, he finally said, “I need to go to town to sell a rabbit. I won’t be back until late.”

Implying that dinner wasn't happening.

He’d indeed been lucky today—catching plenty of fish and shrimp, and finding a plump rabbit in one of his traps set near Wolf’s Mouth Mountain.

Making money came first. Luo Maier pouted but didn’t say anything else.

Chen Sanxi didn't say anything else, picked up his bucket, and left.

After he was gone, Mai’er crouched next to Banban again, poking at the fish and shrimp in the trap. “What now? Should we head back? They won’t taste good dead.”

But she wasn't done playing yet.

Luo Qingzhu knew his sister well—she was having too much fun to go back so soon, yet she couldn’t bear to let the fresh catch go to waste.

He took the trap, tied the extra bamboo strips with a knot, broke off a willow branch to secure the opening, trapping the fish and shrimp inside, and then submerged the entire trap back into the stream.

The fish, which had been listless, immediately revived in the water, jumping around, though unable to escape the trap.

“Brother! You’re the best!”

Luo Maier hugged her brother, planted a kiss on his chin, then grabbed Banban’s hand and dashed off, calling out, “Banban, I saw a lot of edible moss over there earlier! Let’s gather some to take back—it’s great in soup or stir-fried with eggs!”

Luo Qingzhu wiped his chin, muttering fondly, “This girl!”

The two girls ran off into the distance, while Luo Qingzhu carried a basket to a large rock by the stream and began washing the wild vegetables inside.

Dandelion greens, shepherd’s purse, Chinese toon, and water celery—which grew only near the stream—all fresh and tender, some still damp with mud. Luo Qingzhu bent down, pressed the vegetables into the stream, and washed them clean one by one.

Liu Guyu, having had his fill of fun, sat down beside Luo Qingzhu and helped with the washing.

Halfway through, a hand suddenly appeared in front of Liu Guyu, holding a handful of wild berries wrapped in large mulberry leaves.

They were wild raspberries and goumi berries.

Liu Guyu's eyes brightened as he looked up at Qin Rongshi with a smile and asked, "Where did you pick these?"

Hearing Liu Guyu's voice, Luo Qingzhu also turned to look and teased with a laugh, "It's only March—many goumi berries aren't ripe yet. You must have searched through several tree branches just to pick this many!"

Qin Rongshi didn't say anything else, only offering, "Want to try one?"

Liu Guyu's eyes brightened as he took them, picked a small orange-red berry, swirled it around in the water, and popped it into his mouth.

As his teeth bit into the fruit, a burst of sourness immediately exploded, making Liu Guyu scrunch up his face. He almost wondered if Qin Rongshi had deliberately picked the sourest ones to mess with him. But the next moment, a subtle sweetness melted into his mouth, lingering for a long time.

Seeing Liu Guyu's expression, Luo Qingzhu knew he'd been hit by the sourness and quickly laughed, "That's just how goumi berries taste—sour first, then sweet!"

Liu Guyu narrowed his eyes, then gave Luo Qingzhu a few berries. "You try some too."

Then he stood up and offered a few to Qin Rongshi as well.

"Once the aftertaste kicks in, it's actually pretty sweet. Delicious!" Liu Guyu watched Qin Rongshi eat them, then asked with a smile, "Where did you pick these? Take me to see!"

Qin Rongshi, however, said, "There aren't any more. That's all of them—I picked everything already."

Liu Guyu pouted, tossed a few more into his mouth, then wrapped the rest in mulberry leaves. "Alright... I'll save some for Banban to try."

Seeing him wrap up the berries, Qin Rongshi opened his mouth as if to say something, but upon hearing Liu Guyu's words, he quietly closed it again without speaking.

After playing a while longer, it suddenly began to rain.

A gentle drizzle pattered down on the leaves, the sound rustling softly.

"It's raining!"

Luo Qingzhu shook off the creek water from the wild vegetables, shielding his hair with one hand while tossing the vegetables back into the basket with the other, exclaiming in surprise.

Liu Guyu also hurriedly stood up and shouted in the direction of Qin Banban and Luo Maier.

"Banban, Mai'er, come back quickly! It's raining! Let's go home now!"

Around the Qingming Festival, rain was frequent—one moment the sun was shining brightly, the next, rain would suddenly fall, catching people off guard.

In the distance, the two young girls came running back. Luo Maier wore a beautiful flower crown on her head, which she carefully took off and held in her arms as she ran, protecting it gently.

"It started raining so suddenly! It almost ruined the flower crown Banban made for me!"

This was Banban's gift for her coming-of-age ceremony, woven from the freshest willow branches and the most vibrant flowers—it was absolutely beautiful!

With the rain falling, the group didn't linger any longer. They shouldered their baskets, lifted the net of fish and shrimp from the creek, and hurried down the mountain.

The two young girls ran ahead, a dark furry bundle trotting at their feet, while Luo Qingzhu followed in the middle, and Liu Guyu and Qin Rongshi brought up the rear.

"Brother Liu."

Just as Liu Guyu stepped down a small slope, Qin Rongshi's voice came from behind him.

Turning around, he saw Qin Rongshi extending a hand toward him, frowning slightly as he said with difficulty, "The path is too slippery in the rain, brother-in-law. Give me a hand."

Liu Guyu was stunned for a moment, then quickly reached out to take Qin Rongshi's hand, teasing, "Young master, have you been in town so long that you've forgotten how to walk on mountain paths?"

He meant it as a joke, but Qin Rongshi didn't seem embarrassed or annoyed—instead, he nodded and replied, "Mm."

Liu Guyu couldn't stop laughing, but he still held Qin Rongshi's hand all the way down the mountain. Only when they reached the flat village road did he chuckle and ask, "Still need to hold hands?"

A widow and her brother-in-law were supposed to avoid even the appearance of impropriety, but Liu Guyu seemed completely unaware of such concerns, and Qin Rongshi deliberately didn't remind him. While they were alone in the mountains, it was one thing, but once they descended into the village, they were bound to run into other villagers. If anyone saw them, it wouldn't look good—gossip might spread. Qin Rongshi, at the academy, might not hear it, but the unpleasant words would surely reach Liu Guyu's ears.

Qin Rongshi lowered his head, his downcast eyelashes hiding the emotions in his eyes.

He shook his head and said softly, "No need."

Liu Guyu nodded and immediately withdrew his hand, adding carefully, "Then be careful!"

With that, he turned and walked ahead.

Qin Rongshi first glanced down at his palm, which had just been held by Liu Guyu, paused for a moment, then lifted his head to watch Liu Guyu running ahead.

His steps were light and quick, and at one point, he accidentally stepped into a puddle, splashing water everywhere and wetting the hem of his clothes. Liu Guyu grimaced and frowned for a second, then quickly lifted his clothes and ran even faster.

Qin Rongshi chuckled softly and quietly followed.

The five of them returned home, where the aroma of food already wafted from the Luo family's kitchen, white smoke rising from the chimney.

"Ah, you're back! We were just talking about you!"

Lin Xingniang stepped out of the kitchen, hurried back inside to fetch a few dry towels, and handed them over to dry their hair.

Lucky ran under the eaves, shaking himself dry vigorously, his butt swaying in circles.

Fortunately, the rain hadn't been heavy—only their hair was damp, and their clothes had caught a few raindrops, but they would dry quickly.

Qin Banban and Luo Maier helped each other dry their hair, then hand in hand, they took the vegetable basket to wash the field moss.

Washing field moss was troublesome—it was small, wrinkled, and covered in sand and mud, requiring several rinses to clean properly.

Luo Maier wasn't the patient type. After washing for just a little while, she grew impatient, gave her spot to Luo Qingzhu, and slipped into the kitchen to sneak some of the freshly fried crispy pork.

Lin Xingniang scowled and wanted to scold her, but considering it was her special day, she held her tongue and simply shooed her out. Luo Maier pouted unhappily as she left, then went to the doghouse and broke up the intimate grooming session between the canine couple, Big Black and Ah Huang.

Big Black gave Luo Maier a reproachful look, and Luo Maier burst into laughter.

The dog was unhappy, but the person was delighted.

...

"Alright, time to eat."

"Mai'er, go change your clothes!"

Rural families didn't stand on ceremony—a girl's coming-of-age ceremony wasn't a grand affair. Those in the village who cherished their daughters would usually prepare a nice meal, invite a few close relatives and neighbors to witness, make the girl a new set of clothes, buy hair ornaments and hairpins, and help her put her hair up in a new style.

Lin Xingniang led her daughter into the room, leaving the kitchen to Cui Lanfang.

Liu Guyu and Luo Qingzhu also went into the kitchen to help, carrying out rice and dishes.

With so many people today, the small kitchen table couldn't seat everyone, so Qin Rongshi moved the large square table into the main room, brought in long benches, and then wiped the table and seats with a damp cloth.

Soon, the food was served, and Luo Maier emerged in her new clothes.

She wore a pale blue and pink dress, looking lively and pretty. Her hair, previously tied in simple twin buns, was now styled up, with a pink floral hair ribbon wrapped around the hair bun.

Lin Xingniang sat in the main seat, with Luo Maier kneeling before her. Luo Maier bowed deeply three times to her mother.

Such a simple gesture brought tears to Lin Xingniang’s eyes. She tearfully pulled Luo Maier up and, while speaking, took out a hairpin wrapped in red cloth.

"Mai'er, today you turn fifteen—from now on, you’re a young woman."

Beneath the red cloth was a wooden hairpin, with two strands of silver-carved wheat flowers wrapped in silver wire at one end—delicate and beautiful.

Lin Xingniang had originally wanted a pure silver hairpin, but the cost was too high, so she compromised on a wooden pin with silver decorations.

"These flowers suit Mai'er’s name perfectly. It would’ve been even prettier if they were yellow, but gold is just too expensive," Lin Xingniang said as she slid the hairpin into her daughter’s hair and helped her up.

Gold—something she'd never even laid eyes on—who could afford that?

Luo Maier gently fingered the wheat ears on the hairpin, eyes bright as she said, "I don’t want gold! I want this one! The silver is beautiful!"

Then she ran to Banban, grabbed her friend’s hand, before excitedly asking, "Banban, is it pretty? Is it pretty?"

Without waiting for Qin Banban’s reply, she rushed over to Luo Qingzhu and asked the same question, making her rounds to ask everyone if it looked good, her excitement still bubbling.

"Alright, that's enough excitement, sit down to eat," Lin Xingniang said, and everyone in the room gradually took their seats.

The meal was quite the spread: braised pork knuckle with kidney beans, chicken stewed with dried bamboo shoots, stir-fried dried tofu with cured meat, lightly sautéed spring broad beans, dried chili peppers with vegetable vines, freshly fried crispy pork... and the fish, shrimp, wild greens, and Nostoc commune brought back by Liu Guyu and the others.

The fish and shrimp, just no longer than a finger, were coated in starch, deep-fried until golden and fragrant, then stir-fried with minced garlic and dried chili peppers.

The wild greens were blanched and made into a cold salad, mixed with garlic paste, scallions, coriander, chili peppers, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar, then drizzled with hot oil to release the aroma. A quick toss with chopsticks completed the dish.

The Nostoc commune was stir-fried with eggs—tender, crisp, and fragrant, coated with the richness of eggs and oil, so delicious it making it perfect with rice. One could easily eat two big bowls.

The meal was full of lively chatter and joy as everyone ate.

The Nostoc commune was stir-fried with eggs—tender, crisp, and fragrant, coated with the richness of eggs and oil, so delicious it making it perfect with rice. One could easily eat two big bowls.

The meal was full of lively chatter and joy as everyone ate.

Author’s note: Extra updates when nutrient solution passes 1,000—already over 900! scattering flower emojis scattering flower emojis

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