Chapter 77 Mountain Home Hearth 77

Chapter 77: A Family Meal in the Mountains

Liu Guyu and Qin Rongshi were oblivious to the events unfolding at the Tian household, returning home in high spirits.

Liu Guyu nimbly hopped off the cart, while Qin Rongshi followed at a leisurely pace. He unhitched the cart from the mule, led the animal into its shed, and tossed a handful of fresh fodder into the stone trough.

After these tasks, he turned to see Liu Guyu bending over by the drainage ditch, scooping water from a jar to wash his hands.

"We haven't had fish in ages! I bought a big, fat one today. Let's make a pot of spicy green peppercorn fish tonight and really feast!"

He spoke to Qin Rongshi while washing his hands, swirling them in the water jar before shaking them dry. Droplets slid down his fingers, his ten slender, glistening digits shimmering in the sunlight.

Liu Guyu flicked the water from his hands, tilted his head towards Qin Rongshi, and asked, "Hey, you brat, I'm talking to you! What are you daydreaming about?"

Qin Rongshi cleared his throat, quickly averting his gaze. He nodded, saying, "Oh, anything, anything you decide is fine."

Just then, Cui Lanfang and Qin Banban emerged from the kitchen.

"Oh, you're finally back! The rice is cooked, and the fish is prepared. We were just waiting for you two!"

It was Cui Lanfang who spoke. She had recovered significantly, and with their family's improved fortunes, she was in good spirits daily. Her complexion was rosy, and she looked much younger.

Before leaving, Liu Guyu had asked Cui Lanfang and Qin Banban to start the rice and prepare the fish—cleaning and marinating it—so he could handle the rest upon his return.

A large handful of green peppercorns had been washed and left to dry in a colander. Ginger, garlic, and green and red chilies were also washed and ready.

The green peppercorns, freshly picked from the mountains, were tender and wonderfully fragrant.

Liu Guyu surveyed the ingredients as he tied an apron around his waist. Qin Rongshi, without a word, set down his belongings and entered the kitchen, settling in front of the stove, unmoving.

A large basin of marinated fish was neatly arranged, the slices snowy white.

They had chosen a nearly four-pound green carp—plump, with few bones—perfect for boiling, grilling, or frying. Cui Lanfang's knife skills were excellent; she had deboned and sliced the fish along the spine, producing thin, almost translucent fillets.

Liu Guyu heated oil in the wok and began stir-frying the seasonings.

For fish, a blend of lard and vegetable oil yielded the most fragrant results. He first poured tea seed oil from the jar, and once it was hot, added a dollop of creamy white lard. When the oil was sufficiently hot, he began stir-frying: first, a large spoonful of fermented broad bean paste to release its red oil, then diced green and red chilies, dried chilies, ginger, garlic, and scallions, sautéing them until fragrant.

The aroma was intense, especially the chilies—pungent and overpowering, filling the entire room and making eyes water and mouths drool.

The spatula clanged against the wok, and the fragrance grew richer. Once the aroma was fully developed, he poured in a large ladle of water, brought it to a boil, added the fish head and bones, covered the pot to simmer for a while, and then added the fish slices.

The fish slices were thin; once the red broth boiled, they needed only a quick dip before being scooped out. Overcooking would make the fish tough and crumbly.

Liu Guyu added all the fish slices, gripping a large strainer and watching the pot closely. As soon as the slices curled and cooked through, he scooped them out.

The four-pound green carp filled a large basin, steaming and fragrant with spicy aroma—enough to make anyone’s mouth water.

Qin Banban, for one, was nearly drooling. The weather was warm now, and she had been inside making mosquito-repellent sachets to sell in town during the Dragon Boat Festival.

The young girl loved tinkering, and Liu Guyu naturally didn’t stop her. He encouraged her to experiment freely and take her creations to town to see if shops selling sachets and handkerchiefs would buy them.

Banban had been working diligently, but the aroma of the spicy green peppercorn fish lured her out. She now leaned over the kitchen counter, eagerly asking, "Is it ready? Is it ready? Can we eat yet?"

Liu Guyu replied, "Just a bit longer. We still need to pour the hot oil."

He spread green peppercorns, minced garlic, coriander, and scallions over the fish. In the wok, hot oil was heating, already steaming.

"Banban, step back! I’m pouring the oil now!"

He warned Banban to move aside, then ladled the hot oil and poured it over the fish.

A sizzling sound erupted immediately as the scalding oil hit, releasing the fragrance of the green peppercorns and intensifying the aroma. The oil seeped into the broth, and when the top layer of seasonings was pushed aside with chopsticks, the oil-glazed fish slices looked even more vibrant and appetizing.

"Time to eat!"

Liu Guyu called out, carrying the large basin of spicy green peppercorn fish out of the kitchen.

The table and stools were already set up in the yard, and bowls and chopsticks were laid out.

It was May, and the weather was gradually warming. The kitchen had just been used for cooking, and eating inside would have made everyone sweat profusely. So lately, they preferred eating in the yard. By now, the sun had mostly set, and the yard was cool. Eating fish while enjoying a gentle breeze was utterly comfortable.

Cui Lanfang had steamed the rice, but everyone was so focused on the fish that no one went to serve the rice—they were all too busy eating the fish.

Liu Guyu had prepared four cups of perilla drink in bamboo containers, which paired perfectly with the spicy fish, making the meal even more enjoyable.

"This fish is so satisfying—spicy and numbing!" Cui Lanfang remarked.

Cui Lanfang didn’t often eat spicy food, but this time her lips were red and her tongue tingled from the heat. Yet she couldn’t stop, taking bite after bite.

Liu Guyu ate while asking, "Banban, was this perilla also picked from Little Flow Mountain?"

Qin Banban was too busy devouring the fish to speak, so she just nodded at Liu Guyu.

Liu Guyu asked again, "Is there a lot on the mountain? Come with me tomorrow to pick more. I’m thinking of making perilla paste to sell at the stall."

Qin Banban finally looked up and replied, "Sure! There’s plenty on the eastern slope. The sunlight there is good, so the perilla grows well!"

They agreed and happily continued eating.

The four of them finished the large basin of fish, but the rice in the steamer remained untouched.

Cui Lanfang murmured, "Ah, I shouldn’t have cooked so much rice."

After washing the dishes, the family sat in the yard to digest and chat.

Qin Rongshi had brought gifts from his trip and now took them out one by one.

They were all accessories: a pair of bronze earrings wrapped in red cloth for his mother, Cui Lanfang. The design was simple yet elegant, perfectly suited for a woman of Cui Lanfang’s age. Cui Lanfang had pierced ears, but after the family’s fortunes declined, her jewelry had long been pawned, leaving her ears bare.

Half the money for the gifts came from Qin Rongshi’s savings, and the other half from his earnings copying books with Li Anyuan.

His handwriting was excellent, and he received more work than Li Anyuan, who had introduced him to the job. But Li Anyuan never envied him; instead, he always praised Qin Rongshi and asked for advice on improving his calligraphy.

Qin Rongshi handed the earrings to Cui Lanfang and said, "Your son’s abilities are still limited now, but in the future, I’ll definitely get you gold or jade jewelry."

Cui Lanfang was delighted, smiling broadly as she accepted the earrings and immediately tried them on.

She said, "Wonderful! My son is so filial!"

Qin Rongshi kept his word and later indeed presented Cui Lanfang with more expensive and exquisite jewelry, but she wore these bronze earrings the most.

Seeing her mother receive a gift, Qin Banban tilted her head and eagerly called out, "Brother, what about me? What about me?"

She had already seen there were more nice things in her second brother’s bundle!

Qin Rongshi smiled and promptly took out a pair of silk flowers.

They were called silk flowers, but they weren’t actually made of silk. They were green-white hydrangea flowers, with copper wires attaching two blue butterflies—one large, one small—and two emerald green ribbons in the middle.

The material was modest, but the exquisite craftsmanship was undeniable. Qin Banban couldn't take her eyes off them!

"Such beautiful hair flowers!"

"I love them! Thank you, Second Brother!"

Qin Banban held them as if they were treasures, eagerly swapping out her old hair flowers and tilting her head to ask Cui Lanfang, "Ma! Do they look good?"

The little girl was thrilled and overjoyed, and even Liu Guyu couldn't help laughing.

He mimicked Qin Banban's tone, tilting his head to look at Qin Rongshi and putting on a playful, high-pitched voice: "Second Brother, what about me! What about me!"

Qin Rongshi hesitated, not answering immediately.

Seeing his expression, Liu Guyu dropped the act, pouting as he asked, "Qin Rongshi! Don't tell me I got nothing!"

Qin Rongshi finally looked up at him, slowly pulling a long strip of cloth from inside his robe and answered softly, "There is something."

It was white with blue patterns, printed with pale green willow branches. The branch patterns were subtly traced with gold thread; it shimmered in the sunlight. At the end, three small, delicate brass bells dangled.

Qin Banban exclaimed, "Wow! It's a hair tie!"

Liu Guyu wasn't fond of putting his hair up with pins.

He still wasn't used to using wooden hairpins. He had reluctantly learned to tie his hair up, but it never held well—it might come undone halfway through work. He found it troublesome and preferred tying his hair with a hair tie.

He stared at the item in Qin Rongshi's hand, immediately breaking into a smile and happily saying, "Not bad! You remembered, knowing I prefer hair ties!"

Qin Banban, however, said regretfully, "It would've been even prettier if it were embroidered!"

But Liu Guyu shook his head and said, "The print is nice too! Simple and elegant—I like it this way. Second Brother put thought into it."

The fabric felt smooth to the touch, better than the material used for Banban's hair flowers. If it had been embroidered, it would likely have been more expensive. Liu Guyu mused.

At that moment, he wasn't about to agree with Banban's comment—he had to consider the young man's pride.

He assumed Qin Rongshi was strapped for cash. Buying three gifts at once was already a lot, and there might not have been enough left for an embroidered hair tie.

But Liu Guyu was completely mistaken.

This wasn't a hair tie—it was a forehead ribbon.

If a forehead ribbon were embroidered, it might be rough on the skin when worn. So, even among wealthy young men in town, forehead ribbons were often printed rather than embroidered.

Such intimate items were usually bought quietly by the young men themselves, given by their mothers or fathers, or given by husbands to their partners.

In short, they were gifts only given between close loved ones.

Naturally, Qin Rongshi couldn't explain in front of his mother and sister that this wasn't a hair tie but a forehead ribbon.

He hadn't planned to say anything initially. Even if Liu Guyu used it as a hair tie, it was fine—it made him happy just to see Liu Guyu use it.

But that secret, unspoken feeling had already taken root in his heart, sprouting and breaking through the soil and gravel, pushing its way out stubbornly.

It wasn't just sprouting—it was going to bloom.

And it was beyond his control.

*

The next day, Liu Guyu took Banban and Qin Rongshi to Xiaoliu Mountain to pick perilla leaves.

Indeed, as Qin Banban had said, there were plenty of perilla plants on the mountain, growing in dense thickets, one patch right next to another, some even reaching up to Liu Guyu’s waist.

Perilla is truly a wonderful ingredient—it can be stir-fried, served cold, used to brew tea, or mixed into meat sauces. There are many ways to prepare it, each with its own delicious appeal.

All three of them carried bamboo baskets on their backs, only heading down after filling their baskets completely.

Yet even after filling three baskets, the mountainside still appeared covered in dense patches of purplish-red, dotted across the slopes—a striking sight amidst the green leaves.

On their way down, they happened to run into Qiao Huilan and Zhou Qiaozhi.

The two women had a good relationship and were often seen together—going to the market, foraging for mushrooms, or picking wild vegetables.

Today, they had also come to Xiaoliu Mountain to gather perilla leaves, carrying empty baskets as they made their way up.

Zhou Qiaozhi spotted the three of them, raised her eyebrows, and with a cold expression, began to scold:

“Do you really think this mountain belongs to your Qin family? Last year, your family picked all the peaches from the mountain and cut down all the bamboo to make those worthless bamboo tubes! And now you’re back picking so much perilla! Have you stripped the whole mountain clean?”

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Author’s note: I only realized after writing that Sichuan pepper should have been quite expensive in ancient times... Oh well, never mind.

(I passed by the market this morning and saw someone selling fresh peppercorns—they smelled so fragrant, it made my mouth water. Now I’m making all of you crave them too!)