Chapter 97 Mountain Home Hearth 97

Chapter 97: Mountain Hearth

On the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, the Double Ninth Festival.

Liu Guyu, Qin Rongshi, and Qin Banban journeyed to Red Plum Village.

Qin Rongshi must have informed Li Anyuan in advance, for when their mule cart arrived at Red Plum Village, Li Anyuan was already waiting at the village entrance.

"Classmate Qin, over here!"

Li Anyuan had been standing at the entrance for an unknown duration, a thin layer of sweat dampening his collar. Upon seeing Qin Rongshi and the others, he immediately waved with excitement.

Red Plum Village, situated at a higher elevation than Shanghe Village, offered cooler temperatures, truly embodying the crisp autumn air—a time of golden winds and jade-like dew.

Like Shanghe Village, the residents of Red Plum Village were engrossed in the autumn harvest, diligently reaping rice.

Occasionally, half-grown children could be seen scurrying through the fields with baskets, gathering stray grain ears. In every household’s courtyard, grains and beans were spread out, gleaming golden under the sun. Sparrows would periodically descend to peck at them, only to be promptly chased away by the old dogs kept in the yards.

"Let’s go quickly," Li Anyuan urged warmly. "My mother and sister-in-law have already prepared a meal, just waiting for your arrival! Eat your fill before we head up the mountain to pick fruit!"

Villagers typically consumed two meals a day: breakfast and an evening meal.

It was solely due to the impending guests, and her son’s mention of close academy classmates, that Mother Li, assisted by her eldest daughter-in-law, had prepared a lavish lunch.

Upon entering the village, Qin Rongshi halted the mule cart. Liu Guyu and Qin Banban dismounted and walked side-by-side along the road.

Liu Guyu glanced around, observing that while both were villages, Red Plum Village and Shanghe Village possessed distinct differences.

Red Plum Village was perched higher, encircled by mountains on all sides—towering peaks adorned with abundant trees. The dwellings nestled amidst the dark, verdant mountains, making "entering the village" feel almost indistinguishable from "entering the mountains."

The fields in these mountainous regions were even steeper, terraced precariously on the slopes. Some were planted with corn, others with sesame or beans. Farmers were already toiling there from early morning.

Liu Guyu cast a glance, then addressed Li Anyuan, "Auntie is too kind. A simple meal would have sufficed for us."

As he spoke, he retrieved two packages of sugar cakes, wrapped in oiled paper, from a bamboo basket on the cart. He then presented them to Li Anyuan, saying, "Today is the Double Ninth Festival, so we made Double Ninth cakes at home. Please take these for your little sister and young nephew."

Li Anyuan had a nephew, approximately three years old, affectionately nicknamed "Yuanbao." Each time Li Anyuan returned home during breaks, he would bring small treats for his sister and nephew.

Li Anyuan accepted the gift with pleasant surprise, nodding repeatedly. "Brother Liu’s culinary skill must be exceptional."

Liu Guyu, however, chuckled and replied, "Your sister-in-law’s cooking is also excellent! Last time, during the farming break in May, when you visited, didn’t you bring preserved vegetables made by your sister-in-law? There were pickled radishes, sour cucumbers, and spicy pickled cabbage… The flavor was truly delightful. Everyone at home loved it!"

Liu Guyu was a skilled cook, capable of making any preserved vegetable. Li Anyuan, assuming he was merely being polite, laughed along. "My sister-in-law’s cooking is indeed superb. My mother often praises her too."

Having said this, he turned to look at Qin Rongshi, noticing Qin Rongshi extending a hastily tied bouquet towards him.

It was a mix of chrysanthemums and dogwood—a tradition for the Double Ninth Festival involved admiring chrysanthemums and wearing dogwood. However, it was the peak of the busy farming season, and villagers were preoccupied with fieldwork. Who had the leisure to ascend heights and admire flowers?

Thus, Li Anyuan had only encountered the "Double Ninth Festival" in poetry. In reality, when the day arrived, he had completely forgotten about it.

Li Anyuan was momentarily stunned before regaining his composure and accepting the bouquet. He laughed heartily. "Excellent! Going up the mountain to pick fruit this afternoon will certainly count as ascending high and fitting the occasion!"

Amidst the laughter, the group arrived at the Li family home.

The Qin family had once enjoyed prosperity. Though their courtyard was aged, it was spacious and bright, with all the necessary rooms.

The Li family, however, presented a different picture. Their house was low-slung, constructed with rammed earth walls that, after years of wind and rain, had developed deep, furrow-like cracks, their color shifting from earthy yellow to grayish-brown.

The thatched roof, however, was thick and golden, appearing to have been recently replaced.

Hearing the commotion outside, everyone inside emerged to greet them.

"Ah, these must be my second son’s good schoolmates! Please come in, please come in!"

The speaker was a simply dressed woman—Li Anyuan’s mother. She was roughly the same age as Cui Lanfang but bore the weathered appearance of someone in her fifties.

Li Anyuan turned his head and explained with a smile, "I’m the second child, so everyone at home calls me ‘Xiao Er’ (Little Two)."

Liu Guyu couldn’t help but chuckle, secretly thinking: Fortunately, the third child is a girl, so everyone calls her ‘Little Sister.’ Otherwise, the nickname ‘Xiao San’ (Little Three) wouldn’t sound very pleasant.

Thinking of his little sister, Li Maidong darted out from the kitchen. She greeted them first, then her eyes lit up upon seeing Qin Banban standing close to Liu Guyu. She scurried over, softly calling out, "Sister Banban."

At that moment, a small, three-headed-tall child tumbled out, embracing Li Anyuan’s leg and calling out in a childish voice, "Little Uncle."

Li Anyuan introduced his family members one by one, then picked up the little one to coax him for a bit. He then handed the Double Ninth cakes from Liu Guyu to the child, encouraging him to go eat them.

Just as he finished, Sister-in-law Li poked her head out from the kitchen and called out unhappily, "Yuanbao! Don’t eat too many snacks! We’re about to have a meal!"

Sister-in-law Li seemed somewhat displeased and lacked the warmth of the other Li family members. She offered only a polite but distant smile to Liu Guyu and the others.

Li Anyuan felt a pang of embarrassment. When he had visited Qin Rongshi’s home, the entire Qin family had extended a warm welcome. But when Qin Rongshi brought his family over, the treatment was different, which made Li Anyuan feel very apologetic.

However, Li Anyuan knew his sister-in-law’s dissatisfaction was directed at him.

Because the family had expended considerable funds to support his studies, and he was unable to assist with farm work, Sister-in-law Li harbored some resentment.

Nevertheless, Li Anyuan was aware that his sister-in-law possessed a sharp tongue but a kind heart. She might grumble, but she never shirked her duties.

Today, upon hearing he was bringing friends home, she had grumbled a few complaints but still counted out some coins to purchase half a pound of meat from the village butcher to treat the guests.

Liu Guyu and the others didn’t particularly perceive Sister-in-law Li’s coolness. While she wasn’t as effusive as the others, she wasn't openly unfriendly either. They simply attributed it to her personality.

Everyone settled down to rest for a while. Father Li and Elder Brother Li were immensely curious about Qin Rongshi, having clearly heard from Li Anyuan that he was the top student at the academy, who had passed the Student Scholar examination at merely ten years old!

Though Qin Rongshi also possessed two eyes and one mouth, both father and son regarded him as a rare and fascinating spectacle.

"I heard from my Xiao Er that your studies are exceptionally good!"

"Passed the Student Scholar examination at ten? Impressive! My younger brother only passed last year!"

Qin Rongshi answered each question. Li Maidong pulled Banban aside for a whispered conversation, then went inside to bring out hot water and a plate of washed rouge plums.

The rouge plums were large, with thin skin and thick flesh. Their skin was a mix of green and red, and they possessed a rich fruity aroma with a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity.

Father Li urged them to eat and inquired, "These are from our own trees. I heard from Xiao Er that you came to pick fruit? Ah, we’re all family here—help yourselves to as much as you want later!"

This was merely polite conversation. It wasn’t about picking one or two to sample; Liu Guyu had brought two large bamboo baskets and required a substantial quantity! How could they truly take without paying?

Moreover, Li Anyuan had mentioned that every year during the fruit season, his family would pick the fruit to sell in town. The remainder was used to brew plum wine, which was then sold to wine shops and restaurants.

This constituted an annual source of income for the people of Red Plum Village. They could only earn money from this for one month each year. How could Liu Guyu have the audacity to take it for free?

He smiled and said, "How could we do that! Even brothers keep accounts clear! Please don’t stand on ceremony, Uncle. We’ll pay the proper price for what we take!"

These words were pleasing to hear. Father Li laughed heartily and declared, "As expected of someone from a scholarly family—your words are so refined!"

Amidst laughter and conversation, lunch was finally prepared and served.

Though described as generous, it was only so by the Li family’s standards.

The Li family was impoverished, consuming meat less than once a month. Today, solely due to the presence of guests, they reluctantly purchased half a pound of meat and stir-fried it with garlic shoots and pickled vegetables to create a dish of Twice-Cooked Pork.

They also prepared a cold tossed young bamboo shoot dish. The tender shoots were blanched, shredded into strips, and mixed with mashed garlic, scallions, coriander, and chili oil—it was deliciously fresh.

Additionally, there was a large pot of assorted soup, brimming with mushrooms, lettuce, potato slices, bamboo shoot slices, and sweet potato noodles, along with egg dumplings filled with a vegetarian stuffing of scallions and bamboo shoot dices.

Though all were vegetable dishes, Li's wife had stir-fried the ingredients with some special seasoning. The red, gleaming chili oil emitted a numbing, spicy, and fragrant aroma. On top, she sprinkled a handful of minced pickled radish and chopped pickled cowpeas, then added a layer of bright green scallions before pouring over a ladle of sizzling hot oil, making the aroma even more enticing.

Mrs. Li first served rice to the three guests and helped them with portions of meat and vegetables.

Liu Guyu observed that the rice cooked in the pot was only enough for three people. The Li family had to eat coarse rice mixed with corn and rough flour. The sole plate of Twice-Cooked Pork was placed near the guests, and the large pot contained only three egg dumplings, all of which were given to them by Mrs. Li.

She smiled apologetically and said, "We don’t have much to offer at home, but please don’t mind it. Eat more!"

Liu Guyu never lacked meat at home, enjoying a variety of cooking methods—fried, boiled, steamed, or deep-fried. One day it might be stewed pork bones, the next day chicken soup. Since his family was no longer short of money, he had never deprived himself of good food.

Now, observing the Li family, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness.

He transferred the meat from his bowl to the little child who was almost drooling with desire, placed the only egg dumpling into Li's younger daughter’s bowl, and finally said, "Sister-in-law, your cooking is so good. Have you ever considered setting up a food stall in town?"

His earlier comment to Li Anyuan about Li's wife’s pickled vegetables being tasty wasn’t just politeness—he genuinely meant it!

Liu Guyu never underestimated the skills of people in this era. The Bamboo and Fern Wonton sold at the East Market was delicious, the tofu pudding made by the couple at the neighboring stall was tender and flavorful, and even Lin Xingniang’s flatbread was exceptionally tasty.

Having only tried Li's wife’s pickled vegetables, Liu Guyu found them rich in flavor, no less impressive than those sold at food stalls.

But the Li family was taken aback by his suggestion, as they had never considered setting up a stall in town.

Mrs. Li was even more astonished, exclaiming, "A... a stall?"

Li's wife, who had been somewhat aloof earlier, was suddenly the center of attention. She pointed at herself in surprise and said, "Me?"

Liu Guyu nodded and continued, "Yes. There are many food stalls in the East Market—some taste great, some are just average. Your skills are truly no worse than theirs! This assorted vegetable soup, for example, smells amazing and tastes almost as good as meat! With a broth like this, even boiled shoe soles would be delicious!"

Hearing the last line, everyone at the table couldn’t help but laugh, thinking Liu Guyu was joking.

But Liu Guyu continued seriously, "I think Sister-in-law could sell malatang in town! Skewer the vegetables on bamboo sticks—not too many per skewer. Sell two skewers of vegetables for one copper coin, and one skewer of meat for one copper coin. This broth alone is excellent!"

"For meat, you could make meatballs—fish, shrimp, or pork balls would all work! I’ve noticed Red Plum Village has a river, so fish is cheaper than pork. You could give it a try! You could also make tofu puff stuffed with meat! Tofu skin and dried tofu can be boiled too!"

After that, Liu Guyu taught them how to hand-shape fish balls, prepare tofu puff stuffed with meat, and explained how to simmer the broth for malatang.

However, the broth Li's wife made was already quite good. Combining the two methods and making some improvements would surely make it even better.

Liu Guyu added, "Tofu puffs and dried twisted tofu snacks require a lot of oil, so you can skip them at first. Add them later when you’ve earned some money. Once they soak up the broth, they taste incredible—perfect with malatang. People will definitely love them."

Li's wife was skilled in cooking and didn’t need Liu Guyu to demonstrate. She understood most of the method just by listening.

But she was still doubtful and hesitant, questioning herself, "Will... will this really work?"

Liu Guyu was only making a suggestion. He saw that Li's wife had genuine talent, and given the Li family’s poverty, he believed it was better to teach them how to fish rather than give them a fish. Still, he couldn’t force them to start a stall—it was something the family needed to discuss and decide for themselves.

He said, "I’m just sharing an idea. I have a stall in the East Market, and I’ve seen that many other stalls don’t taste much better than this!"

Though he said it lightly, the expressions on the Li family’s faces showed they were seriously considering it.

Especially Li's wife. She had heard Li Anyuan talk about this "Boss Liu"—how skilled and capable he was! She believed her own cooking was not inferior, and perhaps she really could earn money by setting up a stall. If she succeeded, she might even be able to send Yuan Bao to school!

After the meal, Li Anyuan took them up the mountain to pick fruit.

They stayed on the mountain for over two hours, filling two large baskets before packing up and heading home.

Before leaving, the Li family gifted them a jar of plum wine, saying it was mild and even children could drink it, urging them to take it back and try it.

Liu Guyu didn’t decline. He smiled and accepted it, then got into the cart with Qin Rongshi and his sister, taking the two baskets of rouge plums back to the village.

The autumn day was lush and golden, another day of returning home with a full harvest.