Chapter 19.1

Ruan Xi put away the wine ticket, picked up the wine gourd, and left the old tailor’s house in high spirits. Her backpack was bulging, filled with peach crisps and the two books she carried every day. She met up with Ruan Jie on the road back to Fengyan Village, and the two of them walked hand in hand to find Ling Yao.

Ling Yao was waiting for them at their usual spot, holding a book he often read. When he saw Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie approaching, he put away his book, stood up, and prepared to continue teaching them.

He hadn’t attended school for many years, having moved to Fengming Mountain with his parents. However, he had already completed junior high school content before moving and continued to study on his own afterward. Self-study was easier for him because his parents could teach him. Whenever he didn’t understand a concept, he asked his parents, who always provided more related knowledge. Thus, his knowledge base was not limited to just junior high and high school levels.

Despite his vast knowledge, he had never been a teacher, so he taught Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie based on his intuition. Whether his teaching methods were effective or not, he didn’t know.

Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie had no experience with teaching methods either, so they didn’t know if he was a good teacher. They were just grateful to have someone to teach them and didn’t complain. They continued to learn, making progress bit by bit.

For Ruan Jie, basic literacy was certainly achievable.

The three of them sat by the stone, and Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie first reviewed and wrote down a poem they had learned the previous day. After reinforcing the content of the previous day, Ling Yao opened the textbook and continued teaching them new material.

Though pretending, Ruan Xi was very serious. She listened carefully to every word Ling Yao said and did not get distracted. After finishing today’s lesson, she finally relaxed her expression and let her mind unwind.

Closing the book, Ruan Xi stood up, stretched her muscles, and then went to her bag to take out a kraft paper package. Turning to Ling Yao and Ruan Jie, she said, “I brought you something delicious today.”

Ruan Jie looked at the kraft paper in her hand and curiously asked, “What’s the treat?”

Ruan Xi kept it a secret and didn’t say, walking closer to Ling Yao and Ruan Jie. She slowly unwrapped the kraft paper, and the aroma of peach crisps wafted out, revealing the golden, sesame-covered pastries bit by bit.

Seeing the peach crisps wrapped in the kraft paper, Ruan Jie blinked and resisted the urge to swallow, asking Ruan Xi, “Sister, where did you get these peach crisps? They’re hard to find, right?”

Ruan Xi smiled without answering, taking the top piece of peach crisp and offering it to Ling Yao.

Ling Yao, naturally feeling a bit embarrassed to always eat her treats, especially since they were never ordinary or cheap, couldn’t resist her gaze and obediently took it.

After Ling Yao took the first piece, Ruan Xi gave the second piece to Ruan Jie and kept the third piece for herself.

The three sat side by side on the stone, enjoying the crispy, sweet peach crisps together, watching the sun sink lower in the western sky, slowly painting the azure sky with vibrant colors.

After eating half a peach crisp and satisfying her long-standing craving for snacks, Ruan Xi turned to Ruan Jie and said, “Tomorrow, I’m going down to the commune. Do you want to come with me for a bit of fun?”

“To the commune?” Ruan Jie was slightly taken aback. “Why are you suddenly going to the commune?”

Ruan Xi took a bite of the peach crisp. “Master is craving wine and asked me to get him half a pound of it. I also want to stroll around the town. Being stuck on this mountain every day is suffocating. Don’t you want to go?”

Ruan Jie hesitated for a moment while eating the peach crisp, then looked at Ruan Xi and honestly said, “Not really.”

She remembered a previous trip to the commune with Ruan Xi and Liu Xinghua to visit her third aunt. They had walked for two days, crying along the way, almost collapsing from exhaustion. The experience was so unpleasant that she remembered it vividly. Unless necessary, she didn’t want to go.

But there are always exceptions. She looked at Ruan Xi and said, “But I can accompany you.”

Ruan Xi shook her head. “No need. If you don’t want to go for fun and are just going to accompany me, that’s no fun. If you start crying halfway, saying you don’t want to go anymore, I’ll have to take care of you.”

Before Ruan Jie could respond, Ling Yao suddenly said, “Can I go?”

Ruan Xi turned to him, “Do you want to go?”

Ling Yao nodded, “Yes.”

Ruan Xi smiled at him, “Alright, let’s go together.”

As the sun set over the mountain peaks, it was about time to head home. Ruan Xi, Ruan Jie, and Ling Yao packed up their things and, after feeding the pigs, headed back to the village.

Halfway home, they parted ways. Ling Yao drove the pigs back to the stilt house while Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie returned to their own home.

At home, Ling Yao put the pigs back in their pen, went inside, put down his backpack, washed his hands, and started cooking. For dinner, he cooked rice porridge with three corn buns and some side dishes.

Ling Zhiyuan and Zhou Xueyun returned from work, washed their hands, and ate the ready-made meal.

Back home, Zhou Xueyun talked a bit more, but Ling Zhiyuan mainly remained silent, as if he had used up all his words in the city. But there wasn’t much to say, so most of the time was spent in silence.

Ling Yao had long adapted to the atmosphere at home, from initial repression to numbness. But recently, his life had gained some new colors, and he couldn’t help but want to break free from the large swathes of gray in his life.

So, after finishing his meal and putting down his bowl, he lowered his head and said, “Mom, I want to go down to the commune tomorrow.”

Zhou Xueyun was taken aback, “Why are you going to the commune?”

Since coming to Fengming Mountain for several years, Ling Yao has always been very obedient, never causing any trouble for his parents. He hadn’t even visited the nearby villages, let alone the distant commune.

Ling Yao said, “It’s too stifling on the mountain. I want to get some fresh air and see the outside world.”

Zhou Xueyun stared at him, her voice still gentle, “With whom?”

Ling Yao glanced at Zhou Xueyun’s eyes briefly before lowering his gaze again, not answering.

After a moment of silence, Zhou Xueyun speculated, “Secretary Ruan’s granddaughter?”

She knew that Ling Yao had recently been in contact with a girl. He had carried her back from the mountain valley, and later, the girl had brought him eggs and milk candies. If he was interacting with someone, it was most likely her.

Ling Yao, with his head down and lips pursed, remained silent, which was an implicit confirmation.

Zhou Xueyun shifted her gaze to the old wooden wall, took a deep breath, and after a moment, said in a very low, gentle, yet firm voice, “You are not allowed to go.”

Though softly spoken, it was not open to debate.

Ling Yao still kept his head down, not speaking, his fingers lightly rubbing together.

Zhou Xueyun looked at him for a while longer, then continued softly, “How far have you gotten with her? Didn’t I tell you not to get too close to the villagers? Too many people, too much gossip, too many troubles. You promised me.”

Ling Yao lifted his gaze to look at her and said after a moment, “I want to go.”

Zhou Xueyun instantly furrowed her brows, staring intently at Ling Yao, “Ling Yao? What did you say?”

Ling Yao’s gaze was firm and unwavering, “She is my only friend here.”

“Friend!” Zhou Xueyun suddenly seemed agitated, slamming the table and raising her voice, “After everything our family has been through, you still believe there are true friends in this world? Friends who only stab you in the back!”

Ling Yao confronted Zhou Xueyun, “She isn’t.”

Zhou Xueyun’s carefully maintained facade of calm and composure was about to crumble. Not wanting to lose control in front of Ling Zhiyuan and Ling Yao, she lowered her head, bit her lip, and left the room just as she was about to lose her temper.

Ling Zhiyuan put down his chopsticks, took a deep breath, and followed her out. He went down the wooden steps and followed her silhouette.

Zhou Xueyun sat on a rock, letting the evening breeze brush her face. Her short hair swept across her cheeks, and her expression was serene. She had endured all kinds of hardships over the years, swallowing them down, and there was nothing she couldn’t digest.

Ling Zhiyuan sat beside her, accompanying her in the evening breeze.

After a long while, Ling Zhiyuan finally spoke, his voice calm, “If he wants to go, let him go. He hasn’t been anywhere for so many years, always confined to this place. Let him go out and get some fresh air.”

Zhou Xueyun remained silent, her eyes slightly squinted against the breeze.

Ling Zhiyuan continued, “He came here with us when he was nine, and now he’s thirteen. Are we really going to keep him from interacting with anyone for his entire life? Aren’t you afraid he’ll get sick from being so repressed? He’s still a child.”

Zhou Xueyun blinked against the wind, her fingers subconsciously tightening.

She was an adult, educated and thoughtful, fully aware of how hard Ling Yao’s life had been over the years. He was her son; of course, she cared for him and wanted him to live a carefree life.

She was scared! She didn’t dare!

Ling Zhiyuan reached over to hold Zhou Xueyun’s hand, trying to comfort her, “It’s rare for him to make a friend. He knows better than us if it’s genuine. Let’s not worry so much, okay?”

Zhou Xueyun didn’t say anything. She let go of his hand and got up to leave.

After four years on Fengming Mountain, this was the first time Ling Yao had made Zhou Xueyun angry. Lying on the makeshift wooden bed at night, listening to the sounds of Ling Zhiyuan and Zhou Xueyun turning over and their breathing, he couldn’t fall asleep. He didn’t feel any regret or reflection, thinking he shouldn’t have been so willful about wanting to go down to the commune, knowing it would make Zhou Xueyun angry, and still insisting on it.

He was still determined—he had to be friends with Ruan Xi.

From the age of nine until now, these four years, his life had always been gray, so gray that he didn’t feel alive at all. He was like a walking corpse, not smiling or talking, not reacting even when bullied or beaten.

It was only recently, after meeting Ruan Xi, that he started to smile, and his dark life began to have some color. She was like a sun, radiating light, and just looking at her made him happy.

He was still young, having endured so much suffering in silence without shedding a single tear, which was already beyond what he could bear at his age. Deep down, he longed to live as freely as other kids his age.

Other kids his age were just living in poverty, but he was suffering inside and out.

The wind blew over the roof, the fat pig turned over, and Ling Yao took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He went to bed late but still got up early the next morning.

Ling Zhiyuan and Zhou Xueyun got up even earlier. Zhou Xueyun was behind the stove making breakfast, while Ling Zhiyuan stood by the chicken coop outside, feeding the chickens with a broken porcelain bowl.

Ling Yao rubbed his eyes to wake up and went to scoop water to wash up. After washing up, he sat down to eat. The three of them ate in silence, and the only sounds were chopsticks hitting the bowls and the crisp sound of biting into pickled vegetables. After eating, Zhou Xueyun immediately collected the bowls to wash, and Ling Yao didn’t have time to help.

Ling Yao thought Zhou Xueyun was probably still angry, but he didn’t apologize. He turned to his bed to get his backpack, but he found something stuffed inside when he reached it. Curious, he bent down, opened the flap, and reached in.

As his fingers touched the items inside, he heard Zhou Xueyun say, “I packed some food for the road and a few clean clothes. Some parts of the mountain path are difficult, so be careful. Have fun at the commune.”

Ling Yao’s fingers froze, and he turned to look at Zhou Xueyun.

Zhou Xueyun put away the washed dishes, wiped her hands with an apron, took it off, and walked over to Ling Yao. She picked up the backpack, put it on his shoulders, and adjusted his clothes.

After fixing his clothes, she took a deep breath, her eyes and voice gentle, “Have a good time.”

Ling Yao suddenly felt a pang in his heart, and his eyes reddened.

Zhou Xueyun smiled gently, took out fifty cents and some food tickets from her pocket, and put them in his hand, saying, “Your dad and I don’t have much, but take this and buy yourself something nice at the commune.”

Ling Yao didn’t take the money, his voice hoarse, “I don’t need money.”

Zhou Xueyun put the money in his pocket, “You’re going out with a girl, and you expect her to pay? It’s a rare outing; don’t think about saving money.”

Ling Yao didn’t take the money out again, looking at Zhou Xueyun, “Thank you, Mom.”

Zhou Xueyun patted his head, “Hurry up and go.”

Ling Yao nodded, ran out the door with his backpack, and jumped down the steps, running far away.

Ling Zhiyuan called after him, “Be careful on the road.”

Ling Yao’s voice echoed on the hillside, “Got it, Dad!”

Sure thing! Here’s the translation:

After breakfast, Ruan Xi packed some food and a few clothes into her backpack. She also took an old military canteen from home, filled it with warm water, and slung it over her shoulder.

Liu Xinghua saw her packing and asked, “Why are you taking all that to the old tailor’s house?”

If they didn’t give her lunch, she could just come back to eat. Did they not even allow her to drink water?

Ruan Xi hadn’t mentioned her plan to go to town, and Ruan Jie hadn’t said anything either, so she explained to Liu Xinghua, “The old tailor is craving wine and asked me to go to the commune to get him half a pound. It will take me four or five days to go and come back.”

Liu Xinghua was stunned, furrowing her brows, “To the commune?”

“Yes,” Ruan Xi nodded. “I also feel a bit stifled and want to go down the mountain for a bit. I can also visit my third aunt. Do you have any messages for her? I can pass them along.”

Liu Xinghua instinctively replied, “What do I have to say? Just check if she’s doing well.”

Realizing she had missed the point, she quickly asked, “Is Xiao Jie going with you? Why didn’t you say earlier? If you had, I would have asked your fifth uncle to take you. You’ve never gone to the commune by yourself, and the mountain path is difficult. Can you manage? If not, I’ll go find your fifth uncle at the construction site and ask him to take you. That would put my mind at ease.”

Ruan Xi held Liu Xinghua’s hand, “It’s fine. There’s only one path to the commune, so I won’t get lost. I’ve been to my third aunt’s house with you before, and I remember the way. Plus, I’m not going alone; someone is coming with me. Don’t worry.”

Liu Xinghua was still concerned, “Who?”

Ruan Xi replied, “The son of the family living in the stilt house.”

“The boy from the city?”

“Yes,” Ruan Xi nodded.

Liu Xinghua thought for a moment, “He’s only been here a few years. He’s not as familiar with the mountain as you are.”

Ruan Xi smiled at her, “But he also came up the mountain path.”

She patted Liu Xinghua’s hand, “Don’t worry. I’m fourteen, not four. I can definitely find the commune.”