Chapter 19

Jiang Tiantian lowered her head, intoxicated by the earthy aroma of the matsutake mushroom. The unique scent brought back memories of its fresh, sashimi-like taste.

She swallowed her saliva.

With the expression of a cunning wolf in disguise, she caressed the matsutake in her hands.

“Little darling, once we get back, I’ll turn you into sashimi.”

“And then— chomp! —I’ll eat you in one bite!”

“Hahaha~”

Cough. Cha Jiuzhang was amused by Jiang Tiantian’s little foodie act.

He glanced up at the sky. The sun had already passed its peak.

“Are you hungry? Want to eat something?”

“You only had one steamed bun this morning.”

“Mm, okay.”

She hadn’t felt it before, but now that he mentioned it, the scent of the matsutake had awakened her appetite.

The two of them found a spacious spot, sat cross-legged on the ground, and prepared to eat.

Cha Jiuzhang took out flatbreads and dried meat from his basket.

Jiang Tiantian peeked into his basket.

At the bottom, there was only a thin layer of matsutake.

Feeling proud, she pulled over her own small basket and showed off her morning’s harvest to Cha Jiuzhang.

Cha Jiuzhang glanced at her smug expression and, as if casually, asked, “You seem to be having particularly good luck today?”

Though she had a bit of an unfair advantage, Jiang Tiantian felt no guilt at all.

She had always been a queen—confident and radiant.

“Of course! I am the goddess of luck herself!”

“Stick with me, and you’ll never go hungry!”

Cha Jiuzhang chuckled at her strange yet amusing words.

“Mm, sticking with you means getting to eat well.”

“Now, let’s eat some meat first.”

As he spoke, he handed her a piece of dried meat.

Jiang Tiantian took it, tore off a large chunk with her teeth, and chewed vigorously.

“Mm, this jerky is so good! The more I chew, the tastier it gets. What kind of meat is this?”

“This is yak jerky, homemade by the village herders.”

“When traveling, bringing a few pieces along is perfect—it’s high in calories and very filling.”

For the past two days, Jiang Tiantian had been curious about something.

In her understanding, a remote mountain village like this should be very poor.

But Cha Family Village looked poor—yet not that poor.

It looked poor—

Because the villagers’ clothing was obviously very plain. Most wore dark blue or gray, old and worn, with some even patched up.

Each household had a large home, but the furniture and belongings inside were simple.

Yet, they weren’t that poor—

Because the villagers appeared well-fed and healthy. Their complexions were rosy, their hair thick and black. No one looked malnourished or sickly.

In fact, the people here were generally quite tall. The men were strong and well-built, while the women were plump and full-figured.

All of this indicated that they had plenty to eat, with no lack of nutrition.

For this time period, that was highly unusual.

Even many city dwellers struggled to get enough food, let alone proper nutrition.

Following the principle of “ask without shame,” Jiang Tiantian voiced her curiosity.

Cha Jiuzhang understood her thoughts well.

This was how most people viewed small mountain villages—they should be poor and struggling.

As he tore into his dried meat, he explained at a leisurely pace.

“The land around Cha Family Village is actually quite unique.”

“Just look at these endless rolling mountains and dense forests—you can tell the land is rich in resources.”

“Down the mountain, there are vast fertile fields for farming, so they never lack grain or vegetables.”

“The village’s chickens and ducks are free-range in the valleys. Whenever they want meat, they just go catch one.”

“Beyond the mountains, there are many traditional nomadic tribes who have been herding for generations. Over time, the villagers learned from them and started their own pastures, raising cattle and sheep. So, there’s never a shortage of meat, milk, or other dairy products.”

“The only downside is that it’s too remote. In the past, traveling to the city meant riding a horse over the mountains, taking an entire day just to get there.”

“So, while the villagers don’t lack food, they do lack clothing and other goods. The resources from the mountains couldn’t be sold, and they had little cash.”

“In the past, when the outside world was chaotic, this place—isolated and self-sufficient—became something of a hidden paradise.”

“But now that things have improved, many young people actually want to venture out.”

Jiang Tiantian nodded in agreement.

“These are great times. The country needs talent in all industries, and there are so many opportunities out there. Young people should go explore and see the world.”

Cha Jiuzhang chuckled and ruffled her hair.

“Little girl, you talk like an old man.”

Jiang Tiantian glared at him, pretending to be fierce.

Are your hands even clean?

Just casually touching my head like that!

“I’m just stating the truth!”

“Ordinary people rarely realize when they’re living through historic moments. Many only look back after ten years and understand how special those times were.”

“By the way, have you ever thought about leaving?”

Jiang Tiantian had always felt that it was a shame for Cha Jiuzhang to stay in this little mountain village.

He didn’t seem like someone meant to be confined here.

If he had his own plans, and they didn’t conflict with hers, then maybe they could go further together.

Jiang Tiantian was serious about developing a future with him. She didn’t want their paths to diverge because of different life goals.

Cha Jiuzhang narrowed his striking peach blossom eyes and gazed at her deeply.

It was as if he could see straight through her, into her very soul—the ambition and restless energy burning within. He also sensed her unspoken concerns.

Ignoring her resistance, he reached out and ruffled her hair again.

“Such a young girl, thinking so much already.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t keep you trapped in this little village.”

“Wherever you want to go in the future, I’ll support you.”

“But this place—this will always be our roots. That’s something we can’t forget.”

Jiang Tiantian saw the confidence in his gaze and felt reassured.

“Of course! I like it here too.”

She suddenly jumped up, cupped her hands around her mouth, and shouted towards the tallest snow-capped mountain in the distance:

“Hello, Snow Mountain!”

“Now, I, Jiang Tiantian, solemnly declare—this place is my second home!”

“Snow Mountain, did you hear me?”

“Did you hear me?”

“Yoo-hoo~!”

The towering, majestic snow mountain stood still, like a divine presence watching over the land.

But from another mountain peak, a group of mushroom pickers echoed back—

“Yoo-hoo~!”

Jiang Tiantian burst into laughter, lowering her hands.

After that exhilarating shout, any lingering worries in her heart vanished, leaving her feeling light and refreshed.

She decided—her past life was just an old hometown she could never return to.

From now on,

Jiang Tiantian—

Would start anew from this land beneath her feet.