Chapter 20.1

Dahuang was able to walk with a limp so soon, which was entirely inconsistent with medical common sense. Gu Qingchuan took it as a miracle. “I’ll head to the mountains again today. Change your clothes, and we’ll leave after breakfast.”

Jiang Dazheng had also come over, having stayed up all night. He didn’t look as spirited as Gu Qingchuan. He scooped some cold water from Jiang Ci’s water tank to wash his face and wiped it roughly with his sleeve. “Brother Chuan, did you take Grandma Miao to see the doctor? I just went to your yard, and she recognized me!”

Grandma’s eyesight had improved? He hadn’t even noticed.

Gu Qingchuan had been extremely busy lately. He’d return home in the morning just to sleep, often for an entire day. When he woke up, there would be food prepared by Jiang Ci on the stove. Perhaps due to better sleep, he felt more energetic than usual. With Jiang Ci around, both Grandma and his sister seemed to ignore him, so he truly hadn’t realized that his grandmother’s eyesight had improved.

Jiang Ci brought out breakfast, but Gu Qingchuan didn’t even have time to eat. He ran back to his own yard and rushed into his grandmother’s room. “Grandma, your eyesight is better?”

The old lady had gone to bed early and got up early. Although she hadn’t risen yet, she was already awake. “Don’t wake your sister.”

Miao Xiulan lifted the covers and got out of bed. Gu Qingchuan hurried to drape her coat over her. The weather wasn’t too cold, but Grandma seldom went outside, and it was chilly outside.

The old lady stepped out of her room and stood in the yard. Smoke rose from every household’s chimneys as everyone busily prepared breakfast. A few late-arriving sparrows landed in the yard, pecking at the insects on the ground. It was bright outside, and as she looked at her grandson, who needed to stretch his hand to reach her head, the old lady trembled as she reached out to touch him.

“You’re getting more and more like your father; it’s as if you were cast from the same mold.” Miao Xiulan hadn’t clearly seen her eldest grandson’s face for several years, but now she looked carefully. “Your father wasn’t even forty when he died. Brother Chuan, you have to live longer than your father.”

She had lost her husband and her son, and now her only grandson faced many hardships.

Gu Qingchuan lowered his head, biting his lip and unable to speak. The rumors had been circulating for over a decade. The most capable, cultured, and handsome man in the machine factory was said to have had an unrecognizable face when he died. When he passed, Uncle Jian had already sent his father off, and Gu Qingchuan knew Uncle Jian didn’t want him to see his father’s broken body.

For all these years, he had dreamt of the chaotic scene when his father was taken away.

He took a breath. “Grandma, I’ll go get breakfast for you from Xiao Ci.”

“Marry a wife early.” Grandma groped around the yard, familiar with every brick and tile. “It’s nice to see clearly. Marry a wife early, and maybe your life will be longer.”

Gu Qingchuan paused for a moment, not looking back.

Jiang Dazheng was busy making hand-rolled noodles with the broth he had prepared from boiling bones, slurping away without stopping. “Xiao Ci, can you fry me another fried egg?” He had eaten fried eggs before, but none tasted as good as the ones Jiang Ci made. The outside was crispy, and the yolk was still runny inside when he bit down.

Breakfast at Jiang Ci’s home was truly delightful. She was willing to indulge in the bone broth noodles, which explained why Gu Qingchuan seemed more energetic day by day.

Jiang Ci didn’t know Jiang Dazheng had come over to mooch breakfast. The noodles weren’t enough, so she had to steam a few more buns she had made yesterday. “You’ve already had two bowls. Be careful not to stuff yourself,” she said, handing him two more buns.

As she prepared to deliver breakfast next door, Gu Qingchuan intercepted her at the gate. “Grandma can see things clearly now.”

Although her vision hadn’t fully recovered, she could recognize people up close, which was an improvement from before when she had been like a blind person with her eyes open. At least now, she was willing to step outside and take a stroll in the yard.

He spoke softly, “She said I look like my father.”

Gu Zhengchu hadn’t left behind a single photograph; all had been torn up and burned during the family’s persecution that year.

Jiang Ci felt for him. “Brother Chuan, things will get better.”

“Xiao Ci…” The man looked at her, almost saying what was on his mind. He wanted to marry her, but then he remembered that this girl had just turned eighteen, and he felt that his thoughts were too impure. He quickly turned away and handed breakfast to his grandmother.

Jiang Ci understood what he was thinking. She smiled softly, then returned to the kitchen to nibble on a few buns and drink a bowl of noodle soup. Seeing himself eating the breakfast Jiang Ci had made, Jiang Dazheng felt a little embarrassed. “Next time I come over for breakfast, I’ll let you know in advance.”

Jiang Ci: “…” He really didn’t treat himself as an outsider.

“I won’t cook for you.”

“Xiao Jiang Ci, these past few days, both Brother Chuan and I have been busy for you. You’re so heartless, not even letting me eat a meal.”

Jiang Ci quickly asked, “What have you two been busy with? Brother Chuan hasn’t said a word to me about it these days.”

Jiang Dazheng smiled mysteriously. “You’ll know soon enough.”

Gu Qingchuan had said he wouldn’t be back for lunch, so Jiang Ci quickly made six scallion pancakes and wrapped six buns. The three of them took advantage of the quiet streets and headed over to the Heishui River, where the two men rolled out two nearly new bicycles.

Jiang Ci: “……” Both of them had gotten bicycles!

Gu Qingchuan felt a bit intimidated by her stare. “Well, I’ve earned a little money recently. I was really poor before you moved in.”

Jiang Ci suddenly felt a sense of crisis. “Brother Chuan, after we get married, you won’t hide a stash of money from me, will you?”

Gu Qingchuan: “……”

Jiang Dasheng laughed so hard that his stomach hurt. “Let’s hurry up; it will get crowded on the street soon.”

Gu Qingchuan was riding with Jiang Ci, while Jiang Dasheng rode alone. The three of them pedaled their bicycles out to the outskirts, hid the bikes, and made their way up into the valley.

After walking seven or eight miles of mountain road, Gu Qingchuan pushed aside a tangle of wild vines and said, “I can’t seem to find that grove of Moso bamboo from last time; I can only remember coming this far.”

Behind the vines, there were many plastic rain covers, bags of straw, and tools for building a warm shelter. Jiang Ci was astonished. “Brother Chuan, when did you guys bring all this here?”

Finding these materials had been quite an effort, not to mention sneaking them here. Jiang Ci looked at the man in front of her with sympathy. No wonder he had been so tired lately; he was preparing materials to build her a warm shelter.

“It’s been brought over in the past half month.” Gu Qingchuan signaled Jiang Dasheng to carry some materials and asked Jiang Ci to lead the way. “You go ahead and show us the way. After two or three more trips, you should be able to remember the path.”

Jiang Ci felt a warmth in her heart. This man must be worried about her not earning five thousand yuan in a year, right? He silently helped her get things ready ahead of time.

She led Gu Qingchuan and Jiang Dasheng through the winding mountain trails. After more than two hours of walking, they finally arrived at the grove of Moso bamboo. Jiang Dasheng stopped to rest. “Goodness, I can’t remember this path at all. Little Jiang Ci, how did you manage to remember it? It’s so unscientific.”

“I don’t know; maybe it’s just a natural talent,” Jiang Ci replied. She truly had no idea where her sense of direction came from; it was particularly good, almost as if her brain had a built-in compass.

“Can I have another steamed bun?” Jiang Dasheng stretched out his hand. “I’m starving and out of energy.” Thankfully, they had noodles for breakfast; if it had been porridge, he would have had to crawl to keep moving now.

“No way! You already had two on the way. What are we going to eat for lunch later?” Jiang Ci quickly covered the buns in her bag. “You haven’t done enough work to deserve more food than that; Brother Chuan hasn’t even eaten yet.”

Jiang Dasheng grumbled as he got up. “You’re so biased; you favor outsiders even though we aren’t married yet. I’m still your cousin.”

“You owe me five blessings,” Jiang Ci retorted, ignoring him.

Gu Qingchuan had been silent the whole way. He was focused on remembering the path, but once they entered the grove of moso bamboo, he found it impossible to distinguish the directions. He took out a small knife and made discreet marks at the bases of the bamboo along the way.

Jiang Ci squatted beside him and asked, “Brother Chuan if I lead you a few more times, will you be able to remember it?”

Gu Qingchuan had beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He carved a strange pattern into the bamboo, then paced out the distance, marking every ten steps or so. “The bamboo is too dense to tell which way is which. It won’t help to walk it many times; we’d better make some marks.”

Because they were making marks, their pace slowed. By noon, the three of them finally arrived at the valley with the hot springs. The wild chickens and ducks were still frolicking in the pond.

Jiang Dasheng plopped down next to the hot spring and tested the water temperature. “It’s so hot! No wonder the climate here is so warm. Little Jiang Ci, hurry up and take out the lunch. We need to eat so we can get back to work.”

Jiang Ci divided the steamed buns and flatbreads, and within ten minutes, Gu Qingchuan and Jiang Dasheng began chopping moso bamboo to build the warm shelter. They found a flat spot near the pond and spent the entire afternoon constructing two shelters capable of holding four to five hundred wild chickens and ducks.

Jiang Ci checked her watch; it was already four in the afternoon. “Brother Chuan, let’s head back. We can finish the rest of the work next week.”

“Alright, let’s go back for today,” Gu Qingchuan agreed. After washing their hands in the hot spring water, he gathered the tools and stashed them in the shelter. He then caught two more wild ducks and told Jiang Dasheng to take them back for duck soup. The three of them made their way out of the grove of bamboo.

When they reached the foot of the mountain, where they had hidden their bicycles, Gong Liping had already been waiting for a while. She lived next door to Gu Qingchuan, making it easy for her to notice when the boy left home, even though she had lost track of him on the way up.

Gong Liping knew that the three of them had gone into the mountains, but she was too scared to follow them. Instead, she wandered around at the foot of the mountain. After waiting all day, she finally caught sight of them. “What trouble are you planning to cause this time?” she asked.

Jiang Ci was holding a plump wild duck in her hand. “Is it wrong for me to go into the mountains to catch a duck to eat? If you’re jealous, why don’t you go catch one yourself?”

Gong Liping didn’t believe that the three of them had only managed to catch a few wild ducks after spending the whole day in the mountains. “A little girl like you going into the mountains with two men? You must be up to something disgraceful.”

Jiang Dasheng jumped up. “Watch your mouth! I’m just as good at spreading rumors as you are. You spent an entire afternoon at the tailor’s shop last time. I could say you were fooling around with Tailor Xiao.”

Gong Liping was nearly fainting with anger. How could this punk speak so shamelessly? “I was just there to make clothes…”

Jiang Ci interrupted her, “Well, Brother Chuan and I just went into the mountains to catch ducks. If you dare spread rumors about us, the three of us will spread rumors about you. Just try it! Anyway, Brother Chuan and I are getting married, so I might as well move in with him early. You think I’m afraid of you?”

Gu Qingchuan thought to himself, “…” He felt increasingly anxious. The girl was talking about marriage, yet he felt incapable of fulfilling that role and needed more time.

Gong Liping thought, “…” This girl was so shameless, practically begging to marry that ‘Wolf Cub.’

Jiang Dasheng found it particularly satisfying. “Hahaha! Little Jiang Ci can navigate the mountains without getting lost. Everyone knows she goes into the mountains several times every autumn. Brother Chuan is her fiancé; what’s wrong with him accompanying her? And I’m just riding on Brother Chuan’s coattails to pick up some mountain goods to take home; that’s not strange at all! No need for you to spread rumors; I’ll just tell the neighbors myself, who are way cleaner than you.”

“Dasheng, you head back first,” Gu Qingchuan said as he pulled out his bicycle. “Jiang Ci, let’s go.”

“Okay,” Jiang Ci replied, hopping onto the back seat. Gu Qingchuan pedaled away, leaving Gong Liping’s curses behind them.

Gong Liping felt a wave of jealousy wash over her. How much were these people making in the black market? What were they selling?

She had never known that Gu Qingchuan had a bicycle. Wasn’t his family struggling to make ends meet? Where did he get the bicycle from? Even that good-for-nothing Jiang Dasheng had a bike now, while she still relied on her two legs to walk to and from work.

With a belly full of questions, Gong Liping returned home on her sore legs. Gu Chengrong was still waiting for her to make dinner. “Where have you been today? Pang Zhu is at the hospital waiting for you to bring him food!”

“I spent the whole day at the foot of the mountain with that little brat Gu Qingchuan, and I didn’t even drink a drop of water,” Gong Liping said as she lifted the pot lid, revealing a cold stove and an unheated pot. She complained, “Can’t you make dinner while I’m out? I need to hurry to the hospital to see my son.”

“Wait a minute; Mom must have already brought food from the hospital cafeteria for Pang Zhu. By the time you get there, he’ll probably be starving,” Gu Chengrong replied.

He grabbed her arm and continued, “I saw that little yellow dog that Pang Zhu beat up; it was standing up and bouncing around. I heard it was Gu Qingchuan who brought back herbs from the mountain to heal it. They said he found a magic mushroom. Today, that little yellow dog limped around Qu Shui Bridge, and the neighbors came to see the spectacle.”

“That’s impossible, right? I thought that little yellow dog was dead,” Gong Liping exclaimed. After all, she had seen her son kick Dahuang, and it had looked almost lifeless in Xiaotingxiang’s arms. How could it have been saved? Did Gu Qingchuan really find something valuable?

Suddenly excited, she said to her husband, “If Dahuang’s leg can heal, those herbs should work for our son too! Why don’t we go up the mountain and gather some?”

Her heart ached as she thought of her son howling in the hospital. The doctor said he would need to lie down for half a year, but if he had those herbs, perhaps Pang Zhu could walk again in a month. “You should go ask Gu Qingchuan what herbs he collected,” she urged her husband.

Gu Chengrong shared his wife’s thoughts. He was also interested in the herbs Gu Qingchuan had gathered, but given their family’s relationship with him, they might get thrown out before even reaching the front door.

“That brat wouldn’t tell us anyway. Why don’t you ask Jiang Ci at work tomorrow?” he suggested.

“She definitely won’t tell us,” Gong Liping thought. That little girl was even more stubborn than Gu Qingchuan. Remembering her son’s nightly pain, she sighed. The fact that the little dead dog could walk again made her lower her head in resignation. “Then I’ll go ask her at work later.”

—o—o—o—