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While others went hunting and returned with strings of rabbits and half-baskets of wild chickens, Jiang Chunhe spent his days wandering fruitlessly in the mountains, unable to catch anything.
“I’m really putting in the effort, Dad. It’s just so strange. I’ve combed through the entire mountain, but I can’t find a single living creature,” Jiang Chunhe explained. “Even the birds seem to have disappeared. It feels as if something is amiss.”
At the mention of something being amiss, Zhang’s eyelids twitched. “Could it be because of that time when Jiang Mixia, that wretched girl, beat Chunhe? Did she ruin his luck?”
“Ridiculous,” Jiang Youcai scoffed. “How could getting beaten up ruin someone’s luck? If that were the case, what would happen to the third household?”
Jiang Youcai couldn’t fathom that the third household, which he looked down upon, could have any sort of influence.
“It’s hard to say. These things are quite mysterious. Look at how Jiang Mixia’s intellectual disability suddenly improved. Isn’t that inexplicable?” Zhang’s complexion darkened as she spoke. “I’m starting to wonder if there’s something unclean in the third household, affecting everyone around them.”
Jiang Chunhe nodded, agreeing with his mother. “Dad, I think Mom’s right. It must be because of the third household. When have I ever come back empty-handed from the mountains?”
It certainly wasn’t due to his lack of skill.
Jiang Youcai pondered for a while and then waved his hand. “Alright, from now on, be smarter when you go hunting. If you can’t catch anything in the next few days, just don’t go.”
“The grass in the cornfield needs tending, and the cotton field also needs attention. There’s plenty of work at home. First, help take care of the tasks in the fields before doing anything else.”
Jiang Chunhe pursed his lips, feeling a hundred kinds of discontent. Working in the fields in this weather meant getting sunburned and turning into charcoal. It was nothing compared to the ease of being in the mountains.
In the mountains, there was shade everywhere, mountain springs to quench thirst, and wild fruits when hungry. He could rest whenever he wanted, without constant nagging. When he brought back game, he was greeted as if he had accomplished something extraordinary.
If he couldn’t hunt and had to work in the fields, he felt as though he had nothing. Not only that, but working slowly would be criticized, doing less work would be criticized, and even if he worked hard all day, it wouldn’t amount to much. He didn’t want to give up hunting to work in the fields.
Moreover, it wasn’t his fault if he couldn’t catch anything. But fearing his father’s reaction, Jiang Chunhe didn’t dare to argue and could only nod. “Alright, I understand.”
“Alright, let’s not say more. The child has been busy for half a day and hasn’t even had lunch. At least have a bite,” Zhang intervened, pulling Jiang Chunhe to the kitchen to have a meal.
At noontime, Zhang specifically kept a bowl of thick dumpling soup made from a mixture of stick noodles and wheat flour. She added some water to it and let it simmer.
“I don’t think Dad believes in the third household’s situation,” Jiang Chunhe murmured while sipping the dumpling soup, looking troubled.
“Your dad is like that. Even when things are right in front of his eyes, he’s still skeptical. But that’s just how he is. Mainly, he doesn’t believe in those ghosts and spirits, so it’s normal for him not to believe in these things,” Zhang said, rolling her eyes. “It’s okay. I believe in you,” she reassured her son, but inside, she was growing increasingly frustrated with the third household.
The summer days were long, and the midday sun was causing everything to wilt.
Meanwhile, Jiang Mixia’s family was busy tidying up the house.
They were tidying up the old house as well as the new one. They moved all the items they were accustomed to using, and could still make use of, from the old house to the new one. They also gradually added new items to the new house as well.
Jiang Youcheng and Liu shi were usually frugal and hadn’t been willing to discard many things. However, they followed Jiang Mixia’s advice and made some new purchases during this time. They added two new beds, a new chest, two new washbasins, a set of new tables, chairs, and stools, as well as various other essential items.
The carpentry work for the beds, chest, and other items was handled by Jiang Chunshi. Jiang Youcheng claimed that they couldn’t find a reliable carpenter and that they preferred to have their own family members do the work. Jiang Chunshi knew this was a deliberate move by his uncle to let him practice his skills and felt grateful for the opportunity, so he put his heart and soul into the work.
The materials were good, the work was meticulous, and the items were all well-made.
Even Jiang Mixia was full of praise when she saw the items.
By evening, Jiang Chunshi and Jiang Chunyu, the two brothers, arrived together to deliver the newly made tables and chairs.
The set included a square table and four chairs, all sturdy and well-crafted, with a smooth finish and no rough edges. They also brought wooden figurines that Jiang Chunshi had carved based on Jiang Mixia’s drawings.
“Take a look. Does it look like this?” This was Jiang Chunshi’s first attempt at carving according to a pattern, and he wasn’t entirely confident.
The items brought over were a cartoonish, chubby bunny and a deer, each the size of an adult’s fist. They were made according to Jiang Mixia’s pattern and looked almost identical to the drawings, incredibly cute.
“Your craftsmanship is amazing, big brother. They look just like the pattern,” Jiang Mixia nodded repeatedly, holding onto the two items, unable to let them go.
“If that’s good, then I’ll finish the rest of the patterns in the next few days. When the fair comes around, I’ll take them to town to try and sell them,” Jiang Chunshi grinned. “These two are for you. Play with them and Jingyun.”
“Thank you, big brother,” Jiang Mixia said, showing her genuine delight, without holding back.
Jiang Chunshi and Jiang Chunyu stayed for a while, chatted, and then left just before dinner. They said they would bring the remaining wooden tubs in a couple of days. As they were leaving, Liu shi asked them to take some freshly baked oil pancakes with them.
That night, they slept on the new beds. They had laid down a thick mattress, topped with a bamboo mat, which was cool and comfortable. To keep the room cool, they had placed a few buckets of water. With the windows open, a light breeze made the room quite comfortable.
Song Jingyun was also very satisfied. The new bed was much more spacious than the previous one. Even if they lay in a sprawling position, they wouldn’t touch each other.
It was simply too comfortable!
In the following days, they continued to tidy up the new house, acquire new items, and also worked in the fields. In the evenings, they weaved bamboo baskets and bamboo containers.
Before they knew it, it was the fifth day of the seventh month, the day of the local fair.
Having been busy with the house, they hadn’t attended the fair for a long time. They had accumulated many bamboo baskets and containers, and this time they planned to take them all to the town.
Jiang Chunshi also went to the fair, intending to sell the small stools he had made and the carved wooden figurines.
Third Jiang’s ox cart had been waiting in front of Jiang Youcheng’s house early in the morning, and they all helped load things onto the cart.