Chapter 20.1

Sun Xiaohui raised her hand to pat Ruan Yuejin’s back, and only when she saw him calm down did she breathe a sigh of relief. She looked back at the old tailor’s house and, after thinking for a moment, said, “Forget it. Let’s go back first. We’ll come again in the afternoon.”

After this heated exchange, even if Ruan Yuejin hadn’t argued with the old tailor, it wouldn’t be appropriate to go back in immediately. The old tailor probably wouldn’t have anything nice to say. If they argued in the heat of the moment, there would be no chance of becoming his apprentice.

After calming down, Ruan Yuejin didn’t say anything about not wanting to learn anymore. He couldn’t adjust his mindset to return with a smile and flatter the old man, so he went home with Sun Xiaohui.

At home, Sun Xiaohui took an egg from the basket and picked a green onion from the field to make a green onion scrambled egg for Ruan Yuejin.

She placed the scrambled egg on the table in front of Ruan Yuejin and coaxed him, “Don’t take it to heart. Just think of it as him farting. Many people on the mountain have been scolded by him, not just you. If it weren’t for learning the craft, would we care about him?”

Ruan Yuejin picked up his chopsticks and ate the egg. The egg, cooked with oil and the fresh aroma of green onions, was tender and smooth. Its flavor spread on his tongue and down his throat, instantly improving his mood.

Indeed, there’s nothing that good food can’t fix.

Feeling better, he looked at the rare green onion scrambled egg in front of him and thought he could eat and dress well every day once he mastered the craft. Enduring some scolding now wasn’t entirely unbearable.

He had a temper and cared about his pride, but he wasn’t shortsighted. He could see the bigger picture. If he endured the old tailor’s temper now and learned the craft, he could live a life like the old tailor’s in the future.

The old tailor dared to be so arrogant on Fengming Mountain because of his craft. What else did he rely on? Could it be because he was an old bachelor with no family or worries? If that were the case, he would have been beaten to death long ago.

One egg wasn’t much, and it was gone in a few bites.

After finishing the scrambled egg, Ruan Yuejin felt much better. He put down his chopsticks, looked at Sun Xiaohui, and said seriously, “Mom, don’t worry. I won’t give up. Once I master the craft, I’ll bring you, Dad, and Yuehua to enjoy life together.”

Sun Xiaohui was delighted to hear this and smiled, “I knew our Yuejin would be a successful child.”

Ruan Yuejin regained his confidence, “I’ll go by myself in the afternoon. You don’t need to accompany me. After this morning’s experience, I’m mentally prepared. No matter what harsh words he says, even if he scolds me to my face, I won’t get angry. I’ll just think of it as him farting.”

Sun Xiaohui’s face wrinkled with laughter, “That’s the spirit!”

Hearing some harsh words won’t hurt you, but what’s important is mastering the craft and eating well.

At noon, when Ruan Changgui came back and saw the half basket of eggs still there, he knew Ruan Yuejin hadn’t succeeded in becoming an apprentice, which he had somewhat expected. While eating, he sat at the table and asked Ruan Yuejin, “The old tailor didn’t accept you?”

Ruan Yuejin replied, “It’s not decided yet. I’ll go again in the afternoon.”

Ruan Changgui sneered, “What a waste of time. Being the old tailor’s apprentice isn’t easy.”

Sun Xiaohui raised her hand and lightly slapped Ruan Changgui, whispering, “You’re discouraging the child again. If being the old tailor’s apprentice is so hard, how did Xiao Xi manage it? If she can do it, why can’t your son? Yuejin is a boy, after all.”

Ruan Changgui naturally hoped his son would succeed. If Ruan Yuejin could become a tailor, it would bring him pride and dignity. He would enjoy the benefits of his son’s success. He was Ruan Yuejin’s father, after all. It was because he had hope that he didn’t stop Sun Xiaohui from borrowing the eggs.

If he had disagreed, Ruan Yuejin wouldn’t have been able to go to the old tailor’s house to become an apprentice. He stopped saying discouraging words and instead said, “Alright, I won’t say anything more. Yuejin, don’t embarrass me. Your mother has put a lot of effort into this for you. Even if it’s for her sake, you must master this craft.”

Ruan Yuejin nodded firmly, “I will master it.”

Ruan Changgui patted his shoulder, “Confidence is key!”

In the afternoon, Sun Xiaohui and Ruan Changgui went to work together. Ruan Yuehua went off to play with his group of friends, and Ruan Yuejin, carrying half a basket of eggs, went to the old tailor’s house alone. He arrived at a bad time; the old tailor had locked the courtyard gate and was taking a nap. He knocked on the door for a long time, but no one answered, so he put down the eggs and sat on the doorstep to wait.

With nothing to do while waiting, he picked up small stones, tossing and catching them. He didn’t know how long he waited, but eventually, he heard the sound of the gate latch. He quickly picked up the basket and stood up. Turning to face the gate, he found himself face-to-face with the old tailor as the gate opened.

The old tailor paused when he saw him, gave him a cold look, and turned back into the courtyard.

Ruan Yuejin followed him in with the basket, saying, “Mr. Song, please reconsider. I sincerely want to learn the craft from you. I even brought you half a basket of eggs, which my family saved up for a long time.”

The old tailor sat down in his rocking chair, glanced at him, and said, “You’re not cut out to be a tailor. Stop wasting my time and do something else while I’m in a good mood and still speaking nicely.”

Ruan Yuejin, not giving up, said, “You haven’t even taught me yet. How do you know I’m not cut out to be a tailor? Is Ruan Xi cut out to be a tailor? You probably accepted her because she’s a girl, pretty, sweet-talking, and knows how to please you, right?”

The old tailor’s gaze darkened, staring at Ruan Yuejin.

Without saying a word, the old tailor’s intense stare made Ruan Yuejin break out in goosebumps, his hair standing on end and his breath subconsciously held.

For once, the old tailor didn’t scold him. Instead, he said, “You seem to look down on that girl.”

Ruan Yuejin adjusted his breathing and replied, “It’s not that I look down on her; she just doesn’t have much ability. She’s a girl. What skills could she have? She can barely manage household chores like washing and mending, and she can’t even do that well.”

The old tailor chuckled, “From what you’re saying, you seem to know her quite well.”

Ruan Yuejin: “She’s my cousin, we grew up together, of course I…” As he spoke, he suddenly remembered Sun Xiaohui’s advice not to mention his family, because she had previously misunderstood Ruan Xi, and the old tailor might have a bad impression of her, which could affect his apprenticeship. He stopped mid-sentence, wishing he could bite his tongue off.

The old tailor continued to stare at him, showing no reaction, and simply said, “Oh, I see…”

Ruan Yuejin’s heart pounded, thinking the old tailor might not remember the previous incident or his mother, Sun Xiaohui, considering his age and possibly poor memory. He steadied his breath and replied, “Yes, that’s right.”

The old tailor reclined in his rocking chair, “Alright then, put the eggs down and clean my house. Inside and out, it hasn’t been cleaned for days and is very dirty.”

Ruan Yuejin felt excited and cautious, confirming, “Are you willing to teach me?”

The old tailor: “Of course, you’re so smart. If I don’t teach you, it’s my loss. You can compete with that girl Ruan Xi and see who learns better. You can’t be worse than a girl, right?”

Ruan Yuejin didn’t catch the old tailor’s underlying meaning and laughed, “Definitely not!”

He immediately turned to find a broom and eagerly started cleaning the house.

The old tailor closed his eyes in the rocking chair, muttering, “Interesting.”

The sun slowly set, reaching the horizon. Ruan Xi and Ling Yao had been walking the mountain path for two days, no longer as excited as at the start. But neither showed signs of fatigue or frustration. They encouraged each other along the way, saying they were almost there.

Both of them understood the concept of “quenching thirst by thinking of plums,” so they imagined a bunch of plums not far away to encourage each other.

Ling Yao remembered the path they took up the mountain. He looked at the road and then at the sunset, saying, “This time, we’re really almost there.”

Ruan Xi smiled at him, slightly out of breath, and said, “Then let’s keep going, all in one go.”

Ling Yao responded with a “Hmm” and reached out his hand to Ruan Xi.

Ruan Xi placed her hand in his, and they continued walking towards the commune, pulling each other along. It didn’t take long before they finally reached the commune.

Upon successfully arriving at their destination, they both felt happy and instantly energized.

The sun hadn’t completely set yet, so Ruan Xi and Ling Yao strolled around the small streets of the commune. As they walked, they saw a noodle stall and decided to sit down and order two bowls of dandan noodles, taking the opportunity to rest and catch their breath.

While waiting for the noodles at the small table, Ruan Xi kept bending over to massage her legs.

Ling Yao rested his arms on the table’s edge, with his chin on his arms, in a state of relaxation.

After massaging her legs, Ruan Xi looked up and couldn’t help but smile, asking, “Tired?”

Ling Yao, still with a blank expression and unmoving eyes, said, “Living in the mountains is really not easy.”

Ruan Xi responded with a sigh, “Yes, it is.”

So, leaving the mountains is not as easy as it sounds. Even walking out with their legs was so difficult, let alone making it out in life. In this era, the possibility of leaving was even more remote.

Ruan Xi was also exhausted, so she folded her arms on the table and lay down to rest.

With their chins resting on their arms, Ling Yao and Ruan Xi faced each other, eye to eye.

They held this position for a moment, and then, without knowing who started it, they both burst into laughter.

Ruan Xi was the first to stop laughing. She looked at Ling Yao and whispered, “Hey, you’re really good-looking, like a pretty little brother that everyone likes.” As she spoke, she pinched Ling Yao’s cheek, “So tender.”

So tender and obedient, if he were her real brother, she would pinch him every day.

Ling Yao was slightly taken aback, his ears turning red. But before it spread to his face, their dandan noodles were ready.

Seeing the noodles being served, they both straightened up. After eating dry food and walking for two days, they were eager to eat something hot and delicious. Ruan Xi couldn’t wait to pick up her chopsticks and take a bite of the noodles, her eyes sparkling with happiness. But she found it not spicy enough, so she asked the vendor, “Do you have chili oil?”

The vendor brought a small bowl of chili oil, and she added half a spoonful to her bowl, finally finding it flavorful enough.

Ling Yao, on the other hand, found the chili in his bowl more than sufficient.

Seeing his reddened lips and cheeks, Ruan Xi couldn’t help but laugh, “You can’t handle spicy food, can you?”

Ling Yao swallowed his noodles, “I couldn’t handle it before, but now I can eat it, just not too spicy.”

Ruan Xi took a bite of the meat sauce in her bowl and asked Ling Yao, “I forgot to ask, where are you from?”

Ling Yao replied, “Shenhai.”

Ruan Xi blinked—yes, he was indeed a city boy.

She continued, “It must be very beautiful there.”

Ling Yao nodded, “Yes.”

They each took another bite of their noodles and then, in unison—

“If I get the chance, I’ll take you to see it…”

“If I get the chance, take me to see it…”

They looked at each other and burst into laughter again.

The two of them looked into each other’s eyes for a moment, then suddenly laughed together in perfect harmony.

As the last rays of the sunset disappeared, the sky darkened.

Ruan Yuejin dragged his tired body from Jinguang Village to Fengyan Village. When he arrived home, Sun Xiaohui had just finished making dinner. He was so exhausted that he didn’t even greet anyone. He went straight into the main room, put down the empty basket, and collapsed onto his bed.

Sun Xiaohui and Ruan Changgui didn’t call him. They waited until the dinner was on the table, and Ruan Yuehua, holding chopsticks, called out, “Big brother, get up and eat.”

Ruan Yuejin forced himself to get up from the bed and sat at the table.

Sun Xiaohui handed him the chopsticks and asked, “What’s wrong? The old tailor still hasn’t agreed to teach you?”

Ruan Yuejin pointed to the empty basket, “He kept the eggs, so how could he not agree?”

Sun Xiaohui’s eyes lit up, and her tone rose, “So he agreed to teach you?”

Ruan Yuejin, feeling a bit proud, nodded, “Of course.”

Sun Xiaohui was so happy that she slapped her thigh and beamed, “Oh, that’s wonderful! I always said you’re much better than that girl Xi. How could the old tailor not agree!”

Then she asked, “What did he teach you today?”

At this, Ruan Yuejin’s mood soured a bit. He sighed, “He didn’t teach me anything. That old bachelor just made me do chores all day. Sweeping, mopping, wiping tables and benches, then sent me to the field to weed. He treated me like a laborer.”

Sun Xiaohui’s smile faltered for a moment but quickly returned. “He’s definitely testing you. Just stick with it. Helping him with some chores is no big deal as long as you can learn the craft.”

Ruan Yuejin nodded, “That’s what I think too.”

Ruan Changgui chimed in approvingly, “If you think that way, it shows you’re growing up. Since he agreed to teach you, follow him and learn well. Don’t complain about a bit of hardship; it’s much easier than mining.”

Ruan Yuejin, knowing that if he didn’t succeed, he would have to go up the mountain to mine, nodded again, “I will, Dad.”

Sun Xiaohui, feeling triumphant, added, “Learn well, learn well. You’re definitely better than those the old tailor taught before. It’s best if you can even outshine Xiao Xi.”

Before Ruan Yuejin could respond, Ruan Changgui’s face darkened. He looked at Sun Xiaohui and said angrily, “Sun Xiaohui, what’s wrong with you? Have you forgotten the grape incident? Now you’re trying to sow discord between Yuejin and Xiao Xi. Don’t forget you’re Xiao Xi’s second aunt!”

Sun Xiaohui immediately sobered up, lowering her voice, “I am her second mother, but has she ever treated me as such? Has she treated you as her second uncle? She goes to the old tailor to make clothes and brings back half a chicken and a yuan. Did you get even a piece of chili? Treat her second uncle and aunt without even a bit of courtesy. Even if I misunderstood and offended her, you, Yuejin, and Yuehua didn’t. Why doesn’t she show any courtesy to you?”