Chapter 142
After so long away from the mountains, Lu Gu had grown accustomed to the lively bustle of home. Now, with only the two of them here, the silence felt almost unnerving, no cries from Zhao’er, no loud chatter from the neighborly aunties and grannies. It was as if something were missing from his ears.
At night, the wind rustled through the trees, its whispering sounds making the solitude even more pronounced. Occasionally, the distant cries of nocturnal birds broke the stillness.
The house had long been darkened, blending into the night. The main door was shut tight, and the dogs - Guai Zi, Da Hui, and Da Hei slept soundly on their burlap sacks, ears twitching occasionally at the noises outside.
Inside the room, Lu Gu and Shen Xuanqing had already gone to bed. Before nightfall, they had dried their hair by the stove, leaving their strands clean and fragrant with the scent of wild soapberries. Now, curled up together, they could smell it on each other.
Traversing mountains and forests was no easy task. Since they had set out late today, there hadn’t been time to bathe, washing their hair had been enough.
By rural standards, their frequency of washing hair and bathing already counted as remarkably clean.
“We’ll make do with dry rations for the next couple of days. Just boil some vegetables, or turn them into soup to eat with the bread. Once your hand’s healed, you can start cooking properly again,” Shen Xuanqing said in a low voice.
This time, they had brought more flatbreads and steamed buns. Lu Gu nodded in agreement. “Alright. When you come back, I’ll make you wild vegetable soup.”
Wild vegetables grew everywhere in the mountains, plucking a few tender shoots wouldn’t be a problem.
Shen Xuanqing hummed in acknowledgment and added, “Don’t wander too far. There are enough wild vegetables nearby for you to pick. If you want bamboo shoots later, I’ll dig some up when I have time or pass by a bamboo grove.”
Since Da Bai hadn’t come up this time, and Guaizi would be accompanying Shen Xuanqing on hunts, Lu Gu would be alone. But this year, Shen Xuanqing had told him not to bother drying vegetables or gathering wolfberries and mushrooms. Sweet potatoes were heavy, and the family could dig those up in the foothills, no need for him to stockpile. His days would be spent on needlework in the courtyard, with nothing else to worry about.
Besides, after the wild boar incident, Shen Xuanqing didn’t want him wandering the mountains alone. Resting and recuperating in the yard was enough. If he felt uneasy during the day, he could bar the gate securely and wait for Shen Xuanqing’s return before opening it.
This year’s hunting had been sporadic, one thing after another had come up. Now, with autumn here, fox hunting was especially crucial. Fox furs fetched high prices, and Shen Xuanqing intended to focus all his efforts on them.
Last year, he had bagged nineteen fine-quality fox furs. This year, he aimed for at least twenty. If he ended up with extra mixed-color furs, he could sew a fox-fur blanket for Wei Lanxiang to keep her legs warm in winter. Last year, he had only managed to get one for Lu Gu.
So before coming up the mountain, he had discussed it with Shen Yaoqing. The family’s autumn rice harvest was due in just over half a month, but with only eight acres of paddy fields, Shen Yaoqing could handle the reaping alone, therefore Shen Xuanqing and Lu Gu wouldn’t rush back.
Outside the window, the wind blew relentlessly. As they talked, the two gradually drifted into sleep.
After a day of rest, Shen Xuanqing filled the water vat and stocked up on firewood for Lu Gu. They retired early that night, and by dawn on the third day, fully rested, Shen Xuanqing set out with the dogs to hunt foxes.
Lu Gu stood at the gate, watching until their figures disappeared into the depths of the forest before turning back inside.
Used to being busy at home, the sudden idleness left him at a loss. The yard wasn’t particularly dirty, just a few stray leaves had blown in. A quick sweep was all it took to tidy up.
Naturally timid, Lu Gu didn’t dare venture far without the dogs around. Besides, Shen Xuanqing had warned him not to leave unless necessary.
He leaned the broom against the wall and glanced around. With nothing else to do and the day still young, he closed the gate, sliding all three bolts into place. Only then did he feel somewhat at ease.
The memory of the wild boar ramming the gate still haunted him. But now, even if some beast charged, the triple-bolted door would hold long enough for him to brace it with the log.
No grass-cutting, no herding cattle or ducks. Without Guaizi's mischief or Shen Xuanqing’s presence, the silence was almost deafening. After a dazed moment, realizing sleep was impossible, he fetched his sewing basket and sat in the yard to embroider handkerchiefs and weave decorative knots.
He had also brought cut fabric soles. Shen Xuanqing wore through shoes quickly and needed several new pairs each year, so stitching soles was a must.
As he embroidered, Lu Gu thought about buying more cloth on their next town visit to make Shen Xuanqing a new set of clothes.
Not counting the income from eggs, the money he earned selling handkerchiefs and knots was more than enough for fabric. Even last year’s earnings from wild soapberries and wolfberries hadn’t been fully spent yet.
Keeping busy made the time pass unnoticed. By midday, after a simple meal, he remembered the wild wolfberries nearby. Not too far. Shouldering a bamboo basket and shears, he headed out.
The warm sunlight was reassuring. Finding the wolfberry bushes, he snipped off branches until the basket was full, then returned home.
Dusting off last year’s woven bamboo tray, he began plucking the berries one by one to dry in the sun.
The cloth wrapped around his finger slowed him down, but he wasn’t in a hurry. These wolfberries weren’t for sale, they were for home consumption, added to soups or brewed into tea. The stock from last year was nearly gone, and though there were wolfberries grew in the foothills, they weren’t as plump as these.
Sitting in the yard, his fingers gradually darkened with dirt. The busywork felt like a return to last year, when Shen Xuanqing would leave, and he’d find tasks to occupy himself, back before the puppies had been bought.
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