Chapter 41 Chestnut Harvest

In the afternoon, Wen Mubai brought home three jars. “Banxia, will these do?”

Tang Banxia glanced at them, curiosity piqued. “Where did you get them?”

Wen Mubai gulped down a large cup of water. “Found them on the mountain.”

“You can find these on the mountain?” Tang Banxia was intrigued.

“Qixin took me there,” Wen Mubai explained.

Tang Banxia nodded, not probing further.

With the jars, she finally pickled the vegetables she’d been planning, storing them in the cellar.

The next day was the village’s chestnut harvest. The chestnut grove was dense and sprawling; Hu Dashan had divided the area, assigning each person a few trees.

Tang Banxia and Sister Sun formed a team, responsible for six trees. Sister Sun, experienced, brought a sturdy stick for the climb. She struck the branches, causing the spiny chestnuts to rain down in a cascade.

“Little Tang, keep your distance! Don’t let them hit you!” Sister Sun called out.

Tang Banxia had already stepped back—she wasn’t foolish.

Only after the chestnuts had all been knocked down did she approach with her basket to collect them.

Thanks to Sister Sun’s warning, Tang Banxia had worn gloves, making the task much easier.

Once Sister Sun finished knocking down the nuts, she joined Tang Banxia in gathering them.

The baskets they used belonged to the village; once filled, someone would transport them down the mountain, repeating the process.

Meanwhile, others patrolled the area—some to guard against wild animals, others to prevent villagers from hiding chestnuts.

“That Widow Hu made quite a scene last year,” Sister Sun gossiped as she picked.

“Wencang’s wife, be careful Widow Hu doesn’t come looking for trouble,” someone nearby warned kindly, overhearing their gossip.

Sister Sun scoffed, “I’m not afraid of her. If she dares, why shouldn’t I speak up?”

Laughter and chatter filled the grove as everyone worked, discussing village news, and the labor felt lighter.

“Hey, Little Tang, isn’t that your family’s educated youth, Wen?” Sister Sun nudged Tang Banxia, gesturing for her to look.

Tang Banxia looked over. Wen Mubai met her gaze, smiled, and walked over. “Banxia, here—you forgot your water.”

Tang Banxia took it and drank. “Have you finished grinding the grain?”

Wen Mubai helped her pick chestnuts. “Yes, I stored it all in the cellar.”

With Wen Mubai joining them, Tang Banxia and Sister Sun finished early, called the tally keeper for inspection, and then went their separate ways.

Tang Banxia went to collect medicinal herbs, Sister Sun returned home to do laundry, and Wen Mubai, of course, followed Tang Banxia.

Though she called it collecting herbs, Tang Banxia had no clear goal, letting Wen Mubai lead her through the mountains—a different sort of date.

Watching Wen Mubai’s familiarity with the terrain, Tang Banxia was curious. “How do you know the mountain so well?”

Wen Mubai broke off a branch, handing it to her as a walking stick. “The more you wander, the more familiar you become.”

“When I first arrived here, I could hardly fill my stomach. I had to find ways to survive in the mountains. After a while, I got to know everything—where to find good food, I know it all,” he said quietly.

“That’s impressive,” Tang Banxia praised him. “You’ve only been here a short time, but you know so much—maybe even more than the locals.”

Wen Mubai pulled her up the slope. “There’s a peach tree here—the peaches are sweet. When the mountain is less crowded in a few days, we’ll pick them and take them home to eat slowly.”

Tang Banxia followed his pointing finger—sure enough, there was a peach tree. Not many fruits hung on its branches, but each was plump and juicy.

She couldn’t help but crave them. “Let’s pick a couple now.”

Wen Mubai laughed softly. “Alright.”

He settled Tang Banxia somewhere safe, then swiftly climbed the tree, twisted off two peaches, washed one, dried it, and handed it to her.

Tang Banxia took it without hesitation. “Nom~”

“So sweet!”

The peach was bursting with juice, tender and fragrant—a top-quality fruit.

Seeing her delight, Wen Mubai set aside the other peach. “No one knows about this tree. In a few days, I’ll pick them all for you to enjoy at your leisure.”

“Good, good.” Tang Banxia quickly devoured her peach. “I’ll make peach preserves for you then.”

After finishing the peaches, Wen Mubai took her hand and continued walking.

The mountain behind Guyue Village was vast; they spent the entire afternoon wandering through it.

By dusk, Tang Banxia reluctantly descended.

On the way down, she paused. “Did you hear something?”

Wen Mubai’s hand tightened. He nodded. “Stay here and hide. I’ll go check.”

He pushed Tang Banxia up against a tree, then ran toward the source of the sound.

On the other side—

Song Qing and Wang Siyun were running for their lives.

Feeling the hot breath behind them, they wished their parents had given them more legs.

“Ahhh, help me!” Wang Siyun stumbled, fell to the ground, terror-stricken, tears blurring her vision as she looked at Song Qing.

Song Qing, whose short legs had always made her slower, took advantage of Wang Siyun’s fall to surge ahead. Hearing Wang Siyun’s cries, she hesitated, bit her lip, but then stamped her foot and dashed onward.

Before Wang Siyun could feel hopeful, Song Qing stomped and ran even faster.

Wang Siyun’s gaze dimmed. She shouted, “Help!”

But the wild boar was almost upon her.

With a swing of its head, the boar sent Wang Siyun flying in a graceful arc, rolling her down the slope.

When Wen Mubai arrived, he caught only the end of the arc. Seeing the boar still relentless, he didn’t hesitate, grabbed a stone and hurled it, catching the animal’s attention.

This area was remote—Wen Mubai knew he could rely only on himself. He scanned his surroundings, then suddenly turned and ran.

The boar saw him and gave chase.

Tang Banxia, perched in a tree, watched, her breath caught, but reason prevailed. She shouted, “Wen Mubai, run toward me!”

Wen Mubai ignored her.

“I have animal medicine!”

He kept running, then, spotting something, suddenly sped up, darted between two trees, stopped, and provocatively faced the boar.

The boar, infuriated, pawed the ground, charged, determined to crush this two-legged creature.

Wen Mubai stood his ground as the raging boar barreled forward—only to get stuck between the two trees.

Boar: ...

“Oink oink?”

“Oink oink!”

Wen Mubai, breathing heavily, saw the bewildered boar and chuckled. “Fool!”

He bent, hefted a large stone, and smashed it down on the boar’s head, again and again, until the animal twitched and lay still.

He leaned against a tree, wiped a cold sweat, and cursed, “Damn it.”

Tang Banxia rushed over, so worried she forgot to be scared. “Xiaobai, are you hurt? Let me see.”

She pulled Wen Mubai for a careful inspection.

Wen Mubai patiently let her check him over. “I’m fine, not a scratch.”

Seeing he was truly unharmed, Tang Banxia finally relaxed. “I told you to run my way—I had animal medicine. Better than fighting barehanded.”

Wen Mubai smoothed her disheveled hair. “I’d already seen those two trees. I knew what I was doing.”

Tang Banxia snorted, her mood gradually settling...