By nightfall, the brocade ribbon wreath crafted during the day lay folded atop the bedside cabinet, its petals still unfaded.

Huo Ling plucked one that had fallen into his hair. Smiling beneath the ger’s dazed gaze, he bent down to kiss him. As their lips met, petals trembled loose from his crown, one drifting softly to the pillow’s edge.

Without knowing why, he tilted his head to catch the soft petal in his mouth before pressing his lips back to the one beneath him.

As they entwined, Yan Qi unknowingly swallowed the petal. He lay limp, his hands resting weakly on Huo Ling’s shoulders.

Though they were in the cool mountain night, their bodies burned fiercely. Eventually, the garland rolled off, scattering petals across the bed.

Everywhere the fallen petals landed, they were met with a trail of tender kisses.

 ━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Recalling Yan Qi’s earlier wish to plant more beautiful wildflowers in the courtyard, Huo Ling had kept it in mind. Yet most times when he ventured into the mountains, his hands were too full to gather any.

This day, he ventured into the mountains specifically to gather flowers. Following the spots he remembered, he dug up a large basketful, roots and all.

He had left Huang Yae at home, bringing only Dager along. Butterflies often fluttered among the flowers, and Dager would chase after them, flapping his paws, thoroughly enjoying himself.

Butterflies were a common sight for Huo Ling in the mountains. Despite the long, bitterly cold months on Bailong Mountain, it was actually teeming with wildlife—beasts large and small, flowers, birds, fish, and insects alike.

Growing up in the mountains, Huo Ling had seen dozens of butterfly species alone. Some were as small as fingernails, others as large as palms. White, yellow, blue, green, and even some whose wings shimmered in the light, changing colors—every variety imaginable.

Unlike down in the villages, where mostly only white and yellow butterflies fluttered in vegetable gardens, some children would make nets to catch them for fun, discarding them once their wings were damaged. It was rather pitiful, really.

In the mountains, his parents forbade him and his older brother from catching butterflies since childhood. They said the mountain butterflies were under the mountain god’s protection, so he always just watched them.

At most, he’d tie a small piece of white cloth to a twig, wave it in the wind, and tease the butterflies into fluttering up and down. That kept him entertained for hours, too.

Mountain dwellers lived off the land, and their reverence for the forests ran far deeper than most.

His basket filled with all manner of things, he sorted through them, digging up a few of each kind. He figured flowers looked best when several colors were mixed together—otherwise, patches of red and yellow would look odd.

Some wildflowers were actually medicinal herbs, blooming only in this season. Typically, after they faded in autumn, they could be dug up for medicine—some requiring roots without leaves, others leaves without roots.

Like the clematis in the basket, called “chili seedlings” before flowering, they had even picked it as a wild vegetable. Now, with its recent burst of small white blossoms, it could treat rheumatism when used medicinally.

If you give it a trellis, it will climb upward.

Another small purple flower, distinctly purplish-red, is called “White-headed Old Man.” Planted in vegetable patches, it kills vegetable pests and isn’t unattractive either.

He dug up quite a few to show Yan Qi. If he liked them, he’d plant a few in the front yard; if not, he’d surround the vegetable patch entirely with them.

Among these flowers, the primrose was the most beautiful, with a lovely name. Its blooms came in two varieties: one a pale pink, the other a deep, vivid purple.

Satisfied he’d seen enough of the flowers, he picked up the basket and called Dager to head home.

Dager gave a few “woofs” and trotted along.

At their home.

Compared to Huo Ling, Yan Qi rose a bit later, though not by much.

The first thing he did after climbing down from the heated bed in the morning was to pull off the layer of cloth sheets covering it and wash them clean.

Now that Huang Yae was keeping him company, it didn’t matter if he lingered outside the courtyard a little longer. If any wild beasts approached, the dog would surely sound the alarm.

Washing clothes this way was much more convenient—no need to fetch water and wash in a basin back home.

He found a stone to prop up the washboard, scrubbing the cloth repeatedly. After stretching it into a long strip, he twisted it forcefully, section by section, to wring out the water.

Truth be told, he often wondered if they were doing it too often at night. It usually happened every two or three days, and sometimes even two days in a row.

But who could he ask about such matters? He couldn’t even bring himself to talk about it with Ming-ger.

Pondering this, the ger pressed the cool, damp back of his hand against his cheek, trying to shake certain images from his mind.

Huang Yae tilted his head to look at him, then stuck out his tongue to lick the water from his hand. The tingling sensation on his palm made Yan Qi chuckle, and he flicked a drop of water from his finger onto his face.

Huang Yae didn’t flinch, looking rather pleased instead.

The sheets were wrung dry, stretched taut, and hung out to air. They’d likely be nearly dry by evening.

But Yan Qi had made up his mind: if Huo Ling still insisted on pursuing matters tonight, he would certainly try to dissuade him.

He tidied the house, sweeping and dusting, mending a garment Huo Ling had torn. Time passed quickly.

For lunch, he planned something light. The home-grown greens weren’t ready yet. The fastest-growing bitter greens, sown late due to delayed seed purchases, wouldn’t be harvestable for another half-month. Thus, wild greens remained the choice.

Nearby, there were plenty of dandelions, but they had grown tough. Dipping them directly in sauce was no longer suitable. Yan Qi pinched a few, chewed them, and spat them out. He decided to wrap them all in dough and steam them instead.

This way, it served as both a vegetable and a staple. Eating lightly at noon meant she wouldn’t feel sleepy while working in the afternoon.

“Woof!”

“Woof woof woof!”

Ever since the two dogs arrived at home, whenever one returned from outside, the other would join in barking.

Xiao Yae clearly regarded Dager as his older brother, but Dager didn’t act like the dominant dog and bully Xiao Yae. Instead, he looked after his little brother quite attentively.

Their barks were loud and clear, carrying for miles.

Huo Ling entered carrying a flower basket, as if instantly illuminating the entire courtyard.

He lifted the corners of his mouth. “See what I brought back.”

The dandelion greens had just been wrapped in cornmeal dough, not yet steamed, but Yan Qi couldn’t wait. He jogged a few steps to greet him, his eyes brimming with delight as she examined the flowers.

“You didn’t bring any mountain goods today? It’s all flowers?”

“It’s not like we can’t wait a day. Our courtyard needs a good tidying up anyway. Once autumn arrives in two months, gathering in the mountains will get busier, and we’ll also need to help with the harvest down the mountain. There won’t be any spare time then.”

Yan Qi recognized some of the flowers inside the basket; others he didn’t. Huo Ling had dug them up with great care, ensuring the roots remained intact beneath the soil. Planting them directly in the ground with their earthen clumps intact would likely yield results not too different from their mountain habitat.

“This one’s pretty.”

Yan Qi spotted the primroses at once, cradling them gently and poking the tiny blossoms with his finger.

“I knew you’d like them.”

Huo Ling chuckled. “But these are small blooms. They won’t look good unless we have a whole patch. After autumn, we’ll collect some seeds and sow a whole field.”

Yan Qi said, “Remember that broken jar we kept? Let’s pick one plant to grow in it. That way, we can bring it indoors to admire.”

“That’s an idea too. Whatever you want to plant, just say the word. I’ll help you.”

After Huo Ling finished speaking, Yan Qi smiled faintly. “There’s no rush. Let’s eat lunch first. I made some steamed dandelion greens.”

Steamed wild greens must be dipped in garlic sauce—Huo Ling adored this flavor. He also stir-fried a plate of scallions and eggs. The yellow and green hues made the dish look delicious.

After a satisfying meal, the two spent the afternoon planting flowers in the courtyard.

Huo Ling had gathered a basketful of stones from outside the yard. He arranged them in varying heights to form small flower beds in suitable spots around the courtyard.

After a busy half-hour, they had temporarily marked out two flower beds—one near the main house window, the other under the shade of the fruit trees.

The apricot blossoms in the front yard had already faded, but tiny jujube flowers still clung to the branches, barely visible without close inspection.

Judging by the sheer number of blossoms, this jujube tree was sure to bear plenty of fruit this year.

While enclosing the flowerbeds, Huo Ling glanced up at the fruit tree trunk and suggested to Yan Qi, “Why not build a trellis for clematis right here? We could set up a table and chairs. Then we can enjoy meals while admiring the flowers.”

Simple carpentry was within the reach of any country lad. If Huo Ling were to make a small table and bench himself, he could certainly manage it—though they wouldn’t be pretty, they’d suffice for home use.

There was no need to seek out a carpenter down the mountain for such a small job, only to struggle carrying the finished pieces back up.

The more they thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. The two agreed instantly. After planting red, yellow, white, and green flowers in the flowerbed, they went to gather branches to build the trellis.

Dager and Huang Yae followed them in and out, nearly stepping into the flowerbed several times before being shooed away by Huo Ling and Yan Qi.

Lastly, they planted purple grass flowers. The roots of purple grass are also medicinal; if you accidentally scald your hand while cooking, you can apply crushed purple grass root to it.

Having this plant at home was quite convenient. Should one accidentally injure their hand, there would be no need to search far and wide for it.

This was the advantage of a large courtyard. The only regret was the inability to keep livestock; otherwise, a section of the backyard could easily accommodate twenty or thirty chickens.

According to Huo Ling, if they truly wanted to raise chickens, it wasn’t impossible. Yet Yan Qi couldn’t bring himself to do it.

If he raised a chicken from hatching the egg, nurturing it from a chick to adulthood, only to have it snatched away by an eagle one day, he feared he’d be heartbroken. So he decided against it.

Seeing how much he dwelled on the matter, Huo Ling lay in bed that night and suggested an idea.

“There’s no space on the mountain, so let’s raise them down below. Our courtyard isn’t small. We’ll buy some chicks and have my sister-in-law look after them. To make sure she doesn’t work for nothing, we’ll share the eggs with her. That way, we’ll still get to eat eggs from our own chickens.”

They consumed quite a few eggs now, but Ye Suping’s flock was limited. If they shared more, there’d be fewer to sell. Though Huo Ling did compensate her for the eggs, truth be told, this arrangement left both sides feeling a bit strapped.

Besides wild game, there was little meat to eat in the mountains. Most of the time, fish and eggs served as their protein sources to supplement their diet.

Every time they brought eggs up the mountain, they had to count them carefully and eat sparingly.

“Raising a few more chickens could solve this. We’ll cover the costs, and my sister-in-law will provide the labor.”

It seemed like a win-win solution. Yan Qi pondered for a moment before saying, “Then next time we go to the market, we’ll buy some chicks. Too many would be too much for sister-in-law to handle. I think four or five should be enough.”

“Whatever you say.”

Huo Ling pulled the quilt up higher for the ger. At this time of year, he usually only covered his stomach at night. Yan Qi felt the cold and sometimes wrapped himself up quite tightly. Because of this, they had reverted to using two separate sets of bedding.

Yan Qi rolled over beneath the quilt, quietly sighing in relief when Huo Ling showed no intention of making a move tonight.

Huo Ling encircled the ger’s back through the quilt, kissing the birthmark between his eyebrows.

His husband’s soft, fragrant body—he could never hold him long enough.

As for other matters, he knew he’d been rather unrestrained lately. It was time to take a break.