The gate to the Yan residence stood open. Yan Shaoxuan sat alone in the courtyard. Yan Xiaoyue watched him reading, her pace slowing. Glancing again, she saw neither the cart nor Yan Shaocheng nearby. She stubbornly refused to enter.

“I’m getting hungry. Let’s go back for some peach cookies.”

Yan Xiaoyu: “…Weren’t you just eating some?”

Yan Xiaoyue hung her head in hurt, twisting the hem of her skirt.

“Fine, go back then.”

The two large boxes of peach cookies and a bag of malt sugar at home were gifts Yan Shaocheng brought back from Fucheng.

Yan Xingmao and his wife, doting on their child, ate only two pieces each. Yan Xiaoyu found the malt sugar too cloyingly sweet, preferring to eat bean curd with sugar syrup instead. He occasionally nibbled on a couple of peach cookies, leaving the rest to fill Yan Xiaoyue’s belly.

After lunch and dinner today, Yan Xiaoyue’s mouth had been idle—how could she possibly be hungry?

She was simply afraid of Yan Shaoxuan.

Yan Xiaoyu was utterly exasperated. His elder sister had the courage of a sparrow! Yan Shaoxuan wasn’t going to eat her—what was there to be afraid of?

As soon as Yan Xiaoyue left, he strode into the Yan family courtyard.

“Second Brother Yan, I’m here!” Entering, he sat down beside Yan Shaoxuan with familiar ease, flashing a flattering smile. “Since yesterday went well, shall we go fishing in the mountains tomorrow?”

Yan Shaoxuan set down his book, glanced at him, then quickly looked away. Clearing his throat, he said, “I heard what your uncle and the others were saying earlier.”

“What?” Yan Xiaoyu looked confused. “The tofu recipe?”

Yan Shaoxuan glanced at him again. “The villagers are asking you about marriage. And your aunt—she wants to arrange a match for you too.”

“So what?” Yan Xiaoyu was completely baffled, genuinely not understanding what he meant.

Yan Shaoxuan grew slightly annoyed. “Is there something you wanted to tell me?”

What was he supposed to say? Yan Xiaoyu froze, staring at Yan Shaoxuan. Yan Shaoxuan’s brows furrowed slightly, his earlobes flushing red—a look of both embarrassment and irritation. Only then did Yan Xiaoyu realize.

—This guy thought he’d driven away Yan Xingsheng and rejected Tao Cuiqing’s nephew for him?

Heaven knows! That was exactly his intention. Yan Shaoxuan was now his big brother who took him fishing, his current pillar of support. He felt pure brotherly affection and deep respect for this man.

Hadn’t everything been made clear earlier? Why this sudden drama?

This kid’s background was just inconvenient! When paired with Yan Shaoxuan’s narcissism, misunderstandings were inevitable.

Yan Xiaoyu raised his hand with sincere earnestness: “I swear! I rejected them because I don’t want to marry right now—I want to earn money! There’s absolutely no other meaning!”

He emphasized each word, gritting his teeth: “Don’t. Read. Too. Much. Into. It!”

So he turned them all down? Yan Shaoxuan felt a wave of relief wash over him. Then he recalled what Yan Shaocheng had said that day—Yan Xiaoyu wanted to help them. That meant making money was sure to cover the costs of his provincial exams.

A sweet warmth spread through Yan Shaoxuan’s heart. This lad truly held a devoted affection for him.

His mind felt light-headed, as if he’d drunk wine. He quickly shook his head to clear his thoughts before addressing Yan Xiaoyu: “Don’t worry. Money matters shouldn’t weigh on your shoulders.”

Yan Xiaoyu thought he was referring to earning money to support the family: “I know. I’m not in a hurry.”

Yan Shaoxuan looked up at the clouds in the sky. Now he had the mind to talk about catching fish: “The weather… it should rain tonight. If it stops tomorrow, it’ll be perfect for catching fish.”

Yan Xiaoyu was a bit surprised: “You know about the weather?”

“Yes.” Yan Shaoxuan struggled to suppress the upward twitch of his lips. “Farming the fields or hunting in the mountains—both require knowing the weather.”

“Oh, that’s impressive.” Yan Xiaoyu replied half-heartedly.

The corner of Yan Shaoxuan’s mouth, which he’d worked so hard to keep down, couldn’t help but curl upward again. This young fellow always found ways to praise him.

Yan Xiaoyu glanced over, thinking the misunderstanding had been cleared up. He felt relieved.

“Then I’ll wait for you at home tomorrow?”

“Alright.”

After agreeing, Yan Xiaoyu prepared to leave. Just as he stood up, he remembered the stinky tofu.

“Is Brother Yan home today?”

“Brother Yan went out on business. He won’t be back for a few days.”

Yan Shaocheng had lost money reselling books, covering his younger brother’s provincial exam expenses. He felt terrible about it. Even though Yan Shaoxuan assured him he had ways to earn money, Yan Shaocheng couldn’t shake his unease and wanted to recoup the losses quickly.

With the matter concerning Yan Xiaoyue cleared up the day before yesterday, he had no lingering worries. Early yesterday morning, he had set out again on business.

He didn’t know, but Yan Xiaoyu thought for a moment and realized that telling Yan Shaoxuan would be the same.

“I can make a special dish using tofu. It seems that it could be popular here in Lantai Town. If Brother Yan is willing, I’ll give him the recipe. He can try selling this dish to earn money.”

Yan Shaoxuan felt even more touched upon hearing this.

He was willing to share his family’s unique recipe with his elder brother just to help him. Yan Xiaoyu’s sincerity toward him was truly heartfelt.

“I’ll tell him as soon as my brother returns,” he murmured softly.

Yan Xiaoyu felt a tingle run down his spine under his gaze.

It’s just a stinky tofu recipe—is it really worth getting so emotional? People in ancient times guarded recipes fiercely, unlike today, when they’re everywhere online.

Just as this thought crossed his mind, Yan Shaoxuan asked, “Did you learn this recipe from others while your father was doing hard labor? Have you gotten his permission to give it to my brother?”

Yan Xiaoyu stiffened, then snapped back to reality, stammering, “Yes, he agreed.”

He must remember to double-check with his father later—he couldn’t afford to slip up.

 ━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Sure enough, rain fell that night. By the next morning, it had stopped, and Yan Xiaoyu followed Yan Shaoxuan into the mountains as planned.

He Qiuhua and Yan Xiaoyue accompanied them, though they were only gathering mushrooms and wouldn’t venture deep into the woods.

The four parted ways in a pine forest. He Qiuhua and her daughter stopped, while Yan Shaoxuan led Yan Xiaoyu further in.

Yan Shaoxuan had begun hunting in the mountains with his adoptive father since he was ten or so, so he knew these hills well. Only after starting school did he come less often.

Though Yan Xiaoyu was an orphan, he was modern and had lived in the city. He had no experience navigating the mountains at all.

Each autumn rain brought a chill. After several rains since the start of autumn, the heat had subsided. Today’s temperature was pleasant. Yan Xiaoyu wore long sleeves and pants, his cuffs and pant legs tightly bound with cloth strips as Yan Shaoxuan had instructed. He also wore a conical hat.

Yan Shaoxuan was similarly attired, though he carried an extra bow and arrows. Hunting was planned, but they also guarded against wild creatures.

Early autumn forests remained lush and green, dotted with a few red and yellow leaves. Last night’s rain left droplets clinging to the leaves. A breeze swept by, sending a bead of water plopping onto Yan Xiaoyu’s hat. The crisp sound made him smile, his eyebrows arching in amusement.

The wilderness seemed to possess a natural healing power. Yan Xiaoyu took a deep breath, feeling refreshed and exhilarated.

“This mountain is truly delightful!”

Yan Shaoxuan led the way with a stick, tapping the grassy edges to scare away any snakes or insects lurking within.

Hearing this, a faint smile touched his lips: ” It’s better than out there.” In his early years in the village, when his heart felt heavy, he loved coming here. Finding a quiet spot to lie down for a while would calm his spirit considerably.

The two chatted as they walked. Yan Xiaoyu chattered nonstop, never stopping to close his mouth. Even birds with unusual plumage became topics for discussion with Yan Shaoxuan.

“Brother Yan, what kind of bird is this? How come its colors are so beautiful? How come there are birds like this in the mountains? Is it a male or a female…”

Yan Shaoxuan wore an indulgent smile, answering the questions he knew. After each explanation, he’d receive another round of praise. All along the way, his body felt light as if he were walking on clouds. They passed many mushrooms along the way. Yan Shaoxuan suggested picking them on the return trip, and Yan Xiaoyu nodded eagerly like a chick pecking at grain.

“Great! We’ll gather plenty then, filling every basket and sack!” Yan Shaoxuan knew the way well. In half an hour, he led Yan Xiaoyu to the mountain stream where he usually caught fish. 

It was a small valley, exceptionally beautiful. The grass and trees were lush and green, the stream crystal clear. Along the banks bloomed vast patches of autumn peonies, interspersed with wild chrysanthemums.

Yan Xiaoyu beamed with delight. “Let’s pick some wild chrysanthemums to take home! We can dry them and make tea!”

Yan Shaoxuan nodded. “First, let’s set up the fish traps.”

Both carried traps—Yan Xiaoyu’s woven from bamboo strips, Yan Shaoxuan’s from hemp rope, making it easier to set up the snares.

Yan Xiaoyu worked too. They dug up some earthworms and placed them inside, then chose a spot with an uneven, pitted riverbed to set the basket, propping it with stones. This was a method Yan Xiaoyu had learned online, effective for catching mandarin fish.

Yan Shaoxuan, meanwhile, placed his two baskets in spots with stronger currents, both near patches of reeds. After setting the baskets, Yan Xiaoyu headed to pick chrysanthemums but was stopped by Yan Shaoxuan. “There’s a hickory tree not far from here. The nuts should be ripe by now. Want to pick some hickory nuts first?”

Yan Xiaoyu’s eyes lit up. “Yes! Second Brother Yan, how do you know everything?” He followed Yan Shaoxuan step by step, his face full of admiration. “If I’d known, I would’ve brought a couple more burlap sacks! But with so many good things in the mountains, why do so few people from the village ever come in?”

“This area is quite deep. Larger wild beasts roam here, and inexperienced people easily get injured. Further in, there’s miasma. Someone even lost their life after being bitten by mosquitoes there. In these times, no one starves to death. There are wild vegetables and fruits to gather outside the village. Why would villagers risk coming in?” 

Yan Shaoxuan finished speaking, then added with lingering concern, “If I’m not here, don’t come alone either.”

Yan Xiaoyu nodded obediently. “Alright, I won’t take any risks.”

Upon reaching the spot, Yan Xiaoyu beamed at the mountain walnut tree laden with fruit and volunteered to climb it for the nuts. 

Yan Shaoxuan managed to utter, “Let me do it,” but before he could finish, Yan Xiaoyu had already shot up the trunk like a monkey. Yan Shaoxuan frowned, nervously looking up, ready to catch him. But Yan Xiaoyu proved remarkably agile—clutching the trunk with his left hand while reaching far out with his right to pluck walnuts from the tips of branches, he remained steady.

There weren’t many ripe nuts. Yan Shaoxuan held the basket up high to catch them as Yan Xiaoyu plucked and tossed them down. Within a quarter of an hour, they were done. He clapped his hands, didn’t even call out, and leaped back down from the tree.

Yan Shaoxuan’s eyes narrowed sharply. He darted forward to steady him. “Why are you always so reckless?”

“This height? Piece of cake!” Yan Xiaoyu arched an eyebrow, a hint of smugness in his eyes.

Captured by those eyes, Yan Shaoxuan couldn’t bring himself to scold him. He silently hoisted the half-full basket of hickory nuts onto his back. “It’s still early. If we head further east, there are two wild grapevines. They should be ripe too. Shall we go take a look?”

Yan Xiaoyu eagerly agreed: “Sure, let’s go!”

Half the wild grapes on the two vines were ripe, but the berries were small, and many had been pecked by birds. They didn’t gather much.

Yan Xiaoyu didn’t mind. He mimicked Yan Shaoxuan, tearing two large leaves from a tree to wrap the picked grapes. He snacked as he gathered, occasionally biting into a perfectly ripe grape that made him grimace from the tartness, yet he remained cheerful.

After finishing the grapes, they rested for a while, each ate a bean curd cake, gathered some mushrooms nearby, and then headed back to the valley.

Back in the valley, they picked a large bag of wild chrysanthemums before going to the water to retrieve their fish baskets.

Both baskets yielded catches. Yan Shaoxuan’s three baskets held four large fish and half a basket of small ones—any less than palm-sized were tossed back into the stream.

Yan Xiaoyu’s basket contained a mandarin fish, a carp three palms wide, and several smaller fish, making him beam with delight.

Yan Shaoxuan helped him clean the baskets. “If we’d left them longer, there’d be even more.”

“This is plenty good! Enough to eat for days!”

Having finally caught the fish he’d been longing for, he followed Yan Shaoxuan down the mountain contentedly.

Yan Shaoxuan carried their fish and mountain walnuts, while Yan Xiaoyu shouldered mushrooms, wild grapes, and wild chrysanthemums. Walking one in front, one behind, they returned home laden with their harvest.

Along the mountain path, they gathered more mushrooms until their baskets and sacks overflowed. They improvised small wicker baskets woven from vines and leaves to hold the overflow.

By the time they reached the mountain foot, the sun was nearly setting.

They parted ways at Yan Xiaoyu’s doorstep. Yan Shaoxuan, noting his family was small, took two fish, a small bag of wild chrysanthemums, and half a basket of mushrooms, leaving the rest for Yan Xiaoyu.

Yan Xiaoyu was deeply touched, his eyes shining as he looked at Yan Shaoxuan. “Second Brother Yan, you really are like my own second brother!”

A faint blush spread across Yan Shaoxuan’s face, and he hastily looked away. “Where did you pick up this whole ‘brother’ business?”

He Qiuhua and Yan Xingmao had been peeking out from their courtyard, watching quietly for quite some time. Hearing this, they both tensed, ears pricked.

Yan Xiaoyu, oblivious, continued: “I’ll roast the walnuts and bring them over for you!” 

This child, why doesn’t he explain himself! He Qiuhua sighed silently.

As soon as Yan Shaoxuan left, she jogged over to help her son gather things. Just before entering the house, she still couldn’t resist stamping her foot: “Xiaoyu, be… be more reserved!”

Don’t scare him away!