Thanks to WANGXIANNURSE for the kofis. Enjoy these bonus chapters!

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Song Ning didn’t mention this to Wei Hu. Although their family was now living a bit more comfortably, it was all thanks to the three of them working together. Song Ning planned to copy more books to save up some silver first, and then make other arrangements later.

Since the town steward had requested a basketful of locust blossoms—and fresh ones at that—Wei Hu was up before the rooster had crowed three times. That locust tree was halfway up the mountain; it would take a full hour just to get there. With the round trip, he couldn’t afford to miss the morning market.

As Wei Hu got up, Song Ning sat up too. Wei Hu pulled the blanket over him. “It’s still early. Go back to sleep.” 

“Brother Wei Hu, if I go with you, the two of us can carry an extra basket down.”

“These locust flowers sell really well. I reckon that one basketful yesterday brought in over two hundred wen. I haven’t gone into the mountains with you in a while, and since the trip isn’t too far this time, I’d like to come along.”

It was still pitch black out, and the mountain path was rough. Wei Hu hadn’t wanted Song Ning to come along at first, but after Song Ning pestered him for a while, he had no choice but to agree.

Only then did Song Ning perk up, and he hurriedly got dressed.

The door to the main hall creaked open. The two men grabbed their backpacks and were about to leave; they planned to wash up and eat after returning from the mountain, aiming to leave early and return early.

Hearing the commotion, Chen Cuihua lit the oil lamp in her room. “Huzi, you’re awake.” 

“Ah, Mother, it’s still early. Sleep a little longer.”

Chen Cuihua heard Song Ning’s voice and asked, “Why is Ning up already?” 

“Mother, I’m coming along too.”

Chen Cuihua got up, throwing on her clothes. “Ning’er is going too? Well, you two be careful on the way.”

Song Ning had never ventured into the mountains before dark, and he felt a bit excited, treating it as a chance to go out and have some fun. “I know, Mother.”

Wei Hu lit a torch and slung three baskets over his back, filled with machetes and other tools. They were heading up to pick locust flowers; since they weren’t heavy, they might as well bring back a good haul.

Once they were ready, the two set off, with Hei Dou and Hua Dou tagging along. Wei Hu held the torch in one hand and led Song Ning by the other. Song Ning was in high spirits; clutching Wei Hu’s hand, he murmured, “Brother Wei Hu, it’s so dark out, and the stars are so bright.”

“Are you scared?”

“No, it’s not that far. I’ve just never gotten up this early before. The stars are really bright right now—it’s the first time I’ve ever seen them like this.”

It was pitch black now. Every house was dark, and the village was completely silent, with only the occasional sound of a rooster crowing in the distance. As they passed a house with a dog, their footsteps startled the dog guarding the yard into barking.

Once they reached the mountain path, Wei Hu had Hei Dou run ahead. In the pitch-black darkness, Wei Hu was afraid there might be insects or snakes in the grass, so he had Hei Dou lead the way.

The torch illuminated only a small patch of ground. The forest was pitch-black, but Song Ning wasn’t afraid; it was just his first time venturing into the mountains after dark, which he found quite novel.

As the two made their way through the weeds along the narrow path, the sound they made startled the birds in the trees, causing them to flap their wings and fly away.

“Brother Wei Hu, it’s so dark up here. Aren’t you afraid to be out in the mountains alone?” 

“I’m not afraid. I don’t go out at night; I wait until dawn.”

“Brother Wei Hu, have you ever encountered a tiger while hunting? What about wolves? I’ve never seen a wolf or a tiger in real life—only in pictures.”

“I’ve never come across a tiger, but I have seen wolves. These animals live deep in the old forests. There are hunters who specialize in hunting them, but you can’t do it alone—you need three or five people.”

As they chatted, the distance didn’t seem so far. By the time they reached the old locust tree, it was just barely light enough to see. Wei Hu stamped out the torch in his hand, set down his backpack, and nimbly climbed up the tree.

This old locust tree was quite large, its branches heavy with blossoms; the sweet, cloying fragrance could be smelled from a great distance.

Song Ning stood to the side to avoid getting hit by falling branches. It was only because Wei Hu was leading him; if he’d gone into the mountains alone, he probably wouldn’t have found his way out.

Wei Hu climbed up and cut down some branches. Since they needed to fill three back baskets this time, he cut a few extra. The branches fell with a clatter, and Hei Dou and Hua Dou scurried off to one side, flopping onto their backs in the grass and rolling around.

Wei Hu quickly cut down a large quantity. When he felt he’d gathered enough, he climbed down. By now, the locust blossoms on the tree had already bloomed; in a couple of days, they’d wither and become inedible. There were only four or five days a year when one could eat locust blossoms—they were rather delicate.

Seeing Wei Hu come down, Song Ning hurried over, dragging her basket behind her. “Brother Wei Hu, there are so many locust flowers!”

“There are thorns up there. Be careful when you pick them.” 

“Okay!”

Song Ning carefully avoided the tiny thorns on the branches as he began picking, plucking them down in clusters. Three back baskets of locust flowers were worth five or six hundred wen—it was like picking up copper coins. Song Ning picked with glee. “Brother Wei Hu, shall we come back tomorrow to pick some more?”

Wei Hu chuckled softly. His husband was just like a little money-grubber. “No, we won’t come back. By tomorrow, these locust flowers will probably be past their prime.” 

“Alright, these things are pretty expensive, after all.”

“My mother likes to go into the mountains with us in the summer to gather wild delicacies—wood ear mushrooms, mushrooms, goji berries, and things like that. We can also bring soapberries back down. You should go into the mountains with her then.”

As soon as Song Ning heard there were such things to gather, his eyes lit up. “Great!”

After picking the locust flowers, the two hurried back down. They still had to make it to the morning market. Now that they could see the path clearly, the descent was much easier. Song Ning carried a basket full of locust flowers on his back and felt as though he was enveloped in their fragrance.

Don’t let the full basket fool you—these flowers are light as a feather, so he barely felt the weight on his back.

As they passed by the back mountain, many people saw the two of them carrying such a large load of locust flowers and looked on with envy. “Huzi, where did you get all this? You’ve gathered so much.”

Wei Hu simply said they’d gathered them on the mountain. The forest was dense; even those with poor memories would get lost if they ventured in.

Some people wanted to gather some themselves, but the forest was vast and teeming with insects, snakes, and wild beasts, so they didn’t dare venture in lightly.

“Oh my, you’ve gathered so many locust flowers!” Granny Sun was out in the back mountains gathering wild greens to feed her chickens at that moment. “Ning, sell me some. I’ll take them home and cook something for Qiu to eat.”

Song Ning stopped in his tracks. “Auntie Sun, how is Qiu-ger doing now? Has his appetite improved?”

“Oh, this is so much better than before. Thanks to your mother teaching me how to make some pickles—Qiu-ger really loves them.”

Song Ning smiled too, reaching into the basket on Wei Hu’s back and scooping out several handfuls for Grandma Sun. “Just give these to Qiu-ger to eat.”

Granny Sun scooped up a generous amount with the corner of her skirt. When Song Ning told her he didn’t want her copper coins, she was so delighted that the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes gathered together. “Thank you so much, Ning.”

Song Ning gave Granny Sun some locust blossoms and hurried off; he still had to head into town shortly.

If Granny Sun had simply asked for them, Song Ning might not have given them to her. But since she said she wanted to buy them—and they were for Qiu—Song Ning decided to give her some. Granny Sun was doting on Qiu-ger these days, hoping for another child to bring some liveliness to the household.

She’d once mentioned wanting a chubby grandson, but after Sun Dazhuang overheard and scolded her, she’d kept quiet. She no longer dared to ask for a boy, content to say that a little ger would be fine too.

Granny Sun had only given birth to Sun Dazhuang in her entire life, so upon reflection, she decided that a little ger would be just as good.

Grandma Sun gathered the locust blossoms and headed home with them. Someone saw Wei Hu carrying such a large load and felt a pang of envy. “Ah, if only I had a hunter in my family. Life would be so much better—we’d never go without meat.”

“If you’re so envious, why not send your son to learn from Huzi? But would you be willing to part with him? He’s out in the mountains all day, earning every penny through hard work. Just look at how Huzi’s father passed away—your family couldn’t even handle that kind of hardship.”

Granny Sun retorted. Now that Wei Hu’s family was doing well, some villagers were envious—she’d been envious herself at one point. But since they earned their money through hard labor, she decided her own son Dazhuang’s trade was better after all. Though he didn’t earn as much, being a bricklayer was a skilled trade, and he didn’t have to live in constant fear.

By the time Song Ning and the others returned, Lan-ger had already led the ox back, and Chen Cuihua was frying eggs in a small pot. “You’re back. Quick, wash your hands—it’s time to eat. You two stay home and rest today; I’ll go to town by myself.”

“Mom, how are we going to sell all these locust flowers? You can’t handle it all by yourself.”

“It’s fine. These locust blossoms will sell easily. I’ll bring them out once the crowds thin out. You and Huzi should rest at home.” Chen Cuihua knew the two had gotten up early and walked quite a distance there and back; she could handle the work herself for a little while.

“Aunt Chen, let me go with you,” Lan-ger said. Chen Cuihua smiled at his words. “Can you really handle it?”

Lan-ger nodded. “I know how to weigh them.”

“Look at that—Lan’er’s so young and already knows how to weigh things. All right then, let your uncle and aunt rest at home. Today, you’ll come with me to town to sell the locust blossoms.”

And so it was settled. Chen Cuihua hadn’t really intended for the two of them to come along in the first place; she could handle her little business on her own. Wei Hu was out in the mountains, and Song Ning was at home copying books—the three of them were each minding their own business.

But today, with a few baskets of locust flowers to carry, it wouldn’t hurt to have someone along.

Song Ning smiled too. The young man understood perfectly well—he was simply repaying the kindness his family had shown him by wanting to help out. How could anyone ever let such a fine young ger slip away?

Chen Cuihua stir-fried chili and eggs, steamed a pot of mixed-grain buns, and made some noodle soup. She brought out a bowl of rice. “Lan’er, eat here. Once you’re full, you can take it to your grandfather. Have some soup—don’t rush around like this every day.”

Lan-ger fidgeted with his hands, feeling a bit embarrassed. He had originally said he’d pack a meal, but since he always brought food to his grandfather, Aunt Chen and the others hadn’t said anything about it.

Song Ning also urged him, “Stay and eat here. There’s no rush—you’re going to town with Aunt Chen later.”

Only then did Lan-ger agree. It was his first time sitting at the dining table. Worried he might be too shy to serve himself, Song Ning placed a piece of egg inside his steamed cornbread and said,

“Go ahead and eat—your Auntie’s a great cook.”

Eating eggs first thing in the morning was something Lan-ger had never even dared to imagine before. He’d been so scared of going hungry that he ate two corn buns and drank a bowl of soup before he was full.

Chen Cuihua packed more steamed buns into a basket and ladled out a bowl of soup. “Take this to your grandfather. Once you’re back, we’ll head to town.” 

“Okay.” Lan-ger carefully carried the bowl away.

He hadn’t gone far when he ran into Tiedan and a few other boys playing. The boys had been beaten up and were still limping, so they didn’t dare bully Lan-ger anymore. But Tiedan couldn’t swallow his pride. Seeing him carrying the food, he spat out an insult: “You little beggar, you’re a bastard!”

With that, Tiedan stepped in front of him. He was already two or three years older than Lan-ger, and his frame was a full size larger than the frail boy’s. Crossing his arms, he glared at Lan-ger defiantly. “Oh, so you’re off begging at someone’s house again.”

Lan-ger didn’t want to deal with him and tried to walk away with his bowl, but Tiedan blocked his path. “You little bastard, you little blind bum—you’ve gotten pretty bold, haven’t you? You actually had the nerve to get someone to beat me up.”

The other kids who’d been beaten chimed in, “That’s right, that’s right. Brother Tiedan, let’s give this little blind boy another beating.”

Tiedan curled the corner of his mouth but didn’t dare lay a hand on him, afraid the little blind boy would go tattle on him again. He was currently herding cattle for the Wei family, and if they found out, they might beat him up again—his butt was still sore from the last time.

“Move aside.”

Lan’er wanted to deliver his grandfather’s meal and get back early; he still had to go to town with Aunt Chen to help her sell locust blossoms.

“Hey, the little blind boy’s found his voice today.”

Lan-ger tried to leave, but a few boys blocked his way. They didn’t dare lay a hand on him, but they just stood there blocking his path and picking on him. Every step he took, they stepped in front of him. Lan-ger was getting frustrated; he wanted to run but was afraid of spilling the noodle soup in his bowl.

Just as Lan-ger didn’t know what to do, he heard a dog barking behind him. He turned to see Hua Dou sprinting toward him. The hundred or so meters were covered in the blink of an eye as the dog barked and lunged at the group, sending Tiedan and the other kids running away with shrill screams.

Lan-ger broke into a smile. “Hua Dou, thank you.”

Hua Dou had been running around playing in the courtyard. As soon as he came out and saw Lan-ger being bullied, he took off barking and ran over.

Song Ning had been drinking soup in the courtyard when Hua Dou suddenly bolted, barking. Since the hunting dog was large and Hua Dou was usually docile, Song Ning feared Hua Dou’s sudden dash might startle people, so he hurried out to see what was happening. As soon as he stepped out, he saw Lan-ger being blocked again by those few boys.

Song Ning was furious. “What are you doing?!”

Hua Dou chased the boys a long way before coming back; he didn’t bite them, just chased them to scare them off. Tiedan had already been spanked, so running made it hurt even more. Hua Dou chased him until he was flat on the ground.

“Hua Dou, come back!”

Seeing that the boys were thoroughly frightened, Song Ning finally called Hua Dou back. Lan-ger glanced back at Song Ning, then picked up his bowl and went home.

Song Ning rubbed Hua Dou’s head. “Good boy, Hua Dou.”

Wei Hu heard the commotion and came out too. He glanced in the distance and knew exactly what had happened. Chen Cuihua found out as well and stood at the doorway, cursing loudly, “You little brats! Your skin’s itching again, isn’t it? If you dare bully anyone else, I’ll flay you alive!”

The kids only dared to pick on Lan-ger; they certainly wouldn’t dare mess with an adult. Chen Cuihua was known throughout the village as a tough woman, so the children ran off even faster.

After shouting a few more curses, Chen Cuihua went back into the courtyard to pack up her things. “They need a good spanking.”

Lan-ger had just brought his grandfather his meal and hurried back, afraid of missing out on business. The goods were already loaded onto the ox cart. When Lan-ger arrived, Chen Cuihua lifted him up and set him on the cart. “Sit tight. We’re counting on you to help out today, Lan-ger.”

Song Ning saw them both out. “Mom, are you two okay? Maybe I should go instead.”

“No need. It’s just a few extra baskets of locust flowers. Lan’er is here with us. Go back and get some rest with Huzi.”

Chen Cuihua cracked her whip and drove the oxcart away.

Only after they had gone far away did Song Ning enter the courtyard. He went to the backyard to feed the chickens and ducks, then scooped up some water to water the vegetable garden. Wei Hu was standing nearby, helping him fetch water, but Song Ning was distracted and didn’t notice Wei Hu. When he looked up, his head bumped into Wei Hu’s chin, and Song Ning let out a yelp.

Wei Hu hurriedly rubbed his head. “Did that hurt?”

Song Ning blinked, holding back his tears. “Brother Wei Hu, your chin is really hard.”

Wei Hu felt even more concerned. His little husband was already so delicate; this must have really hurt him. Wei Hu rubbed Song Ning’s head as if soothing a child. “What are you thinking about? You haven’t looked very happy these past few days.”

“How did you know?” Song Ning was a bit surprised. He hadn’t expected Wei Hu to notice; he’d done his best to hide it, and even his own mother hadn’t picked up on it.

“Is it because of Lan’er?”

Song Ning nodded. “Zhang Banxia doesn’t look well. It’s this warm out, and he’s still wearing a padded jacket. I’m afraid… I’m worried about what will become of Lan-ger. He’s still so young—only seven years old.”

“We’ve got plenty to eat.”

Song Ning’s eyes lit up, and he gripped Wei Hu’s arm tightly. “Brother Wei Hu, are you saying that later on, we can take Lan-ger in?”

“Isn’t that what you were thinking?”

Song Ning laughed. “Brother Wei Hu, you’re so kind! Don’t worry—I’ll work hard to earn silver too. I make two or three taels a month now; that’s more than enough to support Xiao Lan!”

“Don’t be so foolish.”

“But hunting all by yourself is too hard on you. I can’t bear to see you suffer,” Song Ning said softly.

Wei Hu’s heart melted completely. How had he ended up with such a wonderful husband? He truly wanted to hold him close to his chest every moment. “It’s not hard. Not hard at all.”

Song Ning took Wei Hu’s hand. “Brother Wei Hu, I can’t sleep well at night when you’re not home. I’m always worried you’ll run into some wild beast out on the mountain.”

“Don’t be so silly. I’m staying away from all that. While I’m still young, I’ll spend a few more years roaming the mountains, buy a dozen or so acres of land, and then I’ll just farm at home.” 

“Sounds good!”

Song Ning agreed without hesitation. He’d save up to buy some land too. While Brother Wei Hu farmed, he’d teach the kids to read and write. He’d originally planned to open a small private school, but country folk would never be willing to send their young sons and daughters to school to learn to read and write.

Never mind, he’d put those thoughts aside for now. It was still early days; he’d worry about that later.

The matter with Lan’er had now been discussed openly, and Song Ning felt at ease. Lan’er was so sensible, and his mother liked him too. If he brought Lan’er to live with them in the future, his mother wouldn’t have anything to say about it.

Wei Hu stayed home instead of going out. While Song Ning copied books in the courtyard, he gathered their clothes to wash. As long as he was home, he wouldn’t let Song Ning do chores like laundry or cooking.

He always kept in mind that Song Ning had originally been a pampered young master raised in town; coming to live with him had already meant he’d had to endure hardships, so how could he bear to let Song Ning do any work?

Around noon, Chen Cuihua and Lan-ger returned. Chen Cuihua was beaming with joy. “Lan-ger is such a capable boy. He sold every last one of those two baskets of locust flowers for me, and even helped me collect the coins and gather firewood.”

Lan-ger was a bit embarrassed by the praise. Aunt Chen’s family had helped him so much; he was just doing what he could.

Wei Hu was cooking in the kitchen, so Lan-ger sat in the courtyard waiting. Chen Cuihua poured him some hot water to drink. “Lan-ger, why don’t you come with me to town to sell cakes from now on? I’ll give you ten copper coins a day.”

Song Ning looked over as well. “Mother, Lan-ger still has to tend our ox. Won’t selling cakes be too tiring for him?” 

“It won’t be tiring. I want to go.”

Lan-ger wanted to earn a few more copper coins. Aunt Chen’s work was light—all he’d have to do was collect the coins and gather some firewood. He could earn ten copper coins in just a morning. If word got out about this job, who knows how many kids would want to do it.

Herding cattle wasn’t hard work either. All he had to do was lead the ox out to graze in the morning and afternoon, and cut a couple of baskets of grass in the afternoon—none of it was strenuous.

Lan-ger wanted to do it, and Song Ning knew he wanted to earn a few extra copper coins, so he didn’t say anything—he just told him to go out later in the afternoon to tend the cattle.

Wei Hu came out with the food, and Lan-ger set off carrying his basket. He flashed a rare smile—he’d gone to town with them today, and Aunt Chen had even bought him a sugar-oil cake. The last time he’d had one was during the New Year, when his grandfather had bought him one.

“Grandpa, I’m back!”

Lan-ger shouted as soon as he entered the courtyard. “We had noodles for lunch today. I went to town to help Aunt Chen with some chores. She said she’d let me come along from now on, and she even gave me ten copper coins.”

Lan-ger chattered on, dragging a table over and placing a bowl in Zhang Banxia’s hands. Zhang Banxia trembled as he lifted the bowl. “Good, good.”

“Grandpa, are you cold?”

It was now noon, and the sun was beating down so hard that everyone was sweating, yet his grandfather was still wearing a tattered coat. Lan-ger felt worried, but neither of them had much money. After working as a day laborer, Lan-ger had managed to save a few copper coins.

“Grandpa, I’ll call a doctor to take a look at you. I have some coins now.” 

“I’m not—I’m not going to die. I’m just fine. Keep those coins for yourself.”

Zhang Banxia refused to see a doctor. He knew his time was nearly up; seeing a doctor would be a waste of money. It would be better to save it for his young grandson. After eating, Zhang Banxia had Lan-ger play the erhu for him. Whenever Lan-ger played a wrong note, Zhang Banxia would feel his way to correct him.

Chen Cuihua’s small business was gradually settling down. Working just the morning shift, she calculated she could earn five or six hundred wen a day; after deducting costs, she’d make a profit of over a hundred wen. Lan-ger joined her in the business, and she gave him a daily allowance of copper coins.

When the villagers found out that Chen Cuihua had taken Lan-ger on to help her with her work, some began to get ideas. One evening, while Chen Cuihua and Ning-ger were having dinner, an old woman came over with a young boy in tow.

Chen Cuihua offered her a stool. “Mrs. Youcai, it’s been a while since you’ve visited. What brings you here?”

The old woman smiled ingratiatingly. “Cuihua, I hear you’re running a business with Lan-ger now. Look at my son, Huicai—he’s even sturdier than Lan-ger, and he’s a sharp little fellow. Why don’t you take him on to work for you? Just give him a few copper coins—it’s better than him sitting around at home doing nothing.”

Song Ning also looked over. He remembered this boy named Youcai; he’d been part of the group that used to bully Lan-ger before. Song Ning certainly wasn’t happy about it—the boy had a father and a mother; why was he trying to take Lan-ger’s livelihood?

“Auntie, Lan’er’s doing just fine. Why take his job away for no reason?”

The old woman tried to argue further, “Well, why not let this boy tend your family’s cattle? He’s capable of that too.”

Chen Cuihua didn’t want to waste her breath on her. “Lan-ger is doing this job just fine right now. As for your son Youcai, we’ll talk about that later.”

Seeing that Chen Cuihua wouldn’t budge, the old woman’s face turned cold. She grabbed the boy and walked off. After all, her son was a boy—surely he was better than that Lan-ger kid! Chen Cuihua’s family simply couldn’t tell the difference between good and bad!