Chapter 23

Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW

 

Chapter 23: The Afternoon

     

Liu Qian, with a flushed face, hid in the small house. In her heart, there was a mix of sweetness and annoyance. The sweetness came from having her secret guessed by someone else, and she presumed her beloved also knew about it. The annoyance stemmed from being at home for only a few days and already having her private affairs discussed like this. It felt like they were underestimating her.

     

Though Liu Qian’s face was burning up and she was slightly annoyed in her heart, she was also a bit perplexed. After spending these past few days with Grandmother, she knew she was a sensible person. It seemed unlikely that she would embarrass her like this in front of others. But then again, it wasn’t impossible. Old people sometimes become forgetful, she could understand that. However, how could she face them now?

     

Outside, the others were also the same, watching Grandma chuckle mischievously. Zhang Xiaolong was speechless. There was nothing he could do, it wasn’t suitable for him to go in at this moment. Guo Sufei thought for a moment, then twisted Zhang Xiaohua’s ear with her hand and said: “It’s all your fault. Go, go, and call Liu Qian out.”

     

Rubbing his ear and scratching his head, Zhang Xiaohua muttered: “What’s it got to do with me?”

     

Guo Sufei chuckled and gave him a push. “If you hadn’t told your grandmother about your big brother and Liu Qian, how would she know?”

     

Zhang Xiaohua replied: “Oh, so you all know.” With that, he got up reluctantly and headed towards the house, pondering what to do as he walked.

     

Liu Qian, with a feverish face, watched as Zhang Xiaohua entered the room. Zhang Xiaohua happily ran up to her and took her hand, saying: “Big Sister Liu, staying cooped up at home is boring. Come with me to see my cultivated land and the well we dug.”

     

Liu Qian replied: “Sure, I’ve been wanting to see the land you’ve been working on. I’ve heard your big brother talk about it. Let’s go. We’ll go today.”

     

After speaking, Liu Qian took Zhang Xiaohua’s hand and walked out of the small house.

     

Following behind Liu Qian, Zhang Xiaohua shouted as soon as they stepped out of the house: “Mom, Dad, I’m taking Big Sister Liu to see the plot of land on the hillside. We’ll be back soon.”

     

Guo Sufei replied: “Alright, make sure you come back in time for dinner. Take good care of your sister, Xiaohua.”

     

Zhang Xiaohua grinned and said: “No problem, Mom.”

     

Approaching Guo Sufei, Liu Qian whispered: “Auntie, I’m going out now.”

     

Guo Sufei smiled and replied: “Go and come back soon.”

     

And so, Liu Qian and Zhang Xiaohua walked out of the Zhang family’s courtyard together.

     

Walking along the small paths of Guo Village, they were greeted by familiar villagers from time to time. The village wasn’t large, so news spread quickly, especially when something even as small as a sesame seed happened in any household. Moreover, with the sudden appearance of a graceful and beautiful young lady in the typically low-key Zhang family, it was bound to attract attention.

     

The neighbors who had previously gone to Bailigou with Zhang Xiaohua had already been instructed by Zhang Cai. They didn’t mention Liu Qian’s situation; they simply said that a relative’s child had come to stay for a while to help take care of the sick and injured family members. Of course, Zhang Cai was the one who was ill, while Xiaolong and Xiaohu were the mischievous ones who got injured. Although they were past the age for mischief, injuries were still common occurrences in the mountains, so no one suspected anything else.

     

It’s no wonder Zhang Cai is cautious, the cautionary tale from the neighboring village is a prime example. It’s better not to draw too much attention.

     

Although the explanation of being relatives seems reasonable, it’s quite intriguing to the villagers. A girl who is more beautiful than all the village’s young ladies combined coming to serve Zhang Xiaolong raised eyebrows. Everything can only imply a secret that everyone knows but no one speaks about. Looking at Liu Qian, the way people greet her carries a hint of intimacy. Originally, Liu Qian came out to avoid embarrassment, but on the village’s small paths, embarrassment only grows.

     

Fortunately, the journey wasn’t too long, and they soon arrived at the small bridge. Liu Qian really liked streams, she enjoyed watching the carefree flow of water meandering away. She asked Zhang Xiaohua: “Xiaohua, when you went to our Bailigou, did you see the river in our village?”

     

Zhang Xiaohua scratched his head and replied: “I didn’t notice. At that time, I was just thinking about how to find your house and didn’t pay attention to anything else.”

     

Liu Qian smiled and said, “The river in Bailigou is much bigger than this one in your village. There’s also more land along the river. Even our house has a piece of land by the river, neither big nor small. It’s a pity that no one in our family farms it, we rent it out to others.”

     

Zhang Xiaohua commented: “That’s a shame. If our family had that piece of land, we wouldn’t have to cultivate on the hillside.”

     

As they spoke, they crossed the bridge and saw the winding path leading up the slope. It wasn’t a proper road, it simply appeared due to the frequent foot traffic on the gentle slope. Liu Qian walked gracefully along this path, her elegance resembling a dancing note. Zhang Xiaohua couldn’t help but compliment: “Big Sister Liu, you walk so beautifully.”

     

With a gentle smile, Liu Qian replied: “You little rascal, hurry up and walk.”

     

In the winter, a rare warmth spread through the slopes. As the two walked, they didn’t feel the cold or desolation. Instead, there was a scent of spring in the air. The newly cultivated farmland on the hillside lay there lonely and deserted. Its owner hadn’t visited it for a long time, and it remained unchanged.

     

Liu Qian looked around and exclaimed: “Xiaohua, did you cultivate all this land by yourself? It’s quite a large plot!”

     

With a proud tilt of his head, Zhang Xiaohua replied: “Yes, Big Sister Liu, I did it all by myself. Big Brother and Second Brother helped a bit too.”

     

Liu Qian praised him: “You’re really extraordinary, Xiaohua. You’re such a talented child.”

     

Then she naturally noticed the enormous stone under the big tree, resembling a bed, and asked in surprise: “Such stones are rare. It’s so neatly shaped and huge. We rarely see them on our mountains.”

     

Zhang Xiaohua asked Liu Qian: “Big Sister Liu, guess where this stone came from?”

     

Liu Qian smiled and replied: “How would I know? Did you unearth it while cultivating, or did you carry it here from the riverside?”

     

Liu Qian walked up to the large stone, sat down, and rested her hand on it. To her surprise, the stone felt somewhat warm, unlike what she had imagined. If it weren’t for its ugly color, she might have mistaken it for a large piece of jade. She thought to herself: “Strange.”

     

Zhang Xiaohua didn’t pay attention to the details of the stone. When he had brought it here, he was exhausted, drenched in sweat like a dead dog. Who cared if it felt warm or not? Besides, it had been left there, and he hadn’t paid much attention to it since then. Even when sitting on it, he only attributed its warmth to the sun.

     

Zhang Xiaohua smiled and said: “Since Big Sister couldn’t guess, let me show you something.”

     

Then he led Liu Qian down the slope to the well at the foot of the hill. Liu Qian looked at the massive wellhead and couldn’t help but chuckle. It seemed that the stone had been dug out from here. She had never seen a well with such a large wellhead before.

     

Zhang Xiaohua said: “Big Sister, that stone was indeed dug out from this well. It took a lot of effort, and we almost didn’t manage to dig the well.”

     

Then, he used the tools by the well to draw some water up and handed it to Liu Qian, saying: “Big Sister, have a taste. The water is really delicious, sweeter than the water from the river.”

     

Liu Qian took a sip and raised her eyebrows in surprise. Xiaohua was right, the water was indeed sweet. It tasted much better than the spring water she used to fetch from the hillside. If used for brewing tea, her father would surely appreciate it. She chuckled inwardly at the thought. If her father knew about this, he would probably refuse to leave the Zhang family’s home. He would want to stay there, enjoying freshly brewed tea made with the spring water every day. At the very least, he would insist on bringing back several buckets of it home.

     

Liu Qian asked again: “Is all the spring water here as delicious as this?”

     

Zhang Xiaohua shook his head and replied: “No, the spring water from the mountains isn’t as sweet.”

     

Liu Qian pondered for a moment and then asked: “Could it be because of the location of the well, being dug from the bottom of the mountain?”

     

Zhang Xiaohua shook his head again and said: “The neighboring village also dug a well on the south slope, but I don’t know if the water is good. However, nobody cares about that anymore.”

     

Liu Qian asked curiously: “Why not?”

     

Zhang Xiaohua proceeded to recount what had happened at Mr. Wu’s house in the neighboring village. Liu Qian listened with a somber expression.

     

After a moment of silence, Liu Qian looked at the setting sun on the western slope and said: “Xiaohua, fetch some water. We’ll brew tea with it when we get back tonight.”

     

Zhang Xiaohua exclaimed excitedly: “Was it the one I drank at your house? It isn’t very bitter, right? I’ve tried the one at Old Guo’s house on the east side of the village, and it’s too bitter.”

     

Liu Qian replied: “I haven’t seen the tea you drank, but it’s probably the same one. I brought some this time, but I haven’t taken it out yet. Let’s taste it today.”

     

With enthusiasm, Zhang Xiaohua filled a bucket with water from the well and followed Liu Qian down the slope. Then they headed back home.

     

While walking, Liu Qian asked: “Xiaohua, why do you think Mr. Wu from the neighboring village, who had such good luck, ended up with a bad outcome?”

     

Zhang Xiaohua pondered for a moment and replied: “He obtained something valuable, but the wrong people found out about it, and he didn’t have the ability to protect it.”

     

Liu Qian said earnestly to Zhang Xiaohua, “That’s right, Xiaohua. Remember, the ordinary man is innocent, but treasuring a jade ring becomes a crime .”

     

Perplexed, Zhang Xiaohua asked: “Big Sister, what does that mean?”

     

Liu Qian explained: “This saying means that someone who was living a good life may attract a disaster if they possess valuable items or good fortune. Xiaohua, you’re still young, so you might not fully understand. But the most unpredictable thing in the world is human nature. It’s hard to guarantee that someone won’t covet your precious possessions. Mr. Wu’s mistake was that even though he unearthed a treasure, others found out about it. Greedy people would naturally come to snatch it. If nobody had seen him find it, nobody would have known about his treasure, and they wouldn’t have come to steal it.”

     

Continuing, Liu Qian joked: “In the future, if Xiaohua comes across any rare treasures, remember to keep them a secret. Don’t let anyone know. Only then can they truly be your treasures.”

     

Zhang Xiaohua smiled and replied: “I will, Big Sister. If I ever have a treasure in the future, I won’t tell anyone except you, okay?”

     

Liu Qian replied: “Not good. When it comes to secrets, even if you tell me and think it’s fine because only I know, I might inadvertently tell someone else. I might think it’s okay to tell one person, and if that person thinks the same, you can imagine how many people would eventually know, right?”

     

Zhang Xiaohua nodded and said: “Yeah, Big Sister, you’re right. Word spreads, and then everyone knows.”

     

Then he asked: “But Big Sister, what if it was Hero Wen who unearthed the treasure? Would everything be fine then?”

     

Liu Qian replied: “In that case, the situation would be different.”

     

Curious, Zhang Xiaohua asked: “How would it be different?”