Chapter 14: The Kiss
On the third day in the mountains, Qiu Henian strapped on his bow and arrow, as well as a hatchet, and set out alone.
This time, he was heading deeper into the forest to hunt larger animals, sometimes having to stay in one spot for hours, which Qingyan definitely couldn’t handle. So, Qingyan and Erxi were left behind at the cabin.
Before leaving, Qiu Henian instructed him to lock the gate and unchain Erxi for easier movement in case of emergencies. He also taught Qingyan a few commands, watching him nervously practice them before reluctantly heading out.
As Qingyan watched his figure disappear into the dense forest through the fence, he also kept an eye on the dog sitting on the ground, panting at him.
Once Qiu Henian’s silhouette was completely out of sight, Qingyan’s fear of the dog intensified. He eyed Erxi, pretending to cough to distract it, then bolted towards the house.
Erxi, thinking it was playtime, excitedly chased after him, easily outpacing Qingyan with its agile legs, and beat him to the door. Panting, it grinned at him, seemingly waiting for praise.
Qingyan’s lips trembled as he stammered, “G-good… good dog.”
He then picked up a stick and threw it into a corner of the room, shouting, “Fetch!”
Erxi dashed after the stick, and Qingyan took the opportunity to dart into the house, slamming the door shut and jumping onto the bed, covering his head with a blanket.
Erxi returned with the stick, unable to jump onto the bed, so it placed its front paws on the edge, nudging the blanket-covered lump. The lump trembled and swayed with its nudges, but Qingyan didn’t emerge.
Disappointed, Erxi dropped its tail and went back to its spot, lying down.
Qingyan only uncovered himself when he couldn’t breathe anymore. When he glanced up, he saw Erxi looking at him from a distance, still holding the stick and looking pitiful.
Qingyan closed his eyes hard, resolving not to feel sorry for the dog by not looking at it.
At lunchtime, both man and dog ate a simple meal. After eating, Qingyan cleaned the fish they had caught the previous day, sorting them by size.
The ones for their own use were gutted and cleaned, while the ones for sale were strung together with fish line and wrapped in bamboo mats to freeze outside.
He had just finished burying the fish in a snow pile when he thought he saw something move in the trees. At the same time, Erxi ran out the door, eyes alertly fixed on something up high.
Qingyan slapped his thigh, realizing what he had seen, and shouted “Erxi” as he opened the gate and ran out.
Erxi, already on alert, dashed into the woods. Qingyan followed the sound of excited barking, reaching the forest just as a large, colorful-tailed pheasant, chased by the dog, ran and flew towards him.
Qingyan leaped and tackled the bird, landing in the thick snow, which cushioned the fall. Just before the pheasant took off, he grabbed its tail, while Erxi pinned its head down.
On the way back, both Qingyan and Erxi were in high spirits. Qingyan even considered high-fiving the dog.
They tied up the pheasant and temporarily kept it in the house.
Qingyan, feeling bold, asked Erxi, “Where’s your stick? Bring it here, and I’ll play with you!”
Erxi seemed to understand, happily retrieving the stick from its nest, and they played fetch in the yard.
Before it got dark, Qiu Henian returned, bringing a chill with him. Qingyan quickly helped him unload, giving him a bowl of hot fish soup. As Qiu Henian rested and drank, Qingyan curiously examined the day’s catch.
There was a roe deer and a deer, both shot with arrows, their blood frozen solid. There was also a sealed cloth bag on the ground. Qingyan carefully peeked inside and saw a hedgehog.
Qiu Henian, who had been watching him, said, “It’s alive. I brought it back for Niansheng.”
Niansheng, full name Wang Niansheng, was ten years old and called Qiu Henian “uncle.” He was the grandnephew of the blacksmith Wang, who had no children.
Wang’s older brother, Wang He Yao, also childless, lived with his mother and his long-suffering wife. The younger brother, Wang San Yao, lived with his wife and child, Niansheng.
Qingyan said, “I’ll put it in a bamboo basket. When we head back, I’ll keep it warm under my blanket, letting it breathe occasionally so it won’t freeze or suffocate.”
Qiu Henian nodded, looking Qingyan over, as if checking how well he had managed alone.
Qingyan, recalling something, excitedly fetched the pheasant, showing it off. The bird, terrified, puffed up its feathers.
“I caught this with Erxi! It was on that tree branch,” Qingyan gestured enthusiastically.
“Erxi chased it out, and I pounced on it. We caught it together!”
Hearing its name, Erxi ran over, standing proudly beside Qingyan, both with bright, expectant eyes.
Qiu Henian’s usually tense lips relaxed into a smile. He set down his empty bowl, stood up, patted Qingyan on the head, and then patted Erxi, saying, “Well done, both of you!”
Though praised, Qingyan felt something odd about the situation.
After dinner, they went to bed early. The next morning, Qiu Henian set out to hunt again.
This was their last day in the mountains. With snow expected soon, they needed to head back before it started.
During the day, Qingyan began packing their things, putting away unnecessary items to save time the next day. He also prepped the roe deer and deer, tying them to the cart.
With dinner almost ready, Qingyan frequently checked the door, but the person he awaited was nowhere in sight. Keeping the food warm, he waited by the door. As night fell and visibility diminished, he grew anxious.
Just as he considered taking Erxi to search, a tall figure emerged from the woods. Relieved, Qingyan hurried to greet Qiu Henian.
Qiu Henian returned heavily laden, carrying and wearing gear. Qingyan swiftly helped him unload, leaving the items in the yard.
Given the late hour, they decided to eat first. After a whole day of exertion, Qiu Henian was undoubtedly starving despite having brought dry rations.
Qingyan braised all the pork they had brought, making a large pot of tender, crispy braised pork with bright red, oily skin.
Additionally, he prepared a plate of scrambled eggs and stir-fried cabbage with potato slices.
Instead of reheating steamed buns, Qingyan cooked the fine rice they had brought, which paired perfectly with the braised pork.
After dinner, Qingyan and Qiu Henian worked together to sort the day’s catch. They had caught another roe deer and a half-grown wild boar that hadn’t yet developed tough bristles. Otherwise, a regular bow and arrow wouldn’t have been enough to take it down.
Qingyan was delighted and exclaimed, “So much!”
Qiu Henian said, “We were lucky this time. It isn’t always like this; sometimes we come back empty-handed.”
Qingyan went to check the burlap sack and found two gray rabbits, frozen solid.
“Did we trap these?” he asked.
Qiu Henian nodded.
Qingyan’s face lit up with joy, feeling that his hard work had paid off and that he was truly involved. As for the sentiment that rabbits were too cute to eat, he could be heartless and cold for the sake of meat.
Before bed, they washed up separately. Qiu Henian sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), removing his shoes and socks to wash his feet.
Qingyan glanced over unintentionally and froze. He walked over and squatted down to take a closer look, furrowing his brow.
“When did you get frostbite on your feet? Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked.
Qiu Henian looked down at him slightly and said, “It’s an old injury. It flares up every winter. It’s no big deal.”
Qingyan thought for a moment and realized it must have happened when Qiu Henian was unconscious in the icy wilderness years ago. If the blacksmith hadn’t found him in time, even if he had survived, it was uncertain if he could have kept his limbs.
Thinking about this, Qingyan felt both fearful and distressed.
He tested the water temperature and said softly, “It’s too hot. I’ll add some cool water.”
After adjusting the temperature, Qingyan squatted down again to roll up Qiu Henian’s pant legs. The seated man instinctively pulled his leg back, but Qingyan gently pressed his foot down into the warm water.
Qiu Henian placed his hand on Qingyan’s shoulder and pushed lightly, saying, “You don’t have to do this.”
Qingyan, while washing his feet, said, “When I was little, no one took care of me. One winter, the sole of my shoe came off, and I didn’t know to get it fixed. Walking to and from school—,” he quickly corrected himself, “to and from private tutoring, I had to walk through deep snow. Snow would get into my shoes, melt from my body heat, and then freeze again. My toes were red and swollen all winter, itchy and painful.”
The oil lamp flickered, giving off a faint scent of burning oil. The mixed smells of the cabin, combined with the scent of soap after washing up, created a warm and peaceful atmosphere.
Qiu Henian, no longer stopping him, straightened up and sat on the edge of the bed, listening attentively.
Qingyan continued to reminisce, “That time I got frostbite, it left a lingering problem. Every winter, it would flare up again. Though it wasn’t a major issue, it was quite uncomfortable,” he smiled at the man looking at him.
“But as I grew older, I learned how to take care of myself. You could say I became a self-taught doctor. I haven’t had an issue for years,” he blinked.
“I’ll treat your condition. By the end of this winter, I guarantee you won’t suffer next year.”
Qiu Henian didn’t respond, instead looking down at Qingyan with intense focus. The flickering firelight made Qingyan’s face look particularly delicate and beautiful.
After a long time, Qiu Henian seemed to think of something and suddenly looked away, habitually hiding the scarred half of his face. Since coming to the mountains, he had almost stopped doing this.
Qingyan was not disappointed. His eyes were warm and forgiving.
Slowly, Qingyan stood up, still bending over. In this position, he leaned closer to the man’s face. When they were close, he stopped, looking carefully at him.
“I was afraid when I first saw you,” he said.
“But now, I’m not afraid at all.”
With that, Qingyan leaned in and lightly brushed his soft lips against the man’s, then quickly pulled away.
Qiu Henian suddenly turned his head back to look at him.
Qingyan smiled and said, “Your mouth tastes nice.”
There was a clatter as Qiu Henian accidentally kicked over the water basin.
The chaotic pounding was the sound of Qingyan’s wildly beating heart.
Spoiler for the Next Chapter:
Being a good person is great, but being good without principles can eventually hurt oneself. Qingyan didn’t want Qiu Henian to get hurt.
