Chapter 62: The Second Trip Up the Mountain
Two days after visiting Qi Yinglan, Qingyan and Qiu Henian set off for the mountain.
They entrusted the house keys to Aunt Li. The chickens at home needed to be fed every day, and eggs had to be collected promptly. At night, the chicken coop had to be closed to prevent wild cats from harming the chicks. Aunt Li would take care of all these tasks.
On the cart, they reserved a place for Qingyan as before, with a thick cotton mattress laid out and a large floral quilt covering it. Ah Miao’s little cat nest was placed inside the quilt, leaving a gap for ventilation.
They planned to stay longer on the mountain this time, and the weather was good. They didn’t leave the village too early in the morning. The sun was warm and pleasant when they were still in the village.
Erxi had been cooped up at Old Liu’s house and was particularly excited now that they were going out. At first, Erxi didn’t know there was a kitten on the cart. When Qingyan held Ah Miao, Erxi heard a dog bark and poked its head out to see.
That’s when it noticed Ah Miao.
Erxi’s tail wagged like a windmill, and it put its front hooves on the shaft of the cart while its hind legs walked sideways with the cart’s speed, wanting to get close to Ah Miao. Qingyan smiled and pushed Ah Miao forward. Erxi was happy and almost jumped up, leaning its dog head forward.
However, the tiny kitten didn’t accept its advances. It swatted at Erxi’s approaching face with hostility. Though it didn’t hurt, it temporarily dampened Erxi’s enthusiasm. Erxi slumped off the cart, amusing Qingyan into laughter.
With the experience from last year, Qingyan was more helpful this time. He occasionally helped with pushing and pulling, making their journey up the mountain faster.
They rested midway and took the time to pick up firewood nearby. They made a fire, heated water to drink, and warmed up the dried food with chili sauce by the warmth of the fire.
The chili sauce this time was made by Qingyan himself, a jar of sauce with a full pound of minced beef. When one chewed on the bits of beef, it was incredibly fragrant.
After resting and eating, they continued on their way.
They reached the cabin on the mountain when the sun was just beginning to slant westward.
Upon entering the house, they didn’t rush to unload the cart. Qiu Henian had promised Hunter Liu to help him clean the kang bed and clear out the ash this time. This work was dirty and would inevitably fill the entire room with ash.
The house hadn’t been inhabited for two months anyway, so it needed cleaning up. They would clear the kang and tidy up together after digging out the ash.
Qingyan placed Ah Miao’s cat nest in a sunny spot on the windowsill and found a thick cushion for Erxi to lie on the ground to rest. Then he went to assist Qiu Henian.
Opening the kang bed, Qiu Henian pointed to a row of slightly blackened bricks underneath, saying, “Underneath these blackened bricks is the flue. It’s smoked and burnt year-round, hence the blackening. We need to lift these bricks, scoop out the ash, and then stack the bricks back and seal them with mud.”
Though it sounded simple, it was tiring and troublesome in practice. Otherwise, Old Liu wouldn’t have waited until Qiu Henian came up the mountain to ask for help. If the ash accumulated for too long, the flue would be blocked, the kang bed wouldn’t heat properly, and there was also the danger of smoke backflow.
They took turns carrying the ash out in buckets. Qiu Henian knelt down and sealed the gaps between the bricks with mud.
After finishing this task, they didn’t have time to rest. After washing their hands, they started a fire, cleaned the house, but this time Old Liu had probably felt embarrassed and packed up his things before leaving, so they didn’t have to tidy up his mess again.
After cleaning the house, they unloaded the cart in the yard. They moved what needed to be moved inside and left what should be outside. They buried the meat in a snow pit.
Dinner was simply boiled porridge, heated steamed buns, and stir-fried minced meat with sour beans.
Erxi ate two steamed buns, and little Ah Miao drank some rice gruel. After this meal, everyone was full.
After dinner, they heated water and took a bath. This time, they didn’t bother with an order and washed together since both were covered in ash. They squeezed in together to wash.
Qingyan had imagined several times the scene of bathing together, but today he was too tired. Even though they bathed together, he didn’t have the mood for other thoughts.
However, having someone wash his long hair, which he always found troublesome, turned out to be quite comfortable. Qiu Henian had large hands, but when doing delicate work like this, he wasn’t rough or careless. Qingyan felt drowsy as he was washed by him.
After bathing, Qingyan was ushered to the kang, where he wrapped himself in a large quilt and dried his hair. With the heated kang and firewalls nearby, his hair dried unusually quickly.
Qiu Henian draped a robe and went to fetch water and tidy up. He placed a basin of unmelted snow along the edge of the kang to prevent Qingyan from having nosebleeds like last year due to the house being too dry.
Later, he didn’t forget to place Ah Miao and its small nest from the windowsill onto the moderately warm kang head. Ah Miao was still small and lacked the care of its mother, so those looking after it had to pay more attention.
The oil lamp was extinguished, and Qiu Henian lay down on the kang. The large kang bed, just cleaned of ash, had a clear flue, and when a small fire was lit, it became especially warm.
Qingyan was about to fall asleep. He drowsily felt Qiu Henian lying behind him, with an arm reaching over to encircle his waist and abdomen.
Warm, moist kisses gently brushed the nape of his neck and ears. Qingyan hummed comfortably a couple of times and drifted into dreamland.
…
The next day after breakfast, the two took the dog and went to check the rabbit snares. Erxi ran around them happily, sometimes disappearing into a snowdrift but reappearing soon after, with snow sticking to its nose.
Qingyan was the first to spot the rabbit tracks this time. Qiu Henian praised him and patted his head. They quickly set up the snares.
On their way back, Qiu Henian walked leisurely. Occasionally noticing something, he would turn into the deeper parts of the woods, teaching Qingyan about mulberries and schisandra* on the trees.
*T/N: How schisandras look like
They walked leisurely, occasionally tasting the dried wild fruits on the trees, seeming carefree and relaxed.
Qingyan curiously asked, “Last year, we were so rushed with everything on the mountain. Why aren’t we in a hurry this year?”
Qiu Henian glanced at him. His fur hat and scarf covered his forehead and the lower half of his face tightly, but through the exposed eyes, Qingyan could see that he was smiling now.
Qiu Henian said, “Last year, just after bringing you into the house, we didn’t have much money. If we couldn’t catch any game, you wouldn’t have had meat for Chinese New Year. I was afraid you’d cry.”
Qingyan was stunned for a moment before realizing he was teasing him. He hurried to catch up and playfully tried to hit him. Trudging through knee-deep snowdrifts, he finally gasped for breath and ran up to him. However, Qiu Henian suddenly lifted him up under his armpits.
Startled, Qingyan shouted and flailed his hands covered in cotton mittens in the air, yelling, “Qiu Henian, put me down!”
But no matter how he struggled, he couldn’t move an inch.
Qiu Henian looked up at him and burst into laughter.
In the next moment, just as Qingyan was about to reach into his hat to pinch his ear, he was suddenly put down, falling into Qiu Henian’s arms. Qingyan thought it was safe, but Qiu Henian leaned back, causing a sense of weightlessness.
Qingyan screamed, and then Qiu Henian lay back on the snowdrift. Qingyan pressed against him, and the snowdrift collapsed under them, causing both to sink into it.
There was no pain, nor any danger.
Qingyan opened his eyes, which had just closed tightly, and found that the wind was blocked under the snowdrift, making it unexpectedly warm. He looked down and saw Qiu Henian lying quietly beneath him, his exposed eyes staring at him, calm and gentle.
Outside came Erxi’s excited or anxious barking, sounding like it came from another distant world.
In this small world, there were only the two of them.
Qingyan lay on Qiu Henian’s chest, removed one of his cotton mittens, and delicately pulled down the scarf covering the person beneath him, revealing the whole face.
Qingyan gazed at Qiu Henian for a while, and Qiu Henian also looked at him.
After a moment, Qingyan removed his own scarf, lowered his head, and kissed the other’s lips.
Spoiler for the Next Chapter:
Qiu Henian gently massaged him, his voice low in his ear, asking, “Does it still hurt?”
