80s Transmigration: The Young Widow's Hustle to Riches

Chapter 407 - 405: Going Up the Mountain

Li Xiangyang smiled and nodded. "No need to weigh it, I believe you. But, we’ll need to borrow your family’s wooden bucket for now."

Lin Shan smiled and nodded. "My dad said we have more buckets at home. You can take this one for now and just bring it back next time you have honey for us."

Li Xiangyang said, "Alright. Go back and tell your dad we’ll bring it back next time."

Lin Lan went inside to get the money. She also grabbed two packs of brown sugar and some of the nougat she had brought, put them in a kraft paper bag, and handed it all to Lin Shan. "Count the money. There’s some candy inside that your little aunt made. Take it home and try it."

"Thank you, Little Aunt." Lin Shan took the money and tucked it into his schoolbag, which was covered in several patches. "My dad said any money from Grand-uncle’s family will be the right amount."

After seeing Lin Shan off, the children finally came out of the kitchen. Lin Jun said to Lin Changyou, "Grandpa, we want to go back to East Market, not stay in Shilian."

Lin Changyou looked at Lin Jun. "I just said that anyone who wants to return to East Market must study hard. Think carefully about whether you can do that. Come find me again before you leave."

The two of them hadn’t expected their declaration to be unsatisfactory to Lin Changyou. Lin Jun muttered, "If I choose to go back to East Market, of course I’ll study hard."

Lin Changyou looked at them. "Louder! I can’t hear you!"

The two of them said loudly, "We’ll study hard when we go back."

"Since you’re planning to study hard, spend the next few days thinking about how you’re going to improve your grades." Lin Changyou waved his hand. "Go on, off to bed."

"Oh!" The kids walked toward the rooms in the east wing.

Seeing the older kids go to bed, Little Douzi snuggled into Lin Lan’s arms. "Mom, where are we sleeping?"

Lin Lan picked him up and sat him on her lap. "Tonight, you’ll share a room with Uncle Xiangyang. Mom will sleep with Grandma and Great-aunt."

Little Douzi nodded and looked at Li Xiangyang. "Uncle Xiangyang, remember to wake me up in the morning. I want to go pick mushrooms with you guys."

Li Xiangyang reached out a hand to him. "Come on, let’s go wash our feet and get to bed."

"Okay!" Little Douzi took his hand and went to the kitchen.

「The next day.」

Just as dawn was breaking, Zhou Shitou and Wu Shufang finished their breakfast and set off for Shishanling.

Wu Shufen put the water, rice balls, and flatbreads she had prepared for them into a basket. She saw the mother and son to the door and gave Wu Shufang a house key. "Big Sister, the fog is thick this morning. Be careful on the road. Next time you come out to deliver things, just stay here."

Wu Shufang nodded repeatedly. "We’re off, then."

Wu Shufen stood at the doorway, watching as the mother and son slowly disappeared into the distance, one leading the mule and the other carrying a large back-basket.

Lin Lan came out of the house and saw her standing at the door. "Did Auntie and Cousin leave?"

Wu Shufen nodded. "They just left. What are you doing up so early?"

"Just a habit. I wake up at this time." Lin Lan took her towel down from the bamboo drying pole, walked over to the well, and ladled some cool water from the cistern to wash up.

Wu Shufen went back to the kitchen and started frying scallion pancakes. Lin Lan sat down in front of the stove and sniffed the air. "It smells so good! Mom, fry some extra so we can take them up the mountain to eat."

"Scallion pancakes aren’t good when they’re cold," Wu Shufen said, looking at her with mock disapproval. "And you want to bring provisions? We’ll only be gone for a little while."

"It’s rare that we get to come back." Lin Lan thought for a moment. "I remember there are a lot of mushrooms up the path that Auntie and the others take into the mountains."

Wu Shufen smiled and nodded. "Alright, we’ll go there to pick them later. There are fig leaves along that mountain path. We can pick some to make fig leaf jelly."

Lin Lan thought for a moment before remembering. "We also need to cut some cypress branches to bring back."

"I almost forgot you mentioned that!" Wu Shufen put the scallion pancakes on a plate. "Go see if your grandpa and Xiangyang are up yet."

Lin Lan went outside and saw Li Xiangyang leading Little Douzi out of the latrine. She smiled at Little Douzi and said, "Go wake up your big brother and sister. After we eat, we’re going to pick mushrooms."

"Okay!" Little Douzi agreed and ran toward Lin Jun and Lin Hong’s room.

Lin Lan looked at Li Xiangyang. "Did you sleep well last night?"

Li Xiangyang laughed. "I don’t know what got into him. He kicked me a few times last night. In the middle of the night, he ended up sleeping by my head."

"He was running around like a madman yesterday, that’s why," Lin Lan said. "Wash your hands. It’s time to eat."

Little Douzi pushed open the door to their room and shouted, "Brother Jun, get up! Time to eat and go pick mushrooms!"

Lin Jun rolled over, wrapped the blanket tighter around himself, and tried to go back to sleep. On the small bed next to his, Lin Hong sat up. "Time to get up. We’re going to pick mushrooms."

"That voice is drilling right into my ears!" Lin Jun and the other kids grumbled as they sat up. Looking at Little Douzi, they asked, "Is it really this early?"

Little Douzi nodded. "Mom and Grandma have already brought out breakfast. We’re leaving right after we eat."

Lin Changyou smiled at Old Li. "Look at that. The older kids have less sense than Douzi."

Old Li laughed. "Little Douzi is especially well-behaved. You don’t see many kids like him."

Wu Shufen and Lin Lan brought breakfast to the table.

Breakfast was sweet potato congee, scallion pancakes, stir-fried mushrooms with pickled peppers, scrambled eggs with chives, and a plate of stir-fried salted vegetables.

After everyone ate, they tidied up and got ready to go up the mountain. Lin Changyou and Old Li gathered their fishing rods, preparing to go fishing by the river.

Lin Lan packed some pastries in a kraft paper bag, helped Little Douzi change into rubber boots, and tied his pant legs shut with hemp rope to prevent insects and ants from crawling inside.

Wu Shufen filled a thermos with hot water and gave one to Lin Changyou. "The water’s high. Be careful. If the fishing’s no good, just cast the net once and come back early."

Lin Changyou nodded. "Got it. You all be careful on the mountain, too. Don’t go anywhere too remote."

Wu Shufen placed a small stool in a carrying basket and watched the two men leave with buckets, fishing rods, and a fishing net.

Lin Lan and the kids grabbed a machete, a few wooden sticks, scissors, and a sickle. Carrying bamboo baskets, with large back-baskets on their backs, and bringing along provisions and water, they set off toward the southern foot of the mountain.

On the way, they met a few local teenagers who were also heading into the mountains to pick mushrooms. The group walked together, following the winding mountain path upward.

In the early morning mountain forest, birds chirped cheerfully from the branches. A faint mist still lingered in the distant dense woods, barely visible, creating an ethereal, almost magical landscape. The air carried a fresh, damp fragrance.

After they had been walking up the mountain for a short while, an older boy looked at Lin Jun. "Little Jun, the mushrooms along the path have all been picked. We’re going into the woods to look. Are you guys coming?"

Lin Jun glanced back at Li Xiangyang and Lin Lan. "Brother Qiang, you guys go ahead. I have to wait for my grandma and my little aunt."

"Alright!" the boy replied, and headed into the woods with a few others.

Little Douzi, Lin Jun, and the other kids used sticks to rummage through the bushes and piles of fallen leaves, finding a few milk-cap mushrooms.

Lin Jun complained to Wu Shufen as she caught up, "Grandma, Brother Qiang and the others said the mushrooms by the path have all been picked! Let’s go into the woods to look, too!"

Lin Hong also turned to look at Wu Shufen. "They all went deeper into the mountains. Should we go check the spot where we found termite mushrooms last year?"

"Alright!" Wu Shufen turned back to Lin Lan and Li Xiangyang and said, "Let’s head southeast. We found termite mushrooms there last year."