Chapter 21

She introduced them one by one, and Jiang Li responded with a smile to each.

The eldest sister-in-law was a humorous woman; after finishing the introductions, she couldn't resist a playful jab: "It’s fine. When we see you again, we’ll be sure to mention Qingzhu’s name."

Zhao Qingzhu pouted playfully, "Sister-in-law, you're being too much."

After sitting and chatting for quite a while, Jiang Li finally asked Granny Zhao about the burlap sacks.

Granny Zhao asked, "What do you need them for? Is one enough?"

Jiang Li smiled, "I’m heading into the mountains tomorrow. If I happen to find any wild vegetables or the like, I’ll need a sack handy."

By now, almost everyone in the village knew that Jiang Li was skilled at hunting. Many people wanted to follow her into the mountains, but since they weren't close to her, they felt too embarrassed to approach her with the request. The Zhao family, through a series of coincidences, had formed a bit of a connection with her, and Zhao Qingzhu got along quite well with Jiang Li.

Hearing this now, they were all stirred with interest, though still a bit shy.

Zhao Qingzhu, however, didn't overthink it and asked Jiang Li with great enthusiasm: "Are you going hunting? Let me go with you! I’ve grown this old, but I’ve never actually been into those mountains."

Jiang Li hesitated, knowing it could be dangerous. If she failed to protect Zhao Qingzhu, it would surely lead to a feud upon their return. After much internal conflict, she said, "It will be dangerous."

"I'm not afraid."

Seeing the girl’s hopeful eyes, Jiang Li found it hard to refuse. However, since Granny Zhao was the one in charge, she deferred the decision to her.

"If your grandmother agrees to let you go, then I will take you."

Granny Zhao let out a laugh, looking at her son and daughter-in-law in the courtyard. If her son had asked to go with Jiang Li, she wouldn't have hesitated, but she wasn't very keen on her granddaughter going. Yet, this was a rare opportunity; if they didn't ask now, it might be difficult to bring it up later. If Zhao Qingzhu went, the villagers could simply say the two girls were close friends playing together, and no one would think twice about it.

"Grandma, please say yes!"

Zhao Qingzhu tugged on the old woman's sleeve, shaking it back and forth. The old woman pulled her sleeve away and scolded, "You're too old to be acting like this."

"If you want to go, then go. But don't come crying to me if you get hurt."

Having received permission, Zhao Qingzhu jumped for joy. "I’ll go find you some sacks. Is one enough?"

"That’s plenty."

Zhao Qingzhu found two and handed them to her. Jiang Li took them.

Thinking of their trip tomorrow, Jiang Li instructed, "You should prepare what you need for the mountains later—a basket, a hoe, and bring a knife. We’ll set off at the first light of dawn tomorrow."

"Got it."

As the night grew late, Jiang Li didn't stay long, knowing she needed to get up early. Fortunately, she had made a couple of extra pancakes while cooking, so she wouldn't have to worry about tomorrow’s breakfast.

At the break of dawn, as the rooster crowed, Jiang Li rolled out of bed. She sat up before her eyes were even fully open, startling little A'ning beside her. Hearing another crow, she slowly stood up.

"Mother, I’ll light the fire and make breakfast."

Jiang Li stifled a yawn. "No need for breakfast today. You and your brother stay home and be good."

"Okay."

"Go back to sleep for a while; it’s not even light yet."

A'ning shook her head slightly and got up with Jiang Li.

Granny Zhao brought Zhao Qingzhu over, still worried, and entrusted her to Jiang Li: "This girl doesn't know how to do anything. Please, Jiang, take good care of her while you're in there."

"Don't worry, Granny. I will."

Jiang Li strapped on her gear, picked up her bow, and vanished into the village entrance alongside Zhao Qingzhu. Granny Zhao and A'ning saw them off, both the old woman and the young child wearing expressions of concern.

"You two siblings are truly blessed to have found such a good stepmother."

As Granny Zhao finished speaking, A'ning pursed her lips slightly, looked up at her, and replied, "Big brother said we must treat her like our own mother."

Granny Zhao smiled and patted her head. "Yes, you must treat her like your own mother."

Once they entered the mountains, although Zhao Qingzhu wasn't as agile as Jiang Li, she managed to keep up. However, the deeper they went, the more anxious she felt. Seeing the change in her expression, Jiang Li grew worried.

"Qingzhu, are you feeling unwell?"

Zhao Qingzhu looked around, feeling dizzy. She couldn't remember the path they had taken. "Jiang, I don't think I can find the way back."

Jiang Li smiled, "Don't think about getting lost. Instead, imagine the mountains are filled with gold and silver. We aren't here to play; we’re here to find treasure. You won't feel dizzy then."

"Also, call me Ah Li or just Jiang Li. Don't call me 'Jiang,' it sounds too distant."

Zhao Qingzhu was amused by Jiang Li and laughed, "Okay."

Jiang Li took the opportunity to warn her, "There are many dangers in the mountains. Watch your step, watch what's in front of you, and don't let your mind wander."

"Okay."

To distract herself, Zhao Qingzhu asked about how things were at Jiang Li's home. Jiang Li didn't hide anything from her, saying, "I hunted something on my last trip and sold it in town, so I was able to buy some grain."

Zhao Qingzhu was curious. "What did you catch?"

Jiang Li glanced at her and teased, "Guess."

"I can't guess. Just tell me!"

It wasn't that Jiang Li didn't want to tell her, but Zhao Qingzhu needed to keep talking. In the dense, deep forest, where everything looked the same, she needed something to focus on, or her mind would begin to wander.

"Not yet."

"By the way, what were you hoping to find when you came with me? Wild vegetables, the medicinal herbs your mother needs, or perhaps pheasants and rabbits?"

Zhao Qingzhu looked at her and grinned. "Definitely wild vegetables and herbs. I couldn't catch a pheasant or a rabbit."

"If you did catch a pheasant or a rabbit, would you sell it for money?" Zhao Qingzhu suddenly asked. Jiang Li nodded. "I looked at the bean sprouts in the field yesterday, and there were barely any pods. We might not harvest anything this year. Between the three of us—Xiaoman, A'ning, and me—we might starve."

Zhao Qingzhu sighed at this. "I don't know when these hard days will ever end."

Jiang Li patted her, "This too shall pass."

"There’s a small pine forest a bit further ahead. The grass is quite dense there, and there are plenty of wild vegetables. We haven't seen any game, so let’s dig for some vegetables first."

"Okay."

Jiang Li led Zhao Qingzhu to the spot she mentioned. The pine trees were tall, and the ground was littered with pinecone shells. Squirrels with fluffy tails were leaping about, scurrying up trees as soon as they saw humans.

Jiang Li set down her basket, an arrow notched to her bow, ready for any sudden situation.

Zhao Qingzhu bent down and spotted some plantain leaves, four or five inches tall, fat and tender. Her eyes lit up—these were completely different from the ones they found at the foot of the mountain.

"Ah Li, these wild vegetables are growing so well! It feels like a pity to dig them up."

"I usually cut them, leaving the roots behind. Maybe they’ll grow back later."

Zhao Qingzhu nodded repeatedly. "That makes sense."

She reached for her sickle, but Jiang Li quickly cautioned her, "The grass is deep. Before you reach in, use the bamboo pole I gave you this morning to sweep the area first. Make sure there’s nothing there before you reach in."

"Got it!"

She followed Jiang Li's instructions, swiping the bamboo pole for a while. Finding nothing, she reached in to grab the vegetables and cut them with her sickle.

Jiang Li was nearby, and before long, they both had two large piles. The tender leaves were easy to bruise, so Jiang Li pulled some vines, wrapped them slightly with leaves, and bundled them up to set aside.

Although it was just one type of vegetable, Zhao Qingzhu was thrilled with the harvest.

"Ah Li, I’ve never seen wild vegetables this tender before. They look just like the greens grown in a home garden."

"Then let’s cut some more. These are quite delicious."

"Hehe, that’s what I was thinking too."

No sooner had she spoken than a sharp scream rang out. Jiang Li looked over to see Zhao Qingzhu sitting on the ground, frantically backing away. In front of her was a white-flowered snake with its head raised, as thick as a fist, flicking its tongue. Jiang Li observed the snake’s crest and concluded it was likely non-venomous.

"Ah Li, save me!"

Jiang Li quickly reassured her, "Qingzhu, don't move."

Snakes were sometimes afraid of people; if you didn't show aggression, they would often move on. But Zhao Qingzhu was terrified; she couldn't hear a word Jiang Li said, her only instinct to flee.

"Hiss! Hiss!"

Jiang Li made a noise. The snake glanced at her, and just as she thought it might charge at her, it lunged toward Zhao Qingzhu instead. Without a second thought, Jiang Li rushed forward, knocking Zhao Qingzhu aside. The beast landed in her grasp, and she clamped her hand firmly around its midsection.

"I gave you a chance to leave, but you had to strike."

After subduing the creature, Jiang Li turned back to check on Zhao Qingzhu, who had hit her head on the ground.

"Qingzhu, are you alright?"

Zhao Qingzhu, having survived the ordeal, felt no pain. Seeing the snake held firmly in Jiang Li’s hand, she turned pale and asked, "Ah Li, did it bite you?"

"No."

"What should we do? Should we kill it?"

Jiang Li smiled, "This is my prize for the day!"

Zhao Qingzhu couldn't bring herself to go near Jiang Li, asking in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"I’ll take it to town to sell. Someone is bound to buy it."

Zhao Qingzhu was still afraid, but seeing the creature limp in Jiang Li’s grip, she felt a little calmer. Still, she didn't want to get too close.

Jiang Li looked at her pale face, feeling a pang of sympathy. "Don't worry, it's in my hands. Sit and rest for a while to calm down."

"Do you want to keep cutting vegetables? If so, let’s get a few more."

Zhao Qingzhu shook her head frantically. "No more. This is already plenty."

Between the two of them, they had two large bundles—enough to feed their families for several meals.

After calming down, she felt a throb in her forehead. She touched it and felt a small bump. "Did I break the skin?" she asked Jiang Li.

Jiang Li shook her head.

"That's good. With my personality, if I had scarred my face, I’d never be able to get married."

Jiang Li wanted to say that getting married wasn't everything, but she remembered this was the ancient era, and they had their own values. There was no need to speak of things that would be considered rebellious for this time.

"No scarring, don't worry. Just roll a boiled egg over it when you get home, and it’ll be fine."

After resting a bit longer, Zhao Qingzhu prepared to put the vegetables into her basket, asking Jiang Li to stand further away with that creature. Jiang Li obliged.

The return trip was shorter than the ascent, which had taken over two hours. If Jiang Li had been alone, she would have been much faster, but she had to wait for Zhao Qingzhu, whose legs were shaking after a while.

When they reached the foot of the mountain, Jiang Li checked the sun; it was likely around three in the afternoon.