dwimmered path

  Chapter 33 Xu He had wanted to go up the mountain ever since the start of spring, but he had been busy at home and never found the opportunity. After lunch, he and Zhang Fangyuan skipped their noon rest and headed straight for the back mountain with their gear. The mountain forest had shed its winter bleakness, trees lush and green, filled with the scent of spring. Xu He carried a basket on his back, holding a small sickle and shovel he had taken from Zhang Fangyuan's tool shed. The first time he saw Zhang Fangyuan on the mountain, he noticed he had many handy tools. Today, going out with these, he finally got a proper look. The storage room behind the central hall was filled with Zhang Fangyuan's treasures. One whole wall was hung with tools: for slaughtering livestock, farming tools for working the land, tools for hunting and chopping firewood on the mountain... sickles, bush knives, chopping knives—everything was there. The iron gleamed coldly. When he first entered, he wa...

  Chapter 32 Seeing the Fei family visit, Liu Xianglan's smile almost reached the back of her ears. Spotting Zhang Fangyuan's cart passing outside, she didn't even greet him, directly leading the Fei family into the yard. Xu Shaochun, both shy and excited, stole a few glances at Fei Lian through the window before quickly hiding in her room. “Fei Xiucai, please sit. Madam Fei, have some tea. It's new tea just bought from the tea plantation.” These days, the Fei family had received much flattery and praise. Faced with Liu Xianglan's enthusiastic attitude, they merely returned a barely pleasant expression. Truth be told, Mother Fei's horizons had risen considerably recently. She had seen few children from other households, but compared to Xu Shaochun, they still fell short somewhat. There had even been matchmakers from town approaching her, which she found very tempting. The girl's family circumstances were quite good, running a shop, naturally more well off th...

  Chapter 31 The next day, Xu He slowly woke up to the distant, not very loud, crow of a rooster. Zhang Fangyuan's household didn't raise poultry, so the only reminder of daybreak in the early hours was habitual waking. Having slept late last night, he woke up rather late this morning; it was already fully bright outside. Usually, by this time, Xu He would have already been working in the fields for the time it takes an incense stick to burn. He moved his body, wanting to get up, but clearly felt discomfort. A long leg was draped over his waist, hooking him from the waist down. His shoulders were also encircled, and a head full of hair rested on his shoulder. He was like a cloth doll that a small child had to hold to fall asleep… only… the ‘child’ holding him was dead heavy. He pushed the person but couldn't move him; instead, it aggravated the painful spots on his body. It felt like the soreness from bruises after carrying a heavy load, and the pain radiating from below hi...