Chapter 24 Chapter 24 What to do if you don't sleep in bed
"Fan Jing, are you in the room? I'm Zhang Shili. Give me some saliva to eat!"
When Kang He heard a knock on the door, he thought it was Fan Jing's family coming, but he heard a stranger's voice outside.
The gate to the courtyard was not locked. Although the man spoke loudly, he did not push the door open and come in. Instead, he introduced himself outside.
Kang He thought he was a well-mannered person, so he opened the door.
A burly man with a full beard stood outside, dressed as a hunter.
He had a large bow hanging on his shoulder, a quiver tied to his back, and a sharp hatchet on his waist.
He looks ferocious and is much more intimidating than Fan Jingke.
Zhang Shili was so thirsty that his mouth was foaming with saliva. After a long time, the door was opened. A tall young man with a skirt tied up came out. He was stunned for a moment.
Zhang Shili took a step back, raised his head and glanced at the wooden house. He said, "I'm not mistaken. When did someone else live here? Where's Fan Jing? Isn't he working in the mountains anymore?"
Kang He listened to the man's words and realized that he was someone Fan Jing knew well. He spoke in a rather masterful tone, "He's out circumambulating the mountains. He'll be back soon. What do you want to see him about, big brother?"
"I'm not looking for him. I'm passing by here on my way back to the mountains. I've run out of water, so I want to ask for some water to drink." Zhang Shili shook his empty water bag.
It is difficult to meet anyone in the mountains. Although hunters do not interact frequently with each other, they still have some courtesy to ask for food.
Kang He called Zhang Shili into the house to sit down and rest his feet.
Seeing that there was an old man in the room, Zhang Shili did not refuse and walked in with Kang He.
He looked at the steam bubbling from the stove in the house, the aroma of steaming rice wafting out. On the stove stood a clay bowl of taro tofu, and on the chopping board were chopped ginger and garlic.
It's the flavor of daily life, which is everywhere in the village, but very rare in the mountains.
"Brother, are you used to drinking this bitter mountain tea?"
Kang He took a bowl and was about to pour tea for Zhang Shili. The tea was the leftover tea from the water bag that Fan Jing had filled when he went out in the morning.
“There’s nothing that mountain people can’t get used to eating.”
Zhang Shili threw the water bag towards Kang He: "Fill half of it. Just make me a bowl of rice soup."
Kang He followed his instructions and scooped a bowl of rice soup for him, and then filled his water bag with tea.
Zhang Shili gulped down two bowls of rice soup in one gulp, quenching his thirst. Then, looking at the handsome man in front of him, he asked, "Who are you, Fan Jing, and why are you here?"
Kang He said with a smile: "Who else can I be here? I am Fan Jing's man."
Zhang Shili heard the voice and bulged his eyes. He said in surprise, "You are really brave, kid. He dared to ask for it."
After that, he asked him again: "Will people let you sleep at night?!"
When Kang He heard this, he thought that what the elder brother said was really offensive.
He said, "Brother, what are you talking about? He is not some wild beast from the mountains. We are a serious couple."
Zhang Shili shook his head and said, "He's more domineering than the wild beasts in the mountains. Few hunters in the mountains dare to hunt a blind bear. If they meet one, they'll just run away with their tails between their legs. But he's the one who's so reckless that he's willing to go and kill it himself."
"Tell me, isn't this more powerful than a wild beast? Who among the hunters in the wild forests would not submit to him?"
Kang He was shocked when he heard this, and he indeed remembered the bear fur in Fan Jing's house.
He knew some of the origins of the bear skin, but Fan Jing's tone was flat and he said it lightly at that time. Although he felt distressed, it was not as bad as when he was persuaded by a man who looked much more ferocious and powerful than Fan Jing today, which made him feel even more uncomfortable.
Seeing Kang He's silence and a grim expression, Zhang Shili thought he was frightened and said with a smile, "But you are a good man with a dignified demeanor. Even if Fan Jing is a domineering person, I don't think he would be willing to embarrass you."
He patted his legs and stood up, saying, "Thank you for the tea. If you ever come to my place, come in and have some tea too."
Kang He came back to his senses and said, "I've prepared the meal. Brother, please eat something here before you go."
Zhang Shili was a straightforward person. He said, "I see you're going to make konjac and tofu tonight. I quite like the taste. But it's getting late. It'll take me some time to get to the top of the mountain. I'll have to eat at your place and then come back. It's not safe to walk through the forest after dark."
Hearing this, Kang He turned around and went to prepare a piece of konjac tofu and wrapped it in taro leaves. "The most important thing in the mountains is to live safely. Since this is the case, I can't keep you here. The konjac tofu is homemade and not worth much. If you like it, take a piece home to eat."
Zhang Shili was surprised to hear that it was homemade, "You can do this? You are really a clever person."
There's a lot of konjac on the hills over there. They're big, black, and you can't even sell them for much in the city. Since you can make it, why don't you go over there and make some and sell them when you have time? Even if you can't make as much as Fan Jing from your family, you can still make some money."
Kang He was overjoyed to hear such good news. He said frankly without pretending to be polite, "I've found a rough idea of what's out there in the mountains. If I could go to the mountains over there and find a few, that would be even better."
Later, Fan Jingjia came and Kanghe told him what had happened.
"He called me over and promised to show me the way. Who is this person? Can I go?"
Fan Jing ate some oily konjac and said, "The hunter from the next village has been doing this for many years and is an expert."
After saying this, he remembered that Kang He would also be living here for a long time in the future, so he spoke to him a few more words, hoping to let him know about these people:
"She had been living in the mountains for years, never staying home all day, so her husband had been seduced away. One time, when she was coming down the mountain, she ran into him. She was so angry that she almost beat him to death. The incident became so serious that her husband felt so humiliated that he jumped into the river and died.
Although the adulterer didn't die, he was crippled. His family was quite powerful, so Zhang Shili had to pay a lot of money and had him jailed for several years. He's only been out for two years now."
People in the nearby villages who knew this person were a little afraid of him, and no one dared to provoke him easily.
At that time, the hunters in the vicinity came to occupy his territory and bully him, but Zhang Shili never came. Fan Jing did not listen to what outsiders said about him, but only watched how this man did things.
Now that Kang He asked about it, he said frankly, "Zhang Shili is not a bad man. Since he asked to teach you, there will be no problem."
Kang He was also saddened to hear that this elder brother had such a rough life.
However, a person's experiences are often beyond his control, and he does not comment on these past events.
With Fan Jing's approval, he went down the mountain with others the next day to sell mountain products. After returning, he rested for half a day. The next day, before daybreak, he went to the mountain where Zhang Shili was.
When people arrived outside Zhang Shili's residence, Zhang Shili was eating porridge in the house with a bowl in his hand.
He opened the door and saw that it was actually a couple standing outside. He frowned, glanced at Fan Jing, and said, "Do you two want to join us in digging out some radish? Are you going to dig out some radish, or come to my side to see if I can catch any living creatures?"
Zhang Shili said this with a smile.
Kang He had previously heard Fan Jing say that the hunters in the mountains were very territorial. Seeing that the people were smiling but did not invite them in, he immediately heard some hidden meaning and said:
"Don't be fooled by Brother Zhang. I'm a bit stupid. I almost fell into a cave on the cliff when I came up the mountain. Dajing was afraid that I would lose my way and get into trouble, so he sent me here."
"I told him to come over once I could see the cabin, but he insisted on seeing me off to the door before going back to his work. It was a good opportunity for me to meet Brother Zhang."
He was telling the truth, and his implication was that he wanted to tell Zhang Shili that if Fan Jing really wanted to hunt on his land, he would not come up and let him see people, but would go away stealthily.
Zhang Shili was not a fool. After hearing Kang He's words, he understood what he meant. He thought for a moment and felt that this was indeed the truth.
So he let down his guard and invited the two of them into the house.
From the outside, Zhang's wooden house looked much bigger than Fan Jing's, but his house was messy and seemed much smaller than the other one when you went inside.
A single man living there doesn't care about anything.
Two pairs of starched trousers and clothes were thrown under the stove, and two were placed on the stool.
There were more than a dozen bowls and dishes piled on the stove, all soaked in soup, but they hadn't been washed.
But despite the chaos, he still has a lot of things on his side.
A hatchet, a spear, a dagger; an iron hoe, an iron rake, an iron trap... It was obvious that the man must have lived in the mountains for a long time and was more well-off than Fan Jing.
Apart from the two handy tools, Fan Jing also sharpened his spear with stones.
But it is understandable. Fan Jingde has to support the whole family, young and old. Zhang Shili can feed the whole family by himself, so he spends money freely.
Zhang Shili was not afraid of people laughing at his messy house, so he pulled out two stools and asked the two of them to sit on them. He asked them if they had breakfast and if they wanted to eat some over here.
Kang He and Fan Jing would naturally not be so rude as to run into the house to have breakfast. Even if they didn't eat at this time, they had to say that they had eaten.
Zhang Shili didn't invite him again and finished the porridge in a few mouthfuls.
It was common for the husband and wife to go on a long journey, and the husband would not feel at ease to see them off, but the couple from the Fan family did the opposite, which made him laugh.
"Brother Jing, you keep such a close eye on me, and you even send me off when I go out?"
Zhang Shili joked:
"You're so precious to me, I'm afraid I'll lose you."
Fan Jing, holding his bow, stood behind Kang He. Hearing Zhang Shili's teasing, he joined in the conversation for the first time: "If you lose it, come and ask for it yourself."
Zhang Shili looked at Fan Jing and saw that he still had a dull expression on his face. However, when he opened his mouth and said such words, they were somehow funnier than those who smiled and deliberately told jokes.
He laughed loudly twice, patted Kang He on the shoulder and said, "Brother Kang, what did I tell you before? You didn't admit it. Now you can see it from here. Isn't it domineering?"
"If you regret living with him, I have a girl who is gentle, virtuous, and beautiful. I will introduce her to you."
Kang He waved his hands when he heard this and said, "I just like the domineering ones. I chose this one after a thousand attempts. Big brother, please don't let me get nothing in vain."
Zhang Shili shook his head after hearing Kang He's words, looked at Fan Jing and said, "Well, I've trained you like a fool. You can't get away even if you try. You can just focus on your business."
Fan Jing glanced at Kang He.
Kang He said, "Be careful on your way back. I've memorized the way and will be able to find my way back later. You don't have to come back to pick me up."
Fan Jing nodded, said nothing more, and left.
Seeing Fan Jing leave, Zhang Shili walked up to Kang He. He looked him up and down, narrowed his eyes slightly, and said in a rather seductive tone:
"Do you really mean what I just told you? My sister is really good. You are so handsome, I think she will like you too."
Hearing this, Kang He laughed and said, "Brother, why are you still making fun of me? There are many good people in this world, but a person can only have one bad one. I finally coaxed this good one with great difficulty. No matter how good others are, I don't want them anymore."
Zhang Shili had decided to test Kang He. After hearing what he said, he didn't stop talking and continued, "How can he be good? He's so overbearing. If you lived with him, you'd be constantly being bullied and inferior to him. How could you possibly live well?"
Kang He was already feeling a little impatient. He frowned upon hearing this. "I respect you, big brother, but please don't say these things again. I don't think he's overbearing, nor am I afraid of him bullying me. We're living together, so I don't care who's taller or shorter."
Zhang Shili looked at Kang He, was silent for a while, and then laughed again.
I don't think this person is such a frivolous person.
He then said pertinently, "I see how much Fan Jing values you. He used to ignore the Qin family's sixth son who went on a blind date with him. It's worth your consideration."
"You've been buried in the mountains for a long time, and you haven't listened to anyone's words. When did you two get married?"
Kang He felt a little relieved after hearing these words.
"I'm a visitor to their house. I haven't been here long. The banquet will be arranged at the end of the year. If Brother Zhang is free then, please come and have a drink at the wedding."
Zhang Shilin looked at Kang He in surprise again. It wasn't that he looked down on people coming to his house, but he was surprised that Kang He would do this.
As for the Fan family, he knew that they were poor and had little business, and there was nothing much they could gain.
He thought to himself, maybe there are still sincere people in this world.
It has not been easy for a young man like Fan Jing to make a living in the mountains these years. Now he has finally made it. It is a good thing that there is someone who is sincere and willing to share his burden with him.
"Okay, if you have something free, come and get a glass of wedding wine."
After saying these empty words, Kang He took out a food box from his backpack and opened it while saying, "Hunting in the mountains is not a leisurely activity, but I came here to trouble Brother Zhang. I feel so sorry for that.
Yesterday I cooked two fish with konjac and tofu. My eldest brother said he liked konjac and tofu, so I prepared a bowl of it. There's not much to eat in the mountains, and I only have a little cooking skill. We eat it at home and everyone says it tastes okay, so I brought it here for my eldest brother Zhang to try. I hope you don't mind.
Zhang Shili saw a fish weighing half a pound in a large earthenware bowl. The skin was peeling and the meat was white, but it was not loose. The oily soup was bubbling. When he opened the lid, he could smell the aroma of meat. The taste was no less than that of the stalls and restaurants in the city.
Zhang Shili, who had just finished breakfast, felt his throat tighten and the gluttony in his stomach started to rise again.
He was a single man living in the mountains. He had to go to the city to get any delicious food. How could he resist the temptation of such delicious food?
The oil doesn't seem to have solidified at all. It doesn't look like it was made yesterday. It's clearly a dish cooked in the morning.
Zhang Shili suddenly felt that Kang He, this young man, really had intentions, and he felt extremely guilty.
People were so kind and treated him like an elder brother, but he suspected that the couple had no good intentions by coming to his territory, and even tested him with some words.
Over the years, relatives and friends have been avoiding him, and no one has even given him a plate of vegetables or a piece of melon. He felt a little upset for a moment.
"Why are you wasting so much time? How can a slacker in the mountains tolerate this kind of treatment from you?"
"A pile of vegetables, what's the point of worrying about it? I'm the one who should worry about it, Brother Zhang."
After hearing Kang He's conversation, Zhang Shili felt relieved and accepted the fish that was brought from far away. He packed up Jian and went out together.
He went up the mountain and took Kang He with him to dig radish.
I had originally pointed out the location with him and was about to go hunting, but today's job was changed to digging traps.
Zhang Shili was not interested in buying worthless herbal and mountain products. At most, he would buy some herbs that were sold at a high price. He would only buy ready-made ones and would not buy those that required complicated production processes.
For this reason, there are many mountain products in this wild forest.
Kang He could collect more than a dozen radish heads in a day, filling up a whole backpack, and even tied them up into two handbags.
Along the way, he also found several patches of ferns and kudzu vines, all of which were growing well, and asked Zhang Shili if he wanted to take some of them.
Zhang Shili waved his hand and said that he could handle it all. He didn't have the time to do that, nor could he concentrate on doing those detailed tasks.
It would be better to teach him to go to the river and catch fish for a day.
Kang He was very happy and said he would make some powder and give it to him.
Late in the afternoon, fearing that it would be dark if he returned late and Fan Jing would worry, Kang He said goodbye to Zhang Shili and went back.
Someone also threw him a wild boar leg that was smoked black.
Kang He refused to accept it and kept refusing it.
Zhang Shili was a little angry when he saw that he didn't accept it, and asked him if he thought it was not good enough. Only then did Kang He accept it.
By the time they reached the edge of their mountain area, carrying a pile of heavy objects, it was already getting late.
He saw a familiar figure from a distance, sitting on an inconspicuous mountain road, seemingly resting or waiting for someone.
Seeing this, Kang He smiled, wiped the sweat from his head, and quickened his pace to rush over.
Fan Jing has been strolling at the border for more than an hour, but no one has returned. If Kang He had arrived here later, he might have found him.
He saw that Kanghe had so many things and wanted to take them over.
Kang He didn't give it to him, but just took the thing in his hand.
When the two got home, it was already dark.
Kanghe heated up the leftover fish soup from the morning and cooked two bowls of knife-cut noodles.
Fan Jing took out four wild duck eggs from his pocket and gave them to him. He kept two in the rice bag and put two in the noodle bowl, and they ate them together.
"When are you going to get all this konjac and sell it?"
Kang He heard Fan Jing's question and said, "This stuff can be stored for a long time. Let's store it first. I want to take it back home when I go down the mountain. I will take it back to the city slowly in the winter when I have nothing to do at home."
"Tomorrow I have to go to Zhang Shili's place to dig up kudzu roots. The roots on that hill over there look better than the ones here."
Fan Jing listened and let him make the arrangements.
I've been very successful these past two days. I was able to catch some live animals today. I earned almost a string of coins from selling the live animals yesterday, so I don't have to worry about money for the banquet.
Kanghe sold konjac for a few dozen coins, and taught him to buy a hot water bottle, and used up all the salt, sauce, tea, and sugar.
However, he felt that the money Kanghe earned was just enough for daily expenses and he would save the rest.
Seeing that Fan Jing was enjoying the noodles, Kang He gave him some of the noodles from his own bowl and said, "When we get down the mountain and the whole family is here, I'll make you some sweet and sour pork tenderloin."
Fan Jing didn't say no, just hummed.
At night, the two of them washed up and went to bed early.
Kang He was tired after a whole day. There was a hot water bottle on the bed and the quilt was warm. He felt sleepy as soon as he touched the bed and didn't bother with all those fancy moves.
Fan Jing lay down for a while. He was not sleepy. He glanced at Kang Hejin and saw how soundly he was sleeping. He was not even leaning against him.
He said nothing, but turned over with a loud noise, and just as he was about to turn his back to the person, an arm reached out and wrapped around his waist.
Kang He leaned sleepily towards Fan Jing's neck and said, "If you want to sleep with your back to me, I will hold you."
Fan Jing actually seemed to enjoy this kind of cheating behavior.
He didn't say anything and turned back.
Kang He opened his eyes with difficulty and looked at the person, then loosened his hands a little and closed his eyes again.
Fan Jing looked at Kang He's high nose bridge and straight eyebrows. The sleepiness on his face did not seem fake. He must have really worked hard today.
After thinking for a while, he reached out and put his hand into Kanghe's clothes.
The man's body was hot, and the skin on his chest and abdomen was firm and flexible.
The rhythm of the heartbeat could be transmitted all the way through his palm, and he felt that Kang He's heartbeat was much stronger than his.
This sudden touch startled the sleepy Kang He and he suddenly opened his eyes, his mind clear.
He was a little surprised and excited to think that Fan Jing was actually teasing him!
My mind was suddenly churning. Could it be that he wanted to...?
Kang He's Adam's apple slid slightly.
That's... not impossible.
He had observed his body earlier and found that it was in good condition in all aspects. Moreover, for a man, it was as impressive as his previous ones.
I expected that since Fan Jing was a martial artist, he should be satisfied as well.
But this matter was a bit sudden, and he hadn't made any preparations yet.
He had used up too much energy during the day, and it really affected his performance. If he had known he would have to do this tonight, he would not have worked so hard, saving his energy for later use.
He usually has the strength to do three to five times, but here he probably only has the stamina to do two or three times.
If he doesn't perform well, Fan Jing won't laugh at him.
Originally, he had planned to wait until the wedding night to do this as a matter of course. By then, he would definitely...
"Your body is smooth and has no scars."
Fan Jing suddenly said this in a cold tone.
Kang He was stunned: "Yeah, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, go to sleep."
"?"
Seeing that Fan Jing had truly closed his eyes and nothing else happened, Kang He's heart raced. He tentatively asked, "Just fell asleep?"
"Why come to bed if you don't want to sleep?"
Fan Jing's eyebrows moved slightly, and he opened his eyes again.
Kang He glanced down and looked at his hand.
Fan Jing was even more puzzled: "Didn't you say you wanted me to touch you while you sleep?"
I thought that since he looked very tired today, I should give in to him for once and let him sleep well. But then I thought it was wrong.
Kang He was speechless for a moment, and he couldn't say that what others said was wrong.
Yes, if Fan Jing knew how to tease people one day, he would have enjoyed his life long ago.
"Okay, go to sleep."
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