Baoyu removed the handle of the knife, replaced it with a piece of wood the length of a carrying pole, and cut down all the weeds and thorns on both sides of the road, clearing a flat and open path.
Zhou Chenyu, fully recovered, hoisted her own basket onto her back with one hand and carried Baoyu's basket with the other, and staggered over.
The house was right in front of us. There was a stone wall in the outer courtyard. When you stood outside the courtyard, you could only see the pointed top of the eaves.
Baoyu took the things and said with a smile, "Sister, Father and I stay here when we go hunting in the mountains!"
"Let me see what it looks like inside." Zhou Chenyu pushed open the two wooden doors. As soon as he let go, the old, dilapidated wooden doors crashed down against the stone wall and fell backward, revealing a courtyard overgrown with weeds.
Zhou Chenyu looked at Baoyu innocently, "The door is broken, I didn't do it on purpose."
That sound struck Baoyu's heart heavily. "Sister, the door fell down as soon as it was pushed, which means that no one came while we were away, and perhaps the things inside the house were not touched."
Seeing his bitterness, Zhou Chenyu smiled brightly and said, "That's great. I'm tired after walking all day. Let's go in and take a look."
Seeing his sister's smile, Baoyu felt much better and nodded blankly, "Mm!"
The two walked over, and Huangdou, emerging from under the weeds, ran ahead to the door, wagging its tail as it looked at them.
The cabin in front of us wasn't built on a foundation directly on the ground. Instead, it was supported by several large pillars, about a meter high. I guess this is because there's a lot of rain in the south, and being away from the ground makes it easier for the cabin to stay dry.
They climbed up the wooden ladder, pushed open the door, and were greeted by a cloud of long-standing dust.
Baoyu went in and opened the window to let in some fresh air. Zhou Chenyu walked around and entered through the main gate. There was a small main room with an iron stove on the floor. Next to the stove were a wooden table and two chairs. After passing through a wall made of several planks, there was a small room with a simple bed inside.
Looking at the clean and tidy house in front of her, instead of the messy scene she had imagined, Zhou Chenyu sat down with her legs dangling outside, and the fatigue she had accumulated throughout the day instantly dissipated.
“There are many birds and wild animals on Stone Mountain at night, Sister, I need to go and fix the door.” Baoyu took out a hammer and nails.
Zhou Chenyu looked at him, "Kid, do you need my help?"
Baoyu shook his head. "Sister, you should rest."
"Let's rest then." Zhou Chenyu stroked the dog's head, stared at Baoyu for a while, clapped his hands, got up, cut a clump of wild grass and wove it into a broom, and swept the house inside and out.
After repairing the gate, Baoyu didn't rest. He used his long knife to clear the weeds in the yard. Once the weeds were cleared, the usable space in the yard immediately became much larger.
The sunlight shining through the roof was getting weaker and weaker. Zhou Chenyu calculated the time and realized it was almost dark. She took out the rice and dried goods she had brought from home. "Baoyu, where are we going to get water for cooking and bathing tonight?"
Baoyu stopped and pointed to the west. "Sister, if you go out and turn right, you'll come across a low slope. Go over that slope, and there's a mountain stream with clean water." After talking for a while, he threw down the knife. "Let me take you there to see it."
Zhou Chenyu vaguely heard the sound of rushing water. "No need. If two people do everything, when will we ever finish? I'll take Huangdou with me."
Who is his sister? Why should he worry about her? Baoyu smiled foolishly, "Alright, sister, just call me if you need anything."
"Soybean, let's go!" Zhou Chenyu carried the dusty wooden bucket and vegetables towards the spot Baoyu pointed to. The place was not far from the wooden house; after walking only a few hundred meters, the sound of flowing water grew closer.
Huangdou first climbed over the low slope and waited for her at the top, wagging its tail. Zhou Chenyu carried the heavy things up. A clear and swift mountain stream flowed down from the distant rocks. When it reached the flat terrain at the bottom of the slope, the flow suddenly slowed down and gathered between the moss-covered rocks on both sides to form a crystal-clear lake.
The lake is surrounded by lush vegetation, and colorful wildflowers attract butterflies and bees.
When the soybeans saw the water, it was like Zhou Chenyu seeing money. With a splash, they jumped in and happily swam towards the center of the lake. Their nimble bodies left a long trail of ripples, and the shimmering golden ripples spread out to both sides, like a golden phoenix spreading its wings, a breathtaking sight.
Zhou Chenyu hadn't expected there to be such scenery deep in the mountains, but after thinking about it carefully, she realized that it was probably in places untouched by humans that one could have the opportunity to see such pristine natural beauty.
The wooden house was not far behind him, so Zhou Chenyu walked down with peace of mind, rolled up his trousers, stepped into the lake, washed the wooden bucket clean, and soaked the dried fish in a bowl.
She and Baoyu were both tired from their journey today and didn't have the energy to prepare a lavish dinner, so they decided to make do with a simple meal for now.
The dried fish they brought were dried by Li Xiuju beforehand. They were small and couldn't fetch a good price, so they all took them up the mountain.
Soak the dried anchovies in water until soft, then steam them on top of rice. No seasoning is needed; the fishy aroma will come out on its own. Once the rice with dried anchovies is steamed, fry two eggs, and you have a complete dinner.
Zhou Chenyu finished washing his things and was about to carry them back to the cabin when he suddenly felt something bump into his calf. Looking up, he saw a palm-sized crucian carp swimming near his feet.
She remembered that when she was browsing dried goods stores, a dried crucian carp this big could sell for fifty coins a pound.
Zhou Chenyu quickly released the bucket, stretched out both hands, and pounced on the crucian carp in a flash. The fish disappeared instantly. "The fish in the village are only the size of a pinky finger. Are there fish this big here?"
She stared at the schools of crucian carp swimming around in the water, raised her eyebrows and chuckled, "A gentleman takes his revenge even after ten years. I'll come back to send you all to your deaths in a couple of days after I've eaten and drunk my fill!"
After muttering to herself, Zhou Chenyu carried her things to the foot of the courtyard wall. She heard the clanging of a hammer inside. Baoyu pulled out a wooden plank from somewhere and built another small hut next to the wooden house. "What are you doing?" she asked.
Baoyu climbed onto the roof of the small house and hammered a few more nails. "Sister, let me make you a place to bathe. When Dad and I lived together, we would carry a bucket of water in the yard, naked, and then pour the water down on us, and that was fine. But you can't be like us here, can you?"
Zhou Chenyu exclaimed "Oh!" and looked up at him. "At least you have a conscience and know how to understand my difficulties."
"Of course, where else can you find such a considerate younger brother like me?" Baoyu chuckled.
"Where can you find one? They're everywhere." Zhou Chenyu rolled her eyes at him, moved the iron stove outside the house, stuffed in the rosin shavings she brought from home to light it, and added small pieces of firewood little by little. After the fire got bigger, she put the washed rice on the pot to cook.
The rice and water boiled over a high flame, and the lid of the pot gurgled as the steam pushed against it. The pointed, long rice grains absorbed the water and burst open, while the salty, dried fish released its fragrant juices from the hot steam, which seeped into the rice and cooked together.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com