The thunderstorm lasted for an hour, then the dark clouds quietly dispersed, the sun shone again, and the house with its tightly closed doors lit up.
Chen Tongsheng got up, opened the door, and looked outside. "The rain has stopped."
The mountains and forests outside the house seemed to have taken on a new look after being washed by the rain. The refreshing air was invigorating, and a ray of sunlight shone on the door. The water droplets falling from the eaves tiles were as dense as a rain curtain.
Zhou Chenyu noticed a hint of red and pink on the water droplets. Looking up, she saw a faint rainbow arching across the azure sky like a bridge.
Zhou Wanqiu excitedly pointed to the sky, "It's a rainbow!"
She laughed, "Yes, a rainbow."
The rainbows seen deep in the mountains and forests and the rainbows encountered among skyscrapers evoke different feelings.
In the past, Zhou Chenyu would definitely have taken out her phone, found the best angle with everyone, taken a few photos, posted them on her WeChat Moments, and waited for her friends' comments and likes.
Now, she simply stands still, watching the rainbow fade little by little until it disappears.
Zhou Chenyu looked away and turned to Chen Tongsheng, only to meet his hasty, evasive gaze.
She paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Brother Chen, we have to go now. Thank you for taking us in."
Chen Tongsheng mentally counted the time; it was indeed getting late. He scratched his head, gave a simple, honest smile, and didn't try to persuade him to stay any longer.
After a hasty farewell, they shouldered their baskets and continued their journey into the deep mountains to dig for mushrooms.
Chen Tongsheng watched their figures disappear into the distance, then turned around, patted the black dog's head, and said regretfully, "How time flies! We haven't even exchanged a few words yet, and they're already leaving. If only this rain could last a little longer!"
The black dog broke free from Chen Tongsheng's hand, went into a corner of the room, and brought out a summer solstice mushroom.
Holding the mushrooms, Chen Tongsheng suddenly thought, "These summer solstice mushrooms are easy to pick but not easy to preserve. They've picked several large baskets of them; they probably can't finish them all. Tomorrow is market day, so these uneaten mushrooms will naturally have to be taken to the market to sell."
"I've got it!" His worried face broke into a smile. He threw away the mushrooms, quickly sat up from the ground, and muttered to himself, "Then let's pick some fruit and sell it in the market tomorrow."
——
After leaving the cabin, Zhou Chenyu and the others went back to the mountains to pick mushrooms. The flowers, grass and trees were wet from the rain, and their clothes, which had been dried, quickly got wet again.
Although the rain delayed things for a while, there were still plenty of summer mushrooms, and the baskets were packed full.
Before dark, Zhou Chenyu and Baoyu returned home.
Li Xiuju came out of the house carrying a basin of water and poured it out. Seeing that the siblings had returned safely, she clasped her hands together in mourning: "Thank God, you're both alright. There was a thunderstorm this afternoon, how did you manage to hide in the mountains?"
Baoyu slumped to one side and recounted his encounter with Chen Tongsheng to Li Xiuju in detail.
Li Xiuju breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile of satisfaction, "He not only took you in but also roasted chicken for you. He's such a kind person. We can't repay this kindness. I'll cook a nice meal for you another day, and you can invite him to our house for dinner."
There are many ways to repay kindness; you don't necessarily have to invite them to your home for a meal.
Zhou Chenyu had a feeling that Li Xiuju's purpose for this meal was impure. Moreover, she thought of the way Chen Tongsheng had secretly looked at her that afternoon. It wasn't that she was narcissistic; she had dated at least a few boyfriends, and she had personally chosen them all.
Although she would quickly give in after succeeding each time, judging from the reactions of those men in the past, it was almost certain that she had done it.
Chen Tongsheng is a good man. He is tall and strong, kind and generous, and owns a whole orchard. He must be well-off. He is definitely the kind of son-in-law that mothers-in-law would love.
Unfortunately, she wasn't into that kind of thing.
Zhou Chenyu can compromise on almost anything, but when it comes to matters of the heart, her body's reactions don't lie.
She can't bring herself to eat someone she doesn't like, not even with a knife to her throat!
Zhou Chenyu brushed it off, put the summer solstice fungus away, and saw Li Xiuju bring the basin into the hall again. "Grandma, what's wrong?"
Li Xiuju pointed to the area directly above where the basin was placed, her face showing concern. "The heavy rain this afternoon broke through the roof tiles, and water has been dripping down through that hole. You can see the ground is all wet. Although the rain has stopped now, I'm worried it might rain again tonight, so putting the basin here is a good idea."
Zhou Chenyu walked into the room and could vaguely see a hole through which light was passing.
She sighed. Life was so hard. She had worked all day and then the roof was leaking—such a terrible thing!
Baoyu, supporting his back, glanced at it and said, "I'll go to Granny Wang's house to borrow a ladder and patch up that hole."
Zhou Chenyu had already pulled Baoyu back, "It's already dark, and it's pitch black. Where are you going to find that cave? I see stars everywhere tonight, so the chances of it raining are slim."
Li Xiuju also said, "Yes, listen to your sister. It's just a small hole, we can fix it when we have time."
His mother and sister both tried to dissuade him, so Baoyu had no choice but to give up.
Li Xiuju was worried that the siblings would get caught in the rain, so she prepared a large pot of hot water early in the morning, and Zhou Chenyu and Baoyu took turns taking hot baths.
Li Xiuju poured out the summer solstice mushrooms, picked out the good-looking ones and put them together, leaving the defective ones to make tonight's dinner.
After Baoyu finished washing, it was Zhou Chenyu's turn. She filled a wooden tub with hot water and carried it to the small hut next to her, which served as a makeshift bathroom.
The bathroom was made of wooden planks, with gaps of varying sizes at the joints. Although these gaps were not visible to the naked eye from a distance, the cool night breeze could still see through them.
Despite having showered many times, Zhou Chenyu still wasn't used to it. She quickly finished showering and washing her hair, then put on her clothes and went outside.
Dinner was just ready; a pot of summer solstice mushroom soup was still steaming, and there was also a plate of stir-fried green beans with pork cracklings.
"Great, there's food right after a shower." Zhou Chenyu sat down at the table, picked up her bowl, and a bowl of sweet mushroom soup before the meal whetted her appetite.
The mushroom soup that his mother made tasted much better than the one they made at noon, and Baoyu scooped up another big spoonful.
For the cook, seeing the eater with a great appetite is the highest compliment.
Li Xiuju placed freshly picked green beans into their bowls, saying, "Didn't you say you were tired of eating wild vegetables? Try the green beans we grew ourselves."
"I have to try it since I grew it myself." Zhou Chenyu took a bite. The green beans were the tenderest ones picked from the garden. They were stir-fried until dehydrated and dry, and the surface had an enticing sheen.
It has the crispness of green beans and the numbing sensation of chili peppers, making it a great accompaniment to rice.
Li Xiuju looked at the two children and said, "The bean harvest is plentiful. After a while, you'll probably say you're tired of eating green beans."
Green beans?
Yes!
Zhou Chenyu looked up excitedly, "Grandma, there are so many green beans, can you make some pickled green beans? The sour kind."
Baoyu, with a string bean dangling from his mouth, said, "Yes, Mother, plain white porridge with spicy and sour string beans is so delicious on a hot summer day."
Li Xiuju had the same idea, and since the children had spoken, how could she refuse?
She squinted her eyes happily, and even the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes were now a visible expression of happiness: "Okay, I'll listen to you."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com