Chapter 68: Envy of Others
The crowd in the cave kept growing, gathering in groups of two or three, their eyes constantly glancing toward the small cave on the mountainside. The men squatted on the ground, smoking their pipes, while the women chatted while mending shoe soles, their topics always revolving around the Wu family's activities.
"What do you think they are doing up there? Bamboo and stone, are they going to build a house in the cave?" Someone asked with smacking his lips, his eyes full of curiosity.
Someone nearby immediately chimed in, "Who knows? That girl from the Wu family and her son-in-law from another town are full of tricks. Back in town, weren't they known for their excellent cooking skills?"
As they were talking, there was a sudden commotion at the cave entrance. It turned out to be the arrival of the town's team. Qi Yu, protected by his parents, poked his head around, his gaze constantly drifting towards the mountainside. Since entering the snowy mountains, he hadn't tasted Wu Yuetang's food again. The aroma of the braised spareribs had become almost his only thought on the road.
"Dad, Mom, they seem to be almost done!" Qi Yu tugged at his parents' clothes, his little face full of anticipation, "How about we go up and say hello? Maybe we can..."
Before he could finish his words, he saw a familiar figure flash past the entrance of a cave on the mountainside. Wu Yuetang was standing there, holding what appeared to be a clay basin in her arms. Steam was rising from the rim, and the faint aroma of meat could be smelled.
"It's Wu Yuetang! She must have something delicious in her hand!" Qi Yu's eyes lit up, and he didn't care about his parents pulling him away, and ran up the mountain. The stone road was thudding under his feet, and he shouted as he ran: "Wu Yuetang! Wait for me!"
Everyone in the cave stopped what they were doing when they heard the noise. Wu Yuetang glanced down at the stewed pickled meat and radish in her arms, then looked up at the little figure running towards her. She couldn't help but laugh, "This little guy has a really good nose."
In the large cave in the distance, Qi Yu's parents looked at their son running away, exchanged a helpless glance, and followed him. Seeing this, the surrounding villagers couldn't help but joke, "It seems that even the young master can't resist the aroma of the Wu family's food!"
Aunt Sun, who was squatting in the corner, saw the Qi family walking up the mountain. The jealousy in her eyes became even stronger, and she spat on the ground: "Hmph, you vixen, you only know how to use food to seduce people!" But when she saw the aroma of meat wafting over, her stomach started to growl.
Qi Yu's figure drew a brisk arc in the crowd, the gravel under his feet creaking. He shouted loudly as he ran: "Wu Yuetang! Wu Yuetang!"
Wu Yuetang was standing on the platform at the entrance of the cave, holding a ceramic bowl in her hand. When she turned around after hearing the words, her hair on her temples fluttered gently in the mountain breeze. She saw who was coming and a smile spread in her eyes. "It's Young Master Qi, why are you running so fast?"
The aroma from the ceramic bowl drifted down with the wind. Qi Yu stopped running as he got closer. His nose twitched—it was the smell of pickled meat and stir-fried bamboo shoots, mixed with a hint of rice, which made his stomach growl. He didn't care about being embarrassed and stared at the bowl. "I came here because of the aroma. You guys have been busy for so long, are you ready to eat?"
Wu Yuetang handed him a bowl filled with freshly fried diced pickled meat. The glossy color was wrapped around the emerald green bamboo shoots, and it looked very appetizing. "I've just prepared it and brought it in. If you don't mind, why not try it first?"
"I don't mind, I don't mind!" Qi Yu waved his hands quickly, looking at her with sparkling eyes, "I'm sure what you cook will be delicious!" He was about to reach out to take it when Madam Qi's helpless voice came from behind him: "Yu'er, don't be rude!"
Qi Yu looked back and saw his parents walking up the stairs surrounded by several people from the town, both with a look of apology on their faces. Master Qi bowed to Wu Yuetang and said with a smile, "This child has been spoiled. I'm sorry to have embarrassed you, Miss Wu."
Wu Yuetang smiled and shook her head, placing the bowl on the stone table beside her. "It's okay. We just finished cooking. If Master Qi and Madam don't mind the simplicity of the cave, why not stay and eat with us?"
This was exactly what Qi Yu wanted. He immediately tugged at his parents' sleeves and shook them. Madam Qi glanced at her husband and saw approval in his eyes. She smiled and said, "Then we'd be remiss if we didn't. We also want to see how well Miss Wu has taken care of the cave."
As he was speaking, Father Wu's voice came from the cave: "Yuetang, is the meal ready?"
"Okay, Dad, we've brought two more guests!" Wu Yuetang responded, turning around and making a "please" gesture to everyone, "We just cleaned up a place inside, it's still a mess, don't mind it."
Qi Yu was the first one to jump in. He exclaimed "Wow" as soon as he entered the cave - the originally dark cave was brightly lit by the torches. The ground was covered with thick hay, and there were several simple wooden couches made of bamboo against the wall. What surprised them most was the fireplace that had been built. They didn't expect that there was a chimney carved out of the mountain wall.
Mrs. Li was carrying a large earthenware basin from the stove. Seeing the guest, she quickly greeted him, "Have a seat. This is freshly steamed multi-grain rice, perfect with the pickled meat."
Qi Yu had been stuffed with a ceramic bowl by Li. He scooped a spoonful of rice mixed with pickled meat and stuffed it into his mouth impatiently. It was so hot that he couldn't bear to spit it out even though he exhaled. "It's delicious! It's even more delicious than the ones made in the restaurant in town!"
Mr. and Mrs. Qi took a bite and couldn't help nodding their heads - the pickled meat was originally salty and hard, but it was fried until it was oily and soft, and the bamboo shoots were crispy and tender, and it went especially well with the coarse grain rice. It was obviously a simple meal, but it was more satisfying than delicacies from land and sea.
The bustle outside the cave continued, while inside, the aroma of food and the sounds of laughter drifted in. Wu Yuetang watched Qi Yu wolfing down his food, then glanced out the window at his family still busy on the hillside. The curve of her lips revealed a sense of peace and warmth. Although this cave was simple, it felt like a real home.
After dinner, Master Qi put down his bowl and chopsticks and gazed at the hollow in the center of the cave, which had been deliberately dug lower. His brow furrowed slightly, a hint of confusion in his eyes. The crisscrossing shallow trenches on the ground hadn't been completely filled in, and several bamboo sections, as thick as bowls, were exposed, their joints covered with dark yellow clay. They looked ordinary, and it was hard to guess their use.
"Does the ground look like it's been tampered with?" Master Qi asked, pointing to the depression.
Wu Qingeng, who was clearing the dishes, put down his ceramic bowl upon hearing this. With a look of uncontrollable pride on his face, he pointed to the neatly stacked bamboos beside him and said, "Master Qi, you have a good eye! This is where we're working on the floor heating! When it's finished, we'll light a fire in the fireplace. The heat will travel through these bamboos underground, and the whole cave will be warm. Then, even if it snows heavily outside, we can wear light clothes inside the cave!"
"Underfloor heating?" Master Qi sat up abruptly, a flicker of shock in his eyes. He had traveled extensively for decades, doing business with many high-ranking officials, so he'd naturally heard of this thing—it was a rare commodity only the wealthy, like the royal palace in Beijing and the Jiangnan salt merchants, could afford. It was said that it was paved with brass pipes and burned with silver charcoal, something ordinary people couldn't even see. Now, hearing Wu Qingeng's casual description, as if this precious thing were some roadside weed, he was momentarily incredulous and looked at Wu Yuetang: "Miss Wu, can this... really be made into underfloor heating with bamboo?"
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