The next morning, Xu Mo tidied up his brush, ink, paper and inkstone, and started cooking porridge and meals for his younger siblings.
He was going to let the food cook thoroughly before calling them, but unexpectedly, Zheng Ruqian got up right after Xu Mo started the fire. The 10-year-old boy rubbed his still drowsy eyes and called out "Big brother" before rushing over to sort the vegetables, separating the good and bad eggplants, peppers, etc.
It's not easy to make money these days.
Xu Mo sighed. As he turned his head, Fang Heng had gotten up too.
The third youngest had been practicing martial arts and getting up at the crack of dawn for six years, so it was no surprise.
But this morning, instead of going to the dilapidated temple's leeward side, he calmly said, "I'm going to the mountains."
Xu Mo was no fool. Recalling Zhang Qiquan's words yesterday, he immediately understood. "You're going to hunt game?"
Fang Heng didn't hide it and softly hmmed in agreement.
So-called game was all deep in the mountains. It was the depth of winter now, and there were many treacherous pits in the mountains. Falling into one would mean certain death.
Xu Mo didn't want him to go.
"I'll leave early and come back early. If I can't catch anything, I won't force it," Fang Heng insisted. "Don't worry, I know my limits."
Xu Mo had no choice but to compromise. "Then come back before sunrise."
Fang Heng nodded and left.
By the time the food was cooked, Zheng Ruqian had already cleaned and organized the vegetables on the cart, even making space for three people.
The younger siblings had also woken up and washed up.
Xu Mo stood at the dilapidated temple entrance looking out, and saw Fang Heng coming back carrying a stick. He breathed a sigh of relief and served up the soup and rice.
After breakfast, Wen Zhiyun ground herbs and identified medicinal plants.
Jiang Sheng went to the village to collect vegetables, with Chang Yan accompanying her.
Fang Heng drove the donkey cart to deliver vegetables while also sending his big brother to school.
On the way, he couldn't help but ask about his third brother's trip into the mountains.
Fang Heng didn't hide anything. "The temperature in the mountains is too low and the animals are hibernating. Looking on the bright side, it's easier to hunt, but the downside is it's very dangerous. Even though I can fight, I don't have hunting experience, so I could only come back."
Xu Mo pondered silently.
The quick-tongued Zheng Ruqian said, "It'd be great if there was an experienced old hunter to take him along."
At this, the three exchanged a glance.
Shili Pu Village.
After making a round collecting vegetables in the village, Jiang Sheng came back with a full basket on her back. Sweat was already covering her forehead.
Seeing this, Chang Yan reached into his sleeve.
He only pulled out a clump of knotted cotton wadding.
Cheap jackets really were poor quality, coming apart after just a few wears.
Jiang Sheng was unhappy at first, but seeing Chang Yan's furrowed brows, she wanted to laugh. "Fifth brother, were you trying to pull out a handkerchief for me? We're not young masters and ladies, how could we have something like that?"
As for the sweat on her forehead, she casually wiped it with her sleeve. Beggars lived hand to mouth.
Jiang Sheng wiped energetically. Looking up to see sweat on Chang Yan's forehead too, she very generously offered her other sleeve, vigorously wiping his head.
Chang Yan: "..."
He had no words, only pressed his lips tightly together.
"Jiang Sheng, be careful not to upset little fifth brother." Wen Zhiyun kindly reminded.
Jiang Sheng stuck out her tongue. "Fifth brother won't be mad at me. Even if he got mad, I could just cheer him up again. I'm right, aren't I, fifth brother?"
She didn't forget to ask Chang Yan's opinion.
Chang Yan still didn't speak, but his taut expression gradually relaxed until it returned to calm.
None of the five brothers in the dilapidated temple could do anything with little sister Jiang Sheng.
She also didn't care at all, cheerfully joking around with everyone each day, to the extreme.
Past scoldings and beatings, starvation and deprivation seemed to have left no trace on her.
A little sister like this, who wouldn't cherish her dearly?
Wen Zhiyun smiled faintly, lowering his head to pound herbs and flip through the ancient texts their father had left, studying diligently.
After Jiang Sheng put the vegetables in the corner, preparing to go collect another batch, Fang Heng came back driving the donkey cart.
There were two people on the cart. One was Zheng Ruqian returning from delivering vegetables. The other was actually Zhang Qiquan, who had bawled his eyes out at the dilapidated temple yesterday.
Seeing Jiang Sheng's big eyes, Zhang Qiquan was a little embarrassed for a moment.
Luckily, Fang Heng came to his rescue in time. "Let's go."
Zhang Qiquan hurriedly grabbed two sticks and left with him.
Jiang Sheng watched their backs blankly. "What's third brother going to do?"
"Hunting game," Zheng Ruqian didn't even lift his head. "Everyone's making money lately. Even big brother is preparing for the imperial exam. Third brother couldn't sit still."
Everyone wanted to contribute something to this family.
No one was willing to be a burden that just ate and drank.
Chang Yan pressed his lips. He suddenly felt that he should do something too.
At the very least, he couldn't let his brothers surpass him.
That night, Fang Heng came back from the mountains. He and Zhang Qiquan had already made traps and snares, just waiting for prey to take the bait.
Now he had to drive the donkey cart to pick up Xu Mo from school.
Since vegetables had already been delivered during the day, the cart was empty on this trip.
The usually taciturn Chang Yan suddenly said, "Third brother, do you want to take passengers to the county?"
Fang Heng was taken aback, then realized late that the donkey cart could indeed carry passengers.
It was just that they had always carried their own people, or loaded it full of vegetables, so he had forgotten about it.
Now the cart was empty going to the county. Taking a couple people would earn extra, one or two coins was better than nothing, three or four coins not too shabby.
But this was like street hawkers, requiring yelling to attract customers.
Fang Heng imagined himself yelling to solicit passengers on the street, and his face instantly turned red. He couldn't open his mouth to do that.
Chang Yan also couldn't, but he had a good candidate in mind.
"Second brother still has to go collect vegetables later, why not try yelling to attract customers?" He pressed his red lips together, sidling up to Zheng Ruqian.
Zheng Ruqian: "..."
This little brother really knew how to boss people around.
Just because you two are too shy to open your mouths, you're taking advantage of me having a big mouth that can yell, aren't you!
Big brother number two was unhappy. He turned his head away pretending not to hear.
Chang Yan had no choice but to reach out and tug his sleeve, softly calling again, "Second brother..."
Zheng Ruqian's mind started going fuzzy.
People do say beauty intoxicates. Just a slight coquetry from little fifth brother and he couldn't take it.
Zheng Ruqian didn't dare imagine what a calamity it would be if Chang Yan was a woman.
"Alright alright, I'll go yell. I'm going right now." He surrendered, grabbing the small basket and running off.
As he ran, he didn't forget to yell, "Anyone going to the county? One coin and you can ride, one coin!"
After about a cup of tea time, four people were standing at the village entrance, all on their way to the county.
Some had planned to walk, others to take a cart tomorrow. Hearing there was a cheap donkey cart today, they took the opportunity to go early.
Fang Heng was very satisfied. He drove the donkey cart to the county.
Before nightfall, he brought Xu Mo back.
Going there were four passengers, returning were three. In two hours they earned seven coins.
Fang Heng handed over all of it.
Jiang Sheng wasn't polite either. She happily opened the small purse, threw in the seven copper coins, tied it up and stuffed it in her bosom.
Dinner was made by her.
Freshly cooked, piping hot vegetable mush was brought to the table. The brothers' expressions all froze.
Xu Mo stirred the uncooked doughy lumps and softly said, "You could have waited until I got back to make dinner."
"How could that be?" Jiang Sheng righteously said. "Big brother already works so hard studying, how could he still come back and make dinner? Big brother will just eat what I make."
Zheng Ruqian swallowed the stinging nettle leaves. "I support big brother."
Fang Heng didn't speak, picking out a mud-covered root vegetable, pondering that he would have to go up the mountain more these days.
Unfortunately, game didn't just appear because you wanted it.
Even though eager, he could only wait patiently.
And wait he did, for over half a month.
Instead of game, winter's chill arrived.
Overnight, frost flowers stood up in the fields, and the river surface was capped with a thin layer of ice. The farmer uncles pulled out the bean trellises and trimmed the eggplant and pepper plants.
The previously abundant eggplants and beans abruptly became scarce. Zheng Ruqian scoured the whole village but only collected half a cart over two days.
Somewhat lost, he sat idly at the dilapidated temple entrance, worried that failing to fulfill the agreement with White Shopkeeper would make the man end their partnership.
Jiang Sheng also sat in a daze. Even if kindhearted White Shopkeeper didn't terminate the partnership, their future income would still decrease greatly.
Just as the siblings were about to face each other tearfully, Zhang Qiquan rushed over urgently, "Where's third brother? Hurry, a big one came up the mountain!"
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