Chapter 18

The next morning, just before dawn, Jiang Li was already up. She took her machete and went to the bamboo grove, returning with three bamboo stalks as thick as copper coins.

She fashioned a tool for picking thorny dragon sprouts—a tool she had used since she was little when visiting her grandmother’s house. There, a tall Chinese toon tree grew, and this tool was used to harvest the young shoots.

The tool was simple: one end of the bamboo was cut into a cross shape and held open by two small branches. The size was just right to slip over a tender shoot and grip it firmly; a slight twist would snap the shoot free.

Just as she finished making the tool, before preparing breakfast, Zhao Qingzhu arrived carrying a small bamboo basket.

Jiang Li was a little surprised. “So early?”

Zhao Qingzhu smiled. “The earlier we start, the less sun we catch. Too much sun darkens the skin.”

Jiang Li smiled but thought differently—she liked the sun and disliked snowy days most of all.

“All right, then. Let’s set off.”

She picked up the two newly made bamboo poles, slung the basket on her back, grabbed the small basket, and woke Xue Man to give her some instructions before heading out with Zhao Qingzhu.

After walking a short distance, Zhao Qingzhu, seeing no one around, slipped something into Jiang Li’s hand. “For you.”

“What is it?” Jiang Li opened her palm to find a boiled egg.

The egg was warm in her hand. She looked up at Zhao Qingzhu, who seemed slightly embarrassed.

Jiang Li felt awkward too. In times of plenty, a boiled egg was nothing special, but now, she couldn’t comfortably accept someone else’s egg.

“I brought it especially for you. Eat it quickly.”

“Didn’t Auntie leave me ten just yesterday? I’ll cook them later. You keep this one for yourself.”

Zhao Qingzhu gently pushed Jiang Li’s hand back, pulled another egg from the basket, and waved it. “Mine is here. That one’s specifically for you.”

Holding the egg, a carefree smile blossomed on Jiang Li’s lips.

For a moment, she was transported back to childhood friendships—sharing a single candy, a biscuit, even a bite of instant noodles.

Such pure friendships.

It had been so long since she’d felt that.

“Well then, I’ll eat it.”

Zhao Qingzhu tapped her egg against Jiang Li’s. “Eat together.”

They carefully peeled the eggs as if unwrapping a treasure. Jiang Li took a small bite; the tender white was springy, and the rich yolk released a fragrant aroma. She cupped the egg with both hands and took another bite.

Zhao Qingzhu loved boiled eggs too. Although her family often ate chicken eggs, they were mostly cooked into dishes. With so many mouths to feed, eating one egg each time meant discarding dozens. Eggs were not casually eaten.

Today, they quietly boiled two because of yesterday’s earnings.

After finishing, they exchanged satisfied smiles. Jiang Li thought that when her family had more eggs, she would make a pot of tea eggs to share with Zhao Qingzhu.

As they left the village and climbed the mountain path, Jiang Li noticed a few people trailing behind in small groups.

Since everyone often foraged for wild vegetables here, she paid it no mind.

——

Until those people followed them all the way into the valley.

Zhao Qingzhu didn’t overthink it and even greeted them.

“Auntie, are you here to pick thorny dragon sprouts too?”

The few women smiled sheepishly. “We heard these sprouts are edible, so we’re following you to gather some.”

Zhao Qingzhu chuckled, “Everyone can pick. They’re quite tasty.”

But when they reached the area they had harvested yesterday, the ground was bare. Low branches were stripped clean for a long stretch; only a few tender shoots remained high up.

Zhao Qingzhu felt frustrated. Jiang Li handed her a bamboo pole.

“Here, this is the tool I made. Watch me, and you can snap them off like this.”

Jiang Li put down her basket, raised the pole, and gently twisted it around the tender shoot at the treetop. The shoot was caught and came off with ease.

Zhao Qingzhu tried it and pulled off a shoot, her face alight with surprise.

“Mrs. Jiang, where did you come up with this method? It really works well.”

Jiang Li smiled without replying.

Since only the high branches had shoots left, she looked at the women and offered, “Aunties, check the lower branches to see if there are any shoots left. If not, you’ll have to cut a longer stick to make a hook to reach the high ones. Be careful not to pick shoots without thorns—they’re poisonous.”

The leading woman nodded with a smile, “Got it. Thanks, Mrs. Jiang.”

“No need to thank me,” Jiang Li replied.

With that, the women headed down the valley, but as they descended, the lower branches were nearly all picked clean. They had to cut branches to hook the higher shoots. As they worked, they started cursing the Xue family for taking all the harvest back home.

Though anyone could forage on the mountain, and taking a bit more wasn’t unusual, clearing out an entire valley was downright selfish.

Among the basketfuls Xue Daniu had gathered, some were mixed with lacquer leaves and were definitely inedible. They dared not sort through it. Fortunately, the baskets gathered by the old lady and Liu Chunhua were fine.

By early morning, Xue Daniu’s swollen and reddened body had improved significantly. Liu Chunhua had gone to Zhao Grandma’s house early to fetch some medicinal broth and continued to wash his wounds.

After cleaning, Xue Daniu rested while Liu Chunhua examined the three and a half baskets of thorny dragon sprouts and went to consult the old lady.

“Mother, what should we do with the sprouts we picked yesterday? Are they really safe to eat?”

The old lady came out, took the baskets, and since neither she nor Liu Chunhua had any problems, it meant their harvest was safe. If Zhao Grandma’s family ate theirs without issue, then theirs should be fine too. As for Xue Daniu’s basket, it was best discarded.

“Keep what we picked. Dump what Daniu gathered outside.”

Liu Chunhua, having received the order, carried the basket out to dispose of it.

She returned shortly after without the old lady asking where she had dumped it.

“Mother, how should we prepare the rest to dry? Wash and boil them before drying?”

The old lady nodded noncommittally, and Liu Chunhua went to fetch water.

After washing for a while, Liu Chunhua noticed Zhou and Zhao coming out, having just gotten up. She had completely forgotten that Xue Daniu had spent twenty-six copper coins yesterday to sneer at Zhou and Zhao.

“Oh, you two are up because you smell the vegetables?”

Zhou snorted coldly, “Second sister-in-law, we didn’t smell the vegetables, just the copper stench from last night. I lay awake all night thinking: this money belongs to the three families. Your family took twenty-six copper coins. Shouldn’t we four and five families get twenty-six each too?”

Liu Chunhua, looking at the big basin of wild vegetables she thought would last a long time, felt proud and had completely forgotten about the copper coins given yesterday.

She felt uneasy but then thought the money came from the old lady, who favored her family’s Daniu. If others were jealous, that was their problem. She straightened up and called out to the old lady.

“Mother, Third sister-in-law says the family should split, asking you to give her twenty-six copper coins.”

Inside, the old lady silently scolded Liu Chunhua for being foolish—after gaining an advantage, she should have kept quiet instead of stirring trouble. Irritated, she snapped, “I’m not dead yet, and you’re already talking about splitting the family?”

Zhao Jiaxiu, standing nearby, felt frustrated. She had fought with Liu Chunhua earlier and now, feeling a strange relief, walked over to the old lady’s door.

“Mother, it’s your business who you favor, but the communal funds belong to all of us. Compared to the second family, have we done less work? If second sister-in-law treats us this way, then yes, we really should split. Everyone knows the family’s income.”

The old lady looked up at Zhao Jiaxiu, her gaze serious and sincere. She did not argue but called out for Xue Chengwen.

“Fourth son, are you dead or paralyzed? You’re useless, can’t even control your wife?”

Xue Chengwen slowly emerged from the house, stood beside Zhao Jiaxiu, pulled his wife behind him, and said to his mother, “What did Jiaxiu say that’s wrong? If you really like being so biased, then maybe the family should split. Each to their own. If you prefer the second brother’s family, go live with them. We won’t stop you.”

Xue Chengwen was mild-mannered, rarely spoke, and disliked confrontation. He and Zhao Jiaxiu usually kept to themselves, so this sudden outburst made the old lady furious.

She sat down heavily, pounding her knees, wailing, “This life is unbearable. My own children bully me! I might as well be dead.”

Xue Chengwen watched expressionlessly, not even a flicker of emotion.

After a long pause, he quietly said, “Don’t fake cry here. If you don’t want to split the family, fine. But I won’t hand over the money from the next batch of baskets and sieves for sale. Think carefully—do you want a fair distribution like before, or let us handle things ourselves?”

He then took Zhao Jiaxiu’s hand and left. The old lady quickly stood up and threatened him, “You dare?”

Xue Chengwen didn’t even slow down, as if not hearing her.

Back inside, he handed Zhao Jiaxiu two buckets and a carrying pole he had made yesterday.

“Take these to Xiaoman.”

Seeing the water buckets, Zhao Jiaxiu thought Xue Chengwen was rushing to finish them to sell in town, but it turned out they were for Xiaoman and the others.

“Did Jiang ask you to help?”

“No. Xiaoman came yesterday to borrow a bucket to fetch water. Jiang didn’t even bother to get a bucket for the children.”

His tone held some resentment toward Jiang Li.

Zhao Jiaxiu glanced at him and said coldly, “She’s a woman, unfamiliar with this place. Wouldn’t it be better to let Xiaoman handle these matters?”

With that, she grabbed the buckets and left.

Today, picking thorny dragon sprouts was more troublesome. Jiang Li used the bamboo pole to pick quickly but still filled a large basket before finishing. She also helped Zhao Qingzhu fill her basket and cut some thatch grass along the way to carry back.

Fearing Zhao Qingzhu might wait too long, Jiang Li cut less for herself, though Zhao Qingzhu thought it was quite a lot. Along the way, she kept asking if Jiang Li wanted to rest or if she could carry some for her.

As they walked, Zhao Qingzhu noticed that Jiang Li, carrying the thatch grass, seemed lighter on her feet, even slowing down from time to time to wait.

“Mrs. Jiang, the village’s been saying you’re strong. That you even threw Daniu’s father over your shoulder. I didn’t believe it before, but now I do.”

Jiang Li smiled wryly.

“I am quite strong. If you ever need help with heavy work, just ask me.”