Chapter 43: Encountering Tigers and Wolves in the Mountains, She Wanted to Play the Mantis Stalking the Cicada

Jiang Li's voice wasn't loud, but hearing about rain right now sounded just about as good as hearing about gold.

Xue Man and A Ning both stopped in their tracks and looked up into the night sky. "Mom, is it really going to rain?"

Jiang Li sighed softly, also tilting her head back to gaze at the sky.

Sure enough, dark, rolling clouds were sweeping in from the mountain peaks. Jiang Li quickly said, "You two, hurry back inside with me and bring in the edible tree fungus."

Obeying the order, the siblings followed Jiang Li running back into the house.

Jiang Li brought over a ladder, climbed up, and gathered all the drying tree fungus, carrying them indoors.

She then covered the stack of dry firewood with thatch grass and brought the chicken coop inside as well.

Just as she finished clearing everything away, the oppressive, rolling dark clouds simply dispersed.

Jiang Li: ...

Not dwelling on it, she returned to the kitchen to light a torch, and by its dim glow continued cutting the rest of the Gastrodia elata from the morning; she needed to slice them all up for drying.

Xue Man and A Ning squatted down beside her, and as soon as she finished a pile, they began arranging the slices onto bamboo trays.

"Mom, once these are sliced and dried, will they taste just as good as the ones before?"

Jiang Li wasn't entirely sure about that, as she had never eaten dried ones before.

She only figured that high temperatures would easily spoil fresh Gastrodia elata, and it would be a pity if they went bad. Slicing and preserving them meant they would have food to fill their stomachs, regardless of whether they tasted good or not.

It was just like when her grandmother made dried potato slices back when she was little, frying them up to be wonderfully fragrant.

"They should taste good, I think."

The siblings put complete and utter faith in Jiang Li's words, happily setting to work.

This kind of meticulous chore tested one's patience. The three of them toiled past midnight without finishing, and Jiang Li noticed the two of them blinking heavily as their eyelids drooped.

"If you two are sleepy, go heat up some water, wash up, and head to bed."

Both shook their heads. Helpless, Jiang Li said, "Then go tend the fire and heat some water. Moving around a bit will chase the sleepiness away."

Jiang Li looked at the remaining amount; working a little longer would finish it. She liked to push through and complete a task in one go. The quantity had been pre-calculated anyway—if she hadn't gone to town to sell things, she would have finished long ago.

"There's not much left. You two go ahead and heat the water to wash up first."

Xue Man stood up, noticed the firewood by the stove was running low, and dashed outside to fetch more dry logs.

After tending the fire and heating the water, the two little ones dawdled through their washing up. By then, Jiang Li was almost done slicing. She briskly laid out the remaining slices on the bamboo trays, washed the cutting board and knife, and put them away.

The water heating on the stove was hot enough. She scooped some out, took a quick bath, and after freshening up, went straight to bed.

Ever since she arrived in this place, her sleep had been consistently good. Perhaps it was the fresh air and lack of noise, making it exceptionally suited for rest—the moment she lay down, she would fall fast asleep.

She had expected to sleep right until dawn, but in the middle of the night, she was jolted awake by Xue Man's shrill screams!

"Mom! Mom! It's raining! It's pouring rain!"

Jiang Li bolted upright and rushed out of the room, startled by Xue Man's cries into wondering what on earth had happened.

She saw Xue Man standing at the doorway, dancing around with wild excitement.

The front door was wide open, and the windows were too. Outside, lightning flashed, thunder rumbled, and rain poured down in sheets. Puddles had already formed on the ground; the rain must have been falling for quite a while.

"Mom! It's raining!"

Jiang Li nodded vigorously. "Yes, it's pouring rain."

She had actually thought the rain wasn't going to come at all.

Yet at this very moment, it felt as though it had been destined by some unseen force.

A Ning was awakened by their voices and stumbled out, rubbing her eyes.

The moment she heard the sound of the rain, she instantly woke up.

The three of them fetched a wooden bench, sat down, and quietly listened to the rain.

The sound of the rain was loud, and it was the middle of the night, but Jiang Li could still faintly hear the ecstatic shouts of the villagers.

The village, which had remained silent for so long, burst into a flurry of excitement the very moment the rain fell, accompanied by the crowing of roosters and barking of dogs.

Jiang Li had lost all sleepiness, and so had Xue Man and A Ning. The three of them sat quietly chatting for a while until the sky gradually began to brighten, while the rain continued to pour down in torrents.

One could imagine that everyone hoped this rain would keep falling; after so many days of drought, the earth hadn't even been thoroughly soaked yet.

It needed to soak all the way through for it to do any good.

After half a night of rain, mist rose halfway up the mountains. In the early morning, viewing the mountains through the fog made the place look like a fairyland, instantly lifting Jiang Li's spirits even higher.

The family had neither rain capes nor umbrellas, and each person only owned two sets of clothes. If they got soaked and changed into the other set only to get soaked again, there would be nothing left to wear. Yet the kitchen and the main house were separated by a short distance.

After thinking it over, she found two round winnowing baskets, held them over their heads, and dashed through the curtain of rain into the kitchen.

Xue Man and A Ning shared one basket, running closely behind Jiang Li. Once inside the kitchen, they burst into loud laughter.

Exchanging a glance, the siblings held up their basket and dashed back out into the rain.

After three or four trips back and forth, Jiang Li finally couldn't watch it anymore.

"You two managed to stay dry, but my winnowing baskets are soaked through. Stop running back and forth."

The pair chuckled sheepishly, shouting, "This is the last trip!" With that, they held the basket aloft and ran out of the courtyard gate. Jiang Li tended the fire to cook breakfast and let them frolic to their hearts' content.

This rain was indeed something worth rejoicing over.

The water in the earthenware pot was boiling and bubbling away. Stirring it gently with a spoon to prevent anything from sticking to the bottom, she crouched down to feed a few more logs into the stove's belly, then took a wooden bench to the doorway to sit and watch the rain.

After quite a while, Xue Man and A Ning trotted back. The winnowing baskets were soaked through, and the siblings' clothes were damp as well.

"Mom, Matchmaker Li went to Granny Zhao's house again."

Jiang Li was surprised. She went out even in this heavy downpour?

When the matchmaker entered the Zhao family's courtyard, Granny Zhao was in the back yard feeding the chickens. Because of the rain today, the chickens weren't let out; they were kept in coops to avoid the storm. She had scalded some rice bran with hot water and brought it over.

Eldest Zhao's wife received Matchmaker Li, while Zhao Qingzhu went to the back yard alone, standing behind Granny Zhao for a long time without speaking.

Granny Zhao ignored her as well, tending to the chickens on her own.

Ever since the matchmaker's visit that day, Granny Zhao hadn't spoken to Zhao Qingzhu.

Until today.

Seeing that her mother had made up her mind, Zhao Qingzhu said in a deep voice, "Mom, I like Zhao Jiahe, and I want to marry him."

Granny Zhao's body stiffened slightly. She turned around, stared blankly at Zhao Qingzhu, and after a long while asked stiffly, "What do you like about him?"

"I like that he makes me happy."

"Did your old mother not make you happy?" Granny Zhao asked, so angry she laughed.

Zhao Qingzhu frowned slightly. "Is that the same thing? You're going to make me get married sooner or later. Can you keep me from marrying at all? If you can, then I suppose I don't have to marry Zhao Jiahe either."

Granny Zhao finally understood: her daughter's mind was made up. Indeed, she couldn't keep her at home forever; she would have to marry eventually.

Seeing Granny Zhao fall silent, Zhao Qingzhu continued, "Since I have to get someone to marry sooner or later, I might as well choose someone I like. Even if life is a little hard, there's still happiness and something to look forward to, isn't there?"

"Can happiness be eaten as a meal?"

"But when I'm unhappy, I don't even want to eat."

Granny Zhao was left speechless. It was true—this girl she held in the palm of her hand wouldn't even eat when she threw tantrums or felt unhappy.

She should have been glad that her daughter had someone she liked, but it just had to be that kind of family: rootless, penniless, with absolutely nothing. If her daughter married into that, she would only lead a life of hardship.

No matter how she thought about it, she felt resentful.

"What did Zhao Jiahe say?"

Granny Zhao, silent for a long time, suddenly asked. Joy bloomed across Zhao Qingzhu's features.

"He said his father doesn't care about anything, so we can mind our own business. His grandmother loves him dearly. After I marry him, I'll be the one calling the shots in the household, and he'll be responsible for earning the grain and silver money. He definitely won't let me suffer."

"He's younger than you."

Zhao Qingzhu replied, "But he listens to me."

"I told him he had to come properly to propose marriage, so he and his grandmother went to sell their big geese. As soon as they sold them, he sent the matchmaker over."

"He sold all the big geese in his family?"

"He sold six of them."

Granny Zhao took a deep breath and said flatly, "I know."

Zhao Qingzhu stood there stunned. What did "I know" mean? Did she agree, or not?

"Mom, are you going to say yes?"

Angry, Granny Zhao picked up a wooden feeding box and banged it hard against the chicken coop a few times. The chickens inside squawked in alarm, and the bran stuck to the wooden box instantly shook off completely.

"That's none of your business! The words of parents and the orders of matchmakers decide these things!"

With that, the old lady walked toward the front yard. The matchmaker was already in the house, and Zhao Jiahe's side had kept the fact that the two had taken a liking to each other a secret from the matchmaker. Zhao Qingzhu naturally couldn't spill the beans herself, so she had to keep her mouth shut.

Seeing Granny Zhao enter, the matchmaker stood up with a beaming smile and said, "Elder Sister, I'm back again."

Granny Zhao's expression was calm. "It's raining today, yet you're still out here so early."

Matchmaker Li laughed. "Precisely because it's raining today—water brings wealth! How long have we been in this drought, and today it pours down with rain? It's a rare and auspicious day, so of course I had to hurry over early."

Mentioning the drought and the rain relaxed Granny Zhao's tone slightly. "Indeed. With this spell of rain, the fields at least have some hope now; it won't end in a total crop failure."

"Elder Sister, rest assured, with this rain coming down, this year is bound to be a bountiful harvest. You have nothing to worry about. Let's just sit down, chat about the daughters' marriages, and worry about the children."

Granny Zhao looked at her, then glanced at Zhao Qingzhu.

"I only have this one precious daughter. Although our conditions are modest, I've pampered her since she was little. Who knows what kind of household she'd be marrying into? How could marriage ever compare to being right by her mother's side?"

Matchmaker Li was entirely familiar with this rhetoric and routine.

She said with utmost sincerity, "Elder Sister, rest assured. You know what kind of character Grandma Jiahe has; she is certainly not the malicious sort. And you've seen Jiahe yourself—he's good-looking and hardworking. In marriage, it's all about clothes and meals; as long as the man is hardworking and cherishes his wife, he can prop up a household."

"Grandma Jiahe already said that if Qingzhu becomes her granddaughter-in-law, she will definitely cherish her just like her own biological granddaughter."

Outside, the rain poured down in sheets, and Matchmaker Li's words pattered down like cascading beans.

The Zhao family crowded into the room to listen. Finally, Granny Zhao suddenly asked Eldest Zhao, "Eldest, what do you think?"

Eldest Zhao looked at the old lady and replied indifferently, "Mother makes the decision."

Granny Zhao: ...

Eldest Zhao's wife pinched her husband playfully and laughed, "Matchmaker Li, since you're the one brokering this match, if our sister ends up having a hard time, you'll have to take responsibility!"

As soon as Eldest Zhao's wife finished speaking, Matchmaker Li slapped her own thigh and laughed heartily. This meant the match was settled!

"Elder Sister-in-law, don't you worry. No match I've ever made has resulted in a hard life."

"In the future, Qingzhu and Jiahe will surely live harmoniously, and their lives will flourish!"

Eldest Zhao's wife smiled. "Then I'll take your auspicious words for it."

She glanced at her mother-in-law, then smiled and said, "As for the subsequent arrangements, we'll have to trouble you to put in more effort to finalize this match for us."

Matchmaker Li's smile stretched from ear to ear.

She turned to Granny Zhao and said, "Elder Sister, then I'll head back and tell them to prepare the betrothal gifts."

Granny Zhao said, "Stay for the midday meal before leaving."

Matchmaker Li smiled. "They're waiting for me back there. I need to seize the momentum on such a good day."

Matchmaker Li stood up, and Eldest Zhao's wife and the others rose to see her off. Seeing her don her rain cape and step out of Granny Zhao's courtyard, the corners of her mouth nearly split all the way to her ears.