Chapter 161: The Gathering and the Sunset Kiss

Inside the small wooden cabin, Xiulan and sister-in-law Liu Juan were cutting meat together.

In the past, Liu Juan had many complaints and dislikes toward Xiulan. Part of it was because of Lin Heng—he was always running around and not contributing to the work. But more than that, it was jealousy of Xiulan’s appearance and their mother-in-law’s favoritism toward her. Liu Juan often made snide remarks and badmouthed her.

However, ever since Lin Heng made a fortune selling sanghuang mushrooms, Liu Juan had completely changed. It was like she had become a different person—warm and friendly whenever she saw Xiulan, her tone gentle, with none of the previous bitterness.

The reason for this change was simple: the old conflicts had disappeared. Lin Heng now had money; not only did he no longer depend on his eldest brother Lin Yue, but the whole family relied on him. Because of this, Liu Juan not only stopped having conflicts with Xiulan but actively sought to build a good relationship with her.

Even Lin Yue, the eldest brother, gained more influence in the family because of Lin Heng’s status. And Lin Heng himself was now the real decision-maker; if Lin Heng’s uncle asked to borrow money, Lin Heng’s father no longer made decisions alone. The entire family waited for Lin Heng to come home and hear his opinion.

“Xiulan, sister-in-law, this is my teacher Tian Yan, and she’s Lin Hai’s girlfriend,” Caiyun said with a smile as she brought Tian Yan into the room.

“Hello, Xiulan. Is there anything I can help with?” Tian Yan smiled gently.

Though from the same village, Tian Yan hadn’t had much close contact with Xiulan. The last time was when Lin Heng brought Xiulan to her home for a meal.

Now, Xiulan looked even more beautiful than then, her hair tied in a high ponytail with a delicate gauze flower pinned, a faint smile at the corner of her lips, her calm eyes like a quiet pool.

“Hello. You can help skewer the meat,” Xiulan smiled.

“Okay.” Tian Yan and Caiyun came over, and the four quickly started chatting.

During the casual talk, Tian Yan soon noticed how different Xiulan was from other rural women. Though not highly educated, Xiulan was unlike most rural women Tian Yan had met—she was quiet, without competitiveness or gossip, qualities that already surpassed most women in the countryside.

Talking with Xiulan was comfortable, as if she instinctively cared for others’ feelings. Tian Yan began to understand why such a woman could truly change Lin Heng.

Outside, Lin Heng and the others had already gotten the fire going. There were two stoves made of yellow earth—one for grilling, one for cooking.

“What should we grill first?” Li Shiwei asked.

“Let’s start with the fish. It’s the hardest to grill, and since we marinated it last night, we can start immediately,” Lin Heng said after some thought.

“I’ll go get the fish,” Lin Hai said and went inside.

He took out the fish, placed it in the iron fish-grilling rack, brushed on oil, and started grilling.

“This ten-pound grass carp will take about an hour to grill. I might as well use your water wheel to grill the chicken by the water,” Lin Yue said, looking at the fish.

“That works,” Lin Heng nodded.

“Let’s go move the long table inside out here for eating later,” Li Shiwei said, leading Lin Hai inside.

Soon the smell of grilled fish filled the air, though it was still early—the fish needed to be grilled until the skin crisped and a lot of moisture evaporated.

“We’ve skewered all the meat—fifty beef and pork skewers, and fifty vegetable skewers. Can we eat all this?” Xiulan, Tian Yan, and the others brought out the food and asked.

“No problem at all. You’re underestimating our group’s appetite,” Lin Hai said confidently.

“Then let’s start grilling,” Xiulan said, looking at Lin Heng.

“You guys can put them over there; I’ll do the grilling,” Lin Heng said.

“Use some of the extra charcoal; it’s more fun if everyone grills themselves,” Xiulan shook her head.

“Yeah, it’s fun for everyone to grill their own,” Caiyun agreed.

“Alright then,” Lin Heng nodded. He was mainly worried they wouldn’t grill it well, since grilling did require some skill.

“I’ll help build a grill,” Lin Hai offered eagerly.

He piled stones nearby to make a temporary grill and lit the charcoal. Everyone grabbed their skewers and started grilling.

Lin Heng put some beef skewers beside the fish; his grilled fish was nearly done.

Half an hour later, Lin Heng looked at Xiulan and said, “The fish is ready. Bring the tray.”

“Okay.” Xiulan nodded and went inside to get a tray made from paulownia wood. This was a fish tray Lin Heng had carved himself.

He sprinkled barbecue seasoning over the grass carp and laid it on the long table, along with the dozen or so beef skewers he had just grilled.

At the same time, eldest brother Lin Yue brought out a honey-glazed roast chicken, shiny and tempting.

Nearby, the children Lin Wei and others gathered, swallowing their saliva and craning their necks to look.

“Everyone, sit down. Let’s eat,” Lin Heng smiled.

Before he finished speaking, Lin Wei and Lin Tao rushed to the table but were quickly made to stand back by their mother, Liu Juan.

“It’s okay, just sit wherever,” Lin Heng said with a smile and sat down first with Xiulan and their daughter.

“Everyone, sit down,” Lin Yue said as well. They were all young—no need for formalities or too many rules.

The wine on the table was yellow rice wine brought by Lin Hai, made from glutinous rice. The kids drank fresh sweet rice wine. Xiaoxia and Lin Yong had just plain sugar water.

“Let’s drink a toast,” everyone raised their cups and took a sip of the yellow wine, then started eating the barbecue.

“This grilled fish is really good,” Li Shiwei complimented after one bite.

“Yes, the flavor is soaked in well, especially the crispy skin,” Lin Hai agreed, thoughtfully passing a piece to Tian Yan.

The table was filled with laughter and chatter as they drank and talked about all sorts of things.

Lin Heng didn’t say much, just listened. He took a sip of the sweet rice wine from Xiulan’s bowl and exclaimed how delicious it was—better than the yellow wine.

Xiulan gave him a side glance and handed him a skewer of grilled beef, signaling him to eat.

Lin Heng smiled, chewing his meat as he looked at the distant scenery. A breeze blew, and maple leaves rustled, falling gently, making the scene even more beautiful.

Now, both he and Xiulan could truly enjoy it, because they finally had the confidence and means.

While most rural people, like Lin Heng in his past life, had been blocked by these harsh mountains for decades.

Many rural people never set foot in the city their whole lives. Even ten years ago, many had never seen a computer.

They spent half their lives climbing out of these mountain valleys just to reach the starting point where people from big cities were born.

So most rural folks don’t care much about scenery, because their stomachs are still growling.

Lin Heng recalled the past, feeling the wind so peaceful that the chatter around him seemed muffled behind a thin mist, barely audible.

“Seems like the meat grilled by Second Brother smells better. Why is that?” Caiyun asked curiously.

“Yes, I noticed that too. Our grilled meat just isn’t as tasty as Lin Heng’s,” Li Shiwei said.

Everyone nodded and looked at Lin Heng. Even though they were all grilling meat, his always tasted much better than the others’.

Xiulan nudged Lin Heng, bringing him back to the moment as his voice suddenly grew animated.

“Haha, when grilling meat, you can’t keep flipping it. You have to let it cook long enough to seal in the juices, or else it gets a bit dry.”

Lin Heng said with a smile, then raised his cup of yellow wine and drank it all in one go, thinking to himself that everything in his life was about to change.

And indeed, everything had changed—the future would keep moving forward in a better direction.

“Oh, that’s how it is,” everyone understood.

After another sip, Lin Heng turned and placed other skewers onto the fire to grill, all while eating beef skewers.

Laughter and voices from their side echoed far into the forest.

Up on the mountain, cattle and sheep wandered quietly past, and hunters ventured through the woods.

Most kept their distance, stealing glances before quickly moving away, swallowing at the scent of barbecue that had drifted far through the air, shaking their heads with a sigh.

Everyone envied the village’s wealthy families, but after envy came the reality of life.

Not everyone could be like Lin Heng, feasting on big meals every day.

“Dad, it’s Lin Heng and the others. They’re grilling meat—I want some too.”

Little girl Li Shixia looked toward the wooden house in the distance. Their own harvest hunting for monkey head mushrooms up the mountain hadn’t been much.

Li Baigen glanced at his daughter and shook his head. “Let’s go back. I’ll ask your mom to cut some cured meat so we can eat a little too.”

He hesitated over whether to pretend to pass by and greet them—surely that would get them invited for meat.

But then he thought better of it. His pride wouldn’t let him. After all, his family was at least a thousand-yuan household—they could afford meat once every five days.

“Dad, I heard they caught hundreds of pounds of fish yesterday. Why is it that whenever they go out, they always bring back such big hauls?”

Li Baigen’s second son, Li Shixing, was puzzled.

Everyone in the village had heard about how the Lin family got hundreds of pounds of fish yesterday.

“I don’t know. Let’s go home,” Li Baigen shook his head. He was just as confused; even with nets, that seemed impossible.

With a mixture of envy and puzzlement, the group quietly left.

Meanwhile, the barbecue gathering remained lively.

The children, full and satisfied, ran wild in the nearby woods while Lin Heng and the others stayed seated around the table chatting. Lin Hai was the most animated among them.

Everyone had been shocked that Lin Hai had gotten together with Tian Yan, especially Li Shiwei and Lin Yue, who never imagined Lin Hai would be connected to her in any way.

Only Xiulan at the table knew Lin Heng was behind it all. She glanced at him, and he looked back.

“Here, eat this. I can’t finish it,” Xiulan handed Lin Heng the half-finished skewer.

Lin Heng nodded. “Well then, I’ll reluctantly help you finish it.”

Xiulan blinked and poured some of her sweet rice wine for Lin Heng, oddly wanting him to drink what she had left.

Lin Heng took it all—leftovers were nothing. He ate his wife’s spit every day, and even worse things than that.

After eating, Lin Heng smiled and said, “Come on, let’s play another game.”

They’d just played the simplest guessing game and now he wanted to try another one where losers could choose to drink a sip of wine, eat something, or just drink water.

They didn’t fuss over rules here—it was all about having fun.

“What game?” Caiyun asked. She was still sober, sipping sweetened water mixed with a little rice wine, while everyone else was a bit tipsy. Tian Yan and the others also looked curious. Lin Heng really knew how to liven up the table; everyone had been having a great time.

“This game is called ‘Touring Three Gardens.’ Each person takes turns hosting and chooses a garden to visit—it could be an animal park, a fruit orchard, a furniture garden, and so on. The others have to name related items. For example, if you pick the fruit orchard, everyone else quickly names different fruits…”

Once Lin Heng explained, everyone understood. The rules were simple.

“I’ll go first!” Caiyun was excited.

“What garden do you want to visit?”

“Fruit orchard!”

“Apple.”

“Jujube.”

…

After two rounds, all common fruits were named. Lin Hai got stuck.

“No hints allowed,” everyone watched Tian Yan.

“I’ll drink, I’ll drink!” Lin Hai shook his head helplessly.

“There are still lots more—like chestnuts,” Tian Yan said with a smile.

Lin Hai slapped his forehead. “Ah, I just couldn’t think of them. But no worries, I’ll pick a really hard garden next…”

But after one round, he got stuck again and took a big gulp of yellow wine.

They only played half the game, because the yellow wine was gone and the meat finished. Everyone was just about done, so they ended there.

After cleaning up, everyone started doing their own thing. Lin Hai drank the most, but he wasn’t drunk—yellow wine wasn’t strong, just a little stronger than beer.

They all sat by the railing watching the scenery for a while. Lin Yue and Liu Juan left first—they had persimmons to dry.

“Have you ever climbed Taibai Mountain?” Tian Yan asked curiously.

“No,” everyone shook their heads.

“It’s not easy to climb now. You have to go through Taibai Village,” Lin Heng said. He was interested in going someday, but only with his wife and kids.

“We went in the summer. It’s tough—too steep,” Lin Hai said.

Tian Yan nodded. “We even saw golden monkeys up in the mountains, and antelopes running through the forest below.”

“Antelopes?” Lin Heng asked with interest. This was a new target he wanted to unlock—a species unique to the Qinling Mountains, about the size of a cow.

This creature has a body as sturdy as a cow, but a small head and a short tail like an antelope. Its bleating sounds like a sheep’s, which is why it’s called a “lingniu” — the antelope cow.

Locals also call it the “four-not-like” because it doesn’t quite resemble any one animal. There are actually quite a few of them, and Lin Heng had always wanted to hunt one.

“We saw the antelope cows on the mountain—more than a dozen of them crowded together in a patch of shrubs, grazing,” Lin Hai nodded.

“I see. Next time I’ll try to find one too. I’m really itching to hunt a large herbivore like that,” Lin Heng said, already eager.

“Want me to guide you?” Lin Hai asked.

Lin Heng shook his head. “No, I’ll find it myself.”

These creatures roam everywhere and are no longer in their old spots.

As he spoke, he showed Xiulan how to make flowers out of maple leaves.

Suddenly Caiyun asked, “By the way, Second Brother, do you know that after the last big flood, a lot of crystal stones appeared in the Shiban River?”

“Crystal stones?” Lin Heng shook his head; he hadn’t heard of that.

Caiyun explained, “There are some kids from Shimen Village at our school. I saw them showing off stones they picked up by the river after the flood.”

“Oh? Then tomorrow, go buy one with a few cents so I can have a look,” Lin Heng said, genuinely curious.

Caiyun nodded. “Okay.”

They chatted a bit more, then Tian Yan and Lin Hai played on the swing for a while before leaving, both very happy with the day’s gathering.

Only Lin Heng’s family remained, along with Li Shiwei and Caiyun.

Lin Heng taught his wife to make flowers, leaving Li Shiwei feeling hopelessly single and wandering off into the woods.

Caiyun and Xiulan watched Lin Heng make flowers with interest.

“Here, this is for you,” Lin Heng said, finishing the flower and pinning it in his wife’s hair.

Xiulan smiled and blinked at him, saying nothing.

“Second Brother, aren’t you going to give me one? I even carried Xiaoxia for you,” Caiyun teased.

“Dad, I want one too!” Xiaoxia pouted, acting cute.

Lin Heng laughed. “Alright, alright, one for each of you.”

He quickly made two more flowers and gave them to Caiyun and Xiaoxia.

Xiaoxia played with hers for only a few moments before tearing it into a messy pile of leaves. Then she looked up at Lin Heng with wide innocent eyes.

“Daddy, make me another one,” she said, glancing at him.

Lin Heng shook his head, but what else could he do? Of course, he made another little flower for his daughter.

After a while, Lin Heng took his wife’s hand and checked the time—it was already past four in the afternoon.

Everyone had washed the pots and pans before leaving, and Lin Heng looked at his wife and asked, “Do you want to stay here overnight?”

He’d brought the bed sheets and blankets, all disposable sets he’d bought in the city.

Xiulan blinked. “Up to you. Either way is fine.”

“Let’s head home first, then come back in the afternoon to rest,” Lin Heng said after some thought.

The backyard view was beautiful, but he wanted to experience the fresh morning here.

“Okay,” Xiulan nodded.

Having decided, the three moved the stools inside, locked the door, and headed back.

As for Li Shiwei, no one knew where he had wandered off to.

Back at home, Lin Heng found some guests—middle-aged man and woman he didn’t really recognize—had come to his parents’ house.

Taking advantage of them not noticing, Lin Heng quickly grabbed his wife and slipped away, with Caiyun following quietly behind.

Since the news of his big earnings spread, distant relatives—even some from other towns where they hadn’t been in touch for years—had started reconnecting.

“This New Year’s is going to be a headache, with all the relatives coming over,” Lin Heng said helplessly, shrugging.

“You’re the culprit, Second Brother! They’re all here to see you,” Caiyun teased.

“Ah!” Lin Heng sighed. He figured this headache was better left to his parents.

Just as he returned home, his eldest brother came back carrying a basket of persimmons, red but still firm. Lin Heng had no intention of making persimmon cakes before, but now he had no choice.

Making persimmon cakes was simple: peel part of the skin off the persimmons. The patterns didn’t matter—you could do whatever you liked.

The key was to expose most of the fruit so it could dry in the sun.

In just over an hour, they finished a few strings of persimmon cakes. Once dried, they’d be sweet and fragrant, very popular in the countryside, especially with children.

After finishing the persimmon cakes and feeding the animals, the family of three quietly went to Red Maple Mountain. As for the relatives, they’d see them tomorrow morning.

If they had visited tonight, they’d have to stay for drinks, but Lin Heng didn’t want to drink.

After settling their things, Lin Heng took his wife and daughter up the back mountain to watch the sunset and autumn scenery.

At the summit, they found a big rock to sit on. The sun was just about to set, the western sky dyed blood-red. A few wild geese flew in a V-formation heading south.

“This is called ‘the setting sun and lone wild goose flying together, autumn waters merging with the endless sky,’” Lin Heng said, holding his daughter in his arms and wrapping his hand around Xiulan, smiling warmly.

“It’s so beautiful,” Xiulan said, looking at Lin Heng and then at the view, her gaze as deep as autumn waters, filled with love.

Xiaoxia copied her mother’s words, “So beautiful~”

Lin Heng looked at his wife and daughter, smiling. “Then enjoy it well. One day I’ll take you to see the ocean, deserts, snow-capped mountains, and travel the whole world!”

In his life, making money had never been the main goal. Sharing life with his family was what mattered most.

“Travel the world?” Xiulan was a bit dazed. Such words were unfamiliar to her.

She’d never thought much of the scenery before, but now, looking with Lin Heng, it felt different—a feeling she could rely on for a lifetime.

“Yes. We’ll head east all the way, then come back from the west, proving the world is round ourselves. We’ll enjoy all the romance this world has to offer. So we have to take care of ourselves, so when we travel the world, you’ll still be young and beautiful, and I’ll still be handsome and charming.”

Lin Heng looked into her eyes and nodded.

“Okay!” Xiulan nodded, committing the words to memory.

“Okay~” Xiaoxia waved her little hands happily, though she didn’t really understand what traveling the world meant.

Even the dog seemed to celebrate, running around joyfully.

In their eyes, the red sun slowly sank behind the mountain. The mountain wind was strong, making Xiulan’s hair and Lin Heng’s clothes flutter. The forest around them was filled with the crisp calls of birds.

As the red sun finally disappeared below the horizon, Lin Heng pulled his wife close and kissed her, then planted a gentle kiss on his daughter’s cheek—an utterly romantic sunset kiss.

Afterward, the three of them walked down the mountain ridge, surrounded by the autumn wind and fading light.

Alongside them, the golden-orange fallen leaves carpeted the forest floor, soft and smooth underfoot.

Back at the cabin, they played on the swing with Xiaoxia for a while before having a dinner of fish balls stewed with winter melon.

Lin Heng set up the bed boards, Xiulan laid out the sheets and blankets, and after washing their faces and feet, they lit a candle and got into bed to rest.

Xiongba lay sprawled on the floor, playing contentedly with his paws up in the air.

Outside, night had fallen, and the candlelight flickered gently inside, casting a warm glow. While Lin Heng told Xiaoxia a story, the sound of nightingales outside added a unique charm to the moment.

“Daddy~” Xiaoxia hugged his arm and drifted off to sleep.

Lin Heng gently laid her down beside him. Xiulan blew out the candle and leaned against him.

He pulled her into his arms; she wrapped her arms around his neck, and soon they were kissing.

“Phew! Rest now, my dear~”

After a long while, Xiulan couldn’t hold back any longer. She gently pushed his hand off her chest and adjusted her bra.

“Alright,” Lin Heng nodded, with no intention to press the matter further.

Wrapped in the night, he held his wife peacefully as they both fell asleep, a smile lingering at the corners of his mouth.

Early the next morning, Lin Heng was woken by his wife’s call. Since they were high up, the sun was already shining brightly.

Sunlight streamed in through the window in a narrow line, falling across the foot of the bed. Outside, the beautiful maple trees in the forest and a scenic patch of mountain across the river were visible through the glass.

They lingered in bed a while longer, daydreaming as they stared outside, then got dressed once their daughter woke up.

The early morning forest was shrouded in a thin sea of mist, giving everything a hazy, ethereal feel. The fresh air was invigorating, lifting their spirits as if they might transcend to immortality.

Practicing Tai Chi here felt almost like a path to enlightenment.

They went down to the mountain stream to fetch water and wash up, then ate the leftover fish balls from the night before. Together, the three of them descended the mountain. Along the way, Lin Heng picked some hawthorn berries for Xiaoxia—tart and sweet—and she seemed to really like them.

At the foot of the mountain, Xiulan took their daughter and Xiongba back home, while Lin Heng headed to the construction site.

By now, quite a few people were already there. Seeing him arrive, Li Shiwei quickly said, “Lin Heng, you finally made it. We need to talk.”

“What’s up?” Lin Heng asked, curious.

“The stuff you told us about before has finally come through,” a middle-aged man answered with a smile.
(The End of Chapter)