Chapter 199: Bluestone Bamboo Shoots

The grass was seeding, the wind rustled its leaves. We said nothing, just standing there was already beautiful.

After watching his father for a while, Lin Heng turned and headed home.

The courtyard gate wasn’t locked; he gave it a push and it swung open. As soon as he stepped inside, Xiong Ba came bounding out of the doghouse, wagging his tail excitedly.

“Daddy!!”

Dressed in a floral cotton jacket, little Xiao Xia spotted Lin Heng and came running over, throwing her arms around his leg.

Lin Heng gave the dog’s head a rub before scooping his daughter up into his arms.

“Daddy, I want to ride the horsie!”

Xiao Xia snuggled into his chest, her big eyes sparkling as she pleaded sweetly.

“Alright, alright!”

Lin Heng hoisted her onto his shoulders and began trotting around the courtyard.

Xiao Xia waved her arms, her laughter ringing out like silver bells—pure joy.

Xiulan watched them for a while before speaking up, “It’s cold and windy out. Play a bit and then come inside, don’t catch a cold.”

Lin Heng knew she was right. After a little more playtime, he set Xiao Xia down and led her into the house.

“Hold still.”

Xiulan blinked and reached up to fix Lin Heng’s hair, which had been tousled by Xiao Xia.

Lin Heng stood obediently as she tidied him up. Once she was done, he gently tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, letting his hand linger for a few extra seconds.

Xiulan smiled sweetly, her heart warm with affection. She looked at him and asked, “Got everything taken care of?”

Lin Heng nodded. “Yeah, all done.”

Xiulan nodded back, then pointed to the pile of pork nearby. “What about all this meat? Should we hang it up?”

Looking at the massive pile, Lin Heng said, “I’ll hang it in the smokehouse tomorrow. We’ll keep some fresh to eat for now.”

He had at least five hundred pounds of meat in the house—way more than they could possibly finish.

“Sounds good!”

Xiulan nodded, then added, “Once it’s smoked, you should bring some over to your parents and Elder Brother. There’s no way we can eat all of this ourselves.”

She felt a kind of joyful dilemma—something she’d never even dared to dream of in the past.

“Yeah,” Lin Heng agreed. He’d already been thinking the same thing, but hadn’t done it earlier because Old Man Gao was still around.

After that, Xiulan said, “You take Xiao Xia. I’ll go make dinner.”

Lin Heng pulled her back gently and shook his head. “No rush. Let’s warm up in the bedroom first. Are you hungry?”

Xiulan shook her head. “I’m not, but I’m worried you are.”

“Then let’s go.”

Lin Heng took Xiulan and their daughter into the bedroom.

The fireplace had been burning steadily, and the warmth inside was a world apart from the chill outside.

Even away from the fire, the thick earthen walls kept the room cozy and warm.

Before long, Lin Heng was hot enough to take off his cotton jacket, revealing a black sweater underneath.

Xiulan simply unbuttoned her heavy jacket, revealing her full, voluptuous figure—two heavy, ripe fruits beneath her white sweater, curves beautifully outlined.

Even though he’d seen it countless times, Lin Heng couldn’t help but be drawn in by the sight.

Xiulan rolled her eyes at him but didn’t mind. After all, there was nothing Lin Heng hadn’t already seen.

She picked up her needlework and resumed knitting. The sweater she was working on was nearly finished.

Lin Heng played little games with Xiao Xia while watching his wife knit.

He and Xiulan chatted idly, the room filled mostly with the sound of Xiao Xia playing with her toys and talking to herself.

Now that she’d learned to speak, she often chattered away like this, sometimes directing endless streams of words at Lin Heng and Xiulan.

Before long, night had fallen. Lin Heng had been mulling something over and finally looked up to ask, “Wife, do you think we should sell the ginseng?”

He’d already told her about the potential price of the ginseng.

Xiulan looked up at him and replied softly, “Depends on the situation. If we get a good offer, sell it. If not, we can hold onto it for now.”

Lin Heng nodded. “I’ll ask around in a few days.”

Truth was, he’d already made up his mind. He was definitely going to sell it. What he needed most right now was to build up some initial capital.

Even if a ginseng root could fetch a few million in the future, it wouldn’t be worth as much then.

Right now was the golden opportunity. Ten thousand yuan could buy a house, and that value would multiply hundreds of times in the future.

The tricky part was finding the right buyer—not just anyone could afford something like this.

He planned to head into the city soon to see if he could find a suitable buyer.

As for musk and furs, those could be sold directly to the state-run stores. The prices wouldn’t be bad.

He’d originally planned to make a trip to Ancheng before the end of the year, but that was looking unlikely now. He’d probably have to wait until after the New Year.

Looking at Xiulan, Lin Heng added, “If we get a good price, let’s buy a motorcycle. It’ll make getting around much easier.”

Horses were great for mountain trails and hauling goods, but for longer trips—like going into town—they weren’t practical.

A motorcycle was faster and didn’t need rest.

If he wanted to grow his business, he’d have to make frequent trips to the city. A motorcycle would be a real asset.

Of course, that all hinged on selling the ginseng. If he only sold the musk, he wouldn’t buy one.

Xiulan looked up and asked, “How much does a motorcycle cost?”

To her, motorcycles were completely foreign—just like wristwatches. She’d never imagined owning one, had no idea what they were worth, only that they were very, very expensive.

Lin Heng replied while playing with Xiao Xia, “The cheapest new models go for about fifteen hundred. The more expensive ones are two or three thousand, even four or five. Depends on the engine power.”

He gave her a rough explanation, and she finally got a sense of what a motorcycle was.

After thinking for a moment, she said, “If you want to buy one, go ahead. I’ll support whatever you decide. Having our own motorcycle would be pretty great.”

Lin Heng grinned. “Once we sell the ginseng, we’ll get one. With a motorcycle, you could visit your family and be back the same day, no problem.”

Motorcycles were often faster than cars, especially on rough mountain roads. It would only take about an hour to get to Lushui County.

Xiulan smiled. “That sounds amazing. My husband’s so capable.”

This happy life still felt like a dream to her.

By now, it was fully dark. She set down her knitting and looked at Lin Heng. “What do you want for dinner? I’ll go make it.”

Just as Lin Heng was about to speak, Xiulan flashed a sly smile. “Don’t say ‘anything’s fine,’ because I don’t know what to eat either.”

Lin Heng shrugged helplessly. “You really read my mind. Alright then, let’s have some sour soup noodles.”

“Great. You and Xiao Xia just sit tight and wait.”

With a nod, Xiulan turned and headed off to cook.

Despite what she said, Lin Heng bundled up in his cotton coat and brought Xiao Xia along to the kitchen. Even if he couldn’t help much, just being there made the cook feel more at ease and happy.

Xiulan glanced at Lin Heng and their daughter and couldn’t help but smile. At some point, she realized, smiling had become her default expression.

Thinking about it, it was because life had become so blissful.

She stir-fried some vermicelli with pork, sliced up some marinated pig ears and small intestines, and finally pulled out a bit of pickled bamboo shoots from a jar.

“Can’t believe we’ve already finished the whole jar of bamboo shoots,” she said as she scooped out the last bit.

Lin Heng had done a great job preparing them, and they were delicious. They’d even used a large jar just for pickling. Lin Heng glanced over and replied, “It’s just about time for winter bamboo shoots. We can go dig some up soon.”

Xiulan nodded, and the two of them carried the dishes into the bedroom. Lin Heng poured some rice wine with hot water, and they ate and drank together.

“Daddy, I want pig ears!”

As soon as the food hit the table, Xiao Xia, nestled in Lin Heng’s arms, pointed at the pig ears and whined sweetly.

“Alright, but just one. Don’t eat too many.”

He picked one out for her. She didn’t even need to dip it in vinegar—she liked it plain.

The crispy pig ear delighted Xiao Xia; the texture was fragrant and crunchy.

Lin Heng picked some out for Xiulan too, smiling as he said, “You eat too, Xiulan. There’s plenty—we’ve got more than enough.”

They’d hunted quite a few wild boars this time, and the ears alone added up to a dozen or more. After giving some to Old Man Gao, they still had at least eight left at home.

Xiulan blinked and started eating. She loved pig ears too—who didn’t love that texture?

But whether it was when she was a child or after she grew up, pig ears were always a rare treat, usually reserved for guests or New Year’s. Getting even a couple bites during the holidays was already a luxury.

This year, she’d finally achieved “pig ear freedom.”

A little food, a little wine, and the two of them were full. Life wasn’t full of big surprises, but it was warm and joyful.

They ended the meal with a bit of sour soup noodles, wrapping up the day nicely.

Xiao Xia went to bed early. After two bedtime stories from Lin Heng, she was fast asleep.

Lin Heng got to rest early too. He stoked the fire in the fireplace, then climbed into bed.

The two of them drifted off to sleep, shoulder to shoulder.

They woke up early the next morning, spent a few quiet moments lying together, then got up.

After checking on their still-sleeping daughter, they washed up and went out to feed the chickens, ducks, and musk deer.

Lin Heng gave Hongzao some fresh fodder, then headed over to the old house. His father and elder brother had already brewed over ten jin of liquor.

Clearly, the two had gotten up before dawn to distill the wine.

Seeing Lin Heng arrive, Lin Yue poured him a small cup and grinned. “Little bro, try this. Tell me what you think.”

Lin Heng took a sip—it was the first run, strong and fiery, burning all the way from his throat to his stomach.

He wasn’t a fan of high-proof baijiu. It wasn’t good for the body.

But he did have a bit of a craving, so his favorites were always sweet rice wine or yellow wine.

“Too strong!” he said, putting the cup down after one sip.

Lin Yue laughed. “That’s ‘cause the yeast you got us this year is top-notch. The fermentation’s way better than last year.”

Father Lin nodded. “Next year, get us more of that yeast. It works great.”

“Sure,” Lin Heng agreed, then turned to check on the wine stored in the clay vats.

In the countryside, they used these dark red ceramic vats to store wine.

They were much better than plastic containers—over time, the wine would take on a mellow, smooth flavor.

Plastic, on the other hand, could leach chemicals, making the wine taste bad and even harmful.

The tool for drawing wine was a long-handled gourd. The inside was hollowed out, with a hole drilled on one side of the gourd’s belly. To draw wine, they’d submerge the gourd, then tilt it slightly so the wine would flow out through the handle.

They called this tool a “wine ladle.”

After checking the wine, Lin Heng turned to head back home for breakfast.

In the courtyard, Mother Lin was soaking clothes in hot water using the big iron pot. She looked up and said, “Go ask Xiulan if she wants to do any laundry. The water’s hot now.”

“Okay,” Lin Heng nodded and went home to tell Xiulan.

Xiulan thought for a moment. “Then I’ll take the bedsheets over to wash in a bit.”

She went to cook breakfast while Lin Heng went to wake Xiao Xia and help her get dressed.

Once Xiao Xia was up, the three of them had breakfast together. After the meal, Lin Heng and Xiulan took the pork hanging in the main room to the smokehouse. They lit some damp oak leaves underneath to slowly smoke the meat.

“It’s freezing. Even the water buckets are frozen solid,” Xiulan said, pointing at the bucket by the well.

Lin Heng walked over to take a look. The center of the bucket still held water, but the edges were completely frozen.

The water in the well, however, showed no sign of freezing. It even felt warmer than the water outside.

“I forgot to lower the bucket into the well last night,” Lin Heng said with a laugh.

“No worries, I’ll just use a different one,” Xiulan replied casually.

She grabbed a basin, scooped some water, and went to wash her hands.

After washing up, she took down the bedsheets she planned to wash, carried them to her in-laws’ courtyard, and soaked them in water.

“Mom, don’t worry about these sheets,” Xiulan told Mother Lin. “I’ve soaked them with detergent. I’ll wash them tomorrow.”

“Alright!” Mother Lin nodded. She’d been planning to help, but since Xiulan said she’d handle it, she let it be.

With the sheets soaking, Xiulan took Xiao Xia by the hand, and the three of them—Xiulan, Xiao Xia, and Lin Heng—headed toward their bamboo grove.

They were planning to dig up some winter bamboo shoots to pickle with chili.

Winter bamboo shoots tasted much better than spring ones—no bitterness, and delicious even without blanching.

The Lin family’s bamboo grove was sizable, over an acre, filled with thick golden bamboo as wide as a grown man’s thigh.

It wasn’t right by the house, though. They had to walk about 800 to 900 meters down the road, cross a small river via a narrow path, and the grove was in a small ravine on the other side.

In winter, the Shiban River’s water level dropped significantly. The riverbed was covered in smooth pebbles, and the water was crystal clear, free of any debris.

Now and then, two little river loaches would dart out from under a rock, only to quickly disappear under another.

Lin Heng slung a hoe over his shoulder, dipped it in the river to wet it, and tested the icy water with his hand. Then he stepped across the stones and crossed the river.

Once across, he helped Xiulan and Xiao Xia over as well.

“Daddy, water!!”

Xiao Xia picked up a small stone and tossed it into the river. As the splash rose, she giggled with delight.

“Watch this!”

Lin Heng hefted a heavy stone, thirty or forty jin*, with both hands and hurled it into the water.

With a loud splash, a spray of water shot up, glistening white in the sunlight—beautiful to behold.

“Yay!!”

Xiao Xia cheered, waving her arms and bouncing with excitement, her little face beaming with joy.

“Alright, let me do another one for you!”

Lin Heng knew Xiao Xia was trying to make sense of this world in her own way, and he was having just as much fun as she was.

…

“Here, let me show you how to skip a stone!”

…

Xiulan glanced at the father and daughter with a helpless smile, then sat down on a nearby bluestone to watch them play by the water.

The river breeze wasn’t too strong today, and the warm sun was still shining. Sitting on the bluestone, soaking up the sun, was its own kind of pleasure.

(End of Chapter)

*Note: 1 jin ≈ 0.5 kg or 1.1 lbs.