Chapter 4

When Lu Yue heard that familiar cry, something suddenly caught in her throat. Shen Qing pushed her way through the crowd from behind. Half her hair had come loose, her eyes were red, and tear streaks still remained on her face. When she saw Lu Yue lying on Lu Man's back, she nearly lost her footing. She had to grab the tree beside her to steady herself. “You little brat!” Her voice trembled. She reached out as if to give Lu Yue a smack, but couldn't bring herself to do it. In the end, she simply grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly. “Where have you been? Do you have any idea how worried I…” She couldn't finish. Turning her face away, she began to sob, her shoulders trembling. With Shen Qing holding her hand, Lu Yue still had a fruit in her mouth. She called out indistinctly, “Mom…” Shen Qing didn't answer. She roughly wiped her face, turned around, and spoke in a muffled voice. “Come on. Let's go home. And what are those fruits you're holding? How can you just eat something when you don't even know what it is?” “Mom, they're edible! They're really sweet!” As she spoke, Lu Yue popped one into Shen Qing's mouth! Lu Liang walked over and reached out to take the lingzhi mushrooms from Lu Man. “Third Brother, let me carry those.” Lu Man handed them over. But the moment Lu Liang took the bundle, its weight pulled his hand down, and he nearly dropped it. “What on earth is this? Why is it so heavy?” “Lingzhi!” Lu Man replied. “What?!” Lu Liang lowered his head and stared at the enormous purplish-black object in his hands. Under the torchlight, its surface glistened with a layer of oily sheen. It was so huge that it was almost frightening. “Th-this… Where did you get it?” Lu Man didn't answer. Carrying Lu Yue on his back, he continued walking, finally slowing his pace. Lu Yue lay on his back and glanced over her shoulder. Her mother was following behind her father. Lu Liang was still standing there, holding up his torch and staring down at the lingzhi in his hands. His mouth was hanging open wide enough to fit a chicken egg. Lu Cang came over and took a look. He had exactly the same expression. “Big Brother, is this really lingzhi?” “How would I know…” “But Third Brother said it was…” “If he says it is, then it probably is.” The two men stood there holding their torches, surrounding the bundle of lingzhi as though they were looking at some rare treasure. Lu Yue lay on Lu Man's back, watching them. Before long, she suddenly smiled. The sweet fruit in her mouth made her eyes narrow with delight. Looking at the two large branches of little cherries, she remembered how her father in her previous life would always bring her wild fruits whenever he went into the mountains. Sometimes, even when he found little fruits like these, he'd cut down the entire tree and carry it home! Looking at her new parents, she couldn't help thinking: This is wonderful! Lu Man carried her over a ditch, stepping onto a stone. His foot slipped slightly. “Dad.” “Hmm?” “Can I come back tomorrow?” Lu Man stumbled so badly that he nearly fell into the ditch along with her. “What did you say?” “I said, can we come back tomorrow?” Lu Yue lay on his back, speaking as though it were the most natural thing in the world, a fruit still in her mouth. “There are lots more little cherries over there that we haven't picked. And I saw some yam vines, too. There are also plenty of wild vegetables and mushrooms…” “What else? What else?!” Lu Man interrupted her, raising his voice. “Do you think this mountain is your family's vegetable garden? You're lucky you made it out in one piece today! And now you want to come back tomorrow? “I'm telling you, you are going to stay home and behave yourself! You're not allowed to go anywhere!” Lu Yue pouted and fell silent. Lu Man thought she'd finally quieted down and had just breathed a sigh of relief when the person on his back spoke again. “Then I'll bring my big brother and second brother along. I won't be going alone.” “Don't your big brother and second brother have farm work to do?” Lu Man continued walking and turned to glare at her, even though he couldn't see her properly. “Spring has arrived. We need to get the rice planted as soon as possible. We can't afford to delay it!” “Do you think seventeen people in this family can fill their stomachs by drinking the northwest wind?” He paused, then softened his voice. “Don't cause any trouble. Stay home and rest properly for the next couple of days. You're still injured. “Once we're done with the farm work, I'll have your big brother and second brother take you into the mountains. How does that sound?” Lu Yue lay on his back, feeling a little dejected. She lowered her head and looked at her arm. The area around the two tiny puncture wounds had already swollen into a red ring. When she pressed it, it felt hard and slightly hot. There were also several scratches from tree branches. The blood had dried, forming dark reddish scabs, but the edges of the wounds were still raw. Just looking at them was painful. She really did need some medicine. “Got it!” she replied in a subdued voice. Hearing her answer, Lu Man breathed a sigh of relief and quickened his pace again. Outside the forest, the torchlight grew brighter and brighter. Beyond the woods was a dirt road full of potholes and uneven patches. Rice paddies stretched along both sides. The water in the fields reflected the last traces of light in the sky, shimmering brightly. In the distance, the village lay like a dark silhouette. Here and there, a few oil lamps glowed, each no bigger than a soybean, their lights flickering gently. The Lu family's home stood at the easternmost end of the village. It had yellow earthen walls, a thatched roof, and a crooked courtyard gate made of several nailed-together wooden boards that never quite closed properly. Before they even reached the gate, they could hear the commotion inside. “They're back! They're back!” A half-grown boy came rushing out through the courtyard gate! He was running so fast that he tripped over the threshold. He landed flat on his face, scrambled back up, dusted off his knees, and continued running. It was Lu Hao, Lu Yue's younger brother. He was as thin as a monkey, and his face was covered in so much dirt that only his two bright, sparkling eyes stood out. “Sis! Sis, you're back! You scared me to death!” He rushed up to Lu Man, stood on tiptoe to peer at his back, and tugged at Lu Yue's clothes. “Sis, are you okay? Where did you go? I've been looking for you all afternoon!” “I'm fine!” Lu Yue reached out and patted his head. “Don't pull on me. You'll make me fall!” Lu Hao quickly withdrew his hand but continued following close behind them, chattering nonstop. “Grandma said some wild mountain cat spirit had lured you away. Mom cried all afternoon, and Big Brother and Second Brother both went into the mountains to look for you…” “Have your big brother and second brother come back yet?” Lu Man asked. “They're back! They just got home. They couldn't find you, and they were so worried…” Lu Man had already entered the courtyard. A crowd of people had gathered inside. Wang Cuizhu stood at the entrance of the main room, leaning on a cane, her back perfectly straight! She was already in her sixties, but her hair was neatly combed without a single strand out of place. Her clothes were old, but freshly washed and spotless. She narrowed her eyes and stared at the person on Lu Man's back. Her lips were pressed into a thin line. She said nothing, but the fingers gripping her cane were trembling. Standing beside her was Liu Xiuying, the eldest daughter-in-law. She was holding three-year-old Lu Hua, who had already fallen asleep, drooling all over her shoulder. Liu Xiuying craned her neck to look over, repeatedly murmuring, “Thank goodness she's back. Thank goodness she's back.” Zhou Laifeng poked her head out of the kitchen. She still had a spatula in her hand, and a leaf of vegetable was stuck to her apron. Relief was written all over her face. Wang Zhaofu stood in the middle of the courtyard, holding the hand of seven-year-old Lu Xue. Lu Xue's eyes were red, and she looked as though she'd just finished crying. Shen Qing had walked more slowly than Lu Man. She came up from behind and approached his side. She took Lu Yue down from Lu Man's back and handed him the branch of fruits Lu Yue was holding. Then she cupped Lu Yue's face in both hands, examining it from every angle. After checking her face, she looked at her hands, then rolled up her sleeves to inspect the injuries on her arms. When she saw the two puncture wounds, she drew in a sharp breath. “What bit you?” Her voice had changed completely. “I don't know. I didn't get a good look!” Lu Yue answered honestly. Shen Qing's lips trembled, and her eyes turned red again! But she held back her tears. Turning toward the kitchen, she called out, “Sister-in-law, could you heat some water for me? And please bring me a clean piece of cloth!” “Sure!” Liu Xiuying answered. She put down her spatula on the stove and immediately got to work. “Come inside and lie down first!” Shen Qing supported Lu Yue as they headed toward the room. Lu Yue had barely taken one step when a sharp voice rang out behind her. “Stop right there!”