Free Web NovelChapter 52: Chapter 52: Li Xiu Goes Into the Mountain (Part 1)
Before dawn, Li Xiu got up quietly. He left the room, careful not to wake his wife.
When he got to the kitchen, he saw the back basket his wife had packed for him the day before and smiled to himself. He knew she doted on him. After washing up and making breakfast, he was just about to eat so he could head into the mountains when Zhou Lian walked in, rubbing her eyes.
"Bao’er, why are you up? It’s not even light out. Did I wake you?" Li Xiu asked gently, pulling Zhou Lian into his embrace.
Zhou Lian rolled her eyes. ’Honestly, this man. How could I possibly sleep, knowing he’s going into the mountains!’
"It’s nothing. I was awake, so I got up. You should eat something first. You’ll be heading into the mountains soon!"
"Then eat with me, Bao’er!" Li Xiu held Zhou Lian and wouldn’t let go. ’This trip into the mountains will probably take a few days. Every extra moment I can hold her counts. I won’t get to see my wife for days.’
"Alright. Let go first, I’ll wash up and eat with you." Zhou Lian gently patted the arm he had wrapped around her. ’Going into the mountains is dangerous,’ she thought. ’I should just humor him so he doesn’t leave with a heavy heart and get into an accident.’
The young couple had a sweet meal together. As dawn broke, Li Xiu kissed Zhou Lian, unable to hide his reluctance to leave. He whispered his instructions to her gently, "Grandma will come over after breakfast, so you can go back to sleep for a bit. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be back in five days at the latest, I promise."
"Nothing is more important than your safety. If you dare to come back injured, you can forget about ever going near Daqing Mountain again!" Zhou Lian warned him softly, hiding her own anxiety.
Watching Li Xiu climb over the wall, Zhou Lian stood motionless in the courtyard for a long time. ’Daqing Mountain isn’t a place one can enter so easily. In our last life, Li Xiu never once went into those mountains. This time, he must be desperate!’
’Truthfully, it’s not like we’re short on money. That stubborn man has just gotten a taste for trips into the mountains. He wouldn’t be satisfied if I didn’t let him earn this money. It’s better to agree openly than have him sneak off and spend the whole time worrying about me.’
Stroking her belly, Zhou Lian thought, ’This life is so different from the last. Li Xiu is no longer blindly obedient to his parents, and what a huge difference that has made!’
’In my last life, my morning sickness was awful. There was nothing good to eat, and I was nauseous all day, unable to keep anything down. It got so bad that Li Xiu had to go to his aunt’s place to get some pickled sour long beans, and only then did I feel a little better.’
’Back then, after the family assets were divided, we had nothing. We were a hundred yuan in debt and had to scrimp and save every day just to pay it back. When our daughter was born, she was barely five pounds, just skin and bones, like a little frozen kitten. It broke both our hearts to see her like that.’
’I knew in my last life that Li Xiu was a resourceful man, but only now am I realizing how little I truly understood him. Looking around our home, from the house and furniture down to the food we ate, there was nothing he hadn’t thought of.’
’In the six months they’d been married this time, he’d never said ’no’ to her, unless it was something that might affect her health. She didn’t understand how his feelings for her could run so deep. She had found out in the latter part of her previous life and had been puzzled by it for a long time. Now, it was the same all over again.’
’When they first married in her last life, he had been very good to her. She had slowly begun to accept him, even to like him, but before her affection could truly deepen, he had shattered it all with a single slap.’
’She remembered leaving with her daughter for several years after that. Once, during a visit back to her parents’ home, her older sister gave her a stern lecture. She called her dramatic, saying that her husband had learned his lesson and wouldn’t dare do it again. She told her to just get on with her life—that it was fine to give your husband a hard time when he deserved it, but you had to move on afterward and live properly. Her sister had asked, "Are you planning to live like this for the rest of your life?"’
’She recalled just smiling back then. The very sight of him had irritated her. If it weren’t for their daughter and son, she would have never seen him again for the rest of her life. But thinking about it now, there was no way that man would have ever truly let her go.’
Meanwhile, Li Xiu had reached the foot of Daqing Mountain. After choosing a direction, he plunged straight into the wilderness. ’I don’t know if I’ll be able to find that place from last time,’ he thought, ’but either way, I won’t be coming back empty-handed.’
The mountains were laden with fruit in the late autumn, and many of them were his wife’s favorites. Li Xiu carefully memorized their locations. ’I’ll grab some for her on my way back,’ he decided.
By dusk, Li Xiu had harvested over a dozen Lingzhi mushrooms of various sizes and two patches of Gastrodia, but he still hadn’t found the specific spot he was looking for.
Daqing Mountain was even more daunting at night. The distant howling of wolves was spine-chilling, and the calls of various birds and beasts from deep within the forest would have scared a more timid person to death.
Li Xiu found a small cave. After smoking it out with a torch and sprinkling some realgar powder around the entrance, he built a campfire. From his back basket, he took out a water flask, the flatbreads Zhou Lian had made, salted eggs, a jar of small pickled vegetables, a jar of stewed meat, and even some washed apples and pears.
He smiled as he bit into a pear. ’I miss my wife already,’ he thought. ’We haven’t been apart a single day since we got married!’
After dinner, Zhou Lian and Grandma Li sat together in the courtyard. Grandma Li beamed as she looked at her granddaughter-in-law’s plump, fair cheeks. ’If the mother is well-nourished, the baby will be strong,’ she thought happily. ’Just look at her! The baby in her belly is sure to be a chubby one.’
"Dear, if you’re craving anything, just tell Grandma and I’ll make it for you," Grandma Li said with a playful smile. "You can’t lose any weight while he’s gone, or I’ll have a hard time answering to that boy of mine." She was also letting Zhou Lian know that she should relax and not feel formal around her.
Zhou Lian took the hint and smiled. "Oh, Grandma, the way you talk! Li Xiu was just worried I’d be lonely, or that something might happen, so he asked you to come keep me company. He also said we have plenty of good food at home and that you should eat well and build up your strength."
"Alright. My grandson and his wife are so filial; I’m truly blessed. In that case, I’ll eat a little more and put on some weight." Grandma Li was delighted. ’My grandson told me everything. I was going to ask Li Hua and the other girls to come over, but my granddaughter-in-law was the one who told him to ask me instead, saying they had plenty of food and I should come build up my strength.’
’But now my granddaughter-in-law is saying it was my grandson’s idea. Ah, this young couple... As if I don’t know my own grandson! He’s truly filial, yes, but it’s also true that he didn’t suggest calling me this time. He was probably afraid my presence would make his wife feel constrained. It’s as obvious as a louse on a bald man’s head. The way he pampers his wife, he was definitely worried she’d be inconvenienced.’
’When it comes to his wife, that boy gets as petty as can be. His father’s family always thought he made trouble because he couldn’t take it anymore, but the truth is, he was just too lazy to bother with them. If those scoundrels hadn’t provoked his wife, he wouldn’t have even bothered to stir up a fuss.’
"You’re a good child. My grandson takes after his grandfather; he’s the type to dote on his wife. You just live a good, peaceful life with him. He could never bear to see you suffer. I watched him grow up, and in his whole life, he has never asked for anything or stubbornly insisted on getting something—except when it comes to you."
At this, Grandma Li sighed. "He’s had a hard life, being stuck with a family like that. Luckily, he’s resourceful. Back when the family property was being divided, I could already tell he had no affection left for your in-laws. But I also knew he wouldn’t completely abandon them in their old age, so I just went along with his decision."
"Later, as things happened one after another, I saw that my grandson is both the most sentimental and the most ruthless of men. As long as his line isn’t crossed, he won’t turn on anyone. You are his wife, and you’re carrying his child. Right now, no one is more important to him than you. Don’t misunderstand him. He’s not a heartless or disloyal person. Don’t be afraid of him. Just live a good life with him, and he will be very, very good to you."
’My grandmother-in-law is just as kind and sensible as she was in my last life,’ Zhou Lian thought, then said, "Grandma, don’t worry, I won’t misunderstand him. He told me the whole story. He said that when his parents get old, he’ll provide for them along with his four younger brothers. As for his other siblings... perhaps they just aren’t fated to be close. But you see how well he gets along with his cousins from First Aunt’s and Third Aunt’s families, just like they were his real siblings."
Hearing Zhou Lian’s words, Grandma Li thought it over. ’Isn’t that just the truth?’ she mused with a soft sigh. ’Children have their own paths to walk. My getting involved won’t change anything. Besides, the boy has already promised to care for his parents in their old age. It’s best if I just stay quiet and not add to his troubles.’
As Zhou Lian and Grandma Li were chatting happily, they were completely unaware that deep in the mountains, Li Xiu had just run into the greatest crisis of his new life.
