Farming for Three Meals a Day [Farming Life] 15

Chapter 15

The mountains of Shanxiu Village stretched endlessly, tall and majestic, hence the name. The villagers who lived there for generations believed in a mountain god, and they would light incense, candles, and offer fruits as sacrifices during the Spring Equinox and summer.

Ordinary people didn’t dare to venture deep into the mountains. They usually gathered firewood and dug wild vegetables on the lower slopes. Going further in was dangerous, as it was easy to get lost and lose their way.

Only hunters and herbalists who had spent years navigating the mountains dared to enter. Without Lin Jiangshan leading the way, Ye Xi definitely wouldn’t dare to go.

The further they went, the narrower the path became, devoid of human presence, with grass taller than elsewhere, and vines and thorns blocking their way from time to time.

Lin Jiangshan led the way, using his machete to clear the obstacles, trying to create a clear path for Ye Xi.

“Are there jackals and wolves in the mountains?” Ye Xi softly asked from behind.

Lin Jiangshan hummed in agreement, casually cutting off a branch. “I’ve heard wolves howling. There are many wild animals in the mountains, you’re bound to encounter some. Sometimes you might even step on a snake. But as long as you’re quick and climb up a tree, or leave the mountains before nightfall, there won’t be any major problems.”

Ye Xi’s skin crawled. “You’re so brave. I’ve been afraid of those slippery creatures since I was young.”

Lin Jiangshan turned around and smiled. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye out for you.”

Ye Xi pursed his lips, looking at his broad and sturdy back, feeling a sense of reassurance. He replied, “I trust you.”

The mountains were rich in medicinal herbs, but Lin Jiangshan didn’t recognize them, so Ye Xi had to identify them himself.

Ye Xi was also a novice in this area. He had glanced at the illustrations in a medicinal herb book at the doctor’s and vaguely remembered some of them.

After searching in the forest for a long time, they started to feel hot and thirsty.

They found a large tree and sat down on its wide roots. Ye Xi wiped his sweat with his sleeve and untied the water pouch hanging from his waist. “Have some water. You’ve been searching with me for so long.”

Lin Jiangshan didn’t hesitate, took the water pouch, folded a few leaves into a small bowl, poured some water, and drank it all in one gulp. The water that dripped from the corner of his mouth flowed down his firm jawline and onto his Adam’s apple, a wild and unrestrained gesture.

Ye Xi watched his Adam’s apple bob up and down, feeling his face heat up. He quickly averted his gaze, staring at the grass at his feet, not daring to look up.

After finishing the water, Lin Jiangshan returned the water pouch to Ye Xi, scanned the forest, and said in a deep voice, “Let’s keep looking, it’s not late yet.”

Ye Xi agreed. A bird on a branch flapped its wings and took off, the sound echoing through the quiet and deep forest.

“Want some fruit?” Lin Jiangshan asked in a low voice.

Ye Xi looked up at him. “Where’s the fruit?”

Lin Jiangshan didn’t answer, just walked forward, quickly climbed up a tree trunk, skillfully cut off a branch with his machete, and returned with a bunch of wild pears.

“The skin is astringent, but the flesh is sweet.”

He sat down beside Ye Xi, his long legs casually stretched out, slightly hunched over, and started peeling the rough skin of the wild pears with his sharp machete.

Ye Xi quietly observed him. This man had a high nose bridge, high cheekbones, sharp eyebrows, and deep-set eyes.

He slowly lowered his gaze to the man’s thin lips. The lip shape was also nice. The elderly in the village said that people with thin lips were also heartless, not good men.

But this man didn’t seem like a bad man. A bad man wouldn’t be so kind.

Ye Xi was still lost in thought when a peeled, white pear was handed to him.

Lin Jiangshan held the pear, which had lost almost half of its flesh from peeling, in his palm and said in a deep voice, “I’m a rough man, I never peel fruit, I just eat it with the skin, so my knife skills are bad. Just make do with a few bites.”

He didn’t peel for himself, but Ye Xi was a fair and delicate young man, so he had to peel it for him.

Ye Xi bit his lip and took the pear. “It’s already very kind of you to peel it for me.”

Wild pears weren’t as sweet and fragrant as the ones grown at home, but they had a slightly sweet taste and were refreshing to eat when thirsty.

Lin Jiangshan wiped the pear on his clothes a few times and finished two of them. Turning to look at Ye Xi, he saw him holding the pear in both hands, taking small bites, his delicate lips stained with juice, looking plump and moist.

Lin Jiangshan’s eyes darkened, cursing himself inwardly for being so rough. Look how elegantly the other person ate, while he ate like a pig.

After Ye Xi finished the fruit, they continued to search the forest ahead.

After walking for another half an hour, Ye Xi’s eyes finally lit up. He looked at the wild plants with umbrella-shaped red fruits by the rock and smiled.

“It seems we’ve actually found it today!”

Lin Jiangshan went over and dug up the Sanqi plants with the bamboo shovel he brought. As expected, there was a tuber attached to the roots.

“It looks like it’s a few years old. Take it back for your brother, it should help him recover quickly.”

Ye Xi’s face was filled with joy, his eyes curving into crescents, his eyes bright and sparkling. Seeing this, Lin Jiangshan felt happy and couldn’t help but smile.

The dug-up Sanqi was carefully placed in a cloth bag. Ye Xi carried the heavy bag, his steps light as they descended the mountain.

“We dug up quite a bit. My brother probably won’t be able to use it all. If there’s any left, I’ll grind it into powder and make wound medicine for you.”

Lin Jiangshan asked, “What do I need it for? It’s a good thing, you keep it for yourself.”

Ye Xi’s gaze rested on his scar-covered forearm and said softly, “You often go into the mountains, it’s good to have some in case you get cut or injured. I stay at home all day, I probably won’t need it.”

Lin Jiangshan looked at the delicate young man, a wave of warmth rising in his heart. He had been in the army for years and wandered for a few more years. Since his parents passed away, this was the first time someone genuinely cared about him and his safety. He couldn’t help but swallow, his voice husky, “Thank you.”

Ye Xi smiled. “We’re always thanking each other, I don’t know who owes whom anymore.”

The way down the mountain was easier than the way up, and they soon left the forest. On their way back, Lin Jiangshan stared at the bushes ahead and suddenly said, “Wait.”

Ye Xi immediately stopped and didn’t dare to move, asking softly, “What’s wrong?”

Lin Jiangshan whispered, “There should be a long-tailed pheasant in the bushes ahead. Stay here and don’t move. I’ll see if I can catch it for you to take home.”

Ye Xi nodded and watched as Lin Jiangshan quietly approached the bushes.

Long-tailed pheasants were the most common pheasants in the mountains. They had two long tail feathers and could fly. Ye Xi had seen them many times since childhood, but it was difficult to catch them. They were small and agile, easily flying away. Almost no one in the village had ever caught one. Hunters in town sold them for fifty wen each, only wealthy families would buy them occasionally. It was said that their meat was delicious, firm, and nourishing.

This was the first time Ye Xi had seen Lin Jiangshan hunting pheasants in the woods. He quickly moved behind a tree, hiding himself and observing the pheasant. The pheasant was leisurely pecking at insects on the ground, completely unaware.

Lin Jiangshan squatted down, picked up a stone, and held his breath.

Ye Xi craned his neck to watch. He heard a few flapping sounds from the woods, then the bushes rustled, and there was the sharp cry of a pheasant.

He asked anxiously, “Did you catch it?”

Lin Jiangshan didn’t answer. Ye Xi was worried and stepped into the woods. The half-meter-tall grass blocked his way, and he pushed through the grass, calling out, “Brother Lin?”

As he stepped forward in the grass, his foot suddenly touched something soft and unfamiliar. Ye Xi froze and parted the grass to look down. He saw a black snake, as thick as a bowl, coiled at his feet.

He had just stepped on it!

Ye Xi’s face turned pale. He trembled and stumbled back out of the bushes, goosebumps rising on his skin, the terrifying sensation still lingering on his foot.

Lin Jiangshan emerged from the woods, holding a pheasant by its feet, and saw Ye Xi rushing out of the bushes with a pale face.

He quickly called out, “Xi-ge’er?”

Ye Xi didn’t hear him, just kept running. Seeing this, Lin Jiangshan quickly chased after him.

Before he could catch up, Ye Xi tripped over a rock, stumbled, and tumbled down the hillside.

Lin Jiangshan dropped the pheasant and jumped down the slope after him.

Ye Xi didn’t know how many times he rolled, only feeling the sharp pain of branches and leaves scraping against his body. Fortunately, a tree stopped him from rolling further.

Lin Jiangshan quickly caught up. Ye Xi was lying face down on the slope. He grabbed Ye Xi’s arm and pulled him up.

But as he turned Ye Xi over, he paused.

The veil had fallen off.

Ye Xi’s face was fully exposed. The right side was smooth and delicate, with delicate features, while the left side was covered with an uneven, reddish scar.

The contrast was stark.

Lin Jiangshan frowned unconsciously, staring at the left side of Ye Xi’s face.

Ye Xi’s head was dizzy from the fall, and he didn’t realize his veil had fallen off until he saw Lin Jiangshan’s dark eyes, the man’s intense gaze seeming to burn on his face. He suddenly came to his senses.

He covered the ugly scar with his hand, trying to hide his imperfection.

“Is it… very ugly?” Ye Xi’s fingertips trembled, his voice broken. He had already accepted his scarred left face, but when it was exposed in front of Lin Jiangshan, he couldn’t help but feel self-conscious and unable to face him calmly.

Lin Jiangshan’s brow remained furrowed, and he didn’t say a word.

Ye Xi couldn’t bear it anymore, his eyes reddening. He pushed Lin Jiangshan hard and turned to run down the mountain.

What did his silence mean? Disgust? Revulsion?

Did he not want to be with him anymore after seeing his disgusting scar? Or was he regretting helping him so much?

So many emotions flooded Ye Xi’s mind, making him feel so miserable and wronged that he felt like he was being torn apart. Hot tears streamed down his face uncontrollably.