Farming for Three Meals a Day [Farming Life] 17

Chapter 17

Ye Xi’s scalp tingled in fright. Looking at the sturdy figure blocking his way, he gripped the hoe tightly, thinking that if the man tried anything inappropriate, he would give him a good whack with the hoe!

“Xi-ge’er,” a familiar voice called out.

Ye Xi’s eyelashes fluttered, and he slowly raised his eyes to see that it was Lin Jiangshan.

It had been over a month since he last saw him. During this time, Lin Jiangshan’s skin had become even darker from the sun, and the muscles on his cheeks seemed firmer, making his features appear more defined and deep.

He stared intently at Ye Xi, but didn’t speak.

Ye Xi turned his head slightly and said in a low voice, “Why are you blocking my way?”

Lin Jiangshan didn’t know what to say and remained silent for a moment, then held out the two grass carp he had just caught.

Ye Xi’s eyes welled up slightly. “I don’t want your fish.”

Lin Jiangshan persistently held the fish in front of Ye Xi, as if insisting he accept them.

Ye Xi moved to the left to leave, but Lin Jiangshan also moved, blocking his way. Ye Xi tried again, moving to the right, but Lin Jiangshan blocked him again.

Ye Xi couldn’t take it anymore, his nose stinging, and he shouted, “What do you want? If someone sees you blocking a young man’s way, you can be reported to the village council!”

Lin Jiangshan’s tightly pursed lips finally parted. “Are you avoiding me?”

Ye Xi’s heart skipped a beat, but he denied it. “No, why would I avoid you?”

Lin Jiangshan said, “You are.”

Ye Xi said, “I’m not.”

Lin Jiangshan repeated, “You are.”

Ye Xi was exasperated and looked up, wanting to throw the basket of wild rice stems at his head. “Yes, I’m avoiding you, because you think I’m ugly!”

Lin Jiangshan frowned, confused. “When did I ever say that?”

Ye Xi felt even more upset. It was precisely because he didn’t say it that made it even more hurtful. “Didn’t you look at me with that disgusted look that day! I know the scar on my face is ugly, I know my appearance is now unpresentable, but your look was too hurtful!”

Lin Jiangshan looked bewildered. “When did I look at you with disgust? If I did, then you can gouge out my eyes, I won’t resist.”

Seeing his sincerity, not like he was lying, Ye Xi’s anger subsided. “Then why did you stare at my face without saying anything that day?”

Lin Jiangshan paused, looking somewhat dumbfounded.

Seeing him speechless, Ye Xi glared at him. “See, you do think I’m ugly.”

Lin Jiangshan shook his head and stammered for a few words before saying, “I was thinking about how much it must have hurt when you got burned. I was injured many times during the war, look at the scars on my arm. A comrade in my tent was splashed with hot oil by the enemy and his back was burned. He moaned in pain all night, unable to sleep. I know how painful it is, so… I was thinking if you were in as much pain as he was when you got burned.”

His words struck a chord in Ye Xi’s heart, and his ears started to burn. He had never thought that Lin Jiangshan was thinking that way, not because he was disgusted, but because…

“You…” Ye Xi parted his lips, not knowing what to say, and could only blush and mutter, “Sentimental fool, where did you learn such sappy words?”

Lin Jiangshan didn’t hear him clearly and took out a small porcelain jar from his clothes, handing it to Ye Xi.

Ye Xi took it suspiciously. “What is this?”

“Ointment. I’ve been wanting to give it to you, but you’ve been avoiding me, and I didn’t have a chance to give it to you. I thought you might be angry because I looked at your face without your permission.”

As he spoke, Ye Xi had already opened the jar. The brown ointment had a fragrant yet strong herbal scent, not unpleasant.

“What is it for?”

Lin Jiangshan said, “It’s for scars. I heard about this recipe on my travels. The doctor said it was passed down from his ancestors and used by officials and nobles in the capital.”

Ye Xi didn’t hold out much hope. “But my scar is old and covers a large area. I’m afraid even a miracle drug wouldn’t help.”

Lin Jiangshan shrugged. “Just try it. I’ve already had it prepared at the pharmacy. Young men all love beauty, and I imagine you must be sad about this scar. Even if it helps a little, it’s good.”

Ye Xi smiled. “Alright, I’ll accept it then. I’ll apply it twice a day. I can’t let your kindness go to waste.”

Lin Jiangshan smiled faintly.

Li-ge’er, who had already filled his basket, came looking for Ye Xi. “Xi-ge’er, where are you?”

Hearing the approaching sounds, Ye Xi quickly replied, “Here, I’ll be right there.”

“Forget it, I’m already here.” Li-ge’er walked towards him, getting closer and closer.

He had just told Li-ge’er that he had a crush on Lin Jiangshan. If Li-ge’er saw him alone with Lin Jiangshan in the reeds again, Li-ge’er, with his big mouth, would definitely spread rumors, and others would exaggerate and distort the story.

Ye Xi hurriedly pushed Lin Jiangshan. “Go quickly, hide in the reeds, don’t let him see you.”

Lin Jiangshan agreed and obediently tried to squeeze into the nearby reeds, but due to his large build, he had some difficulty.

Li-ge’er had already arrived. Ye Xi bit his lip and kicked Lin Jiangshan’s backside, hearing him grunt.

But at least he managed to hide in the reeds before Li-ge’er arrived.

“Um, I thought I heard you talking to someone just now,” Li-ge’er said, carrying his basket.

Ye Xi replied calmly, “You must be hearing things. Who would I be talking to? It must be the egrets.”

Li-ge’er thought for a moment and agreed. “How much did you dig? I have a full basket, I’ll share some with you.”

Ye Xi smiled. “Alright, let’s go.”

Before they left, Ye Xi glanced at the reeds and couldn’t help but smile.

He had no idea that his kick had sent Lin Jiangshan tumbling into the mud.

When he returned home with a basket of wild rice stems, the corn had already been piled up, the excess drying under the eaves. Liu Xiufeng was grinding cornmeal and said, seeing him return, “We’re having baked cornbread tonight. I added some sugar to the cornmeal, it’ll be sweet and delicious.”

Ye Xi smiled. “That’s great, I love that, fresh corn flavor is strong.”

Liu Xiufeng saw that he seemed more cheerful and energetic after going out, probably because he had a good chat with Li-ge’er. “Alright, put down your things and come help in the kitchen.”

Ye Xi went to the kitchen to help with the fire. Cornbread needed chili sauce, so he chopped up green peppers from the garden and crisp pickled peppers from the pickle jar, then stir-fried them in sesame oil.

He washed a few wild rice stems, sliced them thinly, and stir-fried them with sliced meat, adding minced garlic and chili segments. Finally, he poured half a bowl of water starch along the edge of the wok, added a spoonful of soy sauce and vinegar, and garnished with chopped green onions.

The family lit the lamps and ate dinner in the courtyard.

It was early autumn, and the evening breeze was cool. The chirping of crickets in the fields had weakened. The Ye family ate this year’s first batch of cornbread under the oil lamp and moonlight.

There was plenty of oil, making the cornbread crispy and golden brown, their lips glistening with oil. Ye Shan took three pieces from the basket in one go, swallowed them whole, and let out a long sigh.

“Delicious!”

Ye Xi ate elegantly. Seeing him eat slowly, Liu Xiufeng kept adding slices of meat to his cornbread. “The harvest is good this year. After setting aside corn for winter and next year’s seeds, we still have a lot left. Eat as much as you want. I’ll grind the rest into cornmeal, we don’t need to mix in bean flour anymore.”

Father Ye was also happy and even poured two cups of sorghum wine to drink with Ye Shan.

This year’s harvest was the best in years. Coupled with the stable government and reduced taxes these past few years, life for farmers had improved, and eating meat every now and then had become common.

After dinner, there were a few pieces of cornbread left. After washing the dishes, Ye Xi wrapped them in lotus leaves and took them back to his room.

He saw Lin Jiangshan today, although not noticeably thin, he had lost some weight. He must not have been eating well these past few days. Ye Xi still cared about him and thought about taking these cornbreads to him tomorrow.

Remembering the porcelain jar Lin Jiangshan gave him, Ye Xi touched his face while looking at his reflection in the water basin. The ointment felt cool on his skin, even with a hint of mint.

After carefully applying the ointment to his left face, Ye Xi placed the porcelain jar under his pillow and drifted off to sleep, recalling the scene in the reeds.

The next day, Ye Xi went out with the cornbreads. Just as he reached the persimmon tree at the village entrance, he ran into Yao-ge’er and other women and young men from the village. They were hitting persimmons with bamboo poles, the yellow and green persimmons falling from the branches, and the people below catching them with a cloth, a lively scene.

Ye Xi moved to the side of the road, not wanting to interact with them.

However, a sharp-eyed young man in the village saw Ye Xi and called out, “Xi-ge’er, come and have some persimmons, Yao-ge’er is treating everyone to persimmons.”

Ye Xi stopped and declined with a smile. “No, thank you, I have a sensitive stomach and can’t eat cold things.”

This tree belonged to Yao-ge’er’s family, and he was treating the villagers to persimmons today, very popular. Seeing Ye Xi, he said in a sharp voice, “These are ‘lucky’ persimmons, you should take a couple back, otherwise, you won’t just have a sensitive stomach, you might not be able to handle good fortune either.”

Ye Xi narrowed his eyes and said with a forced smile, “I don’t know about good fortune, but it seems you’re the one who needs it.”

Yao-ge’er from the Lin family was about to get engaged to the Cao family. Father Lin had been bragging about it in the village a few days ago, even declaring that his future son-in-law would become a Xiucai, Juren, and then an official, showing off quite a bit.

Yao-ge’er sneered, “I’m afraid it’s not easy for you to find a husband now. If you still haven’t found anyone in three to five years, I can help you find an old widower in town, that would be a place to belong.”

Ye Xi didn’t want to argue with him and let him have his moment of glory. “Even dogs in the village don’t help cats catch mice, so naturally, you don’t have to worry about my affairs.”

Ye Xi was quick-witted, and most people couldn’t win a verbal battle with him.

Hearing this, Yao-ge’er’s face darkened. Wasn’t this calling him a busybody, meddling in other people’s business? He wanted to hit Ye Xi where it hurt.

“Fine, you have a sharp tongue, I won’t argue with you. I’ll see when you, Xi-ge’er, can get married. Don’t wait until I have grandchildren while you’re still a lonely old man with white hair.”

Ye Xi glanced at him, didn’t say anything more, and turned to leave.