Starting from Mounta Chapter 208: Lin Heng’s Schemes

??Chapter 208: Lin Heng’s Sches

It seed that it had just snowed, leaving the sky vast and mostly cloudless.

The sun was shining brightly, so Lin Heng quickened his pace. By the ti he returned ho, it was already past three in the afternoon.

After moving his things back ho and tying up the horse, Lin Heng went to check on Liu Lan’s house. There were quite a few guests today, all of them relatives.

When Lin Yue saw Lin Heng approaching, he smiled and said, “If you don’t feel like coming over, just stay at ho for now. There aren’t many people, and I can handle the liquor for you.”

“Thank you, Elder Brother.”

Lin Heng patted his elder brother’s shoulder, not standing on ceremony.

He watched the geomancer perform rituals and listened to the mourning songs, accompanied by the beating of drums, creating a lively atmosphere.

A large crowd from the village gathered to watch, and so who knew the songs joined in for a few verses.

After watching for a while, Lin Heng lost interest. He inford his elder brother before turning to head back ho.

Inside, Xiulan had just boiled so water and prepared a simple bowl of pickled vegetable noodles.

After finishing the al, Xiulan looked at Lin Heng and said, “You can roll out the dumpling skins, and I’ll make the filling.”

“Alright.”

Rolling out dumpling skins wasn’t difficult. Lin Heng washed his hands and placed the dough, which had been resting since yesterday, on the wooden board to roll out.

There wasn’t much technique involved, just rolling the dough thin. With his strength, Lin Heng finished the dumpling skins before Xiulan finished the filling.

Using a knife, he cut them into palm-sized squares, ready for wrapping.

In their area, they used square dumpling skins to make dumplings shaped like gold ingots.

“We’re ready to start wrapping.”

Xiulan brought over the prepared filling with a smile.

At this mont, Xiao Xia was playing on a wooden horse in the main room, so with no one to disturb them, the two quickly got to work.

Since they didn’t have a refrigerator, they didn’t make too many at once, just about 150 to 160 dumplings, enough for the three of them for three als.

“I’ll knead so more dough and use the remaining filling to make stuffed pancakes,” Xiulan suggested to Lin Heng.

“Go ahead, I’ll prepare so wheat to make malt.”

Lin Heng checked on Xiao Xia, then scooped two jin of wheat from the cabinet and soaked it in water.

To make malt, the seeds needed to soak overnight to fully absorb water.

After finishing that, Lin Heng went to the yard to pick so cilantro and green onions for Xiulan to make vinegar soup later.

Xiulan added so green onions to the at filling, making pancakes the size of a vegetable bun. Once ready, she fried them in oil over low heat until both sides turned golden brown, the aroma wafting all the way to the yard.

“It slls so good, I want to eat!”

Xiao Xia sniffed the air and ran towards the kitchen.

She wasn’t tall enough to reach the stove, so she raised her hands to barely grasp the edge, unable to see into the pot, and spun around anxiously, drawn by the scent.

“Here it cos.”

Xiulan smiled as she lifted the pancakes from the pan and placed them on the board.

“I want to eat, I want to eat!”

Xiao Xia clamored for the golden pancakes.

But it wasn’t just her; Lin Heng was also salivating. It was already past five, and he was hungry too.

The remaining filling made four pancakes, each ten centiters in diater.

After they cooled slightly, the three each took one and began eating.

With each bite, the crust made a crisp sound, while the inside was soft and filled with stuffing. In the mouth, the flavors of oil residue, walnuts, sesa, and green onions burst forth, especially the combination of oil residue and walnuts, creating a perfect harmony.

Yet Lin Heng wasn’t satisfied. He added so fernted tofu to the pancake’s surface, adding another layer of flavor and aroma, making it so delicious he could almost swallow his tongue.

All three wore contented smiles. In these underdeveloped rural tis, enjoying good food relied on their own efforts, but once made, it often tasted better than anything bought.

Just those two bites of pancakes made Lin Heng feel that the effort of cracking walnuts for half a day was worth it.

“Surprisingly delicious.”

Xiulan smiled after finishing her pancake, feeling that this kind of life was truly joyful.

“It also depends on your cooking skills.”

Lin Heng laughed, acknowledging his wife’s culinary contributions.

So rural won could make food so unpalatable it was inedible.

Xiulan smiled gently, cutting the remaining pancake in half, giving the larger portion to Lin Heng. The two were full after eating.

As for Xiao Xia, one pancake was enough for her. To keep it from cooling too quickly, Lin Heng took her into the bedroom, where it was warr.

He added so firewood to the fireplace, while Xiulan cleaned the beef tripe they had bought today, using flour and baking soda to scrub it thoroughly.

Lin Heng divided the beef they bought this year and hung it outside to freeze naturally overnight.

After so thought, Lin Heng brought out a large wooden barrel from inside, filled it with water, and placed it in the backyard.

Once everything was done, Lin Heng returned to the bedroom, lit so pine resin, placed the stove on the windowsill, and poured himself a cup of tea to sip slowly.

“Daddy, tell

a story.”

Xiao Xia, having finished her pancake, ran towards Lin Heng with her greasy little hands.

Caught by Lin Heng, she looked innocent, her big eyes blinking, as if she was about to topple over and needed a hug.

Lin Heng took her to wash her little hands, then held her in his arms and read her a storybook.

Sotis, certain things only show results through action and persistence. Like Lin Heng’s commitnt to reading to Xiao Xia. In the short term, there seed to be little change, but now, over half a year later, Xiao Xia’s speaking ability and intelligence surpassed many of the village’s children her age.

Many children around the age of three or four can’t speak clearly and don’t understand basic concepts, but Xiao Xia is quite intelligent and rembers many things.

Perhaps it was because they had spent too long walking around the streets today that Xiao Xia fell asleep in Lin Heng’s arms shortly after he started reading.

After placing her on the bed, Lin Heng was about to go to sleep when Xiulan stopped him. Her bright eyes wide open, she said, “I’m not sleepy yet. Could you read a little more?”

“Alright.”

Lin Heng nodded and finished reading the chapter to Xiulan.

By the ti he finished, it was only eight-thirty. Unknowingly, Xiulan had leaned against Lin Heng, resting on his arm.

“If you want to rest, go ahead. I’ve heard enough,” Xiulan said softly when she noticed Lin Heng stop.

“I suddenly feel like writing,” Lin Heng said with a smile.

In his past life, he had practiced calligraphy with a brush quite a bit. Although he wasn’t a master, he could write in a way that looked aesthetically pleasing to the average person.

There was ink in the house, but no brush. He rembered his father’s house had so, but it didn’t matter if they didn’t; he could always buy one later.

He knew how to make them himself, but it was a bit too tedious a process.

Although there was no brush, they did have a fountain pen, which was often used for bookkeeping.

Lin Heng found two sheets of blank paper and copied so poems from a collection for a while.

His handwriting with a fountain pen was usually average, but this ti he was surprised to find he had improved.

Thinking about it, he realized it might be because his finger control had enhanced, making his penmanship naturally better.

“Do you want to try writing, dear?” Lin Heng asked with a smile, looking at Xiulan leaning against him.

“Let

give it a try.”

Xiulan took the pen and began copying “Yu iren” by Li Yu from the Collection of Tang Poems.

Her family was poor, and as a girl, she had only completed up to the fourth grade, so her education level wasn’t high. Yet, her writing surprised Lin Heng.

Her strokes were neat and upright, her regular script very proper.

“Dear, your calligraphy isn’t bad at all,” Lin Heng said in surprise. He had never noticed this talent in Xiulan before. But thinking about it, with life weighing her down, she never had the chance to hold a pen.

Xiulan blinked at him, “Is that the truth, or are you just trying to make

happy?”

“Of course it’s true. Your writing is very proper,” Lin Heng replied with a smile.

Xiulan’s face lit up with a gentle smile at the complint. “No one ever said that before. When I was in school, I loved drawing and writing the most.”

Lin Heng looked at her tenderly and said, “Then I’ll find a master to teach you painting in the future.”

In these tis, attending school was a luxury. Many rural people only studied for a year or two before being forced to drop out after learning a few words.

Poverty blocked the paths of many, just like it did for Xiulan, and would have for Caiyun if not for Lin Heng.

“I’ll be waiting then,” Xiulan said with a hint of anticipation, blinking her eyes.

“Let

teach you how to write for now,” Lin Heng grinned, motioning for Xiulan to sit on his lap.

Xiulan rolled her eyes at Lin Heng, thinking he couldn’t stay serious for more than three seconds.

But under Lin Heng’s persistent requests, she finally sat down.

Lin Heng had no ill intentions, just holding his wife’s hand, resting his head on her shoulder, and teaching her to write.

In the quiet of the night, with the faint scent of pine lingering in the room and the fireplace flas dancing, Lin Heng held Xiulan’s hand, writing word by word. Her fragrance was intoxicating.

With a loved one by his side, even writing beca a unique experience. Gradually, they imrsed themselves in this wonderful feeling, filling a page without realizing it.

“You’ve beco so patient now,” Xiulan said, placing the pen down and turning to rest her arms on Lin Heng’s shoulders, her eyes like autumn water gazing at him.

“It seems to have started in May,” Xiulan said curiously, looking at Lin Heng again.

“Because every ti I said I’d turn over a new leaf, you believed ,” Lin Heng smiled slightly.

After a pause, he continued, “Actually, before I ca back, I had a dream. I dread of things far into the future, and it scared .”

Xiulan looked into Lin Heng’s eyes for a while, then gently wrapped her arms around his neck. “Then it must be heaven’s help.”

Xiulan wanted to say more, but Lin Heng leaned forward, eting her lips.

“Oh, you’re being improper again… mmm…”

Xiulan wanted to speak, but Lin Heng silenced her with a kiss.

Her body softened, and she responded dreamily. On the small stool, they soon stripped each other nearly bare.

Lin Heng picked up his wife and carried her to the bed.

The light remained on, and Lin Heng looked at Xiulan’s blushing face before diving in, leaving nothing untouched.

As Lin Heng’s head moved downward, Xiulan felt as if a new world had opened up to her.

Much later, Lin Heng pulled Xiulan close for a kiss, but she turned her head away.

“No, don’t,” Xiulan shook her head, recalling what Lin Heng had just done. If they kissed, it would be like tasting herself, which she found hard to accept.

Lin Heng suddenly held her head and kissed her.

“Mmm…”

In an instant, Xiulan’s eyes widened.

For the first ti in her life, she knew her own taste.

After a few minutes, when Lin Heng let go, Xiulan glared at him fiercely. “You scoundrel, you did that on purpose.”

Lin Heng chuckled. “I don’t mind, but you’re upset with yourself?”

“Say that again, and you’re dead!”

Xiulan grabbed Lin Heng’s mouth with one hand and pinched his waist with the other.

“I won’t dare anymore,” Lin Heng quickly pleaded, knowing a pinch from her would be excruciating.

“Hmph!”

Xiulan shot him another fierce look and turned away, not wanting to speak to him. This guy was definitely deliberate, plotting for a while.

Lin Heng shifted his body a little, and Xiulan imdiately snuggled back over.

The next morning, while Xiulan was washing her face and brushing her teeth, she couldn’t help but blush as she thought about the absurdity of the previous day. Then she lifted her head and glared at Lin Heng.

Lin Heng pretended to know nothing, wisely keeping silent.

After washing his face, Lin Heng retrieved the soaked barley from the previous day, placed it on a sieve covered with a layer of cloth, and spread the barley on top.

He was preparing to make malt sugar. In the warm environnt of the bedroom, the malt would flourish within three days.

“Wife, look at the natural refrigerator I made,” Lin Heng called out to her with a smile.

The water in the wooden barrel he left outside yesterday had frozen, except for the liquid center. He poured out the central water and placed the barrel in a shaded spot by the wall, creating a natural refrigerator that could last over a month.

Xiulan glanced over, acknowledging Lin Heng’s cleverness, and nodded. “Put the beef in there first.”

Then she added, “Go pick so scallions. We’ll have dumplings for breakfast.”

“Alright.”

Lin Heng had been craving those dumplings. He went to the front yard to pick scallions, and Xiulan quickly prepared a bowl of fragrant vinegar soup.

Lin Heng went to wake Xiao Xia and help her dress. After washing up, the dumplings in the pot were ready.

Scooping them into bowls and pouring the vinegar soup over them, Lin Heng couldn’t help but drool.

Taking a bite, the sourness, the aroma of cilantro, scallions, and other seasonings enveloped the already delicious dumplings. Lin Heng thought they were even better than yesterday’s pie.

The vinegar soup was undoubtedly the soul that made the dumplings tastier. With that touch of sourness, all the flavors seed to have a new dinsion.

Lin Heng and Xiulan ate the dumplings in large mouthfuls without speaking. Only Xiao Xia struggled with her spoon, eventually grabbing a dumpling with her hand and stuffing it into her mouth.

“Delicious~”

After one bite, a delighted smile spread across her face, conquered by the taste of the dumplings.

“These twenty seed to disappear before we even started. They’re just too good,” Lin Heng said with a smile, sipping the vinegar soup.

“Should I cook so more?” Xiulan asked, seeing Lin Heng and Xiao Xia’s expressions made her feel the dumplings were worth it.

“Actually, I’m full, but my mouth just wants more. Isn’t that right, Xiao Xia?” Lin Heng said, feeding Xiao Xia and smiling.

“Yes!” Xiao Xia mumbled with her mouth full.

(End of Chapter)

— Translator’s Notes —

– Yu iren by Li Yu: A famous ci (lyric poem) written by Li Yu, the last emperor of the Southern Tang dynasty (937–975 CE), lanting his lost kingdom and expressing deep sorrow; ‘Yu iren’ ans ‘Beauty Yu’ and refers to a tune pattern.