69: Chapter 69: Discovered (2)_1 69: Chapter 69: Discovered (2)_1 Pei Wenlee’s face stretched with anger as she called for Pei Wenbo, also taking a rope, an axe, a hemp sack, and a bamboo basket to go up the mountain.
Lady Zhu worried about the two children, so she called for Old Pei to follow them.
Old Pei took the ox out and let it graze halfway up the mountain.
However, the whole morning passed, and they hadn’t brought back anything.
Pei Qin peeled corn absent-mindedly, only finishing one after a long ti.
For two days straight, Pei Wenlee and Pei Wenbo didn’t even catch a glimpse of a bamboo rat, nor did they see a single hair from the wild rabbits and pheasants they had boasted about earlier.
Lady Zhu scolded indirectly.
Pei Qin adopted a nonviolent, non-cooperative attitude, fiddling with only two ears of corn after eating or just sitting back and basking in the sun.
Si Ya couldn’t stand it anymore and kept urging Pei Qin over and over again.
Finally, it rained.
This kind of late-autumn, early-winter rain was especially chilling.
Lady Fang had long ago taken apart the cotton-padded jackets and trousers, washed them, and put them back together, and now she took out thin cotton jackets for them to change into.
The cotton stuffing was worn and stiff but still warm.
Pei Qin sneezed several tis and couldn’t bear it anymore, calling San Ya and Si Ya to go up the mountain.
Pei Wendong also wanted to follow, “Elder sister…”
“It’s too far and all hills; you won’t be able to walk it!
Stay at ho!” Pei Qin slapped him lightly and left with the hemp sack.
Pei Wenlee and Pei Wenbo imdiately followed after her.
Seeing Pei Qin looking their way, Pei Wenlee humd, “The mountains aren’t yours!
If you can go there, why can’t we!?”
Pei Qin glanced at her disdainfully and continued walking up the mountain with her things.
San Ya looked back nervously and anxiously from ti to ti at Pei Wenlee and Pei Wenbo, who were not far behind.
If they learned how to catch bamboo rats, they wouldn’t stand a chance against them and wouldn’t earn any money!
Si Ya gave Pei Qin a aningful look, signaling her to co up with a plan.
Pei Qin just focused on her own path, walking as she always did.
Before long, Pei Wenlee and Pei Wenbo began to slow down.
They were not used to any work at ho and couldn’t compare with Pei Qin and her sisters, who labored daily and ran up the mountain.
Seeing the distance between them widen, Pei Wenlee urged Wenbo to move faster and catch up.
But as they followed, they eventually lost sight of them around a bend.
“Where are they!?
They were just here!” Pei Wenlee exclaid breathlessly as she searched around, stamping her foot in frustration.
“They run fast; I can’t keep up!” exclaid Pei Wenbo as he sat down on a rock, gasping.
“Let them do the hunting!
We’ll get to eat it when they return anyway!”
“What do you know!
They’re very likely selling them for money!” said Pei Wenlee irritably.
Pei Wenbo didn’t quite believe it, “Who would buy rat at to eat!”
“You think it’s just rat at when they stay on the mountain all day!?
They’ve picked wild persimmons and found plenty of pheasant eggs before!” retorted Pei Wenlee, looking around, but no movent could be seen anywhere.
The two sat and waited for a while, but Pei Wenlee, not resigned, continued to search deeper into the mountain jungle.
Pei Qin, leading San Ya and Si Ya, ca out from a crevice in the rock face, “Change direction, head that way!”
The two quickly followed.
The other side of the mountain was rarely visited by people from the Back Mountain Village.
Pei Qin directly took the winter bamboo shoots that had been dug up, found a nest of bamboo rats in the bamboo forest, and gathered half a sack of winter bamboo shoots.
“We can’t carry these anymore, elder sister,” said San Ya, weighing them and finding them too heavy.
Si Ya tried carrying them on her back as well, “What do you an we can’t carry them?
One of us takes turns carrying each!”
Pei Qin carried the bamboo shoots and had the other two take turns, one carrying the bamboo shoots and the other carrying the bamboo rats, suggesting they rest if they got too tired.
The three of them, straining greatly, finally managed to bring the goods down to the road at the foot of the mountain.
After waiting for a while, they saw a mule cart approaching.
It wasn’t the sa driver they knew from last ti.
After paying the fare, they loaded their goods onto the mule cart.
Si Ya looked sowhat pale during the ride; they had to pay the fare not only for themselves but also for the goods.
Upon reaching the town, the kindly cart driver went further into the market to shop, dropping them off right outside the Moon Restaurant.
As the three got off the mule cart and prepared to take their goods to sell at the back door, they ran into Pei Wenli.
“Da Ya!?
It really is you!”
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