Early summer.
It was late at night. Stars flickered across the sky, and all was still except for the occasional barking of dogs. The sounds filtered through the darkness as though through a layer of cotton, faintly reaching the ears of those fast asleep.
Amid the barking, Gu Lanshi opened his eyes in a daze. He felt as light as a feather, caught somewhere between dreaming and waking, until he saw the not-quite-familiar figure ahead of him.
He wanted to call out and stop that person, but no matter how he tried, he couldn't make a sound. Growing frantic, he saw Lin Jinpeng leave the courtyard and followed without thinking.
That single step plunged him into an abyss. In the dream, he couldn't even speak. He could only watch helplessly as Lin Jinpeng carried on an affair. After finding success and gaining influence, Lin became even worse, acting as though Gu Lanshi didn't exist, flirting everywhere and taking one concubine after another.
Furious, Gu Lanshi pointed at Lin Jinpeng's nose and tried to curse him, but something seemed lodged in his throat. He couldn't utter a single word. He hated him so much that the sight of that hateful face made him want to grind his teeth to dust. Clawing and flailing, he launched himself at the man.
His foot kicked into empty air, startling him awake. He was drenched in sweat. Only then did he realize that he had been biting the corner of his quilt. He had tossed and turned so much that his stomach and legs were exposed.
They lived near the mountains and a river, so the nights were somewhat chilly. Before he had fully awakened, a gust of wind came through the half-open window.
The sweat on his body instantly turned cold. He hurriedly wrapped himself in the quilt, rolled over, and closed his eyes. Remembering how stifling it had felt to be unable to speak, he thought that it had been one of those mute dreams.
He heard little Zhu muttering in his sleep farther in on the bed. His younger brother must have been dreaming too.
His cold sweat had yet to dry. Gu Lanshi shivered and, as he drifted back to sleep, vaguely wondered why he kept having the same dream. What an unlucky omen.
*
It had rained a couple of days earlier, and puddles still lingered in some hollows in the mountains. Leaves, blades of grass, and wet mud clung to the soles of their shoes, making each step heavier.
Carrying a bamboo basket on his back, Gu Lanshi picked the higher ground so he wouldn't soak his shoes.
There was no shortage of trees in the forest. They stood tall and straight, their crowns spreading overhead like enormous umbrellas. Once inside, even the daylight seemed to take on a greenish tinge, dimmer than at the foot of the mountain.
"Zhu, don't run around. Stay right here," he called over his shoulder.
Gu Lanzhu was bent over, pushing aside a clump of grass with a stick. Without even raising his head, he shouted, "I know!"
Only then did Gu Lanshi continue. He climbed a small slope, turned right, and soon reached the edge of a cliff. The moment he emerged from the trees, sunshine poured down and the view opened before him.
Several thorn trees grew there, their tender new shoots still unpicked. There were plenty of them. He hurried over, stood on tiptoe, and snapped off the shoots one by one.
The thorn trees were otherwise bare, their trunks covered in sharp woody spines, with little buds growing only near their tops. Zhu was just ten and too short to reach the shoots. Besides, one prick from those thorns would hurt terribly. Gu Lanshi had therefore left him in the woods to look for mushrooms and wild mugwort.
The green shoots were no longer than his thumb, plump little buds bursting with moisture and tenderness. Each one broke off with a delightful pop.
Thorn shoots tasted best at this time of year. Once blanched, they were delicious stir-fried with either meat or eggs. Before they left home, Mother had promised that if they found some today, she would fry them with meat for everyone.
Avoiding the thorns, Gu Lanshi worked with gentle, steady hands. Pop, pop went the shoots as he picked over more than a dozen trees. Seeing almost half a basket filled with tender shoots, he finally shouldered it with satisfaction and headed back the way he had come.
Finding his little brother still searching among the trees, he called, "Zhu, found anything?"
Gu Lanzhu straightened up and waved a stem of grass with a smile. "Brother Lanshi, look! I found wild raspberries in a patch of grass."
Five or six red raspberries hung from the stem, all quite large and looking wonderfully sweet.
Gu Lanshi smiled too. "We're lucky today. No one's been here yet, so all those thorn shoots were ours."
"I only found two mushrooms, nothing else. There's plenty of mugwort, though." Zhu took a handkerchief from his clothes, picked the raspberries off one by one, and wrapped them carefully so they could wash and share them at home.
"That's all right. We'll just dig up some wild mugwort." Gu Lanshi braced himself against a tree; his feet felt heavy, so he scraped the mud off his soles with a stick.
There was plenty of wild mugwort in the woods. The two picked a good amount of the tender plants, filling Gu Lanshi's basket. On their way back they found a patch of purslane. They left the older stems and filled Zhu's little basket with the rest. He was young, and even filled to the brim, his smaller basket wouldn't be too heavy.
As they descended, a winding dirt path worn by countless footsteps gradually appeared beneath their feet.
The trees thinned. Gu Lanshi kept glancing up at the sky as he walked. It wasn't noon yet, but thick clouds had covered the sun. The weather looked poor, and the southwest sky was dark and gloomy. Judging by the wind, those clouds seemed to be heading their way.
Early summer was always changeable, and mountain weather was unpredictable to begin with. There was still some distance to the village. He turned to hurry Zhu along, just as the boy was parting another clump of grass with his stick. "Come on. It'll be raining before you know it."
Zhu had wanted to search for more mushrooms, but he dropped the stick and hurried after him.
The front hills were lower, but their undulating slopes meant one climb after another. Gu Lanshi adjusted the straps of his bamboo basket on his shoulders. Once they left the forest and went down the slope ahead, they would reach a broad stretch of flat, open land, far easier to cross than the mountain trails.
From the crest, they could see Little River Village not far away. The wind rustled the leaves, and someone called to them before they could start down.
Gu Lanshi knew who it was as soon as he heard the voice. When he and Zhu turned around, Lin Jinpeng was approaching at a brisk pace, carrying a shoulder pole loaded with firewood.
"Lanshi." An axe was tucked into Lin Jinpeng's belt. He was tall and long-legged, and the years he had spent studying gave him a refined air. With his handsome, regular features, there was no denying his good looks.
"I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. It really is you two." His smiling, peach-blossom eyes swept over Gu Lanshi before he had even reached them, inspecting him from head to toe with unmistakable satisfaction.
Gu Lanshi's cheeks flushed, and his eyes brightened. Their engagement wasn't settled yet, but everyone at home approved of Lin Jinpeng, himself included.
Who wouldn't want a handsome man to share a life with? That face alone would be a pleasure to look at every day.
Zhu said nothing, merely covering his mouth as he giggled to himself.
"Been cutting firewood?" Gu Lanshi asked, searching for something to say.
"Mm." Lin Jinpeng nodded. Unfastening a small cloth pouch from his belt, he smiled and held it out. "Wild groundberries. I found them while gathering wood. Take them home and share them with Zhu."
Groundberries! Zhu's eyes lit up as well. They were hard to find, usually concealed in the soil amid vines and roots. Since they were only wild fruit, good for satisfying a craving but not filling a stomach, the adults were generally too busy working to take the children into the mountains to dig for them.
Gu Lanshi was delighted, but there were rules about propriety between dual-born young men and ordinary men, and his parents had raised him strictly. For a moment, he didn't know whether to accept.
His family was relatively well-off by Little River Village standards; he had never gone without food or clothing. His parents frequently reminded their children that accepting favors put one in another's debt. They were forbidden to beg others for food outside the house, and would be beaten if they did. He hesitated.
Seeing this, Lin Jinpeng held the pouch a little farther out. Before he could speak, noises came from nearby. He turned to see Lin Dong, a distant paternal uncle from his own clan, carrying a load of firewood too. Lin Jinpeng called out, "Uncle Dong!"
"I thought that looked familiar. It's young Jinpeng!" Lin Dong was getting on in years and had a slight stoop. A tobacco pipe was tucked into his waistband. His wife, Tian Guifen, followed a few paces behind.
"Auntie came up the mountain too?" Lin Jinpeng asked with a smile.
Tian Guifen was plump, with a basket of wild greens over her arm. She was puffing and panting from the walk. When she spotted them, she smiled so broadly that her eyes almost disappeared into her round face. "Lanshi, Jinpeng—what's being handed over here?"
They were all from the same village. Embarrassed though he was, Gu Lanshi greeted them. "Uncle. Auntie."
Zhu greeted them too, as politely as ever.
"Just a few berries for Lanshi to take home," Lin Jinpeng said openly.
Wild fruit from the mountains wasn't worth much. Anyone who went up regularly could find it. But Tian Guifen's mind was on something else, and she didn't ask about the fruit. Instead she teased Gu Lanshi. "Lanshi, if he's giving them to you, take them. They're not precious treasures. Besides, we'll all be one family soon enough."
She laughed at her own last words, making Gu Lanshi even more embarrassed.
Lin Jinpeng's face was full of smiles. If Gu Lanshi hadn't been good-looking, he never would have asked his family to propose. The dual-born youth standing before him had fair skin, bright eyes, a slim waist, and long legs. The bright red mark between his brows resembled a flower-shaped ornament and suggested that he would bear children easily. Shyness had colored his cheeks a rosy red. With his obedient disposition, he looked easy to control. At the very least, he'd be pleasing to the eye at home and presentable in public.
While they exchanged a few words, a sudden gust spun through the trees, raising a cloud of dust. Lin Dong glanced up at the sky. "Let's get moving. The weather's turning."
Lin Jinpeng took the opportunity to step forward and press the pouch directly into Gu Lanshi's hand. Their fingers inevitably brushed. Keeping a perfectly proper expression, he urged, "Hurry home before you get soaked."
Clutching the little cloth bag, Gu Lanshi murmured agreement under Tian Guifen's knowing, teasing gaze, then took Zhu by the hand and led him down the slope. He was an unmarried dual-born youth, thin-skinned about such things. Hearing Tian Guifen laugh behind him made his face burn scarlet.
He walked so quickly that Zhu, whose legs were much shorter, stumbled as he was dragged along. "Brother Lanshi, slow down! I can't keep up!"
Gu Lanshi released him, tightening his grip on the little pouch in his other hand. Embarrassed as he was, he couldn't deny a touch of happiness. Seeing his brother's scrunched-up, aggrieved little face, he smiled. "When we get home, I'll wash the groundberries for you."
Zhu instantly forgot his grievance and quickened his steps. "All right! Then I want to eat lots of them."
"Fine." Gu Lanshi ruffled his hair.
They had only gone a short distance when raindrops began to fall. The rain wasn't heavy yet, but plenty of villagers were hurrying home, and the brothers did the same. Luckily, their house was one of the last few at the back of the village. They ran past four courtyard gates and reached—
