CH 9

It was Saturday today, the scheduled time for hiking finally came. Early in the morning, Fan Lie rushed to Yu Xiao’s house, towed his school bag to look for him. But before he could even knock on the door a few times, the door was pushed open by a force from inside.

When the door revealed the person behind it, Fan Lie’s expression immediately collapsed: “Why are you here?!”

“Why can’t I be here?” Hao Ren leaned against the door and raised his eyebrows, “Yuzi and I grew up together, there’s nothing wrong about me coming to his house, okay? By the way, I’m going to go out to play with Yuzi today, so I don’t have time to talk to you. Leave and do what you should do.”

“You!” Fan Lie exploded as soon as he heard his words, “Xiao Yuzi and I agreed to go hiking before. It was you who should leave and do whatever you need to do.”

“Xiao Lie? Is that you?” Mother Yu’s voice rang out from inside the house.

“Ah, yes, Aunt Yu. I’m here to find Xiao Yuzi to climb a mountain together.” Fan Lie unceremoniously pushed Hao Ren away who was blocking the door and shot him a gloating look, replying to Mother Yu as he walked inside.

Upon hearing his words, Mother Yu directly put down the dishcloth in her hand and walked out. “Xiao Lie, you’re here. Have you eaten?”

“Yes, I’ve eaten, Aunt Yu ” Fan Lie nodded in a well-behaved manner, “Is Xiao Yuzi inside the room?”

“Yes, you can go and play with him.” Mother Yu pointed to Yu Xiao’s room, then turned to Hao Ren and said, “Xiaoren, you can also go and play with Xiaoxiao, no need to help me in the kitchen.”

“Okay, Aunt Yu.” Hao Ren nodded.

After walking inside Yu Xiao’s room, Fan Lie couldn’t stop the raging laugh inside him. With a ‘pfft’ sound, he burst out laughing.

Looking at Fan Lie who was laughing so hard that he couldn’t straighten his back, Yu Xiao blinked in confusion. He then proceeded to look at Hao Ren who also came in with the same confused expression.

Hao Ren naturally knew the reason behind Fan Lie’s loud laugh and gave him a disdainful look: Hmph, what a virtue!1Hao Ren is being sarcastic in this sentence. He is mocking Fan Lie for his ‘good conduct’.

“Fan Lie, what’s wrong with you?” Yu Xiao approached him from the side, “Stop laughing, be careful of laughing too hard.”

“Hahaha, do you have an idea what Aunt Yu called him?” Fan Lie couldn’t restrain himself from laughing again as he looked at Hao Ren, and the more he laughed, the more he couldn’t stop.

“Ah?” Yu Xiao racked his brain for a while, and finally remembered that his mother usually called Hao Ren Xiaoren. It turned out to be like this.

“You…” Yu Xiao shook his head in resignation. This was the first time he knew that his friend’s laugh was shallow.2Refers to how the reason behind Fan Lie’s happiness or laugh is very shallow or simple.

“Stop laughing, didn’t you come to look for me?” Yu Xiao glanced at Hao Ren, whose face was getting darker, and interrupted Fan Lie mercilessly.

“Oh right, yes.” Fan Lie ceased his laugh and immediately turned to look at Yu Xiao with an angry expression, “Xiao Yuzi, tell me, did we agree to go hiking a few days ago?”

“Well, yes. What’s wrong?” Yu Xiao asked in confusion.

“Then what’s the matter with this guy?” Fan Lie pointed directly at Hao Ren’s nose and fumed, “Why did he say he wanted to go out with you alone?”

Here it goes again, Yu Xiao sighed silently in his heart. He patted Fan Lie on the shoulder and said, “Brother Ren just happened to have nothing to do today and came over to see me. Anyway, let’s go hiking together.”

“Besides, you should also know that there are many snakes in the mountains. You see, Brother Ren had a big stature and great strength. He is not afraid of snakes and can catch them directly, so our trip would be particularly safe.” Yu Xiao moved closer to Fan Lie’s ear and said softly.

He added, “Do you still remember? We were almost bitten by a snake the previous time we went on a mountain.”

Fan Lie had a conflicted look on his face and looked at Hao Ren a few times. In the end, he finally nodded after a fierce struggle. He said, “Alright then, but only this time!”

“Then it’s decided.” Yu Xiao nodded with a smile, “Then, Brother Ren, grab your school bag and let’s go!”

“Good.” Hao Ren had always been doting when it came to Yu Xiao. If Yu Xiao said something, he would do it without asking why.

“Mom, we’re going to leave now. We’ll be climbing a mountain today.” Yu Xiao moved to the kitchen door with his school bag and poked his head inside, “We’re going to play until afternoon, so we won’t come back for lunch.”

“If that’s the case, go and remember to be safe.” Mother Yu stroked Yu Xiao’s head and chided.

“Okay, goodbye mom.” Yu Xiao nodded then turned around to walked out with Fan Lie and Hao Ren behind him.

“Aunt Yu, we’re leaving then.” Hao Ren and Fan Lie politely waved their hands.

“Well, take care on the road and have a safe trip.” Mother Yu bid them goodbye with a smile.

Looking at the departing figure of her son, who was obviously happy, Mother Yu’s eyes were plastered with a smile. Ever since her family’s Xiaoxiao got out of the hospital, he has become more lively and mature than before. He often finds all kinds of excuses to help her with the housework, like helping her grow the vegetables and so on. Just see who’s in the neighborhood didn’t praise him for being good?

But when she thought of what her mother-in-law had told her a few days ago, her eyes gradually dimmed. She couldn’t wrap her mind about why they were like that. It was obvious that her son was also a part of the Yu family, and the legitimate eldest grandson at that. So why do they always wrong her son just for the sake of two grandsons who don’t even have the surname of Yu on them!

She can’t accept it!

Yu Xiao and the two were climbing a mountain called Weishan Mountain. History told that this mountain was the former Chengfang Mountain at the time of the fight between Qi Jiguang and the Japanese invaders. It is also said that some evidence of the fight was left behind on this mountain.

Standing at the foot of the mountain and looking over at the distance, the sight that you can see is all the same. With no pavilions for people’s resting spots, and no mountain roads paved with bluestone, far from the sight in the later generations. Instead, what greeted their sight this time was a one-meter wide mountain road. It was a kind of luck for them that it hadn’t rained for the past few days, or else it would be hard for them to climb with the muddy and slippery road on their feet.

“Come, come, I’ll be in charge of the front. I’ll lead the way!” Fan Lie ran to the front excitedly and waved his hand with eagerness.

“Okay, okay, you’re in charge of the front.” Yu Xiao let him pass in front of him with his lips curled.

Hao Ren stood behind Yu Xiao: “Let’s get going, Yuzi, I’ll go last.”

“Alright.” Yu Xiao knew that Hao Ren had always regarded him as his younger brother. As for himself, he was also used to being his younger brother after his care for many years, so without further thinking, he walked forward and let Hao Ren be at the back.

“Come on, let’s go and occupy the high ground!” Fan Lie shouted loudly and rushed to the top of the mountain. He stopped halfway and shouted to the two, “Xiao Yuzi, hurry up, hurry up!”

“Coming! Don’t run quickly, be careful of falling.” Yu Xiao shook his head and looked at the figure who was bouncing around. He shouted loudly at him.

“I know, I know. Come up quickly!” Fan Lie couldn’t sit still and continued to run to the top of the mountain.

Over here, Hao Ren and Yu Xiao climbed the mountain with unhurried steps, looking around from time to time to see if they could find any wild vegetables that can be eaten. After all, they have to solve their lunch in this mountain.

It was indeed true that a deserted mountain was full of good things. By the time they arrived at the top of the mountain, their school bags were full of wild vegetables. As luck would have it, they even got a few sweet potatoes.

After arriving at the top of the mountain, and looking at the broken cannons left by the previous battle, Fan Lie couldn’t stop the itching of his hands. He turned over and climbed directly onto the fort. After that, he stood on it with his hands placed on either side of his hips. He called excitedly: “Xiao Yuzi, look! Do I look very powerful?”

“Yes, very powerful.” Yu Xiao looked at his comical face and replied, holding back the laugh that was about to spill from his mouth.

Although Hao Ren on the side didn’t say anything, he directly rolled his eyes at him. With that stupid look, how can it be powerful? He almost thought that he had leprosy.3Hansen’s disease (also known as leprosy). It can affect the nerves, skin, eyes, and lining of the nose. In this sentence, Hao Ren was mocking Fan Lie that he looked like a sick person.

“Hey, kid, don’t think I didn’t see what you did just now.” Sure enough, if a person really dislikes him then he will dislike him. “What do want to say by rolling your eyes? Are you despising me?”

Hao Ren turned his head away and looked at the surroundings with focus, looking very much like a person who was just admiring the scenery around him. He had to admit that standing at the top of a mountain and looking down at the scenery below, a feeling of ‘stratus clouds are born when the chest swings, and the canthus enters the returning bird’ washed over him.4It was a poem “Wang Yue” written by Du Fu appreciating the Mount Tai. In this context, Hao Ren is appreciating the scenary.

Meanwhile, Fan Lie finally jumps down from the fort after seeing Hao Ren’s actions. He regretted it, he shouldn’t have let this guy tag along with them, which ruined his good mood. Alas! His wonderful world with Xiao Yuzi!

Yu Xiao shrugged his shoulders helplessly. He knew that the trip down the mountain later would be noisy and full of gun powder. He remembered that he was so worried when the two of them got into a fight in his past life, but after they got together later, he felt that fighting was their way of showing affection to the other party. Maybe this was the typical interaction between a happy couple?

Forget it, just leave them alone. Anyway, no matter how serious their fight was, they didn’t make a move to hurt each other, so just let them be. It would be better for him to take care of their lunch first.

All children in the countryside know how to cook food in the wilderness. Yu Xiao found a few suitable stones on the top of the mountain, arranged them to build a concave shape, and especially left a hole at the front as an opening for lighting the fire.

When Hao Ren saw Yu Xiao’s actions, he walked directly to the side and picked up some dried leaves and branches before placing them on the ground where the concave-shaped stones were recessed. Then he took out an aluminum container and went to the pool of water he just found to get water.

Yu Xiao took out the match and lit a fire. After that, he took out the sweet potatoes they dug up just now and threw them into the fire to make roasted sweet potatoes to eat.

“Xiao Yuzi, what can I do?” Fan Lie, who had jumped off from the fort, came over and asked. Despite the fact that he likes to eat very much, it was a pity that he didn’t know how to cook.

Yu Xiao pointed to the wild vegetables on the said, “Go and wash these vegetables at the pool of water over there.”

“Okay, no problem.” Fan Lie stood up and saluted at him like a subordinate, picked up the wild vegetables on the ground, and then ran away to wash them.

Yu Xiao looked at his agile figure and silently prayed in his heart: I hope the wild vegetables will not be tossed badly by him. What to do? I suddenly regretted my decision to let him wash the wild vegetables.

On the other side, Hao Ren went to the nearby woods to see if there was anything to eat. After all, this mountain was full of treasures.

Yu Xiao looked at the washed wild vegetables that Fan Lie brought back, and took them without saying a word. At least half of them were still left. He put the wild vegetables into the aluminum container, and waited for the water to boil. Afterwards, he sprinkled some seasonings and the green vegetable soup was finally ready.

A delicious fragrance wafted into the air, causing Fan Lie to involuntarily swallow. Yu Xiao pulled the roasted sweet potato using a wooden stick and confirmed that it was almost cooked, and took it out.

“Wait for a while. Let the sweet potato cool down first before eating.” Yu Xiao reached out his hands and stopped Fan Lie who was about to reach for the sweet potatoes. “You fool, the sweet potatoes just came out of the fire and are still hot, aren’t you afraid of burning your mouth?”

“But the smell makes me want to eat it quickly.” Fan Lie scratched the back of his head and smiled widely.

“You!” Yu Xiao was simply flabbergasted about his action.

At this moment, Hao Ren came back with some wild fruits. Fan Lie’s eyes brightened up when he saw him coming back: At last, we can finally eat!

Hao Ren put down the wild fruits then turned to Yu Xiao and said, “Yuzi, I saw a lot of mushrooms there. Let’s pick some when we go back.”

“Okay, let’s eat first and see if the sweet potatoes taste good.” Yu Xiao passed a roasted sweet potato to him.

Hao Ren looked at Fan Lie who was eating rudely and disregarding his image, then turned his head away.

Facing him really affects his appetite!

Ignorant of the fight that was brewing between the two, Yu Xiao ate satisfyingly. He really missed this kind of feeling, eating with his friends without worry.