"I want to go too," Fuzi clung to Zhao Liangcai's bag at the mountain top, refusing to let go.
Qin Junyao, while rubbing her arm that ached from sparring with Zhao Liangcai, spoke up for Fuzi. "Let Fuzi come along."
"Sister Qin has agreed, so I want to go too."
"No, you know how much your studies you'll miss if you come with me to the Northwest City. Hurry back with Grandma Ma," Zhao Liangcai, squatting, tried to snatch the bag from Fuzi.
He shouldn't have brought him up here this morning.
"Brother, Brother, Sister Qin, please take me with you~~"
Seeing the bag being snatched away, Fuzi wrapped his arms around Zhao Liangcai's legs again.
"Don't make a fuss, let go. What will you do if your Sister Qin and I go into the mountains?" Zhao Liangcai put the bag aside and began to pry Fuzi's small hands off him.
"Why can't I go? You always have me with you when you see Sister Qin."
"You don't need to accompany me now. Be good, and brother will catch little birds in the mountains for you to play with."
Fuzi refused, hugging him even tighter. "I don't want little birds, I want to go."
Zhao Liangcai glanced at Qin Junyao and whispered to Fuzi, "Didn't you ask me a few days ago when I would marry your Sister Qin home?"
"Your Sister Qin is shy. I need to tell her in the deep mountains for her to agree to marry me sooner."
"You're lying."
Seeing that trick wouldn't work, Zhao Liangcai tried to appease him, "If you're good today and stay at home, when I go to Salt Lake, I'll ask Grandma Qin to let you stay with Sister Qin."
"Really?" Fuzi seemed unconvinced.
Zhao Liangcai looked at him with utmost sincerity. "Really."
Fuzi felt his brother wasn't lying and let go, beaming. "Brother, you should go to Salt Lake tonight."
"I'll be very good at home, very good. You don't need to rush back."
Qin Junyao couldn't help but turn away to stifle her laughter.
Zhao Liangcai pinched Fuzi's chubby cheeks, pulling them until he grimaced before letting go.
This younger brother was getting less and less likable as he grew older.
Fuzi left with Grandma Ma, and as he departed, he still reminded Zhao Liangcai to leave for Salt Lake as soon as possible.
"Is it that funny?" Zhao Liangcai asked Qin Junyao, who had been laughing for a while, as he slung Qin Junyao's basket over his shoulder.
"Very funny. What did you do to make Fuzi act like that towards you?"
Zhao Liangcai sighed helplessly. "Ah, I asked Mr. Zheng to assign Fuzi double the amount of homework to keep him at home and out of trouble, and he overheard."
Qin Junyao picked up a long, thick branch and held it in her hand. "He's at an age where he just wants to play. He definitely won't stay at home."
"Xiao Yu looks forward to the days she doesn't have to work and can run around the village the most." Sudangxiaoshuo.com
"Junyao," Zhao Liangcai suddenly called Qin Junyao's name seriously.
"When I return to Salt Lake this time, there will be war. Currently, Fuzi is the biggest constraint on me."
"There are very few strangers in the village, but if Fuzi were to wander to the village outskirts or entrance, he would be in great danger."
Qin Junyao stopped. War?
She turned to look at Zhao Liangcai, who was dressed like a villager. "How will you wage war in Salt Lake?"
"I want to be the sole general of Salt Lake."
Qin Junyao frowned. "Are you rebelling against the court?"
"It's not a rebellion, but I need to protect myself, and protect you, Fuzi, and my brothers."
The topic was heavy, and Qin Junyao sensed danger within it.
History was unfolding this way. The court was corrupt, natural disasters were frequent, corrupt officials and greedy bureaucrats ran rampant, and the list of exorbitant taxes could fill a booklet.
The common people didn't want to rebel, they just wanted to live in peace, but the officials forced them to rebel.
Zhao Liangcai, with troops at his command, was bound to be drawn into this chaotic era.
Zhao Liangcai patted Qin Junyao's slightly stiffened shoulder. "Don't worry, when I return, you'll be able to walk through Yangshu Village like you own it."
Qin Junyao gave Zhao Liangcai a sideways glance and continued walking, leaning on the branch.
"Speaking of Yangshu Village, there's something I need to tell you."
She then recounted how Grandma Qin wanted Village Chief Hao to step down and have her father take his place.
Of course, she also mentioned the "bitter well."
Zhao Liangcai snorted lightly. "This Village Chief Hao is truly a good dog. If our grandmother wants to play, let her. If she doesn't want to play anymore, I'll deal with Village Chief Hao directly."
"I know you're capable."
"On the night of the bitter well incident, Deng Zi Tui went to the village chief's house and warned him. We only found out later, and we wondered why Village Chief Hao didn't take any further action."
"Deng Zi Tui did well. If you need anything, ask him. He is my personal guard. You are the general's wife, he must listen to you," Zhao Liangcai patted Qin Junyao's head as if he were patting Fuzi.
"Can you please talk properly..."
The deeper they walked into the forest, the more plants Qin Junyao had never seen appeared. There were several types of pine trees alone.
Zhao Liangcai, seeing her interest, told her what he knew.
Pine trees with brown bark bore small, unwanted fruits, while pine trees with white bark had large cones, and the pine nuts were delicious.
Pine trees that bore pine nuts?
Qin Junyao made a note: if she could find last year's cones with pine nuts, great. If not, she'd dig up saplings and secretly plant them in a specific spot in her space. This was useful.
Wild chestnuts? Take them.
Ziziphus mauritiana trees? Take them.
Wild grapes? Collect them.
Hazelnuts? Give me two.
Wild apricot trees? Sweet? Sweet! Dig them up!
Zhao Liangcai watched Qin Junyao, who was like a mouse stealing from a granary, looking around here and there, digging up this grass, pulling up that flower.
He thought Qin Junyao liked them, but he clearly saw her put some grass into her basket, only to discard it a short while later.
Although Qin Junyao was delighted to see so many new plants, she wasn't foolish enough to put them directly into her space in front of Zhao Liangcai.
She could only pretend to dig up one plant while secretly transferring another to her space.
Alternatively, she'd dig up two at a time, put one in her space and leave one in the basket, then, like a bear shelling corn, discard the old ones for new ones.
.
"Junyao, why are you digging that up?" Zhao Liangcai asked as he watched Qin Junyao using a medicinal hoe to dig up a Rubus phoenicolasius (lè).
"Didn't you say the fruit it bears is sweet and sour and delicious? I'm digging up one to plant in my yard so Xiao Yu and San Niu can eat it," Qin Junyao said, not forgetting to dig up the tree.
Zhao Liangcai pulled Qin Junyao's arm, helping her up. "There are many of these in the mountains. We can dig them up when we return."
"You're only telling me this after I've dug up half of it," Qin Junyao pointed to the Rubus phoenicolasius she had dug, its roots exposed.
"It's my fault. I promise to dig up a big one for you on our way back."
This plant was a shrub, and it was currently in full bloom. It wouldn't be more than a month before the fruit could be eaten.
Qin Junyao had just thought about digging up a large one to take home, forgetting that they were still on their way into the mountain.
"Alright, let's go then."
Zhao Liangcai looked at Qin Junyao's back as she left, her previous expression of regret replaced with determination, and chuckled softly. He then stepped forward to follow her.