Gu Fengyan, panting with his hand on his waist, said, "President Huo, you don't understand. These common things that are everywhere in the mountains are treasures in the eyes of others. It just depends on whether you know how to use them."
"You mean take these wild vegetables to the county to sell?" Huo Duan quickly realized.
But he didn't know if this was reliable, since from his perspective, wild vegetables weren't very tasty, and the wealthy merchants in the county might not like them.
Gu Fengyan coaxed patiently, "We're penniless and can't lift a finger, why don't we give it a try? Last time I went to the county, I saw that nobody was selling these things. Things are valued for their scarcity, aren't they?"
These words struck a chord with Huo Duan.
After thinking for a moment, he said, "That makes sense."
"Right?"
Gu Fengyan smiled. Rich people always want something new. Wild vegetables, if cooked properly, can be quite delicious. Even if the rich don't buy them, restaurants will still want them.
The two have reached an agreement.
Gu Fengyan, carrying the body of a young master, was no match for Huo Duan in terms of stamina, and had to stop and catch his breath every few steps.
Once they reached the ditch, Huo Duan unloaded the basket from his back. "You take this, I'll carry you. We're walking too slowly."
So she's disgusted with him. Gu Fengyan thought to himself.
Huo Duan had carried him on his back last time, so practice makes perfect. Gu Fengyan didn't hesitate and obediently lay down beside him.
"Did President Huo used to serve people?" Gu Fengyan made up a story on his back.
Huo Duan avoided his crotch, gripping her forearm instead, "No."
Fortunately, Gu Fengyan was thin enough to avoid some overly intimate contact.
Gu Fengyan chuckled softly, "Hey, we're both unlucky kids, all alone and miserable, it's only natural to help each other out... right, President Huo?"
"You're quite the social butterfly, aren't you?" Huo Duan clicked his tongue.
Gu Fengyan said, "I have that social awesomeness syndrome."
"You can tell he's pretty awesome..."
The woods were covered with piles of rotting leaves, everything was wet, and there were footprints left by villagers who had arrived earlier.
Gu Fengyan looked hesitant, unwilling to put his foot on the ground. "How about I wait for you here?"
"Cough cough, Young Master Gu, loosen your grip..." Huo Duan was being choked by him, "I'm about to suffocate."
Gu Fengyan jumped to the ground. "Oh, sorry, sorry, you go ahead, I'll wait for you here."
"I can't leave you here alone. Father will scold me if I leave. Let's go together." Huo Duan smiled and stuffed the rattan basket from his back into Gu Fengyan's hands.
At this moment, several more villagers came along the mountain path, and Gu Fengyan had no choice but to follow them deeper into the forest.
It's true that you can't work with people who are too smart; even this little bit of obsessive-compulsive disorder can be completely cured by him.
Huo Duan didn't ask Gu Fengyan to come along for that reason; he was genuinely worried about Gu's safety.
On the way, we met some villagers, including Liu Laosan, the one who tried to grope Gu Fengyan on the oxcart last time!
The woods are too dense; if you're even a little distance away, you can't hear anything... If Liu Laosan has some wicked ideas again, and I happen to be away, then I'm doomed.
So after thinking it over, it's best for the two of them to go together.
Besides them, you would occasionally encounter a few villagers in the woods, their wicker baskets full of ferns, mushrooms, and other vegetables.
Gu Fengyan exchanged a few pleasantries with Huo Duan. After what happened with the second son of the magistrate of the neighboring county, these people were more or less curious about Gu Fengyan. As they spoke, they secretly sized him up.
Some villagers were reserved and only asked a few questions before stopping.
The Zhang family's sister-in-law on the other side of the river was no ordinary woman; she was naturally kind-hearted and insisted on talking to Gu Fengyan.
"Erdan, go look over there. I'll take Yan Ge'er to pick some mushrooms and chat around here," Zhang A'sao instructed Huo Duan.
Huo Duan was worried about Liu Laosan and looked troubled. "Sister-in-law, my father asked me to take him with me."
“Hey, you kid,” Aunt Zhang’s voice rose an octave, “What are you worried about with me here? You’re a grown man, you’re not like you can’t live without your wife.”
One sentence from Huo Duan made Gu Fengyan blush.
Gu Fengyan was afraid that she would say something that would be hard to handle, so he quickly gave Huo Duan a look and said, "Sister-in-law, what are you saying? I've never worked in the fields before. Brother Duan is just worried that I'll be a burden to you. Please don't take it to heart."
Huo Duan quickly agreed, "Sister-in-law, then he's in your care. I'll go check over there. Watch your step."
Aunt Zhang then smiled broadly, "Go ahead, I like Yan Ge'er, I promise to send him back to you with every hair on his head intact."
Gu Fengyan really didn't know what intimate things he could say to Zhang A's wife, and he felt like he was being roasted over a fire.
But I didn't forget to pick some mushrooms... Small red mushrooms, green-headed mushrooms, egg mushrooms, and brush mushrooms were everywhere, growing plump and thick, and in no time, half a basket was full.
Aunt Zhang looked him over from behind and clicked her tongue for a while—this young man is good-looking, with a slim waist and long legs, but he's too thin, so he might not be able to have children.
No wonder there's been no sign of pregnancy even after six months of marriage.
"Yan-ge'er, haven't you and Er-dan thought about having a child soon?" Zhang A-sao asked.
Upon hearing this, Gu Fengyan almost twisted his ankle. Aunt Zhang quickly helped him up, saying, "Oh dear, this ground is very slippery with fallen leaves. Watch your step."
"What did you just say, sister-in-law?" Gu Fengyan's expression was strange.
Aunt Zhang could tell—the child was shy.
"I've been telling you all I really want to say today," Zhang sighed. "You've seen it yourself, the Huo family has so few descendants... We can't count on Erdan's aunt. A married daughter is like water spilled from a cup; her children will take someone else's surname. Uncle Huo's health isn't good, and he only had Erdan as a child in his middle age."
“The family’s future depends on him… Uncle Huo is a kind-hearted man, always polite to his neighbors and fellow villagers. He wouldn’t want to pressure you, but you’ve practically been raised by Uncle Huo, so you can’t help but say something…”
She looked at Gu Fengyan and said seriously, "Tell your sister-in-law the truth, are you still thinking about that second young master of the Wang family?"
A note from the author:
Thank you for saving and reading!
Chapter Six
Gu Fengyan was completely confused. After listening for a long time, he finally figured out what Zhang A's sister-in-law meant—she was afraid that he was still thinking about Wang Er and wouldn't stay sincerely.
And... well, she refused to have children with Huo Duan.
Putting aside the question of whether he and Huo Duan could possibly be together... he felt that the idea of his daughter not being able to carry on the family line was rather ridiculous.
However, he also knew the limitations of the environment and the sincerity of Zhang's sister-in-law.
“Since you’ve asked, I’ll tell you what’s on my mind,” Gu Fengyan said earnestly, putting down the wicker basket.
“Wang Er and I were engaged before, and I did make some mistakes because of that. But since I’m willing to stay, it’s because I really want to live a good life with Duan Ge. As for children… we’ll have them when the time is right.”
Anyway, even if fate brings us together, it won't happen. Gu Fengyan thought to himself.
Seeing his sincerity, Sister Zhang knew it was true.
"Alright, alright," Aunt Zhang nodded repeatedly. "Good child, don't think I'm being nosy. Since you have this intention, then you should live a good life with Erdan from now on."
Gu Fengyan was eager to get away and readily agreed. The two picked mushrooms together for a while longer before Gu Fengyan said goodbye to Zhang A'sao, saying he was going to find Huo Duan.
Aunt Zhang told him to watch his step, and then let the man go.
...
Huo Duan was quite at ease with Gu Fengyan following Zhang A's side.
Aunt Zhang is a fiery and straightforward woman. She can make people wish they could hide back in their mother's womb when she opens her mouth... It's likely that no one in the surrounding villages would dare to mess with her.
Not to mention that coward Liu Laosan.
It was just that Gu Fengyan had to suffer, and he would inevitably have to chat with her about all sorts of random things... But thinking about Gu Fengyan's awkward face, Huo Duan found it quite amusing.
Making money is a big deal. Right now, the family is dirt poor and still owes ten taels of silver. We need to cure Father Huo's illness and buy a house. The more money the better, at least enough to ensure that Gu Fengyan and Father can live a comfortable old age without worrying about food and clothing after he goes back.
But all of this is on the premise that they have enough capital to make money.
Huo Duan thought to himself, and followed the path made by people into the depths of the forest. He picked all the mushrooms, ferns, wild onions and the like, but the basket was not even enough to cover the bottom of the basket... He also accidentally stepped into a mud puddle and got half of his pants dirty.
I always felt that he was particularly unlucky when he was away from Gu Fengyan, but I don't know why.
"Hey, Erdan, what are you doing here... Did you step into a mud puddle?" At this moment, Zhang's sister-in-law's voice came from the front.
With a beaming smile on his face, it was clear that he had been fooled by Gu Fengyan's few words.
Huo Duan smiled and said, "I wasn't paying attention while walking and got stuck... Wasn't Yan Ge'er with you?"
Zhang A's wife emerged from behind the wild chestnut bushes, but Gu Fengyan was nowhere to be seen.
“Didn’t Yan’er come looking for you? Why didn’t I see him?” Zhang A’s wife looked around. “There’s a stream ahead. Go wash up quickly, or you’ll feel uncomfortable when the mud dries.”
Huo Duan glanced at it and replied, "Thank you, sister-in-law. I'll go wash up."
He carried his basket and hamper in the direction she pointed. Behind him, Aunt Zhang reminded him, "Oh, by the way, I just saw Liu Laosan sneaking off towards the back mountain. Remember to find Yan Ge'er and keep an eye on him, don't let those filthy people bother him..."
Huo Duan turned around and casually replied, "I understand, thank you, sister-in-law."
The stream bank was flat, overgrown with weeds, and contained a large pool where small fish fry swam around.
Huo Duan put everything in a clean place and scooped water with his hands to wash his trouser legs, but he still felt strange, as if he had forgotten something important.
"Old Liu went sneakily towards the back mountain..." He kept thinking about what Sister Zhang had said.
What was Liu Laosan doing in the back mountain?
That place is desolate and the forest is deep, making it easy to get lost. Most villagers in Heqing Village don't dare to go there.
He frowned and thought for a moment, then suddenly looked up—could Gu Fengyan have gotten lost and gone to the back mountain?
"If we run into Liu Laosan, we're in trouble. Gu Fengyan is all skin and bones; he definitely can't beat Liu Laosan, who's been toiling in the fields all year round," Huo Duan thought to himself.
Feeling uneasy, he quickly washed his hands twice, grabbed his things, and rushed to the back mountain.
Gu Fengyan clearly remembered that Huo Duan went in this direction, but after searching for a long time, he couldn't find a single person.
The dense forest was vast, overgrown with weeds, and eerily quiet except for a few bird calls.
He guessed this was probably the back mountain. He had been warned by his father that there were wolves, and the villagers didn't dare to come here.
Strangely, many medicinal herbs grow around here. After walking a short distance, you can see large patches of motherwort, prunella vulgaris, bletilla striata, angelica dahurica, and other herbs growing.
This could be a business opportunity.
Since Gu Fengyan transmigrated here, he has discovered that medicinal herbs seem to be in particularly short supply in this era. There are only two pharmacies in the county, and the variety of medicinal herbs is only enough to treat some minor illnesses. If the illness is slightly more serious, one has to go to a more distant prefecture to get medicine.