Robe blanche - Chapitre 120
The snow hadn't melted long enough, and the ground was still damp. The mountain people had already gradually stopped hunting and were all busy in the fields, turning over the soil in preparation for planting new seedlings. There were no poultry or livestock like chickens, ducks, cattle, or sheep in the valley; their meat came from wild game, and all their work was done by hand. It wasn't something that a couple hundred strong men could accomplish in a day or two by turning over the soil with their bare hands.
That morning at breakfast, Xiaotian's father said something and looked at Shen Haoyu very seriously. Xiaotian translated it, albeit inarticulately, and it took her a while to understand. He meant that Shen Haoyu and I couldn't just freeload anymore and had to work for ourselves. I thought to myself, we've been staying for a while, but we haven't been eating and drinking for free. At least Shen Haoyu has hunted more game each time than the two of you combined. But since the owner has spoken, Shen Haoyu and I can't really do anything extra. Besides, they don't go hunting in the mountains anymore, and Shen Haoyu can't keep going up there, and we can't just eat meat all the time.
After dinner, Xiaotian's dad took Shen Haoyu and me to the mountain. He pointed to several terraced fields and started talking non-stop, then handed us a shovel. I guessed he was saying that these fields would be ours to farm from now on. Seeing that Shen Haoyu didn't react, I quickly smiled and reached out to take it.
Ironware was scarce and crude in the valley. It was said that there was an iron mine in the mountains, but the output was very small, so they used it very sparingly. Even the arrows for hunting were just sharpened bamboo.
Holding a shovel up to Shen Haoyu, he said, "Young Prince, we're going to be farmers!" Seeing Shen Haoyu's puzzled expression, he explained, "From now on, these fields will be ours to cultivate."
Shen Haoyu's face darkened: "I don't know how to farm. What are you doing? Hurry up and find a way out."
Shaking his head, he glanced at Shen Haoyu before walking towards someone else's field to see how they plowed it with a shovel. Having finally gotten a general idea, he returned to his assigned field, rolled up his trousers, took off his shoes and socks, and began turning over the mud, shovel by shovel. Seeing this, Shen Haoyu glanced at him and sat down on the edge of the field.
Watching others do it seems easy, but when it's your turn, you realize that the so-called skills aren't something you can learn just by watching. It takes several strokes to turn the mud over, and soon your palms are burning. You let go, blow on them, and then start turning the mud again.
When I went home for lunch, Xiaotian's mother saw that I was half covered in mud while Shen Haoyu was clean. She pointed at Shen Haoyu and started yelling. Just then, Xiaotian's father came home, saw this, snatched the shovel from my hand, and shoved it into Shen Haoyu's hand. He said a few more words, looking quite angry. Shen Haoyu stood there holding the shovel, his face flushed.
They probably mean that these are jobs that men should do, and I shouldn't have to do them.
As soon as I finished eating, Xiaotian's mother boiled hot water for me to take a bath. She pointed specifically at my feet, then at my stomach, and made a pained expression. I knew she probably meant my feet were cold, which was bad for my abdomen or uterus, since the water was still quite cold in February. So I didn't stand on ceremony, carried the water to my room, washed my feet, took a hot bath, changed into the linen clothes they had given me, and went out feeling refreshed.
In the terraced fields on the mountain, Shen Haoyu rolled up his trousers and lifted his shirt, turning over the mud under the guidance of Xiaotian's father. Some mud splattered onto his face and hair, making him look a little disheveled, but also quite cute. Seeing that Shen Haoyu was gradually mastering the technique, Xiaotian's father went to his own field, leaving Shen Haoyu alone.
Walking up to Shen Haoyu, I realized the field wasn't large; I could almost touch him standing in the middle with my hand from the edge. I softly called out, "Young Prince." He glanced at me, said nothing, and continued turning the soil. I knew his hands, like mine, were only good for wielding swords, shooting bows, and playing the zither; using them for this kind of work was rather...
Seeing Shen Haoyu gritting his teeth and stubbornly holding on, not knowing if he was venting something, she finally couldn't help but call out again, "Young Prince, please stop for a moment, I have something to say." Only then did Shen Haoyu lift his feet out of the mud and walk slightly unsteadily to the edge of the field.
I took the shovel from Shen Haoyu's hand and opened his palms. Both palms were bright red. I didn't dare to touch them. I had experienced it myself that morning, so I knew what it felt like.
"Let's stop for today. I'll go back and make you some gloves, okay?" I asked, wondering if making gloves would make you feel better. I remembered that all the migrant workers on the construction site wore gloves.
Shen Haoyu glanced at me, stepped onto the ridge, picked up his shovel, and started walking down the mountain. I quickly put on his shoes and followed him.
Back home, I asked Xiaotian to find me some scraps of cloth, a needle, thread, and scissors. Then I moved a wooden stool outside and sat in the sun to start sewing my gloves. Xiaotian sat quietly beside me, watching. After a while, Shen Haoyu had already taken water to his room to take a bath. Thinking that I was actually sharing a bathtub with him, I felt awkward and uncomfortable, and then I pricked my hand with the needle.
Xiao Tian let out a soft gasp. I smiled at her to indicate that I was alright. The thread and linen here were only a few simple colors, and the clothes had no patterns. The women were all very plain, not at all flashy. I wanted to make something pretty, but unfortunately, my skills were too poor, so I had to give up. I quietly recalled how Yin Yan and I made gloves together, and carefully helped Shen Haoyu make gloves, stitch by stitch. To make them more durable, I even used two layers of fabric.
The gloves were finished before sunset. Little Tian copied me and put one on her little hand, liking it very much. Seeing her like this, I promised to make her a pair tomorrow, and she happily ran off to help her mother prepare dinner.
Upon entering the room, Shen Haoyu was lying on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, dressed in coarse linen clothes. Gone were his usual fine clothes; he no longer resembled the spirited young prince he once was, but rather a clean-cut and handsome boy next door, evoking a sense of tenderness and pity.
She handed him the gloves and said softly, "Try them on." She didn't know how to measure them, so as long as they weren't too small, they would fit.
Shen Haoyu reached out and took it, slowly putting it on his wrist: "Is this what you and Yin Yan made together last time?"
I nodded. Yin Yan had made one for him too, but I didn't think I'd ever seen him wear it. Zinuo and the others did wear it a few times in the Northwest, but they didn't dare wear the scarf out in public; it was just too conspicuous.
Shen Haoyu put on his gloves, twitched his fingers, said nothing, then took them off and placed them at the foot of my bed, beside his. Seeing his dirty clothes still lying to one side, I went over and picked them up, planning to take them out to wash together tomorrow.
After six days of hard work in the fields, Shen Haoyu finally finished turning over the terraced fields. Even with gloves on, new calluses formed on his palms. Before he could even catch his breath, Xiaotian's father dragged him back to the fields to teach him how to level the mud clods before planting rice seedlings. Shen Haoyu had no choice but to work in the fields for several more days, returning home each day to shower, eat, and then go to bed early.
As the weather gets warmer day by day, we haven't been idle either. We've been tending to the vegetable garden behind the house with Xiaotian's mother, sowing some seeds. We don't know what will grow out of them.
The rice seedlings in the field sprouted, and in no time, they were already lush and green. It was a pity they had to be transplanted. Xiaotian's father pulled up some seedlings and threw them into Shen Haoyu's field. He then taught Shen Haoyu how to separate and plant the seedlings. Shen Haoyu learned step by step, and the seedlings he planted were neat and orderly.
After completing these tasks, half of the most important farm work of the year is done. Fortunately, there aren't many types of crops in the small valley; basically, it's just rice, and everything else grows wild on the mountain.
Nevertheless, Shen Haoyu still had to go with Xiaotian's father every few days to check on the growth of the rice seedlings and pay attention to the water storage in the fields. Later on, Shen Haoyu was able to go by himself and became more and more like an experienced little farmer.
The seeds that Xiaotian's mother and I sowed together have sprouted and grown leaves. They were seeds of wild vegetables that we collected ourselves. Later, we planted them in our own land, so we no longer had to run up the mountain to find those wild vegetables.
Everything has begun to flourish.
I tried to communicate with Xiaotian using a limited vocabulary about whether we could get out, but she kept shaking her head. I didn't know if she didn't know or if we couldn't get out, so I had to give up and ask the elders in the valley later when I've learned more of their language.
Do not lean against the west railing to lock in the clear autumn. Chapter 104
Chapter word count: 3516 Update time: 09-09-06 12:16
Even in summer, the valley remains cool and not hot at all. Xiaotian often takes me up the mountain to pick some delicious wild fruits, which I then wrap up and soak at the bottom of the lake for a day or two before eating. They are cool, sweet, and very delicious.
The rice seedlings in the field are growing well. With nothing else to do each day, I can only keep an eye on how these crops are growing.
Xiaotian's mother brought us some unknown herbs. Xiaotian said that burning them would repel mosquitoes and prevent them from biting us at night. I quickly found a broken bowl, grabbed a handful of herbs, put them in the bowl, and slowly lit them, letting wisps of smoke carrying the fragrance of the herbs drift through the room.
After a few months of being well-behaved, Shen Haoyu started going up the mountain again whenever he had nothing to do. I knew he was anxious and that life in the valley was not something he could endure for long, so I could only tell him to be careful while also trying to find out what secrets the mountains held.
When Shen Haoyu returned home that day, his clothes were tattered and stained with blood. Everyone was shocked. Xiaotian's brother quickly went to find the only old man in the valley who knew some herbs and medicine. There weren't many elderly people in the valley, and most of them died peacefully in their fifties. This old man was already over sixty years old, so he could be considered a centenarian.
They brought Shen Haoyu into the house and fetched water for him to wash. He had already taken off his shirt, revealing countless scratches on his body. Although they weren't deep, they were still bloody and gruesome. They carefully cleaned his wounds and asked him what had happened. He only said that he heard the sound of water and wanted to go check, but he couldn't find it anywhere. As a result, he slipped and fell off the cliff.
I was shocked, but secretly relieved that it was just some scratches; otherwise, breaking my leg would have been a real problem.
The old man arrived, examined Shen Haoyu's wound, then asked someone to bring some herbs to boil in water. He then used the medicinal water to wash Shen Haoyu's wound and finally made Shen Haoyu soak in the water. I frowned. Was it really that serious? A medicinal bath?
By the time we finished, it was already dark. Xiaotian's mother asked the old man to stay for dinner and then asked Xiaotian to take him home, worried that he might fall on the way. I understood a little bit of what she said. Seeing Xiaotian affectionately leading the old man out, I quickly followed. After all, he had come to help Shen Haoyu treat his injuries, so I had no reason not to see him off.
On the way, Xiaotian and the old man chatted warmly. I listened, half-understanding, then noticed Xiaotian saying something to the old man, who looked at me thoughtfully. Xiaotian quickly explained that the old man was getting on in years and I could ask him about many things I didn't understand. I suddenly realized what she meant and gratefully patted Xiaotian's head. I had thought about asking him before, but I'd heard he had a bit of an eccentric temper, so I hadn't dared to. I never expected that this old man would get along so well with this little girl.
I couldn't very well ask Yao directly how he got out of these mountains, so I asked tactfully, "Uncle, besides this area, have you ever been to any more distant places?"
The old man frowned and looked at me, seemingly puzzled: "Why do you want to go to such a far place? It's too far, you won't be able to get home before dark."
I stood there, stunned. Yes, why go elsewhere? Here, all is peaceful and tranquil, the weather is favorable, everyone can live out their lives in peace and safety, there is no strife. Why go elsewhere? Is there a better place than this?
However, we are not people from here after all, and we still have our own concerns in that wonderful yet dangerous world outside. In the end, we still said, "These mountains seem a bit strange. They seem to be winding around and around, but we are still in the mountains. Do you know anything about them?"