CHAPTER 53: CHAPTER 52 I LIKE YOU COMING

From far away, they could see the towering and perilous peaks surrounded by lush grass and trees. The mudslides had left a magnificent scar upon the landscape, a stark reminder of the danger this mountain village had faced that morning.

The winding path on the mountainside looked dangerous, but it was merely a visual illusion; it was perfectly manageable once they started walking on it.

A big yellow dog happily ran over.

"Big Yellow!"

"WOOF WOOF!"

Big Yellow whimpered affectionately, then trotted a few steps ahead before turning back to look at them.

Zhou Li followed.

When they arrived at Zheng Zhilan’s small courtyard, dusk was just settling. Zhou Li noticed a new stove in the center of the paved yard, with firewood piled beside it.

It was an earthen stove, built from brick and cement.

On the stovetop, many raw meats and vegetables were laid out, along with some cooked dishes like crispy fried pork, dressed cold dishes, and braised items.

"Are we having hot pot?"

"Yes," Zheng Zhilan said, standing by the door to greet him. "We’re just waiting for your soup base. Qinghe and I were planning to have hot pot anyway. Eating it in autumn or winter would give it a different feel. Since you two were coming, we decided to welcome you with it."

"This stove..."

"I moved it from a family’s home nearby. Their stove was the most suitable; the others were too big."

"How did you move it here? It must be heavy, right?"

"Golden Thread is very versatile. I’ll have to move it back after we’re done eating; it takes up too much space here."

"Oh..." Zhou Li glanced at Huai Xu.

Huai Xu was bent over, inspecting each dish. As he looked, he said, "Hot pot is great; everyone seems to love it. It’s just one of those things you can’t sneak a bite of."

Then, turning to Zheng Zhilan, he asked, "Did you buy all these ingredients from down the mountain?"

"Some were, some weren’t."

"The beef, right?"

"Yes."

Zheng Zhilan did raise cattle, but they were draft animals. They earned their keep through labor, selling their skills, not their meat.

Nearby, Zhou Li took off his backpack, pulled out the hot pot soup base, and walked over to the stove opening.

"I’ll start the fire."

"It’ll be smoky. Let me do it."

"Don’t!" Huai Xu stopped Zheng Zhilan. "Just let him do it. He’s probably been looking forward to this the entire journey."

"Really?" Zheng Zhilan asked curiously.

"Yes."

Huai Xu then briefly told her how Zhou Li had crouched at Zhihong Guan, watching someone else build a fire without even blinking. Zheng Zhilan listened, smiling and nodding, while Zhou Li felt a bit embarrassed.

Then, something even more embarrassing happened: he couldn’t light the fire.

Zheng Zhilan also had pinecones, but the main kindling was firewood, along with some corn stalks.

Zhou Li knew how to start a fire with corn stalks but, for some reason, they wouldn’t light for him. It was frustrating.

Zheng Zhilan, ever perceptive, remarked, "The temperature dropped and it rained a few days ago. The woodshed roof leaks a bit, and with the mountain fog, the wood has gotten damp."

Zhou Li felt much better. Huai Xu smirked.

Then Qinghe took over and quickly got the fire going. Though quiet, he was equally considerate. He carefully arranged a few thin pieces of kindling over the burning corn stalks, creating a small structure to ensure the flames fully enveloped the wood. Only after confirming the fire wouldn’t go out did he step aside for Zhou Li.

Zhou Li sat down, rubbed his face, and peered into the stove opening.

This little structure is quite well made!

The flames roared, the wood glowing bright red and hissing as it spat fire through the cracks. The temperature began to rise.

Zhou Li tossed a pinecone into the fire.

Huai Xu had already polished off half a plate of crispy fried pork. His eating pace only slowed when he started gnawing on chicken feet.

With the fire burning vigorously, the water boiled quickly.

"Aren’t you going to make a dipping sauce?" Zheng Zhilan asked Zhou Li. "Or shall I mix one for you?"

"That would be great, thank you," Zhou Li replied, engrossed in tending the fire.

"Do you like it spicy?"

"Yes."

"Are these many bird’s eye chilies enough?"

"Perfect."

"Do you like vinegar?"

"Yes."

"Then I’ll add more for you."

"Mhm."

"Do you eat garlic and cilantro?"

"I do."

"Are you an idiot?" a different voice interjected smoothly.

"..." Zhou Li looked up, staring at Huai Xu.

Huai Xu blinked a couple of times, then said to Zheng Zhilan, "Miss Zheng, make one for me too, same as his—ah, never mind. I’ll have the same as you. He’s being particularly dense today."

Zheng Zhilan chuckled lightly.

She had a full array of seasonings, all neatly arranged in pretty little bowls, rivaling those of any hot pot restaurant.

Huai Xu told Zhou Li, "Mine will definitely taste better than yours!"

Zhou Li ignored him.

Qinghe quietly added some ingredients to the pot—luncheon meat, quail eggs, and some meatballs—letting them simmer slowly.

The firewood in the stove had caught well and was now burning steadily on its own. Zhou Li straightened up, feeling a bit hot. Just then, a mountain breeze swept by, bringing a chilling coolness.

Zheng Zhilan told him to move to a different spot.

Zhou Li moved to sit next to Huai Xu. Looking up, he saw the distant sunset at its most breathtaking, the sky painted with a vast expanse of crimson clouds.

"So beautiful!"

"The weather is nice today," Zheng Zhilan said.

"Yeah, and it’s not too hot either."

"But it looks like there might be a thunderstorm tonight. The wind is picking up. I wonder if we’ll be able to see the moon."

"How do you know?"

"I have a radio."

"Oh." Zhou Li watched Huai Xu slurp down a piece of luncheon meat and asked, "Is it good?"

Huai Xu narrowed his eyes, savoring it carefully before finally swallowing. "Delicious!" he exclaimed. "How can this stuff be so good! No wonder there are so many hot pot restaurants in the cities. No way, you have to take me to eat it again when we go back!"

Zhou Li smiled and picked up a piece for himself.

These meatballs and luncheon meat... anyone trying them for the first time would probably...

Wow! This is unbelievably tasty!

Each bite was full of the meat’s fibrous texture, yet it retained the luncheon meat’s distinct aroma and tender, soft consistency.

Zheng Zhilan turned to him. "I made it myself. It took many experiments to get it right. How is it? I used more meat this time. Qinghe isn’t a big fan; he prefers vegetarian food."

Zhou Li slowly gave a thumbs up.

A sense of accomplishment washed over Zheng Zhilan. She continued, "The quail eggs are also from my own quails. I tried incubating them myself at first, but for some reason, they just wouldn’t hatch. Later, Qinghe and I searched all over Puzhou for a long time before we found a quail farm. The owner was very kind and gave us a few quails for free; he didn’t charge us."

"Maybe they weren’t fertilized."

"I think the owner said something like that too. I didn’t understand."

"Where do you keep them?"

"Over there, at what used to be the neighbor’s house."

"Oh."

Now, Zheng Zhilan was the only resident in this small, remote part of the mountain village. One could say the mountains and rivers for miles around belonged to her, along with the houses spared by the mudslides and any belongings the neighbors hadn’t taken.

When he left last time, Huai Xu told Zhou Li that she was very wealthy.

After they finished the first round of food, Huai Xu began impatiently dumping more meat into the pot, not bothering with how many seconds it needed to cook.

He’d fish it out when he felt like it, whether it was undercooked or overcooked—it was all up to chance.

Zheng Zhilan then brought out her prized collection: a large, flat basket filled with mushrooms. They were freshly washed and glistening with water droplets. The largest one was nearly the size of an English teacher’s face. "After it rained a few days ago, Qinghe and I spent a whole day out and gathered a lot," she said. "They’re quite a rare find. I’m not sure if their fresh flavor will be overwhelmed by the hot pot, but we have more. We can use those to stew a chicken tomorrow. Take a look, which chicken do you want?"

Zhou Li was reminded of the mountain mushrooms he had eaten in his childhood. Even though they were simply cooked in an egg drop soup, they had been incredibly delicious.

His grandfather had found them while checking on the wheat in the mountains.

A wave of nostalgia washed over him.

He turned his head and saw a group of chickens huddled in a cage, their round eyes staring at them.

They looked so innocent.

Zhou Li found himself trying to pick out the most innocent-looking one.

The sun dipped below the horizon quickly, but the colorful twilight clouds lingered.

After dinner, as the light in the sky gradually dimmed, it revealed a beautiful gradient of colors, as stunning as an artist’s palette. The clouds were tinged with these hues. Unfamiliar birds chased each other playfully, their chirps filling the air, while swallows returned to their nests under the eaves, evoking Zhou Li’s memories of summer in his childhood.

He was holding a pot of clear tea.

The tea was also homemade by Zheng Zhilan. It wasn’t a fine blend and had a rather bitter taste, but it was perfect for cutting through the richness of the meal.

Zhou Li lowered his head, took a sip of tea, and said softly to Zheng Zhilan, "I start university at the end of the month. I’ve enrolled in one in Caiyun. The next time I come back will probably be for Chinese New Year, or perhaps New Year’s Day."

"Where is Caiyun?" Zheng Zhilan asked.

"It’s another province, bordering Yi Province. But it’s over a thousand kilometers away, so it’s not exactly close."

"Can you take a plane?"

"Yes, and now there’s also the high-speed rail. It’s a very fast train that can get you to Chunming, the capital of Caiyun Province, in half a day."

"High-speed rail..." Zheng Zhilan muttered.

She had heard the term before, on the long-distance bus. She had asked Qinghe what high-speed rail was, but he hadn’t known either.

After a long silence, she said, "This morning, someone from Jin Palace called. They said something has come up and asked me to go take a look. Can you also take the high-speed rail from Yan City to Jin Palace?"

"Yes, you’d have to go to Yan City to catch it. From North Yan City Station to Jin Palace, it only takes a little over twenty minutes."

"That fast?"

"It’s very fast. When you decide to go, call me beforehand. I’ll pick you up at the station and see you off to Jin Palace."

"Okay..." Zheng Zhilan nodded. After thinking for a moment, she added, "I’ll go in a few days."

"Is it not urgent?"

"I don’t think it’s urgent."

"Alright then." Zhou Li took another sip of tea.

The light on the horizon grew dimmer but never completely faded. Above, the full moon was already bright, its clear light bathing the entire mountain and village. It was a scene Zhou Li hadn’t witnessed since growing up.

Zheng Zhilan tilted her head back, looking up at the sky. "Dark clouds are rolling in," she observed. "It’s likely to rain tonight."

Zhou Li also looked up. Sure enough.

Zheng Zhilan chuckled. "It rained the last time you came, and it looks like it’ll rain this time too. We’ll see if it rains the next time you visit."

"I have a classmate whose luck is extremely good."

"I like the rain."

"Oh?"

"I like the rain," Zheng Zhilan repeated. "Rain has so many sounds, a kind of orderly chaos. The sound of it hitting tree leaves, banana leaves, the rooftop, or dripping from the eaves—they’re all different. I also love summer because it’s full of sounds: the chirping of insects, the croaking of frogs, the calls of birds. Winter, on the other hand, is deathly still. The silence in the mountains can be terrifying."

"No wonder you keep so many dogs."

"Yes."

Zheng Zhilan nodded, then stood up and picked up her chair. "Why don’t you stay a few more days? Your room is still quite clean."

"Okay. I can carry the chairs."

"Alright, you can take them then."

Zhou Li took the chairs from Zheng Zhilan, one in each hand, and headed into the house.

Zheng Zhilan followed behind him.