CH 22

Chapter 22 – Life In The Mountains (3)

Once the animal skins were spread out and laid down, they covered about 10 square feet of the ground.  After she sprinkled some lime and sulfur on the flat grassland around the animal skins, she placed her two daughters to sit on them and it was like they were having a picnic.  While enjoying the freshly picked fruits, they played with the half-dead rabbits.

Shuangming who insisted on helping was also carrying a small bamboo basket that was similar to the one on Li Jing’er’s back.  Close to the place where his sisters were sitting there were a few chestnut and walnut trees, so while he was picking up chestnuts and walnuts that had burst open, he would watch over his sisters.  In that way, he could at least help to do some work while watching over the girls.

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“Even banana trees grow here?!”

When Xiao Jingfeng heard Li Jing’er’s exclamation, he strode over.  When he saw bunches of bananas, he cut them off without a word and put them in the basket.  The basket sank lower as soon as the bananas were placed inside which showed that they were heavy.

Today, their main target is to collect mountain fruits and miscellaneous crops.  The dry food could be stored for a long time after processing.  There would not be any shortage of meat because two days ago, Xiao Jingfeng brought a group of soldiers into the mountains to ‘train’ and captured 2 male deers, 3 female deers, and a family of wild boar consisting of 2 large boars and 4 little piglets.  However one of the piglets died and it was turned into a roasted suckling pig.  As for the rest, a shed was built beside the stone house to raise them.

The big boars were slaughtered for their meat and the young ones were raised.  This year would not be difficult as compared to last year during which she had to brave the winds and snow to catch snow rabbits and dig out the hibernating squirrels in the tree holes.  The burden on Li Jing’er’s shoulder became a little lighter and as a result, she was in a relaxed mood, unlike the pressure she felt in the previous year.

“Ah!…….  Mother, there is a snake!…….”  Shuangming shouted in terror.

Li Jing’er was far away and did not have time to turn around to kill the snake.  Just as her heart constricted in fear, Xiao Jingfeng, who acted with sharp agility quickly picked up Shuangming and stepped on the snake’s head.  The series of actions were carried out smoothly and without hesitation.

“Wa!  Awesome!……..”  Upon seeing that the snake’s head was crushed and its body was wriggling on the ground, Shuangyue’s eyes shone brightly with admiration.

“Are you alright?!  This area is already sprinkled with medicine, why did the snake still appear?……..”

Fortunately, the child was not bitten otherwise he would have to suffer.

Since she wandered around in the mountains all year round and became a snake hunter as well, so Li Jing’er spent a lot of money on preparing detoxification pills for various emergencies as a precaution.  Therefore, she was not worried about mosquito bites or getting poisoned.  She sewed insect-repellant sachets and hung one on each of the children’s bodies so that mosquitoes would not come near them.

“Be careful, there’re holes in the ground!……..”  Xiao Jingfeng shouted.

With her heart in a chaotic mess, the impatient woman did not realize that there was a concealed hole in front of her feet.  She wanted to rush over to take a look at the child and in a moment of carelessness, she stepped into the hole.  Then with an ‘Ah’, she fell onto the man’s broad chest and the smell of musk and pine penetrated her nostrils.

Speaking of this, it was not that she had never seen men before.  In her previous life, she had met many dashing handsome men and in her team of firefighters, there were several excellent species but she was never moved by them.

However, at this moment, she blushed inexplicably.

“I didn’t mean………”  She wanted to leave the broad chest that gave her an extremely safe feeling but an iron arm was wrapped around her waist.

“Don’t move.”  He said softly.

“Xiao Jingfeng…….”  Her face became even hotter.

He begged in a soft voice.  “Let me hug you for a little while.  I haven’t hugged you for a long time.”

“We’re no longer husband and wife.”  She reminded him.

The satisfied Xiao Jingfeng smiled and said in a low voice.  “I have always treated you as mine.”

“The children are here, let go.”  She gave him a push.

It was rare for her to be so docile and he was reluctant to let go.  “Just for a little while longer.”

“Uncle Xiao, you’re pressing on me!”

This uncle had been hugging his mother but isn’t this a little too long?!

When the child shouted in pain, the two adults who were distracted finally realized that Shuangming was pressed between them as Xiao Jingfeng was still carrying him and had yet to put him down.

They were husband and wife and yet they were not husband and wife.  A faint ambiguity spread between Xiao Jingfeng and Li Jing’er.  It was unclear and ambiguous and the dark tide was flowing with undercurrents.

Although his relationship with the children did not make much progress, Xiao Jingfeng was able to get closer to the children.   Shuangming still did not like him but did now reject his approach anymore.  Several times, Shuangzhen shyly called him Uncle Xiao then handed him a washed fruit and watched him eat with wide eyes.

Perhaps the natural bond of a father and daughter bond does exist.  The one who showed the biggest change was the clingy Little Sister Yue.  After getting along for a few days, she no longer minded being carried up and down by Xiao Jingfeng and even took the initiative to pester him to take her to see the fish in the river and catch the sand crabs that walk sideways.

Xiao Jingfeng was someone who would have a foot after getting an inch.  When his daughter showed a willingness to get close to him and the moment he felt happy, he got carried away and lost control of himself.  He decided not to leave and built a hay shack that could keep out the wind and rain on the wide open space in front of the stone house.  He cut a lot of hay then laid it on the ground as a bed and just slept on it with his clothes on.

It was very cold at night in the mountains and it was especially so in late autumn.  The difference in the temperature between day and night was very great.  Li Jing’er could not stand it anymore and threw him a spare quilt.  It made him so happy that he did not want to leave and tried to find ways to get a few more days of leave from the Base.

Perhaps it was the feeling of having a wife and daughter by his side that warmed his heart.  Xiao Jingfeng wanted to retire from the military where he had made great achievements.  These few days, the ambitions he had in the past were wiped out by the sweet smile of his daughter.  He could no longer remember the cruelty of the battlefield, the splatters of blood, and the rolling heads of the enemies except for the silver bell-like laughter of his daughter.

He wanted to have his wife and daughter back and truly have a family with his wife in his embrace while carrying his daughter in one arm as they walk home in the afterglow of the sunset.

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The stone house was becoming more and more like home.  To the east of the house was the vegetable field that was about half an acre in size.  The land was planted with various kinds of vegetables like cucumbers, eggplants, loofahs, and several pumpkins that had also appeared next to the radishes.

A chicken coop was built on the west side of the house to hold a pheasant that had its wings clipped and could lay 5 to 6 eggs per day.  The piglets that were kept in a pig pen would poke their noses out between the wooden fence to feed on the Chinese cabbage and rotten roots.

When Li Jing’er unintentionally mentioned she wanted to drink goat’s milk, Xiao Jingfeng made a special trip down the mountain to bring back a mother goat that had just given birth from the village.  He carried the bleating goat up the mountain and then tied it up with a straw rope under the tree where the grass grew.

The days were getting better and better.  Except for the lack of neighbors, the place was like a small farmyard with chili peppers, bacon, and smoked deer legs hanging from the eaves and bamboo baskets filled with fist-sized sweet potatoes.  The children were running and chasing each other in the yard and sounds of laughter rang out constantly.

“Why haven’t you left yet?”  The slightly unclear words were said in a childish voice due to a missing tooth.

Shuangming had lost his first baby tooth.  He was so nervous that he did not dare to sleep at night for fear of losing the second, the third, the fourth, the fifth……….until all his teeth fall out.

As soon as it is dawn and after making sure his teeth are still intact, then only will he feel rest assured before going to sleep peacefully.

“Your Mother should be the one asking this question, not you.”

This boy acts like an adult and wants to be the master of the family even before he has grown up.  He wanted to act like an adult with that small body of his.

Shuangming pushed out his chest to show he is the head of the family.

“I’m the only male in our family so I can speak to you on behalf of my mother.”

“Wait until you’re as tall as me.”  Xiao Jingfeng teased him and nudged his forehead.  Although he did not use much force, the little body staggered a few steps back.

The embarrassed Shuangming jumped up and down to make himself look taller.

“I’ll grow up very soon, you shouldn’t be so proud.”

“When you grow up, I will already be your Laozi and you’ll still be shorter than me.”

It is too early for the little boy to be on equal footing with him and there won’t be any hope for him in this life.

“What is Laozi?”  The little boy did not understand.

While thinking about whether he should catch a few ducks to raise, Xiao Jingfeng lifted his head and beamed a smile like a big boy’s smile that shone with golden rays of light.

“It means……. father.”

As soon as the little boy heard, his small face was filled with anger.  “I don’t want!”

“You don’t have the right to decide……..I am your father.”

Looking at the little boy who was showing a firecracker-like appearance, Xiao Jingfeng suddenly felt that teasing children was a fun thing to do.

“My mother won’t want you!  You’re not as handsome as I am!”

Mother said he is the most beautiful child in the world, so no one can compare to him.

“Marrying a wife is not about comparing who is more handsome but about one’s ability.  I can take care of her, can you?”

How is that stinky boy handsome?  He can’t even speak properly with his missing tooth!

After laying out the chopped firewood to dry, Xiao Jingfeng gently pushed his unqualified opponent aside.

“I’ve never said that I have grown up.  Are you saying that I am a child?”

Only children will repeatedly emphasize that and are eager to become adults overnight.

“You…….you bully others.”  Bad guy!

Xiao Jingfeng laughed as he chopped two more pieces of wood.

“Go and complain to your mother!  A fledgling that has yet to mature!”

At present, Li Jing’er’s concern was not about having insufficient firewood for the winter but having nowhere to keep them.  She was thinking about whether a woodshed should be built so that more wood could be stored.

Having a man around is indeed different.  A lot of things can be completed without her lifting a finger.  Thinking back to the busy times in the past, it was all self-inflicted.

“I’m not a fledgling!   You’re a bad guy who bullies children!”

Shuangming pointed at him angrily and his little face shriveled up like a lentil.

“You…….child, I…… adult.”   He childishly compared their heights.

Small meant a small person and the taller person was undoubtedly the stronger person.