10 Encountered Unexpectedly

The two had been chatting for most of the day, sharing childhood embarrassments, amusing stories from He Qiming’s time in the army, and the small, challenging yet happy moments of Ye Qingzhi raising two children on her own.

Unconsciously, the sun had risen high above them. He Qiming glanced at the time—it was already past eleven.

He took out the snacks he had prepared earlier and handed them to Ye Qingzhi, along with a military water canteen filled with sweetened water.

“I cleaned this canteen. Drink it if you get thirsty.”

“Thank you.” Ye Qingzhi pulled two boiled eggs from her pocket, offering one to He Qiming. “Have an egg.”

She had boiled four eggs that morning, slipping one each into the children’s pockets, and brought the remaining two to share with He Qiming.

“Thanks.” He Qiming accepted without hesitation, peeled the egg, and finished it in two bites. “Let’s climb a bit further—there are wood ear mushrooms and regular mushrooms up ahead. Want to pick some?”

Ye Qingzhi’s eyes brightened as she eagerly replied, “Yes!”

Her favorite videos were about mushroom foraging—they were deeply soothing, and she wished she could experience it herself.

“Let’s go quickly. The sooner we pick, the sooner we head back. My kids will be worried if I’m late.” Ye Qingzhi patted his hand, and suddenly a large, bony hand appeared before her.

She smiled softly, reached out to hold it, using his strength to stand. She patted off the dust, then followed him to find the mushrooms.

After about ten minutes of climbing, nearing the summit, Ye Qingzhi finally spotted some wood ear mushrooms growing in a small patch on an old tree stump. She exclaimed in delight and jogged over.

He Qiming watched her with a smile. When he had caught wild rabbits earlier, he had noticed the mushrooms and thought he’d bring Ye Qingzhi here to pick them, giving them more time together.

There weren’t many mushrooms, but they found a few. The wood ear mushrooms were plentiful—they filled half a basket.

“It’s getting late. Let’s head back.” Ye Qingzhi was about to lift the basket when He Qiming took it from her first.

He handed her a stick. “The path down is steep. Be careful.”

“Okay.” Ye Qingzhi gave him a shy glance, then looked down at some small mushrooms on the ground. “Will you have time tomorrow? I want to come pick more mushrooms, but I’m afraid to go alone.”

“Yes. What time tomorrow?” He Qiming responded immediately.

“Same as today.” Ye Qingzhi planned to make mushroom sauce to send with him to the army.

Halfway down the mountain, He Qiming stopped and emptied the candies from his pocket into Ye Qingzhi’s basket.

“For the kids down there. There are people below, you go ahead. I’ll come down later.” He returned the basket to her and watched as she started down.

Ye Qingzhi found the spots where her children often gathered pigweed, asked the villagers, and confirmed they had already returned home. Only then did she feel at ease and head back herself.

“Oh, Qingzhi, you found so many wild vegetables again today?” Aunt Li peered over with envy.

“I walked farther.” Ye Qingzhi pointed toward the bamboo forest. “There’s a pond that way with lots of water celery. I picked a big bunch—it’s very tender. If you go now, you still have time.”

Water celery was different from other wild greens—it didn’t keep well when picked in excess, and drying ruined the taste. It was better to share than waste.

“Really? Aunt Li, are you coming? If you do, we won’t go together.” Aunt Wang approached upon hearing.

Ye Qingzhi turned sideways, showing them the basket full of fresh, green water celery.

“Really. It’s not too late now, and it will add another dish to tonight’s meal.” Ye Qingzhi smiled.

Watching them go off together to pick water celery, Ye Qingzhi waved goodbye and turned toward home.

“Mom, you’re back? I cooked some potatoes.” Wei Anmin tried to take Ye Qingzhi’s basket.

“No need, it’s a bit heavy. Mom will carry it.” Ye Qingzhi squeezed his little hand.

Removing the water celery on top, she saw wild vegetables underneath, then mushrooms and wood ear mushrooms, and a bundle wrapped in leaves.

Wei Anjie, curious, opened it and his eyes lit up in shock. “Mom, candy?”

He had seen Wei Zhiqiang eat some before, and Wei Zhiqiang had bragged about how delicious it was. Everyone else had asked their parents for some, but he and his brother hadn’t dared because they knew Mom couldn’t afford such candy.

“Mom, did the soldier uncle give it to you?” Wei Anmin was quicker to catch on.

Ye Qingzhi unwrapped the candy and fed one to each boy.

“Yes, his surname is He. You can call him Uncle He.” While tidying up, she said, “For now, Mom’s quite satisfied with him. In a few days, after the hundred-day mourning period, I’ll let you meet him. You can get to know him and help Mom keep an eye out.”

Letting the kids feel involved would reduce resistance and help them integrate into the new family faster.

It was the same for He Qiming’s children. Tomorrow, the older ones would meet first to prepare mentally, then all four kids would meet, slowly accepting each other.

“All right, Mom. I’ll watch closely.” Wei Anjie puffed out his little chest, speaking seriously.

Nearby, Wei Anmin nodded. Hearing that Uncle He was nice made him feel less sad. When Mom asked them to keep watch, he felt the weight of responsibility; Mom was so good, no bad person could deceive her—although, of course, the Liberation Army uncle wouldn’t.

“Mom, hiss.” Wei Anjie sucked in a mouthful of saliva. Candy in his mouth made speaking difficult, so he peeled a candy and fed it to Ye Qingzhi. “Hiss, Mom, you eat too. It’s so good.”

Ye Qingzhi didn’t refuse and smiled as she put the candy in her mouth. “It is delicious, but you can only eat it secretly at home. Don’t tell anyone, okay?”

The two kids nodded vigorously. They weren’t like Wei Zhiqiang, who flaunted things. Good stuff was meant to be hidden and enjoyed in secret.

“You can’t tell anyone about Uncle He either.” After finishing the wood ear mushrooms, Ye Qingzhi took out a wild rabbit. “He Qiming caught this. He’s also caught wild boar. When you’re a bit older, Mom can have him take you and Uncle He’s kids hunting together.”

No boy could refuse that. The two children nodded excitedly.

Looking at the rabbit, Ye Qingzhi hesitated. She didn’t know how to kill it, and if the smell of meat spread, neighbors would surely notice and gossip.

After some thought, she put the rabbit back in the basket, sprinkled a layer of wood ear mushrooms on top, and grabbed some water celery. Then she pulled the two kids to Aunt Ye’s house.

“Qingzhi? Just got back from the mountain?” Aunt Ye was hanging clothes outside. Seeing Ye Qingzhi with the kids, she called her daughter Wei Jizi out to take over and led them inside.

“Sister Qingzhi,” Wei Jizi greeted before returning to hang clothes.

Ye Qingzhi smiled and called her over, letting the kids play in the yard. She showed Aunt Ye the water celery, wood ear mushrooms, and the rabbit inside the basket.

“This was caught by Qiming. I don’t know how to prepare it, and cooking it at home isn’t good. Auntie, let’s eat together tonight.”

“Oh my, such a fat rabbit. No, it’s too precious. I’ll have your Uncle Fu kill it and prepare it for you. Then you can take it home to eat.” Aunt Ye was tempted by the meat but knew it wasn’t hers to take.

“Auntie, don’t be so formal. You gave me tofu yesterday. Besides, this rabbit is too big for me and the kids to finish. With this weather, it won’t keep. That’s enough. Add more potatoes—we’ll have a great meal tonight.” Ye Qingzhi settled the matter.

Aunt Ye didn’t insist further; pushing more would make things awkward.

Just then, Wei Youfu and his son returned from the fields. Wei Lizi saw the rabbit and excitedly circled it, surprised that Sister Qingzhi had such skills.

“Don’t ask, just eat and keep quiet, understand?” Aunt Ye patted her foolish son’s head.

Wei Lizi pouted. How could he eat silently? His mother’s temper was really getting worse.

Aunt Ye hadn’t finished preparing the rabbit, leaving half salted for Ye Qingzhi to take home. She suggested cutting off a small piece next time she cooked rice—just one piece would make the whole pot taste better.

The prepared rabbit weighed nearly four pounds; half was two pounds. With potatoes and tofu added by Aunt Ye, they had a full pot that fed everyone to their fill.

After the meal, Ye Qingzhi helped Aunt Ye clean up. Aunt Ye didn’t stop her; she wanted to hear how things had gone today.

“Lizi and the others were here. I couldn’t ask much, but tell me—how did your conversation go today?”

“We’ve confirmed our relationship. Qiming said after the hundred-day mourning, he’ll report our marriage.” Ye Qingzhi said shyly.

“Good, good, good.” Aunt Ye said happily three times. “Qingzhi, marrying Qiming means you have support for the rest of your life. Let me tell you: after marriage, treat his two children as your own. Anmin and Anjie have what they need—they must be well cared for, even better than before. Also, have a child soon. Without your own, the bond won’t be strong.”

Aunt Ye’s words were right, but Ye Qingzhi wouldn’t sacrifice her own children for the sake of her stepchildren. Of course, she would treat them all equally. As for having a child, she had no plans yet—maybe later. She would deal with that when the time came.

After tidying up, Ye Qingzhi washed her hands and prepared to take the two kids home.

Aunt Ye walked them to the gate and whispered, “While Qiming’s home, nurture your relationship. Who knows when he’ll come back next time.”

“I know, Auntie. Goodbye.” Ye Qingzhi picked up the basket but felt it was heavier than before. Looking inside, she saw the half salted rabbit meat.

The next day, Ye Qingzhi went into the mountains again. He Qiming was already waiting. They chatted briefly, then went to pick mushrooms in the same spot.

By noon, the basket was full. Ye Qingzhi planned to return early since processing the mushrooms would take most of the day.

“Will you come pick mushrooms again tomorrow?” He Qiming asked.

“Tomorrow I want to go to town,” Ye Qingzhi replied.

They had gathered plenty of gastrodia, drying it in the shade. Because of moisture loss, ten pounds had shrunk to six or seven. She wasn’t sure if the purchasing station would pay more.

“I have some business in town too. We can go together.” He Qiming looked at Ye Qingzhi with hope.

“All right.” Ye Qingzhi nodded, digging up a few pieces of rehmannia root. “Remember what I told you!”

“Remember. Tell the kids about the matchmaking, set a time for them to meet, and tell them you want them to keep watch. Did I get that right?” He Qiming smiled.

“Exactly. Our future depends on your performance.” Ye Qingzhi joked.

“I’ll fulfill the mission.” He Qiming said seriously.

That day, Ye Qingzhi didn’t go to the mountain. Carrying gastrodia and rehmannia, she prepared to enter town. Her ID was ready from the night before. She told Anmin and the others to take care of themselves. Just as dawn broke and no one was on the road, Ye Qingzhi hurried toward Dayang Village’s bus station.

Not far from the village entrance, she saw He Qiming standing by the roadside, waiting. She looked at him in surprise.

“When did you get here?”

“Not long ago. Give me the basket.” He Qiming took it and carried it as if it weighed nothing.

They walked one ahead of the other. The silence around was so profound it seemed they could hear each other’s heartbeats.

“Have you eaten breakfast?” Ye Qingzhi asked softly.

“Ate some biscuits to tide me over. I’ll eat more in town.” He Qiming smiled faintly.

Ye Qingzhi pulled two eggs from her pocket and handed them to him. “Biscuits won’t fill you up. Eat these.”

“You haven’t eaten either?” He Qiming peeled an egg and gave it to Ye Qingzhi. “Let’s eat together.”

She nodded. When they reached a populated area, they stopped talking, walking with about fifty meters between them.

The early bus at 5:10 arrived by 5:00. Ye Qingzhi boarded first, and He Qiming deliberately took his time, choosing the seat behind her.

Elsewhere, He Yongyao hurried to the station but saw the bus leaving. He sighed regretfully and turned homewards.

“Hey? You’re Wei Youliang’s daughter-in-law from Houxi Village, right? We met before, riding the ox cart home together. Remember?” Aunt Liu saw Ye Qingzhi and asked excitedly.

“I remember. Auntie, are you going to town today too?” Ye Qingzhi replied politely.

“Oh, what a coincidence! Qingzhi, has your husband passed the 49th day yet?” Aunt Liu suddenly asked.

“Not yet. Just passed the 35th day.” Ye Qingzhi felt their lack of boundaries.

“That’s coming soon. After that, Qingzhi, I’ll introduce a match for you.” Aunt Liu said warmly.

Ye Qingzhi shook her head. “Auntie, I’m not looking for anyone right now.”

“You’re still young. Do you want to be a widow forever? He’s already found someone else outside. Why wait for him? Honestly, the guy I want to introduce is my relative’s son, 27 years old, tall and handsome, good at work. His parents died early, so no one’s been managing him, which is why he’s still single. If his folks were alive, he’d have married and had kids by now.” Aunt Liu thought they’d be perfect together.

“No need. These things can wait until after the hundred-day mourning.” Ye Qingzhi answered seriously.

After getting off the bus and leaving the station, Ye Qingzhi saw He Qiming’s expression darken. She knew it was because of Aunt Liu’s matchmaking talk.

“I didn’t agree, you know. He Qiming, I’m not fickle. Once I commit, I’m serious.”

“I’m not angry. I just worry… Sorry, I should trust you.” He Qiming apologized immediately upon realizing the issue.

The purchasing station wasn’t open yet, so they went for breakfast first, then strolled slowly toward the station.

“Sir, please take a look at mine.” Ye Qingzhi waited until others left, then quickly pushed her goods before the grading master.

The grader’s eyes were sharp—he could spot wormholes and blemishes immediately, setting aside the earliest partially dried ones.

“Two pounds and one liang of premium grade, sixteen pounds first grade, thirty-seven pounds second grade. Premium pays one mao per liang, first grade eight fen, second grade five fen. Total three yuan and thirty-four fen. The rehmannia you processed is too rough, only second grade at ninety fen per pound, that’s four yuan and twenty-four fen.” The buyer clicked his abacus and handed Ye Qingzhi four yuan and twenty-four fen.

Though it took many hard days to earn just over four yuan, Ye Qingzhi was very satisfied.

In rural homes of six, saving fifty yuan after food and expenses was considered excellent.

If the villagers found out, the mountain would be picked clean in no time.

“Do you know about medicinal herbs?” He Qiming asked curiously.

Ye Qingzhi shook her head. “Just these two. I saw others dig them when I was a kid and remembered. Didn’t expect them to be so valuable. Wish I’d started earlier.”

“You’re already impressive.” He Qiming looked toward a nearby park. “It’s still early. Want to take a stroll?”

Last time they left in a hurry; this time, they could enjoy the county town.

At the small park, after walking a bit, Ye Qingzhi pulled He Qiming aside behind a large rock.

“Did you run into someone you know?” He Qiming looked up to see an older couple holding fingers entwined, more affectionate than he and Qingzhi.

“That’s my step-grandmother-in-law.” Ye Qingzhi whispered.

Just “step-grandmother-in-law”? Wasn’t that man her step-grandfather-in-law?

He Qiming felt like he had stumbled upon something significant.