Chapter 8: 808 A Beautiful Beginning

Last night, due to excitement and staying up a bit too late, the Li family didn't get out of bed until the next day was already well underway. Li Zhiming, Li Zhihao, and Li Menglan, the three siblings, finally rose.

"Mother, what delicious thing are you cooking in the pot this morning? It smells so good!" Li Menglan walked in, grumbling as she rubbed her sleepy eyes.

"Lan girl, you're awake." Zhang Yuniang gave a loving smile, chuckling... she really owed it to her daughter; last night's meal was the best and most joyful meal the Li family had eaten in two years. Zhang Yuniang's gaze softened even more as she looked at Li Menglan. "What else could it be? Didn't you father and sons say you were going up the mountain today? I've kept the leftover chestnut chicken from last night warm in the pot. You need to eat your fill so you'll have the strength to enter the mountains."

"Mother, you're so good." Last night's meal had been the best and most satisfying meal Li Menglan had eaten since arriving in this world; she believed that in the future, she could eat this well every single day.

"By the way, Lan girl." Zhang Yuniang suddenly remembered the large bag of bright red things her man and the children had brought back yesterday, which Li Menglan called something called chili peppers. "How should we deal with those chilies you mentioned last night? Should we just leave them as they are?"

That's right! Zhang Yuniang's words reminded Li Menglan that fresh chilies generally cannot be kept for very long; especially once they have turned red, they would rot in three to five days in this kind of weather. Li Menglan planned to sun-dry more than half of them into dried chilies; that way... they could be eaten whenever.

As for the rest? Li Menglan planned to use them to make things like chili sauce or chopped chilies; anyway, as long as those sauces and chopped chilies were preserved well, they could last a long time. They would all be excellent appetizers.

"Mother, if there's nothing to do at home today, please help me wash a small portion of the chilies and let the water drain. I'll tell you how to do it when I get back tonight. As for the rest, just put them in the courtyard to dry into dried chilies; that way they can be kept for a long time without spoiling." Li Menglan thought for a moment and then asked, "By the way, Mother, do we have any small jars or small pots at home?"

"Although our family is a bit poor, we still have many jars and pots; they're all piled up behind the house." A bitter smile appeared on Zhang Yuniang's face. For the past two years, the family had lived almost entirely on pickles; how could they not have jars and pots?

A bit poor... Li Menglan was speechless upon hearing her mother's words. An old-fashioned wooden bed, tattered bedsheets covered in patches; the few thin quilts in the house were also patch upon patch, the cotton padding inside having clumped together, lacking any sense of softness. At the head of the bed sat an old wooden chest, right next to a mottled cabinet whose original color was indistently faded, upon which sat a broken-toothed comb and a round, flat sewing basket.

There were also simple, worn-out tables, chairs, and farm tools; the only slightly better things were the two large pots in the kitchen. Even the bowls used for eating... every single one looked as if they had been gnawed by a dog, all of them being chipped, broken bowls. This was all the family's possessions. Er... was this really just called "a bit poor"?

"Mother, don't you worry!" Li Menglan waved her small fists, cheering both Zhang Yuniang and herself on. "Our lives will definitely get better and better from now on."

"Mhm." Zhang Yuniang looked at her daughter with affection. "Mother believes you. Go wash up quickly, then go call your father, your eldest brother, and your second brother to come eat. Didn't you say you were going into the mountains today?"

"Mhm." Li Menglan was currently very enthusiastic about this Crooked-Neck Mountain; she gave an affirmative response and hurried off to wash up.

The so-called washing up was very simple. In ancient times, there were no toothbrushes or toothpaste; one simply rinsed their mouth with salt water to clean the teeth. Li Menglan made a small, troubled face, secretly making a plan in her heart; once the family's conditions allowed in the future, she would have to find a way. Li Menglan was not used to having a strange taste in her mouth every day.

Outside the mountains, autumn didn't seem to have much to look at. After the crops in the fields had been harvested, only short stalks remained standing quietly in the fields. In the distance, the trees stood bare in the cold wind, looking lonely and desolate, with everything around them feeling empty. The wind swirled the withered leaves in the hollows, making the surroundings seem even more bleak.

When Li Dazhu, Li Zhiming, Li Zhihao, and Li Menglan set out, many people in the village had already begun working in the fields. Li Dazhu's house was a certain distance from the populated areas of the village; most houses in Shangliang Village were built close together, while the Li family's courtyard sat lonely in a quiet corner of the village, with the nearest neighbor being a two or three-li walk away.

Hehe... don't think this was because Li Dazhu's family was isolated due to having no popularity in Shangliang Village. Er... the truth was quite the opposite; the Li family had an excellent reputation in this small corner of Shangliang Village. Why? What else could it be? These days, everyone says they are filial, but how many families can truly do what Li Dazhu's family does?

Sometimes, certain things cannot be achieved just by talking; one must do them... actual action is what matters most.

Along the way, Li Menglan finally witnessed what true enthusiasm looked like...

"Brother Dazhu, where are you and your sons heading so early?" A burly man with a full beard, carrying a hoe, walked toward them. Seeing Li Dazhu from afar, he broke into a wide smile and greeted them warmly.

"Brother Wang, there's nothing much to do in the fields, so I'm taking the children into the mountains to look around." Li Dazhu also said with a full face of smiles, "My father has been ill for so long and his body has been weak. I'm hoping we might be lucky enough to catch a wild pheasant or something to help nourish his body."

"Oh... how has Uncle Li's health been lately? Once the busy period in the fields is over, I'll go over to visit him." Judging by his tone, his relationship with Li Dazhu's family must be quite good. "Didn't Lan girl say she just recovered from an illness? Why did you bring her into the mountains too? Can a child's body handle it?" Seeing Li Menglan following closely behind Li Zhihao, the man spoke with a look of disapproval.

"Uncle Wang, I am completely fine now. Thank you for your concern, Uncle." Li Menglan knew well the importance of interpersonal relationships in ancient times, so she spoke up before her father, Li Dazhu.

"Haha... Lan girl, when you have time, go to Uncle's house to play with your Sister Hua. Don't just stay home alone, you hear?" The bearded man, whom Li Dazhu called Brother Wang, said with a smile. "Don't run around wildly once you're on the mountain. Be careful."

"Thank you, Uncle. I'll remember."

Watching the bearded man walk away, Li Menglan blinked and asked Li Dazhu, "Dad, what is Uncle Wang's name?"

"Haha... your dad is called Dazhu, and your Uncle Wang is called Tiezhu." Li Dazhu quickened his pace. "Eldest, Second, let's walk faster, or we won't make it into the mountains today. Lan girl, if you can't hold on, just call for Dad to carry you."

"Dad, I'm not tired yet; I can walk on my own." Although sweat was already seeping from her forehead, Li Menglan still puffed out her small chest and spoke loudly.

Last night, Li Menglan had already told the family that to find treasures, they definitely had to go a bit deeper into Crooked-Neck Mountain; deep mountains... it was impossible to enter, but if they went in just a little bit... Li Dazhu and his sons were not too resistant. After all, there were several mouths to feed at home; when a person is poor, their life isn't that precious—human life is cheap!