Mountain Cable Cars
“Surprisingly, there’s even a braised fish?” All three of them loved fish.
Auntie Ma hurriedly said, “This was caught by my innkeeper from the river, so it’s free of charge.”
Huangfu Yuchen playfully glanced at Yan Ge. The innkeeper.
Yan Ge’s face flushed, and he said to Auntie Ma, “We must pay for it, otherwise, we would feel embarrassed to buy fish from Auntie Ma in the future. Auntie Ma, it would be best if you could make fish for us in every meal from now on.”
Auntie Ma quickly replied, “Alright, alright.”
“And our family has hearty appetites, so please double the portion of the meals from now on,” Yan Ge said with a smile.
“Okay, okay.”
After Auntie Ye and Auntie Ma left, Yan Ge and the other two sat down to eat. Yan Ge took out a jug of fine wine from his backpack and shared a toast with Huangfu Yuchen.
The Zhantian vine rested on Yan Ge’s head every day. At this time, it stuck out its ‘head’ (who knows if it’s its head or its rear end) to ‘look’ at the dining table, appearing a bit absent-minded. Yan Jin suspected that it had been beaten stupid by Yan Ge, but Yan Ge believed it was just not fully awake yet.
The spines on the fish’s belly were the easiest to remove, and Huangfu Yuchen picked out the meat from both sides of the fish’s belly and gave it to Yan Ge.
Yan Jin held his chin, pouting helplessly, “It’s pitiful for the child who nobody cares about.”
“Even during meals, you can’t stop talking.” Yan Ge divided the fish meat in half and gave it to him.
Huangfu Yuchen ate the fish head and tail himself.
Yan Ge said, “Later, I’ll talk to Auntie Ma and ask her to cook a few more fish for tonight.”
While they were eating, Xiao Hu, Xiao Shan, and Niu Zi arrived. They all carried bows and arrows on their backs, water bags slung over their shoulders, and a large cloth bag tied to their waist.
“Come in and have a seat. Have you eaten?” Yan Ge said.
“We’ve eaten,” Xiao Shan said while secretly glancing at the dining table, his mouth watering.
Yan Jin asked curiously, “There are so many phesants in the mountains. You can have as much as you want. You should be tired of eating them by now.”
“Little Jin,” Yan Ge stopped him from being rude.
Xiao Shan rubbed his head sheepishly, “Usually, when we go hunting in the mountains and catch phesants or rabbits, most of them are turned into dried goods and sold for money on market days.”
“When it’s time to eat, you should eat. What’s the point of keeping so much money?” Yan Jin pouted.
Xiao Shan’s face turned red, “Saving it… for getting married.”
Xiao Hu and Niu Zi burst into laughter.
Yan Jin looked at Xiao Shan sympathetically and took out three snacks wrapped in oil paper from his pouch and handed them to him, “Here, one for each of you.”
Xiao Hu looked at his innocent face with a generous expression and couldn’t help but laugh, “What is this?”
“These are snacks brought from the capital city, beef jerky! You can’t buy them outside. I treat you to them.”
Xiao Hu said, “No need. How could we eat a child’s food?”
Yan Jin said, “Why can’t you eat? When we reach the mountain, if I can’t walk anymore, you three will take turns carrying me.”
In the eyes of Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen, Xiao Hu and the others were just children like Yan Jin, so they didn’t get involved in the matters between the four. They continued to drink and eat.
Xiao Hu, Xiao Shan, and Niu Ziu exchanged glances and took the snacks offered to them. While eating, they nodded at each other. It was indeed delicious, as expected of something from the capital. The three of them made up their minds to take good care of Yan Jin once they reached the mountain. If they found any delicious fruits, they would give them all to him.
Huangfu Yuchen finished his meal first and filled their water bags with water.
After Yan Ge and Yan Jin finished eating, the group headed up the mountain together. Xiao Hu and the others noticed that even their water bags were more exquisite than theirs. They were decorated with golden threads, making them envious.
There were many wild beasts in the mountains, and a simple and practical city wall made of bricks and thorny bushes surrounded the county town. As they walked further away from the town, about a hundred meters, the trees and weeds became denser.
Xiao Hu said, “There are many small hills in the mountains, and it’s easy to get lost. You two young masters must not wander off. It’s best to follow us from behind.”
Yan Ge asked, “Are the ‘small hills’ you mentioned referring to actual small hills?”
Niu Zi said, “When you look from the highest mountain into the distance, the tall and slender peaks resemble hills, so we just call them ‘small hills’.”
“I see, it’s quite an apt description,” Yan Ge said. “Don’t worry, we won’t get lost. If there are any mushrooms or wild vegetables in the mountains, you should introduce them to us. We like to try rare things.”
“Okay,” Xiao Shan pointed with his bow to a cluster of bamboo not far away, “there are bamboo shoots over there. They taste delicious when chilled, fried, or made into soup. If you want to eat them, we can dig some for you when we go back… Oh, and there’s…”
Yan Ge held Yan Jin in his arms, and he looked around curiously, everything seemed fresh to him.
“Father, there’s a pheasant over there.”
Xiao Hu and Xiao Shan immediately stopped and quietly raised their bows and arrows, aiming at the pheasant. Unfortunately, their shots missed. Startled, the pheasant flapped its wings, trying to escape.
Huangfu Yuchen plucked a green fruit from a tree, flicked it with his middle finger, and the fruit hit the pheasant’s neck with a “pop,” knocking it unconscious.
“Amazing!” Niu Zi ran over and picked up the wild chicken.
“That was the legendary ‘martial arts,’ right?” Xiao Hu asked Huangfu Yuchen excitedly, “Can I become your disciple? I learn things very quickly!”
Huangfu Yuchen glanced at him calmly but didn’t say a word.
Yan Ge knew that Huangfu Yuchen was in a bad mood. The situation in Rong County was severe, and it wouldn’t be easy to improve it, and the biggest problem was the inconvenient transportation. He tried to smooth things over, “It’s impossible to take you as a disciple, as we won’t stay here for long. However, I can teach you a few moves during our leisure time.”
“Madam Fang, do you also have martial arts skills?”
“I want to learn too!”
“Count me in.”
Yan Ge said, “No problem, we’ll discuss it when we get back. For now, let’s continue up the mountain.”
A pheasant chased another pheasant, and they run past them.
Yan Ge said casually, “There are so many pheasants in these mountains.”
“Yes,” Xiao Shan said, “usually when we go hunting, we usually catch pheasants.”
Huangfu Yuchen asked Niu Zi for help in carrying Yan Jin. Gradually, he and Yan Ge fell behind the group and he spoke softly to Yan Ge, “Baby, I observed this morning that although every family keeps chickens, they don’t have many. If they can catch these pheasants and raise them on a large scale, it could be a good source of income. What do you think? Unfortunately, Rong County has transportation issues. Even with various development methods, it won’t work if we can’t solve the transportation problem.”
Yan Ge smiled and hooked his arm around Huangfu Yuchen’s shoulder. With his other hand, he patted his sturdy buttocks firmly. “Call me ‘husband’ once, and maybe I can come up with a good solution for you.”
“You mean you have a way to improve transportation?” Huangfu Yuchen hugged Yan Ge’s waist, clearing the branches that blocked their path. “Baby, it’s not that I don’t trust you, but Rong County is surrounded by layers of mountains. The mountain roads are winding, and even if we want to build roads, it will take at least ten or eight years to succeed. Or… are you suggesting digging straight tunnels? But that would also take a long time.”
Yan Ge’s lips curled with a smug smile, in a posture of ‘beg me.’ “Call me ‘husband’.”
Huangfu Yuchen looked at him calmly. “Husband. Can we talk now?”
Yan Ge almost jumped up in excitement, and he continued to provoke, “One more time.”
Huangfu Yuchen raised an eyebrow with a meaningful look. He kissed his earlobe, and said in a deep and magnetic voice filled with temptation, “I’ve decided to save it for when we’re in bed tonight. What do you think, baby?”
Yan Ge’s expression immediately turned serious, regaining a dignified and solemn demeanor. “Zirui, you only consider the ground and beneath the ground, why not consider the possibilities in the sky?”
“The sky?” Huangfu Yuchen pondered. “Are you suggesting using a large kite? But that would only be feasible when the wind direction is suitable, and it’s difficult to accurately determine the direction. What if we fly in the wrong direction and get lost in the deep mountains?”
Yan Ge stared at him blankly. His lover was truly talented, thinking about lifting the Earth with a lever! If Zirui had been born in a different era, the Wright brothers wouldn’t have had any significance!
“What?” Huangfu Yuchen lightly tapped his forehead.
“I didn’t mean that,” Yan Ge picked up four branches from a tree, “This is what I’m thinking, you see…”
He inserted two branches straight into the ground, and the other two branches were connected at an angle, inserting them into the ground.
“We can connect iron ropes between mountains, and hang baskets or gondolas on the ropes. When going out of the mountains, slide from this side to the other, and when returning, slide from that side to this. Not only can people pass like this, but goods can also be transported. Isn’t it time-saving and labor-saving? That’s one aspect. The second aspect is to simultaneously develop the tourism industry here. No other place has cable cars to cross the mountains. Anyone who wants to see or ride them will have to come here. For those who want to ride, we charge per ride. Moreover, once the transportation issue is resolved, the local people will surely come up with countless ideas to develop Rong County.”
Huangfu Yuchen held Yan Ge’s face and carefully examined it from all directions for a while.
Yan Ge covered his head with both hands, “You’re not thinking of dissecting my head to see what’s inside, are you?”
Huangfu Yuchen curved his lips, placing a hand on the back of his neck and planting a kiss on his left temple, then another on his right temple. They were moist, yet they immersed Yan Ge’s heart in a warm current.
“You always come up with such ingenious ideas. Baby, I really worry that one day your mind will turn too fast and you’ll become foolish. After leaving Rong County, we’ll head south through Fancheng. Fancheng is politically clear and economically developed, so we don’t need to worry about anything there. We’ll just enjoy ourselves then. Hmm?”
“Hey, hurry up and catch up!” Xiao Hu shouted from a distance.
Yan Ge picked a palm leaf larger than his face from a tree behind him, blocking the two of them and leaned in to kiss Huangfu Yuchen’s lips.
A sense of love and tenderness filled Huangfu Yuchen’s heart as he willingly deepened the kiss, their tongues tightly entwined, as if trying to draw his soul into his body.
Xiao Hu, Xiao Shan, and Niu Zi looked at each other, their faces turning red. They were all at an age where love buds were blossoming, and they could easily guess what Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen were doing.
“Baby, it’s been a long time since we’ve been intimate…” Huangfu Yuchen was stirred up by the kiss, and one of his hands had already secretly slipped into Yan Ge’s clothes.
“Let’s talk about it tonight,” Yan Ge said, leaving behind a sentence after quickly adjusting his clothes, walking away briskly.
Huangfu Yuchen effortlessly caught up with him.
Xiao Shan coughed lightly. “There are still children here. Please be mindful of the influence.”
Yan Jin remained calm and composed. “It’s alright. I’m already used to it.”
Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen were speechless at the same time. They had been pitted by their son.
Yan Ge tapped Yan Jin’s head, while Huangfu Yuchen playfully patted his bottom.
“Let’s keep going, keep going. There’s a river ahead. Let’s see if we can catch some fish,” Xiao Hu changed the subject.
They wandered around the mountains until the sun was almost setting. Altogether, they caught over ten pheasants and rabbits, but there were actually more that they couldn’t handle, so they had to release them.
Yan Ge paid Xiao He and the others, giving each of them an extra pheasant. Xiao Hu and the others declined, but Yan Ge insisted, and they had no choice but to accept. They were delighted and exchanged glances, clearly intending to find a chance to secretly eat them without letting their families know.
Yan Jin spent almost the whole day playing in the mountains. After dinner, he fell fast asleep on the bed.
Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen moved the dining table to the courtyard, enjoying wine and the moonlight. The fragrance of osmanthus filled the air, whether it was the intoxicating wine, the alluring scent of flowers, or the captivating presence of each other, they unknowingly embraced each other, concealed under the shade of a tree…
In the mountain temple to the east of the county town, flickering flames illuminated the surroundings, exuding a tempting aroma of roasted meat.
Xiao Hu, Xiao Shan, and Niu Zi sat by the blazing bonfire, each holding a stick with a plump pheasant skewered on it, already golden and crispy from the fire. The three of them stared unblinkingly at the pheasants, impatiently yearning for a taste of the meat.
Xiao Shan spoke, “Master Fang and Madam Fang are truly remarkable. Not only are they skilled in martial arts, but they are also wealthy. Did you see? They even have golden threads embroidered on their shoes. I wonder if they are real gold.”
Niu Zi nodded in agreement. “Yes, they are well-dressed.”
“Xiao Hu, why aren’t you saying anything?” Xiao Shan asked curiously.
Xiao Hu spoke in a deep voice, “We can also become people like them as long as we can leave this place.”
Xiao Shan and Niu Zi felt their hearts stirred.
Sighing, Xiao Shan said, “But how is that possible? We don’t have money. Xiao Hu, your parents don’t have money. As for me, my parents only think about finding me a wife. Niu Zi’s situation is even worse. He has no parents and has to fend for himself.”
“You all should know the legend of this mountain temple, right?” Xiao Hu smiled and turned the roasted chicken over.
“Of course, we know,” Xiao Shan said. “Even a three-year-old child knows it. About six to seven hundred years ago, a fallen member of the imperial family escaped to this place. He carried a lot of gold and silver treasures with him. Some kind-hearted people took him in, and he used part of his wealth to help build this mountain temple for the people of Rong County. Later, he died, and his body mysteriously disappeared, along with the rest of his treasures. It is said that his body is buried beneath this mountain temple.”
This story gave the three of them a creepy feeling, causing them to look around suspiciously.
Xiao Hu coughed lightly. “I suspect his treasures are also buried beneath this mountain temple.”
“What?!” Xiao Shan and Niu Zi exclaimed in astonishment.
Mountain Cable Cars
“Surprisingly, there’s even a braised fish?” All three of them loved fish.
Auntie Ma hurriedly said, “This was caught by my innkeeper from the river, so it’s free of charge.”
Huangfu Yuchen playfully glanced at Yan Ge. The innkeeper.
Yan Ge’s face flushed, and he said to Auntie Ma, “We must pay for it, otherwise, we would feel embarrassed to buy fish from Auntie Ma in the future. Auntie Ma, it would be best if you could make fish for us in every meal from now on.”
Auntie Ma quickly replied, “Alright, alright.”
“And our family has hearty appetites, so please double the portion of the meals from now on,” Yan Ge said with a smile.
“Okay, okay.”
After Auntie Ye and Auntie Ma left, Yan Ge and the other two sat down to eat. Yan Ge took out a jug of fine wine from his backpack and shared a toast with Huangfu Yuchen.
The Zhantian vine rested on Yan Ge’s head every day. At this time, it stuck out its ‘head’ (who knows if it’s its head or its rear end) to ‘look’ at the dining table, appearing a bit absent-minded. Yan Jin suspected that it had been beaten stupid by Yan Ge, but Yan Ge believed it was just not fully awake yet.
The spines on the fish’s belly were the easiest to remove, and Huangfu Yuchen picked out the meat from both sides of the fish’s belly and gave it to Yan Ge.
Yan Jin held his chin, pouting helplessly, “It’s pitiful for the child who nobody cares about.”
“Even during meals, you can’t stop talking.” Yan Ge divided the fish meat in half and gave it to him.
Huangfu Yuchen ate the fish head and tail himself.
Yan Ge said, “Later, I’ll talk to Auntie Ma and ask her to cook a few more fish for tonight.”
While they were eating, Xiao Hu, Xiao Shan, and Niu Zi arrived. They all carried bows and arrows on their backs, water bags slung over their shoulders, and a large cloth bag tied to their waist.
“Come in and have a seat. Have you eaten?” Yan Ge said.
“We’ve eaten,” Xiao Shan said while secretly glancing at the dining table, his mouth watering.
Yan Jin asked curiously, “There are so many phesants in the mountains. You can have as much as you want. You should be tired of eating them by now.”
“Little Jin,” Yan Ge stopped him from being rude.
Xiao Shan rubbed his head sheepishly, “Usually, when we go hunting in the mountains and catch phesants or rabbits, most of them are turned into dried goods and sold for money on market days.”
“When it’s time to eat, you should eat. What’s the point of keeping so much money?” Yan Jin pouted.
Xiao Shan’s face turned red, “Saving it… for getting married.”
Xiao Hu and Niu Zi burst into laughter.
Yan Jin looked at Xiao Shan sympathetically and took out three snacks wrapped in oil paper from his pouch and handed them to him, “Here, one for each of you.”
Xiao Hu looked at his innocent face with a generous expression and couldn’t help but laugh, “What is this?”
“These are snacks brought from the capital city, beef jerky! You can’t buy them outside. I treat you to them.”
Xiao Hu said, “No need. How could we eat a child’s food?”
Yan Jin said, “Why can’t you eat? When we reach the mountain, if I can’t walk anymore, you three will take turns carrying me.”
In the eyes of Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen, Xiao Hu and the others were just children like Yan Jin, so they didn’t get involved in the matters between the four. They continued to drink and eat.
Xiao Hu, Xiao Shan, and Niu Ziu exchanged glances and took the snacks offered to them. While eating, they nodded at each other. It was indeed delicious, as expected of something from the capital. The three of them made up their minds to take good care of Yan Jin once they reached the mountain. If they found any delicious fruits, they would give them all to him.
Huangfu Yuchen finished his meal first and filled their water bags with water.
After Yan Ge and Yan Jin finished eating, the group headed up the mountain together. Xiao Hu and the others noticed that even their water bags were more exquisite than theirs. They were decorated with golden threads, making them envious.
There were many wild beasts in the mountains, and a simple and practical city wall made of bricks and thorny bushes surrounded the county town. As they walked further away from the town, about a hundred meters, the trees and weeds became denser.
Xiao Hu said, “There are many small hills in the mountains, and it’s easy to get lost. You two young masters must not wander off. It’s best to follow us from behind.”
Yan Ge asked, “Are the ‘small hills’ you mentioned referring to actual small hills?”
Niu Zi said, “When you look from the highest mountain into the distance, the tall and slender peaks resemble hills, so we just call them ‘small hills’.”
“I see, it’s quite an apt description,” Yan Ge said. “Don’t worry, we won’t get lost. If there are any mushrooms or wild vegetables in the mountains, you should introduce them to us. We like to try rare things.”
“Okay,” Xiao Shan pointed with his bow to a cluster of bamboo not far away, “there are bamboo shoots over there. They taste delicious when chilled, fried, or made into soup. If you want to eat them, we can dig some for you when we go back… Oh, and there’s…”
Yan Ge held Yan Jin in his arms, and he looked around curiously, everything seemed fresh to him.
“Father, there’s a pheasant over there.”
Xiao Hu and Xiao Shan immediately stopped and quietly raised their bows and arrows, aiming at the pheasant. Unfortunately, their shots missed. Startled, the pheasant flapped its wings, trying to escape.
Huangfu Yuchen plucked a green fruit from a tree, flicked it with his middle finger, and the fruit hit the pheasant’s neck with a “pop,” knocking it unconscious.
“Amazing!” Niu Zi ran over and picked up the wild chicken.
“That was the legendary ‘martial arts,’ right?” Xiao Hu asked Huangfu Yuchen excitedly, “Can I become your disciple? I learn things very quickly!”
Huangfu Yuchen glanced at him calmly but didn’t say a word.
Yan Ge knew that Huangfu Yuchen was in a bad mood. The situation in Rong County was severe, and it wouldn’t be easy to improve it, and the biggest problem was the inconvenient transportation. He tried to smooth things over, “It’s impossible to take you as a disciple, as we won’t stay here for long. However, I can teach you a few moves during our leisure time.”
“Madam Fang, do you also have martial arts skills?”
“I want to learn too!”
“Count me in.”
Yan Ge said, “No problem, we’ll discuss it when we get back. For now, let’s continue up the mountain.”
A pheasant chased another pheasant, and they run past them.
Yan Ge said casually, “There are so many pheasants in these mountains.”
“Yes,” Xiao Shan said, “usually when we go hunting, we usually catch pheasants.”
Huangfu Yuchen asked Niu Zi for help in carrying Yan Jin. Gradually, he and Yan Ge fell behind the group and he spoke softly to Yan Ge, “Baby, I observed this morning that although every family keeps chickens, they don’t have many. If they can catch these pheasants and raise them on a large scale, it could be a good source of income. What do you think? Unfortunately, Rong County has transportation issues. Even with various development methods, it won’t work if we can’t solve the transportation problem.”
Yan Ge smiled and hooked his arm around Huangfu Yuchen’s shoulder. With his other hand, he patted his sturdy buttocks firmly. “Call me ‘husband’ once, and maybe I can come up with a good solution for you.”
“You mean you have a way to improve transportation?” Huangfu Yuchen hugged Yan Ge’s waist, clearing the branches that blocked their path. “Baby, it’s not that I don’t trust you, but Rong County is surrounded by layers of mountains. The mountain roads are winding, and even if we want to build roads, it will take at least ten or eight years to succeed. Or… are you suggesting digging straight tunnels? But that would also take a long time.”
Yan Ge’s lips curled with a smug smile, in a posture of ‘beg me.’ “Call me ‘husband’.”
Huangfu Yuchen looked at him calmly. “Husband. Can we talk now?”
Yan Ge almost jumped up in excitement, and he continued to provoke, “One more time.”
Huangfu Yuchen raised an eyebrow with a meaningful look. He kissed his earlobe, and said in a deep and magnetic voice filled with temptation, “I’ve decided to save it for when we’re in bed tonight. What do you think, baby?”
Yan Ge’s expression immediately turned serious, regaining a dignified and solemn demeanor. “Zirui, you only consider the ground and beneath the ground, why not consider the possibilities in the sky?”
“The sky?” Huangfu Yuchen pondered. “Are you suggesting using a large kite? But that would only be feasible when the wind direction is suitable, and it’s difficult to accurately determine the direction. What if we fly in the wrong direction and get lost in the deep mountains?”
Yan Ge stared at him blankly. His lover was truly talented, thinking about lifting the Earth with a lever! If Zirui had been born in a different era, the Wright brothers wouldn’t have had any significance!
“What?” Huangfu Yuchen lightly tapped his forehead.
“I didn’t mean that,” Yan Ge picked up four branches from a tree, “This is what I’m thinking, you see…”
He inserted two branches straight into the ground, and the other two branches were connected at an angle, inserting them into the ground.
“We can connect iron ropes between mountains, and hang baskets or gondolas on the ropes. When going out of the mountains, slide from this side to the other, and when returning, slide from that side to this. Not only can people pass like this, but goods can also be transported. Isn’t it time-saving and labor-saving? That’s one aspect. The second aspect is to simultaneously develop the tourism industry here. No other place has cable cars to cross the mountains. Anyone who wants to see or ride them will have to come here. For those who want to ride, we charge per ride. Moreover, once the transportation issue is resolved, the local people will surely come up with countless ideas to develop Rong County.”
Huangfu Yuchen held Yan Ge’s face and carefully examined it from all directions for a while.
Yan Ge covered his head with both hands, “You’re not thinking of dissecting my head to see what’s inside, are you?”
Huangfu Yuchen curved his lips, placing a hand on the back of his neck and planting a kiss on his left temple, then another on his right temple. They were moist, yet they immersed Yan Ge’s heart in a warm current.
“You always come up with such ingenious ideas. Baby, I really worry that one day your mind will turn too fast and you’ll become foolish. After leaving Rong County, we’ll head south through Fancheng. Fancheng is politically clear and economically developed, so we don’t need to worry about anything there. We’ll just enjoy ourselves then. Hmm?”
“Hey, hurry up and catch up!” Xiao Hu shouted from a distance.
Yan Ge picked a palm leaf larger than his face from a tree behind him, blocking the two of them and leaned in to kiss Huangfu Yuchen’s lips.
A sense of love and tenderness filled Huangfu Yuchen’s heart as he willingly deepened the kiss, their tongues tightly entwined, as if trying to draw his soul into his body.
Xiao Hu, Xiao Shan, and Niu Zi looked at each other, their faces turning red. They were all at an age where love buds were blossoming, and they could easily guess what Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen were doing.
“Baby, it’s been a long time since we’ve been intimate…” Huangfu Yuchen was stirred up by the kiss, and one of his hands had already secretly slipped into Yan Ge’s clothes.
“Let’s talk about it tonight,” Yan Ge said, leaving behind a sentence after quickly adjusting his clothes, walking away briskly.
Huangfu Yuchen effortlessly caught up with him.
Xiao Shan coughed lightly. “There are still children here. Please be mindful of the influence.”
Yan Jin remained calm and composed. “It’s alright. I’m already used to it.”
Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen were speechless at the same time. They had been pitted by their son.
Yan Ge tapped Yan Jin’s head, while Huangfu Yuchen playfully patted his bottom.
“Let’s keep going, keep going. There’s a river ahead. Let’s see if we can catch some fish,” Xiao Hu changed the subject.
They wandered around the mountains until the sun was almost setting. Altogether, they caught over ten pheasants and rabbits, but there were actually more that they couldn’t handle, so they had to release them.
Yan Ge paid Xiao He and the others, giving each of them an extra pheasant. Xiao Hu and the others declined, but Yan Ge insisted, and they had no choice but to accept. They were delighted and exchanged glances, clearly intending to find a chance to secretly eat them without letting their families know.
Yan Jin spent almost the whole day playing in the mountains. After dinner, he fell fast asleep on the bed.
Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen moved the dining table to the courtyard, enjoying wine and the moonlight. The fragrance of osmanthus filled the air, whether it was the intoxicating wine, the alluring scent of flowers, or the captivating presence of each other, they unknowingly embraced each other, concealed under the shade of a tree…
In the mountain temple to the east of the county town, flickering flames illuminated the surroundings, exuding a tempting aroma of roasted meat.
Xiao Hu, Xiao Shan, and Niu Zi sat by the blazing bonfire, each holding a stick with a plump pheasant skewered on it, already golden and crispy from the fire. The three of them stared unblinkingly at the pheasants, impatiently yearning for a taste of the meat.
Xiao Shan spoke, “Master Fang and Madam Fang are truly remarkable. Not only are they skilled in martial arts, but they are also wealthy. Did you see? They even have golden threads embroidered on their shoes. I wonder if they are real gold.”
Niu Zi nodded in agreement. “Yes, they are well-dressed.”
“Xiao Hu, why aren’t you saying anything?” Xiao Shan asked curiously.
Xiao Hu spoke in a deep voice, “We can also become people like them as long as we can leave this place.”
Xiao Shan and Niu Zi felt their hearts stirred.
Sighing, Xiao Shan said, “But how is that possible? We don’t have money. Xiao Hu, your parents don’t have money. As for me, my parents only think about finding me a wife. Niu Zi’s situation is even worse. He has no parents and has to fend for himself.”
“You all should know the legend of this mountain temple, right?” Xiao Hu smiled and turned the roasted chicken over.
“Of course, we know,” Xiao Shan said. “Even a three-year-old child knows it. About six to seven hundred years ago, a fallen member of the imperial family escaped to this place. He carried a lot of gold and silver treasures with him. Some kind-hearted people took him in, and he used part of his wealth to help build this mountain temple for the people of Rong County. Later, he died, and his body mysteriously disappeared, along with the rest of his treasures. It is said that his body is buried beneath this mountain temple.”
This story gave the three of them a creepy feeling, causing them to look around suspiciously.
Xiao Hu coughed lightly. “I suspect his treasures are also buried beneath this mountain temple.”
“What?!” Xiao Shan and Niu Zi exclaimed in astonishment.
