"Xiuhua, I can't just hand this stuff straight to you. So I loaded it all into this jar for you." I pointed at the earthen jar beside me, tied off with coarse cloth and weighted down with a stone. Then pushed the money back to her. "If you get a hankering, just come take some yourself. Hang on to this money for now, use it to round up more mountain goods for me. When the delivery guy comes, we'll ship it all home together."
When it came to Xiuqian, I laid it out straight. "If Xiuqian's willing, I'll see to everything. Food, clothes, roof over her head, treat her right. But if she's not, I won't push. And I sure won't lean on what's between you and me to make things hard on her."
I meant every word. I knew full well I'd have to head back to the capital eventually. That was where my roots were. What I could give in this country life was sincerity and care. But the word future, that was a promise I couldn't make, and I wasn't about to string her along with empty talk.
Xiuhua took the money and said gently, "Chunzhu, little brother, I've got it all in mind. I'll get right to work on your cotton clothes when I'm back. I've still got a few thick pieces of cotton cloth at home. I promise I'll make it warm and well-fitting. All right, I won't keep you from resting. I'll take a walk around the village, hold whatever good mountain goods any household's got for you."
She tucked the money away close to her body, pressed it flat, then turned and went out of the yard.
It really is bitter cold. I rubbed my stiff, frozen hands as a gust of wind snuck in through the door crack and set me shivering. Remembering the hot spring I'd heard about when I moved in, warmth stirred in me, and I just headed around to the back of the house.
I'd only lived here a few days and hadn't really looked the place over. The whole house was strung together by a two-meter-wide round blue stone passage linking all the rooms. At the end of the passage was a spacious front room. Off one side of the corridor a storeroom was partitioned out, and off the other were two empty rooms. Deepest of all was the hot spring room I'd been thinking about, with two bedrooms right beside it.
The hot spring water was channeled up from the base of the cliff behind the house, running right through, circulating and never drying up. Warm year round. No wonder the whole place stayed toasty without firing the kang or lighting a fire.
I pushed open the back door of the hot spring room, and a damp warmth washed over my face. But the next second, the sight in front of me stunned me.
Below my feet was a cliff over two hundred meters high, the view impossibly wide open. Past the unbroken snowy peaks I could even make out wisps of chimney smoke over in Russian territory. Behind me towered mountain ranges, and a big river at their foot had long since frozen over. The hot spring steam drifted out through the door crack and froze into a faint mist in midair. So beautiful I couldn't tear my eyes away.
This place was a treasure. Come summer, grass and trees lush and green, paired with the hot spring steam, it'd probably outshine even those famous gardens back in the capital.
Around the cliff's edge ran a sturdy wooden fence over two meters tall, kept the livestock in and the kids from falling. You could tell the previous owner was careful. From the fence to the house, a plot of land fifty-some meters square, all mine alone. The cliff was sheer, nowhere to climb up except my own yard, and the villagers next door were blocked by the tall fence and couldn't see over this way. A fine spot for storing things.
This. I stroked my chin. Put up a warehouse here. Store mountain goods, grain, anything that can't take the cold or shouldn't go missing. Couldn't be more perfect.
I crouched down to take a look at the hot spring pool and suddenly went still. It was made of cement, the pool's edge smooth and even, not a rough corner anywhere. Having a hot spring like this in these times was a real rarity.
Just as I was figuring out when to break ground on the warehouse, a familiar voice came from behind me. "Chunzhu, buddy, standing in the doorway catching a draft on a cold night like this, you'll catch a chill."
I turned. Xiuhua was standing by the fence not far off, waving at me with a bamboo basket in hand.
"Sis Xiuhua, how come you're — is this your place?" I really hadn't expected my next-door neighbor to be her. I'd always taken the mountain path around the village to visit and never once realized our two homes were just a few steps apart.
"That's right. I've lived here a good few years." She smiled and waved me closer. "I just asked at a couple of houses. There's dried mushrooms and mountain walnuts, both good quality. Came to let you know."
I stepped over to the fence. "Sis Xiuhua, I'm planning to put up a little warehouse on this open ground. Store mountain goods, meat, eggs, all the stuff that can't take cold or go missing. Whatever you want to eat, just come take it yourself. That way I don't even have to fence off a separate area. Keeps things from feeling distant between us." I paused and softened my tone. "Once that business on your end is behind you, bring Xiuqian over to keep you company. Have someone to lean on. It's quiet over here. Nobody nosing around. The two of you sisters can live here with your minds at ease."
Gratitude welled up in Xiuhua's eyes. "Chunzhu, little brother, thank you. You really think of everything. Nobody comes back here. And come spring the households raise a few chickens back here on the sly, just to feed them and gather eggs. They'll never come near your side."
"Then I can rest easy." I smiled. "You go on and see to things. I'll leave the door on the latch tonight. I'm chilled to the bone these past couple of days. Going to soak in the hot spring first and work off the fatigue."
Xiuhua waved goodbye and headed into the village with her bamboo basket.
I went back into the hot spring room, pulled the door to, peeled off my clothes, and slipped into the warm water, and let out a contented sigh. Ahh. Water's just the right temperature.
Leaning against the pool wall with my eyes closed, I fully unwound. Never figured this out-of-the-way Longhang Village would have a natural hot spring, gorgeous scenery, and someone as gentle and thoughtful as Xiuhua. This trip wasn't a wasted one after all.
The only shame was, if I could soak in the hot spring with a pot of hot tea, taking in all these snowy peaks, well, that'd be a life the immortals themselves wouldn't trade for.
Half an hour later, I climbed out of the hot spring. Nothing better to do. Might as well go see what good stuff's on level four of the hunting space.
Life this era was so monotonous. Aside from working the fields, eating and sleeping, there wasn't a lick of entertainment. No wonder every household could pop out a whole brood of kids. In the future you'd scroll your phone and a day would vanish in a blink.
I grabbed the axe, a thought flickered, my form wavered, and the scene before me twisted.