B5SB -Chapter 8 Going Up the Mountain

At mealtime, Zhang Cuihua looked at the wild-vegetable porridge and wild-vegetable corn buns on the table and said with a displeased face, “Mother, are we out of grain at home?”

“Eat it if you want. If not, go hungry. From now on, after work every day, all of you go dig wild vegetables,” Grandma Gu said as she drank her porridge.

“Daya and Mengmeng, you don’t need to go to work anymore either. Go up the mountain to dig wild vegetables and dry them into dried greens,” Grandma Gu said as she looked at them.

“Mother, they still need to work to earn work points. Otherwise, when grain is distributed at the end of the year, what will we eat?” the eldest sister-in-law of the Gu family said unhappily.

Grandma Gu didn’t respond to her. She looked at Daya and Gu Meng. The two girls said, “We understand, Grandma.”

“Grandma, Mom, I’m back!” Before he could even be seen, his voice was heard. The eldest sister-in-law immediately stood up and ran to the doorway, pulling Gu Hao’s hand. “Son, why are you back at this hour?”

Gu Hao was sixteen this year and already a young teenager. He was about 1.73 meters tall. Though skinny and dark red from the sun, his thick brows framed a pair of particularly lively, spirited eyes.

“Mom, it’s summer vacation. Of course I came home,” Gu Hao said happily.

Grandma Gu also asked whether life at school had been good, and Gu Hao said everything was fine.

After returning home, Gu Hao also went out to work with the adults.

These days, Gu Yihan went every day with her cousin Gu Meng to dig wild vegetables. Life felt quite full.

Today, Gu Yihan went up the mountain together with Gu Meng. Gu Meng was already eleven and didn’t like leading her around, so she ditched her halfway up the mountain.

Gu Yihan could only dig wild vegetables on her own while keeping an eye on her surroundings.

“Oh—there’s a rabbit.” Gu Yihan spotted a black rabbit not far away and ran toward it. She herself wasn’t lacking meat, but she didn’t dare take any out.

She ran as fast as she could, lunging forward. After several attempts, she finally pressed the rabbit down with her belly. She was overjoyed.

Struggling, she picked up the rabbit and was just about to stand up when—

“Aidang, will you really marry me?” A soft, affected voice came from nearby.

Gu Yihan instantly froze in the grass, not daring to move. Was that her so-called cheap father?

She wasn’t entirely sure. Since the founding of the nation, many people in the village had changed their names—there were plenty of people named Dang or Jianguo.

She quietly pricked up her ears and listened.

“As long as you give me a big, fat son, I’ll immediately divorce that yellow-faced wife at home and marry you, you little vixen.” It was Gu Aidang’s voice.

“Oh my god, that’s solid proof—it really is that cheap biological father of mine,” Gu Yihan thought silently, wondering how she could get away.

Soon, rough panting and moaning sounds came from the small hillside.

Gu Yihan bent over and carefully edged away, afraid of making any noise.

Gu Aidang’s hoarse voice came again: “So? Me or that short-lived husband of yours—who’s better?”

The woman panted coquettishly, “You bastard, you’re better, alright? Have some shame.”

Gu Yihan wanted to stab her own ears at this point. She quickened her pace, worried she’d vomit last night’s meal.

Before she even reached home after coming down the mountain, she started shouting, “Grandma, Grandma, look what I caught!”

Grandma Gu quickly took the little basket off her granddaughter’s back. Seeing a big, fat rabbit inside, her face broke into a chrysanthemum-like smile. “Such a big rabbit! Did you go deep into the mountains?”

She worriedly checked her granddaughter over and, seeing that nothing was wrong, finally relaxed.

Gu Yihan calmed her wildly pounding heart and said, “No, Grandma. This rabbit was really stupid. I just pressed it with my belly and it couldn’t run anymore.”

She didn’t mention seeing her cheap father on the mountain. It wouldn’t affect her own life anyway, and if others found out, they might think she was selfish and cold-hearted.

But in this era, it was far too hard for girls to make their own way out.

Her cousin was already thirteen this year, and the family had begun looking at young men from nearby villages for her. That wasn’t the life Gu Yihan wanted.

“Where’s your sister? Weren’t you two digging wild vegetables together? Why did you come back alone?” Grandma Gu looked behind her and didn’t see Gu Meng.

Gu Yihan didn’t hide it for Gu Meng. “She ditched me at the foot of the mountain. I didn’t see her when I came down.”

Grandma Gu was furious when she heard this.

As she cleaned the rabbit, she cursed, “That’s a real white-eyed wolf. She was ruined by her mother’s teaching. You’re still so little, and she dared to leave you behind. Wasn’t she afraid something might happen to you?”

Gu Yihan trotted up to Grandma Gu and said, “Grandma, don’t be angry. I’m fine, aren’t I? Don’t get yourself upset—it’s not worth it.”

Grandma Gu especially loved hearing her little granddaughter talk; it warmed her heart. “Alright, Grandma won’t be angry.”

Grandma Gu didn’t cook the whole rabbit—she only used half and hung the rest in the well.

At dinner, the whole family was present. Gu Meng had come home at some point too.

Seeing the meat, Gu Aidang said, “Mother, where did the meat come from? Today’s meal is quite generous.”

“Hanhan had good luck and caught it on the mountain,” Grandma Gu said.

“Impressive. Mengmeng, next time you go up the mountain, I’ll go with you to get some of that luck,” Gu Hao said as he ate.

Gu Yihan deliberately said it was caught at the foot of the mountain and that she hadn’t gone up.

Everyone was busy eating the rabbit meat, and no one said anything more.

After finishing, Gu Hao said contentedly, “This is the best meal I’ve had all year.”