After returning from the Mountain, Kang He stayed up there for two days.
He had promised Kang He to teach Fan Jing archery, but he hadn’t brought it up again since.
That day, Kang He went to see Zhang Shili to check on the bee boxes he had delivered and brought along a bowl of Sour Long Bean Fried Minced Meat.
The temperature on the Mountain wasn’t high, so things kept well.
This dish, once cooled and set, could be scooped up and mixed with noodles.
It was perfect for someone like Zhang Shili, who wasn’t good at cooking but still wanted to eat something tasty.
Kang He checked several bee boxes, applied another layer of beeswax, then drank a bowl of wine with Zhang Shili before heading home. By then, it was already late.
Fan Jing was in the yard sharpening a knife.
When he saw Kang He return, he didn’t ask anything.
The next morning, Fan Jing took up the bow and declared that he would teach Kang He archery.
Kang He couldn’t help but grin, following him out to the forest, happy as could be.
“Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Only after you’ve steadied your stance will your shots not stray.”
“Keep the arrow perpendicular to the bow. When you draw, use both your arm and back muscles.”
“When you release, let your fingers relax naturally.”
With a whoosh, the arrow flew off the string, but it seemed to lack strength and landed less than ten feet away, sticking into the ground.
The string kept vibrating, making Kang He’s hand go numb.
Still, Kang He felt a ripple of excitement inside.
For a first try, shooting the arrow that far was already much better than he’d expected—it didn’t just fall at his feet.
He rubbed his numb hand and hurried to try a few more times, but each attempt was worse than the last.
Kang He’s hands were so numb that he lost all feeling, but he stubbornly kept trying, using up more than half the arrows in the basket.
The arrows ended up scattered all over, some lying flat, some sticking up.
Fan Jing watched in silence for a while.
When he saw Kang He’s hand turning red and the skin breaking, he frowned and walked over.
Kang He was usually a patient person, but repeated failure was wearing on him.
He was just pondering what he was doing wrong when someone suddenly took hold of his hand.
He turned his head and found Fan Jing’s face almost pressed against his own.
Fan Jing was about as tall as Kang He’s ear. Standing at his side, he took Kang He’s hand to raise the bow, his other hand placing an arrow, arms almost encircling Kang He.
“Look at me or look at the arrow.”
Hearing this, Kang He quickly turned his head to focus on the front. With a sharp whoosh, the bamboo arrow pierced a wind-blown leaf and stuck firmly into a tree in the distance.
“Nice shot!”
Kang He couldn’t help but shout, jumping up with joy. With a bang, his chin slammed hard into Fan Jing’s nose.
Fan Jing immediately sensed something was wrong. He frowned and instinctively reached up to touch his nose.
He felt a warm trickle slide down.
“Did I hurt you?! Let me see.”
Kang He didn’t care about his own chin and hurried to check on Fan Jing.
Fan Jing turned away, not letting him see, and covered his nose as he went into the wooden house.
Kang He glimpsed a streak of red seeping through Fan Jing’s fingers, so he dropped the bow and rushed after him.
He quickly fetched some cotton to stop the bleeding for Fan Jing.
It wasn’t a serious bump—just a little blood, and then it was fine.
After this incident, Fan Jing summed up Kang He’s archery skills in four words: as dumb as a pig.
That night, Kang He looked at Fan Jing’s slightly reddened nose and felt a pang of guilt.
He gently touched Fan Jing’s straight nose bridge. “Does it still hurt? Want me to put some more medicine on it?”
Fan Jing brushed his hand away, closed his eyes, and went to sleep, ignoring him.
Kang He sighed softly, falling into a melancholy mood.
“Looks like I really don’t have what it takes to learn archery. I’d have to start as a child.”
“If only I were smaller than you, this wouldn’t have happened today.”
“Poor Ajing, with such a fine nose. If I broke it, the world would lose one more handsome young man.”
Fan Jing frowned. “Why do you talk so much nonsense?”
Seeing Fan Jing open his eyes, Kang He quickly turned over and faced him. “It’s because you never talk, so I seem even chattier.”
Fan Jing looked at Kang He. “What did you call me just now?”
Kang He replied, “Ajing.”
Fan Jing’s brows twitched as he pondered something. Suddenly, he felt a warm, soft, and moist touch on his nose bridge. Looking up, he saw Kang He had kissed his nose.
“Does it still hurt?”
Fan Jing said nothing.
Maybe it had already stopped hurting, or maybe this really did help, but he truly didn’t feel any discomfort anymore.
Fan Jing was silent for a while as night deepened.
He finally said, “Call me that from now on.”
These days, Kang He wandered the Mountain with Fan Jing and even came across some prey. But every time, the animals were all round-bellied, carrying young.
Now that the weather was warmer, animals were breeding. Early spring was just the right season.
Usually, if hunters came across pregnant ewes or sows, even if it was rare, the more principled ones wouldn’t hunt them.
Because of this, with more choices in spring, hunting was actually harder than usual.
Several days passed in a row with little success.
Their dry rations were almost gone, so Fan Jing told Kang He they should go down the Mountain for a while to help with the spring planting at home.
Nowadays, Chen Shi went to the County Town every few days to sell Steamed Bean Curd, so the farm work at home fell on Fan Father’s shoulders. There wasn’t much land, but one person couldn’t manage it all alone.
They couldn’t be early or late.
Once the work was done, they’d come back when summer was near.
Kang He agreed, knowing he could come up to check the bees whenever he had spare time.
So the two of them packed up and went to the County Town, selling off what few animals they had.
By chance, they ran into Chen Shi, who was selling Steamed Bean Curd.
“Come take a look! Fresh Steamed Bean Curd, soft and tender… Sanlang, Dajing!”
Chen Shi had left before dawn, carrying her wares on her back to save a few coins on the ox cart fare.
She’d been hawking all morning, and by noon, only half the basin of Steamed Bean Curd was sold.
The sun hung directly overhead, making her dizzy from the heat. When she saw people approaching, she instinctively called out, only to realize it was Kang He and Fan Jing.
“Today the Steamed Bean Curd isn’t selling well. Usually, by now, most of it’s gone.”
Chen Shi lowered her voice. “These days, there are three more people selling Steamed Bean Curd in the County Town. It’s not rare anymore, so business isn’t as good as before.”
Kang He comforted her, “This kind of small business is something anyone can do—it’s normal. Look how many stalls sell fried dough cakes or vegetables. Every trade is crowded, and competition is everywhere. Nothing in this world goes smoothly, so don’t worry too much, Mother.”
Fan Jing saw that Chen Shi was parched from a morning of shouting, so he went to the Tea Stand in the alley and brought her a bowl of tea soup.
Chen Shi took it, feeling soothed, and said, “You’re right. I’m not discouraged. Even though everyone’s selling the same thing, there are always differences. Our Steamed Bean Curd is better, and there are still customers who only buy from us.”
Kang He told Fan Jing to wait at the County Town gate under the canopy while he and Chen Shi sold the rest of the Steamed Bean Curd.
Fan Jing wasn’t good at hawking, and having him along would only make things harder.
After Fan Jing left, Kang He put the Steamed Bean Curd in a basket and went with Chen Shi to hawk it through the streets.
They shouted from the main street to the residential alleys. Kang He’s voice was strong and could be heard from far away.
In the alleys, people would open a crack in their doors when they heard the call. Well-dressed women or husbands would come out to buy some Steamed Bean Curd.
“It sells better when we walk the streets,” Chen Sanfang said after wrapping up four pieces for a customer. “But I can’t walk much carrying all this.”
“Selling in one place or moving around each have their advantages. Once people know where you are, regulars will come to you. Walking the streets is tiring, but you meet more people, so you have a better chance of getting customers.”
Kang He still preferred Chen Sanfang to sell in one spot—it was less tiring, and she was good at talking, so she could build up a base of regulars.
“I’ll stick to selling in one place. If it really doesn’t sell, I’ll walk the streets again.”
Kang He agreed, and after walking a few more streets, there was only a little Steamed Bean Curd left.
They were about to head out of town to sell the rest when they ran into an old man leading a livestock animal.
The old man was quite a sight—he was leading a young Donkey toward the Livestock Market, calling out in a hoarse voice, “Donkey for sale, strong and healthy, good price!”
Kang He guessed the man really wanted to sell the Donkey, but if he took it to the Livestock Market, the price would be pressed down.
After all, the buyers there needed to resell it for a profit, so they’d buy as cheap as possible and sell high to make money.
It was the same as when Kang He sold Root Vermicelli at the Dried Goods Shop.
Seeing Chen Shi staring at the Donkey, Kang He called her over to stop the old man.
“Uncle, are you selling your Donkey?”
“Yep, good Donkey, very gentle. Young man, ma’am, take a look.”
The old man greeted them warmly.
Kang He circled the Donkey, seeing its bright, alert eyes, uninjured body, and sturdy legs. He asked, “Uncle, what price are you asking for the Donkey?”
The old man said, “I want to sell, so I won’t ask for a high price. Eight strings of cash and it’s yours.”
Chen Shi knew that livestock like this cost a lot, but hearing that even a young Donkey not fully grown cost eight strings, she couldn’t help but click her tongue.
Kang He smiled. “Uncle, your Donkey looks good, but only those livestock dealers at the Livestock Market ask for that kind of price. If you sell it at that price, how will the dealers make money?”
With that, he waved his hand and started to walk away with Chen Shi.
The old man quickly called him back. “Young man, you have a sharp eye. I won’t pretend anymore. If you really want to buy, offer a price a bit higher than what I’d get at the Livestock Market, and I’ll sell it to you instead.”
Kang He thought this was fair.
If you’re really looking to buy livestock and come across a good price, it’s best to buy early—good things don’t always wait for you to save up.
Kang He had Chen Shi fetch Fan Jing, who was more experienced with animals, to check the Donkey and discuss the price.
Otherwise, no matter how cheap, if the animal was no good, it was a waste.
Chen Sanfang saw Kang He was interested in buying and got excited, promising to go find Fan Jing at the County Town gate.
Soon, Fan Jing arrived.
The old man glanced at Fan Jing’s calm eyes, which seemed to see through everything. Even though Fan Jing was just a young man, the old man felt a bit intimidated.
Strangely, he didn’t feel that way with Kang He, who was even taller.
The old man didn’t try to put on an act and asked in a low voice, “Young man, is this Donkey good?”
Fan Jing didn’t say much but nodded at Kang He.
The old man let out a long sigh of relief.
Kang He pulled Fan Jing aside and asked, “Should we buy the Donkey?”
Fan Jing said, “A grown Donkey costs more, a young one less. This one is healthy and will grow fast.”
Chen Shi added, “We can feed it plenty of grass, and it’ll grow quickly. Last year, we got two Piglets, and now they’re already a foot long.”
Since everyone agreed, Kang He started bargaining with the old man.
“Uncle, my husband says your Donkey is healthy. You’re sincere about selling, and we’re sincere about buying. Seven strings of cash, the same as at the Livestock Market, and we’ll pay in full right now.”
“Young man, that’s too low. You’d knock off a whole string just like that? Poor families like ours can’t save up that much in a year.”
The old man said, “If my son hadn’t arranged a marriage and we needed to host a banquet, I wouldn’t sell the Donkey.”
Chen Sanfang said, “Uncle, we’re honest folks. Your Donkey is good, and we won’t badmouth it to haggle. But it’s still young and can’t do much work yet. With spring plowing, we’ll have to spend extra time feeding it.”
“Ma’am, it’ll grow fast. Buy it in spring, and by autumn, it’ll be strong enough to carry loads or turn the mill. If you want a grown Donkey, it’d cost over a dozen strings.”
Kang He added, “Let’s not haggle anymore. We’ll add another 120 coins as a congratulatory gift for your family’s happy event.”
Chen Shi chimed in, “Your Donkey is clean and well cared for. Clearly, you’re someone who loves your animals. Once it’s with us, we’ll take good care of it. We’re not the type to mistreat livestock.”
The old man was silent for a while before saying, “Alright. Since you value my Donkey so much, I’ll let it go to a good home. It won’t be in vain that I raised it.”
With that, the price was settled.
But Kang He, Fan Jing, and Chen Shi didn’t have enough money on them, so they gave the old man a string of cash as a deposit and took the Donkey back to the Village to fetch the rest.
The old man was nervous at first, afraid they’d cheat him, but once he got to the Fan house and saw it wasn’t wealthy, he relaxed.
The two girls brought out stools and tea for him, making him feel welcome.
“Dajing, Sanlang, do you two have enough money? I can bring out a string if you need it. If it’s not enough, I’ll borrow some from your uncle. Even if they scold us, they’ll still help.”
Chen Sanfang brought a string of cash to Kang He and Fan Jing’s room. She had a little more, but with household expenses and spring planting coming up, she couldn’t use it all at once.
“It’s enough. We just sold a deer, and with what we made from the Powdered Noodles, we have a little extra.”
Kang He told Chen Shi, not intending to use her money.
But Chen Sanfang pressed the money into his hand. “Buying livestock is a big family matter. How can you two pay for it all? You might have a little extra now, but once you have children, there’ll be more expenses. If I don’t help, your father will blame me.”
Kang He understood it was her way of showing she cared and accepted the money.
They settled the payment with the old man, who was pleased with their straightforwardness and shared tips for raising livestock.
When he left, the family gave him a piece of Steamed Bean Curd as a gift, telling him they also sold Steamed Bean Curd, and even chickens and ducks.
The old man said he’d tell others in his Village about it.
By the time he left, it was late afternoon.
Fan Father saw a stranger pass by the house and hurried home, only to find Kang He and Fan Jing had bought a Donkey.
Fan Shoulin was overjoyed, circling the Donkey in the backyard. “Hey, we bought a Donkey!”
He grinned. “Such a fine Donkey.”
Chen Shi brought out wild vegetable mash to feed the chickens and ducks and scolded Fan Father, “You’ve been staring at it for half an hour, and your muddy feet are covered in chicken droppings. Go wash up.”
“There are only a handful of families with livestock in the Village. Now we’re one of them.”
Fan Shoulin was quite proud, humming a cheerful tune.
Chen Shi laughed and scolded, “Raising it to adulthood is the real skill.”
Kang He, inside the house, heard Chen Shi and Fan Father talking outside and couldn’t help but smile.
He counted the money in the box. The money Fan Jing had saved since the New Year, plus what they’d earned over the past two months after expenses, totaled nineteen strings.
Buying the Donkey cost a little over seven strings, but since Chen Shi contributed a string, they only spent a bit over five.
Now, they still had thirteen strings and 880 coins left.
Kang He set aside the thirteen strings and kept the 880 coins handy for daily expenses.
After a few days of raising the Donkey at home, everyone took great care of it.
They hadn’t taken it out yet, but Juner and Qiaor went out to cut grass every day, and people would ask about the Donkey.
Every few days, someone would come to the house to see the novelty.
Word spread that the Fan family was doing well—they’d started a business and even bought livestock.
People could be snobbish. When Fan Shoulin and Chen Shi went out, more people greeted them than before.
Qiaor said that when she and Juner went to cut grass, the aunts and uncles who used to ignore them now greeted them and even gave them snacks.
Chen Shi was the happiest. The main branch of the family used to act superior, always mocking Chen Sanfang for being inexperienced.
But now, Chen Sanfang went to the County Town often, saw more, met more people, and broadened her horizons. When Zhang Jingui tried to gossip with her, she was no longer tongue-tied.
Sometimes, she’d mention something new from the County Town that Zhang Jingui had never heard of, leaving her speechless.
Zhang Jingui, unable to outdo Chen Sanfang, became more restrained and visited less often.
Chen Sanfang didn’t care whether she came or not—she was busy enough and didn’t have time to worry about others’ opinions.
Some people are empty inside but still put on a front.
If your family is doing well, people will always show you more respect.
During the spring months, farming families were busy. Kang He and Fan Jing went to the fields with Fan Father every day, from dawn to dusk—not much more relaxing than life on the Mountain.
One day, Kang He took fresh grass to feed the rabbits and discovered that a Mother Rabbit had given birth.
In the rabbit hutch, there were five Young Rabbits.
Kang He quickly made a warmer, cozier nest with dry grass and rags, placing it in a corner of the rabbit hutch to mimic a wild environment.
He also separated the other rabbits to avoid disturbing the Mother Rabbit while she nursed her Young Rabbits.
To help the Mother Rabbit produce more milk, they fed it bean dregs and fresh tender greens.
The whole family wanted to raise the rabbits well, taking great care of the Mother Rabbit and her babies. Worried about not enough milk, Chen Shi even fed rice soup to the Young Rabbits.
They watched as the little ones slowly went from limp balls of flesh to crawling, opening their eyes, and growing fur.
But one night, after the candles were out and everyone was asleep, Kang He and Fan Jing were still up late. They had just finished some business in bed, sweating, when they suddenly heard a fierce cat yowling outside.
At first, neither of them paid much attention, busy with their own matters.
But the yowling didn’t stop, and Fan Jing soon heard what sounded like something running and hitting the hutch.
Feeling something was wrong, he pressed his weak hand against Kang He’s chest, struggling to speak. “Go take a look.”
Kang He’s voice was hoarse. “How am I supposed to go look right now?”
“A Wild Cat is after the rabbits.”
Hearing that, Kang He frowned deeply.
He couldn’t hold back anymore and forced himself to stop.
He quickly pulled on his pants, bare-chested, grabbed a stick, and rushed outside.
Fan Jing tried to put on clothes, but he wasn’t as fast as Kang He.
Kang He ran to the rabbit hutch and saw, in the pitch-dark yard, a pair of glowing eyes flashing inside the hutch.
A black Cat had somehow gotten in and was growling fiercely at the hutch, its claws scraping at the wood with a harsh rattling sound.
“Shoo! Acting tough here, are you? Get lost!”
Kang He slammed the stick on the ground. The Cat stopped but didn’t run, staring straight at him.
Seeing this, Kang He chased after it with the stick, and only then did the Wild Cat finally dart away.
Fan Jing came out with an oil lamp, and the two hurried to check the hutch.
Inside, the Young Rabbits couldn’t escape the Wild Cat’s attack—two had already been killed.
The Cat had reached in through the cracks with its claws, biting the little ones. It couldn’t fit its head in, but its paws could reach.
Seeing the bloody Young Rabbits was truly pitiful.
The two of them cleaned up that night, moving the hutch into the house and closing the windows.
The next morning, Chen Shi saw the dead rabbits and stood in the yard with hands on her hips, cursing loudly.
The girls who fed the rabbits were heartbroken, so Kang He reinforced the hutch with another layer.