Translator: Fan Translation Studio

  “Yes, we need to buy some decorative curtains and also hire two members of staff, so we need to make more money now.”


  Li Hongmei asked again, “Little Ye, do you really need more hands? Baozhu and I can help, right?”


  “Yeah, we need more hands to serve food, wash dishes and do the accounting work. Ma, you can help me bring customers to their seats and get their bills and Baozhu can help do the accounting and tidy up the tables.”


  “It sounds like our business will be great in the future,” said Xiao Baozhu.

  Ye Xiaoxian smiled. “Surely it will be.”


  Xiao Baoshan, being silent, remembered what Ye Xiaoxian just said; they now needed to make more money……

  Xiao Baoshan went up the mountain the following morning when the day was still dark. Just like last time he sharpened several spears, though he was not aiming for hares this time but wild boar.

  By the time the sun rose he had already killed two boars. He did not take them home but carried both to the biggest restaurant in town, Zuixian Pavilion. Two boars sold four taels of silver in total.

  When Ye Xiaoxian got up and ground douhua she was wondering why Xiao Baoshan had left so early.

  ‘Is it that he’s busy at work lately?’


  When she finished grinding douhua and prepared cold jelly and was ready to go to the town, Xiao Baoshan came back.

  “Baoshan, where have you been so early in the morning?” asked Li Hongmei. “Have you had breakfast yet? There is some porridge in the wok, do you want some?”


  Xiao Baoshan just nodded to Li Hongmei. “I’ve had breakfast.”


  He then walked to Ye Xiaoxian, fishing out the four taels of silver and gave them to her. “Take the money.”


  “Where did you get these?” Ye Xiaoxian saw Xiao Baoshan covered in mud with some blood stains on his clothes, and he also smelled, so she suddenly became tense.

  ‘Where has he been? Robbing? No way, Xiao Baoshan is not that kind of person.’


  Xiao Baoshan simply said, “I went to hunt for two boars and exchanged them for money.”


  “.……” Ye Xiaoxian’s hearted was flooded with emotion. No wonder he was asking her if she had enough money.

  Ye Xiaoxian held the money, feeling like they were really heavy and even burning hot.

  This fool, why does he always do such things so quietly?

  “Baoshan, well……thank you very much!” Ye Xiaoxian gazed at him.

  “Don’t worry. If it’s not enough I can go up to the mountain again tomorrow.”


  “No, no need. It’s certainly enough.” Ye Xiaoxian stopped him hurriedly.

  Hunting was a very dangerous thing to do. There were some tigers that killed villagers years ago and Ye Xiaoxian did not wish to let Xiao Baoshan risk his life like this. What was more, if Xiao Baoshan was really that into hunting, why did he not live in the mountain and became a hunter rather than going to the town to be a handyman?

  “Well, I’ll go inside and get changed,” said Xiao Baoshan. “I’ll help you push the cart to town later.”


  “Yeah!” Ye Xiaoxian smiled.

  Watching his back Ye Xiaoxian felt great joy in her heart……

  After Liqiu (the traditional East Asian calendars divide a year into 24 solar terms and Liqiu is the 13th solar term), the busy farming season was called an end.

  In Daliang Village, each year after Liqiu activities would be held, such as “touching autumn” (a folk culture for married women without kids to pray for kids by picking up crops in the night of autumn.” The “touching autumn” activity in Daliang county was different from everywhere else and everyone was supposed to take part in it. In the morning men from each village participated in a tug of war and in the afternoon women started “touching autumn”.

  Every village was looking forward to this day. This was the most lively day apart from the New Year. Ye Xiaoxian originally had no interest in this activity as she was going to take over her restaurant in half a month, so she needed to make more money, recruit staff and think up the menu and the decorations. However, when Ye Xiaoxian heard that there would be thousands of people there on that day, she thought that she might as well sell douhua and cold jelly there, and their business may be even better than in the town.

  During dinner she consulted her family and asked if they were allowed to open up a stand on that day. Li Hongmei slapped her own head. “Oh little Ye, how come I didn’t think about it. That day is like New Year and everybody will go there to see the “touching autumn” activities and it will be full of peddlers and stands selling all kinds of things. Our douhua and cold jelly will sell well on that day.”


  “Then let’s go to sell douhua and cold jelly on that day.” Ye Xiaoxian smiled.

  “If we sell all of it out early then maybe we can join in with ‘touching autumn’.” Li Hongmei smiled. “On that day women’s eyes will be covered up and they’re asked to touch things. It’s said that whoever touches pumpkins will be pregnant with a boy. Little Ye, you can go and have a try to see if you can touch a pumpkin or not.”


  Li Hongmei talked while glancing at Xiao Baoshan.

  Ye Xiaoxian smiled. “Ma, do you think a man and woman will have a baby when they aren’t living together?”


  “Dear me.” Li Hongmei slapped her thighs. “Call me senile, but of course you can’t have a child like this.”


  Xiao Baoshan paused and then placed his bowl down. “Ma, I’m full. You take your time.”


  “Baoshan……” Li Hongmei still wanted to say something, but with Xiao Baozhu and Xiao Baofeng present it was not proper for her to add something else.

  Xiao Baoshan had not walked to the gate yet when he heard someone shouting outside. “Which room does Xiao Baoshan live in?”


  “Oh, Sir, why have you come here?” It was Wong Mudan’s voice.

  Hearing that the head of village was looking for Xiao Baoshan, Wong Mudan shouted over to Li Hongmei’s house. “Baoshan, Mr. Zhu is looking for you!”


  When they heard that the head of village had come, Li Hongmei put down her chopsticks too and both kids stopped eating, following Li Hongmei outside.

  The head of Daliang Village was named Zhu and was in his fifties. He was quite the prestigious figure, so after hearing that he had come in person all the Xiaos naturally had to come out and see what happened. They were worried that Xiao Baoshan made some mistakes and was told on by villagers.

  Ye Xiaoxian was worried that Xiao Baoshan went hunting boars in the mountain and that others were against him. However, once the head of the village arrived he sized up Xiao Baoshan in a rather surprised and cheerful manner, as if Xiao Baoshan was a chunk of sizzling pork.

  “Sir, is there anything wrong?” asked Xiao Baoshan.

  The head of the village made a “tut-tut” noise then touched Xiao Baoshan’s swelling pectorals and finally spoke up. “Baoshan, you know that we have the “touching autumn” activities in the county, right? We have a tug of war going on. If you’re free then you may want to represent our village in this sport. We will win for sure with you.”


  Tug of war?

  Ye Xiaoxian chuckled and nearly burst out of laugher. No wonder the head of village looked at Xiao Baoshan’s pecs as if he had seen a chunk of pork.

  However, Xiao Baoshan answered calmly, “Sir, a tug of war requires concerted effort. It’s not an individual sport.”


  “So you can guide them, can’t you? I have already selected our men, including Big Zhuang, Pillar and Brother Big Dong……you just need to work together closely and it will be enough, right?”


  Xiao Baoshan was obviously not interested.