Before Lu Qiqi could finish her words, Gu Mufeng’s voice cut her off.
“Watch out, wife!”
Quick as lightning, Gu Mufeng swept Lu Qiqi aside with one hand, pulling her clear just as a large snake lunged toward her. With his other hand he flicked a pebble—striking the snake dead-center at the base of its neck.
Lu Qiqi gave a startled gasp. She had feared such wriggling, boneless creatures since childhood; once Gu Mufeng had her out of harm’s way she quickly ducked behind him, trembling.
“Don’t be afraid—it’s only a Elaphe carinata, a king rat snake. It’s not venomous,” Gu Mufeng soothed her, seeing how frightened she looked.
“Still… I’m scared,” Lu Qiqi said, her voice trembling.
“Then stand back a little while I pick it up. It’s harmless, and quite a delicacy—very nourishing. I’ll take it back for Mother and the others to eat. You needn’t touch it if you don’t wish to. Later I’ll see if we can spot any pheasants or hares—pheasant stew makes a wonderful broth.”
He guided Lu Qiqi to a spot out of sight of the snake, then stepped back, picked it up, and secured it in his wicker basket. He knew she was afraid, yet for a rural household such a catch was a rare treat—he would simply ensure she never had to eat it.
They walked a little farther before spotting a wild fruit tree, its branches heavy with bright red berries.
“Look, wife—those are wild hawthorns. Tart-and-sweet and very tasty. Would you like to try some?” Gu Mufeng said, gesturing toward the tree.
Lu Qiqi nodded. “Yes, please pick some down for me to taste.”
Gu Mufeng set down his basket, shimmied up the trunk, and swiftly plucked a generous handful. He moved with easy, practiced skill. Lu Qiqi took a berry, bit into it—and found it perfectly balanced: sweet with a bright, pleasant tartness.
“Is it good?” he asked, watching her.
Lu Qiqi nodded. “Delicious. You try one too.” She held out the half-eaten berry to his lips.
Gu Mufeng leaned forward and took it. “Sour!” He was never overly fond of tart things, yet seeing her enjoying them so happily, he climbed back up and gathered more.
Lu Qiqi had always loved sweet-and-sour fruits, and these hawthorns suited her perfectly. Noticing several small saplings at the tree’s base, she quietly slipped two into her personal space while Gu Mufeng wasn’t looking. To her astonishment she also spotted two ginseng roots—one large, one small—and a glossy reishi mushroom; without hesitation she quietly transferred them all into her space. What began as a pleasant outing had turned into a fine little treasure hunt.
By mid-morning Lu Qiqi insisted they head back so she could prepare lunch—it was her first day helping in the Gu household, and she dared not appear lazy or shirk her share, lest her sisters-in-law take offense. They ventured no deeper and stayed close to the path. Fortune was with them: Gu Mufeng bagged two pheasants and three hares.
“We have more than enough for a meal, wife. Let us head home,” he said.
“Very well,” she agreed, and they made their way down the slope, chatting companionably.
Nearing the foot of the hill, they suddenly heard raised voices.
“You vile little hussy! How dare you shove me!” shrieked a sharp, strident voice.
“I did no such thing—you tripped all on your own!” another voice defended itself.
Gu Mufeng and Lu Qiqi exchanged a glance and hurried toward the commotion. They found a woman in a blue blouse sitting on the ground, shouting at a young woman standing nearby in green. Tempers were flaring fast.
“What is going on here?” Gu Mufeng stepped forward and asked.
At their approach the shouting stopped. The woman in blue on the ground spoke first: “This wicked girl pushed me! You must help me teach her a lesson!”
The young woman in green looked toward Gu Mufeng, eyes wide and aggrieved. “Brother Mufeng, do not listen to her lies. I never touched her—she fell all by herself.”
Gu Mufeng recognized the woman in blue: Wang Cuihua, the village’s notorious shrew. The girl beside her was Zhang Chunmei—Wang Cuihua’s sister-in-law. Zhang Chunmei looked up at him, faltering, eyes full of hurt and pleading.
Lu Qiqi lifted an eyebrow. Oh? Could this girl have feelings for my husband? she wondered, watching closely.
Before Lu Qiqi could think further, Wang Cuihua scrambled to her feet, sneered at Zhang Chunmei with open scorn, and laughed sharply.
“Hah! What an act! Just now you were raging at me like a she-devil—and the moment you see Third Brother Gu, all soft and simpering! How utterly transparent!”
“Sister-in-law, please—do not speak such nonsense!” Zhang Chunmei pleaded, flustered and anxious.
Seeing her panic only spurred Wang Cuihua on. “Nonsense? You know full well whether it is or not! Everyone knows you’ve set your cap at Third Brother Gu. Once, your mother-in-law-to-be Huang Jinfeng was even inclined to match you with him! But oh no—you swore you loved him, yet all the while you were sneaking around with that city youth sent down to the village! You let him have his way with you—and then he left, went back to the city, and washed his hands of you! Now you’re soiled goods, unfit to marry anyone! Twenty-two years old and still hanging around your parents’ home, an old maid! And you still complain that I, your sister-in-law, treat you poorly! If I had my way I’d have turned you out long ago! Now that Third Brother Gu has made something of himself, you’ve decided you want him after all! But he’ll never look at the likes of you!”
“Sister-in-law—please, stop!” Zhang Chunmei’s face burned scarlet as every shameful detail was laid bare. She looked toward Gu Mufeng, voice trembling and eyes wet.
“Brother Mufeng… it is not like that… I truly have always cared for you… I have waited all this time…”
She reached out, intending to touch his arm.
Lu Qiqi watched with calm amusement, curious to see how he would respond. Gu Mufeng caught his wife’s expression—enjoying the show, was she? He felt a faint, helpless fondness.
As Zhang Chunmei’s hand reached toward him, Gu Mufeng stepped smoothly aside.
“Comrade Zhang Chunmei,” he said clearly and firmly, “there has never been anything between us, past or present. We are nothing more than neighbors from the same village. I must ask you not to speak words that could be misunderstood—for I will not have my wife feeling displeasure on my account. And please—call me ‘Comrade Gu Mufeng.’ I have only one younger sister, Muyan.”
Zhang Chunmei stood frozen, stunned. She had never imagined the man she loved would reject her so plainly and decisively. It was true—once she had turned up her nose at the Gu family’s poverty. But she had only done so because she had suffered through hardship enough to fear it.