As the morning light grew stronger, the He family courtyard finally quieted down. He Yancheng and his brother headed toward the field ridges with hoes over their shoulders, the hems of their trousers still damp with morning dew.
Xiang Yang carefully helped Han Qingmo back into the room to lie down. Turning around, he grabbed the largest bamboo basket from behind the door, his movements as brisk as if he were at a military drill.
“Let’s go!” he shouted toward the yard, his voice betraying a hint of excitement he couldn’t hide.
He Yanchu was bent over in the living room tying the laces of her rubber shoes. Hearing him, she looked up and made a face. “Brother Xiang Yang, you look like you’re heading off to war.”
He Yannuo emerged from the kitchen holding three straw hats. She silently pressed one onto her sister’s head—her movements seemed rough, but she was careful not to mess up Yanchu’s freshly tied braids.
“The sun is brutal,” she explained curtly. She left her own hat hanging casually behind her back and handed the last one to Xiang Yang.
Xiang Yang took the hat, grinning from ear to ear. She really does care about me; she’s afraid I’ll get a tan. It seems she has a place for me in her heart after all. Seeing his future brother-in-law smiling like an idiot, Yanchu couldn’t bear to watch. Afraid his silliness might be contagious, she was the first to step out the door.
The three of them trekked up the winding mountain path, with Yanchu leading the way like a nimble mountain goat. She frequently bent down to part the grass, revealing the mushrooms hidden beneath, muttering to herself, “This one is a green-cap… oh, this cluster of ‘see-hand-blue’ is growing so well…” Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dancing spots of light in her hair.
Xiang Yang followed her like a curious toddler, letting out a shout every time he discovered a new species. Yannuo walked at the rear, watching the two pranksters ahead of her with a helpless, flickering smile. She leaned down to pick an inconspicuous grayish-brown fungus and placed it gently at the very bottom of her basket—it was a rare truffle. Just a small slice in a stew would make the whole pot fragrant.
A mountain breeze swept through the treetops, carrying the distant, silvery laughter of Miao girls. Yanchu suddenly straightened up and pointed to a pine forest ahead. “We’re here! The Matsutake are over there!”
Xiang Yang, basket on his back, couldn’t wait and dashed forward. No sooner had he reached the forest than he got lucky and found two Matsutake. He was so overjoyed he didn’t say a word, just kept picking.
Arriving two minutes later, Yanchu also discovered them. She brushed aside a layer of pine needles. On the humus soil ahead, several Matsutake with closed caps were half-hidden among the fallen leaves, their stalks as white as jade, gleaming like pearls in the sun.
“Second Sister! Brother Xiang Yang! Look!” she called out in a low voice, afraid of disturbing the mountain’s bounty—and even more afraid of others hearing and coming to investigate.
Yannuo hurried over. Her keen sense from years of gathering herbs allowed her to realize instantly that these weren’t just a few scattered mushrooms. She gently cleared away the thick pine needles to reveal a sprawling colony. The smallest were only the size of a thumb, while the largest caps were already starting to mound.
“Heavens…” Xiang Yang gasped, a twig snapping in his hand. He knelt to touch them, but Yannuo slapped the back of his hand away. “Don’t touch them recklessly; the sweat on your hands will spoil the fungi.”
Yanchu had already nimbly pulled a small sickle from her waist and made a gentle cut half an inch from the base of the Matsutake. The mushroom, smelling of fresh earth, fell into her palm. She held it out to Xiang Yang like a treasure. “You have to harvest them like this. You can’t pull them out, or they won’t grow back next year.”
The three of them dispersed in a silent understanding, quickly finding more Matsutake within a twenty-meter radius. Xiang Yang was like a child finding buried treasure, letting out a muffled cheer every time he found one. Yannuo focused on selecting the plumpest ones, calculating which were best for drying as medicine and which were suited for tonight’s soup.
A flock of mountain finches was suddenly startled into the air. Amidst the fluttering of wings, Xiang Yang suddenly held up his mud-stained hand. “Comrades! I propose a contest to see who fills their basket first!”
“Childish,” Yannuo said without looking up, though her picking speed noticeably increased.
Yanchu had already darted off with a laugh. “The loser washes the dishes tonight!” Her braids brushed against the shrubs, startling a few squirrels that were nibbling on mushrooms. The sounds of their laughter and teasing sent birds flying throughout the forest, and even the stern Yannuo had a ripple of amusement in her eyes.
Gradually, the baskets filled with Matsutake, pressing heavily on their shoulders. Yanchu wiped away her sweat, only to find Xiang Yang with his hands pressed together in front of a particularly large mushroom, chanting: “Great Matsutake Immortal, please bless me so I can marry Nuonuo and take her home soon…”
“Xiang Yang! Stop talking nonsense! It’ll be trouble if someone hears you!” Yannuo scolded. Yanchu laughed so hard she couldn’t stand up straight, nearly toppling her basket. This future brother-in-law is truly too much fun!
On the other side, when Han Qingmo woke up, the sun was high outside the window. He tried moving his leg and was shocked to find that the burning pain in his wound had mostly subsided, leaving only a dull ache.
He propped himself up on the edge of the bed and sat up slowly, touching the bandage with a slight frown. This recovery is too fast. Is Yannuo’s medicine that miraculous, or… His gaze fell on the military canteen by the bed. Last night, when he had been tossing and turning in pain, the water Yanhua brought was crisp and sweet. After drinking it, the stinging pain had eased strangely, allowing him a rare, peaceful sleep.
“This water…” He traced the flask thoughtfully, sensing something unusual.
But there were more pressing matters—the banquet with Yanchu was tomorrow. He needed to notify his family and report his situation to his unit. Gritting his teeth, he used the wall for support and stood up. His injured leg was still a bit weak, but he could manage to walk.
He pushed open the door. The yard was quiet, with only two hens pecking at the ground in the corner. Han Qingmo limped toward the gate and ran right into He Yancheng, who was returning with a hoe.
“Comrade Han? Why are you up?” Yancheng quickly set down his tools and supported him.
Han Qingmo caught his breath. “Brother He, could I borrow a bicycle to take me to town?”
Yancheng looked at his leg hesitantly. “But your injury…”
“It’s fine,” Han Qingmo waved him off. “Lying down too long makes it feel worse. I have something important to do in town.”
Thinking of his military status, Yancheng nodded. “Alright, we have an old ’28’ bike. I’ll let my dad know.”
A moment later, Yancheng returned pushing an old bicycle with a soft cushion tied to the back rack. “Let’s go. My mom wanted someone to go to the supply store to get some meat for the wedding tomorrow anyway.”
Han Qingmo climbed onto the back. As the wheels rolled over the gravel, the vibration sent stabs of pain through his leg, but he kept his lips pressed shut and didn’t make a sound. Yancheng pedaled hard, his shirt soon soaked with sweat, muttering, “We need to buy some firecrackers on the way back to make it festive…”
By the time Yanchu and the others returned with their baskets full of Matsutake, it was already noon.
“We’re back!” Yanchu pushed the gate open excitedly, only to find the kitchen cold and the yard empty. She set her basket down, puzzled. “Strange, where is everyone? Logically, after drinking that water from the Spirit Spring, Han Qingmo should be able to get around by now!”
Xiang Yang wiped his sweat and peeked into the house. “Where’s that kid Han Qingmo? Is he asleep?”
Yannuo went straight to the water vat to wash her hands, saying calmly, “We passed Second Uncle’s house just now and noticed their bike was gone. They must have gone to town.”
“To town?” Yanchu knelt to sort the mushrooms, suddenly remembering. “Oh! They must have gone to buy things for tomorrow!”
Yannuo nodded thoughtfully. “Likely. I’ll go see Second Aunt later to draft a menu and see what ingredients we need.”
At that moment, in the town post office’s phone booth, after Han Qingmo finished reporting to his commander, he added out of the blue:
“Commander, I’m getting married. Please help me file a marriage report!”