Don’t be fooled by Qi Rong’s small size—he could walk surprisingly fast. If this were modern-day Yu Chunmiao, a tall girl at 1.7 meters and used to regular exercise, this gentle mountain path would be effortless.
But in this world, Yu Chunmiao was no taller than 1.58 meters, lean and weak. She struggled to keep up with her little brother-in-law.
Seeing her lag behind, Qi Rong slowed his pace.
“Qi Rong, you’re so thoughtful—truly a gentleman,” Yu Chunmiao praised without restraint.
“A… gentleman?” Qi Rong blinked, puzzled, his big black eyes fixed on her. Is she trying to be clever, or just babbling nonsense?
Yu Chunmiao realized her modern phrasing might confuse him. Better to explain simply.
“I mean… you’re very manly. You know how to treat a woman kindly and take care of her.”
Qi Rong, acting like a little grown-up, waved his hand. “Of course. My father is just like that. Whenever my mother has a stomachache, he doesn’t even let her touch cold water. Sometimes he wakes up early to cook, saying that mother needs rest, and he won’t let us bother her.”
Yu Chunmiao smiled. From what she could see of his mother and little brother, she guessed Qi Chong must also be good-looking. And now hearing that his father had been a devoted, caring man put her mind at ease.
Not far into the forest, the sound of flowing water reached them.
They entered a grove of young bamboo, which bordered a pine forest. Walking on the soft carpet of pine needles, it wasn’t long before they arrived at a small mountain stream.
Water cascaded down the rocks, and at one section, two large boulders formed a shallow, wide channel. Beside the stream was a flat patch of land. Qi Rong set down his basket. “Sister-in-law, let’s dig here.”
Yu Chunmiao bent to inspect the ground and found purslane, bitter greens, wild thyme, and mustard greens.
Unfortunately, the shepherd’s purse had already flowered—her favorite wild vegetable.
Among the rest, mustard greens and purslane were the best—they could be stir-fried immediately, and any leftovers could be dried and stored. Wild mustard was abundant and easy to collect, so the two of them set to work with focus.
The bitter greens were also excellent. She remembered her grandmother often prepared them for her when she was young—blanched briefly in boiling water, cooled, and eaten as a salad or in soup, perfect for cooling down in hot weather.
After a while, Yu Chunmiao felt thirsty and cupped water from the mountain stream. The cool, sweet water refreshed her, and she even splashed some on her face. The May sun was scorching, but the pine trees offered welcome shade. Next time, she’d remember to bring a straw hat.
Standing up, she noticed something black at the bottom of the riverbed—about the size of a thumb. Then, as her eyes scanned the riverbed, she realized it was full of them: snails, scattered everywhere.
“Qi Rong, come quick!” she shouted, pointing excitedly at the stream as she jumped up and down.
Qi Rong looked up, confused. Had she found a fish? But the water was so clear you couldn’t even see your reflection, and it only reached her ankles—how could there be fish?
Being a gentleman, he decided to humor her. “The little fish in this stream aren’t really worth catching for food,” he said.
Yu Chunmiao picked up a snail. “Look! Snails! They’re delicious. Let’s gather some and take them home to add to our meals.”
Qi Rong made a disgusted face. “This thing is all slimy and gooey, slippery and soft, full of sand inside—absolutely disgusting. We’re not eating this. Let’s stick to the wild vegetables.”
Snails like this were everywhere, but who would eat them? Did his new sister-in-law really go a little crazy from eating strange things?
Yu Chunmiao recalled that people in this era indeed avoided snails, thinking them dirty. She smiled and said, “I’ve eaten these before—they’re really delicious. If you don’t believe me, I’ll gather some and cook them for you to try.”
Qi Rong just shook his head with an expression that said, I’m not arguing with a fool. He wasn’t expecting his “slow” new sister-in-law to dig wild vegetables anyway. He figured he might as well humor her—there was no real danger here, and the water was shallow. He just needed to keep an eye on her so she didn’t wander off.
For Yu Chunmiao, picking snails was one of her childhood hobbies—relaxing and rewarding. She gathered some wild banana leaves along the riverbank, rolled up her pants, and waded into the cool water barefoot.
The mountain stream was icy and clear; she could see every grain of sand beneath her feet. Then she spotted a clam! Her luck was unbelievable. Like the snails, once you found one, there were dozens more around it.
She didn’t want to get distracted, though. First, she collected enough snails for a meal before carefully digging for the clams with her bare hands.
Qi Rong quickly filled a basket with wild vegetables, and Yu Chunmiao had gathered enough snails and clams to feed the family. She had noticed some chili peppers in the kitchen cupboard earlier and planned to let the river delicacies sit overnight so she could cook a proper feast tomorrow.
Qi Rong’s eyes lit up at the sight of the clams. “Sister-in-law! You found niu-yang [clams]! I didn’t even know the river had these. The village’s clams have all been picked clean.” He swallowed hard, as if the clams were already a plate of food in front of him.
Yu Chunmiao laughed. “Yes! Tomorrow we can make a soup with some ginger. Doesn’t that sound good?” She was surprised—the local name for clams here matched her hometown dialect in Fujian. Maybe this world was a parallel universe: some things were the same, some were different.
And these snails… she realized she might be the first person in this world to actually eat them.
Qi Rong nodded like crazy, now genuinely curious if the snails were edible.
“My basket isn’t full of vegetables yet. Shall we keep digging until it is?” Yu Chunmiao asked respectfully.
Qi Rong glanced at her bare feet. “Sit on that rock for a bit, sister-in-law. Let your feet dry and put your shoes back on. It’s still early—I’ll finish digging soon.”
Yu Chunmiao couldn’t resist gently ruffling the little brother-in-law’s fuzzy hair and happily accepted the offer.
She sat on the shaded rock, letting her feet air out and breathing in the fresh, unpolluted mountain air. The scenery was pristine, the life simple. Although the family was poor, the warmth of familial love made her heart feel full. She was starting to like this place.
Poverty? That could be changed. As a modern, independent woman, Yu Chunmiao may not have had a high degree, but her mind was full of knowledge. Without a “golden finger,” she couldn’t hope for extreme wealth, but escaping poverty and achieving a modest, comfortable life seemed possible.
“Qi Rong,” she asked, “do people in the city eat clams? Are they sold there?”
Qi Rong, quick-witted as ever, understood her meaning immediately. “Almost all the edible things you can find in the countryside are picked clean. These clams are rare. Even if someone finds them, it’s only enough for a small soup, just a treat for the household. As for the city… I’m not sure if they sell them. Maybe when my second brother comes back in a few days, we can ask him?”
Yu Chunmiao smiled. “No rush. These clams won’t go anywhere. We can explore upstream later—maybe there’ll be more.”
Ever since their father was bitten by a venomous snake and left with lingering illness, Chen Ruolan forbade the children from venturing deep into the mountains. Qi Rong couldn’t promise to go against her instructions; all he could do was say he would ask their mother first.