Chapter 7: Borrowing Money from My Fiancée

In the blink of an eye, Zhang Hao found himself lost in thought as he gazed at the vast mountains before him. After a long pause, he suddenly snapped back to reality and confronted a very practical problem. Since he aspired to become a mountain wanderer, the very first step was to prepare the necessary tools.

Ancient texts recorded that a basic mountain wanderer needed to equip themselves with a sharp blade—commonly called a butcher’s knife, or in some regions, an “invading knife.” This knife had a broad and sharp tip that narrowed toward the handle. Unlike ordinary knife handles, it was cylindrical and could be fitted onto a sharpened wooden stick or metal rod, effectively transforming it into a long blade.

In times long past, before the advent of firearms, a butcher’s knife was one of the few life-saving weapons a mountain wanderer could carry against wild beasts. Of course, mountain wanderers possessed other survival skills, but those were still too advanced for Zhang Hao at this moment.

Aside from the blade, he also needed to prepare various items for mountain deity offerings and ancestral worship, along with an assortment of miscellaneous supplies. These were rarely found in ordinary households and usually had to be purchased from outside.

Shamefully, since returning to his village from the city, Zhang Hao had been living off the small inheritance left by his father. By now, that inheritance had been completely spent; he was penniless. Not to mention buying tools, even purchasing a bottle of wine posed a challenge. Of course, even if he had money now, he wouldn’t spend it on wine. He had resolved to change and was determined not to repeat the mistakes of his previous life.

Perhaps… he could borrow some money from Li Siyu to buy the tools first, then repay her with interest once he earned money as a mountain wanderer…

Zhang Hao’s face flushed with embarrassment at the thought. A grown man borrowing money from his fiancée—it was hard to bring up. Moreover, he already owed Li Siyu far too much. But at this point, it seemed to be the only option.

With a silent sigh, he placed the ancient text he had just finished reading back on the dining table and returned to lie down on his bed. It was late at night, and Li Siyu had long since fallen asleep; any talk of borrowing money would have to wait until morning.

Lying on the bed, he stared up at the canopy-like ceiling as his eyelids grew heavy. Soon enough, even breaths became steady and deep.

...

The sharp crowing of a rooster pierced the dim pre-dawn sky. Zhang Hao slowly opened his eyes, rubbed his aching head, and sat up from bed.

He had gone to sleep late last night, and combined with his long-term drinking habit, he had suffered headaches for some time now.

Rising, he went to the dining table, poured himself a glass of water, and drank it all in one go. The headache eased a little.

Through the window, he watched the first faint light of dawn break over the eastern horizon, all the while pondering how to broach the subject with Li Siyu.

It was truly difficult to bring up. They were not yet married, and asking to borrow money was awkward—especially since he had not left a good impression on her before. If he asked, she might think the worst.

Yet if he didn’t ask, how could he prepare the tools? It wasn’t practical to go to the city and work for money first, then come back to buy the tools later. Many things needed to be done while the iron was hot.

Furthermore, if he left for the city to work, he might return months later to find his home gone.

After much deliberation, Zhang Hao set down the glass and stepped out of his room. Standing in the yard, he took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air. Yes, the mountain village air was still as pure as ever—something he hadn’t felt for a long time.

Just as he was about to stretch and move his stiff limbs, he saw Li Siyu emerging from the kitchen, dressed in pale blue traditional Han attire, carrying a woven basket filled with fresh, dew-kissed vegetables.

“Good morning,” Zhang Hao greeted with a slight surprise and a smile.

Li Siyu paused briefly, glanced at him without much emotion, and nodded, “Good morning.” Then she turned and went back into the kitchen, apparently to prepare breakfast.

Zhang Hao hesitated for a moment but decided not to rush things. Instead, he began to warm up in the yard. To become a mountain wanderer, one needed a strong body. With his current physical condition, venturing into the wild recklessly could be dangerous—encountering a wild animal unprepared would be fatal.

Recalling the simple exercises described in the ancient book, Zhang Hao slowly began to move his stiff limbs, his thoughts gradually expanding.

Mountain wanderer.

Treading hundreds of mountains, traversing the wilderness.

The rules were numerous and complex, customs even more so.

Whether it was offerings to mountain gods, worshipping mountain ancestors, or handling various situations in the wild, there were corresponding systematic protocols. A single misstep could offend the mountain gods, resulting in nothing but misfortune.

Of course, these were just what the ancient texts said; Zhang Hao was unsure of the reality.

After some time lost in thought, he saw Li Siyu carrying two plates of stir-fried greens from the kitchen and heading toward the main hall.

Having finished his exercises, Zhang Hao dashed into the kitchen and brought out steamed rice cakes and a cold dish he had prepared.

The two sat opposite each other, silently picking up their chopsticks and beginning to eat.

The meal was unusually tense and somewhat somber.

As he ate, Zhang Hao occasionally glanced at her.

“Is there something on your mind?” Li Siyu asked after swallowing a bite.

Zhang Hao was taken aback, then put down his chopsticks, took a deep breath, and shyly said, “Could you… lend me some money?”

Li Siyu paused mid-motion, her delicate brows knitting slightly before returning to normal. She continued to pick at her food with a cool tone, “Are you going to buy wine again?”

Zhang Hao sighed silently. As expected, she would ask that. But it wasn’t her fault; he had only himself to blame for the impression he had left.

“I’ve decided to quit drinking as of yesterday,” Zhang Hao replied.

Li Siyu nodded slowly while chewing and said, “That’s good.”

Silence fell again.

Zhang Hao picked up his chopsticks and took a bite before saying, “I want to borrow money to do something. Since I came back, I’ve been drinking every day, doing nothing. I want to do something meaningful—at least I can't go on like this.”

Li Siyu paused, looked up briefly at the man opposite her. Her almond-shaped eyes showed a flicker of surprise but it quickly vanished.

She lowered her gaze again, continued eating, and casually asked, “How much do you want to borrow?”

After some thought, Zhang Hao said, “Five hundred.”

“Will that be enough?” she asked.

He nodded. “It should be. If it’s not, we can talk again.”

“All right, finish your meal first. Afterward, I’ll transfer it to you,” Li Siyu’s tone softened.

They ate quietly, the weight of unspoken words hanging between them.