Chapter 9: Preparations Before Leaving the Mountain

After leaving Mrs. Zhao’s house, Zhang Hao turned and followed the muddy path ahead, heading toward the eastern end of the village.

The eastern end was where one could buy farming tools.

He needed to purchase a handy knife there.

Afterward, he planned to visit the southern end of the village, to the funeral supplies shop, to buy items for offerings.

...

After an hour of bustling about, Zhang Hao returned home with the items he had purchased.

The sun blazed high in the sky, the heat intense.

Today was indeed a bright, sunny day.

Checking the time, it was only around ten in the morning.

Li Siyu was still working in the fields and wouldn’t be back for some time.

Unhurried, Zhang Hao placed the items in the side room, then turned to the courtyard, rolled up his sleeves, picked up his tools, and continued tidying up the other rooms in the house.

Yesterday, he had only cleaned the main room and the side room, while Li Siyu had taken care of the kitchen.

Today’s task was to refresh the other rooms in the three-compound courtyard and the small yard.

Looking over the spacious courtyard and numerous rooms, Zhang Hao sighed sincerely.

For just two people, living in such a large three-compound courtyard was truly wasteful.

After all, in their current situation, only two rooms were necessary for sleeping, leaving the rest empty.

But no matter what, this was ancestral property—the only thing his father had left him.

He couldn’t bring himself to sell the house; that would be utterly irreverent.

Without overthinking, Zhang Hao grabbed his tools and entered a nearby wing room to begin tidying.

...

Phew.

After stuffing the cleaned-up garbage into woven bags, Zhang Hao wiped the sweat from his brow, glanced down at his newly changed clothes, now again dirtied, and shook his head helplessly.

At that moment, he heard movement at the door and immediately looked toward the sound.

He saw Li Siyu, not dressed in her usual simple ancient-style Hanfu, but wearing plain coarse cloth garments, carrying the vegetable basket filled with freshly picked greens in one hand.

“You’re back,” Zhang Hao smiled. “No filming today?”

Li Siyu was a self-media creator. She often wore simple ancient-style Hanfu to shoot videos of working in the fields, foraging in the mountains, cooking, and so forth.

Her channel had always been moderately popular, with fewer than a hundred thousand followers.

But Zhang Hao knew that just two years later, Li Siyu’s account would attract far more attention, her popularity rising steadily, and her career entering a period of growth.

...

In the years that followed, through her videos, Li Siyu quickly became the top ancient-style goddess across the internet, even garnering tens of millions to nearly a hundred million followers on some overseas short-video platforms.

That was the pinnacle of her career.

Yet, at the height of her success, Li Siyu fell ill and never recovered, passing away shortly thereafter.

Whenever Zhang Hao thought back, he felt nothing but regret and resentment.

Regret that Li Siyu was taken away in the prime of her life.

Resentment at his own ineptitude—he had neither cherished her nor been able to help.

But now everything could start anew. He had overcome his depression, and there was still room for redemption.

Li Siyu shook her head: “No, I’m going to cook first. You... you can rest a while; there’s still time to clean up this afternoon.”

With that, she turned briskly and entered the kitchen, beginning her busy work.

Zhang Hao smiled, watching her disappear inside.

Seeing her efficiently washing vegetables and preparing lunch, he let out a long breath and continued tidying without rest.

...

After lunch,

Li Siyu returned to the main room to rest, while Zhang Hao remained outside in the courtyard.

He raised his hand to shield his eyes from the glaring sun, squinting as he looked up at the sky.

This was the hottest time of day.

Even standing still, he felt sweat pouring uncontrollably from every pore.

Ancient texts mentioned that the hottest time of day was best for tempering the body, helping to expel impurities and toxins, maintaining good health.

The greatest concern for becoming a mountain wanderer was his physical condition.

After all, his body was still not as strong as Li Siyu’s. To venture into the mountains relying on such a physique, he wasn’t sure if he could return.

So, while the spiritual blueprints and straw sandals were being crafted, he wanted to seize the time to enhance his physical fitness.

Though cramming was futile, especially in building strength, any improvement was beneficial.

Without hesitation, Zhang Hao recalled the tempering methods recorded in ancient books and clumsily began practicing.

Time passed, though how long he did not know.

He felt all his pores fully open, his clothes soaked in sweat multiple times over.

Panting heavily, he stood still, ending his session.

Taking a towel, he wiped the sweat from his face and glanced sideways, just in time to see Li Siyu standing at the main room’s doorway, her eyes curious.

“You’re up,” Zhang Hao smiled.

Snapping back to herself, Li Siyu nodded lightly: “Yes, I’m going back to the fields now.”

...

She lifted the vegetable basket, hoisted the iron hoe placed nearby on her shoulder, and paused when passing Zhang Hao.

In a soft voice, she asked, “Is there anything you want to eat tonight?”

“Anything you make is fine,” Zhang Hao answered without hesitation.

Li Siyu was momentarily stunned, her gaze flickering away as if murmuring to herself, “Then let’s have chicken soup tonight.”

With that, she lifted her foot and headed out without looking back.

“Okay, I’ll wait for you to come back,” Zhang Hao watched her retreating figure, the smile never leaving his lips.

From today’s interaction, it seemed Li Siyu’s impression of him had improved somewhat.

At least, she no longer seemed so cold and distant.

That was a tremendous step forward!

As long as Li Siyu continued to see his changes, one day she would completely change how she viewed him.

By then, their relationship would no longer be bound merely by the promise to his father or out of obligation.

Reborn into this life, he hoped Li Siyu would marry him sincerely and wholeheartedly, free from any other considerations—not because of that old promise.

There was a fundamental difference between the two.

With this thought, Zhang Hao withdrew his gaze.

Such matters were not yet within his scope of concern.

What he needed most now was to prepare for his mountain journey.

After a brief rest, watching the sun begin to tilt westward and the air grow less scorching, he took off his shirt, picked up his tools, and entered another wing room.

...

Night fell, a sprinkle of stars blanketing the dome of the sky.

Inside the main room’s living area, warm and soft light dispersed the darkness.

On the dining table, in simple but neat plates, freshly stir-fried vegetables glistened with pork lard, releasing a rich aroma.

At the center of the table sat a large porcelain bowl, its surface shimmering with oil sheen, the clear broth of chicken soup revealing uniformly cut pieces of chicken immersed within.

Zhang Hao and Li Siyu sat opposite each other, chopsticks and bowls set before them, the scene no different from last night.

“Let’s eat before the food gets cold.”

“Mm, here, drink more chicken soup to nourish your body.”