Mountains and giant beasts, cabins in the woods

Liu Xingmo delivered the goods and received his wages.

After quickly washing up in the hot spring river, he rode Baohei towards the stage.

The old turtle's thick claws stepped on the stone steps, and the higher it climbed, the louder the cheers became.

"good!"

"pretty!"

"One more!"

……

The sounds overlapped and echoed in the vast mine pit, converging into a massive wave of sound that sent shivers down one's spine.

"Xingmo! I'm here." Su Mali's voice came from the crowd.

Liu Xingmo shouted loudly, "Everyone, please make way!"

The audience naturally refused to back down, but the strangely shaped turtle slowly but firmly squeezed into the crowd.

This guy is like a rocky mountain; his thighs alone are as thick as the waists of two or three adults.

It's not a good idea to wrestle with such a beast, so people wisely moved aside and let Baohei continue forward.

Liu Xingmo sat on the tortoise-shaped saddle, stretching his arm downwards. A slender, fair woman's hand tightly grasped his. He pulled hard, dragging his wife up with him.

The turtle's round shell alone is two meters tall, and with its thick legs that are over a meter long, the VIP seats on its back offer a wide field of vision.

Liu Xingmo and Su Mali could clearly see the large rock protruding from the cliff, and the stage on the rock.

At this moment, another scene begins.

The actors, dressed in gorgeous costumes, performed a story under the dazzling lights, their expressions vivid and expressive.

The once noisy street fell silent instantly. Even the flowing hot spring river at their feet calmed its ripples, as if the entire mountain was lamenting the story of the insignificant people.

Liu Xingmo simply pursed his lips in response.

So you're using my novel as a screenplay? No wonder the theaters are packed. If the concept of intellectual property rights didn't exist, I'd definitely demand a cut of the ticket price from you.

The hot spring river flows gently, and a thin mist hangs in the dark mine.

On stage, a mysterious veil seemed to veil the audience. The actors' faces, illuminated by the lights, were blurred in the mist, making them appear as if they were living characters from a story, unfolding a world of fantasy before their eyes.

Street after street, stone houses upon stone houses, were all packed with people. They dared not even breathe, and at that moment, their expressions were almost dazed.

It wasn't until the gong sounded, signaling the end of the song, that people blinked and came to their senses.

"Great, that's wonderful!"

"One more game! One more game!"

……

One after another, joys and sorrows unfolded and faded on the small stage.

Liu Xingmo didn't pay much attention to the plot; his gaze was fixed on the woman beside him.

Sumali leaned on her husband's shoulder, the lamplight casting a honey-colored glow on the stray hairs framing her face. She wore a long black woolen dress with a purple silk scarf tied at the neckline, which made her exposed arms appear as white as warm, lustrous jade.

Liu Xingmo took Su Mali's hand in his, their rough, hard palms with visible veins intertwined with her delicate, soft, snow-white palms, their fingers tightly clasped together.

The pulse conveyed the beating of their hearts, and the two people stood close together.

As another song ended, the audience, panting heavily, sat down immediately.

After watching for so long, although the plot was exciting, I'm really tired.

Some shrewd and capable small vendors would carry bamboo buckets on shoulder poles, bringing hot buns and soup to the onlookers on winter nights.

Sumali, however, was prepared. She took out two oil paper packets from her handbag. She held them in both hands, an invisible wave of heat emanating from them. After a moment, she opened the packets, and inside was a steaming hot… hamburger.

"Xingmo, this is a specialty food from my hometown, please try it."

"Hehe, the Western-style roujiamo is quite unique."

Liu Xingmo picked up the hamburger and took a bite.

A burger with a strong Central Plains flavor.

Palm-sized lettuce slices replaced the romaine lettuce, and pickled radish in aged vinegar replaced the pickled cucumbers. The skillfully fried hamburger patties, however, remained as crispy as ever, with tender juices flowing out.

As Liu Xingmo ate his hamburger, memories of his past life flooded back. Comparing them to his current life, an indescribable sense of melancholy suddenly overwhelmed him.

"What's wrong? Xingmo, is it not tasty?"

"It's delicious! Thank you, Mary."

Liu Xingmo finished the hamburger in big bites, then took the glass bottle from his wife and drank the sweet and sour fruit wine.

After everyone has eaten and drunk their fill, the opera will continue.

People reluctantly left the venue in the early hours of the morning.

No one was worried about work the next day, because there was no work to be done anymore.

As the year draws to a close, even the most hardworking miners should put down their burdens and enjoy the hard-won peace.

Liu Xingmo and Su Mali rode Bao Hei, following the flow of people out, and then climbed step by step to the top floor of the stepped house.

I took out the key, opened the wooden door, and found the room somewhat stuffy.

The couple boiled water, quickly washed themselves, and then went to bed.

At this time, the lights in the neighbor's house were still on. I wonder where Liu San Niang went to see the opera today, and how she plans to celebrate the New Year. The end of the year means different things to everyone.

Early the next morning.

No bells rang throughout the mine.

Liu Xingmo slept until noon before leisurely getting up.

We started a fire to boil water, fed the livestock, and then prepared lunch.

Liu Xingmo's cooking skills can be described as slightly above average. Better than home-style cooking, but not as good as a real master chef's.

He made a bowl of braised pork belly with preserved mustard greens and steamed some chestnuts. Then he cracked open fist-sized pine nuts, crushed the kernels with a mortar and pestle, and stir-fried them in a large bowl with sesame oil.

During the Lunar New Year, when people stay home to hibernate, they should have some snacks like nuts.

In fact, various nuts are one of the main grains in Heilongzhai.

Apart from a few urban areas, the rest of the village is planted with red pine, chestnut, and walnut trees. There are even cashew and pistachio trees from abroad, which have been improved to adapt to the climate.

These nuts can be pressed for oil, fed to livestock, and are easy to store, making them a cheap winter ration.

More importantly, cultivation and harvesting are very easy. Just plant the trees on the mountain and harvest the fruit in the fall.

Planting wheat and sorghum is quite troublesome, and as for opening up paddy fields to grow rice, that's a skill that only agricultural families have mastered.

The crushed pine nuts were roasted until they were crispy and fragrant.

Liu Xingmo woke up his wife, and they ate lunch together.

Then I tidied up my desk, lit an oil lamp, and buried myself in studying words.

Spiritual practice is indeed troublesome; to gain the wisdom of the ancients, one must pay a certain learning cost.

However, with all the necessary information available now, it's not difficult.

As Liu Xingmo flipped through the dictionary, he wrote the translation. When he got tired of writing, he would reach out, pick up a crushed pine nut, put it in his mouth, and crunch it down.

Su Mali spends more time reading books, and when she encounters a problem, she consults her husband with a book in hand.

The oil lamp flame flickered slightly, illuminating the two people's rosy faces.

It wasn't until evening that the last bit of ink in the square glass bottle was used up.

Liu Xingmo stretched and sat up from the chair.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

Liu Xingmo opened the door.

Fourth Uncle stood outside the door and said apologetically, "Xiao Mo, I need to discuss the matter of your parents' spirit stone with you."