Shuangling: Braving the Rapids

"The eastern ridge is draped in golden chrysanthemums, the western ridge is atop crimson leaves, a clear stream flows through the middle, and the sun, moon, and stars gaze at each other from afar." An ancient folk song sings of the beauty of Shuangling Mountain in late autumn.

The grains have been stored in the granary, and strings of corn cobs hang high from the roof beams. Before the long winter arrives, the people of Qinjiazhuang at the foot of the mountain have prepared enough food.

This year is a time of peace and prosperity, but the hardships of those days before the "household responsibility system," when people had to eat tree bark and dig up grass roots, are still etched in the hearts of many farmers. In the Shuangling Mountain area, "eating" remains the most important topic of conversation, and food must be prepared before winter arrives.

Qin Family Village is full of clever housewives like Ding Lingfang, who not only have to feed their families but also come up with all sorts of ways to prepare delicious meals. With the seasons approaching, every household's stove is filled with pickling jars—radish greens, pickled mustard greens, mustard tubers, Jerusalem artichokes—these are the jars and pots that provide the green vegetables needed for the cold winter months.

On a weekend morning, Yue Chuan rolled out the old water tank from the storage room, and the cleaning and wiping work also fell to him.

Yue Shan wasn't idle either. A large iron basin was spread out in front of the little girl, filled with mustard tubers covered in mud. Yue Shan washed them carefully, and soon the plump, greenish-white tubers were stacked into a basket.

As soon as Yue Shan finished her assigned task, she ran over to her brother and started causing trouble. The little girl clung to the edge of the vat, excitedly shouting, "Brother! Did you see that? I was the first one to finish again! Hehehe!"

Yue Chuan ignored his sister. He carefully laid the water vat over, preparing to bend down and scrub the inside. But his sister beat him to it. The little girl darted into the vat, twisted her body, turned around, and tilted her head, a sly smile on her face. Her expression clearly said, "You think I'm annoying? I'll show you what I'm capable of!"

"Qin Xiaoshan!" Yue Chuan, completely ignorant of communication skills, first yelled at her, then threatened, "If you cause any more trouble, I'll immediately plug the pickle jar with the lid so you can't get out!"

Hearing this, the little girl turned pale with fright and ran off to complain, "Mom! Mom! My brother tried to suffocate me with the lid of the jar! Please tell him off!"

Ding Lingfang knew, of course, that her daughter was being unreasonable, but she still shielded her behind her, saying, "Xiao Chuan'er, you're the older brother, your little sister is still young, so be considerate of her. Wait until the water tank is clean before you start making a fuss..."

Since his mother had spoken, Yue Chuan didn't say anything more. He glared at his sister who was making faces, grabbed the rag, and crawled into the vat. Luckily, he was as thin as a stick, otherwise he wouldn't even be able to swing his arms in the vat.

Seeing her brother bending over and working hard, Yue Shan chuckled mischievously and was about to do something naughty with a corncob when Ding Lingfang caught her red-handed.

The mother pinched her daughter's chubby little face, then shoved her aside, saying, "You seem the most relaxed. Go, grab the broom and sweep the floor!"

Yue Shan stuck out her tongue and had no choice but to do as she was told. Ding Lingfang picked up a kitchen knife and cleaned up each of the mustard greens in the basket, cutting away all the pits and grime that had accumulated.

"Layer upon layer of vegetables, layer with salt, sprinkle Sichuan peppercorns and chili peppers in the middle, weigh it down with a stone and leave it overnight. Tomorrow it can be served with porridge!"

After all the preparations were completed, Ding Lingfang began to teach the siblings the tricks of pickling vegetables. To reinforce their understanding, she had the children do it themselves until the mustard tubers were neatly stacked into the jar.

"Mom, we've pickled so many vegetables this year!" Yue Shan said, standing on tiptoe and peering at the mustard greens in the jar.

"It's not much. Besides what we eat, we also need to share some with your second uncle and Geda!" Ding Lingfang explained as she scooped up the braising liquid.

"Mom, no wonder Second Uncle and Uncle Laishun praised your pickled vegetables. You use spring water to make the brine, which makes them look different from others, and they taste so crisp!" Seeing his mother's dedication, even the usually taciturn Yue Chuan couldn't help but shower her with compliments.

"Stop with the nice words, quickly bring the pressure stone over." Ding Lingfang raised the corner of her mouth and pointed to the stone in the corner, ordering.

Before he finished speaking, Yue Chuan had already placed the smooth, shiny peony stone on top of the pile of mustard greens. Only after it was sealed tightly would today's task be considered complete.

The mustard greens needed more than twenty days to ferment. Before that, Ding Lingfang used the remaining braising liquid to make a quick stir-fry with radish strips. As soon as the crisp and delicious red and white radish strips were placed on the table, Qin Shuangling, who always had a stern face, couldn't help but smile.

The wonderful weekend came to an end just like that. Before returning to school, Yue Chuan found a glass jar specifically to hold the radish strips.

With such delicious food, paired with steamed buns and porridge, it might last for two or three days. It's filling and saves money on vegetables, which is really a great deal for a mountain boy like Yuechuan.

Yue Chuan, carrying his schoolbag and a white plastic woven basket, walked out of the courtyard gate and happened to run into Qin Laishun driving the village committee's old pickup truck.

"Chuan'er! Get in the car quickly, my dad is taking us to school today!" Before Qin Laishun could speak, Qin Shoufeng stuck his head out and shouted.

When he saw that they had come to pick him up, Yue Chuan was a little flattered. He nodded and smiled at the father and son before getting into the car.

My uncle and cousin are both very cheerful. With them around, the journey is never boring. The father and son, one playing the straight man and the other the comedian, quickly come up with all sorts of jokes.

In an instant, the entire carriage was filled with a cheerful atmosphere. Even the usually taciturn Yue Chuan grinned from ear to ear. He was so envious of his cousin, who had such a lively and lovable father who was also the team leader.

After a burst of laughter, Qin Laishun suddenly steered the conversation toward his nephew, Yue Chuan.

"Xiao Chuan'er, I'm your uncle, and your dad's home too. Next time anyone bullies us, run home first. With your dad and uncle here, we'll beat those guys to a pulp!"

It seems that Qin Laishun heard about Yue Chuan being beaten by thugs from his son. Although he put on a show of supporting his nephew, so much time has passed, it's a bit of hindsight to bring this up now.

Before Yue Chuan could say anything, Qin Shoufeng retorted, "Dad! This matter is over and done with, why are you bringing it up again! Besides, you and Uncle didn't even need to get involved, Brother Cheng Dong alone took care of those thugs!"

When that incident was mentioned, Yue Chuan's smile vanished instantly, and he clasped his hands tightly together, his ten fingers twisted together like a pretzel.

Looking in the rearview mirror, Qin Laishun could clearly see that his nephew's expression was off. He chuckled dryly and quickly changed the subject, "See! What did I tell you! Er Dong is definitely got the makings! No wonder he's from Shuangling, great! He handled this like a real man!"

Qin Laishun was unaware that Cheng Dong had lost everything in business. If he had known, he would probably have said something different!