“Cockadoodledoo——” In the early morning, the roosters in the village were crowing one after another. Qin Mian yawned and opened his bleary eyes. What caught his eyes was him hugging a man’s waist and there were shock and confusion in his eyes. He raised his head abruptly and came into contact with a pair of bright and serene eyes.
“I came over to you myself?” Qin Mian asked.
Lei Tie nodded. When the rooster first crowed, he was ready to get up, but he was held tightly.
“Really?”
Lei Tie nodded again.“Do you mind?” Qin Mian narrowed his eyes.
Lei Tie was calm as he shook his head slightly.
Qin Mian calmly moved his arms away and sat up. “That’s fine then.” He had no parents since he was a child, so he felt insecure and liked to curl up and hold something when he went to sleep. He thought that sleeping with a stranger would get rid of the problem, but habits and instinct prevailed.
He opened the trunk to get socks, threw a pair of large ones to Lei Tie and put on the new socks and shoes. After washing his face, he was fully clear-headed.
Lei Tie felt the socks and put them on.
The two had a clear division of labor. Qin Mian lit a fire and prepared breakfast; Lei Tie took a broom and cleaned up the open space at the entrance. He carried out several sacks of rice grain and spread them on the ground, golden-bright and dazzling. The freshness of the rice grain subsequently overflowed and the air in the morning smelled better.
Breakfast was a few savory veggie pancakes and plain congee.“Are there any honest and obedient children in the village?” Qin Mian took a bite of the veggie pancake and looked at the rice grain on the ground. The golden color was dazzling under the sunlight.
Lei Tie understood, “Let them look after the rice grain?”
“Those children can’t do any heavy work at home, but it’s still possible to look after the rice grain. Find an obedient child to help and buy him some snacks from the town.” Qin Mian tasted the congee and after determining it was not hot, he took a big sip.
Lei Tie said: “Go to the grain-sunning ground later.”
After breakfast, they locked the door and went out. Lei Tie carried a saw, a rope and his bow set; Qin Mian carried a basket on his back, he could perhaps dig some wild vegetables or pick some wild fruits on the mountain.
The grain-sunning ground was still so bustling. The adults were busy husking the rice grain, the children were running around the grain-sunning ground, some were playing hide and seek, giggling behind the haystacks; while the more mischievous children were having somersault competition on the spread rice grain, letting out crisp big laughter from time to time, even if they were sweating, they didn’t feel hot.
Qin Mian noticed a seven or eight year old boy looking dignified and strong, sitting alone in the corner holding his knees and seemed bored. So he beckoned the boy.
The boy came running over in puzzlement, blinked and looked at him with distrust.
Qin Mian gave him a gentle smile, “What’s your name?”
“Xiao Hu.” There were familiar villagers nearby, so Xiao Hu was not shy at all. He answered honestly.
Qin Mian asked again: “Xiao Hu, do you want to eat snack?”
The boy nodded with a little embarrassment but at the thought of delicious snacks, his eyes showed craving.
“We live in the old house behind the village. As long as you do us a favor, we’ll give you a packet of snacks.” Qin Mian said.
Lei Tie quietly watched Qin mian “abduct” the child.
Xiao Hu’s eyes brightened, but he was a little suspicious. “Really?”
“Of course it is true.” Qin Mian said patiently, “We are going to cut down trees on the mountain. We want to find someone to help us look at the rice grain outside. If you want to help, I’ll buy you a packet of snacks from the town. Are your father and your mother here? You can ask them for permission.”
“Wait a bit.” Xiao Hu ran to a black faced man in his thirties and looked back, as if he was afraid that Qin Mian and Lei Tie would be gone.
The man looked their way and nodded to Xiao Hu.
Xiao Hu immediately showed a happy smile and like a small cannon shot, he rushed over.
“My father allowed!”
Qin Mian nodded to the man and took Xiao Hu away. He left Xiao Hu at the door of his house and brought a chair out for him, telling him not to let birds and chickens eat the rice grain.
Xiao Hu sat on the chair, shook his small legs and waved his hand like a little adult, “Don’t worry! I will do what I promise you!”
Qin Mian laughed in spite of himself and left with Lei Tie towards the back of the mountain.
This mountain was called Mount Cloud Summit and was the highest mountain nearby. It’s tall and steep, seemingly be able to reach the sky. Hence it’s called Mount Cloud Summit. The mountain was lush with trees and wild animals frequently roamed about that the villagers dared not come here, only the brave hunters dared to go deeper.
As soon as they entered the forest, the dense leaves blocked the sun, the light was dim and the temperature was a few degrees lower that Qin Mian shivered before he adapted to it. The path in the mountain was not easy to walk, overgrown with weeds and in some places, there was no sunlight all the year round, there were also morning dew and autumn fog permeated, making the soil wet which was easy to slip.
Lei Tie had experienced and purposely chose uneven area to set foot, walked safely and securely. With him leading the way, Qin Mian followed his footprints and looked around in hope of finding some treasures. To him, the mountain was a treasure waiting for his exploration. The birds in the forest woke up too with the twittering came from nowhere, the sound was particularly clear and lyrical in the morning forest.
Lei Tie walked slowly and looked back from time to time.
“Lei Tie, what tree are you going to cut down?” Qin Mian himself was a cheerful person; he found a topic to talk when there was none.
Lei Tie said, “Why don’t you call me ‘Brother Tie’?”
Qin Mian muttered, I was three years older than you in my last life. But of course he couldn’t say that.
“Because——AH.”
Qin Mian didn’t pay attention for a while that he stepped on a piece of grass with morning dew on it. His feet slipped and his whole person leaned backward.
Lei Tie quickly grabbed his hand, pulled him back into his bosom and put another arm around the other’s waist.
Qin Mian’s face hit him on the chest. After standing steadily, he looked back at the steep slope and the big tree several steps away, he was a little scared. He had a small body and he would have been seriously injured if he fell.
Lei Tie let go of him, took his hand naturally and went on.
Qin Mian couldn’t pull out his hand, so he was force to follow Lei Tie. Feeling a heat on his hand, he kept repeating in his heart: I am a child, I am a child.
“By the way, you haven’t answered what tree are you going to cut down? As far as I know, not all wood is suitable for ware making.”
He automatically ignored the question that Lei Tie asked.
