Chapter Sixty: Taking Hemi into the Mountains

Han Li’s timing was rather fortunate; the supply cooperative was well-stocked today. He recalled Tie Dan, who had specifically asked him to catch snow frogs, so he intended to buy some candy.

At the candy counter, there were tangerine segment candies, spiral candies, little pearl candies, and hard candy balls. When Han Li said he wanted to buy some candy, he was asked what kind and how many pieces he wanted.

As it turned out, there was no scale here; if you wanted hard candy balls, you had to buy them by the piece. Spiral candies without wrappers were ten cents for eleven, little pearl candies were one cent for three. Candies with wrappers were ten cents for eight, and the staff would count out however many you wanted.

Han Li watched helplessly as the clerk counted each candy by hand, then folded a paper cone to package them.

Since the candy selection wasn’t quite what he hoped for, Han Li also bought some baking soda and alkaline powder at the supply cooperative.

Alkaline powder was useful for steaming buns and cornbread; Han Li had never bought any before. He used to ask villagers for a pinch, and later borrowed some from Hao Hongmin’s family. This time, he bought some for himself.

As for the baking soda, Han Li wanted to add a bit of fun to his daily life—mixing it with cool boiled water and a bit of sugar created a refreshing soda.

Once the roads were snowbound, he could make honeycomb candy at home using baking soda.

While reading or writing, a piece of fragrant, sweet, and crisp honeycomb candy not only satisfied cravings, but also boosted dopamine, making him feel a bit happier.

In short, he wanted to make life more vibrant—otherwise, how could he endure the long winter?

When Han Li returned to the clinic, He Mi and Qi Zhaodi were already growing impatient.

Han Li said, “There’s no need to hurry. Comrade, your condition absolutely isn’t suitable for working today—otherwise, coming to the clinic would be pointless. Besides, the village cart has already left, and we might not catch a ride back, so rushing won’t necessarily get you home any faster.”

He Mi replied, “That’s what I said, but Zhaodi is worried that staying here will cost money.”

Of the three, only Han Li and He Mi carried bags; they had nothing else.

The road was hard to walk—the soil here was rich and black, but after rain, it was notoriously sticky.

On the solid road it was fine, but elsewhere, every step felt as though the earth clung stubbornly to your shoes.

If your shoes were a bit loose, this sticky soil could easily pull them right off.

Qi Zhaodi was silent all the way, while He Mi chatted with Han Li.

Han Li discovered that He Mi was definitely remarkable. She could speak knowledgeably about music, chess, calligraphy, and painting—definitely not a child raised in an ordinary household for this era.

The two talked as they walked, and before they knew it, they had reached Shanghe Village.

At the village entrance, only the elderly were resting, which meant the fields were still too wet for work.

The others were either in the mountains or by the river; villagers rarely had leisure time, always thinking of ways to bring home more food, so their families could eat better.

Han Li greeted familiar villagers with a smile as he walked to the Youth Courtyard.

He had no interest in lingering inside. At the gate, he handed Qi Zhaodi her large bag of medicine.

“Comrade Qi, a healthy body is everything. If you don’t take care of yourself, you’re just sending money to the hospital. So today, focus on resting, don’t go up the mountain, and take your medicine on time. If you need anything, come find me next door.”

Qi Zhaodi took the medicine bag, embarrassed, and said with her head down, “I’ll make sure to pay you back for the treatment soon.”

“No rush—get well first. Now hurry and go lie down.”

After that, Han Li went home. After wearing rubber boots all day, his feet felt numb.

He needed to wash his feet quickly and change into some comfortable cloth shoes to let them breathe.

Because He Mi helped Qi Zhaodi settle in, making the bed for her before leaving.

Meanwhile, Han Li lay on his kang bed, while Hao Hongmin and the other girls were up in the mountains picking mushrooms with the village aunties.

Not just them—most of the educated youth and villagers were in the mountains.

After washing his feet and changing clothes, Han Li found he couldn’t just lie around.

His basket had been returned by someone yesterday, the mushrooms inside had been washed and left to dry in the yard.

It was only a little after ten, and his empty basket beckoned. Han Li put on his yellow rubber boots and headed out again.

He packed a snakeskin bag, rope, and short spears into the basket, slung it over his back, and set off.

Han Li had just stepped outside when he ran into He Mi, dressed similarly—she was clearly heading for the mountain too.

“Comrade Han, are you going up the mountain? Could I join you? Hao Hongmin and the others aren’t home.”

Han Li glanced at He Mi’s outfit: a beige shirt, blue trousers, and yellow rubber boots.

The clothes were ordinary, but nothing could hide her graceful figure.

Such...

Han Li secretly pinched himself and said, “Then let’s go together. But I walk pretty far; if you see Hao Hongmin, you’d best join her group.”

“Alright.”

Mountain trekking was different from walking on flat ground: it was difficult, required attention to surroundings, and you had to leave mushrooms nearby unpicked for others. So they barely talked as they walked.

A heavy rain had already brought out most mushrooms on the mountain’s edge, and villagers had nearly picked them all. There was little left to find.

With He Mi there, Han Li couldn’t communicate with the sparrows as freely, so he just followed their general direction.

As they ventured deeper, Han Li took up two short spears.

He Mi’s stamina was good, but she was already a bit breathless, though she never complained.

Han Li saw this and, though somewhat helpless, still led her to a clearing.

“We’ve walked quite far. Let’s rest a bit.”

He Mi immediately relaxed. She was about to sit on a nearby stone when Han Li stopped her:

“Comrade He, don’t sit there. Stones deep in the mountains are damp, especially after rain—if you sit, you’ll have stomach trouble later.”

Han Li then took a snakeskin bag from his basket and handed it to her. He Mi blushed slightly, though Han Li didn’t notice; his attention was already drawn to the stand of red pines before them.

The towering red pines reached at least twenty meters high, their branches heavy with cones.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t yet the season for harvesting them; otherwise, Han Li would have climbed up for a few.