When Hunter Xu came by, He Yi had just returned from the cattle shed after eating congee. Hunter Xu set a bamboo tube on the windowsill and turned his head toward He Yi. “I made a medicinal soup, Four Ministers Soup. I brought you a portion.”
He Yi was slightly surprised. After Hunter Xu stepped away, he went over and picked up the bamboo tube. Looking down, he saw a cloudy, pale-gray broth inside, too murky to tell what ingredients had been added.
So it really was medicinal food. Hunter Xu had gone to a lot of trouble. He Yi glanced at the man leaning against the wall with his arms folded, looking cool as ever, and wanted to thank him. But addressing him the same way as before suddenly seemed a little too distant. This counted as the third favor He Yi owed him. Perhaps once there were enough debts, one stopped worrying about adding another. Feeling less restrained, He Yi naturally changed his form of address. “Thank you for thinking of me, Older Cousin.”
Hunter Xu’s expression did not change. He only said, “It’s still warm.”
He Yi took that to mean he should drink it while it was warm, so he lifted the bamboo tube and poured the soup into his mouth.
The broth went down smoothly. He could feel several small round grains that were pleasantly chewy, along with a few larger square pieces that were soft and floury. At first taste, it was almost like drinking medicinal decoction diluted many times over, with a faint, general herbal flavor. It was not bitter, and after swallowing, a sweetness quickly returned on the tongue. Combined with the slight saltiness of the broth, the flavor was quite distinctive.
He Yi had never drunk soup like this before and was pleasantly surprised. There was not much solid material or residue in it, and he finished the whole serving in five or six swallows.
“That’s good. What’s this soup made from?” He Yi asked as he lowered the bamboo tube.
He had assumed the habitually taciturn Hunter Xu would not bother explaining, but the question seemed to flip some hidden switch. Hunter Xu unexpectedly began giving him a detailed explanation.
In short, Four Ministers Soup was simmered with lotus seeds, coix seeds, Chinese yam, and poria. Pork bones had also been added, though the solids had been strained out so the bamboo tube could hold more broth. The soup was mainly said to nourish the complexion and skin and strengthen the spleen, making it suitable for someone weak and in need of replenishment.
Elio’s Notes: Four Ministers Soup (四臣汤, Si Chen Tang) is a traditional medicinal soup made from four staple ingredients. The name is associated with a folk story about four imperial ministers and is also commonly encountered today as 四神汤, “Four Spirits Soup.”
Perhaps Hunter Xu had made the medicinal soup especially for him. Even if he had not, the gesture still warmed He Yi’s heart. Aside from A’ma, there was at least one other relative willing to show the original owner some concern. If the original He Yi were still here, he probably would have been happy.
Except the person receiving that kindness had already been replaced by him…
In the memories, the original He Yi had almost no contact with Hunter Xu. He Yi guessed that Hunter Xu probably would not notice that his younger cousin now had a different soul inside.
Suppressing his complicated emotions, He Yi asked, “Older Cousin, is there anything I can help you with? Yesterday the village head brought a physician to see me. He said I’m basically recovered and can go down the mountain the day after tomorrow.”
Hunter Xu only said, “The soup was incidental,” meaning He Yi did not need to repay him for it. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he added, “Did you hear the tiger last night? Remember this: don’t go out at dusk or at night. I’m going down to report it to the village head in a while.”
“I heard it,” He Yi replied.
But there had not only been a tiger last night. There had also been the snow leopard… He Yi was worried, though he did not want to show it, so he probed indirectly. “Will the village head organize people to hunt the tiger?”
Hunter Xu thought for a moment. “I don’t know. Once the village head hears about it, he’ll probably report it to the town supervisor. Whether they’ll organize a hunt is hard to say. A beast on a tiger’s level isn’t something people like us would be involved in even if they did organize one.”
The town supervisor would most likely report farther up the chain and have some important official from the county organize the hunt. Anyone allowed to participate would surely be of some standing. Ordinary commoners like them would never be permitted to join. Besides, when dealing with a tiger, a man could have several lives and still not have enough to spare. Staying out of it was really for the best, Hunter Xu thought.
He Yi noticed that Hunter Xu did not mention the snow leopard at all and wondered whether he had failed to recognize the other howl from last night as coming from it. But since neither of them had any say over a possible hunt, He Yi could only nod to show he understood.
“Leave the hoe here for now. I’ll take it when I come back.” Hunter Xu tipped his chin toward the front of the hut. He Yi followed the direction and saw a hoe leaning against the wall.
Hunter Xu had brought the hoe along, though He Yi had no idea what he had originally planned to use it for and did not ask. Instead, after noticing He Yi staring at it for a moment, Hunter Xu volunteered an explanation. “It’s for digging out bamboo-rat burrows.”
Bamboo rats. He Yi truly had never seen one. He had only watched a few videos about raising them, and he had certainly never eaten one.
Hunter Xu glanced at the sun and knew he could not delay any longer. After saying goodbye, he turned and headed down the mountain.
Only after Hunter Xu had been gone for quite a while did He Yi remember that he had forgotten to return the sickle again. Forget it. He would give it back next time.
…
Yaluo Mountain had beautiful mountains and water, a rich ecosystem, and pleasant scenery. Simply breathing the mountain air made a person feel refreshed.
The only drawback to such natural beauty was that He Yi could appreciate it only from inside the hut.
With a tiger in the mountains, he could not wander around freely. At most, he could walk to the cattle shed and cook some congee. After Hunter Xu’s warning, he did not plan to go there again in the evening, so at noon he deliberately made an extra pot and saved it for dinner. It was only mid-April. The congee would not spoil in a few hours, and eating one cold meal in this weather would not hurt him.
As for setting traps in the brush for pheasants or small birds so he could treat himself to some meat, that idea was finished.
He Yi paced around inside the hut, but it was so small that he reached the other side within a few steps. There was nowhere worth pacing, so he simply sat on the edge of the bed with his chin propped in one hand and stared into space.
Hunter Xu had returned from the village a short while ago, and He Yi had asked how the report to the village head went. Hunter Xu said the village head wanted both of them to return to the village tomorrow while it was broad daylight and not linger on the mountain.
He Yi was surprised and pressed him. “Then what are you going to do? Are you coming down the mountain with me tomorrow?”
Hunter Xu gave him a cool glance. “I’m not going back to the village.”
With that, he picked up the hoe and prepared to leave. He Yi still remembered that he needed to return the sickle, so he grabbed it and chased after him, but Hunter Xu refused to take it, saying He Yi could keep it.
With no other choice, He Yi brought the sickle back. After pacing only a few steps, he sat down again to contemplate life.
He had not expected the village head to make him leave the mountain early because of the tiger. Judging by how seriously they were treating the matter, there was a good chance a hunt really would be organized, and He Yi could not help worrying about the snow leopard.
If he was going down the mountain tomorrow and the snow leopard did not appear today, he would have no chance to warn it to be careful of the hunters.
Then again, the snow leopard was extraordinarily intelligent and came and went like a ghost. It probably would not have much trouble. He Yi often recalled the sight of it killing the giant python in a single strike and had developed an almost blind faith in its strength.
The snow leopard was nowhere to be seen, and Xue Ci was nowhere to be found either.
He was alone, with no entertainment and nothing important to do. He could pack his things tomorrow. There was not much in total anyway, and everything was either in this hut or over by the cattle shed.
He Yi became unbearably bored sitting there. Listening to the clear, lively birdsong from the trees outside, he figured no one was around and gradually began humming an old song. It was not that he was especially nostalgic. He simply remembered the lyrics to older songs better.
This body’s voice was different from his in his previous life. It was lower and more magnetic, with a richer weight to it. When he sang, he sounded almost as if he had received professional training. He Yi began to enjoy humming with this voice. It was like having accompaniment built in, giving him the illusion that he could actually sing well.
As he hummed, he inevitably began to miss his harmonica. He had never known much about music or instruments, but one of his coworkers had been extremely good at playing the harmonica. For a while, the soundtrack to a certain game had become widely praised, especially a harmonica arrangement that He Yi particularly liked. He had asked that coworker to teach him the basics. Unfortunately, he had only learned half of “Moscow Nights” before something happened to his family and he left that project team forever. He never picked up the harmonica again…
That memory, which should have remained sealed away, loosened dangerously once more. A dark, hostile tension gathered between He Yi’s brows. His desire to sing vanished at once, and he stopped humming.
Strangely, however, the sound did not stop. A faint humming still reached his ears.
He Yi looked up. The completely off-key tune seemed to be drifting down from above.
As though noticing that He Yi had stopped singing, the sound quickly stopped too.
He Yi thought for a moment and hummed another passage. This time he paid attention while singing. Sure enough, the other sound appeared again, though his own voice made it difficult to hear clearly. He Yi stopped abruptly, and immediately afterward he distinctly heard the small, tuneless hum that had been following the tail end of his melody.
He Yi quietly opened the door and stepped outside. Looking up at the thatched roof, he discovered a familiar figure lying on top of it.
Xue Ci had been humming away quite enthusiastically on the roof. Suddenly caught in the act, his gray-blue eyes widened slightly, and he and He Yi stared at each other.
The moment He Yi saw that it was Xue Ci, the tension between his brows vanished so quickly he did not even notice it himself. A moment later, however, he frowned again.
The hunter’s hut had a sloped roof at a fairly steep angle. With Xue Ci lying there like that, He Yi worried he might slide straight off. “…Xue Ci, come down.”
Xue Ci, who had been enjoying the sun, shook his head.
“I don’t know how sturdy that roof is. You should come down.” He Yi folded his arms and looked up at him disapprovingly.
Xue Ci blinked, seemingly agreeing at last. He slid down the slope toward the eaves, then launched himself into the air, flipped sideways, and landed steadily on the ground, leaving He Yi staring.
Xue Ci still wore no shoes and did not care about stepping directly on the dirt. At least the sash at his waist had not come loose again, though the knot had migrated around to his back and his collar sat crooked. Looking closely, everything about him below that still-delicate face radiated roughness. Perhaps this was what people meant when they said good looks let you get away with anything, He Yi thought.
The degree to which Xue Ci appeared and disappeared without warning rivaled the snow leopard. What He Yi was even more curious about was where this mysterious, almost tribal wild man actually slept at night.
Since he was thinking it, He Yi asked aloud, “Where did you sleep last night?”
In truth, He Yi had an absurd suspicion. Xue Ci had looked so completely at ease on the roof just now that He Yi could not help thinking he might actually sleep in places like that.
Xue Ci glanced at him and raised a hand to point toward the hut.
He Yi naturally assumed he meant the roof. So he had guessed correctly after all. He was astonished. The rafters beneath the thatch were not closely spaced. Could the roof really bear that much weight? Had Xue Ci actually slept up there all night without falling through?
Once the question touched on his professional field, He Yi found it difficult not to go inside and study the thatched roof. But he was the one who had called Xue Ci down. Leaving him outside and ignoring him now would feel inappropriate.
So He Yi asked, “Isn’t it cold sleeping there? Do you have nowhere to go? How about I make you a dry-straw mat and you sleep here tonight? There are tigers in these mountains. It’s safer indoors.”
Faced with Xue Ci, who possessed very little common sense about daily life, He Yi could not help becoming long-winded. “I’m going down the mountain tomorrow. This hut will be empty afterward, and normally no one should come stay here. If you want, you can live here for the time being.”
Xue Ci only stared at He Yi without any other reaction. He Yi instinctively felt that he understood, so he did not press for an answer and let him be. He told Xue Ci to sit for a while on the stool beneath the eaves, then went inside to burn mugwort.
Whether or not He Yi had truly contracted the epidemic, he was recovered now. Burning mugwort could at least help disinfect the room to some degree. Only then would he feel comfortable letting Xue Ci inside.
When he finished, the hut was filled with a very strong herbal fragrance. Xue Ci caught a whiff from outside and promptly fled to a tree some distance away.
He Yi glanced at the sun. It was not yet evening, so he left Xue Ci alone. He used the time to spread the rice straw stored inside into a sleeping mat, then laid A’ma’s thin quilt over it for Xue Ci.
A while later, He Yi called outside, “The smell’s faded a little. Come back!”
Xue Ci leapt down from the tree and walked toward the hunter’s hut.