10 This Is Mountainview Village (Bug Fix)

Knowing that Lin Jiangshan had a hearty appetite, Ye Xi steamed a full pot of rice and began bustling about the kitchen right after midday.

In the main room, Liu Xiufeng was mending a jacket for Father Ye. Seeing Ye Xi busy moving back and forth, she remarked, "By the looks of it, you’re preparing a feast fit for an emperor."

Ye Xi felt a momentary tightness in his chest. He pursed his lips and said, with deliberate calm, "He brought us fish the other day and helped us irrigate the fields. I have to treat him properly, lest people say our family is stingy."

Liu Xiufeng ran her needle through her hair to sharpen it. "True. If you're inviting someone to dine, don’t lose face. Just use whatever ingredients we have in the house; it won't cost much anyway."

Ye Xi nodded and headed out with some copper coins to buy meat.

By dusk, as the sky turned a murky dark, Ye Xi stood in the kitchen holding a plate of freshly stir-fried green peppers and pork. His eyes kept darting toward the door, worried that perhaps the guest wouldn't show up.

When the final soup was prepared, Father Ye asked, "Is that Lin fellow still coming? Did he agree to it that day?"

Ye Xi wiped his hands on his apron and replied, "I asked him in passing, and he said he would come."

Ye Shan set down the bamboo basket he was weaving and stood up. "It’s getting late. I’ll go to his place and invite him again."

Before he could even step outside, a tall figure emerged slowly from the evening mist on the path beyond the fence.

It was Lin Jiangshan.

As he drew closer, one could see he was holding two pheasants in his right hand, their long tail feathers trailing behind.

Ye Shan greeted him warmly. "Brother Lin, why are you so late? I was just about to go look for you."

Lin Jiangshan handed him the pheasants. "I took a turn through the woods, which delayed me a bit."

Seeing the pheasants offered to him, Father Ye felt embarrassed to accept them and pushed them away. "Since you’re here, why bring these? They are rare treasures; my family cannot accept them. Take them back!"

Lin Jiangshan had hunted these pheasants in the woods that afternoon. Only in the summer were such wild creatures willing to venture out; in winter, he might not have been so lucky. Since the Ye family was hosting him, he didn't want to eat for free and felt he had to bring a gift.

"I caught them in the woods; they cost me nothing. Please, just take them."

Father Ye still dared not take them, insisting, "Brother Lin, you must be new here and don't know the local prices. These pheasants can sell for fifty coppers each in town. That’s no small amount."

Lin Jiangshan feigned a stern expression and turned to leave, holding the birds. "If you refuse, then I cannot eat this meal in good conscience. I’ll just be going."

Seeing him about to leave, Father Ye grew anxious and quickly pulled him back. "No, no, no! I’ll take them, alright? Don't go. Little Xi has been busy all afternoon preparing a table of good food to treat you."

Hearing this, Lin Jiangshan stopped and handed the pheasants to Father Ye. "Then I shall not stand on ceremony this evening and will have dinner at your home."

Father Ye patted his shoulder happily. "Hey, you’re an interesting fellow! You suit my temperament!"

When Lin Jiangshan entered the main room, Ye Xi was busy setting the table. He lifted his eyes, caught sight of Lin Jiangshan, and offered a gentle smile. "Sit down, quickly, before the food gets cold."

Lin Jiangshan gave a grunt of acknowledgment and sat at the table.

Father Ye and Ye Shan were to keep him company and share some wine, while Ye Xi and Liu Xiufeng sat to the side, eating and letting the men talk.

"Come, have a bowl of wine. This was brewed from sorghum at the village distillery; it’s quite mellow," Ye Shan said, pouring wine for Lin Jiangshan from a jug.

Lin Jiangshan was not one to be coy; he held out his bowl to receive it.

Father Ye expressed his gratitude: "The other day, thanks to you, Brother Lin, our rice crop for this year was saved. Enough said—come, let's drink."

Lin Jiangshan clinked his bowl against Father Ye's and tilted his head back, downing the entire bowl of golden wine.

Ye Xi watched in astonishment. Just how high was this man's tolerance?

As the drinking progressed, the conversation naturally opened up. Father Ye hiccuped and asked, "Where were you from originally, Brother Lin?"

Lin Jiangshan replied respectfully, answering every question: "From the North Continent, in a town under the jurisdiction of Xi County."

"Oh, that’s a long way off."

Lin Jiangshan gave a soft grunt.

Ye Shan craned his neck, looking at Lin Jiangshan curiously. "Then why run all the way to Nanchuan Continent? Staying in a place where you don't know anyone... I always say it's hard to leave one's roots; a man is only truly at peace on his own native soil."

Lin Jiangshan’s lips tightened into a straight line, and his expression darkened.

Ye Xi noticed this. He nudged his older brother with his elbow and whispered, "Big Brother, stop asking. It’s not proper to pry into someone else’s private affairs like that."

Ye Shan was clearly feeling the effects of the alcohol. Ignoring the warning, he exclaimed, "Is Brother Lin an outsider? He is straightforward and righteous; I truly treat him as a brother! We will be seeing plenty of each other in the future! What’s wrong with asking? I don’t consider him an outsider."

Ye Xi felt a headache coming on, watching his brother. He was about to speak again, but Lin Jiangshan spoke up.

"Since Brother Ye treats me as one of his own, there is nothing I cannot say. I won't avoid those old, dusty stories anymore."

Ye Xi watched him quietly. In his heart, he was curious about Lin Jiangshan's past. He knew deep down that Lin Jiangshan hadn't come to Shanxiu Village without a reason.

Lin Jiangshan began slowly: "My family was a prosperous clan in town. My father had six brothers. My uncles had many children, but I was my father's only son. Later, the Xierong from the north rebelled and invaded. The imperial court issued a decree to conscript soldiers to resist the enemy. Every family had to provide one able-bodied man. My uncles' families all had sons to send, so it fell to me."

Father Ye, who had spent his entire life in Shanxiu Village, had never seen the horrors of war. "Good heavens, you actually went to the battlefield? And you returned in one piece?"

Lin Jiangshan: "The war lasted five years. Swords have no eyes, but fortunately, I returned safely."

Ye Shan clicked his tongue in admiration. "Brother Lin is a god among men! To be so capable—it’s no exaggeration to say you fought your way back from the gates of hell!"

Liu Xiufeng was listening intently and quickly asked, "Since you came back safe and sound, why leave your home and come to our Shanxiu Village?"

Ye Xi was also waiting for the answer.

Lin Jiangshan took a sip of wine; the spicy liquid burned down his throat. "After the war ended, I went to the local government office to clear my military service records. To my shock, the clerks told me that three years prior, they had recorded my death on the battlefield. It must have been a clerical error where someone else was mistaken for me. I felt a sense of dread and hurried back to Xi County."

"Sure enough, as soon as I returned, I heard the news of my own death. My mother had always been frail; upon hearing the news, she fell ill from grief and passed away. My father couldn't handle the blow of losing his wife and son, and he followed her shortly after."

Liu Xiufeng listened with teary eyes, a kind-hearted soul. "War is truly no life for a human being. It ruins everything!"

Ye Xi’s heart ached as well. He couldn't imagine what would happen if he lost his father, mother, and brother; he feared he would throw himself against a beam and follow them.

Lin Jiangshan continued: "My father had some assets when he was alive; we were considered a wealthy family. The land deeds, the house, and the remaining assets were divided among my uncles as per custom. When they saw me return, they naturally weren't willing to spit out the fat meat they had already swallowed. They colluded and insisted that the Lin family son had died three years ago and that I was a fraud. They drove me out of the clan."

Ye Shan’s teeth itched with rage; he wished he could grab a firewood axe and demand justice for Lin Jiangshan. "Those scoundrels! A lightning bolt should strike them dead!"

Ye Xi: "So that’s why you came to Shanxiu Village?"

Lin Jiangshan smiled. "After leaving Xi County, I had no household registration and no relatives to turn to. I drifted for three or four years. Later, I met a younger brother-in-arms from my time in the military. He had returned to Nanchuan Continent and was doing quite well, with an older brother working in the government office. Through his connections, I came to Nanchuan and re-registered my household documents. However, the registration required proof of property. I heard there was a dilapidated house in Shanxiu Village that wasn't expensive, so I bought it and registered my residency here."

In a few short sentences, Lin Jiangshan laid out his past. He spoke with brevity, but the bitterness and suffering he endured could not be contained in a basket.

The Ye family felt the injustice of it all, and a heavy silence fell over them.

Lin Jiangshan had long since come to terms with it. He tapped his bowl against Ye Shan’s arm and said boldly, "Don't let the past weigh you down. Since I’ve come here and settled in Shanxiu Village, it’s destiny. Meeting your family is a stroke of fortune. Let’s drink!"

Ye Shan relaxed and began to drink again.

By the end of the meal, the entire jug of wine was empty. Father Ye and Ye Shan were flushed, their minds clouded with drink, while Lin Jiangshan seemed perfectly unaffected.

Liu Xiufeng cleared the bowls and chopsticks, telling the father and son to go to bed before they started drunkenly causing a scene.

Ye Xi sat by the oil lamp, watching Lin Jiangshan in the dim, flickering light. Although his cheeks were slightly flushed and he smelled strongly of wine, he showed no signs of intoxication.

"You... are you drunk?"

Lin Jiangshan lifted his eyelids, his dark eyes clear. He was clearly sober and fully aware. He shook his head. "No. My tolerance isn't as deep as the sea, but I can handle this."

Ye Xi breathed a sigh of relief. "With a tolerance like yours, no man in the village could compete with you."

Lin Jiangshan stood up. "It’s getting late. I’ll head back."

Ye Xi looked at the pitch-black landscape outside, worried. "It’s so late; what if you run into snakes or wild beasts on the road?"

He lived halfway up the mountain, and the thought was frightening.

Lin Jiangshan was not the least bit concerned. "War was a matter of life and death; these beasts and snakes are nothing."

Ye Xi thought for a moment, then went to the kitchen and made a torch with pine resin. "Use this to see the path. It’s dark; watch your step."

Lin Jiangshan nodded and took the torch. As he stepped over the threshold, he turned back to Ye Xi. "Did you cook dinner today?"

Ye Xi was surprised by the sudden question and paused, then nodded gently, frowning. "Yes, was it not to your liking?"

Lin Jiangshan gave a hearty laugh. "Your skills are excellent. The meal was comforting. Thank you for your trouble."

Ye Xi smiled faintly, averted his eyes, and said softly, "If you like it, come again. My father and brother both like you. You are welcome here."

Lin Jiangshan grunted in reply. "Get some rest early." With that, he lit the pine resin and walked out of the Ye family courtyard with the torch held high.

Ye Xi stood under the eaves, watching the flickering light grow smaller and smaller until it disappeared around the bend at the foot of the mountain.