RIIDMDR chapter 102

 

After eating the first batch of grapes, Nan Xu dragged the unfinished swing chair out from the corner of the courtyard. He hammered and sawed during the day, and the planer shaved a pile of wood shavings all over the ground. When the wind blew, the shavings floated up and covered Nan Xu from head to toe.

The frame was made from sturdy, thick tree trunks. The wooden chair was big enough for two people to sit together. After moving it under the loquat tree, Nan Xu sat on it and decided it needed a pillow for his back.

Since the room Wu Jiu used to live in no longer needed soundproofing made with layers of cotton, Nan Xu tore down the entire setup. The four bags of cotton that he had bought for a thousand silver coins from the system store were now more than half wasted. Feeling heartbroken, Nan Xu sewed a rough cloth bag, stuffed it with misshapen cotton, and made a soft dog bed for Guan’er.

Guan’er reached out his paw, patted the cushion twice, and rolled around on it once. He seemed to like it, wagging his tail at Nan Xu before biting a corner of the cushion and dragging it into his uniquely shaped doghouse.

Nan Xu watched Guan’er’s movements, his gaze lingering on the doghouse for a few extra seconds. From his initial irritation to his eventual acceptance of this ugly little house, Nan Xu felt deeply that Guan’er had suffered a lot of hardship following him.

He then turned around and went into the kitchen to prepare a pot of meat just for Guan’er, hoping to comfort his gradually strengthening little heart.

After staying for five or six days, the cloud demon bid farewell and went down the mountain. The courtyard returned to its former peace. Yao Lin seemed a little unaccustomed to it. When Nan Xu returned to the courtyard with a basket of freshly picked vegetables, he saw Yao Lin sitting alone on the swing. The seat swayed gently back and forth on its coarse rope, and a few loquat leaves fell from above, making the scene seem lonelier still.

Nan Xu placed the vegetables on the stone slab and went to the well to fetch a bucket of water. Washing the tender vegetables with the clear well water was a feast for the eyes.

“You two quarrel every day. I didn’t expect your relationship to be this close,” said Nan Xu while washing the vegetables, glancing at Yao Lin not far away.

Yao Lin seemed to come back to himself, stunned. “Ah?”

Nan Xu repeated. “I said, you and the cloud demon are close. You seem reluctant to see her go down the mountain.”

Yao Lin sighed. “Where? You’re overthinking it.”

Nan Xu spoke like someone who had been through it before. “You’ve written your loss all over your face. How could I not think more?”

Yao Lin let out another long sigh. “It’s not that. She went down the mountain early this morning, and I just remembered that I have no written proof of the three thousand silver coins she borrowed from me. I’m afraid I’ll never get them back.”

Nan Xu: “…”

Putting himself in that position, Nan Xu felt a pang in his heart and quickly said, “That’s indeed a sad thing.”

That being said, Yao Lin wasn’t in the mood to gossip that afternoon. Bored, he went out. When he came back at dusk, the basket on his back was full of jujubes.

He kept one basket for himself and gave the rest to Nan Xu as compensation.

The last time Nan Xu stripped the base of the small jujube tree, he only managed to fill half a basket. Seeing Yao Lin come back with so many made him quite surprised. “Where did you pick these?”

Yao Lin gave him the location—the same jujube tree Nan Xu had gone to last time.

Seeing Nan Xu’s confusion, Yao Lin suddenly felt proud. Puffing out his chest, he said, “How could unawakened birds compare to a high-level bird demon like me? Naturally, they couldn’t beat me.”

Nan Xu was speechless. He could almost imagine Yao Lin fighting a flock of sparrows for the jujubes in the treetop.

The selected jujubes were washed, drained, steamed, and laid out on a round bamboo sieve to dry. A few days later, the fresh jujubes turned into shriveled dried ones. Though they had lost their moisture, they were pleasantly chewy. After eating one, your mouth would be sweet with the fragrance of jujube for a long time — a unique taste.

Nan Xu stored the dried jujubes in a clay jar and placed it in the main hall. Yao Lin would occasionally grab a few to satisfy his cravings. It’s true that bird demons really do have a fondness for these fruits.

After a few busy days, Nan Xu tidied up the vegetable plot again. In the empty field after the harvest, he sprinkled homemade fertilizer, preparing for the spring planting season.

The weather forecast showed that continuous rainfall was expected in a few days. Taking advantage of the clear weather, Nan Xu carried a bamboo basket and went into the deep forest with Tingchuan again. Yao Lin, with nothing to do in the courtyard and under Tingchuan’s gaze, followed behind them.

Autumn was the harvest season. Using the upgraded system map in his mind as a guide, Nan Xu didn’t return empty-handed after wandering through the fallen leaves in the mountain forest. They picked up a lot of wild nuts — hickory, chestnuts… the baskets grew heavier as they went.

Yao Lin no longer hesitated following Nan Xu. He used to question whether things were poisonous, but now, as long as Nan Xu nodded, he ate them the next second. He had truly entrusted his life to Nan Xu.

They left at sunrise and returned at sunset. After several days like this, they had explored nearly all of the deep forests around the small courtyard.

Then, the expected drizzle arrived, casting a hazy mist over the mountains. Unable to go out, Nan Xu brought a small stove to the window and brewed tea, as there was nothing much else to do.

The fragrance of bamboo leaves mixed with the citrus scent of wild mountain tangerines, filling the room. Water bubbled in the clay pot, and thin smoke curled from the stove. Tingchuan sat on the bamboo chair opposite Nan Xu, quietly watching his every movement and listening to the sound of rainwater sliding down the roof tiles and dripping into the gutter.

Neither of them spoke, yet sitting face-to-face like that wasn’t boring. Nan Xu pushed a cup of freshly brewed tea toward Tingchuan, feeling nostalgic for tea leaves again.

After this rain, the wilderness truly entered deep autumn. Looking out the window, one could see that the distant forest had lost much of its green. The once lush mountains now seemed to have turned into a sea of red leaves overnight.

One morning, when Nan Xu walked into the courtyard, a breeze blew past, carrying the damp chill of the post-rain air. He shivered. His long-sleeved T-shirt was no longer enough for the temperature. However, the clothes in the system store were all outrageously expensive—the cheap ones he used to buy for one hundred silver coins per set had long disappeared from the listings. Even the pajamas he’d once splurged on for Tingchuan now seemed like a bargain.

Nan Xu could only sigh. The prices in the system had risen so quickly, yet his income had not kept up at all. Compared to others in the same situation, Nan Xu believed he was the poorest.

After sitting on the threshold with his chin in his hand and browsing the system store for more than half an hour, Nan Xu finally bought several discounted bolts of fabric. Even as sale items, they were painfully expensive. He decided he probably wouldn’t use the store much from now on.

The harvest season was supposed to be joyful, yet Nan Xu found himself staring gloomily at the bolts of fabric in storage. When he first arrived, no one told him that he would one day have to make his own clothes.

If he had known earlier, he would have bought the old-fashioned sewing machine and the Beginner’s Guide to Clothing Craft books from the store’s corner. Then, at least, he wouldn’t be so helpless now.

By mid-afternoon, Xu Ji came up the mountain with Xu Le, bringing along a half-grown young man — a new face.

Seeing Nan Xu looking at him, Xu Ji introduced him: “This is my wife’s nephew. We just found him a few days ago. Don’t be fooled by his young age; he’s an excellent woodworker, even more skilled than I am. He was very interested in the blueprints you gave me last time. If you trust him, let him stay on the mountain for a few days and help you build whatever you need.”

Earlier, Nan Xu had given Tingchuan the blueprint for the sofa, asking him to pass it on to the canine clan when he roamed the mountains. If they could build something matching the design, Nan Xu would send tanned furs down the mountain. He hadn’t expected Xu Ji to bring the craftsman up the mountain himself — a pleasant surprise indeed.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Nan Xu invited them to stay for lunch and packed a few of the freshly made jujube-paste pastries, along with a basket of grapes, for Xu Le to take home.

Xu Ji patted Xu Le on the head awkwardly, but Nan Xu felt he had profited greatly. After all, hiring a skilled carpenter to make furniture in the human world wouldn’t be cheap, especially with meals and lodging included.

After sending off the canine demon father and son, Nan Xu looked at the young man standing in the courtyard. He had tanned skin and a thin build, clearly showing signs of years of hardship. However, his eyes were bright and full of spirit, without the slightest trace of self-pity or inferiority over the dog clan’s situation.

Recalling how Xu Ji’s clan had come to Zhuyu Mountain and looking at the young man before him, Nan Xu could feel how rare this mountain’s peace truly was.

Now that he was living easily thanks to the mountain’s unique advantages, he wondered if the arrays could really hold off the demons outside. After all, when the stakes are high enough, someone will always take risks. Zhuyu Mountain’s abundant spiritual energy was, in the demon realm, like a fragrant, tempting cake.

Nan Xu’s gaze stayed on the young man, his thoughts drifting far away. The young man felt uneasy under the stare and lowered his head to check his clothes and shoes. Not knowing what was wrong, he felt rather depressed.

His movements were obvious, and Nan Xu came back to himself, smiling gently at the young man. “There are a few empty rooms upstairs. Go pick one to stay in.”

The young man nodded and looked around. He asked, “Will I be working here in the courtyard?”

He didn’t seem to care much about lodging; he just wanted to start working as soon as possible.

Nan Xu had wanted him to rest for a day after the long trip up the mountain, but the young man was impatient. Nan Xu led him to the workshop in the corner of the courtyard to look over the tools.

Some of the tools were system gifts, while Nan Xu had purchased the rest over time. Despite long use, all were of good quality and none had broken.

Seeing the set of tools lit up the young man’s eyes. Without saying much, he went over and touched them one by one, clearly delighted.

“There are a few logs behind the wooden house. You can use those first. I’ll bring some more from the mountain tomorrow,” said Nan Xu. “Oh, right—what should I call you? Do you still remember the blueprint? If not, I can draw another copy.”

“My name is Yi Shui. I remember the blueprint. Can I start working now?” he asked eagerly.

Nan Xu agreed and didn’t disturb him further. He could tell that this little canine demon was passionate about woodworking.

For several days after that, the sounds of sawing and planing echoed constantly in the courtyard. Two days later, the sofa Nan Xu wanted was finished. It was even more exquisite and beautiful than he had imagined. As he sat on it, he felt its soft yet springy texture, and it made him feel like he had returned to the human world.

The sofa was so comfortable that Nan Xu could already imagine its future fate: Tingchuan would take it over, just like the lounge chair.

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