Chapter 5: Deer-Ear Chive
Ying Kongtu had arranged to climb the mountain at seven in the morning, but in reality, Wen Zhongshan was already standing outside Ying Kongtu’s house at half past six.
He was used to arriving a little early for appointments.
As a mountain god, Ying Kongtu’s hearing was much sharper than that of ordinary humans.
He heard the footsteps outside the gate and went over to open it. Sure enough, Wen Zhongshan was standing outside.
At this moment, the sky had not fully brightened yet. Fiery red clouds drifted along the horizon, while most of the sky was a dim purple-gray.
Even so, Wen Zhongshan, dressed in outdoor clothes and standing before the gate of Ying Kongtu’s courtyard, still made one’s eyes light up.
“Morning,” Wen Zhongshan said.
“Morning.” Ying Kongtu stepped aside from the doorway, signaling for him to come in. “Have you had breakfast?”
“Did I come too early?” Wen Zhongshan followed behind Ying Kongtu. Smelling the fragrance inside the house, he said apologetically, “You eat first. Don’t worry about me.”
Ying Kongtu shook his head. “I’ve eaten too. I’m making rice balls to bring up the mountain. The mountain we’re climbing is rather high, so we probably won’t be back by noon. If you haven’t eaten breakfast, you can have two first.”
Wen Zhongshan smiled. “I have.”
Ying Kongtu led Wen Zhongshan into the kitchen and showed him the rice balls he was making.
This kitchen had been added this year. Its windows were large, and it was kept very clean and tidy. Apart from the firewood stove against the wall, there was also a wooden table beside the cabinets.
When it rained, he would eat in the kitchen.
At this moment, the windows were wide open, and the mountain breeze drifted in gently.
On the wooden table sat a large basin. Inside was freshly cooked glutinous rice, fragrant and glossy with oil. Lined up beside the basin were large bowls filled with diced meat, diced cured sausage, chopped pickled mustard tuber, chopped pickled greens, garlic oil, shredded potatoes, and other ingredients.
Wen Zhongshan’s gaze fell on them and could not quite move away.
Seeing him like this, Ying Kongtu handed him a rice ball. “Try it. I copied the ones sold by street vendors outside, but mine isn’t as oily.”
Wen Zhongshan said, “I never would have thought you could make things like this.”
A faint smile appeared in Ying Kongtu’s eyes. “When I have nothing to do, I fiddle with things a little.”
He had lived for too long and knew a bit of everything. Sometimes, tinkering with delicious food was quite interesting.
Ying Kongtu picked up a rice ball wrapped in oiled paper and handed it to Wen Zhongshan. “See if there are any side dishes you don’t like. If there are, I won’t add them later.”
Wen Zhongshan took the rice ball and bit into it.
The rice ball Ying Kongtu had made himself was stuffed with plenty of filling. With one bite, Wen Zhongshan immediately bit into the rich ingredients inside.
In an instant, the clean sweetness of the rice, the rich fragrance of the diced meat and cured sausage, the crispness of the chopped pickled mustard tuber, the sour fragrance of the pickled greens, and the spicy aroma of the chili oil all burst across his tongue at once. The fragrance and texture built layer upon layer. It was extremely delicious.
A look of amazement appeared in Wen Zhongshan’s eyes.
Ying Kongtu asked, “How is it?”
“It’s very good. I like this rice ball.” Wen Zhongshan took another big bite. “Much better than the ones sold outside.”
Ying Kongtu said happily, “Good. We’ll eat this for lunch, then bring a few cucumbers to quench our thirst.”
The two quickly packed their things and prepared to go up the mountain.
Ying Kongtu led the way in front.
He was very familiar with the mountain forest. Even in the wild mountains, he could find relatively flat and easy paths.
Changchuan County was in the mountains, surrounded by layer upon layer of peaks.
To climb Tiaozhu Mountain, they had to start from the low mountain behind the house and cross two mountains before reaching Tiaozhu Mountain.
As a mountain god, Ying Kongtu had recovered a little of his divine power after regaining ownership of the mountains, and his stamina was much better than that of ordinary humans.
Unexpectedly, Wen Zhongshan’s stamina was also very good.
They crossed two mountains in a row, climbing from the foot of one mountain to its summit, then from the summit of the lower mountain to the summit of a higher one. In one stretch, they climbed nearly two thousand meters in elevation and spent more than three hours doing it, yet Wen Zhongshan barely even panted.
Ying Kongtu observed him along the way, intending to suggest resting once his strength gave out. Yet he never found the chance.
Ying Kongtu looked at Wen Zhongshan. “Your stamina is pretty good.”
Leaning on his trekking pole, Wen Zhongshan smiled. “I trained before. Still not as good as you. You don’t even use trekking poles.”
“I’m used to it. Let’s go that way.” Ying Kongtu pointed in a direction. “There’s a small waterfall over there. The deer-ear chives are growing beside it.”
The small waterfall was a wild mountain waterfall, mainly formed by alpine snowmelt.
It was not yet the peak season for snowmelt, so the waterfall was not large. However, as soon as they approached, they could feel the icy water vapor rushing toward their faces.
After climbing for so long, they had long since grown hot.
The mist fell on their faces, cool, clean, and refreshing, extremely comfortable.
Wen Zhongshan closed his eyes slightly.
Without turning his head, Ying Kongtu said, “If you want to wash your hands and face, you can. Don’t drink it. Snowmelt isn’t safe.”
Wen Zhongshan said, “All right.”
On the way up the mountain, they had seen people grazing sheep on the slopes. Even without sheep, there were wild animals in the mountains, so the water source certainly did not meet drinking standards.
Still, washing his face was fine.
Wen Zhongshan found a suitable spot, put down his trekking pole, and began washing his hands and face.
Ying Kongtu did not stop, but continued walking to the side.
Only after Wen Zhongshan finished washing his face did he realize that Ying Kongtu had walked over beside the waterfall, next to a small pile of stones.
No, not a pile of stones.
After distinguishing it for a moment, Wen Zhongshan realized it was a tiny shrine built from stones.
Inside the shrine, there was even a small blank stone tablet.
Ying Kongtu cleared the weeds around the shrine, first wiping the stones clean, then arranging the slightly scattered rocks neatly.
Wen Zhongshan looked at his back in some surprise.
Ying Kongtu, however, had no intention of explaining.
After tidying up the shrine, Ying Kongtu turned back to look at Wen Zhongshan standing beside the waterfall and said, “Come this way.”
“Coming.” Wen Zhongshan wiped the water from his chin with his sleeve and quickly followed Ying Kongtu.
Ying Kongtu turned back to glance at him.
Wen Zhongshan’s eyelashes were very long and thick. Once wet, they became even more obvious. Matched with his deeply defined, handsome features, he did not quite resemble an ordinary human.
Ying Kongtu turned his head back, revealing a thoughtful expression.
Before long, Ying Kongtu led Wen Zhongshan to a flat patch of ground.
The flat ground was densely covered with wild grass with rather large leaves. The leaves were oval-shaped, completely different from the kind of chives Wen Zhongshan had imagined.
Wen Zhongshan stared at the wild vegetable and asked, “This is deer-ear chive? It looks nothing like chives.”
“Its scientific name is oval-leaf allium. It looks different, but it smells similar.” Ying Kongtu signaled for him to crouch down and picked a leaf for him. “Doesn’t it feel a little like chives now?”
Juice seeped out from the broken end of the deer-ear chive. Wen Zhongshan lowered his head to smell it. “It really does, but the scent is gentler.”
Ying Kongtu said, “It tastes a little sweeter and fresher, like scallions and garlic, not as sharp.”
Wen Zhongshan picked a leaf.
The characteristics of deer-ear chive were very obvious: oval leaves, stems tinged with bright red. Even a beginner like him could not possibly mistake it.
Wen Zhongshan said, “I looked it up last night. The stems of this patch of deer-ear chives seem a bit different from the deer-ear chives I found online.”
“There are several kinds of deer-ear chives. This kind is the tastiest among all the deer-ear chives nearby.”
“So that’s how it is.”
Ying Kongtu taught him, “Pick them with intervals like this. Choose leaves that are thick and moderate in size.”
The nearby area was full of fresh, tender, watery deer-ear chives.
The two crouched and picked them. In no time, they had gathered more than half a basket.
Wen Zhongshan copied Ying Kongtu, stacking the deer-ear chives together, tying them with grass stems, then placing them neatly into the back basket.
“It seems like enough.” Wen Zhongshan looked at the back basket. “If we pick more, won’t we be unable to finish them?”
“It’s fine. They can be pickled.”
Ying Kongtu turned back to Wen Zhongshan and said, “Pickled deer-ear chives are sour, fragrant, crisp, and tender. Add chili peppers, and amid the sour spiciness, there will be a little clean sweetness. They’re different from other pickles. The flavor is very unique.”
Ying Kongtu led Wen Zhongshan through the mountain.
While picking deer-ear chives, Ying Kongtu soon discovered another kind of wild vegetable and motioned for Wen Zhongshan to come over.
This wild vegetable had only just sprouted. A single stem had many serrated leaves, dark green with a hint of purplish red. It did not look like any vegetable Wen Zhongshan had ever seen.
“What vegetable is this?” Wen Zhongshan pinched the leaves and felt a bit of fuzz. “It seems a little rough?”
“Snow sprout greens,” Ying Kongtu answered. “Also called purple-flowered bittercress.”
Wen Zhongshan remembered. “When we were coming up the mountain earlier, didn’t we see similar wild vegetables beside the ditch? Are they the same kind, or do they just look alike?”
Ying Kongtu said, “Same genus, different species. That was also bittercress. There are many kinds of bittercress. This purple-flowered bittercress is the most delicious. It doesn’t have much bitterness or astringency. Other kinds of bittercress are more bitter and astringent, and most people aren’t used to eating them.”
“That sounds impressive.”
“If you go up the mountains often, you’ll be able to recognize them too.” Ying Kongtu used a small knife to cut two stalks of snow sprout greens close to the root and showed Wen Zhongshan. “Just cut one or two stalks from each plant. Leave the root, and it will keep growing.”
Wen Zhongshan’s experience gathering wild vegetables was far less rich than Ying Kongtu’s, so at this moment, he followed Ying Kongtu’s example without hesitation.
They also tied up the snow sprout greens they gathered and placed them neatly into the back basket.
Walking sideways along the slope, the two picked for two hours, and the back basket was full.
They finished the rice balls they had brought, drank all the water they had brought, packed up the trash and carried it with them, then went down the mountain.
Ying Kongtu’s home was halfway up the mountain, while Wen Zhongshan’s was at the foot of the mountain.
Therefore, the two returned to Ying Kongtu’s home first.
The mountain was wet and slippery, and the places where the deer-ear chives and snow sprout greens grew were both very damp. Their shoes and trousers were stained with mud, somewhat dirty and uncomfortable to wear.
Ying Kongtu washed up, changed into soft home clothes, and lent a set to Wen Zhongshan as well. “I bought these recently. They’ve been washed, but I haven’t worn them. Try them.”
Wen Zhongshan did not stand on ceremony. “Thank you.”
Ying Kongtu had only awakened from his deep sleep last November, and after waking, he had needed to buy everything.
The good thing was that he also had many new clothes, and now he even had extra home clothes to lend to others.
Wen Zhongshan also washed up and came out, only to find that there was a small guest in the courtyard.
The visitor was none other than his cat, Dart.
Wen Zhongshan walked over and crouched down to look at the cat lying on the cement floor, basking in the sun. From a distance, he lightly pointed at its nose. “How is your information so accurate? You knew as soon as we came back.”
Dart ignored him and only thumped the ground with its fluffy long tail.
“Tea?” Ying Kongtu’s voice came from behind.
Wen Zhongshan immediately stood up. “Yes. What kind of tea?”
“Salted kumquat, honey, and pomelo tea.”
Ying Kongtu had brewed this tea before they left. Inside, he had added wild honey harvested from his own mountains, homemade pomelo jam, dried tangerine peel he had personally prepared, and mint leaves freshly picked from the courtyard. It had been kept in the refrigerator the whole time.
Now he took it out and added a large amount of ice. Just like that, a pot of icy, sweet fruit tea was made.
Wen Zhongshan went over to pour the tea.
The clear glass cup had just been taken out of the sterilizer. As the orange-yellow fruit tea was poured in, the ice cubes struck the wall of the cup with a soft clinking sound.
Holding the glass, Wen Zhongshan took a sip. With the mountain breeze blowing against him, he let out a soft sigh of contentment.
This afternoon, they were having barbecue.
Ying Kongtu had marinated the meat last night. Now, after being taken out of the refrigerator, it had absorbed the flavor perfectly.
Wen Zhongshan washed the deer-ear chives they had just picked and placed them aside.
On Ying Kongtu’s side, he had also blanched the snow sprout greens and mixed them as a cold dish.
The two carried all the dishes to the wooden table in the corridor.
Ying Kongtu first preheated the electric griddle, brushed it with oil, then began grilling original-cut deep-sea fish pieces and beef from which the marinade had been rinsed off.
The meat on the griddle gradually released its aroma. Dart, who had been sleeping in the sunset, woke up and slowly walked to Ying Kongtu’s feet.
The closer it came to Ying Kongtu, the richer the fragrance of food became.
Dart began meowing in a sweet, coaxing voice. “Meow.”
It circled Ying Kongtu’s legs back and forth, its fluffy, soft body rubbing hard against them. “Meow—meow—”
Its cat ears were flattened against his legs, then sprang back up, over and over again.
Listening to its ingratiating meows, Ying Kongtu did not reach out to pet it. Instead, he used tongs to take a piece of fish from the griddle and placed it on a clean porcelain dish to cool.
After receiving no response for a long while, Dart lifted its head to look at the dining table. With a light jump, it propped its hind legs against the ground and hooked its front paws onto the table, peering at the griddle. “Meow.”
Wen Zhongshan flicked its nose lightly without quite touching it. “You really know how to act cute. Down.”
Dart landed on the ground and gave a rough, indignant, “Meow!”
Ying Kongtu laughed softly, broke apart the slightly cooled fish, placed it on a small dish, then put the dish beneath the table.
Dart could not wait to poke its head over. Its nose twitched, and it quickly began eating.
Wen Zhongshan placed the meat meant for the humans onto the griddle.
The beef cooked very quickly. It was done after only a short grilling.
Wen Zhongshan picked it up with tongs, placing half on Ying Kongtu’s plate and the other half on his own.
The marinated beef was tender and juicy, while the deer-ear chives were crisp, tender, and fragrant. The two paired together enhanced one another’s aroma, making them extremely delicious.
Wen Zhongshan ate several pieces in a row. It was his first time eating this kind of wild vegetable.
“It really is fragrant. It’s different from scallions, garlic, and chives, but it has a similar aroma.” Holding beef and deer-ear chives with his chopsticks, Wen Zhongshan found it rather marvelous. “The flavor is so complex, and so fresh.”
“Why else would it be called a mountain delicacy?” Ying Kongtu pushed the mixed snow sprout greens toward him. “Try the snow sprout greens and see if you’re used to them.”
Wen Zhongshan picked up a chopstickful.
The snow sprout greens had been blanched, but they still carried a slight bitterness. However, mixed with aged vinegar, chili oil, and other seasonings, after the bitterness passed, what remained was the refreshing wild charm of mountain vegetables. After swallowing, it gave one the feeling of having eaten spring itself.
A look of amazement appeared in Wen Zhongshan’s eyes.
Ying Kongtu saw that he liked it and said with a smile, “Eat more if you like it. If we can’t finish it later, we’ll only have to throw it away.”
Wen Zhongshan said, “You should work hard at eating too.”
The two sat at the table and quietly enjoyed the food.
The ribs on the griddle gradually cooked as well, releasing a tempting aroma. Fat seeped out, painting the meat with browned, caramelized edges.
Deer-ear chives also paired extremely well with ribs. The fat from the ribs was richer, while the deer-ear chives enhanced the fragrance and cut through the greasiness. Even eating continuously, one would not feel that it was too fatty.
The humans ate at the table, and the cat ate beneath it.
A breeze blew gently past, and the cat under the table made a soft purring sound in its throat.
Wen Zhongshan rarely felt leisurely, but today, he truly did.
After the meal, he rushed to wash the griddle, basins, and bowls. By then, the sky was somewhat late. Logically speaking, Wen Zhongshan should have taken the cat and gone home.
Still, he did not say goodbye. Instead, he helped sort the deer-ear chives and snow sprout greens they had gathered that day.
Ying Kongtu said, “You really aren’t taking some home?”
Wen Zhongshan shook his head. “I’m not very good at making these. I don’t even have a pickle jar at home. Didn’t people say that poorly fermented pickled vegetables can be a little dangerous? I’d rather not try.”
“Then once I make them, I’ll give you two jars.” Ying Kongtu used a small knife to cut away the old stems of the snow sprout greens. “Salted greens made from snow sprout greens are also very delicious. They’re different from other salted greens. Once they’re ready, you’ll know when you taste them.”
“What can salted greens be used for?”
“Stir-fry them with some minced garlic and green and red chilies? Or make steamed pork with salted greens? Fried rice with salted greens? Anything works. They’re all quite tasty.”
Wen Zhongshan was the second friend Ying Kongtu had made after awakening, but he was the first friend with whom there was no relationship of interest involved.
Hearing him say this, Ying Kongtu agreed at once. “Sure. If you don’t know how to cook them, you can come eat at my place then too.”
The two sat beneath the eaves, sorting vegetables.
The long-haired orange tabby lay not far away, sleeping with its head resting on its own paws, its belly rising and falling.
From time to time, it would twitch its ears to drive away tiny flying insects.
In order not to wake the cat, the two lowered their voices as they spoke. Chatting casually like this beneath the spring night, there was instead a feeling that the years were peaceful and still.
