Journey to the West: The Immortal Clan Begins by Feeding Monkeys at Five Elements Mountain

Chapter 13 A pair of steel forks, one hundred and twenty pounds
After having a baby, life becomes filled with trivial matters.

While taking care of Liu Xiulian, who was still somewhat weak on the bed, Jiang Yi also had to coax the soft little girl in her swaddling clothes.

Changing diapers, burping and soothing to sleep, while muttering some off-key tunes.

If she didn't get her way, she would pout and whine, making a sound that was neither crying nor making a fuss, leaving Jiang Yi completely bewildered.

Even before the invitations were posted, one after another, neighbors and acquaintances would come to offer their congratulations.

The villagers value the joy of welcoming a new baby; whenever a child is born, they always come to celebrate.

Most of the visitors were older women or familiar men, each carrying gifts and smiling.

The old chickens and ducks were glistening with oil, and the baskets were full of fresh eggs.

There was also some fabric that had just been bought from the market, which was said to be for sewing clothes for the children, and also to give Xiulian a looser outfit.

These were all old customs in the village, and Jiang Yi accepted them with a smile without refusing.

He thanked her repeatedly, and didn't forget to say hello at the end:

"Once the month is over, you all can come again for a visit, have a drink, and enjoy a hot meal."

And so the days went by, one after another.

After more than a month, Liu Xiulian finished her postpartum confinement. Her face had lost its haggardness, her complexion was rosy, and her voice was stronger.

When a person is energetic, their hands and feet become quick and efficient. They can do laundry, cook, feed the chickens, and collect eggs, and in the blink of an eye, they can tidy up the house perfectly.

Jiang Yi finally breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her stand nimbly in front of the stove, her movements as she flipped the pot exuding energy and spirit.

Before you knew it, the little girl's full moon celebration arrived.

Such a joyous occasion is a major event in the village, and naturally no one would be absent.

The courtyard of Jiang Yi's house was bustling with activity early in the morning.

Groups of men and women squeezed in, shouting "Congratulations!" and kicking chicken feathers everywhere.

The table was filled with the aroma of meat, and the wine in the glasses was in full bloom.

The men formed a circle, clinking glasses, shouting, and laughing incessantly.

The women sat on the porch, talking about their children, daily necessities, whose chickens laid eggs the most often, and whose husbands were heavy drinkers.

The conversation, which was originally just casual talk about the harvest in the fields and how the cattle were thin and the horses were fat, somehow took a turn and the topic turned to the mountains.

With spring in full bloom and the mountains lush and green, the old hunters who frequent the mountains year-round begin to count down the days.

The hares are plump at this time of year, and the badger's skin is so shiny it reflects light; it's the perfect time for hunting.

Not to mention the herbs covered in dew; the first batch has just sprouted, and whoever is quick gets it first. After drying them, they can take them to the market and exchange them for some money.

As everyone drank, they looked at Jiang Yi, whose physique was becoming increasingly robust, and put their arms around him, inviting him to go up the mountain together.

"She just had a baby, and Xiulian isn't fully recovered yet, plus the baby can't be left alone..."

Jiang Yi raised his glass and smiled in response, but his words were gentle:
"I'll focus on taking care of the family for now, and we'll talk about it again once things are more stable at home."

Everyone nodded in agreement and laughed repeatedly.

"That's right, that's right, this little girl is the real gem."

In fact, ever since Jiang Xi was born, the family's savings were running out, and Jiang Yi had been thinking about it.

Hunting and gathering herbs, going up the mountain is common in the village; it's a way to supplement the family income.

He is now in good health, and his breathing techniques and stance training have not been for nothing. Carrying wild boars and chasing wild rabbits are no problem for him.

If you really encounter big guys like jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards, you can't outfight them, but you can at least run away.

After careful consideration, he ultimately gave up on the idea.

Wuzhishan, Liangjie Village.

According to my memories from my past life, this place is not a safe haven.

The mountains harbor more than just wild animals with glossy fur.

There are also spirits and monsters from the mountains and fields that have gained sentience, and even demons that can ride the clouds and mist.

Jiang Yi had never seen these things in person.

But the more unfamiliar something is, the more frightening it becomes.

Jiang Yi would occasionally ponder this.

How could Liangjie Village have lived peacefully for decades at the foot of such a demonic mountain, without any disturbances or disturbances?

The more he couldn't understand it, the less he dared to act recklessly.

Now that a new baby has been added to the family, who is crying for milk, Xiulian's body is still weak.

If someone were to break their life in the mountains at this time, or lose an arm or a leg, I really wouldn't know how to handle the mess at home.

Once the excitement of the full moon had subsided, the village returned to its quietude.

It was the off-season for farming, and there weren't many urgent matters to attend to in the fields. The restless young men and women went into the mountains and forests in groups of three or five.

In the Jiang family's field, the spring wheat is growing vigorously.

Three acres of orchards and five acres of medicinal herbs are all sprouting new greenery under the spring sunshine.

Watering and weeding every day doesn't require much effort.

But Jiang Yi wasn't really idle either.

Seeing that Liu Xiulian's health had improved somewhat, he devoted himself to teaching her stance training.

Teach patiently, break down the moves in detail.

He didn't say much, but he constantly helped her straighten her posture, letting her feel the power that rose from the soles of her feet and went straight up her spine.

Liu Xiulian wasn't stupid. Although she was a bit slow and her posture was slightly weak, after standing for a few incense sticks' time, she actually developed a certain composure in her shoulders and back.

That day, after teaching the stance training, I went for a walk in the fields and watched the mountain wind blowing through the wheat fields. A sense of unease rose in my heart.

He sat down against the wall in the courtyard, counting on his fingers, wondering where he could find a way to make a living.

The wasteland at the foot of the mountain has been largely cultivated, and everything that can be planted has been planted.

Further up, you'll reach the real back mountain.

That place was strange; the trees grew densely, and the wind blew through, making it gloomy. After burning an incense stick, one would feel sleepy and dizzy; it was not a proper place to go.

As for the small plots of land in the village, they've all been taken over long ago, so there's no way to get any ideas from them.

The land cannot be expanded.

Next, we must either put in the hard work, cultivate the land meticulously, and take good care of those few acres of sloping land.

Alternatively, one must find another way to make a living.

For example, the skills of boiling sugar, making salt, or brewing wine, which are often mentioned in the village.

But those kinds of delicate jobs were completely foreign to Jiang Yi, a man who had worked in civil engineering in his previous life and was now wielding a hoe.

He was racking his brains trying to come up with a solution.

A greeting suddenly came from outside the courtyard, the voice carrying a deep, honest quality:

"Brother Jiang, are you resting at home?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi knew without even looking that it must be Tang the blacksmith from the village entrance.

This man has been making farm tools in the village since he was a child. If someone's hoe breaks or their plow is missing, they will almost always come to him.

Jiang Yi's vigorous farming style meant he wore out his hoe very quickly, so you inevitably had to deal with him quite a bit.

When acquaintances meet, there's no need to stand on ceremony.

Jiang Yi wiped his hands, came out from the courtyard to greet them, and smiled as he ushered them into the yard.

Old Tang was a straightforward man. He exchanged a few pleasantries, asked about the newborn baby, and praised the Jiang family for managing their few acres of land so well.

It seems Jiang Yi really has nothing to do right now.

He then coughed, rubbed his calloused, rusty blacksmith hands, and his face showed a hint of sincerity.

"Brother, to tell you the truth, I've come today to ask you for a favor."

He spoke bluntly and in a rough voice, the kind of voice you'd hear from someone shouting into the stove every day.

"I've taken on a big job, and I need some handy tools. The material is heavy, and the work is strenuous; carrying it will be quite a challenge."

As he spoke, his gaze swept westward toward the village, and a hint of helplessness crept into his voice:

"As you know, all the young men in the village have gone into the mountains now that it's the off-season for farming..."

"After thinking it over, in this village, when it comes to strength, you, Brother Jiang, are truly the most reliable."

The implication was that they had their eye on Jiang Yi's sturdy build.

Jiang Yi's heart stirred slightly.

Just when I was worried about not having enough money to supplement the family income, this job came knocking on my door.

To be on the safe side, it's best not to reveal your intentions outwardly, but rather to ask around first.

"I wonder what kind of object it is that requires so much effort from you, brother?"

Jiang Yi's eyes held a questioning look.

Old Tang never held back, and upon hearing this, he was happy to speak up, and he did so quite readily:

"It was from the mountains outside the village, Liu Family Village asked me to get it."

He lowered his voice and took half a step forward:
"This was specifically requested by the old man of the Liu family. It's a steel fork, weighing a full 120 jin (60 kg), a real hard weapon."

(End of this chapter)