MTLNOVEL Chapter 414: Collecting Niter
"...Uncle, we're heading up the mountain to find some things," Hua Chengtian said with a cheerful smile.
"Going up the mountain? It's quite hot now; did you bring enough water? Do you want Shanzi to go with you?" Shanzi's father, who was standing up under the willow tree, asked.
On such a day, no one works in the fields. Everyone is at home, and Shanzi's father wasn't just making polite conversation.
"Dali is just staying home doing nothing..."
"..."
The enthusiasm of everyone was overwhelming, and seeing that they were about to stand up and go home to call others, Hua Chengtian quickly stopped them, saying, "No need, no need, brothers, we can manage by ourselves. We've brought water. Uncle, aunties, time is pressing, we won't chat anymore; we're leaving!"
Saying that, Hua Chengtian nodded, and quickly left with the children, lest they dilly-dally and end up with a whole group of young lads following behind.
"Be careful then!" Seeing them quickly leave, everyone could only call out after them and then shake their heads with a laugh.
However, they didn't think much of it because these fellows were really just heading to the mountain behind them.
When they were halfway up the mountain, little Si started to feel like he couldn't take it anymore. It was too hot, his chest felt heavy, and he was a bit out of breath.
As he turned to look at his father and brothers, feeling vexed about his own condition, the frustration suddenly improved a lot.
His dad, elder brother, and second brother were no better than him, also panting heavily, drenched in sweat, and with flushed faces.
Only his sister seemed as fresh as if she was out for a picnic, not sweating a bit. When she was little, his sister used to be quite afraid of the heat, but as she grew up, her constitution changed, which made little Si extremely envious.
"Let's rest for a while, rest a while... can't go on anymore..." Little Si waved his hand and plopped down on the ground, taking a big gulp from the water pouch he carried. The cold water slid down his throat, and he finally felt revived.
In the past, Hua Er Ge might have teased his little brother a bit, but now he was also too hot to catch his breath, so he casually sat down and drank water too.
Aside from Jin'er, the four of them rested on the ground for a moment.
Ever since the extreme heat arrived, they've mostly stayed at home except for wandering around the valley or watering the fields at night. They really didn't expect that climbing a mountain would almost take their breath away from the heat.
And this was still within the valley. Outside the valley, the heat was simply unimaginable.
Sixty to seventy degrees, almost double their usual summer temperatures. Going out there would roast them alive!
After resting for about fifteen minutes, they continued and soon reached the top through a small gate left in the fence around the mountain. With determination, they climbed to the summit, and once they got over the mountain, it wasn't long before they reached the rocks where nitrate crystals formed.
Then the temperature on the summit made the father and sons drink another cup of suffering, feeling only one thing — extreme heat, as if they were lying on a furnace. Their moisture was rapidly depleting, and their sweat evaporated before it even appeared.
In less than a moment, Hua Chengtian and Hua Yunao felt they couldn't stand it anymore. The most direct feeling was being out of breath, so hot that it seemed they would explode in the next moment, truly feeling the terror of the setting sun's heat.
Fortunately, in the next moment, that explosive feeling dissipated, as if they suddenly jumped from boiling water to warm water, feeling incredibly comfortable all of a sudden.
The four father and sons simultaneously looked at Jin'er as Jin'er met their eyes with a radiant smile, and they all silently laughed in understanding.
Jin'er smiled with her eyes crescent-shaped, "Dad, big brother, second brother, little Si, don't wander more than ten feet away from me."
"Got it," Hua Chengtian nodded seriously, then glanced at the most unreliable youngest son, "Little Si, did you hear what your sister said?"
At that moment, little Si was already snuggled tightly beside his sister, nodding his head like a chicken pecking rice. That near-death feeling earlier was too frightening; it almost made him cry from fear.
Now, he's determined to stick closely to his sister, ready to cling to his sister's leg tightly.
Little Si's expression was very convincing, and Hua Chengtian felt relieved, knowing that fear would prevent recklessness.
With the cheat-like presence of Jin'er, their speed increased significantly, and an hour later, the family reached the hill where the nitrate crystals appeared. By then, night had fallen, and the surroundings were pitch black.
Jin'er naturally took an outdoor lamp from her satchel, turned it on, and the strong light immediately dispelled the darkness, revealing the patches of white crystals on the rocks.
The thickness of the crystals varied, with some three or four inches thick, and others just a thin layer. As far as the eye could see, they were everywhere, and seeing this, the father and sons all smiled.
"Dad, let's start. Remember not to stray too far from me." Time was of the essence, so Hua Jinchong was eager to get started, hoping to finish quickly and head back since her stomach had begun to protest.
Afraid of becoming too engrossed in collecting nitrate, she reminded her father and brothers again; as for little Si, there was no need to worry. He seemed frightened, sticking close to her since they descended the mountain.
Hua Chengtian nodded and took out the tools. Hua Chengtian, along with the two older ones, handled the shoveling, while Jin'er was in charge of collecting, packing the nitrate crystals into bamboo baskets lined with oilcloth.
Although there were many bamboo baskets, collection was quick. In less than an hour, all five baskets were filled. Despite Jin'er's protective barrier, the father and sons were drenched in sweat after tirelessly working for nearly an hour, purely from exhaustion.
There were still many crystals left, which they'd leave to the other villagers.
It was undoubtedly hot, but the mountain temperature was still a few degrees lower than outside, and as long as enough people worked quickly, it should be manageable.
When the father and sons returned home with their haul, more than an hour had passed, bringing them into the deep night.
The next day, Jin'er inevitably woke up late, feeling as if she'd just closed her eyes when it was already dawn.
"You're up," the elder sister-in-law said with a face of joy as she saw Jin'er come out of the room into the main hall.
"Big sister-in-law, where's my mom and the others?" Seeing no one else in the house, Jin'er felt a bit puzzled.
"They went to Hua Bei's house. His grandfather passed away last night," the elder sister-in-law's smile disappeared, and she sighed.
Jin'er: "..."
"Was it the heat?" Jin'er asked, her expression tightening. She hadn't expected such bad news upon waking up, and her mood inevitably grew heavy.
The old man was older than her own grandfather and of a higher generation, being one of the few oldest in the village.
Jin'er was somewhat familiar with him, and being family within their Hua clan's five connections, they were relatively close and interacted frequently.
"Not entirely. Doctor Sun said his age played a role, his health had suffered from deficits many years ago, and it's only thanks to his family's care that he's lasted this long. It's considered a happy funeral. Grandpa, Grandma, and their husbands have gone to help. Jin'er, go wash up. I'll get you some food."
"Oh... thank you, big sister-in-law." Jin'er quickly replied to her elder sister-in-law, who had already left the room.