go into the mountains
1052 Words
As soon as Linh Du heard Trinh Trieu say he was heading into the mountains, she immediately spoke up, “Wait, I want to go too.”
Trinh Trieu turned to her, slightly surprised. “You’re pregnant. It’s not convenient for you to walk around.”
Linh Du replied firmly, “Pregnant women need light exercise — it makes labor easier.”
Trinh Trieu hesitated a bit. “Really?”
“It’s true,” Linh Du nodded confidently.
At that moment, Tieu Lang ran over, eyes sparkling. “Auntie, we want to go too! I can forage for wild vegetables!”
“I want to go too!” — Tieu Me and Tieu Yen chimed in, eagerly raising their hands.
Linh Du thought for a moment. She didn’t feel at ease leaving the three children at home, especially with that brat Lam Dai Ho next door always snooping around and causing trouble. It would be better to take them along. After all, they were only going near the foot of the mountain — not too far.
And so the group set out — Trinh Trieu led the way, with Linh Du and the three little girls following behind.
Tieu Lang carried a basket and held the hands of Tieu Me and Tieu Yen, her face full of excitement like she was heading to a festival.
Meanwhile, over at the Lam household, Lam Dai Ho sneaked a glance across the way. Seeing the Trinh family’s front gate tightly shut, he pressed his ear to the wall and listened.
Hearing no signs of anyone inside, he picked up a small stone and tossed it onto the roof a few times to test. Then, he quickly climbed over the wall.
Back at the Trinh household, because he was with women and children, Trinh Trieu didn’t dare walk too fast.
The village road was bumpy and dusty. They walked while chatting. Along the way, they came across an old aunt carrying a load of straw. She looked surprised and asked:
“Oh? Trinh Dai, why are you taking your wife and kids out so early? Not letting her rest at home? Wasn’t she still looking weak just yesterday?”
Trinh Trieu glanced at Linh Du, waiting for her response.
Linh Du smiled and replied,
“Just taking a little walk — helps with labor. I already rested yesterday. I feel much better this morning.”
The aunt nodded, glancing at her belly. “Mm, light walking is good for the baby. But be careful.”
“Yes, thank you, auntie.” Linh Du was a bit surprised — she hadn’t expected someone to show such genuine concern.
The aunt took a few more steps, then turned back and pulled a bright red persimmon from her basket. She handed it out.
“Trinh Dai, my son told me you helped him a lot when he went to the county town. This just ripened — give it to your wife as a small token.”
Looking closely, Linh Du realized it was Auntie Kim — the village head’s wife. Her son was the one who had gone to town with Trinh Trieu last time.
Linh Du quickly accepted the fruit and nodded gratefully. “Thank you, Auntie Kim.”
Auntie Kim smiled. “Alright then, take care now. I’ll head off first.”
As she walked away, Auntie Kim thought to herself: “Ta Shi is strangely polite today. She even said thank you.”
Meanwhile, Linh Du carefully tucked the persimmon into a cloth pouch, planning to eat it later when they got home.
After walking a bit further, they reached the base of the mountain.
The air was cool and fresh, with occasional breezes rustling through the leaves, carrying the scent of wild grass and damp forest soil.
Tieu Lang shouted, “Auntie, there are wild vegetables over there! Can I go pick them?”
Linh Du reminded her, “Go ahead, but don’t wander too far, understand?”
“Yes!” Tieu Lang quickly pulled her two younger sisters toward a patch of wild greens near some bushes.
Standing nearby, Trinh Trieu said to Linh Du, “It’s not safe in the mountains. You and the kids stay here — I’ll go see if there’s anything worth picking.”
Linh Du knew her current condition wasn’t suitable for venturing deep into the woods. Her belly was too big. She nodded.
“Be careful. I’ll watch over the children.”
Carrying a small axe, Trinh Trieu quietly headed into the mountain forest.
Linh Du walked slowly along the edge of the woods, never straying far from the kids.
As she strolled and scanned the area, she suddenly spotted a cluster of mushrooms growing at the base of a tree.
The mushrooms were white with red spots — quite striking.
But based on her experience from her previous life, the more beautiful something looked, the more likely it was poisonous.
Still, she recognized this particular type — it was edible, commonly found in damp mountain areas.
Linh Du called out loudly, “Tieu Lang, come here for a moment!”
Tieu Lang, who was picking vegetables, quickly ran over. “Did you call me, Auntie?”
Linh Du pointed at the mushroom cluster. “See that? Pick all of them for me.”
Tieu Lang glanced at the mushrooms and hesitated. “My grandma used to say brightly colored mushrooms are poisonous.”
Linh Du raised her eyebrows. “I said they’re edible, so they are. Just pick them!”
Tieu Lang looked unsure.
Linh Du grew irritated and tapped her stick lightly on the ground. “Hurry up — don’t waste time!”
“Yes, ma’am!” Startled, Tieu Lang rushed over to pick them, with the two younger girls hurrying after her to help.
Linh Du thought to herself, “No one listens when I speak nicely.”
After gathering a full basket of mushrooms, the group continued walking.
Not long after, they came across a tall wild tree with clusters of bright red berries growing on its branches.
Linh Du looked up regretfully. “If I weren’t pregnant, I’d climb up right now…”
Then she turned to ask, “Tieu Lang, can you climb trees?”
Tieu Lang nodded. “I can.”
- Writer
