After the breakfast battlefield had been cleared away—a task that required considerably more effort than preparing the meal itself—Simu retrieved two silver coins from his personal stash and pressed them into Jiale's palm.
"Take these and head to town," he commanded brusquely. "Buy proper vegetables for tonight's dinner. We have guests to honor, and I won't have them thinking I keep a poor table."
The nearest settlement lay over thirty li away through mountain paths, and unlike Qiu Sheng back in Renjia Town, Jiale possessed no bicycle to ease the journey. The round trip would consume most of the day and leave the young man exhausted before he even began cooking.
"Wait a minute," Gustave interjected, catching Jiale's arm as he prepared to depart. "Taoist Simu, there's no need to send Jiale on such an arduous journey. I noticed you maintain an excellent vegetable garden behind the dojo, and these mountains are rich with edible wild plants. Your kitchen appears well-stocked with seasonings. Why don't you allow me to handle tonight's dinner preparations?"
Simu's expression wavered between surprise and uncertainty. "Brother Gustave, I couldn't impose such work upon an honored guest..."
"No problem," Gustave said decisively, already making plans. "Consider it my contribution to our gathering. Besides, I'd like to borrow Jiale as a guide—he knows these mountains better than anyone, and I suspect we'll find ingredients far superior to anything available in town."
Before Simu could raise further objections, Gustave was already leading Jiale toward the door, leaving the Taoist master momentarily speechless.
Lin Jiu waited until they were out of earshot before fixing his junior brother with a stern look. "Junior Brother, your treatment of that boy borders on shameful. I've seen Jiale wearing the same patched robe for two years now, yet you earn enough from corpse-driving to support a dozen disciples in comfort."
The criticism stung because it carried undeniable truth. Jiale worked diligently, never complained about hardships, and showed genuine respect for his master despite receiving little consideration in return. In Lin Jiu's estimation, the young man possessed better character than either Qiu Sheng or Wen Cai.
"You make substantial profits from your travels," Lin Jiu continued relentlessly. "The least you could do is buy the boy some decent clothes and perhaps a bicycle for errands. He's earned that much consideration."
"Ai, ai, ai!" Simu waved his hands in surrender, unwilling to endure more of his senior brother's perfectly justified lecture. "Fine! You've made your point! I'll treat Jiale better in the future!"
He fled to his chambers and slammed the door, but not before the words had hit home. Alone with his thoughts, Simu found himself asking an uncomfortable question: Am I really that stingy with the boy?
Outside, Jiale practically glowed with gratitude as they walked away from the dojo.
"Master Gustave, I can't thank you enough!" he said, his grin revealing perfect white teeth. "That journey to town would have taken all day, and the paths aren't safe for solitary travel."
"It was nothing," Gustave replied warmly. "Besides, I have an ulterior motive—I'm curious about the local ingredients these mountains provide. You know this area intimately, right? Perhaps you could show me where to find a pond or stream? Fresh river fish would make an excellent centerpiece for tonight's meal."
"Yes!" Jiale's enthusiasm was infectious. "There's a beautiful pond not far from here, fed by a waterfall. I often fish and bathe there. The water is crystal clear, and the fish are fat and healthy!"
They gathered two wooden buckets from the kitchen before setting off through the mountain paths. Gustave's trained eye immediately began cataloging the wealth of edible plants surrounding them—this expedition would yield far more than simple fish.
The walk to the pond revealed why Simu had chosen this location for his hermitage. Natural terraces of stone created perfect meditation spaces, ancient pines provided shelter from harsh weather, and everywhere Gustave looked, he spotted ingredients that would enhance their evening feast.
Soon they reached the waterfall Jiale had mentioned—a crystalline cascade tumbling twenty feet into a pool so clear that every pebble on the bottom was visible. The overflow created a meandering stream that disappeared into the forest beyond.
"Amazing!" Gustave said with genuine appreciation. "This is perfect, Jiale. You take the pond and catch whatever fish you can manage. I'll work the stream below for crabs and freshwater shrimp."
"Yes, Master Gustave!"
Jiale stripped to his waist with unselfconscious ease, revealing the lean, muscled physique of someone accustomed to physical labor. He dove into the pond with practiced grace, immediately disturbing the fat carp that had been basking in the afternoon sunlight.
Gustave made his way to the stream's edge, considering his options. Using his Rumble-Rumble abilities would make the task trivially easy—a mild electrical current would stun every aquatic creature within range, allowing him to simply collect them at leisure. But such methods would rob the expedition of its simple pleasure.
Instead, he rolled up his sleeves and began the time-honored process of stone-turning and weed-searching that had been the foundation of stream-fishing since humanity's earliest days.
The first rock yielded a small but feisty crab that immediately raised its claws in defiance. "You little warrior," Gustave chuckled, deftly grasping the creature behind its pincers where it couldn't reach him. "Such spirit! You'll add wonderful flavor to tonight's soup."
As he worked methodically through the shallow water, a profound sense of nostalgia washed over him. The scene evoked powerful memories of his childhood summers in rural France, when his grandparents had taught him these same skills along the streams near their village. Weekend expeditions with local children, competing to see who could catch the most crayfish, returning home with muddy clothes and full buckets to face the gentle scolding of worried mothers...
"Les vieux jours se trouvent partout. Il n'y a pas lieu de les trouver, sauf le cœur de jeunesse," (Old days are everywhere. There is no place to find them except the heart of youth.)
he murmured, the French poetry arising unbidden from memory.
"Master Gustave?" Jiale called from the pond, having heard the unfamiliar words. "Is something wrong?"
Gustave smiled, shaking off the melancholic reverie. "Nothing at all, My friend. Just remembering similar days from long ago. Continue with your fishing—I believe you've found some substantial prizes there."
Indeed, Jiale had managed to corner two impressive carp, each weighing several pounds and thrashing vigorously in the confines of his bucket.
They worked companionably until the sun reached its zenith, their combined efforts yielding a bucket half-filled with crabs and freshwater shrimp weighing perhaps six or seven pounds. The morning's catch would provide excellent protein for their feast, but Gustave's culinary instincts demanded variety.
"Come, Jiale," he called, hefting his bucket. "Let's search for some wild vegetables to complement our aquatic harvest."
As they made their way back toward the dojo, Gustave spotted a grove of wild banana trees and immediately altered course.
"Wait for me," he told Jiale, passing over his bucket before approaching the trees with professional interest. Some of the bananas had ripened to perfect sweetness, while others remained green. More importantly, he discovered several large banana flowers—the unopened inflorescences that would provide both texture and subtle flavor when properly prepared.
"Master Gustave, you can eat banana flowers?" Jiale asked with curiosity as Gustave carefully selected the largest specimen.
"Of course! They're quite delicious when prepared correctly," Gustave replied, adding ripe bananas to his collection. "I used to gather them when I travel, though I learned to be careful with the seeds. Wild banana seeds are... unforgiving to the digestive system."
Jiale burst into laughter. "I made that same mistake once! Spent the entire next day regretting my greed!"
Their shared amusement over childhood mishaps strengthened the growing bond between them. Gustave found himself genuinely enjoying the young man's company—Jiale possessed the kind of honest enthusiasm that made even simple tasks pleasurable.
A short distance from the banana grove, Gustave's trained eye spotted something that made him pause with excitement.
"Jiale, our luck continues to improve!" he called out, pointing toward a flat area where two distinct varieties of wild plants grew in abundance.
"Really?" Jiale followed his gaze and grinned. "You're right! That's quite a discovery!"
Gustave quickly fashioned a makeshift basket from a large banana leaf, folding and securing it with small twigs until it formed a perfect funnel shape. Then they approached their prize.
The first plant was plantain—young, tender specimens that hadn't yet flowered. Beyond its culinary value, plantain served medicinal purposes, clearing heat and reducing inflammation. These particular plants were at the perfect stage of development, with leaves soft enough to eat raw or cook quickly without becoming tough.
Growing intermingled with the plantain was an even more precious find: ground ivy, also known as thunder grass. This rare wild vegetable appeared only after thunderstorms and vanished within days if not harvested promptly. Its fleeting availability made it a prized delicacy among those knowledgeable enough to recognize it.
"Ground ivy!" Gustave said with satisfaction. "I haven't seen this in years. We must gather it carefully—the entire plant is edible, but it bruises easily."
They worked together with practiced efficiency, Gustave digging plantain while Jiale delicately harvested the ground ivy by hand. Soon their improvised banana leaf container overflowed with fresh vegetables that would have been impossible to purchase in any market.
"Perfect," Gustave declared, surveying their diverse collection. "Between today's forage and whatever vegetables grow in Simu's garden, we'll prepare a feast worthy of emperors."
As they began the walk back to the dojo, both men carried the satisfaction of honest work well done. Jiale chattered happily about the various cooking methods he'd observed during his time with Simu, while Gustave found himself planning the evening's menu with growing excitement.
The ingredients they'd gathered represented the essence of mountain cuisine—simple, fresh, and prepared with respect for natural flavors. Tonight's dinner would showcase not just culinary skill, but the abundance that surrounded them in this peaceful mountain retreat.