The bamboo shoots we dug up couldn't be sold, so they were all made into pickled bamboo shoots and dried bamboo shoots, and the yard was filled with bamboo shoots drying in the sun.

Not only are the bamboo shoots growing, but the orchards and fields are also gradually being covered in green. Other ferns and wildflowers are also growing. The Lu brothers brought back a large basket of ferns and a dozen palm flower buds, which they went to town to sell in the afternoon.

The pepper tree was already as tall as a finger, and six of them had survived. Qin Xiaozhou planted one pepper tree in front of his house because there was a pomegranate tree on the other side. It was said that when Lu Ji fled famine, he brought a branch of a pomegranate tree from his hometown. After settling in Wangjia Village, he planted that branch in front of his house. In the past forty years, that pomegranate tree has multiplied into seventy or eighty pomegranate trees on the back mountain.

Lu Yan said the pomegranate tree was very sweet and big, but it stopped bearing fruit the year before last, probably because it was too old. But Wang Lan couldn't bear to cut it down. Now that spring has arrived, all the trees and flowers are starting to revive, but this pomegranate tree is the only one that hasn't shown any signs of life. It's probably dead from old age. These past few days, Wang Lan has been quietly staring at this pomegranate tree and sighing.

Two of the remaining five trees were planted in the chicken coop yard halfway up the mountain. Sichuan pepper trees have long roots, long bark, and thick thorns, so they are not afraid of being pecked by chickens. It is best to plant them in the chicken coop area.

She hadn't been to the chicken coop for several days. The chickens and ducks were being well cared for by the Lu family. Lu Yunfeng was sweeping the yard when he heard that she wanted to plant Sichuan peppercorns in the chicken yard. He put down his bamboo broom and said, "If you plant them in the yard, the chickens will dig them out and peck at them. I'll go cut two bamboo poles and surround the Sichuan peppercorns with them."

It was afternoon, the sun was shining, and all the chickens had gone out to graze. There wasn't a single chicken in the yard. From afar, Lu Yan's voice could be heard chasing away the eagle from the hilltop, "Oh dear, Auntie, swing the bamboo pole hard! The eagle is going to swoop down!"

Lu Yu was introverted and couldn't run anymore, panting heavily, "I, I swung."

Qin Xiaozhou hummed a song as he dug a large pit, poured half a basket of chicken manure into it, covered it with a layer of soil, and then planted some Sichuan peppercorns, adding two touches of green to the bare yard.

Lu Yunfeng carried back a bamboo pole, split it into strips, and used three wooden sticks to encircle a pepper plant in the middle. He then used bamboo strips to weave on the wooden stake, continuing until it was half a meter high. He did the same for the other tree, carefully protecting the pepper plant inside.

He went down the mountain to fetch water and poured it over the peppercorns. He then used the remaining water to water the trough in the chicken coop.

The remaining three trees were planted at the foot of the mountain behind the house. After planting them, bamboo was planted around them. After watering them, Lu Yunfeng went home to get his bow and arrows and went to the orchard on the mountain.

The peach blossoms along the roadside were in full bloom, and the orchards were also sparsely in bloom. Qin Xiaozhou picked up a bamboo basket, put on Wang Lanfeng's new shoes, and went to pick pear blossoms. These could be seen from the Lu family's fenced yard, and there was a large patch of them on the hillside north of Qingzhugou.

The Chinese pear tree has thorns but is very resilient. As long as its roots are still intact, it can sprout branches several meters long the following year. With many flowers and long branches, cutting off a few flowering branches will reveal clusters of beautiful, snow-like blossoms, slightly smaller than pear blossoms. Fully bloomed flowers are not edible; only the buds that are about to open are the most effective for clearing heat and relieving internal fire.

The pear trees in the Lu family orchard were grafted onto crabapple trees, and their root systems were well-developed. As a result, they grew taller than the peach, plum, and grape trees planted in previous years. The tallest pear tree was seven or eight meters tall. No wonder Wang Lan accidentally fell and broke her leg while picking pears last year.

After collecting a bamboo basketful in just over an hour, Qin Xiaozhou prepared to head back. Lu Yunfeng, carrying a machete, climbed up the mountain. She asked in surprise, "Why are you here?"