Although they were a little afraid that their uncle's family would look down on them, they were still looking forward to it. They had known since they were little that people in the village looked down on their mother.
Because she got married alone in the village, and her grandparents had both passed away, the villagers always said that her parents were a pair of cursed loners.
She brought misfortune upon all the elders in the family. Now that they have an uncle, they can no longer call their mother a cursed zodiac sign!
Chen Mai took Chen Liang up the mountain to pick wild fruits. At this time of year, there are plenty of raspberries and myrtles on the mountain. Raspberries are sweet and sour and very delicious, but they don't keep very well; they basically have to be eaten on the same day they are picked.
Myrtle can be kept for a day or two, but eating too much myrtle can cause painful bowel movements. Chen Mai tried it once before; she ate too much at once and couldn't defecate for two or three days.
However, many people in the village dry and store the myrtle. Sometimes when they have diarrhea, they grab a handful, boil it in water, and drink it. It works wonders.
When the Chen brothers returned home from the mountain, Xu Weiguo and the others had already arrived.
When Chen Mai and Chen Liang saw them, they were so nervous that they walked with their hands and feet moving in unison. After putting down the raspberries and myrtle, they nervously rubbed the corners of their clothes.
Chen Mai felt a little annoyed. His clothes were too old today. He had originally planned not to wear his laundry clothes up the mountain, but now that his uncle and the others had arrived, they wondered if they would think his family was poor if they saw that he was dressed poorly.
Although their family is indeed quite poor...
Xu Fang pulled Chen Mai and Chen Liang along and happily introduced them: "Brother, sister-in-law, these are my two sons. The older one is called Chen Mai, and he is twelve years old this year; the younger one is called Chen Liang, and he is nine years old this year."
"Eldest brother, second brother, quickly call your eldest uncle and eldest aunt."
"Hello, Uncle. Hello, Aunt."
Zhang Yumei looked at the Chen brothers, took out two red envelopes from her pocket, and said with a smile, "Good boy, this is a gift from your uncle and aunt."
Chen Mai and Chen Liang looked at the red envelope in Zhang Yumei's hand, unsure whether to accept it. They could only look to Xu Fang for help.
Xu Fang nodded to them, and they accepted the money. Then they politely said, "Thank you, Uncle. Thank you, Aunt."
Xu Hongxia looked at the raspberries on the table with curiosity; she had never seen this wild fruit before.
Seeing that she was staring at it, Chen Liang grabbed a handful and put it in her hand, saying, "These are called raspberries. They're sweet and sour and delicious. Sister, you should try some."
When Xu Hongxia heard Chen Liang call her "sister," she felt like she had grown up all of a sudden. It was the first time she had ever heard a relative's child call her "sister," and it felt quite nice.
It's strange, but whether in the Xu family or Zhang Yumei's maternal family, Xu Hongxia was always the youngest of her generation.
Even Xu Daya, who is the same age as her, is a few months older. Now she's finally a big sister, hehe~
Xu Hongxia blew on the raspberries, then popped a few into her mouth. She took a bite, and they were incredibly juicy, with a perfect balance of sour and sweet flavors—absolutely delicious!
"Mom and Dad, eldest brother and sister-in-law, come and try some! These raspberries are delicious!"
Xu Weiguo and the others had all eaten raspberries, and Huang Qinqin even more so. There were indeed many wild fruits like raspberries in the mountains near Huangjia Village. She ate them quite often when she was a child and when she went back now.
Zhang Yumei really misses this taste. Back when she lived in the village, she only ate it once or twice occasionally. Because she was raising two children alone, she simply didn't have time to pick wild fruits.
When Xu Fang was still around, things were alright; she would lend a hand. But after Xu Fang was sold, she had to rely on herself.
"It's the same familiar taste. I used to crave this in the summer. It's sweet and sour and very appetizing."
Seeing that the Xu family enjoyed the food, Chen Mai and the others happily said, "There are still many more on the mountain. We found a place that no one has picked yet. We can take you up there to pick and eat as you go!"
Xu Hongxia's eyes lit up when she heard that she could go up the mountain to pick and eat as she pleased, and she excitedly raised her hand, saying, "Me! Me! Me! I want to go!"
Xu Junhui wasn't very interested in going up the mountain, but Huang Qinqin was. However, it wasn't convenient for her at the moment, so in the end, it turned out that Chen Ming, Xu Weiguo, Zhang Yumei, Xu Hongxia, and the two Chen brothers went up the mountain together.
Xu Fang and Xu Junhui, a married couple, stayed home to prepare lunch.
Huang Qinqin wanted to help wash the vegetables, but Xu Junhui quickly stopped her and made her sit down. Then he explained to Xu Fang, "Second Aunt, Qinqin isn't feeling well, let me help you."
"It's okay, I'm just washing the vegetables, it won't be too tiring." Huang Qinqin felt that washing vegetables was no big deal; she couldn't just stand by and watch, could she?
Xu Junhui firmly disagreed, and washed the raspberries and myrtle, and also grabbed a handful of melon seeds, and made Huang Qinqin sit down and eat them.
Xu Fang also advised, "Qinqin, if you're not feeling well, just rest. I can manage on my own."
"Then let Junhui help you, otherwise I'll really feel bad just sitting here."
Xu Junhui also said, "Yes, Second Aunt, don't worry. Although I'm not good at cooking, washing vegetables is no problem for me."
......
This was Xu Hongxia's first time climbing a mountain in her memory, and she found everything she saw fascinating.
She looked at this for a while, then touched that. She didn't feel tired at all. Suddenly, Xu Hongxia exclaimed, "Dad! Dad!"
Xu Weiguo thought Xu Hongxia had encountered a snake, so he took two big strides forward. Xu Hongxia then grabbed his hand tightly and pointed to a spot not far away.
Xu Hongxia exclaimed, "Dad! Look! There's a chicken! Isn't this a pheasant?"
Xu Weiguo looked and saw that it was indeed true. Chen Ming heard the commotion behind him and turned around as well, only to find that not only were there pheasants, but they were also laying eggs.
Pheasants like these are the easiest to catch. Chen Ming gestured for them to be quiet, then crept closer to the pheasant.
He pounced on it, grabbed the pheasant by the neck and wing, and lifted it up. In its haste, the pheasant pulled its eggs out of its rear end, and Chen Ming didn't have time to catch them, resulting in a chaotic scene of 'chicken flying and eggs breaking'.
It's a bit of a shame about the wild eggs, but catching a pheasant at all is already very lucky. They often go up the mountain, but they might not catch a single one even after several months.
Seeing that Chen Ming had caught a pheasant, Xu Hongxia no longer wanted to pick wild berries. She excitedly suggested, "Mom and Dad, Uncle, why don't we skip picking raspberries and just go back and process the pheasant for lunch?"
Xu Hongxia had never eaten pheasant before, and she didn't know the difference between pheasant and the chicken she usually ate.
Chen Ming didn't seem to care, but he still looked at his two sons and asked, "Do you want to continue picking raspberries on the mountain, or come straight home with us?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
