Although she used to be a spoiled and arrogant young lady, she has been in this world for over a year now. Even if she is not used to it, she should have a limit. Why does she always think about relying on others?
Besides, are they even that close? Have they forgotten who angered whom to death?
It wasn't market day, so there weren't many people on the streets. The snack shops didn't need so many people to help out, so Lin Xiazhu decided to take Chacha back to Linjia Village. This time, they were going deep into the mountains.
Before leaving, she instructed Yan Xin to keep a close eye on Lin Xiaoxue, Lin Taozi, and Xiao An, as she probably wouldn't be back anytime soon.
“I’m going with my sister.” Xiao An didn’t want to stay in town to mind the shop. Wherever Xiao Zhu was, he would be there too; he wanted to follow her.
Over the past year, Xiao An has been particularly clingy, which sometimes gives Lin Xiazhu a headache. No matter what she says, he won't listen. Like now, Xiao An's fair face is tense, his thin lips are tightly pursed, as if he would cry if she dared to say no.
However, Lin Xiazhu was certain that he wouldn't cry. This child was very stubborn and would endure even the most aggrieved situations. It was this pitiful sight of him wanting to cry but holding back that made Lin Xiazhu feel even more sorry for him, so she could only let him be.
"Sister, let Xiao An come with us. I'm worried about leaving him here alone," Lin Chacha said seriously.
"Don't worry about me! She just loves looking at Xiao An. She likes him no matter how she looks at him. She feels good if she can't see him for a day." Lin Xiazhu suspected that her sister wanted to marry Xiao An when she grew up.
He even secretly asked her, but Lin Chacha replied somewhat blankly, "Huh? I just think Xiao An is very beautiful. Looking at him makes me feel good... He will definitely marry a fairy who is even more beautiful than him in the future. I am not good enough for him, not good enough for him."
Lin Xiazhu: "..." Chacha thinks too much.
Each person packed a set of clothes and set off. This time, Xiao An walked to Linjia Village on his own. Apart from being panting from exhaustion, he had no other discomfort.
It seems that getting up early every morning to run for the past six months has indeed been very helpful to his health. Of course, Lin Xiazhu also paid attention to a balanced diet, buying pork bones or spare ribs every day to stew in soup.
They also eat condensed milk and eggs every day, and now everyone in their family has become slightly chubby. Although Xiao An is still thin, he has grown tall and is now the tallest in his class.
This time, Lin Xiazhu's target was the three ginseng roots that she hadn't dug up two years ago. Those three ginseng roots were all one or two hundred years old. She had thought before that she shouldn't be too greedy, that one should leave a way out for others, and not to go so far as to destroy them all.
Later, after stewing one plant and selling another, Lin Xiazhu had one plant left. She hesitated, thinking that the one she had was older and she should keep it to sell for money later.
Xiao An wasn't feeling well, so she dug up another ginseng to make chicken soup. She promised this would be the last time and she wouldn't bother with the remaining two ginseng plants again.
After having lunch at the old house in Linjia Village, they went into the mountains. In the evening, they arrived at the wooden house where shiitake mushrooms were grown, stayed overnight, and set off early the next day to dig for ginseng.
Last year, they came in twice to pick the shiitake mushrooms, take them back to dry, and sell them for some money. After that, they stopped taking care of them, so the number of shiitake mushrooms this year is less.
However, they still had enough to eat. They picked them all and dried them, and they couldn't finish them all by the time of the New Year. So Lin Xiazhu and Lin Chacha didn't have time to rest and started picking mushrooms before it got dark.
The two worked very quickly, especially Lin Xiazhu, who planned to finish everything within an hour, as they were going into the mountains tomorrow.
Seeing this, Xiao An also came to help. He was very tired. He had walked so far that his feet were blistered, and his thighs and calves were shaking. His already fair face looked even paler.
"Xiao An, sit still. Cha Cha and I will finish this little task quickly. You don't need any help. Go and have some water and rest." Without saying a word, Lin Xiazhu pressed him down to sit on the wooden stool.
Deep in the mountains, small animals are everywhere. After picking the mushrooms before dark, Lin Xiazhu asked Mr. Lin Chacha to cook rice and make mushroom soup while she wandered around.
Less than half an hour later, she returned with a wild rabbit and a pheasant. She quickly prepared them: roasted the rabbit and stewed the pheasant with mushrooms.
Dinner was another sumptuous and delicious meal.
"Sister, there are so many rabbits, and even some wild boars. Let's hunt some and sell them for money. We're strong enough to do it anyway." Lin Chacha was always thinking about hunting and selling the game, but her sister said no. The first time was unavoidable, but it wouldn't be allowed after that.
Lin Chacha couldn't understand why it wouldn't work. She had seen many people hunting and selling their prey, so who said it wouldn't work?
"In the future, there will be fewer and fewer animals. We have other ways to make money, so there's no need to rely on hunting for a living. Just find a few to satisfy your cravings, and don't be greedy." In another twenty or thirty years, many wild animals will become extinct, and then they will all be nationally protected animals.
"Then why do other people hunt wild boars and pheasants so often? They not only eat them themselves, but also make a lot of money from them." Lin Chacha was envious; she felt that her strength was not being fully utilized.
"Stop thinking about these nonsense things. I heard that the government will change in a few years, and you'll be arrested and sentenced for hunting illegally. Are you afraid of going to a labor camp?" I had to give Chacha something strong to dispel her random thoughts.
Upon hearing this, Lin Chacha was indeed frightened. Her face turned pale, and she dared not say anything more. However, she asked, "Sister, is what you said true? Who told you this?"
"Why ask so many questions? You don't even know them. What, do you think I'm lying to you?" Lin Xiazhu raised an eyebrow as she roasted the rabbit over the fire.
Lin Chacha put the chopped pheasant meat into the pot to stew, while adding firewood to the small stove. Xiao An couldn't help, so she sat quietly next to Lin Xiazhu and watched her roast rabbit meat.
"It smells so good! It would be even more perfect if you put some honey on it." On the way here, they found a beehive, so Lin Xiazhu put some honey in a plastic oil bottle, which weighed about several pounds.
The oil bottle was prepared in advance. It's easy to find beehives deep in the mountains. We'll take some beehives and honey back with us. Pure, natural honey is a rare find.
Looking at the golden-brown roasted rabbit meat, Xiao An's peach blossom eyes became even clearer and brighter. Following Xiao Zhu, she could eat meat every day, truly enjoying the finest food and drink.
There was so much meat that the three of them couldn't finish it in one meal. They could eat it for breakfast the next morning. After they finished eating, they set off. Actually, Lin Xiazhu hoped that Xiao An would stay in the cabin and not have to climb the mountain with them, but he insisted on going with them.
Around mid-morning, they reached the mountaintop. Lin Xiazhu searched around but couldn't find the remaining three ginseng roots. This was strange; could someone have dug them up first?
But we haven't heard of anyone coming into the mountains. Ever since that ginseng-gathering team of more than a dozen people was attacked by a group of wild boars, no one has dared to come into the deep mountains again, except for her and Chacha who occasionally sneak in to pick mushrooms.
After a moment of contemplation, Lin Xiazhu recalled a legend that ancient ginseng or he shou wu (Polygonum multiflorum) could develop sentience and turn into chubby little babies running around the mountains to prevent others from catching them.
However, she quickly shook her head, realizing she was overthinking things. This wasn't a fantasy world; where would little monsters come from?
But where did the ginseng go? She remembered it was right on the mountaintop near the cliff. Now, several wild fruit trees have grown there, bearing wild fruit, but the ginseng is nowhere to be found.
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