Knowing that the other person was worried about their parents, Jiang Yimian didn't hide anything and said, "Come with me to the slope behind that dense forest tomorrow."
That place was quite far, and she would have to cross a dense forest. The winding path might be dangerous, and she didn't want to cause anyone any trouble.
I was planning to pick some bamboo shoots tomorrow anyway, so it wouldn't be a problem to bring the other person along.
Upon hearing that he could go with Jiang Yimian, Gou Sheng's worry vanished instantly, and he nodded with a smile, "Thank you, Sister Yimian. I'll make you a bamboo bed. I used to make bamboo rafts with my grandfather, and the techniques are similar. I'll help you fix it in place, and I'll make sure it's sturdy."
After saying that, he took out a small knife from his waist and chiseled holes in the split bamboo.
With Gou Sheng's help, the bamboo plank was quickly secured, and the large bamboo plank was more than enough to accommodate Jiang Yimian and the other three.
Seeing that there were still some bamboo strips left, Gou Sheng helped to fix a few more to the bamboo board, making sure that the group wouldn't collapse it. He then brushed the bamboo dust off his clothes and said with a smile, "Alright, Sister Yi Mian, you don't have to sleep on the ground tonight. It's a pity we don't have any tung oil right now, as the bamboo board might get infested with insects. You'll have to be careful."
Jiang Yimian was pleasantly surprised to see the smooth, flat bamboo plank and quickly thanked him.
If it were her, she certainly wouldn't have done it so well; at most, she could only fix it simply. She didn't expect that this boy, who was only ten years old, knew so much.
When it was time to sleep on the bamboo planks that had been drying all afternoon, Xiao Nuan'er just happily jumped around on the bed.
Seeing that the bamboo bed remained sturdy despite Xiao Nuan'er's jumping, Wang Fengqin sighed, "Gou Sheng's craftsmanship is truly inherited from his grandfather. If his father hadn't had that accident, they would definitely be the best-off in the village if they opened a shop in town."
Grandpa Chen has a pair of skillful hands and can make all kinds of cabinets and chairs. He is quite famous in the village. If it weren't for his advanced age and the fact that he has to take care of the family's fields and has no intention of opening a shop in town, the Chen family would have become a well-known carpentry family in the town long ago.
When villagers inquired several times, Old Master Chen only said that his son should worry about opening the shop. Unexpectedly, an accident occurred, and not only did Old Master Chen pass away, but Gou Sheng's father also broke his leg.
Life is truly unpredictable!
Jiang Yimian nodded, feeling a bittersweet feeling in her heart.
Judging from Gou Sheng's technique in the afternoon, he was clearly an expert. He easily solved many things that Gou Sheng didn't understand, which was obviously due to his upbringing.
If nothing had gone wrong at home, he would have been able to graduate early and take care of the household chores.
The Gou Sheng family fell silent for a moment, with only Liu Xiaoyun's deliberately suppressed sobs audible.
Gou Sheng looked at his father lying on the ground with his eyes tightly closed, looking utterly hopeless. He pinched his thigh hard and forced back the tears in his eyes, saying, "Mother, I'll change Father's pants. You can go out now."
He had done this many times before and was used to it.
Father couldn't bear to become a useless person who couldn't move and needed help even to defecate and urinate. He lost his former good temper and only had a violent temper towards them.
Whenever her father scolded or chased her away, her mother could only cry quietly on the sidelines.
He felt sorry for her, but there was nothing he could do to help.
Ever since Dad learned that his legs might never heal, these are the same things happening every day at home. He has seen it many times over the past few months.
However, he still couldn't stop feeling sad.
How did his amazing father become like this? His parents used to be so loving and kind to him, so how did he become someone who only knows how to lose his temper?
The more he thought about it, the more upset he became. Tears welled up in his eyes and slid down his cheeks, landing on Chen Tiezhu's arm, burning him so badly that he trembled all over.
*
The next day, Jiang Yimian and Gou Sheng went to the bamboo forest early in the morning with baskets on their backs and machetes in hand.
Gou Sheng remained unusually silent throughout the journey, his usual smile gone, as if all his energy had been drained away.
Jiang Yimian asked a few questions, but the other person only said that they hadn't rested well, so she didn't say anything more.
Upon arriving at the bamboo grove, Gou Sheng picked out a few bamboo stalks and began to cut them, while Jiang Yimian snapped bamboo shoots and looked around.
Without noticing, she had wandered a bit too deep into the bamboo grove. Seeing that her basket was already full of bamboo shoots, she was about to leave when she suddenly noticed many familiar trees growing on the hillside outside the bamboo forest.
Her eyes widened instantly, and she rushed over without even looking at the basket on the ground.
Upon closer inspection of the green leaves, I exclaimed in surprise, "It really is Guanyin Firewood!"
Guanyinchai, also known as Liangfenye, Liuyuedong, and Chouhuangjing, has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying. It can not only reduce inflammation and pain, but also regulate the human immune system and lower blood pressure.
Most importantly, it can make Guanyin tofu.
Although it's not yet summer, the sun is blazing and the midday temperature is quite high. Eating a bowl of cool Guanyin tofu would be incredibly refreshing.
It's just as refreshing as a frozen watermelon on a summer day.
When she returned to the bamboo forest with a bag of leaves from the Guanyin plant, Gousheng also came looking for her. The anxiety in his eyes disappeared the moment he saw her.
"Yimian, where did you go? I thought something had happened to you."
He had just finished cutting bamboo when he looked up and saw that the people who had been nearby had vanished. Startled, he thought there was some wild beast in the forest, so he grabbed his machete and went deep into the woods to search for them.
Fortunately, they spotted the basket the other person had left behind and followed it.
Jiang Yimian smiled a little embarrassedly, "I'm fine, I just went to pick some things. I'm sorry to have worried you."
In my haste, I forgot there were other people in the woods.
Gou Sheng waved his hand, relieved to see that the person was unharmed. Just as he was about to speak, he noticed the leaves in the other person's arms and asked in confusion, "Sister Yi Mian, after all that, you went to pick leaves? These leaves aren't tasty, and many people in the village use them to feed pigs."
Even some pigs don't like to eat this stuff.
Jiang Yimian's lips twitched. The thought of feeding such good stuff to pigs felt like a terrible waste.
Without offering any further explanation, she put the leaves into her basket and prepared to leave.
Gou Sheng stared wide-eyed at Jiang Yimian, then at the contents of her basket, and hesitated for a long time before saying, "Sister Yimian, how about I take you to dig for wild vegetables?"
He had been so focused on cutting bamboo that he hadn't noticed what the other person was doing, but now that he saw the basket full of bamboo shoots, his mouth went numb.
And those tree leaves, even pigs wouldn't eat them, why does Sister Yimian treat them like treasures?
No, no, you can't eat these things.
Seeing that she would be taken for a fool if she didn't explain, Jiang Yimian had no choice but to say, "Bamboo shoots are delicious. As long as they are boiled in water, they won't be bitter or numb."
As for these leaves, I'll send them to you to try when I've prepared some food."
Gou Sheng was so frightened that he waved his hands repeatedly and said, "No, no need, Sister Yi Mian should keep it for herself."
After saying that, he took off running, as if he was afraid of being caught by Jiang Yimian.
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