Chapter 18 Fruits: Persimmons, Sichuan pepper trees, pears, ...
Lamb was busy hunting, and Neil wasn't idle either; he followed behind Rye, not far from Lamb.
Every now and then, I would use a hoe to dig around and find common medicinal herbs that had been growing for several years. They could be sold for some money in town.
Neil's expression vividly illustrated what sweet pain truly means. His face clearly said: "It's endless, it's impossible to dig it all out."
As long as there is no danger, Lei will not stop them from doing so.
Every time I come here, I discover something new.
This time, he discovered a seven-meter-tall Sichuan pepper tree, covered with dense clusters of peppercorns. The peppercorns growing high up were already ripe, turning a purplish-red color.
Lai climbed up the pepper tree and picked a small bagful.
Dry the Sichuan peppercorns and store them; you can use them later whether you're braising meat or making other dishes.
If possible, he would prefer to transplant the pepper tree into his own yard, but the tree is simply too big, making it impossible.
Lei could only hope that there were other suitable pepper trees nearby.
"Neil, don't wander around here. I'm looking for something nearby."
"Okay, brother!"
After giving Neil his instructions, Ray started searching, making sure he didn't go far and kept Lamb and Neil within sight.
The Sichuan pepper tree wasn't very noticeable in a lush green forest, but its purplish-red fruit served as a good guide, and Lai quickly spotted a small tree.
It doesn't have many peppercorns on it, and this year is probably its first year bearing fruit. It's just the right time to transplant it home.
Lai went to Neil's place to get a hoe and spent some time digging a hole, trying to dig out as many of the pepper tree roots as possible.
"Brother, why are you digging it up?"
The commotion on Ray's side caught Neil's attention.
"Dig it up and plant it at home."
"Oh. Brother, I'll dig it for you."
"No need, I don't have any suitable tools anyway. You go and gather the medicinal herbs."
After watching Rye dig up the tree for a while, Neil realized he couldn't really help and then continued searching for medicinal herbs nearby.
Lai dug for quite a while before finally seeing the root system of the Sichuan pepper tree. He dug out as many of the main roots as possible, severing the smaller roots. It took him two hours to dig out the entire Sichuan pepper tree.
Lamb finally gave up his naive idea of hunting Gru and the wild deer, and carrying the wild birds he had hunted earlier, he returned to Lai's side.
"What are they doing?"
Lamb asked.
Lai was using a sickle to cut off the excess branches of the pepper tree so that he could take them away later.
"My brother wants to transplant this tree."
"Oh, I see."
"No need to cut that much, I can just carry it back later."
Lamb said to Ray.
"No need, I'll carry it back myself later, consider it exercise."
"All right."
Is there anything special about this spice tree?
Lamb found it odd; this tree with its small, purplish-red berries had little use in the village. Its berries tasted strange and left a numbing sensation in the mouth. Only the older generation liked to use it as a spice.
"It can be used to make food."
"That's what Lei answered."
"Can it be used to make food?"
Lamb was completely baffled.
"My brother said if he can cook, he definitely can! My brother's cooking is delicious."
Neil spoke up for Ray with a serious expression.
Lamb recalled the big bun from yesterday and chose to believe Neil's words.
"Little Neil, since I'm your cousin, save some for me to try when you make it."
Neil thought for a moment and nodded.
"All right."
For the sake of Uncle Hagrid and Aunt Linda.
After cutting the branches, Lai cut a piece of vine of suitable thickness to secure the roots and trunk, leaving the right length. With the roots in front and the crown behind, he carried the pepper tree on one shoulder as he continued his journey.
Lamb helped lift the tree canopy from behind to prevent the main branches from breaking on the way.
Aside from being a little in the way, it's not too heavy; one person can easily handle it.
After placing everything near the apple tree, Lai led the two in the opposite direction from where they had been before.
There are some fruit trees a little further away. When Ray found them, the fruits were small and green, and he couldn't tell what they were.
Lamb and Neil were still full of energy and enthusiasm despite having been in the woods for so long. Since digging up trees themselves had taken a little time, they figured it was compensation and decided to take both of them with them at once.
The journey was long and difficult, with thick weeds that could bury a person alive. But neither of them complained, obediently following behind Lai, which made him very gratified.
"Brother! It's a pear!"
Neil spotted the yellow pears in the distance and jumped for joy. Lamb was also somewhat pleased.
"That's really true."
The two quickened their pace, overtaking Lai and arriving under the pear tree.
There are few pear trees in Rosen Town; you can only buy a few in town after the wheat harvest. The pears are juicy and sweet, very popular, and in high demand.
"Be careful, go pick them."
Lei gave instructions.
Lamb darted up the tree like a monkey to pick pears, while Neil and Ray caught them below.
"Oh dear! All the good pears have been pecked in half by birds."
"Damn wild birds! Damn insects!"
Lamb only picked the biggest and juicies, but those either had several wormholes or were pecked to pieces by birds. Complaints echoed down to the ground beneath the tree.
"Brother Lamb is so talkative."
Neil whispered to Ray.
“Little Neil, I can hear you.”
"ah!"
Neil blushed, and Ray couldn't help but laugh.
Neil seemed to have forgotten how talkative he was when Ray first woke up.
There seemed to be a lot of pears, but after removing those that had been pecked and were not very ripe, there weren't many that could be picked. They barely filled the small basket Neil was carrying.
Lamb hadn't picked enough, so Lai led them onward to see if they could find any more pear trees.
There were some pears in front, but not many grew, and most of the ripe ones were ruined by small animals and insects. There were many pears on the ground that had only been eaten a few times, which was a great pity.
Looking into the distance, one can barely see the blue sky through layers of branches and leaves. It is already morning, and the light is very bright.
Lamb and Neil were still struggling with the pear tree, trying to find good fruit, while Ray carefully observed his surroundings.
It's all trees, just trees...
What is that?
Lai walked down to the tree and saw many large green fruits hanging on the branches. The calyx tube of the fruit was flat and had four segments, forming a square shape.
Isn't this a persimmon?
In northern China, frozen persimmons are often sold by roadside during winter.
After thawing in cold water, take a bite and the sweet, juicy flesh flows into your mouth through the opening. A gentle sip reveals the chewy, flavorful pulp. Frozen persimmons are a specialty food of northern winters.
Moreover, once the persimmons are ripe, they can be peeled and eaten directly. One bite reveals a crisp texture with a hint of sweetness, making them incredibly delicious.
I really struck gold today.
"elder brother!"
"What's wrong?"
"Let's go, this is going to end badly."
"good."
The three returned to the apple tree and started picking apples again. The apples weren't very big, but they were flavorful and tasted great.
First, I picked the best ones, filling half a basket. Then I picked the less desirable ones as well, until I had just enough apples for one basket.
After picking the meat, they left it there and then the three went to check the traps. Neil's trap had caught a small long-toothed beast, while Lamb's was empty.
Overall, this not-so-pure hunting trip yielded a small basket of pears, a basket of apples, half a basket of medicinal herbs, a small bag of Sichuan peppercorns, a Sichuan peppercorn tree, a small long-toothed beast, and three wild birds.
Lai distributed the fruit evenly, giving some to everyone. After packing up, they went home along the same route.
It was almost noon when we left the woods. Lai's pepper trees were quite eye-catching, attracting the attention of many people.
The villagers looked at the three men's baskets with curious eyes. The pears were at the bottom, and only the medicinal herbs and apples could be seen on top.
"Did they go hunting in the woods?"
"Yes, they went hunting."
Lamb proudly showed off the wild bird he had shot.
"That's impressive."
The villagers gave him a thumbs up, Lamb grinned foolishly, and Lai silently quickened his pace.
After returning home and putting down his things, Lai poured three glasses of cool water for himself, Lamb, and Neil.
After walking so far and carrying dozens of pounds of stuff back, the three of them finally felt tired when they sat down in the chairs.
"I'm so tired!"
Lamb said, sprawling out in his chair. Neil sipped his water in silence, clearly tired as well.
"Hunting is so tiring, will you go again next time?"
When Ray deliberately asked Lamb, Lamb immediately perked up.
"Go! I have to go! Bro, can you take me with you next time?"
Lei smiled without saying a word.
After resting for more than ten minutes, I finally felt a bit better.
Ray gave Lamb half of the fruit and told him to take it home later.
Ray wanted him to take all the wild birds back, but Lamb insisted on leaving one for them. He said it was the first wild bird they had ever hunted, and he wanted Neil to have a taste.
Ray also packed some peppercorns for Lamb and put them in his leather bag.
"Brother, Neil, I'm leaving now. I'll bring the basket back to you this afternoon."
"Go back, it's not urgent, no need to rush to return it."
When Ray saw Lamb off and returned to the living room, Neil was already packing his things.
"Neil, are you tired?"
"Ray asked," Neil shook his head.
"It's not tiring to be with my brother!"
"Silly child. Just leave your things there, wash your hands and feet, and then go back to catch up on your sleep."
"But......"
"You're not tired, but I am. If you pack your things, I won't be able to rest either. Go quickly!"
"All right."
Neil put down the rag in his hand, yawned slightly, and then quickly covered his mouth.
"Go."
"Um!"
Neil fetched water to wash his face and feet, took off his dirty clothes, and went upstairs to sleep.
Lai put the baby long-toothed beast in a basket and placed it in the small lumberyard. He threw some vegetable leaves into the basket, covered it with a plank, and weighed it down with stones.
Fruits and Sichuan peppercorns were stored in the storeroom.
We'll deal with the wild birds later; there's also a deer leg in the bowl waiting to be eaten.
The Sichuan pepper tree is in relatively good condition after all the turmoil, although it has lost quite a few leaves. Lai released a small ball of light into it and watered it, and it looks much better now.
Lai plans to dig a hole by the wall after dinner and plant it there.
A note from the author:
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