On the eleventh day after departing from G City, Xu Milu and her companions encountered an unexpected surprise.
Although it is only mid-August, the fruit trees in front of us are already laden with fruit, which are covered with "little lantern" fruits. The fruits under the branches are still a bit green and have a light orange-yellow hue, but the fruits hanging at the top of the branches have turned into a dark honey red, and after being pecked by birds, they reveal the bright red flesh inside.
"I didn't expect to see ripe persimmons in mid-August. They seem to be an early-ripening variety."
Xu Milu jumped out of the car and looked at the vast persimmon grove, unable to help but sigh.
It's clear that this persimmon grove has been abandoned for many years. The weeds in the grove are almost half a person tall. Some persimmon trees have begun to wither and die because no one has taken care of them or pruned them. Under the tall persimmon trees, many low persimmon seedlings have sprouted. It is obvious that these are seedlings that grew from the ripe fruits that fell to the ground.
Dou Dou looked at her longingly, and Xu Milu, of course, knew what the little one meant, and nodded with a smile:
"Don't worry, this is a persimmon tree. Its fruit is not only non-toxic, but also very sweet and delicious."
"Red berries! So many red berries!"
Having received an affirmative answer, DouDou immediately stood on tiptoe to reach for it, but being small, she could only touch the bottommost fruit.
She picked him up and gave him a bite, then immediately made an ugly face, but still managed to force a fawning smile at Xu Milu:
"Good, delicious."
Xu Milu: "..."
There's no need to be so careful.
Children are the most sensitive. Although they don't understand any survival skills, they know to please the strongest person in the group.
Su He remained unconscious. Although Xu Milu was quite kind to Dou Dou, the child couldn't help but worry that he would be abandoned.
Seeing how carefully she tried to please her, just to survive, Xu Milu couldn't help but feel a little sad.
"This one isn't ripe yet. You have to eat the persimmons that have been softened by the sun on top; those are the sweetest."
Xu Milu chose a persimmon tree with thick branches, broke off the excess branches with her hands, and nimbly climbed up the tree with both hands. When she jumped down, she was already holding a branch full of red persimmons.
Because no one has tended to or fertilized the trees for a long time, the persimmons in the forest are not very big. When ripe, they are only the size of small kumquats. The white frost on the skin reveals the ripe sweetness inside. If you tear open a small hole and suck gently, the sweet, soft, honey-like flesh will rush out. There is no astringent taste at all, only sweetness.
"tasty!"
DouDou is still a child, and she was so happy to taste the sweetness that she danced around with joy. Before long, she turned into a little cat with her face covered in sticky persimmon juice.
Persimmons shouldn't be eaten in large quantities. Xu Milu wiped her hands clean and picked some more unripe, firm persimmons to store. She filled three sacks and neatly placed them on the ground.
"Soft persimmons don't keep well, but you can peel them, add some flour, and make persimmon cakes. Fry them in oil, and the cakes will have both the sweetness of persimmons and the aroma of flour. They'll be chewy and delicious. If you like, you can sprinkle some white sugar and shredded coconut on top..."
She was telling Dou Dou about making desserts when she turned around and saw a pair of hands resting on one of the burlap sacks—fair skin, clear and transparent eyes, and a delicate face as if filtered through a lens. Who else could it be but Su He?
"I'll do it."
Su He, who had just woken up, seemed a little disoriented. He reached for the bag of persimmons but didn't notice his overly long fingernails. His fingers easily pierced through the sack, puncturing the persimmons inside. The sticky sensation clearly left him somewhat at a loss.
"Waaaaah—Waaaaah—Brother, you're awake!"
DouDou rushed over, both surprised and delighted, her big eyes filled with tears, and finally burst into tears.
"What's wrong with me?"
Su He opened her mouth, trying to make a sound, her eyes filled with confusion.
"You were bitten by a zombie, then you took a nap. Congratulations, you didn't become a zombie, but instead became a 'new human'."
Xu Milu handed over a bright red persimmon and said with a smile.
"'New Humans'?"
Su He pondered the meaning of those three words repeatedly, staring intently at her hands for a long while.
"Yes, now you've been reborn. Get used to your new body. We've finished eating all our meat, and we're tired of venison. Would you like to try catching a rabbit?"
Xu Milu pointed to the gray rabbits darting freely through the persimmon grove. Before she could finish speaking, Su He darted out, moving so fast that she was like a blur.
"Brother is so amazing!!"
DouDou couldn't help but open her mouth wide.
...
...
"MiluMilu! Look! Look! I've caught a live rabbit!"
After two days of adjustment, Su He, who had regained consciousness, was finally able to catch a live rabbit with his bare hands—the rabbits before had either had their bellies pierced by his claws or their heads crushed by his pinching, the scenes were so bloody and gruesome that they were unbearable to watch.
Xu Milu was frying persimmon cakes when she heard this. She looked up and said irritably:
"I'm eight years older than you. What's with your name, Mi Lu? Don't be so disrespectful! Call me 'older sister'!"
Su He just smiled and didn't say anything, picking up the unfortunate rabbit and putting it into the plastic box in the RV:
"Once I catch another one, we'll raise it and let them have baby rabbits. That way, we'll have an endless supply of rabbit meat in winter, and the rabbit skin can be used to make clothes to keep warm."
Xu Milu was speechless. She looked up at the dozen or so deerskins on the roof of the RV that were almost dried by the wind. There were enough to make more than a dozen deerskin coats.
Since Su He woke up, he has treated Xu Milu's words as imperial edicts, wishing he could memorize every single word. Yesterday, she had only casually mentioned that if there was extreme weather, they should prepare more warm clothes, and Su He had put in a lot of effort to kill and skin a rabbit. For the past two days, they have been eating rabbit for every meal.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
