Chapter 477: Simple Farmhouse Meal

The car drove for more than two hours and stopped at the foot of Bajiao Peak.

In the early winter morning, there is a cool breeze in the air. Taking a deep breath can make you feel more awake.

At around eight o'clock in the morning, the sunlight broke through the morning mist and spread among the mountains and forests. The light golden light diluted the chill.

Cheng Hao parked his car at a farmer's house at the foot of the mountain and ordered lunch. He had been there before and the family knew him.

After greeting each other, Mr. Zhang directly asked his daughter-in-law to catch a chicken and stew it to entertain the distinguished guests from the city.

Dai Qing looked at their enthusiastic attitudes, professional habits, and their facial features.

We are all simple farmers, and peace is a blessing.

Only the old man's son has a full and prosperous wealth palace, a face that shows abundance of wealth.

"Just go up to the mountains to play, and you can have a meal when you come back. It's farmer's food, a little rough, but it's filling." Old man Zhang held the dry pipe, his face full of wrinkles with a smile.

"Thank you, Master Zhang. We haven't climbed a mountain for a long time. We may not be able to come down on time." Cheng Hao smiled gently. After all, climbing a mountain is a physical activity. People who are less active may not be able to keep up with the physical strength.

"It's okay. I'll ask my family to warm the rice in the pot, so it'll be hot whenever I get home."

Old Man Zhang smiled innocently and didn't care at all.

"The hillside here is not very high. It only takes two hours to climb to the spring on the top of the hill and then come down."

After leaving Zhang's house, the two walked along the gravel road to the foot of the mountain.

Standing on the stone steps, Dai Qing looked up at the mountains in front of him. The place where they lived was a plain, and the nearby mountains were not too high. But for those of them who climbed mountains occasionally, this height was enough.

"Mr. Zhang and his crew are used to the mountain roads, so they can easily make the round trip in two hours. But it's different for us. We'd be lucky if we can get down in three hours. Safety is the most important thing."

Dai Qing nodded, looked at the several paths extending from the side, and curiously went over to take a look, "There are quite a lot of mountain roads here."

I heard that there was no road in the mountains, but it was formed when more people walked on it.

"Let's just walk along the steps. The wild paths nearby are still very dangerous for people who don't climb often. Besides, our climbing equipment is not very complete, so we can't take risks easily. Walking along the stone steps, we can also see the scenery on both sides along the way."

Cheng Hao looked at the sneakers on the two people's feet and couldn't help but curl his lips.

For mountain people, a pair of cloth shoes can make walking in the mountains as easy as walking on flat ground. But they cannot do that and must be careful and cautious.

"That's right. Adventure means danger."

She is no longer the curious girl of 17 or 18 years old, so she certainly won't joke with her own life.

Dai Qing took out the gloves she had prepared from her bag and handed a pair to Cheng Hao. "Pick up a stick to use as a walking stick later, so you don't have to cut your hand."

"Thank you."

Cheng Hao took the gloves and the two of them walked up the stairs.

In the early winter, the trees in the mountains are withered, a thick layer of fallen leaves lies on the ground, and the sound of gurgling streams can still be heard in the ears.

Dai Qing looked around and saw an inconspicuous stream three meters away from the stone steps. The rocks were intertwined and covered with fallen leaves, forming an undercurrent.

Walking in the mountains and forests, there is the rustling sound of fallen leaves under your feet. All around you are mottled rocks and bare trees. Occasionally, one or two trees are still covered with yellow leaves.

At a glance, the blue sky, white clouds, and mountains look like a flowing painting.

"The mountains and forests in early winter have a special flavor."

Dai Qing picked up a wooden stick from the ditch beside the stone steps and walked forward, hammering away.

"The advantage of hiking in early winter is that there are no snakes or insects. Experienced locals will hunt pheasants and rabbits at this time, collect them, and dry them under the porch to make marinated meat. When the New Year comes, it will be a dish on the table."

Cheng Hao followed suit and picked up a stick to play with.

The sun had risen completely, and its rays shone on the winding mountain road. Dai Qing put her hands on the sunshade and squinted her eyes to look forward. In an hour, they had only walked half the distance.

When they reached the top of the mountain and stood in front of the spring, Dai Qing took out the thermos, took a sip, and handed it to Cheng Hao.

"Would you like some extra water?"

Cheng Hao looked at her, took it and took two gulps, then took her to stand on a big rock and looked into the distance. The breeze was blowing gently and the fallen leaves were dancing, adding a touch of moving charm to the quiet forest.

The two of them chose a clean stone block, sat down to rest, and quietly enjoyed the warm sunshine.

Cheng Hao looked at the quiet girl beside him, her features were gentle, and being with her always gave people a relaxed and comfortable feeling.

The excitement I felt for her never disappeared.

But he is not in a hurry and will not give her any burden. He just hopes that one day, when she finally has feelings, she will be the first to see him.

If there is really no fate, just like Dai Qing said, just treat it as destiny.

“How was it like climbing the mountain?”

"It makes people happy both physically and mentally." Dai Qing looked up, closed her eyes, and felt that she was the only one in the world, peaceful and at ease.

"I really enjoy the process of expending physical energy while climbing mountains." Cheng Hao looked at her profile and smiled gently.

The two sat on the top of the mountain for an hour, then got up and went down the mountain.

When we reached the foot of the mountain, it was already 2:30 in the afternoon.

Just as Mr. Zhang said, the pheasant he stewed for them was kept warm in the pot and was tender to the bone.

"Our chickens are very fat. In addition to feeding them food, we go to the bamboo forest in front of us every day to catch insects to eat. Chickens stewed in this way are the most delicious."

Zhang's daughter-in-law, wearing an apron, brought two bowls of egg drop soup to the two of them.

"You can eat as much steamed bun and egg drop soup as you want. If you don't have enough, there's more."

"The food is delicious and the chicken is well-seasoned. This is enough for us." Dai Qing took a sip of the egg drop soup and nodded. She had to admit that although the farm meals were simple, they were homely and very comfortable to eat.

Tourism is not popular yet, and most of the villagers are simple and kind.

When tourism became popular, all parts of the country were attracting tourists, and residents living in scenic areas also began to run homestays of various styles to attract guests. After being eroded by commercial activities, the simplicity and kindness that once existed were gone with the wind.

The two of them had consumed a lot of energy. They ate a stewed chicken, four steamed buns, and drank two bowls of egg drop soup before they put down their chopsticks.

Looking at each other and smiling,

After exerting physical energy, food tastes delicious.

Seeing that the time was about right, the two prepared to leave.

Old Zhang was sitting on the stone pier at the door, holding a cigarette pot. When he saw the two people leaving, he stood up with a smile and asked, "How is it, are you full?"

"The food was delicious. Thank you Mr. Zhang for your hospitality."

"Thank you very much. You come here so often because you appreciate our forest. I hope you will come often in the future."

Old Man Zhang pointed to the bamboo forest on the hillside ahead and spoke with a smile.

"That bamboo forest produces a lot of bamboo shoots and bamboo fungus every spring. If you have time, you can come and try them."