Although she was a little disappointed that she had fallen asleep last night, she was still in a good mood because she had resolved a long-standing question.
After all, who would choose to live a life of widowhood when they can be a happy woman?
It seems this medicinal wine is quite effective. I should let Lu Ze drink a cup more often. Anyway, he has such a high alcohol tolerance, so I don't have to worry about him getting drunk and affecting his training the next day.
There are also dried oysters; I should go and pluck some more to dry when I have time.
After finishing her breakfast, Yu Yao hummed a little tune as she watered the vegetables in her private plot.
Sister Meihua next door was drying things in the yard. Hearing her singing, she asked with a smile, "Yuyao, what's up? You look so happy."
Yu Yao smiled and said, "It's nothing, it's just that the passion fruit I planted has blossomed, and I'm very happy."
Passion fruit? You mean these vines on the trellis in your yard?
Yu Yao nodded.
The passion fruit seedlings have now grown lush and green, climbing all over the top of the yard along the wooden frame that Lu Ze built.
Standing in the yard, you can see the filamentous purple flowers among the leaves as soon as you look up.
It's only January now. Passion fruit, which blooms in spring, typically has a flowering period of 40 to 60 days. Once the flowers have faded, you'll see round passion fruits sprouting from the branches.
In the summer, you can sit in a rocking chair under it to cool off, and if you get thirsty, you can pick a passion fruit to eat. Just thinking about it makes me feel wonderful.
Su Meihua thought of something and asked Yu Yao, "By the way, Yu Yao, the wild vegetables on the mountain have sprouted. I'm planning to go up the mountain to pick some later. Do you want to come?"
"Picking wild vegetables?" Yu Yao had never had the chance to experience it before, but she didn't recognize any of the wild vegetables on the island. Could she really do it?
“What’s the big deal? You forgot about me. I’ve been on this island for so many years, and I go up the mountain to pick wild vegetables every year. If you asked me to identify seafood, I might not be able to, but there’s no wild vegetable that I, Su Meihua, don’t know. I’ll teach you when we get up the mountain.”
Springtime is definitely a perfect time for wild vegetables, Yu Yao nodded, "Then Sister Meihua, please teach me more."
As the two were talking, they saw Political Commissar Qin walk over with a basket on his face, looking very happy. He took out several red eggs from the basket and said, "Sister-in-law, Sister-in-law Su, my husband Sun Yu has given birth. Please have some celebratory eggs."
Yu Yao was pleasantly surprised and took the red egg. "When did Sister-in-law Sun give birth?"
Qin Ye smiled broadly: "The onset of the illness occurred in the early hours of yesterday morning, and the baby was born at three o'clock this morning. It's a big, healthy boy weighing five pounds and six ounces."
Yu Yao and Su Meihua congratulated her several times.
"Congratulations, congratulations! I have other deliveries to make, so I'll be going now." Qin Ye said, picking up his bamboo basket and leaving.
Watching Qin Ye's retreating figure, Yu Yao and Su Meihua discussed when to visit Sister-in-law Sun Yu and Song Yufeng.
Su Meihua has more experience in this regard. "They will definitely be very busy if we go now. Let's go in the afternoon after we come back from the mountain."
"Then let's do as Sister Meihua says. We'll go to the mountain to dig for wild vegetables this morning and visit her in the hospital this afternoon."
Yu Yao went back to her room, changed into some old clothes, put on a pair of canvas shoes, and tucked her trouser legs tightly into her socks.
There are many insects on the mountain, so we need to take precautions.
After Yu Yao finished getting ready and went out, Su Meihua was almost done getting ready as well. The two of them went to meet up with the other military wives.
Yu Yao's gaze fell on Wu Shufen in the crowd, and she frowned slightly.
Today, Wu Shufen wore a polyester shirt and blue pants, with flowers in her braided pigtails, and surprisingly, she was wearing leather shoes. She was dressed up so flamboyantly that you would think she was going to a beauty pageant, not to pick wild vegetables.
Wu Shufen also saw her and glanced at Yu Yao from head to toe.
Yu Yao's only redeeming quality is her face; look at what she's wearing—it's all so rustic and unfashionable. She's definitely a country girl from the countryside.
If it weren't for good luck, how could someone of her status and position have managed to snag such a good partner as Commander Lu?
What a waste of such a handsome face.
The military spouse in charge of organizing the hunt was a highly respected woman in the family quarters. She glanced around and said, "Since everyone is here, let's go up the mountain. You're only allowed to dig for wild vegetables on the outskirts; don't go into the mountains."
As soon as spring arrived, wild animals came out of the mountains. Although soldiers patrolled regularly to clear them out, the forests were so vast that it was impossible to eliminate all the wild animals.
If you're unlucky enough to run into a wolf or a boar, you're in for a world of trouble.
Everyone else carefully noted down the instructions given by their sister-in-law, but Wu Shufen's eyes darted around, seemingly looking for something.
As the group climbed the mountain, they found some scattered wild vegetables from the foot of the mountain. The military wives did not stop until they reached the hillside and saw wild vegetables covering the entire mountain. Only then did they disperse and dig for their own vegetables.
Su Meihua led Yu Yao to the side and came to a river valley at the foot of the hillside. The valley was lush with water plants and had countless wild vegetables, which were especially tender.
“This is my secret base. I come here every year to pick wild vegetables.” Su Meihua squatted down and dug up a green wild vegetable.
"This is deer tongue vegetable, which we also call Malan vegetable or revolutionary vegetable. It has a fragrant and tender taste and is delicious in cold dishes, stir-fries, or soups."
Yu Yao took the deer tongue vegetable from Su Meihua, looked at the leaves, and searched around before finding a clump. "Sister-in-law Meihua, is that deer tongue vegetable?"
Su Meihua looked in the direction she was pointing, smiled and nodded, "That's right, it's deer tongue vegetable. Did you remember it right away? Let me show you some other wild vegetables."
Yu Yao dug up this clump of deer tongue vegetable and put it in her basket. Following Su Meihua, she also learned about wild vegetables such as bloodwort, wild chrysanthemum, mountain gourd leaves, dog liver vegetable, and white flower vegetable.
The wild vegetables in this valley were tender and plentiful. The two of them dug for an hour and almost filled their baskets before returning along the way they came.
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