Meng Tao changed the subject and spoke a few more words to Captain Bao, then found an excuse to slip away. Captain Bao was addicted to scolding people, and she couldn't stand it.

After getting rid of Old Bao, I met a younger Bao, Bao Dongmei, not far away.

Bao Dongmei, about fifteen or sixteen years old, was white and plump. She wore a red flowered jacket and a green cotton scarf (although the weather was warmer, the spring wind was strong). She had two short ponytails that reached her shoulders and her cheeks were bright red. She looked very happy. When she saw Meng Tao, she smiled and ran over, shouting, "Sister Taohua!"

Meng Tao: "Dongmei, what are you doing?"

Bao Dongmei shook the bamboo basket hanging on her arm, which contained a short-handled spade. "Let's go pick some wild vegetables. My dad sent me to patrol the canal yesterday. I found a lot of wild vegetables in many places along the way. They were tender and delicious. I picked a big bunch of shepherd's purse from the spring at the foot of the mountain. I boiled it in water and mixed it with it. It was delicious! My mom specifically asked me not to go to work in the team today, so that I could pick more tender wild vegetables. If I couldn't finish them, I could dry them and save them for the winter. Sister Taohua, are you going? Let's go together?"

Meng Tao was moved by what Bao Dongmei said. She had eaten shepherd's purse dumplings in her previous life, which were indeed delicious. She had also eaten cauliflower soup, scrambled eggs with wild onions, and wormwood dumplings, which were all wild vegetables and really delicious.

In the black market in Mengzhou City, I also saw rural aunties picking wild vegetables to sell, and many people bought them. The first crop of wild vegetables in the fields in spring may not be as tasty as the real vegetables grown in the vegetable garden, but they have a unique natural flavor. Moreover, the vegetables in the vegetable garden have not been planted yet, so people must be eyeing the wild vegetables.

"Then I'll go with you to dig some wild vegetables. When I get home, I'll get a basket and bring Xiao Wangcai with me. He will definitely be willing to run around in the fields."

"Okay, I'll go with you!"

When they returned home, Bao Dongmei reminded Meng Tao to change into her old clothes. Meng Tao was now wearing a thin tweed jacket and woolen trousers. The fields were full of water in spring and the soil was soft, so it was inevitable that the clothes would get dirty.

When Taurus heard that they were going to pick wild vegetables, his eyes were full of envy. He also wanted to go for a walk in the wild and take part in the labor, but he couldn't do that now. He could only walk around the door on crutches. He didn't dare to walk far for fear of accidentally falling. He was not afraid of the pain, but it would be troublesome if he got injured again.

When Xiao Wangcai knew that he could go to the fields to play, he jumped for joy and decisively abandoned his brother Jinniu and followed Meng Tao in and out of the house. Meng Tao changed her clothes and rubber-soled cloth shoes, took a bamboo basket from the hook on the eaves, said a few words to Jinniu, and followed Bao Dongmei.

When we walked out of the village entrance, we met five or six little girls, with an average age of about eight or nine years old. Each of them was carrying a bamboo basket. It seemed that they were also preparing to pick wild vegetables. When they saw Meng Tao and Bao Dongmei's equipment, they knew what they were going to do. They were also curious about the fluffy and cute little Wangcai, so they naturally followed them.

Meng Tao was walking on the edge of the field, shouting at Xiao Wangcai, telling it not to run too far. She turned back inadvertently and saw: Wow, there was a bunch of tadpoles following her. Was she going to be the king of the kids today?

Bao Dongmei, who was walking in front, also noticed it and yelled at the children to get rid of them. She was dizzy because of the noise from her five younger siblings at home all day long. She finally got out and could play with an older sister, but she wasn't happy enough yet. Now so many little brats came. How could she survive?

Meng Tao signaled Bao Dongmei to stop yelling, and said to the little girls, "If you want to follow us, just follow us. Let Sister Dongmei take us to pick wild vegetables, but you must listen to her instructions and go and come back together. You can't walk away on your own in the middle of the journey. If you can't do that, don't follow us."

The girls agreed in unison: "I'll be obedient."

Bao Dongmei puffed her cheeks and asked, "Why should I take you with me?"

One of the girls was smart and said crisply, "Because your father is Captain Lao Bao, you are Captain Xiao Bao, so you can lead us!"

The girls all giggled and echoed: "Yes, yes, Sister Dongmei is our team leader!"

After the quarrel, they still had to lead a group of little ones across a field and head towards the hilly area.

Bao Dongmei was a water patroller yesterday and she checked the spots by the way. It turned out to be not in vain. Wherever the group went, there were all kinds of fresh wild vegetables. Bao Dongmei and Meng Tao were grown girls after all, so they were quick with their hands and feet. They soon dug enough for a basket and helped the little girls to dig. Soon everyone's baskets were full and they were ready to take them home. They could dig another basket before lunch.

While everyone was digging wild vegetables, Xiao Wangcai was also very busy, catching butterflies and chasing birds. He was having a lot of fun. But no matter how far he ran, he would always fly back to Meng Tao after a while to check that Meng Tao was fine before running away to play again.

Meng Tao saw that several girls were barefoot and did not wear shoes, so she told them to walk slowly and not to let the splinters prick their feet, as they would have to use a needle to pick them out when they got home, which would be very painful.

When we came, the bamboo baskets were empty and it was easy to walk, so we took a shortcut. But when we went back, everyone had to carry the heavy bamboo baskets with great effort. It was a bit difficult to walk along the ridges of the paddy fields. If we accidentally fell into the paddy fields, we would get covered in mud even if there was no danger. The good wild vegetables would also become dirty and we would have to wash them many times before we could eat them.

So Bao Dongmei led everyone to take a detour, walking on a relatively wide and compacted dirt road, and when they returned to the village, they passed by the peach orchard, so everyone stopped to rest for a while.

The blooming peach blossoms were as beautiful as clouds, which amazed Meng Tao. The two peach trees in the space were also beautiful, but after all, they were not as beautiful as a whole piece of lush peach blossoms. No wonder some people used the word "scorching" to describe peach blossoms. Under the sunlight, they were indeed dazzlingly beautiful.

Even Xiao Wangcai was struck by the beauty of the peach blossom forest and stood on a small mound, staring at it in a daze.

Bao Dongmei and the little girls were calm. They saw it every day and were no longer surprised. They must still like it, otherwise they wouldn't sigh with regret: "Alas, the flowers on the ground are thick again today. The peach blossoms are almost all fallen!"

"This wind is so annoying. What is it blowing for?"

"That's right. At this rate, the flowers will be gone in a few days!"

Meng Tao smiled and said, "The flowers are gone, but they will bear peaches. We will have peaches to eat in June."

The girl with a sweet voice said, "Even if the peaches are ripe, it's not our turn to eat them. The adults said that we have to send them to the supply and marketing cooperative after we pick them."

Meng Tao: “…”

It seems to be the case. The peach orchard is collective property. The production team needs money to buy fertilizers and farm tools from the supply and marketing cooperative. When the peaches are ripe, they can be sent to the supply and marketing cooperative to use up part of the money.

This is a deadbeat topic, so I won't continue.

There are several pear trees next to the peach forest, and they are also full of pear blossoms. When the wind blows, the snow-white petals flutter. Meng Tao's mind moved: she collected the fallen peach petals in the space to make wine, and also made chrysanthemum wine, but no pear blossom wine.

(End of this chapter)