Chapter 25 "Radish" Stop
Little Lingxiao sat on a small stool, his back straight, his head slightly lowered, his long eyelashes drooping down, casting a light shadow under his eyelids, his eyes shining with focused concentration.
With a tense little face and no extra expression, she was very serious. Her hands moved quickly, picking up the wooden pieces one by one and disassembling the round Luban lock into pieces.
Next, the disassembled wooden pieces were arranged in order and orientation, and then pieced together one by one. With the last piece clicking into place, it was precisely put into position.
The little girl immediately looked up at her mother, great-grandfather, and great-grandmother, her eyes sparkling, her little head tilted slightly upwards.
"I've finished putting it together!"
The little guy tilted his head, his eyes curved into crescent moons, and the corners of his mouth slightly turned up, his dimples flashing and making their presence felt. He looked just like a little general who had won a battle and was waiting to be praised.
It made you want to pat her little head, and in fact, Cheng Cheng did just that, exclaiming in an exaggerated tone, "Wow! Xiaoxiao is so amazing! How come your little brain is so smart? Even Mommy doesn't know how!"
Xiao Lingxiao tried hard to suppress the corners of his mouth, but it didn't work much. He couldn't hide the smugness and happiness on his face, looking proud of himself.
"Mom, I'll teach you, it's not difficult."
Little Lingxiao immediately puffed out his little chest and demonstrated to his mother how to take it apart and how to put it back together.
"Why do we have to remove this piece of wood first? Can't we remove this one first?"
Cheng Cheng pretended to be a curious child, asking a million questions.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Lingxiao frowned in thought. She didn't know how to tell her mother, but that's what she did anyway. Taking apart another piece of wood first wouldn't work; it would mess up the order and make it impossible to put together.
Unable to explain why, Xiao Lingxiao immediately took the Luban Lock to his great-grandfather and great-grandmother, who would surely know!
Cheng Deshun was not good with words, so Su Ninghua explained the principles to his great-grandson, explaining the mathematical "spatial geometry" logic and the mechanical principles of the mortise and tenon structure to the little guy in a simple way.
While explaining, she demonstrated with a Luban lock, making learning fun. Even Cheng Cheng, a complete "mathematical novice," listened with great interest, which shows Su Ninghua's teaching ability.
The mother and daughter didn't return home until sunset, their bags full of goods.
On the way back, she ran into Cheng Weihong. When Cheng Weihong saw her from a distance, she turned around and ran in another direction.
Cheng Cheng: "..."
Her cousin's audacity... it's obvious she's done something wrong and doesn't dare to see her. She doesn't even need to test or doubt her; she's already certain.
On the other side, Cheng Weihong leaned against the wall, panting heavily, a hint of regret flashing across her face. Why did she run?
She was so angry with herself. She needed to calm down, stay composed, and remain unfazed. Cheng Weihong let out a long sigh.
Judging from the direction they were coming from, Cheng Cheng and her daughter seemed to have come from the old house. A serious look appeared on her face.
Grandpa had a strange temper, and Grandma was also difficult to get along with, with many rules. In their previous lives, they all thought that Grandpa and Grandma were just ordinary old people in the village, until their cousin Cheng Xiangyang returned from military service and went into business with his cousins Cheng Xiangguang and Cheng Xiangming.
Grandma took out some hidden treasures, and they then realized that she was an old lady with a distinguished background and considerable wealth.
Cheng Weihong didn't know much either; most of what she heard was from her mother. Ever since she learned that the old lady had some good things, the majority of them went to the eldest son's family, while the second son's family only received some small items.
Every time her mother came to the city to visit her, she would privately complain to her grandparents about their favoritism, cursing the old lady for treating her eldest son like a treasure and her youngest son like a weed since he was a child. They were both born to her, and it was infuriating to compare them!
After she was reborn, she visited her grandparents at the old house several times, bringing gifts to show her respect. However, her attitude was indifferent. She accepted the gifts, but Cheng Weihong was unsure about the effect.
It's alright. Sincerity can move mountains. Not only should she visit her grandparents often, but she should also talk to her mother when she gets back and ask her two younger brothers to visit their grandparents more often as well.
They're all his own grandsons, none of them are inferior to the eldest son!
Cheng Weihong made up her mind, strode back with her head held high.
"Xiaoxiao, Jiahui, Dawei, stop playing! Come back for dinner!"
The little girl, covered in sweat, with rosy cheeks and a radiant expression, ran over with her short legs and took her mother's hand.
After returning from her great-grandparents' house, Xiao Lingxiao went to play the game of "Eagle Catches Chicks" with her older brothers and sisters. She was the youngest and the slowest, and almost got caught by the eagle several times.
It was incredibly exciting; the laughter and screams carried far, and Cheng Cheng and the others could hear them in the courtyard.
Xu Fengying said, "Since Xiaoxiao came back, she has become more lively!"
Cheng Cheng agreed and nodded.
Children are naturally playful, and with peers to play with, they can quickly unleash their natural instincts.
For dinner, we had stir-fried shrimp. The little one really enjoyed the small shrimp and ate it with gusto. When her uncles saw this, they put down their bowls after finishing their meals, grabbed a net cage, and prepared to go back to the mountain valley to set up the cage.
After finishing her meal, Chen Meiling immediately went into the bathhouse and was the first to take a bath. She lathered herself with soap, smelled wonderful, and came out wearing a dress.
His eyes and brows gleamed with excitement. "Little sister, isn't it pretty? What do you think?"
"It looks great! This dress suits you so well, it really complements you, making you look elegant, dignified, and beautiful!"
Upon hearing this, Chen Meiling was delighted. She looked down at her dress, her joy barely concealed. She grabbed a chair and excitedly went out to show it off.
Xu Fengying didn't say anything, but glanced at her youngest daughter. With her second daughter-in-law's impatient and impulsive manner, how could she be considered elegant and dignified?
There is an old banyan tree at the entrance of the village, which is said to be over a hundred years old. It is very big, and the villagers usually like to sit in its shade, chatting and gossiping.
In those days, entertainment was extremely scarce. Apart from the occasional film screening by the commune's projectionist, there was very little other form of entertainment. After meals, relaxing and chatting about gossip about the village and the outside world became the most popular activities, besides watching open-air movies.
Cheng Cheng moved a chair, took Xiao Xiao's hand, and followed the group to find some shade.
From afar, I could hear my second sister-in-law's loud voice, "Feel it! This material is so soft! It's so comfortable to wear. You know what, wearing a dress definitely feels cooler than wearing pants!"
"You don't believe me? Anyone who wears it will know! Humph, I, Chen Meiling, never spout nonsense!"
When Chen Meiling saw her mother-in-law arrive with her family, she glanced at Wu Yufang a few times and immediately said, "If you don't believe me, ask my sister-in-law!"
Then, Cheng Cheng watched as her sister-in-law immediately joined in, chatting enthusiastically with her second sister-in-law.
The eldest and second sisters-in-law were surrounded by young wives, but Ms. Xu Fengying had her own social circle and went to the other side.
Cheng Cheng was carrying a chair, swaying back and forth, when her little niece Jia Hui came with a group of friends to call Xiao Xiao to play, so she went with the children.
The girls gathered together to play hopscotch and jump rope, while the boys played with slingshots, engaged in guerrilla warfare, and some even hung themselves from trees.
Little Lingxiao stared at the tree with delight, "Mommy, it's Brother Dapeng!"
Cheng Cheng looked closely and realized it was her nephew, Jia Peng.
This kid had somehow climbed up the tree, his legs gripping a branch, hanging upside down with his arms dangling naturally, showing off his skills to his companions.
That's too dangerous!
Cheng Cheng's eyelids twitched, and she was about to step over and call him down when her second sister-in-law's roar arrived before she could.
"Dapeng, you brat! You want a beating?! Get down here right now! Don't force me to slap you when I'm at my happiest!"
Even after being scolded, the kid still had the nerve to make faces at his mother. Before she could explode, he scrambled down from the tree and disappeared in no time.
Cheng Cheng couldn't help but laugh. Xiao Jia Hui quoted her grandmother, "Grandma said that Second Uncle gave Third Brother the wrong name. He shouldn't be called Bird, he should be called Monkey, because he's always jumping around."
This is indeed something that Ms. Xu Fengying would say.
"Come on, little sister, I'll teach you how to play hopscotch!"
Little Lingxiao glanced at his mother, took his sister's outstretched hand, and was led to meet his sister's friends.
Cheng Cheng found an open space, put down a chair, and sat down, watching the little guy play hopscotch. The evening breeze carried the scent of rice blossoms, and she felt a little itchy to join in, but unfortunately, she hadn't brought her notebook with her.
As the bright moon hung high in the sky and countless stars filled the night, the crowds who had been enjoying the cool shade under the banyan tree gradually dispersed.
As dawn broke, amidst the crowing of roosters and quacking of ducks, the captain's whistle blew.
Cheng Cheng carried a basket on her back, held Xiao Xiao's hand, and followed Dawei and Dayong up the mountain to gather pig feed.
It was the first time for both mother and daughter, and they showed the same little excitement, even the curve of their smiles was almost identical.
"Auntie, we've cut all the pig feed here, we need to go inside to find some."
As soon as Dawei finished speaking, his younger brother Dayong immediately raised his hand: "I know! I know where there's plenty of pig feed to gather!"
Cheng Jiayong volunteered to lead the way, and they went deeper and deeper into the mountains. Cheng Jiawei glared at his younger brother: "When did you get here? Have you forgotten what Grandma said?"
Cheng Jiayong scratched his head. "It was the day before yesterday. I found it while playing hide-and-seek with Shuanzi and the others. Look, there's a lot of pig feed here, isn't there?"
"I was the first to discover it, but I didn't tell Shuanzi and the others!"
Cheng Jiayong patted his chest, a smug little expression on his face.
Cheng Jiawei continued to glare at him, displaying the demeanor of an older brother, and reprimanded his younger brother, "If you dare to run this far again, I'll tell Grandma!"
Cheng Jiayong rolled his eyes and pointed at his younger brother Dapeng: "I'm not the only one who came; Dapeng came too."
Cheng Jiahui raised her chin and pointed at her older brothers: "You guys are playing without me! I'm going to tell Grandpa and Grandma!"
Cheng Jiapeng stretched out his hand and made a face at her, "Cheng Jiahui is a tattletale!"
The children immediately started arguing. Cheng Cheng, having overheard what had happened, stepped in to mediate: "Alright, alright, stop arguing!"
“Dayong, you did something wrong. Didn’t your grandparents tell you not to come to the deep mountains? They must have explained why. You sneaked off to play hide-and-seek in the deep mountains behind the adults’ backs. What if something happens?”
“When I get back, I’ll tell your grandparents, your parents, and your Dapeng. Your aunt is going to tattle on me. Are you going to call me a tattletale too?”
Cheng Cheng twisted his ear. Not to mention it was her first time doing it, she began to understand why her mother always twisted his ear before hitting him.
"Auntie, I was wrong!"
Cheng Jiapeng clasped his hands together in a gesture of begging for mercy, his face contorted into a pitiful expression. His movements were so fluid and natural that it was clear he had done this many times before!
Cheng Cheng let him go, temporarily sparing the boy. She would report him when they got back; these naughty boys wouldn't learn their lesson if they weren't disciplined.
They dare to come to the deep mountains and play hide-and-seek. If something happens, the consequences will be unimaginable!
"Let's leave it at that this time," Cheng Cheng said, putting down her basket. "Let's not go too far. Let's just cut pig feed around here and get it done quickly so we can go back sooner."
As soon as she finished speaking, the children took sickles and went to cut pig feed.
Cheng Cheng told Xiao Xiao to play nearby and not to go too far.
It was her first time cutting pig feed, and her movements weren't as skillful as some of the children. Dawei and the others were much faster; they were used to doing this kind of work and were much better than her, an adult.
Cheng Cheng didn't recognize pig feed, so she basically just cut whatever her little niece Jia Hui cut.
Little Lingxiao followed behind, wanting to pick up pig feed for his mother and put it in the basket, but Cheng Cheng stopped him. She was afraid that the pig feed would scratch his delicate hands.
"There are flowers over there, Xiaoxiao, go see the flowers. Mommy will teach you how to draw flowers later."
Little Lingxiao nodded obediently, ran over to observe the wildflowers, and squatted down to count how many petals there were.
Cheng Cheng occasionally looked up and saw that Xiao Xiao hadn't gone far, then lowered her head to cut pig feed.
They carried three baskets on their backs, filled all three baskets to the brim, and planned to go down the mountain.
Cheng Cheng straightened up, raised her arm, wiped the sweat from her face with her sleeve, and looked at her baby Xiaoxiao.
The little guy was squatting next to a plant, having a great time, so Cheng Cheng walked over.
Little Lingxiao squatted on the ground, touching the fruit on the sapling with his little hands. His lips curved into a smile, and he tilted his head in confusion. When he saw his mother coming over, he asked, "Mommy, why does this sapling have red fruit? Why don't the other saplings have any?"
Cheng Cheng glanced at it casually and praised the little guy for being good at thinking, but she wasn't a botanist and didn't know, wait, red fruit?
Cheng Cheng took a closer look, and what she saw shocked her!
The phrase immediately popped into my head: "Red Fruit, find the ginseng fruit!"
Looking closely at the plant, she noticed that the red berries on it did indeed resemble the ginseng fruits she had seen in short videos before—clusters of small, deep red berries, each about the size of a small soybean.
Regardless of whether it was true or not, Cheng Cheng shouted, "Radish, stop right there!"
A look of confusion crossed Xiao Lingxiao's face. "Mom, is it a radish? But radishes don't have legs, and they're buried in the soil, so they can't run away, can they?"
"Um...that's not important, we'll talk about it later."
Cheng Cheng called out "Radish, stop!" three times, then carefully squatted down, took out the handkerchief she usually used to wipe the little guy's sweat from her pocket, tied it to the handkerchief, and knotted it.
He picked up the sickle, ready to dig, but suddenly stopped. "No way," he thought. "Not only is a sickle not very effective at digging, but if it really is ginseng, I'd break the roots and it would be a huge loss."
"Auntie, what's wrong?"
Cheng Jiawei walked over carrying a basket on his back, wondering why his aunt hadn't left yet.
"Dawei, take your younger siblings down the mountain first, hand over the pig feed, then go back to find your grandma and bring her over. Remember to bring the small hoe."
Cheng Jiawei didn't understand, but he obediently nodded and led his younger siblings down the mountain carrying pig feed.
"Mother?"
Little Lingxiao snuggled into his mother's arms, leaned against her, and looked up at her, asking, "Mommy, aren't we leaving?"
"Okay, we'll wait here for a while until your grandma comes, then we'll dig something up before we leave!"
Cheng Cheng took off her coat. When she went out, she not only changed the little guy into long sleeves and pants, but also took an old shirt from the closet to wear as an overcoat.
She was sitting on her clothes, holding the little one in her arms, right next to the "radish" spread out on the ground.
A surge of immense joy welled up inside me, along with excitement and a hint of disbelief. Could she be the chosen one?
No, Xiaoxiao found the "radish" first. Could it be that Xiaoxiao is the chosen one?
Regardless of who it is, once it's confirmed that "radish" really is ginseng, then they'll be rolling in money!
Of course she wouldn't sell it. Such a good thing is rare and hard to come by. She was lucky enough to encounter it because God blessed her with this opportunity, so she definitely wanted to keep it for herself.
Cheng Cheng prayed silently in her heart, hoping it was as she thought. God bless her!
After waiting for more than half an hour, Dawei finally arrived with his mother.
"What's wrong? What are you doing? What are you trying to dig up? Do you really want me to do it?"
Xu Fengying had been working in the fields for more than two hours and was starving. Her little girl was up to no good and had come up the mountain with her nephew and niece to gather pig feed. She had stayed on the mountain and wouldn't come back, insisting that Xu Fengying come and help her dig something.
If I don't give her a reasonable explanation, she'll definitely hit me!
"Mom, look."
"What?"
Xu Fengying looked in the direction her daughter was pointing. It was just a blade of grass. The only special thing about it was that it had red berries growing on it.
Cheng Cheng exclaimed in surprise and whispered a few words in her mother's ear. Xu Fengying's expression changed, and she turned to look at her daughter: "Really?"
She immediately squatted down to take a closer look, but couldn't figure it out. She had never seen ginseng before and didn't know what it looked like.
As I recall, there was such a thing: the village's old doctor dug up a wild ginseng from the mountains, but that was many years ago, and the old doctor has passed away.
"Mom, it's true! The picture in the book looks exactly like it!"
Cheng Cheng's reason was that she had seen it in a book, and without thinking twice, she insisted that it must be true!
Amen, may the universe bless me!
Apart from Cheng Cheng and Xu Fengying, Xiao Lingxiao and Cheng Jiawei were completely confused, not knowing what their mother/aunt and grandmother were talking about.
Xu Fengying glanced at her daughter, then looked at her granddaughter, thinking, "Maybe she really has that kind of luck."
Holding small hoes, they carefully began to dig, with Cheng Cheng helping them. They cleared away the surrounding dead leaves and weeds, and after digging out a corner, the mother and daughter were instantly invigorated!
Holding her breath, Xu Fengying moved more and more carefully. In the end, she almost threw away the small hoe and used her fingernails to pick off the soil bit by bit.
Cheng Cheng did the same, not caring whether her fingernails were filled with black dirt and turned black, she and her mother were digging at the dirt with all their might.
Working together, the mother and daughter managed to extract the "radish" intact without breaking a single ginseng root.
Xu Fengying was full of energy at this moment, and her mouth was stretched almost to her ears.
"Grandma, what's this?" Cheng Jiawei asked, puzzled.
Xu Fengying casually remarked, "A radish."
Grandma, even though I'm not well-educated and have limited experience, you can't lie to me!
Cheng Jiawei looked incredulous. "Grandma, I helped you dig up radishes last winter, and they didn't look like this."
Xu Fengying choked, "Anyway, it's a radish you've never seen before. There are plenty of radishes in the world, this one is just called a radish!"
Cheng Cheng chimed in, "That's right, it's a radish! I can vouch for it!"
Although Cheng Jiawei still felt something was a little strange, his aunt had already said it was a radish. His aunt was a high school student and had read more books than him, so she certainly wouldn't mistake it.
Xu Fengying took the coat her daughter handed her, carefully wrapped the radish in it, and then said, "Alright, let's go down the mountain!"
On the way, Xu Fengying instructed her eldest grandson: "You must not tell anyone about this, not even your parents. Your aunt asked me to come up the mountain to dig up flowers for your sister to plant back home, do you understand?"
Cheng Jiawei was filled with doubt, but he nodded in agreement, "Grandma, I understand."
Cheng Cheng: "This is a secret between the four of us. Comrade Cheng Jiawei, I'm giving you a task now: to keep this secret. Can you do it?"
"Yes! I guarantee I'll complete the mission!"
Cheng Jiawei immediately stood up straight, his eyes clear, and gave a salute.
Looking at his brother, Xiao Lingxiao immediately raised his right hand and declared in a clear and resonant voice, "Xiaoxiao can do it too!"
"Good! Very good!"
Cheng Cheng fully affirmed this and offered a new incentive: "If you two can complete the mission and keep the secret, the organization will reward you."
"What reward?"
Cheng Jiawei's eyes lit up as he was immediately drawn to the reward his aunt mentioned, and he became extremely curious!
Cheng Cheng wanted to keep him in suspense, so she pretended to be mysterious and said, "I can't tell you now. You'll know when you keep our promise. Anyway, it will be something you like."
What does he like?
Cheng Jiawei himself was filled with doubt. What did he like?
After thinking for a long time, he could only think of one thing: he likes to eat, and he likes to eat all kinds of meat. Just as he was about to speak, he heard his aunt say:
"I'll have your grandma supervise you."
Cheng Jiawei looked at his aunt and said, "I will definitely keep this a secret and won't tell anyone!"
His mother didn't tell either!
Xu Fengying wasn't worried. Her eldest grandson was honest and kind, always obedient, and would definitely keep his promise.
And even if she accidentally says it out loud and others don't understand, she can cover for them!
When they reached the foot of the mountain, Xu Fengying told her eldest grandson to go back for dinner first, while she and her daughter took Xiaoxiao to the old house to find her parents-in-law.
This is indeed a wild ginseng, and a very old one at that. Conservatively speaking, it should be over fifty years old, according to Su Ninghua.
She hadn't seen this thing for many years, and she never expected that her granddaughter and great-grandson would be able to dig it up in the mountains. It was their good fortune.
"Mom, I believe you. If you say it's fifty years, then it must be fifty years."
Xu Fengying had no doubt about her mother-in-law's words. In her opinion, her mother-in-law and father-in-law were two truly capable people, and she, Xu Fengying, believed what these capable people said!
But... she turned to her daughter and asked, "What are your plans for this?"
The radish was found by my daughter and granddaughter, so it naturally belongs to my daughter. Let my daughter decide for herself.
"Mom, I want to keep this for myself. I'm not selling it."
Wild ginseng, especially at such an advanced age, is something she should naturally keep for herself. It can be a lifesaver in a crisis. She's not short of money, so there's no need to exchange it for cash; it's not worth it.
Everyone agreed with her decision and didn't interfere. Even if her granddaughter/daughter planned to sell it, they had no objections.
Now only one question remains. Cheng Cheng frowned, looking troubled: "This thing seems to need to be prepared, right? I don't know how."
Thinking it was something serious, Su Ninghua smiled and said, "It's not difficult, leave it to me."
"Grandma! You can even process medicinal herbs?" Cheng Cheng was overjoyed. "Wow, Grandma is amazing!"
"Grandma! How many more surprises do you have that I don't know about?!"
Perhaps because her granddaughter's expression was too exaggerated, Su Ninghua suddenly laughed out loud, "She only knows the basics."
"Grandma, you are definitely being too modest! Modesty is a virtue. Grandma is a great beauty and has wonderful virtues. Grandma, my admiration for you is as high as this mountain."
As Cheng Cheng spoke, she pointed to the deep mountains opposite, saying, "This is Dabao Mountain. They found the ginseng on this mountain."
I'll try my luck on the mountain again next time I have the chance. May God love me one more time!
Su Ninghua was visibly taken aback when she heard her granddaughter's words. In the end, she couldn't help but laugh, her eyes crinkling with a hint of helplessness, her expression kind and gentle.
Cheng Deshun rarely smiled too. With his granddaughter and great-grandson here, the small courtyard seemed to be filled with vitality and laughter.
Xu Fengying watched her daughter act silly and laughed along, only then realizing how formidable her grandmother was.
Her mother-in-law was a very capable and competent person; she was far inferior to her.
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Author's note: Goodnight [red heart][orange heart][yellow heart][green heart][cyan heart][blue heart][purple heart][pink heart]
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(Whispering: So many things to do during long holidays! Weddings, birthday celebrations, car purchases, house purchases—basically everything is pushed to this National Day period. And then there are the blind dates! Ugh!)
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