Ahead were girls holding hands, and behind them were male educated youths, laughing and joking.
The villagers also went in groups, making it an activity that was almost more lively than the autumn harvest. Apart from digging for wild vegetables, this was the most legitimate opportunity, and as long as it wasn't a large prey, the rest of the harvest was theirs.
This is arguably the most participatory activity, with people of all ages and genders finding something that interests them.
The adults wanted to collect more mountain produce, either to sell for money or to give away as gifts. At the very least, they could roast it and give it to the children as a snack. If they could find chestnuts, which could fill their stomachs, that would be even better.
What the children longed for were the wild fruits on the mountain: dark brown berries, red groundcherries, hawthorns, wild pears, apples, wild peaches, crabapples, crabapples, wild grapes, wild berries, round dates, lantern fruits, and so on. Although saying they were all over the mountains was a bit of an exaggeration, they were indeed widely distributed, in the weeds, under the trees, on the hillsides, in the ditches, or hidden in some corner, waiting to be discovered by some sharp-eyed child.
When they can't even fill their stomachs, snacks are a luxury. Rural children understand this very well and cherish every edible thing. They also look forward to these times.
Chatting and laughing with the crowd, we soon arrived at our destination. The villagers quickly set their sights on their target. The young men scrambled up the trees, while the women waited below. After a flurry of walnuts falling, everyone rushed over and started filling baskets and sacks with their heads down.
The educated youth found a spot near the edge of the area. Without needing the villagers' help, several male educated youth went up, while the others waited at a distance below. Seeing that fewer and fewer were falling, they quickly called out.
"Alright, alright, get down now?"
The people above slid down, and Jian Dan and the others quickly rushed over as well.
Did you take any burlap sacks?
"I've taken it, but I don't know if I can carry it back."
"Let's put them in the basket first, and then pour them into the sacks later..."
While talking and working, Jian Dan and Tan Yajun and the others didn't go far. They picked up two baskets and emptied the sacks. Seeing that others were still busy, they didn't say anything. They quietly looked around, picked a few dark plants, and waved to Hu Zi who was not far away.
"Sister Jane!"
He simply handed over the few he was carrying.
"Here, have some. But don't go any further in, watch out for snakes."
The child happily went to share with his friends. He glanced around and saw that the area was full of people: some were picking walnuts, some were filling sacks, and some were preparing to climb hazelnut trees not far ahead. What they all had in common was that their faces were beaming with joy.
"Simple, come quick, there's some ribs here, isn't this your favorite?"
"Hey, here I am."
Simple, Tan Yajun, Lin Zhaodi, Lin Dongfang, Wang Jianguo, plus Chen Jing and three others, Ling Weidong and a few others, and Bai Xiaoqin who followed closely today, their group was not small. While the villagers were busy harvesting hazelnuts, they headed towards the chestnut trees in front.
As Jian Dan walked ahead, he could feel the occasional glances directed at him from behind; they weren't unfamiliar.
Before she knew, it was fine; she didn't think too much about it.
Now that she knows, that gaze always feels a little burning, making her somewhat irritated.
Tanya Jun, who was standing nearby, noticed this and glanced back thoughtfully before naturally linking her arm with Jian Dan's.
"You guys stay here and harvest chestnuts, we'll go take a look ahead."
As soon as she put her arm around it, Jian Dan looked over in surprise. Tan Yajun blinked.
"I think I've been bitten by a bug, can you take a look?"
Upon hearing this, the others who wanted to follow paused for a moment. Lin Zhaodi didn't know what was going on, but she could see the tension between the two, and she tacitly cooperated, saying...
"Then hurry up, we're going to get some chestnuts first. We'll wait for you by the chestnut tree. Hurry up!"
Tanya winked approvingly, then pulled Jian Dan forward, their eyes following them until they disappeared into the woods, at which point they reluctantly looked away.
Lin Dongfang, watching from the side, felt his teeth ache.
"What's this? Silently protecting me?"
"I have a feeling, has she found out? Or does she hate me?"
Ling Weidong's words still carried a hint of disappointment.
Lin Dongfang really didn't know what to say. After he had exposed her thoughts, was she no longer hiding anything?
"Alright, let's get to work. What are you thinking about?"
Qian Cheng and Yuan Ye had long known what he was thinking, but Jian Dan was really different from other girls. They wanted to send her some food, but she could hunt and kill wild boars herself. The villagers didn't know, but they could see clearly that Jian Dan had plenty of food and meat, and even had more firewood than they did.
For so long, Ling Weidong couldn't find a single opportunity to help. To put it bluntly, the other party lacked nothing, and he didn't even have a chance to curry favor with them.
After all this time, I've managed to become quite familiar with them, and oh, I've even learned a great way to grill fish.
Seeing him like this, I didn't dare to say anything more. I made faces behind his back and then had to obediently follow him to hit him with chestnuts.
After walking a short distance with Tan Yajun, Jian Dan was still confused.
"Sister Ya-jun, are you feeling unwell?"
"It wasn't me, it was you. Did Ling Weidong make that clear to you?"
"No, no, Sister Yajun, how did you know?"
Tanya chuckled softly.
"You're so shrewd in everything else, but why are you so clueless when it comes to yourself?"
"You're doing this to him, without any meaning in it?"
Tanya Jun is older and has experienced more, so she sees things more clearly.
Whether you're a boy or a girl, if the person you like also cares about you, you'll feel a little shy or embarrassed, and your eyes will be shining with joy.
How could she act like nothing happened?
To be fair, Jian Dan is a young girl, and a very smart one at that. Being confused doesn't mean she doesn't understand. For something that she should be able to grasp immediately to make her show this kind of expression, it can only mean that this matter is not something that makes her happy or suits her wishes; in fact, it could be said that it has caused her trouble.
Indeed, a simple, frustrated scratch on the head...
"I never even thought about such a thing. I'm doing just fine on my own, and I don't want to cause any trouble."
Besides, I'm still a child, not even an adult yet. Isn't it too hasty to talk about this now?
"These kinds of things are like drinking water; only the person drinking knows whether it's hot or cold. If you like it, accept it; if you don't want it, refuse it. Don't make things difficult for yourself."
Among us educated youth, besides Mingzhu, you lived the most carefree life. When we were suffering in this bitter water and struggling in the mud, you were a lamp on the shore.
Seeing you working and raising children just like us, going up and down the mountain, doing everything without missing a beat.
Seeing that you always seem so energetic, even when you say you're too lazy to move, you never hold back when you actually get to work, never complaining or feeling tired...
Seeing how well you handle everything, we always feel that there is still hope in life.”
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