The next day arrived in the blink of an eye.
When Fang Jingru woke up in the morning, Qiao Qiqi was already cooking.
She immediately went into the kitchen to help, saying, "I overslept. Sleeping in the countryside is so wonderful; I slept like a log all night."
"It's still hot now, but once it gets colder, we'll heat the kang (heated brick bed) every night so it'll be nice and cozy, and you'll sleep even better on it." Qiao Qiqi smiled. "The washbasin is in the yard. I've scooped some clean water for you. Go brush your teeth and wash your face first, and dinner will be ready soon."
Fang Jingru originally wanted to come in and help, but she couldn't help at all. After washing up, breakfast was ready.
During the meal, Qiao Qiqi said she wanted to take Fang Jingru up the mountain to see if there were any mushrooms, and asked Fang Jingru if she was willing to go.
“Great! I’ve wanted to come to the countryside to pick mushrooms for a long time. I’ve heard there are lots of mushrooms in the mountains of Northeast China.” It was Fang Jingru’s first time in the countryside, and she was full of curiosity about everything there.
Upon hearing that Qiao Qiqi was going to take her mushroom picking, she was overjoyed.
Seeing that she was willing, Qiao Qiqi finished her meal, slung a basket over her shoulder, and took her up the mountain.
Lin Chunying said last night that it rained the day before yesterday, and there should be mushrooms on the mountain.
The weather is getting colder and colder, and the mushroom season is almost over. If we don't take care of them soon, there won't be any left.
As the two walked along, breathing in the fresh air of the village, Fang Jingru's mood became more relaxed.
The autumn harvest wasn't over yet, and the two encountered villagers on their way to work. Upon seeing the face they had imagined, the villagers were stunned. "Qin Huai's family, is this your relative? How come she looks so much like you, like sisters?"
Qiao Qiqi glanced at Fang Jingru and said with a smile, "Yes, she is my aunt."
The villagers were even more confused. "We only heard that Lu Xiufen had three sons, not a daughter. How come there's suddenly an aunt?"
Qiao Qiqi smiled secretly, offered no explanation, and immediately took Fang Jingru's arm and left.
The two quickly arrived at the mountain.
Qiao Qiqi was unfamiliar with the terrain, so she could only lead Fang Jingru along the same old route that Lin Chunying had taken her on last time.
Sure enough, things are different after the rain. As soon as they entered the pine forest, the two saw so many broom mushrooms that they couldn't pick them all up.
But Lin Chunying said that these mushrooms could only be eaten fresh and could not be dried, so although there were many, Qiao Qiqi and Fang Jingru picked enough for about three plates before continuing on their way.
It had rained the day before yesterday, and the villagers were busy with the autumn harvest and didn't have time to go up the mountain, which was a good opportunity for Qiao Qiqi.
Early in the morning, it was just Qiao Qiqi and Fang Jingru on the mountain. The two of them walked forward and, surprisingly, they actually picked a lot of mushrooms, including broom mushrooms, hazel mushrooms, and sticky mushrooms. These three types were the most abundant.
Qiao Qiqi also found a type of mushroom that seems to be called a small gray mushroom. She doesn't know if it's edible, and she'll have to ask Lin Chunying to help her identify it when she gets back.
In addition, they also picked more than ten red pine mushrooms. Red pine mushrooms are the rarest in the mountains around here, but they are also Qiao Qiqi's favorite food. After searching for a while, they couldn't find any more.
Qiao Qiqi was a little tired at the moment, so she asked Fang Jingru to sit down and rest for a while, and took out pears for Fang Jingru to quench her thirst.
Meanwhile, just as Qiao Qiqi and Fang Jingru stepped out, Lin Chunying hurried over, only to be dumbfounded when she reached the door!
The gate to the courtyard and the door to the house were both locked, so it was obvious that no one was home.
Lin Chunying thought that Qiao Qiqi had just returned yesterday and hadn't gone to the Qin family, but had brought back a lot of things, so she figured she might bring food to the Qin family. So she immediately turned around and hurried towards the Qin family.
When they arrived at the Qin family home, only Qin Baojun was there; Wang Guihua had gone out to work early that morning.
"Qiqi didn't come. Did she take that Miss Fang to your house?" Qin Baojun shook his head immediately when he saw that Lin Chunying had come to see Qiao Qiqi, saying that he hadn't seen her.
That's strange, but there are several roads in the village. Maybe the girl took a detour to show Miss Fang the scenery and missed her.
Thinking of this, Lin Chunying didn't linger any longer and immediately headed home.
I was walking too fast, and when I got to my doorstep, my legs suddenly wouldn't obey me. My right foot tripped over the corner of my mouth, and I fell to the ground with a thud.
At the same time, Qiao Qiqi saw that the mushrooms were almost picked and the sun was about to rise, so to avoid being sunburned, she immediately took Fang Jingru down the mountain.
The two returned to the village and carried some mushrooms to their parents on both sides so that they could have mushrooms for lunch.
If I go home to pick it out first and then deliver it, I'll miss lunchtime, and it won't be ready in time.
The two went to the Qin family first. Qin Baojun told them that Lin Chunying had been looking for him in the village early in the morning. Qiao Qiqi thought that Lin Chunying had something urgent to do, so she immediately went to the Qiao family.
Upon entering, they found Lin Chunying with her trousers rolled up, applying red medicine to her knees.
Hearing the commotion, Lin Chunying quickly tried to pack her things up, but Qiao Qiqi noticed and immediately rushed over to ask, "How did you fall? Does your bone hurt? Should we go to the hospital?"
"My bones don't hurt. I just tripped and fell at the gate of the courtyard and scraped my skin. It's nothing serious." To prove her point, Lin Chunying immediately put her leg on the ground and took a couple of steps.
Qiao Qiqi felt heartbroken looking at her limping figure. "You should be more careful. Here, let me show you how to apply the medicine."
Lin Chunying glanced at Fang Jingru, but didn't refuse. She let Qiao Qiqi finish applying the medicine for her, and then suddenly said, "Qiqi, I'm a little thirsty. Go and boil some hot water for me. I'm about to get my period, so I can't drink cold water."
"Okay, then you wait here, I'll go cook it right away." Qiao Qiqi packed her things, told Fang Jingru to sit in the room first, and then turned and went to the kitchen.
After the two of them were left in the room, Lin Chunying looked at Fang Jingru's face and suddenly asked, "Miss Fang, how long do you plan to stay here?"
Lin Chunying was an exceptionally gentle woman who never targeted anyone in her entire life. This is evident from the fact that she never spoke ill of Lu Xiufen, even when Lu Xiufen bullied her so much.
But at this moment, she was indeed looking at Fang Jingru in front of her with a silent expression, her face full of resistance.
The words he uttered even implied that he wanted to drive people away.
Fang Jingru, however, seemed to have expected this, and calmly said, "I have a question that I need to answer here. Once I answer it, I will leave naturally."
Lin Chunying clenched her fists instantly and said quickly, "There's nothing here to answer your questions. The weather is about to get cold, and the weather in the north is not something a girl from another province like you can handle. So I suggest you leave quickly."
"Is your sister-in-law in such a hurry to get rid of me because she's afraid I'll find out something?" Fang Jingru suddenly asked.
Lin Chunying seemed to be startled for a moment, and her emotions became even more agitated; she even stood up.
Just before she was about to say something, Qiao Qiqi's voice suddenly came from outside the window, "Mom, is there any brown sugar left at home? Where did you put it? I can't find it."
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