Chapter 83: What If It’s Poisonous?
“Sis!” Shi Tou quickly shouldered the hoe and chased after her. “Walk slower, wait for me!”
A soft and glutinous little milky voice immediately followed. “Mom! Su!”
Yuan Yuan lay on Xiao Hui’s back, directing Xiao Hui to chase up. The little one’s big eyes sparkled, her short arms flapping straight toward Shang Wan. “Mom, I go!”
She wanted to go into the mountain to play with Mom!
“Good child,” Shang Wan pointed at the dark clouds in the sky. “I’ll take you when the weather is good.”
She and Shi Tou getting a little wet was nothing, but she couldn’t let the little one get wet too.
“No… climb!” Yuan Yuan bravely puffed out her little chest, patting with her small hand. “Go!”
“Next time.” Shang Wan looked down at Xiao Hui. Xiao Hui seemed to receive some command and turned around, carrying Yuan Yuan madly running toward Lu Chengjing’s direction.
Little Jujiu almost shaken apart Yuan Yuan: ???
By the time the little one reacted, she was already sitting in her own Daddy’s arms. Shang Wan and Shi Tou had long walked so far that even their shadows couldn’t be seen.
Yuan Yuan: !!!
The little one hugged with both arms, her little chubby face drooping as she puffed up like a pufferfish in anger.
Lu Chengjing lightly poked the puffed-up cheek of the little pufferfish with his fingertip, coaxing his daughter in a warm voice.
The vegetation on the mountain was lush. Under the layered canopy of tree crowns blocking the light, it was three degrees darker than outside.
Shi Tou used the hoe to part the vines, stepping aside to let Shang Wan go first.
“Sis, no one from the Lin Family is coming out. What to do when distributing the grain?”
“Don’t they have standards?” Shang Wan said. “There’s a way to distribute for those who don’t put in effort. Why are you worrying for them?”
While carefully distinguishing the plants around, Shi Tou said: “I’m not worried they might stir up trouble again when distributing the grain? Don’t let them drag our family into it again.”
Shang Wan said: “For a family like the Lin Family, you should worry if they don’t stir up trouble.”
Petty squabbles didn’t need to be taken to heart; what was feared was the Lin Family suddenly holding back for something big.
Shi Tou frowned. “Sis, why do the Lin Family have to make things difficult for us? We didn’t provoke them first.”
“For profit, of course.” Shang Wan nimbly climbed the tree, grabbed the flower snake sneaking up on the fledglings, twisted it off and threw it into the back basket, jumped down and said, “You not provoking others doesn’t mean others can’t make a move against you. We just need to mind our own business.”
“Oh.” Shi Tou nodded, glanced at the snake in the back basket. “Sis, shall we have snake soup for lunch?”
“No.” Shang Wan casually pulled a vine, grasped it and twisted it into a loop.
“Your brother-in-law has a weak body and has been taking medicine lately; he needs nutrition to keep up. Xiao Huan said dragon phoenix soup is very nourishing. Catch a mountain chicken later to go back and stew dragon phoenix soup together; we’ll all replenish.”
Shi Tou said: “I remember dragon phoenix soup is medicinal cuisine. Though very nourishing, not everyone can eat it. Old Doctor Sun said brother-in-law’s weakness is congenital; he can’t eat things randomly. He’s taking medicine now; can brother-in-law eat dragon phoenix soup?”
“He can eat it. Xiao Huan asked Brother Yuan when getting the medicine. Brother Yuan said your brother-in-law has a weak foundation and needs to eat some nourishing things. Xiao Huan thought of dragon phoenix soup and asked. Brother Yuan said it’s fine, just eat a little.”
Hearing a doctor endorse it, Shi Tou instantly felt relieved and asked again: “Sis, besides dragon phoenix soup, what else for lunch?”
“I’m not bringing you here for a picnic.” Shang Wan reached out and turned his head to the other side. “Focus on finding herbs; don’t slack off.”
The two continued deeper in. Shi Tou recognized quite a few herbs and dug some up to put in the back basket, to take back and see how to process them.
Shang Wan spotted a tree with branches full of small fruits. The tree was over a zhang tall; the fruits were oval, green, a bit like jujubes.
She leaped up, grabbed three down, wiped them casually twice, and bit one.
Sour-sweet, slightly astringent, edible.
Shi Tou took one from Shang Wan’s hand and popped it in his mouth, chewed and spat out the pit. Feeling the taste was okay, he asked curiously: “Sis, what fruit is this?”
Shang Wan shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Shi Tou widened his eyes. “You don’t know and you still eat it? What if it’s poisonous?”
Shang Wan spat out the pit, saying lightly: “Am I not testing for poison?”
Shi Tou: “…”
Should he leave a last will first?
“Just teasing you; why the bitter face?” Shang Wan smiled and pointed at two birds pecking at the fruits on the treetop. “They ate it too; the possibility of poison is small.”
She wasn’t dumb enough to really test poison on herself.
Shi Tou then relaxed, looking at the tree full of fruits, eager to try: “Sis, let’s pick some to take back for brother-in-law and them to taste.”
Seeing the youth wanted to climb the tree, Shang Wan nodded. “You pick. These fruits probably aren’t fully ripe; pick just a few to taste fresh.”
“Got it.” Shi Tou agreed, set down the hoe, hugged the tree trunk and climbed up.
From his skilled movements, it was clear he could climb trees.
Shi Tou picked fruits and threw them down. Shang Wan caught them with the back basket. After about twenty, Shang Wan waved. “Enough, come down.”
Shi Tou wanted to imitate his sis’s heroic leap down, but looking down at the height, before jumping, his calves started trembling.
He swallowed saliva, honestly hugged the trunk and slid down.
Shang Wan picked two large leaves to wrap the fruits together, placing them on top of the herbs.
Shi Tou proactively crouched to shoulder the bamboo basket, also carrying the hoe. With him there, he must not let his sis get tired.
The two didn’t walk slowly, heading toward the valley.
Shi Tou was puzzled. “Sis, we’ve even got the mountain chicken; why go to the valley?”
“I remember you said there’s a very valuable herb that likes to grow in moist places that can also get sun. The valley has a river passing through; vegetation is mostly shrubs, sunlight fairly ample; might have that herb.” Shang Wan said. “We’re here anyway; might as well check.”
“Very valuable herb?” Shi Tou frowned and thought for a moment, suddenly realizing. “Sis, you mean iron-skin dendrobium?”
“That’s the name.” Shang Wan said. “To sell medicinal herbs, naturally find the expensive ones to sell.”
Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate. Before they reached the valley, a lightning bolt flashed across the sky. After muffled thunder, bean-sized raindrops smashed down.
Leaves were hit rustling, constantly shaking.
Lightning flashed; the heavy rain threatened to pour. Staying in the dense forest clearly wasn’t wise.
Shang Wan grabbed the back basket and hoe with one hand, hoisted Shi Tou onto her shoulder with the other, and dashed home.
Shi Tou head-down, watched scenery rapidly approach then speed away, feeling himself now dropping, now rising; his two eyes spun like mosquito coils, stomach churning.
Was his sis flying?
Could they change to a head-up position?!
“They’re back!” Xiao Huan joyfully looked at the people rushing out from the rain curtain and shouted. “Sis, come in quick.”
Shang Wan shouldered Shi Tou into the shed, wiped the water from her face, then set him down. Shi Tou immediately crawled up limp and soft, rushed back into the rain curtain; soon followed vomiting sounds that even the rain couldn’t cover.
Xiao Huan puzzled: “Sis, what’s wrong with Shi Tou?”
Shang Wan took the dry towel to wipe her hair, saying while wiping: “Body too weak.”
Should get used to it after a few more carries.
Shi Tou: Who wants to get used to this kind of thing?!
