"Are you tired? Should we continue today?" Shen Xiaoyan asked the three of them.
"Continue."
Their reply was almost in unison. They had an infinite longing for the depths of the mountains.
Although Shen Xiao knew his brother-in-law wouldn't take them too deep, it couldn't dampen his enthusiasm.
The group sat where they were, waiting for Zheng Wei to return. When Zheng Wei came back, he was still pushing the handcart. Shen Xiaoyan looked at him inquiringly.
Zheng Wei explained, "We might need it later, so I'm pushing it."
Shen Xiaoyan nodded in agreement. That's right, they had already seen so many chestnuts when they first entered the mountain. Who knew what else they might encounter further inside.
However, after being busy for so long, it was already noon, and the group was hungry. So, they ate steamed buns and drank water on the spot.
After eating, they rested for a while before continuing their journey.
The autumn mountains were full of poetic charm. Leaves fell to the ground, covering it in a thick layer. Stepping on them felt very comfortable.
As they moved forward, they encountered some ripe fruits, including pears and plums, and of course, persimmons and hawthorns.
It was a pity, though, that not many could be picked and eaten. The fruits growing in the mountains, with no one to tend to them, weren't very good to begin with. Moreover, there were many small animals in the mountains, and most of the fruits had been eaten by them.
Some were pecked full of holes by birds, making them inedible.
They picked what they could find that wasn't rotten, and in total, they didn't even fill two baskets.
Continuing forward, Shen Xiaoyan looked at the few fruits on the cart and sighed inwardly, truly lamenting how few there were.
However, she already had a good idea, which she planned to implement the next spring.
"Hmph, it smells so good! What is that so fragrant?" Shen Xiaoming said, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.
Wu Dagang and Bai Yan did the same. The expressions of the three little ones were truly blissful.
Shen Xiaoyan found it amusing but also took a careful sniff. "It's Osmanthus fragrans."
"Yes, there are quite a few Osmanthus trees in the mountains. Now is the season for them to bloom," Zheng Wei explained.
"Do you know where the Osmanthus trees are?" Shen Xiaoyan asked, her eyes shining as she looked at Zheng Wei.
"I do," Zheng Wei nodded.
There was almost nowhere in these mountains he hadn't been. Although he couldn't claim to know every inch of land, he knew the exact locations of certain distinctive things.
Zheng Wei led Shen Xiaoyan and the others to the right. Not long after, Shen Xiaoyan noticed the fragrance in the air had become more intense.
Indeed, after walking a little further, Shen Xiaoyan saw three Osmanthus trees.
The trees were covered in yellow flowers, which looked very beautiful from afar.
Shen Xiaoyan was very fond of Osmanthus.
Not only because of its rich fragrance but also because Osmanthus is a very good ingredient.
As someone who loved food, how could she not like this kind of thing?
"Wait for me a moment, I'll pick some, okay?" Shen Xiaoyan asked the group.
Zheng Wei naturally had no objections, and Shen Xiaoming and the other two also nodded in agreement.
Shen Xiaoyan then took out a piece of cloth folded neatly from her sleeve. When she unfolded it, Zheng Wei and the others realized it was a cloth bag with a drawstring at the opening, which could be sealed tightly when filled.
Zheng Wei was a little surprised. Why was Shen Xiaoyan carrying such a cloth bag? Did she know it would be useful?
Then again, she had always been like this, always liking to be prepared.
Shen Xiaoyan hadn't actually carried it with her; she had merely taken it out of her spatial dimension under the cover of her sleeve.
At this moment, she was grateful for the clothing of this era.
The clothes here were not narrow-sleeved but somewhat like Hanfu, all with wide and long sleeves, which could hold some things.
Shen Xiaoyan took the cloth bag and walked directly to the Osmanthus trees.
The Osmanthus trees were not tall, and Shen Xiaoyan could easily reach the Osmanthus flowers while standing under the tree.
She picked the flowers very carefully, only taking the fully bloomed ones. All the unopened buds, she left them all.
Zheng Wei and the other two stood behind her and watched carefully for a while. Then, they imitated her actions and started picking flowers. They held them in their hands first, and when they couldn't hold any more, they walked to Shen Xiaoyan and put them into the cloth bag she was holding.
With five people picking, the speed increased significantly. In about half an hour, they had picked a full bag.
Shen Xiaoyan tied the bag shut, and the group continued their journey. However, the rest of the journey yielded little. Seeing that it was getting late, Zheng Wei suggested they return for the day.
They had walked for too long, and the little ones must have been tired, but they didn't utter a word. This made Shen Xiaoyan and Zheng Wei look at them with renewed admiration.
The return journey was much easier. Just looking at the surrounding scenery, their steps became much lighter.
In the woods at the foot of the mountain, they encountered Luoluo and Baibai, who were playing. These two were also very happy to see Shen Xiaoyan and the others and followed them home.
Back home, Shen Xiaoyan asked Shen Xiaoming to take Bai Yan and Wu Dagang to wash up and have some tea to rest.
Shen Xiaoyan returned to her room, washed her hands and face, then sat on the kang bed, stroking Luoluo's back repeatedly with a faint smile on her lips.
When Zheng Wei walked in, he saw this scene. He thought the little woman was in such a good mood because she saw Luoluo. After all, she really liked this cat, but this cat was always out.
"What are you thinking about?" Zheng Wei walked over and sat on the other side of the kang table, asking softly.
Shen Xiaoyan looked up when she heard him and saw Zheng Wei sitting opposite her. She said faintly, "I'm thinking about how many chestnuts to give Da Gang and the other two later."
Other things were fine; they were not much, so she could share some with them.
But there were dozens of cloth bags of chestnuts. How many should she give each of them?
"Their mother should be here later. Discuss it with their mother. Perhaps instead of giving them all to take back, we can sell them directly and give them some money," Zheng Wei said after some thought.
Shen Xiaoyan thought about it and agreed it was a good idea.
When Pan shi and Liang shi arrived, Shen Xiaoyan led the two to the west side room to see, and then told them her plan.
"These are what we got from the mountain. Take some with you later, you can stir-fry and eat them yourself. The rest, we'll sell together, and then I'll give you a share of the money."
After Shen Xiaoyan finished speaking, she looked at the two, waiting for their response.
Liang shi chuckled in front of Pan shi and said, "What money, money? You've worked hard for us all day. These are also things you and Zheng Wei got, right? We'll just take a few to try."
"How can that be? Bai Yan and Wu Dagang helped load them. This is what they deserve. Otherwise, I would have asked Zheng Wei to drive the cart and deliver them to your home," Shen Xiaoyan said, about to ask Zheng Wei to hitch the cart.