Today, Li Dazhu and his two sons took a different route, hoping to see if they might make other discoveries. The mountain scenery today looked somewhat different from yesterday's view; compared to the world outside the mountains, it was an entirely different realm.
Autumn in the mountains seemed to arrive slightly later than beyond them. The lush greenery stubbornly resisted winter's advance, yielding only in late autumn. Most of the leaves on the trees had gradually fallen, and the forest suddenly became open and sparse. Bees and butterflies had also grown scarce. Along the way, Li Menglan spotted many kinds of wild fruits—some she recognized, others she couldn't name.
"Dad, what's that..." Li Menglan pointed at a tree not far away laden with yellow fruits. If she wasn't seeing things... that should be a persimmon tree, right? But why had no one picked them? Did the people here not know that persimmons, like chestnuts, were edible?
"Lan girl, that wild fruit is astringent and nasty. It even has a bitter aftertaste. Nobody in the village eats it." Li Dazhu's words sent Li Menglan into raptures.
Uh... as expected, the people of Yunliang Country knew nothing about persimmons. Wild persimmons bore heavily—this single tree alone carried several hundred. Li Menglan's eyes curved into slits, as if gleaming white silver was already waving at her.
If Li Menglan's guess was correct, um... the people of Yunliang Country simply didn't know that persimmons had to turn red and be peeled before eating. They were definitely eating them before they ripened, skin and all. Dried persimmons were Li Menglan's favorite food—fragrant, soft, and sweet... just thinking about them made her mouth water.
"Little sister, is this another treasure?" Li Zhiming stood closest to Li Menglan and had the clearest view of her behavior; he couldn't help asking.
Hearing his older brother, Li Zhihao also looked at his sister with an expectant expression. Last night's wild pheasant stir-fried with chestnuts had nearly made Li Zhihao swallow his tongue. Li Dazhu likewise looked at his daughter. Tsk... his expression was practically identical to Li Zhihao's—truly father and son.
Li Menglan nearly couldn't take it. Wuwu... don't stare at me like that; the pressure was overwhelming. Her heart felt terribly conflicted; her fragile heart couldn't withstand it!
"Mm." Li Menglan cleared her throat and nodded slightly. "Dad, big brother, second brother, this fruit is called a persimmon. It can be made into very delicious dried persimmons. Later we can even bring them to town to sell. Many people will surely love them." Li Menglan already saw silver waving at her.
After last night's events, Li Dazhu, Li Zhiming, and Li Zhihao—the father and sons—already believed Li Menglan's words implicitly. "Dad, big brother, what are we waiting for? Let's get to it!" Li Zhihao was rather impatient by nature. Rubbing his hands together, he slipped up the persimmon tree with a swift motion. For country children, climbing trees was child's play, accomplished with ease.
"Second brother, be careful and don't fall." Li Menglan quickly called out, "Also, don't damage the persimmons, or they'll be ruined." She admonished him worriedly.
"No problem, second brother knows. Dad, you and big brother hurry beneath the tree to catch them." Li Zhihao said unhurriedly.
"Coming." Li Zhiming was the first to run over.
"Lan girl, Dad will go with your big brother and second brother to pick persimmons. You stay nearby and behave. Don't wander off—there are many animals on the mountain, so be careful." Li Dazhu instructed Li Menglan.
Li Menglan nodded. "Dad, don't worry. I'll watch from nearby; I won't go far." Thanks to yesterday's discovery, Li Menglan had brought several extra bags when going up the mountain today, so there was no worry about running out.
Li Menglan knew that with her dad and two brothers handling the persimmons, she didn't need to interfere. Thus she focused on looking around her. On both sides of the path, the grass held clusters of tiny golden wild chrysanthemums. They were blooming with wanton abandon. Though they couldn't compare to artificially cultivated flowers in graceful elegance, their vigorous vitality possessed a lush, untamed charm all its own.
Li Menglan remembered that wild chrysanthemums were a medicinal herb that could also be steeped as tea. She immediately decided to gather some to take home, dry, and brew—it was excellent for clearing heat and detoxifying.
Decision made, Li Menglan busied herself. She fetched a smaller bag, bent down by the path, and busily began picking wild chrysanthemums. Moving back and forth continuously, her nimble hands fluttered as she pinched off fresh, bright blossoms at the base of the calyx, deliberately choosing buds or half-opened flowers.
Those fully bloomed wild chrysanthemums were somewhat inferior for tea; buds and half-opened ones were better. As for the fully opened ones, they would make fine pillow stuffing, but today there wasn't enough time, nor did she have the proper tools. She would wait until later. Before food and warmth were secured, everything else was empty talk—a full belly was paramount!
The golden-pink wild chrysanthemums bloomed in lively profusion, lifting the spirits of all who saw them. Though the flowers merely swayed quietly in the wind, she felt they were laughing with unrestrained joy, wantonly displaying that brilliant golden-yellow. On a whim, Li Menglan happily tucked a blooming wild chrysanthemum into her hair. At this moment, she was truly just like a little girl, laughing with complete abandon.
"Dad, it's been so long since little sister laughed this happily." Not far away, Li Zhiming watched Li Menglan's bright, radiant smile and felt his nose sting with the urge to cry.
"It's fine. Eldest son, you're her brother. As long as you dote on Lan girl more in the future, that's enough." Li Dazhu looked at his daughter's brilliant smile and also felt a lump in his throat. In the end, it was all because he as a father was useless, making his children suffer hardships alongside him.
"Dad, I will. I'll be good to little sister my whole life." Li Zhiming nodded seriously.
"Dad, me too." Unwilling to be outdone, Li Zhihao shouted from the tree, "I'm also her brother. I'll protect little sister, dote on her, and not let anyone bully her."
"Big brother, hurry and come with me." Li Menglan suddenly spotted several wild pheasants nearby. She quickly ran to the persimmon tree and lowered her voice. "There are several wild pheasants over there."
Li Menglan had only discovered yesterday that her big brother was quite skilled at hunting—at the very least, much better than her old man.
"Eldest son, go on!" Li Dazhu nodded at the hesitant Li Zhiming. "Anyway, we're almost done picking here. Dad and your second brother are enough. But take good care of Lan girl, understand?"
"Dad, I know." Li Zhiming set down the persimmon in his hand, took up his homemade bow and arrows, and slowly walked in the direction Li Menglan had indicated.
"Big brother, walk slower, wait for me." Li Menglan called out discontentedly, jogging after Li Zhiming.
"Little sister, don't run. Big brother is waiting for you; don't rush."
"Oh...."