Li Qingmu's eyes lit up when he heard that and he looked delighted. "Wife, I'm glad you feel this way. This means you want to live a good life with me!"
"Humph!"
"Knock knock, Longyue."
Her Qingqiu's anxious voice could be heard.
Longyue got up to open the door. He popped his small head in and then pulled her outside.
"Kid, what are you doing?"
"Longyue…"
The little guy stuck out his tongue mischievously. He was a little shy.
Longyue laughed and rubbed his head. "Tell me, why are you looking for Longyue ?"
"Longyue, can you accompany me to the mountains?"
"For what?"
"Longyue, I want to pick mushrooms. I'm afraid I'll be bullied by Fat Tiger and the rest again. Longyue, those mushrooms are huge. They're… They're this big!"
He gestured with his hand. The mushroom was the size of a person's palm. Longyue felt that he was exaggerating and laughed. "Just avoid him."
"But I have to pass by his house no matter what. I'll definitely be seen…"
As he spoke, he lowered his head and pouted, looking aggrieved.
Longyue was speechless. "This kid is too cowardly," she thought.
"Alright, I'll go with you. Maybe we can catch some wild animals."
"Wow, that's great. Longyue, you're a good person!"
"Good person?"
Longyue laughed, feeling dazed. This term sounded really foreign. In her past life, she had been called a wicked woman. No one would have said that she was a good person.
Longyue said something to Li Qingmu and left the house. She met her second sister-in-law, Madam Zhang, at the door. She was busy washing clothes. When she saw the two of them leave, she couldn't help but say sourly, "This new wife who just entered the household, is always thinking of running outside. How shameless."
"I don't know if I'm shameless, but it's true that someone is living on us while helping others secretly."
After saying that, Longyue ignored Madam Zhang, whose face had turned blue, and went to the mountains with her younger brother-in-law.
The two of them went up a curved path and walked for almost an hour before they arrived at the place where they could pick mushrooms, as Li Qingqiu had mentioned.
"Longyue, look over there. Wow, there are so many mushrooms!"
Longyue looked in the direction that Li Qingqiu was pointing. Indeed, there was a patch of reddish brown, reddish purple, and dark purple 'mushrooms.'
Longyue's eyes lit up when she saw the 'mushrooms.' She slapped his head happily. "Kid, we're rich!"
Longyue was overjoyed and almost cried in front of the little fellow.
The thing that grew in a circle around the short trees was no mushroom. It was clearly a lingzhi!
Lingzhi was an expensive Chinese medicine. It had a mild nature and could nourish the body. It was used to boost the brain, reduce inflammation, clear urine, nourish the kidney, and so on.
In her previous life, after she parted ways with Li Qingmu, Longyue had helped someone copy prescriptions in the medicinal hall. She had filled prescriptions and seen many medicinal herbs. She also knew the approximate price of these herbs.
This lingzhi was worth at least a few taels of silver!
"Longyue, why are you in a daze?"
Li Qingqiu ran over to pick the mushrooms, but he didn't see any movement from Longyue. He hurriedly ran back and pulled her. Longyue came back to her senses and gently flicked his forehead. "Silly kid, you're the one who's dazed. How is this a mushroom? It's a lingzhi. This thing is worth a lot of money. It can sell for a lot of money at the pharmacy!"
"What? Lingzhi?" Li Qingqiu's eyes widened. Although he did not know about lingzhi, he had heard of its value. Many medicines would become greatly effective with this, but he could not afford it.
"Right, lingzhi!"
Longyue nodded seriously, her eyes shining.
"Pick the palm-sized ones!"
The two of them quickly plucked a stack of lingzhi mushrooms, filling up one-third of the basket.
"This won't do!"
Longyue looked at the basket and frowned slightly. It was filled with treasures. If they left the mountains like this and were seen by others, it would be troublesome. Having these treasures might bring them harm.
"Longyue, why not…"
Li Qingqiu did not know what Longyue was thinking. She shouted and pulled him into another bush. "Pick these up. We can sell them for some money."
"This is…"
"Plantain! Cut the crap, quick!"
Longyue got to work as she spoke, and Li Qingqiu didn't slack off either. After a while, the two of them picked half a basket of plantain. Longyue felt that it was not enough, so she picked some vegetables and filled the basket before stopping.
"Fourth Brother, let's make things clear beforehand. When we reach home, we'll share the vegetables. We'll go into the city to sell these plantain and lingzhi at the pharmacy tomorrow. We'll split the money evenly! You can deal with your portion. I'll have to save my portion for my husband's examination expenses. Don't you dare tell anyone! If Dad, Mom, and our brothers and their wives find out, I'll whip you!"
Longyue said fiercely to her little brother-in-law. The little guy was so scared that he retracted his neck back.
"I know, Longyue. If Dad and Mom asked, I would say that was all we picked."
Longyue was satisfied. This kid was quite smart.
The weather in June was still very hot. Longyue didn't want to tire herself out, so they left as soon as they were done. Along the way, they picked some wild fruits. During this time, Longyue even caught a big yellow chicken that was jumping up and down.
The little fellow was overjoyed to see this chicken and refused to let go.
Longyue smiled and gently tapped him on the head. The two of them were about to go back when a rustling sound came from behind them.
A python as thick as a thigh broke through the dense forest and charged towards them!
"Qingqiu, be careful!"
"Mom!"
The little fellow cried out and was so scared that he almost let go of the big yellow chicken. Longyue grabbed Qingqiu and pushed him back. At the same time, she picked up the sickle in the basket and charged at the snake.
Her maternal grandfather was a general who guarded the borders in the southwest. Her family had served in the military for generations, and her mother was very good at combat. If not for the fact that her grandfather was dissatisfied with her mother for marrying her father—who was only a poor scholar back then—and cut ties with her, no one would have dared to bully and humiliate them.
Longyue had learned from her mother since she was young. Needless to say, her punches and kicks were good.
"Whoosh!"
Suddenly, an arrow flew over them and pierced through the python's vitals. The python let out an ear-piercing quaver and rolled on the ground desperately.
"Young lady, don't be afraid!"
A young man appeared with a bayonet in his hand. He stabbed the python ruthlessly, delivering it an instant and clean death.
"Lady, don't worry. It's fine now!" He turned around and saw Longyue pulling back her sickle, her face filled with shock. "Lady, you're actually quite brave."
"Thanks for the compliment."
Longyue laughed. Suddenly, she saw that his hand was injured. After some thought, she took a lingzhi from her brother-in-law's basket and handed it to him.
"Thank you for your help today, Big Brother. This is a lingzhi that can replenish your vital energy."
One look and one could tell that he was an honest person. "If we can be friends, so be it. He may be helpful," Longyue thought.
Chai Tieniu scratched his head and looked embarrassed. "Young lady, don't be like this. This is what I should do…"
"Take it. We've plucked a lot."
"This… Alright, thank you. I'll cook some snake meat later. Are you from the Li family?"
"Yes, I'm the third wife of the Li family. He's the Fourth Li."
Just as she finished speaking, a sharp, derisive laugh came from the side suddenly.
"Yo, isn't this the new third daughter-in-law of the Li family! Oh my, there's still the eldest son of the Chai family. A man and a woman hiding in the woods and secretly stuffing things into each other's hands? Tsk, isn't this shameless?"
Longyue's eyes turned cold. She turned around and saw Auntie Liu. This person had also come up the mountain.
There were two women beside her, both carrying baskets. They were probably here to pick vegetables too.
"Madam Liu, you're slandering me. There's nothing between me and the Li family's Third Madam!"
When Chai Tieniu heard those unbearable words, he flushed and his voice trembled.
"Oh, nothing? Then why are you blushing?"
"I, I…"
Chai Tieniu was an honest person. When had he ever fought with these shrews? He was speechless.