Not long later, they caught a lot.
When Lian Fang Zhou looked up on the bank, she grinned and called Lian Ze: "Oh, it ‘s enough, enough! Anymore then we can’t carry it. Let’s come again tomorrow. And catch some more again!"
Lian Ze thought about it, this forest still have plenty more mushrooms inside! Moreover, they didn’t go elsewhere to explore. So when they look around, there will definitely be more mushrooms … … So, certainly need to come again.
This time didn’t need Lian Fang Zhou talk,. Lian Ze was no longer reluctant to come.
People tend to be afraid of the unknown. But once they witnessed, they will then know it’s not like that. Lian Ze’s mood at this time is just like that.
"Sister, there’s wild banana over there. I’ll pick some leaves to these shrimp wrap!" Lian Ze pointed above the stream.
Lian Fang Zhou followed where he pointed, it really has a cluster of four or five wild banana tree not far from in front, growing tall and small. But not too high, looks about two meters. Then said: "Then you quickly go. I’ll pack up these shrimp!"
For a moment, Lian Ze pluck the banana leaves. The two then wrapped up the green shrimp they caught. Lian Fang Zhou weighed, look like about two or three jin. Then grinned: "Unfortunately, if only we had a bucket, then it’ll be great!"
This far, it is clearly impossible.
But the her now, have no qualification to be picky about living shrimp and dead shrimp. What’s more, these mountain of wild shrimps, since it was brought from this far away, the taste should be good, right?
"Bucket? How can we do that! So bulky!" Lian Ze was surprise and said with eyes wide open. He was shocked by what his sister said!
Lian Fang Zhou froze. Only then remembered this era doesn’t have light plastic buckets. At home were wooden barrels, aren’t they so bulky!
Imagine carrying a wooden barrel going all this way. She could’nt stop herself from laughing. Laughed: "It’s sister being muddled head! Look at what I’m saying"
Lian Ze also laughed, at same time also relieved. Scratching his head, he grinned: "Sister scared me for a moment!"
At this time, the sun just pass after noon. From the time, Sun Zhang Xing said when he come back is still a long time away. On the way here, he said not far in the east, there were a wild date forest, bear a lot of fruit. Near the north edge of date forest were yam vine. They can pick some dates and dig some yam to roast with fire to eat.
The two took a break for a while, then went according to the direction Sun Zhang Xing pointed to.
Sure enough, that wild date forest has around twenty to thirty trees of various size. Some still small, did not fruition. Those that bear fruit, the fruit completely encrusted on branches. A mass of dark red dates covered the whole trees.
When they just arrived the forest edge, they smell a hint of fresh date fragance blowing by.
"So many dates!" Lian Ze was joyful, busily pluck several of those big and red ones. And then ran over to hand over to Lian Fang Zhou. Raised a smile: "Sister!"
Lian Fang Zhou smiled as she took them. Casually wiped it, then took a bite. Once enter mouth was crisp, sweet and juicy. She nodded her head toward him, smiled: "The taste is really good too!
"Let’s pick some to bring back! Qing er and Che er will love them as well!" Lian Ze grinned as he said. No matter what kind of good thing, he never forget those two little ones.
Naturally Lian Fang Zhou has no comments. Just smiled and said: "Today, take a bit less. Tomorrow we’ll need to come anyway!"
Lian Ze was stunned: "Tomorrow still come?"
"Of course!" Lian Fang Zhou nodded without hesitation, said: "Since we already know the way. Tomorrow it’s fine to come by ourselves. Don’t need come this early. Pick mushrooms and then we can go back! Take advantage of these days good weather, and gather a lot of mushrooms, bring back home to sun-dry. Not only can we leave some to make some dishes for ourselves to eat, and also sell some for some money to help some family expenses!"
The ten liang silver from dissolving engagement couldn’t be help but be spent ah. Repairing the roof has already used up some. And the things need to buy are plentiful!
"What Sister said is right!" Lian Ze nodded.
This date tree full of fruit, so the weight cause the branches to be heavy. The siblings picked them to eat while talking. And soon they didn’t feel hungry.
The road back is not too far away, and also having to carry the two bags of mushrooms, that is strenuous work ah.
So Lian Fang Zhou and Lian Ze still looked for a few yams to dig out.
These were real wild yams, a bit flat and twisted in some places probably because it grew around a piece of rock, making it deformed.
Each were about 2 or 3 fingers wide. The big ones were half an arm long, while the short ones were palm sized neither neat nor too regularly shaped.
However, it doesn’t matter e if they taste really delicious after being roasted.
From the cracks of the yams, a warm aroma spread. Inside them looked as white as snow. When eaten, they were powdery and waxy (kinda like mashed potato), whetting one’s appetite.
This is authentic natural wild food, not to mention Lian Fang Zhou, it also garnered Lian Ze’s never-ending praise as he ate.
Then, the two dug out three or four more yams, cleaned them with water and got some leaves to wrap them to bring back as an ingredient for cooking.
Full and satisfied, they noticed it was almost time to leave. So the two of them decided not to go anywhere and rest to maintain their physical strength. They chose a place without sunshine to sit down and rest.
The autumn afternoon’s rays warmly shone on their bodies. From time to time, an autumn breeze blew by, making the leaves rustle. The two people grew a little tired, and unconsciously drifted to sleep, until they were woken up by Sun Zhang Xing.
They rubbed their eyes as they burst into laughter and greeted Sun Zhang Xing with a few words. They saw Sun Zhang Xing shouldered strings of colorful feathers from a pheasant. There were also two fat hares. The two could not help feel envious. They grinned as they said, "Uncle Sun harvested a lot today ah!"
Who knew that Sun Zhang Xing would give a wry smile, and lightly sighed replying, "Just some small things, not worth much!"
"Those still aren’t worth much! How could that be!" Lian Ze exclaimed with surprise.
Sun Zhang Xing just laughed responding, "Do not worry about it! We’re not near the city from here or else the city’s restaurants will want a lot of them. So, you can only sell these to landlord Zhou, Assistant Minister Zhu, Master Zhao, and other major families. All of them know that no one else will buy these besides them. And when I keep for ourselves, I can’t scratch it (meaning-don’t have the heart to eat them), so the price isn’t high! Unless I hunt mountain otters, gray martens, squirrels, deer and the like, the fur can be worth some money. A large goat or a wild boar, will also be worth even more money! Of course, we often don’t have that kind of luck."
Sun Zhang Xing looked slightly vexed as he explained, so Lian Fang Zhou knew that he told the truth. He was neither being perfunctory with the two siblings, nor pretending to complain.
Originally, Lian Fang Zhou had also became somewhat confused; having such a large forest is equal to an endless treasure trove. Why is Sun Zhang Xing, who has wandered here to hunt for so many years, still so poor?
Today, she finally understood.
He doesn’t recognise the value of the mountain’s resources. He only knew how to hunt,so it was as if half of the treasure became wasted.
And when hunting just having the tool is not enough, you still need luck and time.
If you do not hit valuable prey, then naturally your harvest will not be worth as much. But most of the large beasts lived deep in the forest, so no matter how good Sun Zhang Xing’s skills were with a bow and arrow, he still did not dare to go further inside alone.
And this forest is so vast and full of countless dangers – especially in the evening, so he could only come in the morning and return home in the afternoon. With just that amount of time, how much opportunity would he have to hunt for valuable things? Many hunters enter the mountains, staying for good few days or even ten days.
No wonder that even when the day has yet to brighten, he has to hurriedly depart to the forest. But this way of fighting for time, in fact only earns an effectiveness that is almost equal to zero.
After thinking for a short period of time, Lian Fang Zhou completely understood the situation.
She could not help but look at Sun Zhang Xing with sympathy.
Sun Zhang Xing just inadvertently glanced over, just happening to meet Lian Fang Zhou’s eyes. He could not help, but freeze for a second, before immediately shifting his eyes away. His heart felt slightly a bit unhappy; what did he do to make a little girl feel sympathetic?He didn’t mingle around that badly, right?