Chapter 13: Daily Bustle
The morning sun was fully risen, marking the start of another busy day.
Yu Ying then tore a strip from her worn-out undershirt and gave it to Fu An to blindfold Luo Shi.
As Yu Ying prepared to leave with a basket on her back to gather Bi Li fruits, Fu An declared his intention to accompany her.
Standing tall, albeit thin, he spoke with a firm, boyish resolve, "I won’t shamelessly eat your food without contributing. I can work too. If you go into the mountains, I’ll go as well."
Yu Ying glanced at Fu An, who was small but capable, not necessarily a burden.
However, the mountains were perilous, and taking him along was still a concern.
She looked at Luo Shi, who seemed hesitant to speak, clearly worried about her grandson but unsure how to voice it.
Yu Ying decided without further hesitation, "You don’t need to come."
But Fu An, stubborn as he was, retorted, "Then I’ll go by myself. I’ve been there before!"
Luo Shi, recalling her grandson's previous sneaky trips to the mountain for food, became anxious, "You can't go alone; if you must go, then only with your aunt!"
Yu Ying: ...
After a moment of silence, she said to Fu An, "If you come to the mountain, you must follow my instructions, or you can go on your own."
Fu An, without any reluctance, agreed, "If you're willing to take me, I'll listen to you."
Yu Ying exhaled and instructed him to get ready, "Find a stick to carry, and pick some mint leaves to rub and apply the juice on your ankles, wrists, and neck to prevent mosquito bites."
Hearing this, Fu An quickly picked some leaves, rubbed them vigorously in his palm, then applied the juice where Yu Ying had instructed, and also picked a sturdy dry branch.
Yu Ying, seeing that Fu An was ready, was about to leave when she suddenly remembered something. Turning back to the little one trailing behind her, she bent down to her level.
Her face was serious but her voice gentle, "You can't come to the mountain, stay home and wait for us."
Upon hearing she couldn't go, Fu Ning's face instantly lost its cheerfulness.
After washing her face and neatly combing her messy hair into a small braid, her face suddenly appeared delicate and pretty. If she could get proper nutrition and gradually plump up her face, she would definitely grow into a beautiful young lady.
With an uncle as handsome as a deity like Fu Wei, the looks of the two children would naturally not be far behind.
After some thought, Yu Ying still felt uneasy about leaving the young girl alone, so she pulled her next to Mrs. Luo and reiterated, "Stay at home with grandma and wait for me. When I return, I'll make you mung bean jelly."
Although the young girl was reluctant, she still nodded.
Carrying a basket on her back, Yu Ying and Fu An left the house. The sight of the pair, one tall and one short, drew several glances from passersby.
Yu Ying went back to the place where she had picked bryony fruit the day before yesterday.
She hadn't picked much that day, and also left the unripe ones. After two days, they should be ripe. A whole patch of bryony fruit would be enough for her to make mung bean jelly several times.
Yu Ying cleared a path through the thorny bushes, instructing Fu An to follow behind her.
While starting to pick the fruits, Yu Ying taught him how to differentiate between male and female fruits: "The male fruits have a flat surface and a round bottom, while the female fruits are oval and have a pointed bottom, like this one."
Yu Ying picked one to show him.
Fu An paused for a moment in surprise, then exclaimed, "Fruits have genders?!"
Remembering how she had asked her grandfather the same question as a child, Yu Ying felt nostalgic and her expression softened, "There are many wonders in the world. For instance, there's an animal in the sea called the seahorse, also known as the dragon's son, where the males give birth. Of course, this involves the females too, but the offspring are born from the males."
Fu An's eyes widened in amazement, and then he said, "You must be tricking me."
Yu Ying spoke slowly, "Just because you haven't seen something doesn't mean it's not real; it just means you haven't seen it yet."
Fu An remained skeptical, and Yu Ying did not continue to enlighten him but began to work instead.
Fu An glanced at Yu Ying carefully picking the fruits and, after a moment of thought, asked, "How did you come to know all that?"
"The more you see, the broader your knowledge becomes. That's how I know."
Fu An pouted, thinking her answer was as good as not answering at all, but he didn’t press further. Instead, he started picking fruits, distinguishing them as she had instructed.
Although he didn’t ask further, he couldn’t help but ponder the truth of her earlier words.
If what she said was true, how many more wonders of the world was he unaware of?
Remembering her saying "the more you see, the broader your knowledge," he involuntarily looked towards the direction of Lingshui Village.
But if he spent his entire life in Lingshui Village, how could he ever encounter such extraordinary things?
Soon, they had filled the basket to about seventy percent full. Yu Ying stopped picking fruits and started looking for herbs.
Fu An carefully observed the herbs she picked, then searched among the weeds, pulling out entire plants when he found the right ones.
Despite his small stature, he was surprisingly strong.
As Yu Ying was about to suggest returning, she suddenly heard Fu An's excited voice, "Come here and see, what is this?!"
Yu Ying turned and saw Fu An a few feet away, poking at some wild grass with a stick, his face a mix of surprise and joy.
Curious, Yu Ying approached and discovered a nest of eggs, slightly larger than quail eggs, about a dozen in total.
Worried about potential danger nearby, Yu Ying didn't let him go closer, while she cautiously approached the nest. She noticed grey-brown feathers around it, indicating a wild pheasant's nest.
Overjoyed, Yu Ying squatted down to collect the pheasant eggs, instructing Fu An, "Come here and cradle these eggs in your shirt."
Fu An immediately lifted his shirt and stood beside her to help.
Yu Ying gently picked up the eggs one by one, placing them carefully inside Fu An's clothing.
After collecting eleven eggs and leaving four in the nest, Yu Ying stopped.
"Why aren't you taking the rest?" Fu An asked, puzzled.
As Yu Ying covered the nest with weeds, she explained, "One must always leave something behind. A continuous cycle of birds laying eggs ensures an endless supply."
Fu An pondered the meaning of her words, but at his age, he was yet to grasp such profound principles.
Yu Ying glanced at him but offered no further explanation.
Then, looking at the wild pheasant eggs in his embrace, she smiled, "When we get back, I'll make egg-drop soup with nightshade."
She picked a small bunch of the common white-flower herb, also known as false pepper, which is not only delicious in egg-drop soup but also highly nutritious.
With a fruitful harvest, they returned to the Fu residence. Before even entering the yard, Fu An's excited voice could be heard, "Grandma, sister, I'm back!"
Hearing the sound, Fu Ning, who had been playing with dirt, immediately stood up, peering out of the yard. Seeing them return, she ran out like a little butterfly.
Fu An, seeing his sister running towards him like a butterfly, joyfully ran towards her. But in the next moment, she ran past him, heading straight for Yu Ying behind him.
Fu An's smile instantly froze.
Fu Ning ran up to Yu Ying, looking up with her big, expectant eyes, fluttering like butterflies.
Seeing her face dirty again, Yu Ying knew she had been playing with the soil in the yard by herself.
Seeing the anticipation in her eyes, Yu Ying smiled and softly said, "Let's go back and make something delicious."
The little girl's face lit up with a smile, and she timidly reached out to grasp Yu Ying's sleeve.
Yu Ying looked at the hand on her sleeve, then opened her hand to hold the little girl's small hand, walking towards the yard.
Fu Ning, seeing his sister bonding with someone else instead of him, instantly drooped his head, his face falling.
[Text Missing]
Back in the yard, Yu Ying prepared some rice, added half a jar of water to make porridge, and asked Fu An to watch the fire, before she started tidying up.
The porridge was neither too thick nor too thin, just right. She added three or four red mushrooms and cooked them a bit longer before setting the pot on the ground. While the porridge was still boiling, Yu Ying cracked three pheasant eggs into it, stirring them in, and finally added salt. The aroma immediately wafted through the yard.
The fragrance filled the entire courtyard.
Chapter 13: Daily Bustle
The morning sun was fully risen, marking the start of another busy day.
Yu Ying then tore a strip from her worn-out undershirt and gave it to Fu An to blindfold Luo Shi.
As Yu Ying prepared to leave with a basket on her back to gather Bi Li fruits, Fu An declared his intention to accompany her.
Standing tall, albeit thin, he spoke with a firm, boyish resolve, "I won’t shamelessly eat your food without contributing. I can work too. If you go into the mountains, I’ll go as well."
Yu Ying glanced at Fu An, who was small but capable, not necessarily a burden.
However, the mountains were perilous, and taking him along was still a concern.
She looked at Luo Shi, who seemed hesitant to speak, clearly worried about her grandson but unsure how to voice it.
Yu Ying decided without further hesitation, "You don’t need to come."
But Fu An, stubborn as he was, retorted, "Then I’ll go by myself. I’ve been there before!"
Luo Shi, recalling her grandson's previous sneaky trips to the mountain for food, became anxious, "You can't go alone; if you must go, then only with your aunt!"
Yu Ying: ...
After a moment of silence, she said to Fu An, "If you come to the mountain, you must follow my instructions, or you can go on your own."
Fu An, without any reluctance, agreed, "If you're willing to take me, I'll listen to you."
Yu Ying exhaled and instructed him to get ready, "Find a stick to carry, and pick some mint leaves to rub and apply the juice on your ankles, wrists, and neck to prevent mosquito bites."
Hearing this, Fu An quickly picked some leaves, rubbed them vigorously in his palm, then applied the juice where Yu Ying had instructed, and also picked a sturdy dry branch.
Yu Ying, seeing that Fu An was ready, was about to leave when she suddenly remembered something. Turning back to the little one trailing behind her, she bent down to her level.
Her face was serious but her voice gentle, "You can't come to the mountain, stay home and wait for us."
Upon hearing she couldn't go, Fu Ning's face instantly lost its cheerfulness.
After washing her face and neatly combing her messy hair into a small braid, her face suddenly appeared delicate and pretty. If she could get proper nutrition and gradually plump up her face, she would definitely grow into a beautiful young lady.
With an uncle as handsome as a deity like Fu Wei, the looks of the two children would naturally not be far behind.
After some thought, Yu Ying still felt uneasy about leaving the young girl alone, so she pulled her next to Mrs. Luo and reiterated, "Stay at home with grandma and wait for me. When I return, I'll make you mung bean jelly."
Although the young girl was reluctant, she still nodded.
Carrying a basket on her back, Yu Ying and Fu An left the house. The sight of the pair, one tall and one short, drew several glances from passersby.
Yu Ying went back to the place where she had picked bryony fruit the day before yesterday.
She hadn't picked much that day, and also left the unripe ones. After two days, they should be ripe. A whole patch of bryony fruit would be enough for her to make mung bean jelly several times.
Yu Ying cleared a path through the thorny bushes, instructing Fu An to follow behind her.
While starting to pick the fruits, Yu Ying taught him how to differentiate between male and female fruits: "The male fruits have a flat surface and a round bottom, while the female fruits are oval and have a pointed bottom, like this one."
Yu Ying picked one to show him.
Fu An paused for a moment in surprise, then exclaimed, "Fruits have genders?!"
Remembering how she had asked her grandfather the same question as a child, Yu Ying felt nostalgic and her expression softened, "There are many wonders in the world. For instance, there's an animal in the sea called the seahorse, also known as the dragon's son, where the males give birth. Of course, this involves the females too, but the offspring are born from the males."
Fu An's eyes widened in amazement, and then he said, "You must be tricking me."
Yu Ying spoke slowly, "Just because you haven't seen something doesn't mean it's not real; it just means you haven't seen it yet."
Fu An remained skeptical, and Yu Ying did not continue to enlighten him but began to work instead.
Fu An glanced at Yu Ying carefully picking the fruits and, after a moment of thought, asked, "How did you come to know all that?"
"The more you see, the broader your knowledge becomes. That's how I know."
Fu An pouted, thinking her answer was as good as not answering at all, but he didn’t press further. Instead, he started picking fruits, distinguishing them as she had instructed.
Although he didn’t ask further, he couldn’t help but ponder the truth of her earlier words.
If what she said was true, how many more wonders of the world was he unaware of?
Remembering her saying "the more you see, the broader your knowledge," he involuntarily looked towards the direction of Lingshui Village.
But if he spent his entire life in Lingshui Village, how could he ever encounter such extraordinary things?
Soon, they had filled the basket to about seventy percent full. Yu Ying stopped picking fruits and started looking for herbs.
Fu An carefully observed the herbs she picked, then searched among the weeds, pulling out entire plants when he found the right ones.
Despite his small stature, he was surprisingly strong.
As Yu Ying was about to suggest returning, she suddenly heard Fu An's excited voice, "Come here and see, what is this?!"
Yu Ying turned and saw Fu An a few feet away, poking at some wild grass with a stick, his face a mix of surprise and joy.
Curious, Yu Ying approached and discovered a nest of eggs, slightly larger than quail eggs, about a dozen in total.
Worried about potential danger nearby, Yu Ying didn't let him go closer, while she cautiously approached the nest. She noticed grey-brown feathers around it, indicating a wild pheasant's nest.
Overjoyed, Yu Ying squatted down to collect the pheasant eggs, instructing Fu An, "Come here and cradle these eggs in your shirt."
Fu An immediately lifted his shirt and stood beside her to help.
Yu Ying gently picked up the eggs one by one, placing them carefully inside Fu An's clothing.
After collecting eleven eggs and leaving four in the nest, Yu Ying stopped.
"Why aren't you taking the rest?" Fu An asked, puzzled.
As Yu Ying covered the nest with weeds, she explained, "One must always leave something behind. A continuous cycle of birds laying eggs ensures an endless supply."
Fu An pondered the meaning of her words, but at his age, he was yet to grasp such profound principles.
Yu Ying glanced at him but offered no further explanation.
Then, looking at the wild pheasant eggs in his embrace, she smiled, "When we get back, I'll make egg-drop soup with nightshade."
She picked a small bunch of the common white-flower herb, also known as false pepper, which is not only delicious in egg-drop soup but also highly nutritious.
With a fruitful harvest, they returned to the Fu residence. Before even entering the yard, Fu An's excited voice could be heard, "Grandma, sister, I'm back!"
Hearing the sound, Fu Ning, who had been playing with dirt, immediately stood up, peering out of the yard. Seeing them return, she ran out like a little butterfly.
Fu An, seeing his sister running towards him like a butterfly, joyfully ran towards her. But in the next moment, she ran past him, heading straight for Yu Ying behind him.
Fu An's smile instantly froze.
Fu Ning ran up to Yu Ying, looking up with her big, expectant eyes, fluttering like butterflies.
Seeing her face dirty again, Yu Ying knew she had been playing with the soil in the yard by herself.
Seeing the anticipation in her eyes, Yu Ying smiled and softly said, "Let's go back and make something delicious."
The little girl's face lit up with a smile, and she timidly reached out to grasp Yu Ying's sleeve.
Yu Ying looked at the hand on her sleeve, then opened her hand to hold the little girl's small hand, walking towards the yard.
Fu Ning, seeing his sister bonding with someone else instead of him, instantly drooped his head, his face falling.
[Text Missing]
Back in the yard, Yu Ying prepared some rice, added half a jar of water to make porridge, and asked Fu An to watch the fire, before she started tidying up.
The porridge was neither too thick nor too thin, just right. She added three or four red mushrooms and cooked them a bit longer before setting the pot on the ground. While the porridge was still boiling, Yu Ying cracked three pheasant eggs into it, stirring them in, and finally added salt. The aroma immediately wafted through the yard.
The fragrance filled the entire courtyard.
