Chapter 78

Zhao Hexi: "Impossible!"

Chapter 78

Early in the morning, Qing Mengzhu and the others took the red fox up the mountain.

The two dogs ran alongside the red fox, chasing each other at great speed. If they strayed too far from the people, they would run back.

The Dharma Protector was especially excited, barking as it ran, its fluffy tail wagging back and forth, its long fur fluttering like a waving flag.

Qing Mengzhu's ears were hurting from the Dharma Protector's noise, so she took a few steps forward and pressed down on the Dharma Protector's neck. "Stop shouting."

The Dharma Protector, tongue lolling out, barked, "Woof woof woof! Woof woof!"

Qing Mengzhu: "Hey, where do you get so much energy?"

Zhao Hexi: "The Dharma Protector has turned into a big dog, so his energy must be much greater than before, right?"

The Dharma Protector glanced at Zhao Hexi, then wanted to bark again, but Qing Mengzhu quickly grabbed its muzzle to stop it from barking. So the guardian used its fluffy tail to brush against Zhao Hexi's calves as a sign of affection.

The red fox watched them interacting behind it, whimpered twice, dragged its tail, turned its head to look at them, and gestured for them to hurry up and catch up.

Seeing that the red fox seemed a little jealous, Qing Mengzhu quickly said, "Here it comes."

The red fox walked with great determination, winding its way up the hillside, but after a long time they still hadn't seen any wild lilies.

Zhao Hexi was a little suspicious. "Did Little Fox really bring us up the mountain to dig for lilies? Or is it just so we can go up the mountain to meet a female fox?"

Qing Mengzhu: "I don't know, why don't you ask it?"

Zhao Hexi rolled her eyes. "How should I ask, waah?"

Ming Chunxi said from the side, "Let's walk a little further. If we still can't find it, we'll pick something else."

Zhao Hexi: "Let's pick some myrtle berries, there are so many."

The myrtle trees covering the hillsides are ripe, with fruits larger than a finger hanging on the branches, shiny black, plump and exceptionally full.

They reached out and picked the myrtle berries from the roadside, peeled off the skin, and squeezed them with their hands. The sweet flesh inside came out and tasted delicious.

The red fox and the two dogs bumped their heads against Qing Mengzhu and the others' legs, begging them to pick some myrtle berries for them to eat, and then they all ate them until their tongues were black.

Seeing that they had eaten too much, Qing Mengzhu reached out and patted the Dharma Protector's head. "Stop eating, or you won't be able to go to the toilet tomorrow."

Dharma Protector: "Woof woof!"

Zhao Hexi: "Does a puppy get constipated?"

Qing Mengzhu: "Yes, quite often."

Zhao Hexi: "Raising a puppy sounds like fun. Hey, wait a minute, what's that over there?"

Qing Mengzhu followed his gaze and asked, "Which way are you referring to?"

Zhao Hexi: "Over there, by that big tree."

Ming Chunxi said from the side, "Wild kiwifruit."

Zhao Hexi: "There are wild kiwis here?!"

Qing Mengzhu: "Yes, they are, but they are a bit small. When I was a child, people in my village would pick them to make wine."

Zhao Hexi immediately perked up. "Let's pick some too! I'll go up and pick some!"

Now that living conditions have improved, few people come up the mountain to pick wild fruits. They followed the vines and found kiwis growing densely, some still hard and some already soft.

Qing Mengzhu picked two limp kiwis, one for herself and one for Ming Chunxi.

After peeling off the skin, the kiwifruit reveals green flesh that looks very juicy. One bite reveals a sweet and sour taste with a very rich flavor, quite different from what you get in the supermarket.

Zhao Hexi: "It's quite delicious. I remember kiwis can be used in cooking, right?"

Qing Mengzhu nodded. "Sure, it can also be used as a meat tenderizer."

Zhao Hexi: "Pick, pick, pick!"

The three of them worked together, and before they even saw the lilies, they had already picked half a basket of kiwis.

The firm kiwis were placed at the bottom, and the soft ones on top. Zhao Hexi picked and ate as she went, and soon she was full.

Qing Mengzhu peeled the skin off the kiwi fruit and fed it to the two dogs and the red fox, who seemed to enjoy it quite a bit.

After picking the kiwifruit, they ventured deeper into the mountains.

Along the way, they saw akebia quinata, wild blueberries, and wild persimmons. The wild persimmons were not yet ripe and could not be eaten, but the akebia quinata and wild blueberries had reached their most perfect state.

They picked and ate as they went, which was much more fun than going to the supermarket.

They also found quite a few mushrooms along the way.

The mushrooms looked very moist and tempting after the rain.

The only downside is that the rain splashed up a lot of leaves and pebbles that stuck to the mushrooms, which will definitely be difficult to wash when we get home.

The red fox was quite anxious at first, but after playing and eating along the way, it stopped being in a hurry.

When their baskets and bags were almost full, Zhao Hexi remembered, "Wild Lily, I almost forgot the purpose of our trip up the mountain."

Qing Mengzhu didn't even look up. "As long as we haven't forgotten, we should be arriving soon."

Zhao Hexi: "Didn't you say you didn't know where the wild lilies grew? How do you know we're almost there?"

Qing Mengzhu: "If you go any further ahead, there's a deserted little mountain village. My great-aunt married into that village. I visited it when I was little and even picked wild lilies nearby."

Ming Chunxi: "Did you come on foot?"

Qing Mengzhu smiled nostalgically, "Yes, when I couldn't walk anymore, my dad and mom would take turns carrying me."

Qing Mengzhu was right; the place where the Red Fox led them to dig for wild lilies was near that abandoned village.

The wild lilies grew on a sunny hillside, scattered here and there, and quite a lot of them grew.

They put their things down, located the stem of the wild lily, and began digging.

Soon, Qing Mengzhu dug up the first bulb.

Wild lilies are small, not as plump as cultivated lilies, but they are very full and firm, and have a rich flavor.

Qing Mengzhu lowered her head and smelled it; she could smell a pleasant lily fragrance.

The three of them worked together to dig, and stopped after filling two bags.

These two bags of wild lilies are enough for them to eat for several meals. There's no need to dig any more. We can leave some for others or wild animals, and come back next time they want to eat them.

After they finished digging up the wild lilies, they washed their hands nearby, tidied up their harvest for the day, and prepared to head down the mountain.

Going down the mountain wasn't as tiring as going up, but since they had been out for most of the day and their energy was almost depleted, neither the people nor the animals were as energetic as before.

They didn't talk much, and the two dogs and the red fox didn't bark much either; they just silently and slowly descended the mountain.

A mountain breeze blew in their faces, a bit chilly, but luckily they had warmed up from walking and didn't feel cold yet.

As they walked down, all they could see were lush green mountains.

The area was shrouded in mist, and the scenery was quite beautiful. Even without speaking, it was very pleasant to walk and enjoy the view.

They walked down to the foot of the mountain, and only when they reached a flat area did Qing Mengzhu take out her phone to check it.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he took it out, he received a new message on WeChat.

Ming Lexin: [Mengzhu, what have you been up to lately? I'd like to invite you guys for a meal, is that okay? I'll come over to your place.]

Qing Mengzhu was caught off guard by Ming Lexin's message and immediately felt flustered and guilty. She quickly replied: [Of course!]

Qing Mengzhu stood still and replied to the message with both hands: [You can come whenever you want, we're all free. We're free today too.]

Ming Lexin:

[Great! Haha, I hope I didn't bother you.]

I was planning to have dinner with you guys during the Mid-Autumn Festival. If you're free today, could I come over now?

There's no time like the present.

Qing Mengzhu pondered how to reply when Ming Chunxi stepped forward, "Let me see?"

"What?" Qing Mengzhu looked up. Ming Chunxi was standing behind him, while Zhao Hexi led the two dogs and the red fox to the front. "You want to see this? My aunt and I are chatting."

Ming Chunxi glanced at the chat message: "I'll decline."

As she spoke, Ming Chunxi reached for her phone to send a message to Ming Lexin.