Chapter 102 (Continued)

The four little guys also helped carry the whole chestnut over.

The otter is the most capable, able to peel the chestnuts out of the shells with its claws just like a human, probably because it is used to eating various shellfish.

As for the other three little guys, they would prick their mouths when peeling chestnuts, and after a few times, they just picked them up instead of peeling them.

After picking about half a basket of chestnuts, it was almost noon.

Qing Mengzhu checked the time and said, "Let's have lunch first, and then go up the mountain to pick some mushrooms this afternoon."

Ming Chunxi and Zhao Hexi had no objections, so they went down the mountain from the other side to the parking area to rest and have lunch.

They brought a fairly complete set of tools today. Qing Mengzhu lit two disposable charcoal boxes and let Zhao Hexi and Ming Chunxi grill the meat and eggplant first, while he stir-fried tea leaves and caramel and brewed milk tea.

Although milk tea isn't very healthy, pairing it with a sweet and fragrant milk tea while camping makes for a fantastic experience.

Soon, the meat was grilled and the milk tea was ready.

All four little ones can eat grilled meat without seasoning, but milk tea can only be enjoyed by the three humans alone.

Zhao Hexi sat on an outdoor fabric chair with a backrest, gazing at the distant mountains, sea, and forests, and took a sip of milk tea. "So refreshing!"

Qing Mengzhu nodded in deep agreement. "Indeed, salty food needs to be paired with something sweet."

Ming Chunxi grilled the meat and then gave Qing Mengzhu and Zhao Hexi each a skewer. "Eat more."

Zhao Hexi ate the perfectly cooked roasted meat, drank the rich, homemade milk tea, and felt the autumn mountain breeze, he couldn't help but squint his eyes.

Seeing him like this, Qing Mengzhu reminded him, "If you're sleepy, go back to the car and sleep."

Zhao Hexi: "I'm not sleepy. I'm just going to take a nap. This milk tea is really delicious. By the way, do we produce tea around here?"

Qing Mengzhu: "We do produce it, but there aren't any particularly famous teas. We usually call these wild teas, and they're mostly made by villagers for their own consumption. If you're interested, we can go look for some this afternoon."

Zhao Hexi's eyes lit up instantly, surprised by the hidden attraction. "Is it nearby? Let's go! I've never seen wild tea trees before."

Qing Mengzhu: "Let's rest for a bit before we go."

After lunch, Qing Mengzhu gave Ming Chunxi a hat, and the two dozed off in the sunlight, glancing at each other every now and then.

Zhao Hexi took out his phone, turned down the volume, and sat down next to them to play games. It was rare to have such a strong signal in the mountains; it was enough to keep the game running smoothly.

As for the four little ones, they slept at Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi's feet, their soft bellies rising and falling. The sunlight shone on them, making them look like warm, fluffy balls.

After everyone had rested and tidied up the trash and put it in the car, they went into the mountains again.

In this season, the leaves on the trees have changed color. Looking up from above, one can see red, yellow, and green leaves everywhere, a vibrant and beautiful sight.

Walking through the woods, they rustled through the fallen leaves.

The four little ones, having eaten and slept their fill, didn't run away, but instead followed them slowly forward at their feet.

Qing Mengzhu couldn't quite remember where the wild tea trees actually grew, so she led them to search several places before finally finding a small tea grove on the back of the mountain.

He pointed to the small trees in front and said, "Those are tea trees."

Zhao Hexi stared in astonishment, her mouth agape. "How come it's different from what I see on TV?"

Qing Mengzhu: "How can artificially cultivated tea trees be the same as wild ones? These wild tea trees are un-dwarfed varieties, no one manages them, and they have fewer leaves, so they naturally look different."

Ming Chunxi: "Can we still pick tea now?"

Qing Mengzhu: "Yes, it's possible, but the flavor isn't as fragrant as spring tea; it tastes a bit like coarse tea."

Zhao Hexi craned his neck. "It's okay, I can still try it even if it doesn't smell good. I've never had wild tea before."

Ming Chunxi and Zhao Hexi were both very interested in wild tea, so Qing Mengzhu led them toward the wild tea.

Although the distance to the wild tea plantation seemed short, they actually had to go down the mountain and then up again. The path in between was covered with shrubs and vines, many of which had thorns, making it difficult to get through.

The Guard and Dharma Protector led the way, their four paws firmly planted on the ground, and they ran past in no time.

It was easier for Qing Mengzhu to clear a path along their paw prints than to clear it directly. People could easily slip and fall if they walked directly, but there was no such risk in the path that the dogs had explored.

Nevertheless, Zhao Hexi stumbled and nearly fell, but fortunately Ming Chunxi caught him by the back of his collar in time.

Watching the two dogs running nimbly ahead, Zhao Hexi couldn't help but remark enviously, "No wonder they're four-wheel drive; the Dharma Protector and the Guard walk so steadily."

Qing Mengzhu gestured to the red fox and otter beside her. "The Little Fox and the Little Otter are also very steady."

Zhao Hexi: "With their low-hanging chassis, it's perfectly normal for them to walk steadily. Speaking of which, could the Dharma Protector and Guard possibly have some kind of wolf blood?"

Qing Mengzhu: "Stop letting your imagination run wild, watch where you're going."

After some effort, they finally reached the tea tree.

The tea leaves in autumn are indeed quite old, and some have fallen off. Only a few sparse leaves remain on the branches, which doesn't look very nice.

Qing Mengzhu used a machete to hook down a branch from the tea tree, gesturing for them to pick the tender bud from the center of the leaf. "The tender bud should be alright, let's pick some to try."

Zhao Hexi rolled up his sleeves. "Watch this!"

The three of them picked tea leaves together, and soon they had picked half a basketful.

Wild tea tastes rather ordinary, not as good as most teas sold in the market.

Seeing that it was enough, Qing Mengzhu said, "That's enough. Just pick some to take back and taste; we can't finish drinking too much."

Zhao Hexi, used to catching nothing while fishing, was surprised by his large catch while hunting in the mountains. He asked with lingering enthusiasm, "Could we transplant a couple of these tea trees back home?"

Qing Mengzhu: "You still want to drink wild tea?"

Zhao Hexi: "Didn't you say that spring tea is the best? We don't necessarily have to go up the mountain today, so let's transplant a couple back and we can pick the tender leaves to make tea in the spring."

After saying that, Zhao Hexi added to make it more convincing, "I feel that the tea tree leaves are quite fragrant, with a unique aroma. Transplanting them back home to grow as potted plants would be better than other trees."

Qing Mengzhu's heart skipped a beat. "If you put it that way, it doesn't seem like it's impossible."

Zhao Hexi: "Really? Tea trees are a huge harvest; digging up tea trees is much more fun than picking mushrooms. Wait, let me check online first to see if digging up wild tea trees is illegal?"

Watching his familiar actions, Qing Mengzhu said with a wry smile, "It's not illegal, but there's no need to dig up the whole tree. We can just cut a couple of branches to propagate."

Zhao Hexi: "It can be like this?"

Qing Mengzhu: "That's right, the tea tree is so heavy, will you carry it or should I? Let's just cut off a couple of branches."

Zhao Hexi stepped back a little.

Qing Mengzhu was about to cut a branch when she suddenly remembered something and instructed Zhao Hexi, "Wait, take the little ones outside, I'll find a suitable branch."

Zhao Hexi was puzzled, but she still led the four little ones a little further away.

Qing Mengzhu said, "Never mind, I'll just go to the restroom. Please move further away."

Zhao Hexi muttered, "Why do I need to go to the toilet so soon?"

Qing Mengzhu confidently, "I've drunk so much milk tea, what's wrong with needing to use the restroom? You go away, Chunxi, you stay here with me."

Zhao Hexi: "It's not like nobody cares to watch you go to the toilet. Just go away if you want."

Zhao Hexi led the four little ones back the way they came.

Qing Mengzhu only looked up after she saw him walk away and disappear from sight.

Ming Chunxi chuckled softly, "Why send him away?"

Qing Mengzhu lowered her voice. "I suddenly remembered that I can use the Mall Assistant to find the tea tree with the best quality. I'll look for it, and you keep watch for me."

Seeing his furtive manner, Ming Chunxi's smile widened, "Alright."