Chapter 2: Digging Wild Vegetables on the Mountain

Chapter 2: Foraging for Wild Vegetables on the Mountain

Uncle Hai, concerned about the treacherous mountain paths and the potential danger of wild animals harming Zhao An, tried every means to dissuade him from ascending the mountain.

However, Zhao An's insistence ultimately prevailed, forcing Uncle Hai, as a servant, to concede. Qintong, with his childish nature, initially joined Uncle Hai in cautioning Zhao An about the mountain's perils. Yet, upon hearing that delicious wild vegetables could be found there, his face lit up with excitement. In the end, they both had no choice but to follow Zhao An's lead.

Since he couldn't prevent Zhao An from going, Uncle Hai resolved to offer his utmost assistance. Before their departure, he had Qintong cook a large pot of rice. Then, he produced three large bowls, filling each to the brim for them to eat with the last remnants of pickled radish.

Qintong hadn't enjoyed a full meal in a long time. The moment he saw Zhao An begin to eat, he eagerly grabbed his bowl and started devouring the food. As a former servant in the Prime Minister's residence, he had, in fact, experienced little hardship. Uncle Hai, though eating heartily, harbored a desperate resolve. This meal would exhaust their remaining food supply. Fortunately, he had discovered a torn fishing net in the old house's storeroom. He recalled using it to catch fish in the mountain stream during his youth. Now, with his aging limbs, he wondered if he could still succeed.

Zhao An observed both Uncle Hai's anxieties and little Qintong's hopes. He sensed that his Wood Element supernatural ability had recovered to a first-tier level, enabling him to force-grow at least three plants within a day. With this capability as a safety net, he was confident that their mountain expedition would yield satisfying results.

The Zhao family's ancestral home nestled at the foot of a small hill, which was blanketed by a bamboo forest. It was precisely the season for bamboo shoots to sprout. Every day, as Qintong passed by, he couldn't help but salivate. Alas, this bamboo forest belonged to Zhao Tongming, who had assigned a farmhand to guard it. This laborer was tasked with collecting bamboo leaves for firewood, digging up shoots for dried bamboo, and incidentally, keeping an eye on Zhao An's household.

As Zhao An, Uncle Hai, and Qintong walked past the edge of the bamboo forest on their way up the mountain, Ah Wu, Zhao Tongming's farmhand, set down his hoe and eyed the three warily. His gaze lingered particularly on the tattered basket on Qintong's back, as if fearing they would attempt to steal his freshly dug bamboo shoots.

Stared at like a thief by a sallow-faced, shabbily dressed laborer, Zhao An couldn't resort to physical violence as he had with Zhao Tongming. Instead, he clasped his hands behind his back and walked straight ahead, eyes fixed forward, like a young gentleman out for a leisurely spring outing.

Zhao An knew his demeanor might appear somewhat foolish, but being perceived as pretentiously aloof was preferable to being mistaken for a thief.

Beyond the bamboo forest lay a rocky slope, unclaimed by anyone. Any villager in Zhao Village needing stones for construction could come here to gather them. Although the village bore the Zhao name, only about a dozen households were actually surnamed Zhao, while the other hundred or so were surnamed Liu. Yet, the Zhao family owned nearly half of the village's land. The reason, of course, was that Zhao An's father had passed the imperial examinations and even ascended to the position of Prime Minister.

Had it not been for the emperor dispatching elite troops to escort Zhao An back to his hometown, he could have lived quite comfortably in the countryside, leveraging his father's and sister's reputations. Fortunately, the current Zhao An was not his former self; he harbored no expectations or resentment towards his sister. Despite blisters forming on his feet from the climb and his back drenched in sweat, he persevered for an hour until they reached the stream Uncle Hai had mentioned.

Along the way, he spotted fresh fiddleheads and shepherd's purse, gathering some tender leaves. Spring was indeed the season for wild vegetables, and they appeared remarkably fresh and vibrant. Regrettably, he found no valuable medicinal herbs, only common dandelions, plantain leaves, and creeping jenny. Still, he collected them, as any small contribution was welcome.

Finally reaching the stream and finding a moment to rest, Zhao An had barely settled on a rock when his stomach rumbled loudly. Indeed, a diet solely of rice, devoid of protein or fat, led to quick hunger.

Hearing Zhao An's stomach growl, Uncle Hai produced a rice ball made from leftover crusty rice from his pocket. "Young master, if you're hungry, have a rice ball."

Zhao An stared at the rice ball, distinctly hearing a gulp. He hesitated for half a second before turning to see Qintong smacking his lips. He decided against taking the rice ball. There were only three small rice balls in total. If he ate one now, he might lack the strength for the return journey. How could he possibly take food from an elder and a child?

In truth, Zhao An had experienced hunger before. During the initial turmoil of the spiritual energy resurgence, society was in chaos. He was then only as old as Qintong, a critical period of growth, and could only subsist on nutritional gruel distributed by the new city base, often feeling hungry again immediately after eating.

Zhao An declined Uncle Hai's rice ball, leaning on a stick he had found along the way, closing his eyes to rest, and contemplating how to catch fish.

Based on his childhood experiences, the initial pangs of hunger sharpened both body and mind, proving highly beneficial for seeking food. After resting for less than fifteen minutes, he rose again. He instructed Qintong to dig for earthworms while he took the fishing net from the basket and headed towards the stream.

Seeing him pick up the net, Uncle Hai rushed over to take it. "Young master, don't go near the water. It's too dangerous. Weren't you here to gather wild vegetables? Look, there's plenty of fishwort by the water. Gather some, and it'll be enough for us today."

Fishwort was excellent for hot pot or cold dishes, but without seasoning, it would taste like medicine. The same applied to the fern shoots and shepherd's purse they had gathered along the way, so Zhao An didn't hold high hopes for them.

He wanted to catch fish because he had conceived a clever idea. He could pluck a few aquatic plants from the streamside and use his supernatural power to accelerate their growth. He recalled that herbivorous animals were particularly drawn to plants he had enhanced with his ability. Perhaps this method could attract some herbivorous fish. If not, Qintong's earthworms were a fallback.

So he told Uncle Hai, who was holding the net, "Don't pull. We spent a long time mending this net last night. I won't go into the water. I'll just cast the net from the bank and give it a try."

Uncle Hai remembered that mending the net had required using one of the young master's inner garments, so he didn't dare pull too hard. He earnestly advised, "Please, don't go into the water. It's only early spring, and catching a cold could easily lead to illness."

"So you do know that," Zhao An thought inwardly, subtly mocking Uncle Hai's overly dramatic demeanor. He didn't dare release the net, quickly walking to the stream and casting it without even looking.

Since his primary focus wasn't on the precise location of the cast, his actions appeared somewhat casual. Uncle Hai anxiously approached, intending to teach him how to cast properly, but Zhao An pointed to a thriving patch of fishwort nearby and said, "Why don't you go gather some fishwort?"

Accustomed to following orders, Uncle Hai complied. Zhao An then carefully selected a tender aquatic plant and, with his back to Uncle Hai, used his Wood Element supernatural ability to rapidly grow it from a finger-length sprout into a long vine. He then casually tore the vine into pieces and tossed them into the netted area.

Most of the plant fragments floated on the water's surface, while a few slowly sank to the bottom. The broken ends of the vine released a fragrant sap, attracting herbivorous and omnivorous fish from within a radius of several hundred meters.

Uncle Hai had initially been skeptical of Zhao An's fishing endeavor, believing it a waste of time. Just as he worried about the next morning's meal, he suddenly witnessed a school of fish churning the water as they swam towards the net, much like the koi in the Prime Minister's backyard that would leap and compete for food when fed.

Of course, the scene wasn't quite so dramatic. In the wild, fish density was lower. Even though drawn by the delicious food, only about a dozen fish actually swam into the net. Zhao An had no patience to wait longer. He gripped the net's rope and pulled back sharply. Some fish, trailing behind or particularly wary, swiftly escaped the net. In the end, only six fish of varying sizes were hauled ashore.

Uncle Hai had long forgotten about gathering fishwort. He stood with his mouth agape, speechless for a long time. It wasn't until the fish, pulled onto the bank, began flapping that he closed his mouth, clasped his hands together, and bowed in all directions. "Thank the heavens for watching over us, thank the heavens for watching over us."

Zhao An smiled faintly, his beautiful peach-blossom eyes curving into a pleasing arc. This was precisely why he didn't intend to meticulously conceal his abilities—in ancient times, superstition was commonplace, whereas scientific explanations would only arouse suspicion.

If anyone asked, it was the heavens' blessing. If no one asked, it was still the heavens' blessing.

After catching the fish, Uncle Hai no longer cared about fishwort. He quickly called Qintong, who was digging for earthworms near the edge of the forest, to come and clean the fish. He held each fish by the belly, raised a stone, and struck its head to stun it. Then he took it to the water's edge, scaled it with the family's only kitchen knife, rinsed it clean, and tossed it into the basket.

Uncle Hai didn't allow Zhao An to help with cleaning the fish. Instead, he handed him a rice ball and told him to sit nearby and eat. This time, Zhao An didn't refuse. As he chewed on the crunchy rice ball, he imagined how the six fish could be prepared. Two carp could be braised, one mandarin fish steamed, and the three smaller white fish fried until crispy.

The thought alone made his mouth water, but that was all he could do. He recalled that the only seasoning left in their kitchen was a bit of salt. At most, they could make fish soup. Steaming was out of the question, as they had no soy sauce.

After all six fish were cleaned, Uncle Hai and Qintong washed their hands, took out their rice balls, and sat on the rocks to eat. Little Qintong hurriedly took a few bites and swallowed, then suddenly remembered he had two wild fruits in his pocket. He quickly pulled them out, took a big bite of one, and squinted his eyes at the sourness. Just as he was about to eat the other wild fruit, he heard Zhao An's voice: "Wait, where did you find these wild fruits?"

Qintong paused, then opened his palm and offered the wild fruit to Zhao An. "This fruit is incredibly sour, young master. Do you want to eat it?"

It wasn't that Qintong was being stingy or unwilling to share with the young master and Uncle Hai. It was simply that these wild fruits were too sour. Uncle Hai, who was already losing teeth, certainly wouldn't want to eat them. As for the young master, when other food options were available, Qintong wouldn't even consider offering such a thing.

But Zhao An took the fruit from Qintong's hand. Although it was only the size of a fingernail, mostly white with a pink top, the black spots all over confirmed it—it was indeed a strawberry.

"Where exactly did you find this? Take me there now," Zhao An repeated, his expression somewhat agitated.

Uncle Hai, who had seen Zhao An gathering herbs like dandelion and plantain leaves along the way, thought this wild berry might be another medicinal plant he didn't know about. So he sternly said to Qintong, "Tell the young master quickly."

Qintong, flustered, pointed towards where he had been digging for earthworms. "Right over there."