Chapter 141 Wild Fruits

Chapter 141 Wild Fruits

After hearing Lin Shu's words, Zhou Ye fell silent.

He had always believed himself to be the most knowledgeable about the wild edibles of the mountains, having endured the harshest famine years. No one knew more than he did about the flowers, grasses, and trees that could sustain life in the hills.

Fern roots, kudzu roots, even the bitter, unpalatable oak nuts—he had eaten them all. Not just during the famine, but regularly. His appetite was immense, and the two meals a day at home were far from enough to satisfy him, forcing him to forage in the mountains for sustenance.

But none of these things tasted good. He ate them merely to fill his stomach, the bitterness a constant companion, his expression numb.

If A Shu could transform these roots, grasses, and bitter nuts into delicious food, wouldn't he be blessed with culinary delights for the rest of his days?

"A Shu, there are plenty of oak nuts in the mountains. When they ripen, I'll gather several back-baskets full!" Zhou Ye said, his face alight with undisguised anticipation.

Lin Shu grinned, a rare, joyful silliness in her expression. "When the oak nuts are ripe, let's go into the mountains together to gather them!"

Zhou Ye hesitated slightly but nodded. "Alright, but you'll have to stick close to me then."

While the oak grove was somewhat deep in the mountains, the most they might encounter there were wild boars and moles—no other dangerous beasts. Wild boars didn't attack people; if they happened to run into any, he could simply protect A Shu and steer them clear.

Lin Shu immediately added, "When the creeping fig fruits ripen, let's pick those first. They start ripening around late June to early July, right when it's hottest. We can pick them to make ice jelly for you."

Zhou Ye's eyes held a hidden smile as he agreed, "Okay."

Lin Shu didn't forget their main task. When Zhou Ye led her to a dense mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forest, she saw an abundance of mushrooms!

Not just the Termitomyces they had come to pick, but also plenty of boletes, red mushrooms, and chanterelles!

When Zhou Ye saw Lin Shu about to touch a brightly red mushroom, he grabbed her arm, frowning. "A Shu, many mushrooms in the mountains are poisonous. Don't touch them carelessly."

Lin Shu laughed. "This is an edible red mushroom; it's not poisonous. It's safe to eat!"

But Zhou Ye still shook his head. "I know you're knowledgeable, but you've only read about these things in books. These mushrooms, especially the brightly colored red ones—the poisonous and non-poisonous kinds are extremely easy to confuse. If we're not completely sure, it's better not to pick them."

He had spent enough time in the mountains to know how dangerous these mushrooms could be. While the bamboo fungus, Termitomyces, and Green Russula they had picked earlier also looked risky, those varieties were very easy to identify. When A Shu was certain they were edible, he helped gather them. But the mushrooms deep in the mountains were different. Just among these red mushrooms, there were countless similar-looking varieties. Could A Shu really accurately identify them? He couldn't risk her life.

Lin Shu was both amused and exasperated. In her previous life, when she foraged in the mountains and had nothing to eat, she had gathered these mushrooms countless times. How could she not tell which were poisonous and which were not?

These mushrooms might look similar—all red—but the shades varied: bright red, wine red, spicy red, blood red, rose red. Their scent and gill patterns could also distinguish them.

However, she really couldn't explain how she was so certain. While she could claim that bamboo fungus and Termitomyces had been eaten by people before, red mushrooms like these were definitely not eaten by ordinary people.

Seeing A Ye's firm stance, she had to give up. There were plenty of other edible things in the mountains; she didn't necessarily have to insist on these mushrooms.

But not picking any at all still left Lin Shu feeling a bit unsatisfied.

"I definitely won't mistake these chanterelles. Can I at least pick these?"

Chanterelles were shaped like trumpets or funnels, with a beautiful egg-yolk yellow color—tender and bright. Not only were they good-looking, but they were also highly nutritious. There was no reason for Lin Shu to pass them by without gathering a few.

Zhou Ye examined them and, confirming there were no other mushrooms that looked very similar, nodded. "These are fine."

Lin Shu was amused by his cautiousness and teased, "A Ye, can't we really pick a few of those red mushrooms to eat? They're delicious, I promise."

"A Shu, let's eat other mushrooms," Zhou Ye insisted.

"Fine, if we're not picking them, then we're not. But if I did pick them, Father and Mother would definitely refuse to eat them too." Not only would they refuse, but they'd probably forbid her from eating them, just like A Ye.

So Lin Shu contented herself with gathering Termitomyces and chanterelles. When she spotted several Termitomyces mushrooms larger than her face, she forgot her earlier disappointment about the red mushrooms and cheered up instantly.

"A Ye, these Termitomyces are huge! Bigger than my face!" Lin Shu picked one and held it up against her face for comparison.

With mushrooms this size, it wouldn't take many to fill the back-basket.

Zhou Ye instinctively glanced at her face, thinking to himself that A Shu's face was only about the size of his palm. It wasn't so surprising for a mushroom to grow that large.

Lin Shu grinned like a little mouse that had stolen oil, urging him, "A Ye, hurry up! Let's pick all the mushrooms in this area! They'll grow back after we pick them; no need to worry about running out."

This was just one spot. The deep mountains stretched range after range; other areas might have even more. There was no fear of running short of Termitomyces.

"A Shu, we can come back anytime to pick them. These mushrooms grow for months; there's no rush." Zhou Ye's face also broke into a smile.

A Shu looked so beautiful when she smiled. Every time he saw her smile, he couldn't help but smile too.

But for some reason, he didn't want anyone else to see him smile; he only wanted to show his smiles to A Shu.

Lin Shu nodded in agreement. "You're right. In the last month of the Termitomyces season, we can gather more and dry them for storage. That way, we'll have some to eat even after winter comes."

Before long, the two had gathered a full large back-basket, all stored in Zhou Ye's back-basket, while Lin Shu's back-basket remained empty.

"A Shu, this is plenty. You can fill your back-basket with any flowers or plants you like."

Lin Shu thought to herself, what flowers or plants would she gather? There were plenty of wild vegetables on the back hill; if she wanted some, she could just pick them there. But not long after, she was proven wrong.

Wild Green Sichuan peppers!

She spotted wild Green Sichuan pepper plants!

Several trees of them!

"A Ye, come quickly! Let's pick some of these wild Green Sichuan peppers. We can dry them and store them for later use. With so many, we can even make Sichuan pepper oil!"

Wild Green Sichuan peppers were grown by many households in the village. Lin Shu considered digging up a tree to plant but was afraid it might not survive and go to waste.

Zhou Ye heard her and said, "There's no shortage of these in the mountains, A Shu. If you want to plant some, go ahead. There are a few small ones here—they're easier to transplant. I'll help you dig up a couple to take back."

"Great! I brought a small shovel; let's dig them together!" Lin Shu said happily.

Zhou Ye glanced at the small bamboo shovel in her hand and smirked.

The little bamboo shovel was fine for digging up wild vegetables or mushrooms, but it was completely inadequate for digging up an entire sapling with its root ball intact.

He had only brought a sickle and an axe, not a hoe.

After a moment's thought, Zhou Ye used the sickle to clear the weeds around the pepper plant, then used the axe to chop into the ground around it, creating a circular trench. He then used the handle of the sickle to pry and dig, soon managing to extract two small wild Green Sichuan pepper trees, roots and soil intact.

Lin Shu happened to have brought an old cloth, which she used to wrap the root balls of the two small trees to prevent moisture loss.

After digging up the pepper trees, both their hands were covered in soil. Zhou Ye led Lin Shu to a small stream flowing through the forest, where they washed their hands.

"A Shu, are you thirsty? Have some water." Zhou Ye pulled the cork stopper from the bamboo cup and held it to Lin Shu's lips.

When he went into the mountains alone, he would drink directly from the streams—like the one they had just used to wash their hands—which were cool and clean enough to drink. But A Shu was more fastidious; aside from the fresh mountain spring water he fetched daily from the source on the back hill, she refused to drink any untreated water. This time, they had brought bamboo cups filled with spring water from home.

Lin Shu didn't reach for the cup herself but drank a few sips from his hand, her lips glistening with moisture. "A Ye, you have some too."

Zhou Ye grunted in acknowledgment and, without switching to a different bamboo cup, brought the same one to his own lips—the very spot where Lin Shu had just drunk from, though whether it was intentional or not was unclear.

Lin Shu thought it was probably unintentional?

If it was intentional, then A Ye was really such a sly flirt.

Just thinking about it, Lin Shu couldn't help but laugh.

"A Shu, shall we head back?" Zhou Ye asked.

By now, his basket was filled with the Termitomyces and chanterelles they had gathered. A Shu's basket also held two small prickly ash trees. Though called small, with both of them inside, the basket was now full.

Lin Shu didn't answer whether to return or not, only saying, "A Ye, I feel like eating some fruit."

Zhou Ye didn't like wild fruits, as most were either sour or bitter, and aside from birds, few people ate them.

Even those that were sour with a hint of sweetness still leaned more toward sour. Though he didn't enjoy them, he had indeed eaten many—when he was hungry, he'd eat anything, and wild fruits were no exception.

It was the end of May now, and some wild fruits in the mountains had already ripened.

After a moment's thought, Zhou Ye took Lin Shu by the hand and led her in another direction. "A Shu, come with me."

As they walked, the trees thinned out and shrubs became more abundant. Suddenly, Lin Shu spotted a bush of red and black berries.

"A Ye, it's the raspberry Xiao Pu mentioned!"

Lin Shu let go of Zhou Ye's hand and happily ran over.

Raspberries ripened early, and almost all the berries on this bush had turned from yellow to red, with nearly half already dark purple, almost black.

Lin Shu first picked a red one and popped it into her mouth, then a purple-black one.

Delicious—truly sweet, sour, and juicy!

Lin Shu quickly set down her basket, unwrapped the old cloth from the prickly ash roots, and tried to tear it in half.

She thought it would be easy to rip, but after several tugs, it wouldn't budge.

A low chuckle came from beside her. When Lin Shu looked over, Zhou Ye still had a trace of a smile on his lips. "A Shu, leave this kind of rough work to me."

Lin Shu stamped her foot in frustration. Back in the day, she was a strong woman who could take down zombies with one punch, yet now she couldn't even tear an old piece of cloth.

She couldn't delay any longer—she really needed to start exercising. She didn't want to revert to being a bottomless pit, always hungry no matter how much she ate, but she also didn't want to be so delicate that she couldn't lift heavy things or tear something.

Zhou Ye, unaware of her inner shame and frustration, took the cloth and gave it a slight tug. With a rip, the large cloth tore neatly in two. He rewrapped one half around the prickly ash roots and shook the dirt off the other half before spreading it on the ground.

Then, without waiting for Lin Shu to act, he stepped forward and nimbly began picking the raspberries one by one into his hand.

His palms were large, and after filling them, he poured the berries onto the spread-out cloth. It didn't take many rounds before he had picked the entire bush clean.

Raspberry bushes were usually about half a yard tall, but this one was a bit taller, around one yard. Even the berries higher up didn't escape Zhou Ye's grasp—he picked them all.

If he were alone, he wouldn't be so greedy, but since his little wife liked them, he didn't need to ask—he could tell from A Shu's eagerness that she wanted to take all the raspberries.

"A Shu, will you be able to finish all these?" Zhou Ye asked.

In the past, when he came into the mountains, he would sometimes pick two handfuls of wild fruits to bring back to Lin Xiaopu. The last time, he hadn't picked any because he was carrying a lot after hunting a wild boar.

Lin Shu smiled, her eyes curving. "If I can't finish them, I can make jam, juice, and even wine. I have plenty of ways to use them."

Then she asked, "A Ye, have you eaten all the wild fruits in these mountains?"

Zhou Ye nodded. "I've eaten tree roots and grass roots, let alone wild fruits. But A Shu, there are also many poisonous wild fruits in the mountains. If you don't recognize them, don't pick them carelessly."

"I know, that's why I have you with me. A Ye, you know the mountains well—quick, take me to find more raspberries. Let's pick more to bring back!"

Zhou Ye, seeing her joy, felt happy himself. "Alright."

However, before they found a second raspberry bush, Zhou Ye first led Lin Shu to a prickly pear plant.

Lin Shu looked happily at the prickly pear plant. The half-yard-tall tree was densely covered with prickly pears, green and spiny. But upon closer look, she could spot about a dozen ripe yellow fruits, a few of which were golden yellow—fully ripe.

"A Shu, stay back. The prickly pear is like a sugar pot—everything from the branches to the fruit is covered in thorns. If you want to eat it, I'll pick it for you. But prickly pears are mostly sour and astringent, with very little sweetness. They don't taste good," Zhou Ye warned.

When he was hungry and foraging for wild fruits, he only ate these if he couldn't find anything else.

"Yes, yes, A Ye, I want them. I'm not afraid of sour," Lin Shu said eagerly.

Along their way, they had seen several cherokee rose plants, but it was far from the season for picking them, so they hadn't paid much attention. But the prickly pears were ready to eat.

"A Ye, be careful not to get pricked."

Zhou Ye carefully parted the prickly pear's branches and leaves, picking the golden fruits inside—seven or eight in total.

"A Shu, these prickly pears have thorns and can't be placed with the raspberries. There aren't many anyway, so you can eat them now," Zhou Ye said, using his own clothes to wrap a few prickly pears. He rubbed them to remove most of the thorns, then peeled them, split them in half, and scooped out the seeds and fuzz before handing them to Lin Shu.

Lin Shu took them, popped them into her mouth, and chewed slowly.

They were indeed sour and astringent, but she could also taste a slight sweetness. The flesh was crisp and tender, with a unique, rich aroma.

Zhou Ye, seeing her eat them without flinching, paused for a moment before peeling one for himself. One bite, and he immediately frowned at the sourness, making Lin Shu burst into laughter.

"When all the prickly pears in the mountains are fully ripe, we'll come back to pick them."

Zhou Ye looked surprised, as if asking, "Even after this, you still want to come back and pick them?"

Lin Shu was delighted. "Prickly pears aren't meant to be eaten raw. We can pick them and make prickly pear honey paste—it'll be delicious."

Zhou Ye asked, somewhat astonished, "A Shu, have you eaten these mountain wild fruits before?"

Lin Shu raised an eyebrow. "In the capital, there's nothing you can't find. I've had raspberry wine, prickly pear honey paste, cherokee rose wine, sour jujube cakes…"

Since A Ye had never been to the capital and, barring unexpected circumstances, would never go in this lifetime, she could make up whatever she wanted.

Zhou Ye believed her without doubt and asked, "Do you want to eat the remaining prickly pears?"

Lin Shu's eyes twinkled mischievously. "No, let's bring them back for Mom and Xiao Pu to eat."

Zhou Ye secretly smirked but didn't let Lin Shu see.

He tossed the remaining prickly pears directly into his basket.

"A Shu, do you still want to look for more wild fruits?"

"Yes, it's still early. Don't you want to spend more time with me?" Lin Shu took his hand, leaning against him with a sweet, charming smile.

Zhou Ye immediately enveloped her small hand in his large one.

Of course, he wanted to spend more time with A Shu, especially in these vast mountains where there was no one else—just him and A Shu. Even if they did something improper, no one would gossip.

He was only worried that A Shu might get tired.

Zhou Ye showed Lin Shu around for a long time, not venturing deeper into the mountains but rather seemed to be circling. Even so, Lin Shu was bursting with delight by everything she saw along the way.

The wild fruits found in the back hills, such as August fruit and Nanking cherries, were mostly present here, and there were even some that the back hills didn't have.

She noticed firethorn berries beginning to turn red, and also saw wild kiwi vines, wild jujubes, and hawthorns.

These wild fruits naturally couldn't compare to the large, sweet varieties cultivated in later generations—they were barely palatable raw. But they didn't have to be eaten raw; they could be used to make wine, preserves, or fruit preserves, all of which would be excellent.

As for the firethorn, A Ye said it was particularly abundant in the mountains. This plant, also called "soldier's provision," was a valuable food source during famine years.

Most thrilling of all was the wild chestnuts—Lin Shu spotted several wild chestnut trees!

However, among all these wild fruits, only the prickly pear and raspberry were ripe enough to eat; the others would have to wait.

As they walked on, Lin Shu's eyes lit up, and she suddenly pointed at a tall fruit tree in the distance, asking, "A Ye, is that a Nanking cherry?"

Zhou Ye said dismissively, "A Shu, these are sour too and not tasty."

"There must be some sweet ones. A Ye, I want to try them." Lin Shu held his arm, tilting her face up to look at him.

The Nanking cherry tree was very tall, and its fruits were generally out of reach for most people. She guessed A Ye would know how to climb it.

Zhou Ye glanced at her upturned face, hesitated for a moment, but couldn't resist. He suddenly leaned down and kissed her rosy lips.

Lin Shu's eyes widened in surprise. As soon as Zhou Ye pulled away, she covered her mouth, feigning annoyance on the surface but secretly thrilled inside. "Wow, A Ye, how dare you kiss me without my permission!"

Although she had asked A Ye to take her into the mountains to pick mushrooms with the intention of getting some alone time with him, she had assumed that someone as reserved as him would only dare to hold her hand at most. She never expected that A Ye, whom she thought wouldn't dare do anything under the bright daylight, would actually steal a kiss from her.

Well, if that was the case, he shouldn't blame her for playing the enchantress to seduce him!