Goldfield
Chapter 71: The Cute Young Man

“You mean another shepherd bag, which grows on grass and has pinnate leaves. This is what I was looking for, a kind of wild shepherd bag that grows in early spring. Although it doesn't look too good, it's actually very good. If you don't believe it, smell it. ”

Xiaocao dug up the bag of a shepherd, whose leaves were only two centimeters in size, and sent it to his nose to smell it. Sure enough, there was a refreshing scent of wild plants.

“But this kind of shepherd wallet is very small.” With his butt sticking out and humming, Little Shitou also crouches and digs wild plants.

There are many shepherd wallets in this area. It seems like in a few months there will be a white flower bed. Yu Xiaocao took the bigger one and dug nonstop while laughing, “We came a little earlier. They'll be bigger in a few days. The largest ones have leaves three to six centimeters long! Don't dig smaller ones. Let's wait until they grow bigger. ”

Along the edge of the trench, the two brothers continued to search while digging. The shepherd's purse on the river bank facing the sun had grown earlier, so their leaves turned out to be larger.

The warm spring sun gradually rises. Xiaocao and his younger brother bask in the warm sun while harvesting the first wild plants in early spring.

At the foot of the mountain, Qian Wen who had decided to sit on a rock seemed to have already lost interest in her book. Hearing Little Shitou's cheerful cry from afar, she raised her head from time to time and looked towards the two skinny figures who were tens of meters away. His heart could no longer calm down.

He simply rolled up his book, put it in his arms, and then walked towards the two brothers. The pair of sisters and brothers were so engrossed in their duties that they didn't even notice anything approaching.

Yu Xiaocao crouched down and moved forward step by step, while he was busy working with the shovel in his hand. Qian Wen approached and wondered: ‘Are there really any wild plants this time of year?’

Suddenly, Xiaocao looked at the large shepherd's wallet in front of him, so he shouted in excitement and jumped up happily. However, she did not notice Qian Wen, who was approaching from behind, and bumped into her chin with the back of her head.

Holding her own head, Xiaocao turned to see Qian Wen also holding her chin with a painful expression on her face. She felt a bit embarrassed and apologized, “Sorry, I didn't notice that you were behind me. Is that really painful? ”

When Qian Wen was struck, she accidentally bit the tip of her tongue, which caused tears to well up in her eyes. So, he hurriedly opened his eyes wide and looked towards the sky. He was afraid that he would not be able to hold back his tears and let the young girl see him cry.

It wasn't Xiaocao's fault at first, so he gracefully replied, “That's my fault. I shouldn't have gotten too close. ” He keeps breathing cool air because of the wound on his tongue. As a result, his voice sounded muffled and he had a slightly distorted expression on his face.

Yu Xiaocao chuckled and said, “None of us did it on purpose, so no one should apologize for it. Did we interrupt your reading? After we finish digging around this area, I will take Little Shitou somewhere further.

“Not necessary, not necessary! I usually go out to relax. My teacher said that there should be a proper balance between work and leisure time while studying. I'll help you dig up wild plants. ” Qian Wen lifted her cotton-coated robe and crouched down, but then realized that she did not have a shovel.

Xiaocao shook his head towards him, lowered his head to dig out the shepherd bag he had found earlier, and said, “No need. You should go back and continue reading. I'll feel guilty if you delay your studies. ”

Qian Wen smiled and said, “My teacher said that one cannot just focus on reading while studying. The Analects of Confucius says: ‘For someone who can't do physical work or distinguish rice from wheat, how are you considered a bachelorette’? ” As he spoke, he took the shovel out of Xiaocao's hand and started digging the shepherd's wallet on the ground.

“Hey, hey! Be carefull! You should stick to the ground surface when shoveling. Otherwise, the leaves will break! ” Seeing him awkwardly digging up the shepherd's wallet and destroying some in the process, Yu Xiaocao felt depressed in his heart and reminded him.

Little Shitou ran from a distance with a large amount of shepherd bags in her jacket pocket. Seeing that Qian Wen was using her brother's spade, she placed the shepherd's wallet in the basket and handed her spade to her older sister, and said, “Second Brother, you can use mine. I'm a fast runner, so I'm going home to get another one. ”

When he finished speaking, he had already run away.

Yu Xiaocao crouched down and patiently showed Qian Wen a few times. Qian Wen quickly learned how to properly dig up wild plants. The two of them squatted side by side on the edge of the trench and quietly dug up wild plants. From time to time, they were secretly conversing when one of them had dug a large one. There was a slight sense of peace and harmony between them…

A moment later, Little Shitou returned with a shovel and was followed by Qian Wu chirping. Qian Wu saw her older brother helping Xiaocao dig up the shepherd's wallet instead of reading, so she curiously asked, “Sister, why are you here? Aren't you out to read? ”

Qian Wen glanced at him and replied seriously, “I've finished reading. While working, I was able to recall the contents of the book, which was conducive to the understanding and integration of the subject. Xiaowu, didn't Mom ask you to take care of the ducks? Did you sneak out again? You better be careful because I'm gonna hit you with a broom! ”

Qian Wu was somewhat afraid of her elder brother, who was three years older than her and often acted like an old man. He shrunk his neck and said, “I've guided the duck to the pond. They will find their own food. There's nothing I can do. Oh, right! Little Shitou, what's with all the grass behind your house? ” Ah, he should change the topic immediately!

Little Shitou proudly straightened his back and said, “What grass? They are called hay, which is made of wheat straw and rice straw. They are used to keeping the vegetable fields warm! ”

“Agar vegetable fields keep warm? Did your family grow vegetables? ” Qian Wen looked at Yu Xiaocao in surprise. He instinctively felt that he was the mastermind behind this idea.

Sure enough, Little Shitou replied proudly, “True! The plants in the front yard have been planted for three or four days. This morning, when I plucked the weeds to check them out, I noticed that the seeds had sprouted! Isn't my second sister amazing? He could come up with an idea that no one else knew! ”

“Oh! They really sprout? Even the water in the barrel was still frozen at night. Are you afraid they will freeze? ” Qian Wu opened her eyes wide in astonishment. In previous years, his family had always planted seeds in late March. They should wait at least until April or May to eat fresh vegetables.

After eating radishes, cabbage, pickled vegetables, and soybean paste all winter long, Qian Wu felt saliva flow rapidly into her mouth when she thought of fresh and green vegetables.

“Does that mean your family will soon be able to get fresh vegetables?” Qian Wu felt extremely envious when she saw Little Shitou.

However, Little Shitou shook her head and said, “We can't eat it ourselves! We need to sell vegetables in the city to earn money. Second Brother said he would send me to the academy to study when we had enough money. Brother Xiaowen, if there is something I do not understand in the future, I will go ask for your help! ”

Qian Wen could not help but look at Xiaocao again as he thought about their current living conditions. The Shitou family doesn't even have enough food for now, but her older sister is still making plans for her younger brother's academic future.

Xiaocao did not have any extraordinary facial features. He had phoenix eyes, which were narrow and slightly tilted upwards. He had thin eyebrows and his nose was not very high. Her lips were fleshy, which did not meet the current aesthetic of having a small cherry-like mouth. However, the combination of these features on his palm-sized face made him appear extremely lifelike and natural.

Sensing his gaze, Xiaocao replied with a faint smile. After that, with the addition of the Qian brothers, their speed while digging wild herbs increased tremendously.

Although Xiaocao had already moved here for over half a year, he was still not used to eating twice a day. The day had just passed, but his stomach had already started rumbling from hunger. Xiaocao gripped his stomach, which was slightly cramped from hunger, and the digging speed also slowed down.

Qian Wen, who was closer to her, accidentally heard the voice. He touched the steamed bun in his arms. After a brief consideration, he quietly approached her while continuing to dig up wild herbs. When he was about half a step away from her, he took out a steamed bun and quickly put it in his hand. After that, he stood up and immediately left.

Xiaocao looked at the cloth bag in his hand, and then looked at the slender back of the young man. He opened the bag and saw a steamed bun made of wheat flour. Currently, only a few families in the village are able to eat this type of steamed bread. Aunt Qian might have prepared it specifically for her son.

He wanted to give it back, but he had already gone far. If he were to chase after her, it would be unsightly to push back and forth the steamed bread. Xiaocao thought about it for a while, then wrapped the steamed bun back up and placed it under the shepherd's wallet in the basket. He decides to find an opportunity to give it back to her on the way back.

This is not the season to dig for wild plants and the shepherd bag seedlings have not fully sprouted, so they have the advantage of not having to share with others. After digging for more than half a day, the four of them had filled two baskets. Both baskets were full and heavy.

Little Shitou and Qian Wu used the branch to lift it up and walk in front. Xiaocao leaned over to pick up the other basket, but the other hand grabbed it in front of him.

Qian Wen took the basket and smiled at Xiaocao. The shallow dimple on the side of his face was slightly visible as he said, “Let's go ..”

On the way home, they met Hunter Zhao's son, Zhao Han. He walked towards Xiaocao's house with a pheasant in his hand.

The Zhao Hunter Family had moved to Dongshan Village thirty years ago. At that time, with two-year-old Hunter Zhao, Hunter Zhao's father had built a straw barn at the foot of the Western Mountains and settled down. The registration of their household did not exist in Dongshan Village, so they naturally had no land. Fortunately, Grandpa Zhao was a skilled martial artist, so they could rely on hunting for a living.

Fifteen years ago, Grandpa Zhao suddenly left for a period of time. When he returned, he told Zhao Bufan that he had chosen a wife for him, who was Zhao Han's mother. Madam Zheng had a gentle and graceful disposition. Moreover, his attitude always revealed the upbringing of a young lady from a noble family. So everyone speculated that she might be the daughter of a fallen noble family. However, according to Xiaocao, Aunt Zhao had the agility and competence of a general's daughter.

The young Zhao Han had also learned the skills his family had passed down. Xiaocao had heard from his father that Grandfather Zhao would personally teach his son martial arts. His father also mentioned that his skills became more agile after Hunter Zhao taught him some moves.

“Brother Han, have you just returned from hunting? How was your catch today? ” Little Shitou dropped the basket in her hand and ran towards her.

As a result of practicing martial arts for so many years, the thirteen-year-old Zhao Han was much taller than his peers. Based on rough estimates, he was seen to be over 1.7 meters tall. His tanned skin looked radiant. He had a pair of long straight eyebrows that slanted upwards. His tiger-like eyes shone brightly from time to time. When compared to the fair and delicate Qian Wen, who stood beside him, they each had their own advantages. One was a scholar, while the other was a martial artist.