The next morning, after breakfast, Gu Wan’er tugged at Li Xingyue, eager to go up the mountain again.
It seemed the girl had truly gotten addicted to gathering medicinal herbs.
What Li Xingyue hadn’t expected, however, was that this time Zhou Shi also wanted to come along.
Well, it made sense—earning a few hundred wen in a day would excite anyone.
But finding herbs on the mountain wasn’t always guaranteed.
Li Xingyue decided to let the mother and daughter go together while she stayed home to make shampoo and body wash.
Gu Wan’er, however, refused, insisting that Li Xingyue come along.
Li Xingyue had no choice. So the three of them—Zhou Shi, Gu Wan’er, and Li Xingyue—set out for the mountain, taking little Yan’er and Xiao Teddy with them.
The weather was warming day by day. On the slopes, many dandelions had sprouted, and at this time, they were especially tender and fresh.
Li Xingyue quickly dug up a good amount. She remembered eating dumplings filled with eggs and dandelions in her past life and had found them delicious. She wanted to try making some tonight.
Zhou Shi also smiled, saying, “These dandelions are really useful—they can be used as medicine and also for cooking.”
As they chatted, they continued up the mountain.
Spring wasn’t the best season for herbs. After searching for a long time, they only found a single astragalus root.
Zhou Shi was losing patience. There was still so much work at home, and since she didn’t recognize herbs anyway, she was eager to return.
Li Xingyue suggested, “Mother, we can also gather some bamboo shoots to take home. Bamboo shoot stir-fried with meat is very tasty.”
Zhou Shi scoffed, “All you think about is food. Stir-fried with meat—what wouldn’t be good?”
Li Xingyue was speechless. She no longer cared to cater to this old lady and said simply, “If you don’t want to dig, then go back first.”
Zhou Shi snorted and said, “Alright, Wan’er, let’s go home.”
Gu Wan’er didn’t want to return; they hadn’t collected much today.
“Mother, you go back first. I want to gather some bamboo shoots,” she said with a smile.
Seeing her daughter following her daughter-in-law like a shadow, Zhou Shi was furious. She reluctantly descended the mountain with an empty basket.
Li Xingyue and Gu Wan’er, accompanied by little Yan’er and Xiao Teddy, headed toward a bamboo grove.
The grove was large, and the bamboo shoots were particularly tender this season, though small in size.
Li Xingyue decided to dig only a little, letting the rest grow for a few more days.
After filling half a basket, they left the grove.
Xiao Teddy ran ahead, cheerful as ever.
Suddenly, Xiao Teddy barked loudly. Li Xingyue tensed and quickly pulled Gu Wan’er and little Yan’er behind her.
Upon closer inspection, they found a small wild rabbit with its leg tangled in vines.
Little Yan’er’s eyes lit up. “Mommy, the little rabbit is so pitiful.”
Li Xingyue squatted to examine the wound. It was only a superficial scrape. She carefully untangled the rabbit and lifted it into her arms.
Little Yan’er looked worried. “Mommy, will the rabbit bite you?”
Li Xingyue shook her head with a smile. “Rabbits don’t bite easily. Let’s take it home and care for it.”
Little Yan’er clapped her hands happily.
As they continued down the mountain, passing a fallen tree, Xiao Teddy whimpered, reluctant to move on.
Gu Wan’er’s sharp eyes spotted a wild chicken nest beneath the tree.
“Big sister, big sister! More wild eggs!” Gu Wan’er called excitedly.
Li Xingyue went over and found five wild eggs in the nest.
Looking up, they noticed a dense patch of black fungus nearby.
Li Xingyue called to Gu Wan’er, and they hurried to collect the fungi.
Climbing the trees, they picked the somewhat dry fungus with their hands. In no time, they had filled half a basket.
Gu Wan’er was delighted with their haul; they could sell these at the market for a good sum.
They carefully placed the eggs in their basket, held the rabbit, and continued down the mountain with little Yan’er and Xiao Teddy.
Back home, Zhou Shi saw their bounty and smiled broadly.
Li Xingyue spread the fungus on a winnowing tray to dry, so it could be stored longer.
Gu Wan’er set up a cage for the rabbit, assigning little Yan’er the responsibility of feeding it.
Zhou Shi continued sewing at home, while Li Xingyue planned to make dandelion and egg dumplings for lunch.
She blanched the dandelions and chopped them finely.
Eggs were fried in lard and chopped.
Mixing the dandelions with the eggs and a pinch of salt made the dumpling filling, though they lacked MSG or flavor enhancers.
Li Xingyue prepared the dough, let it rest, rolled it out, and Gu Wan’er helped shape the dumplings.
Soon, small, delicate dumplings covered the table.
When the water boiled, they cooked the dumplings. They floated like little white boats in the pot.
Once done, Li Xingyue served them, and everyone sat down to taste.
Little Yan’er took a bite, eyes wide with delight. “Mommy, these dumplings are so delicious!”
Gu Wan’er and Gu Qishan praised them endlessly.
Even Zhou Shi, unusually, didn’t scowl.
After all, the dandelions and eggs were gathered by Li Xingyue and her daughter; Zhou Shi could hardly hide her satisfaction.
After lunch, Li Xingyue decided to make something else with the leftover dandelions. She remembered that dandelion is also a medicinal herb and could be made into tea to clear heat.
She washed and dried the dandelions, cut them into small sections, and lightly roasted them over low heat. Soon, a faint, refreshing aroma filled the room.
Once cooled, she stored the roasted dandelions in a jar.
Li Xingyue brewed a cup of dandelion tea. The flavor was light, refreshing, and quite pleasant.
That evening, before bed, she soaked the medicinal herbs she had bought from the town pharmacy overnight, preparing to make shampoo and body wash the next day.
The process would take a long time. The next morning, after breakfast, she fetched a clay pot and began slowly simmering the herbs.
Gu Wan’er, curious about her sister-in-law’s creations, no longer insisted on going up the mountain. She helped add firewood and asked questions along the way.
Li Xingyue explained that the shampoo would make hair darker and softer, while the body wash would leave skin smooth and delicate.
Gu Wan’er looked at her in awe. She couldn’t wait to try it once it was ready.
Zhou Shi continued sewing in her room, hearing Li Xingyue and her daughter chatter in the kitchen.
The scent of herbs wafted out, so she paid little attention.
By noon, Gu Wan’er brought a few roasted potatoes, mashed with sugar, to tide them over.
Li Xingyue and Gu Wan’er had not left the kitchen, and the fire burned steadily.
Curious, Zhou Shi peeked into the kitchen and saw the herbs still simmering.
“Oh my! How much firewood is being wasted?” she thought.
This wasn’t for eating or drinking! Buying the herbs and simmering them for hours—how much time and money wasted!
Her chest heaved in frustration. This daughter-in-law couldn’t go a day without causing trouble.
She pointed at Li Xingyue, about to scold her.