izi asked happily, "Juhua, do you think we should braise this snake, or stir-fry it like an eel?"
Juhua said with a grin, "This snake... if you could just catch a wild pheasant, we could stew them together in one pot. It’s called ’Dragon and Phoenix Soup’."
Liu Xiaoi said, "That shouldn’t be too hard. Spring is when wild pheasants lay their eggs. We might just stumble upon one laying an egg. If we all surround it, we could probably catch it."
Lanzi burst out laughing. "You make it sound way too easy! It’s not even that simple to catch a chicken at ho. Do you think it’ll just stand there and wait for you to grab it?"
Despite her teasing, Juhua’s suggestion had piqued everyone’s interest. Liu Xiaoi smashed the snake’s head to a pulp before she dared to tie it up with so grass and toss it into a burlap sack. Then, the group began searching for bamboo shoots and a pheasant simultaneously, a sight that made Juhua chuckle.
But they were only children and not very strong. Though their harvest was bountiful, dragging half a sack of bamboo shoots while weaving through the undergrowth left Juhua panting for breath. Sweat stread down her forehead, soaking the kerchief covering her face until it clung uncomfortably to her skin. Still, she didn’t dare take it off. In these woods, there were too many thorns and briers; the kerchief offered at least a little protection.
She spotted Yan weaving a crown from rhododendron branches and placing it on her head, and couldn’t help but smile. ’What a little girl who loves to be pretty.’ Shorty Zhou’s daughters, Xiu and Cui, were quiet and shy, but they were by no ans slackers when it ca to work.
The two of them had snapped off a good number of shoots. Since they were carrying them in a basket, it was awkward to walk with it slung over an arm. They had to constantly push branches aside with their free hands, and the thorny briers were making a complete ss of their hair!
Seeing them, Juhua felt her own hair; it was a ss too. She glanced up at the sun and called out to izi and the others, "Shouldn’t we be heading back? It’s getting late. Aren’t you all hungry?" The main reason was that if they picked any more, she wouldn’t be able to carry them.
Lanzi quickly called to her two younger sisters, then said to izi and Liu Xiaoi, "Let’s head back. This is about enough; if we pick any more, we won’t be able to carry it all. Let’s go that way. I rember there’s a toon tree over there. We can pick so to take ho and toss in a salad."
Juhua was overjoyed. "There’s really a toon tree?" she asked eagerly. "How co my mom never told about it?"
Lanzi smiled. "That I wouldn’t know. My dad always picks so to bring ho every year. Can you carry all that? Here, let help you!"
She saw how Juhua’s tiny fra was struggling under the weight of the large burlap sack—which was full of bamboo shoots—so she stepped forward to help her.
Juhua didn’t bother with pleasantries and gratefully let her help carry the sack out of the dense woods.
On their way down the mountain, they ca across a grave mound. A few particularly large and thick bamboo shoots were growing beside it and even on top of it—no doubt because the soil was so fertile. Juhua promptly went over and snapped them off.
izi and Lanzi were horrified. They rushed to stop her, their faces pale. "You can’t pick those! They’ll get angry!"
Juhua said, puzzled, "Whose family is this? How would they know I picked their shoots? And even if they did, what’s the big deal? They’re just a few wild bamboo shoots."
Li Jinxiang said fearfully, "It’s not the living who’ll know. The one inside will know and get angry." She pointed a finger at the grave mound.
Seeing their expressions of fearful reverence, Juhua laughed. "I’m not being disrespectful; I just picked a shoot." She then addressed the grave directly. "Please don’t be offended, elder. This wild bamboo is growing right on your doorstep, making the place look overgrown, right? Now that I’ve picked the shoot, it won’t grow any bigger."
When the others saw her muttering to the grave mound, they wanted to laugh but didn’t dare. Liu Xiaoi quickly pulled her away. Only when they were a good distance from the grave did they all scold her in unison for her audacity, telling her she shouldn’t have picked shoots from a grave mound.
Seeing that it was impossible to reason with them, Juhua had no choice but to promise she would never pick bamboo shoots from a grave again.
After leaving the woods, near the edge of the new plot of land Juhua’s family had cleared, but still before the base of the mountain, there was indeed a toon tree, just as Lanzi had said.
Staring at the tender red toon leaves on the high branches, izi quickly set down her basket. She looked up and asked, "How are we supposed to get those down? Don’t tell we have to climb the tree like a boy?"
Everyone looked at one another, at a loss. The tree wasn’t actually that tall, but none of them could reach the branches. And if they tried to climb it, the limbs probably wouldn’t be able to support their weight.
Juhua’s stomach was starting to ache with hunger. "Let’s just have my brother co get them later," she said. "I’ll give you all so when he does. I’m starving. Let’s just go ho."
Once they reached the flat ground at the foot of the mountain, the path was clear of thorny undergrowth, making it much easier to walk. Everyone finally relaxed. The group of girls started grinning and comparing who had picked the most shoots. A single glance was enough to see that Juhua’s burlap sack was the fullest.
User Comments
0 comments from readers