As soon as the sky turned white, Shen Xiu got up from the bed.
Last night she had prepared everything for going up the mountain, including a bamboo basket for carrying things, a sickle for cutting grass, a fire sickle for making fire, a piece of strong rope, and a piece of multigrain pancake. The pancake was the one she made last night.
She deliberately saved it when eating. She was going to the mountains, and it would take a whole day to go back and forth, so she had to bring some dry food.
Shen Xiu gently opened the door. At this time, the other people in the family were still sleeping soundly. She slowed down her pace as much as possible and moved gently. When she left the house, she walked towards the river she and Trini had agreed upon.
go.
She might have arrived a little early, as there was no one by the river. After waiting for a while, she saw Trini walking from a distance.
"My mother didn't allow me to go into the mountain, so I sneaked out." Trini said, groping for a while from the bamboo basket at the back, and then happily handed Shen Xiu a large white steamed bun that had just been steamed, "Today
My sister-in-law went back to her parents' house and got up early to make steamed buns. I took a few of them as dry food while she wasn't paying attention."
Shen Xiu didn't answer. She knew that Trini was the daughter of the eldest son and her family was better off than the others. Otherwise, she wouldn't be paid to embroider clothes, but she didn't want to take advantage of it. A big white steamed bun will not be worth it in future generations.
What, but it is a rare staple food in this era.
Seeing that she didn't answer, Trini forced the steamed bun into her hand, "Why are you so polite to me? At worst, you can help me pick more bluegrass after we go into the mountains."
When she said this, Shen Xiu accepted it unceremoniously. Ever since she woke up at Wei's house, every meal she had was either corn porridge or multigrain porridge. Not to mention oil and water, she couldn't even eat enough.
Now it was easy to eat this big white steamed bun. Shen Xiu felt that the steamed bun was chewy and had a strong aroma of wheat. She couldn't bear to finish it all at once, so she saved half of it to eat at noon.
Trini, however, finished a steamed bun in a few bites and then led the way, "It would be great if my second brother was at home, otherwise we can still go to the inner part of the mountain."
The mountain they were going to was the Qingning Mountain behind Weijia Village. This Qingning Mountain stretches for hundreds of miles and contains not only rare mountain treasures and herbs, but also birds and beasts.
According to Trini, her second brother had followed a hunter into the inner part of the mountain several times before and knew how to avoid those dangerous beasts. However, her second brother now went to the county town to work as a clerk and could only come back once every two months.
Shen Xiu was very interested in what Trini said about the inner circle. She had martial arts skills, so it shouldn't be a problem to avoid those beasts by herself. However, she didn't have the confidence to leave calmly with just one person, so she only followed Trini on the outer edge of the mountain.
Activity.
It is said to be on the outskirts, but because Qingning Mountain occupies a vast area, the two of them walked for an hour, only one-tenth of the distance.
Indigo grass and comfrey, which can be used as dyes, are not evenly distributed in the mountains. After searching for an hour, they only collected half a basket.
According to Shen Xiu's wishes, the search will continue. However, Trini has been spoiled since she was a child and can no longer walk.
She threw the basket aside, sat on the grass under the tree and rested for a while, then didn't want to get up anymore, "Axiu, how about we come back tomorrow!"
Trini is one year older than Shen Xiu. She doesn't want to call Shen Xiu a member of the Wei Er family like others, so she calls her A Xiu to show her affection.
Shen Xiu smiled helplessly, obviously not expecting her to be so intolerant of hardship. She said kindly: "If you work harder today, we won't come tomorrow. You don't want to make another trip tomorrow."
"But I really can't walk anymore." Trini said, "Look, I don't even have the strength to stand up."
Shen Xiu obviously didn't believe it: "Then why did you say that you followed your second brother to the inner part of the mountain on the way? Isn't the inner part farther than the outer part?"
Trini said embarrassedly: "That time I walked halfway and couldn't walk anymore. It was my second brother who carried me back, so my second brother refused to go into the mountains with me in the future."
Seeing her like this, Shen Xiu knew that she really didn't want to leave anymore, so she had to say: "Then I'll take you back. Fortunately, I have followed you to recognize a lot of plants for dyeing. I will continue to pick them when I come back.
."
Trini was eager to go back, but she was too embarrassed to ask Shen Xiu to take her home. Shen Xiu saw half-grown children collecting firewood around her from time to time, and knew that there was no danger nearby, so she did not force herself.
After Trini left, Shen Xiu actually felt a little more relaxed. Before, she was walking slowly because of the other person, so it was hard for her to walk so fast.
And she deliberately walked into the mountain. According to Trini's words, there are more bluegrass and comfrey that can be used to make dyes. If she is lucky, she can also find madder. The roots of madder can be made into dyes, which can dye
Many colors, such as purple-red, orange-yellow, and dark purple, can be dyed.
Shen Xiu was thinking that after dyeing the embroidery thread, she could help Trini embroider clothes and earn some wages. The remaining embroidery thread could be used to make simple embroidery products. If it could be sold successfully, she could also embroider clothes.
With my wages, I can almost scrape together enough money to buy embroidery needles.
She was thinking seriously and didn't pay attention to her steps. It happened that there was a tree root buried in the ground in the grass in that area. Shen Xiu didn't pay attention and almost tripped when she stepped out with her right foot.
Fortunately, she had practiced kung fu and her lower body was stable. She only leaned forward a little and quickly stood firmly again.
At this time, Shen Xiucai lowered her head to see what the thing that tripped her was. She found out that it was a tree root buried in the ground. She looked along where the root came from and saw something hidden in the grass.
Several yellow willow mushrooms.
What an unexpected surprise!
Shen Xiu carefully picked these willow mushrooms. She remembered that willow mushrooms are usually long in size. Then she searched the grass carefully and found many more in the nearby grass and willow trees.
Willow mushroom.
Although these willow mushrooms are only half a basket, they are enough for a family to eat.
With these willow mushrooms, even if you can't catch pheasants, you can still tell your family about it.
But sometimes luck can't stop it. Shen Xiu walked in for a while and heard the cries of pheasants. The cries of pheasants are different from those of domestic chickens. They are clear and loud. In this silent mountain,
It's hard not to hear it.
In the early morning, when the pheasant has just woken up, it is the most alert time of the day, and it is also the best time to catch it.
Shen Xiu tried to walk as gently as possible and slowly approached the place where the pheasants were making noises. When the distance was only ten meters away, she stopped and hid behind a thick bush.
A quarter of an hour later, two pheasants with bright feathers finally appeared in her sight.
The hearing of pheasants is very sensitive. As long as there is the slightest movement, they will be frightened and fly away. Shen Xiu did not dare to move and waited patiently until the two pheasants appeared only two or three meters away from her before leaping