Mrs Miao secretly speculated that this scoop of rice should be at least four jin(or 4x500g) or it could have also been five jin(2.5kg). Mixed with vegetables, sweet potatoes and the like, it’s enough for the couple to eat for the next two weeks.
Only leading the way, and you can get this much rice. Only a fool wouldn’t do it.
"How about this," Mrs Miao thought for a bit: "Tomorrow, I will make a trip to your uncle and aunt’s home with the both of you in order to let them know. After all, it’s such a long trip, and you’ll be heading into a large forest. It’s better to let the adults at home know.
Lian Fang Zhou and Lian Ze looked at each other. Neither of them thought that Mrs Miao would say that.
They knew Mrs Miao’s intention about greeting the adults to obtain consent. In case anything happened, they can explain everything clearly.
Lian Fang Zhou could understand Mrs Miao’s misgivings.
However, this was uncle and aunt; needing to give greeting to that couple, this –
Lian Fang Zhou didn’t know what to say.
It must be mentioned that although the siblings and the couple are not on friendly terms with each other as Lian Li and Mrs Qiao bully them fiercely, outsiders don’t catch a wind of it. This is because after all, their quarrels never broke out into public.
But even so, the fact is Lian Li and Mrs Qiao can’t be considered as their elders – at least the siblings don’t treat them as elders.
If they had the appearance of elders, then when the Hua Family came several times to bully them, they would have stood up to protect them or at least said a single fair word.
To have these kinds of people, that happen to be their "elders" in the eyes of outsiders, make decisions for them? Lian Fang Zhou could only snort in her heart.
Lian Ze became anxious, just when he was about to speak, Lian Fang Zhou lightly pulled his sleeve. She nodded and smiled as she said, "Great, then Aunt Sun tomorrow call on me, and we’ll go to my aunt’s to let them know."
Lian Fang Zhou had readily agreed.
"OK, then now it’s settled!" Mrs Miao felt slightly relieved, and also candidly smiled as she nodded.
Sun Zhang Xing then said, "You really did come at a good time. The day after tomorrow, if the weather is good, I was planning to go on a trip to forest!"
"Really? That’s really great! Our luck isn’t bad!" Lian Fang Zhou’s eyes lit up as she spoke.
"Haha, who says it isn’t!" Sun Zhang Xing also started laughing.
Seeing that matters have been discussed, Lian Fang Zhou and Lian Ze took their leave.
Lian Fang Zhou left the rice behind with reluctance.
Mrs Miao was joyful at first, followed by a little hesitation and said, "This – not right, your aunt, we don’t know if she will agree or not to let you go … …"
"How would she not agree!" Lian Fang Zhou smiled, using a carefree tone and said, "Uncle Sun isn’t an untrustworthy person, and us siblings are not without sense, so how could aunt disagree!" "
Lian Fang Zhou without any explanation, gently rested the melon scoop on the table, saying "Put it here for now!"
"Haha, then … … Haha!" Mrs Miao rubbed her hands; her words of refusal were pushed back into her throat, as she became a bit speechless.
Lian Fang Zhou also did not give her the opportunity. She smiled as she took her leave, pulling Lian Ze along.
"Sister." On the road, Lian Ze worriedly asked, "Would Aunt really agree? She treats us -"
Lian Fang Zhou thought about it thoroughly, and coldly said, "That is why she’ll agree, Hmph, possibly in her heart she’ll wish something will happen to us in the middle of it!"
Lian Ze’s chest tightened, his face changing a bit. His eyes looking at Lian Fang Zhou expressed his emotions quite clearly, what if –
"Don’t worry," Lian Fang Zhou faintly smiled toward him, saying "We will definitely come back perfectly fine!"
He did not know why, but when Lian Ze heard her tone filled with certainty and saw her faint mood, his heart settled down.
"I believe in my sister," he said softly.
Just like Lian Fang Zhou expected, the next day she and Mrs Miao knocked on the door of Lian Li’s home. She pleasantly smiled as she talked about this matter to Mrs Qiao. Mrs Qiao was surprised for a moment, and then gently harrumphed. With neither a salty nor bland tone, she replied, "Where you go to is your own business. Do as you like. Everything is fine and you come and ask me for what? "
Mrs Miao wanted to say something, but Lian Fang Zhou already interjected, "Since Aunt said this then we don’t have worry.Rest assured! Aunt Sun, let’s go!"
Mrs Miao froze; then she suddenly thought of some rumors she occasionally heard, and coupled with the lack of sleep she had after they so happily accepted the rice last night, she half-heartedly let Lian Fang Zhou pull her away.
Anyway she has greeted the elders of the Lian Family!
Mrs Miao thought in her heart.
Because the next day they had to walk along such a long mountain road, that day Lian Fang Zhou and Lian Ze didn’t go anywhere and stayed at home to rest. Lian Zhou also instructed Lian Che and Lian Fang Qing how they should be at home.
The next day, when it was still not bright outside, Lian Fang Zhou and Lian Ze had already gotten up.
After opening the door, the morning cold chill blew in, seeping into their bone marrow. They hastily started the fire, ate something, and took the sacks they prepared last night for the outing.
Yesterday Lian Fang Zhou asked Sun Zhang Xing, what kind of things did they need to bring, such as dry food, water and the like?
Sun Zhang Xing unrestrainedly waved his hand, answering "No need! The mountains have the cleanest spring water. And during this season, there’s a lot of wild fruit; mountain herbs aren’t scarce. What need is there to carry dry food?"
Even with that being said, Lian Fang Zhou still felt afraid that, since it’s the first time the siblings are going unlike Sun Zhang Xing, not eating something to suppress the hunger, might inhibit them from carrying on.
Coupled with the fact that the two of them weren’t familiar with Mount Xian Teng and still needed to ask Sun Zhang Xing a lot, in order to prevent his impatience, they gotta bribe is that not right?
There is a way to make people’s mouth soft by eating. Lian Fang Zhou doesn’t believe that after eating their family’s food, he won’t answer their questions.
As a result, she gritted her teeth and made five boiled eggs, and used bamboo leaves to wrap three rice dumplings up. She left two eggs for Lian Fang Qing and Lian Che. Then she carefully packed the remaining three and the rest of the rice dumplings in a clean cloth.
Before going out of the house, Lian Fang Zhou gently woke up Lian Che and Lian Fang Qing and said a few words. Afterwards, she went out together with Lian Ze.
These two children were lovable. Even with half-squinting sleepy eyes, they still knew to say "sister and second brother come back early."
At the east, the white color of fish belly have yet to appear; the dark blue sky was so blue that it was exceptionally clear, with a clean desertedness stars that seemed to be suspended in the ice.
In the sky, one star looked particularly bright. That was the morning star.
The siblings used the weak starlight to go to the village entrance where Sun Zhang Xing’s home was located. From afar they could see his house with a dim light shining within the hut.
"Uncle Sun!" Lian Fang Zhou and Lian Ze happily greeted him as they stepped forward.
"Oh, you have come!" Sun Zhang Xing laughed with a ‘haha’ and gave them a nod, saying "I was just talking about it, and you came! Let’s go. We’ll set off!"