Chapter Sixteen: Wild Chicken Eggs

  Second watch

  Lian Wulang wiped the sweat from his forehead and handed a newly woven willow basket to Lian Man'er. Lian Man'er took it and looked inside, where there was half a basket of bitter melon.

  "Are you going to pick bitter melon?" asked Lian Wan, "Why didn't you tell me? I would have gone with you."

  "Next time then, it's a bit far away." said Renigorō with a smile.

  "It's over there in the mountains, it's quite far." Lian Zhier said, "You've passed by South Mountain again?"

  Lian Wulang and Xiao Qi both laughed.

  "You guys really have big guts." Lian Zhier said.

  "South Mountain?" Where is it? Is there something scary there?

  "It's daytime, what's there to be afraid of? Even if there are ghosts, they only come out at night." said Ren Gorou nonchalantly.

  Lian Man'er suddenly remembered that when she was not fully awake, she heard He Shi say that they would throw her into the south mountain and bury her. It seems that Nan Shan is a cemetery.

  "Pick the biggest and reddest ones," Lian Wulang said to Lian Maner.

  She mentioned the bitter melon once, and Lian Wu Lang took it to heart. Half a basket of bitter melons, each one resembling a small red lantern, looked very good. Lian Man picked up a bitter melon, peeled off the thin skin that seemed to be red on the outside, and the inside of the bitter melon was already slightly red, transparent enough to see the tiny seeds inside.

  Lian Man'er actually didn't want to eat this, but thought that in her past life, in autumn, bitter melon was also on the market like other fruits and was very popular, wondering if it would sell here.

  The lotus seed is sweet and slightly bitter with a hint of sourness.

  "You guys eat too." Lian Man'er reached into the basket, "Huh, what's this?"

  At the bottom of the basket, covered by a layer of bitter gourd leaves, was a layer of large and small eggs with floral patterns.

  Lian Wulang and Xiao Qi both burst out laughing as if they had discovered a treasure.

  "Have you found bird eggs? And wild chicken eggs!" Lianzhi exclaimed with joy, poking her head over.

  "The bird eggs were picked by my brother from the tree, and the wild chicken eggs were picked up by me from the grass nest." said Xiao Qi proudly.

  "Sister, let's roast the eggs and give them to Mian'er to eat," said Lian Wulang.

  Lian Zhi'er used stones to build a simple stove on the ground, Lian Wulang and Xiao Qi went separately to pick up a pile of branches, Lian Wulang took out flint and steel from his pocket, ignited the branches, and then buried several bird eggs and wild chicken eggs in it.

  "Korō, are you still carrying your flint and steel?" Ren Branch looked at Ren Wulang.

  Lian Wulang smiled and didn't say anything.

  This morning, Zhang asked Zhou for eggs to feed Lian Man'er, but Zhou didn't agree and even scolded Zhang. Xiao Qi heard about it and told him. He then planned to take advantage of going out to dig wild vegetables to find some bird eggs for Lian Man'er to eat.

  On the south mountain, there are many trees because it is a cemetery and few people go. Lian Wu Lang took Xiao Qi with him, relying on his bravery. They really dug up a nest of bird eggs, and more fortunately, they also found several wild chicken eggs. Lian Wu Lang remembered that Lian Man Er wanted bitter melon, so he went further and picked half a basket of bitter melons to bring back to his sister.

  "Second sister, I'll give you the black persimmons, they're sweeter." Little Qi leaned in close to Lian Mian'er's side, and from behind her back pulled out a large leaf. Opening up the leaf revealed a pile of small, dark purple fruit, each about the size of a fingernail.

  Black daylily, also known as dragon lily or black girl, is green when immature and turns purple-black when mature. It's sweet and delicious but has a cold nature and slight toxicity, so it can't be eaten in excess.

  Xiao Qi picked out the largest one and put it in Lian Man Er's hand.

  "Second sister, eat." Little Seven suddenly shone with big eyes looking at Lian Miao.

  "This thing can't be eaten too much, and it definitely can't be eaten raw."

  "It's not like we can eat a lot of them anyway." Lian Wu Lang smiled. Black pears were rare in their wilderness, but there were many children who wanted to eat them. These were the ones he and Xiao Qi had finally found.

  "Second sister, don't worry, I only picked the ripe ones. Those green unripe ones are sour and not good to eat, I wouldn't dare eat them." said Little Seven.

  Lian Man'er nodded and reminded her again: "It's poisonous when it's raw, remember never to eat it."

  Xiao Qi nodded, "I remember, Second Sister."

  Lian Wan'er saw Xiao Qi watching her eat, but not eating herself. Lian Zhi'er and Lian Wu Lang also didn't eat. Guessing that Hei Tian was a rare delicacy in their eyes, she picked up two strings and handed them to Xiao Qi, then picked up another two strings for Lian Zhi'er and Lian Wu Lang.

  "Let's eat together," said Lian Man Er.

  The branches crackled with a popping sound, the sky was very dark, and several children ate slowly, eating while chatting. Even Lian Miao's eyes were filled with a smile.

  After the branches were burned out, the ashes slowly cooled down, and Lian Wu Lang used the branches to pick up several wild chicken eggs and bird eggs from the ashes.

  "It's ripe." Lian Wu Lang cracked open a wild chicken egg and said.

  The egg was still very hot, and Lian Wu Lang took a deep breath while switching hands to peel off the shell of a wild chicken egg. He also peeled two bird eggs for Lian Tian'er.

  Lian Man'er took it over, the peeled egg was still a little hot, and that heat slowly seeped from her palm into her body.

  "Let's eat together," said Lian Man Er.

  "Man Er, you eat first."

  Lian Man'er thought for a moment, compared with Hei Tianyan, these wild eggs and bird eggs should be more precious. These few children are treating her as a patient.

  "Let's eat together, you don't eat, I won't eat either." said Lian Man Er.

  Wulang and the others all burst out laughing again.

  "I knew it, Second Sister is still Second Sister, she won't change..." Little Qi said with a sly smile.

  "Me... have I changed?" Lian Man Er.

  "No...," Lian Wu Lang scratched his head, hesitating as he spoke, "Man Er, that... I don't want to rely on my uncle's influence, I don't want to go to school."

  Lian Wulang suddenly said this, and Lian Man'er listened with some confusion.

  "Second sister, I don't want to study either, I don't want to be a young master." Little Seven also said with a serious expression.

  "Man Er, I'm a big foot, in the future, marry... marrying a farmer is enough." Lian Zhier said softly with a red face.

  "What are you talking about..."

  "I didn't know that was for sale..." said Lian Zhier, Lian Wulang and Xiao Qi, as they handed over the peeled eggs in their hands to Lian Man'er.

  Lian Man'er was slightly surprised, and after thinking for a while, she suddenly realized. Perhaps Lian Zhier and the others had also heard Zhang Shi's conversation with Lian Shouxin that night, or perhaps they had learned the truth from other members of the Lian family in recent days.

  They're doing this as their way of apologizing to Lian Mian'er.

  Lian Wan'er took a deep breath, her business had nothing to do with these children, the culprits were several people from Lian's main house. In her heart, she blamed Zhang Shi and Lian Shouxin for being muddle-headed and weak, but no matter what, she would not blame Lian Zhier, Wu Lang, and Xiao Qi.

  "I know, I'm not blaming you." Lian Man'er thought for a moment before speaking. These few children were the same as her, still unable to decide their own fate.

  "Father and mother, it's not intentional, they regret it." Lian Zhier, after all, was a few years older, and girls' families were more considerate, so she spoke up for Zhang Shi and Lian Shouxin.

  This time, Lian Wan didn't nod, but instead divided the eggs and bird eggs in her hands to Lian Zhi, Wu Lang, and Xiao Qi.

  Several children ate silently.

  "If Father and Mother don't agree, let alone Uncle and Auntie, even Grandfather and Grandmother can't sell me." said Lian Man Er.

  Several children did not speak, and they also understood this truth.

  "I also know that Father and Mother didn't do it on purpose," Lian Man'er said, her words somewhat insincere, but she knew the feelings of the three children in front of her towards Zhang Shi and Lian Shouxin, so she had to say this, "But, Father and Mother, especially Mother, are too soft-hearted, that's why they were deceived and bullied."

  Lian Zhi'er, Lian Wu Lang and Xiao Qi all nodded. Although they were young, they weren't foolish and had been paying attention to the family's affairs.

  "We're all grown up," Lian Mian'er said, seeing that her words had struck a chord with the several children. "From now on, we'll help Father and Mother, not let them be cheated or bullied anymore. And also, we won't let anyone dare to sell us again."

  "Man'er is right," said Lian Wulang.

  "Second sister, I'll listen to you." Little Qi said.

  Lian Zhi'er and Lian Wu Lang both nodded.

  "Manshu, these two days, you're like a different person... not that you've completely changed, just that you've become somewhat different... it's pretty good." Lian Wulang couldn't find the right words to express himself, but Manshu still understood what he meant.

  Lian Man Er's rebellion opened a brand new door in front of several children, letting them discover for the first time that they didn't have to be like that, they could do it this way, and things could be like this.

  Lian Wan'er looked at Lian Zhier, Lian Wulang and Xiao Qi. She wanted to reform Zhang Shi and Lian Shouxin, these two big dumplings, but forgot about these little dumplings. Under the influence of Zhang Shi and Lian Shouxin, it is likely that the little dumplings will develop into big dumplings. However, she has come now, and it seems that these little dumplings have not been poisoned too deeply yet.

  She wants to first unite several small buns, lead them out of their suffering and together reform the big bun. Lian Man'er clenches her fist.

  After finishing the roasted eggs, several children cleaned up and were about to go home. Lian Man'er saw that Lian Zhi'er's wild chicken egg had not been eaten, but was carefully put into her arms.

  "Take it back for Mother to eat." Lianzhi said, "Father and Eldest Uncle can still have some good food when they go out, but Mother can't even get anything at home."

  Wu Lang and Xiao Qi both scratched their heads, they didn't think as thoroughly as Lian Zhi'er.

  "Big sister, you should have said so earlier, those two bird eggs should also be left for mother." said Wu Lang and Xiao Qi.

  "This is enough, if there's more, your mother won't want it, so you all eat it instead." Lianzhi touched Xiaoqi's head and smiled.

  At the same age of fourteen, Lian Zhi'er, although slender and weak, had already begun to exude a maternal glow all over her body, with a very elder sister-like demeanor. Lian Xiu'er and Lian Zhi'er were simply incomparable. Lian Man'er thought that Zhang Shi's children were indeed well-educated.

  The sky was still early, they were not in a hurry, and walked slowly on the field road. Xiao Qi was even more walking while catching grasshoppers in the grass by the roadside.

  Several girls came walking towards us, all of whom were about the same age as Lianzhi. One of them, wearing a red skirt, walked with a swaying gait and was particularly eye-catching.

  "Oh, Lianzhi, you guys are so early, have all come back to dig vegetables." Several girls greeted Lianzhi, but their eyes were fixed on Lianmiao, especially the one in the red skirt, who even stared at Lianmiao for a few seconds when passing by.

  "Yingzi, didn't you say Lianmeng died? I see she's still alive and well." The girls whispered to each other as they walked away.

  Lian Man'er turned her head and took a glance, the girl in the red skirt walked with sleeves slightly raised, revealing a golden bangle on her wrist.

  Golden armlets, it turns out that even vegetable diggers can be rich too.

  "Who is that wearing red clothes and also wearing a gold bangle?" asked Lian Man Er to Lian Zhi Er.

  "It's Liu Si Shu's family's Yingzi sister, she came to our home a few days ago looking for Hua Er sister, but hasn't come these past two days." said Lian Zhier.

  Isn't that Lian Hua's best friend? Did she also witness Lian Hua breaking the jade pendant? Lian Man is getting curious.

  Lian Zhi gave Lian Man a definite reply.

  "Sister, were you there that day?"

  Lian Zhi'er shook her head, Lian Hua'er was at home, except for her own sister Lian Duo'er, she only got along with Lian Xiu'er, and didn't like to deal with the others. She also found out about what happened that day later on.

  Before entering the village entrance, a horse-drawn carriage rushed out of the village.

  Lian Man'er and several children walked towards the side of the road. The horse carriage stopped in front of Lian Man'er.

  "Man Er, are you feeling better?" A young man lifted the car curtain and smiled at Lian Man Er.