Chapter 51: Chapter 51 Prefers the Evening Chapter 51: Chapter 51 Prefers the Evening Although Bai Fei and Grandpa said it was delicious, the taste did not satisfy Bai Zhi; the heat was not right.
So, she needed to continue experimenting to discover the best heat level, as practice makes perfect. In fact, there are no shortcuts in cooking; mastery comes with practice.
When Bai Zhi was making the last pot, Bai Fei returned with an especially large watermelon and placed it directly on the table.
“This is from our own garden, remember to eat it with Second Grandpa. I’ll rest for a bit, and then we’ll head to the mountains. I’ve already made them wait for us. Otherwise, if I’m late, there’ll be nothing left.”
Although the adults didn’t have much time to go to the mountains because they needed to farm, bamboo shoots were a valuable find, and some people even cooked and sold them.
“Alright, this is the last pot. Once it’s done, we’ll leave. I’ll fry some more eggs with chives and make dumplings. We can eat them when we get to the mountain.”
Bai Zhi worked quickly. Opening the lid for the last time, the pot looked better, the color was improved, and she served a bowl directly in front of Bai Fei.
Bai Fei swallowed, puzzled whether to eat or not, as Bai Zhi had already filled up.
She was about to ask, but Bai Zhi had already started making the egg and chive dumplings.
Better eat, she thought, otherwise Bai Zhi might be upset. She finally found a perfect excuse—it wasn’t that she wanted to eat, but she was afraid that Bai Zhi would be sad. What if Bai Zhi cried if she didn’t eat?
So, it truly wasn’t her desire to eat. Bai Fei put the last dumpling in her mouth, and Bai Zhi finished making them.
Egg and chive dumplings were exceptional because not many were willing to use eggs for dumplings when they could be sold for money. Hence, these dumplings were quite a treat for many children.
It wasn’t that Bai Zhi was stingy, and it certainly wasn’t just the two of them eating on the mountain. By then, several children would be there. If only they ate while others watched, wouldn’t that be awkward?
So, the egg and chive dumplings were indeed excellent.
Bai Zhi took the bamboo basket Baidan had prepared for her, opened the lid, and put in two boxes of dumplings, thirty in each—an ample amount. She then took a water bottle and a cup of water.
Lastly, she packed the basket along with everything, grabbed the potatoes she had roasted in the stove hole in the morning, and was ready to go.
Bai Fei was astounded. Their mountain trip seemed less about gathering bamboo shoots and more like a spring outing; they usually carried at most two eggs, while others might bring just a bun.
As the two girls closed the door and turned around, they saw the group pet a short distance away, hesitating and wanting to say something but stopping.
And Bai Yu with a dark face, looking like they owed him tens of thousands.
Bai Fei stood defiantly in front of Bai Zhi, wary of them. Her confidence was soaring; feeling capable enough to fight monsters, fighting people seemed within reach.
Bai Zhi’s gaze turned nearby—people were working in the fields; any physical altercation would be noticed, and she was just a pitiful girl.
No fighting then, what a pity.
“Let’s go, cousin, or Heizi and the rest won’t wait for us.”
Might as well let them off for now and give them a little surprise tonight.
“Yeah, yeah, you’re right.”
Bai Fei nodded vigorously, knowing this was most important, and pulled Bai Zhi along.
The two walked past them without even a momentary glance.
But to the group pet, that was a sign of her sister being too heartbroken to even look their way, so she quickly grabbed Bai Yu’s hand.
Bai Yu frowned; coming here was already a compromise. Was he expected to initiate conversation? He couldn’t manage that.
But then, thinking of the stinking pigsty at home and the untouched pile of laundry, he had to psych himself up again.
Everyone must endure some hardships before success, like now, he must apologize to Bai Zhi.
“Bai Zhi, wait a moment, I have something to say to you.”
Bai Yu frowned again, ultimately unable to force himself to continue.
He was waiting for Bai Zhi to speak first, so that he could scold her and then make her apologize,
but he had waited quite long.
Still, there was no response.
Did Bai Zhi really think she was all that?
“Xixi, she…”
“Brother, Sister has already walked far away.”
The group pet pouted, not quite understanding why Sister pretended not to see them.
Did she really hate her that much?
Tears welled up in the group pet’s eyes, and she felt immensely sad, her voice growing weak and listless.
“???”
Bai Yu looked up and saw Bai Zhi and Bai Fei had already climbed up a hill and were heading further up?
Ignoring him completely.
“Bai Zhi is going too far!”
Bai Yu felt his self-esteem trampled, and he was incredibly angry.
“Brother, will Sister really not forgive me?”
The group pet was very upset, especially distressed, thinking that everyone in the family liked and welcomed her, only to be disliked so by her sister.
“Brother, maybe I shouldn’t have come to this family; then you’d still be a family. Still happy together, Sister wouldn’t have been so upset and wouldn’t have left home.”
Bai Yu gently took the group pet’s hand and tenderly looked into her eyes.
“Not at all, we don’t know how happy we’ve been since your arrival. Before, our life was just stagnation…”
…
Bai Zhi didn’t have the time to argue with them; she actually preferred the nighttime.
Bai Zhi and Bai Fei were frequent mountain climbers; they walked quickly and reached the appointed place in half an hour.
The other children had already arrived, each carrying a basket and a sickle, determined to gather a lot of bamboo shoots today.
Bamboo shoots are a great choice whether stir-fried or braised.
So, Bai Zhi was actually salivating a bit.
While the other children carried empty baskets, Bai Zhi carried many things without seeming to feel it.
After about three hours of walking, they finally reached the mountaintop where the Bamboo Shoot Forest was located, housing the July shoots, which, as the name implies, are only available in July.
This was also the highest place in the mountains, offering a view of nearby clouds that seemed close enough to touch.
Looking down, the village became tiny, showing only roofs. It was breathtakingly beautiful.
“Bai Zhi, what are you still looking at? Come over here quickly. Do you know how to snap them off? I’ll teach you.”
Bai Fei had already started snapping bamboo shoots, one by one, about as thick as two fingers. After peeling, the largest diameter was only about five or six centimeters, but the flavor was extraordinary.
The bamboo shoots at that moment had just emerged. Thus, they were very tender as Bai Zhi and Bai Fei continued to snap. They accumulated a pile on the ground, and when there was a big heap, they sat down, along with a sickle to start peeling.
With a single cut, they sliced an opening, then, using their hands and fingers, they kept twisting, and the bamboo shoot peel would end up all over their hands, revealing the tender bamboo shoots beneath.