Chapter 128: The Wild Apricot Grove

Having finally sent off those who came to express their gratitude, Miao Suwen, Shaoyuan, and Jiaoyan breathed a sigh of relief. The three of them tidied up the items on the table, and then Miao Suwen and Jiaoyan began to discuss medical matters.

Miao Suwen had just examined the wounds of those people and found that they were healing remarkably well. Of course, this was partly because those individuals were naturally robust, but the primary reason was the new technique they had employed, which had proven highly effective for wound closure.

"Jiaoniang, this method of yours is truly excellent. Look at their wounds—they haven't burst open, so they are healing very quickly. If we had only bandaged them as we did in the past, I fear they wouldn't have healed so easily, and the scarring would be far more severe," Miao Suwen said, clearly very satisfied with the results.

"It is also because of your medicine, Master; otherwise, it might not have had this effect. The suturing is just one part of the process. If you hadn't used the medication properly, they still would have developed infections or other complications. In that case, even with the sutures, it would have been useless and might have even worsened the infection," Jiaoyan replied sincerely.

Jiaoyan had long admired Miao Suwen’s medical skills. For such injuries, Miao Suwen had managed to completely control the infection using traditional Chinese medicine—a feat Jiaoyan found truly impressive.

"Mother, Yan’er, can you two stop praising each other? Whatever the method, as long as it cures the illness and is useful, that’s all that matters. Combining techniques and learning from each other is what’s important. As for whose method is more impressive, that’s quite boring, isn't it?" Shaoyuan finally chimed in, sighing.

The teacher and student looked at Shaoyuan and laughed. "Yes, you're right. Whatever the method, as long as it heals and helps people, that’s all that counts," Jiaoyan said with a smile.

"By the way, Yan’er, let me take you to the forest to pick wild apricots. I went into the mountains a few days ago and discovered a lot of them. They should be ripe by now. Let's go pick some and see if they’re edible. Even if they aren't, the kernels are great for medicinal use," Shaoyuan suddenly suggested with excitement.

"Wild apricots? Brother Shaoyuan, you mean there are wild apricots in these woods? Are there many?" Jiaoyan knew that wild apricots existed, but she hadn't expected to find them in the nearby forest. Wild apricots were often not very tasty and could be bitter, but the kernels were useful not only for medicine but for other things as well.

"Not just apricots, there are wild peach trees too. Didn't I tell you I’ve been running into the forest lately? I found a huge area of wild apricots and peaches not far from here, just north of the village. They cover about five or six hilltops. Don't believe me? Come and see for yourself!" Shaoyuan pointed toward the northern mountains.

Jiaoyan’s heart stirred. With so many wild apricot trees, if they bore enough fruit, she could gather plenty of kernels, which were very useful. Perhaps she should go take a look. "All right, Brother Shaoyuan, take me to see them," she agreed happily.

"No, Jiaoniang, don't listen to Shaoyuan. You are still young—only six years old. Why are you running into the woods? You saw it yourself not long ago; every time Shaoyuan goes into the mountains, he encounters wild boars or snakes. It’s too dangerous. If anything happens to you, how would I answer to your parents?" Miao Suwen suddenly stepped in, forbidding Jiaoyan from following Shaoyuan.

"Master, it’s fine. Brother Shaoyuan said it’s not far. I’ll just go take a look and be back in no time. With Brother Shaoyuan there, I won’t be afraid." Jiaoyan had already made up her mind, and Miao Suwen could hardly stop her.

Miao Suwen glared at her son. "It’s all because you have such a loose tongue. You knew Jiaoniang was curious, yet you had to go and tempt her." Knowing she couldn't dissuade the girl, she took her frustration out on her son.

"Take good care of Jiaoniang. If anything happens to her, don't blame me for breaking your legs when you get back." Mothers seemed to love making such threats, even one as doting as Miao Suwen.

Jiaoyan covered her mouth and giggled, leaving Miao Suwen helpless. "Jiaoniang, come inside first. I’ll tie up your pant legs and wrap a scarf around your head so your hair doesn't get messed up in the woods." Before long, Miao Suwen had secured Jiaoyan’s pant legs and covered her hair with a cloth.

Shaoyuan looked at Jiaoyan, who now looked exactly like a little village girl, and couldn't help but smile. "Let’s go. We’ll go take a look and come right back." He slung a small basket on his back, and together they left the Miao residence and headed into the mountains along a small path.

The Miao house was not far from the forest, and they arrived in no time. Shaoyuan was already very familiar with the area and led the way toward his discovery.

The forest floor was full of fallen branches, moss, and various shrubs. Fearing that Jiaoyan might trip, Shaoyuan reached out and held her hand as soon as they entered. "Follow me closely, don't let go, and watch your step," he reminded her.

Jiaoyan knew she was small and had to be careful, so she obediently followed his lead deeper into the woods. It took them about forty minutes to arrive at the spot.

Before them was indeed a grove of apricot trees. The purplish-red trunks stood tall, and the trees were laden with fruit. The apricots were surprisingly large, not smaller than the ones grown at home. The yellow fruits hanging from the branches were a lovely sight.

Shaoyuan, agile as a monkey, climbed a tree and shook a branch, causing the ripe apricots to rain down. "Yan’er, try one and see if it’s edible!" he called from above.

Jiaoyan picked one up, wiped it off, and took a small bite. Unexpectedly, it was sweet and tart, with no bitterness. "Brother Shaoyuan, these aren't bitter at all!" she exclaimed happily.

Shaoyuan continued to shake the branches, and the ripe fruit fell. "Don't eat too many, though. They aren't the best thing to eat, and too much will upset your stomach," he warned.

There was an old saying: "Peaches nourish, apricots harm, and plums bury the dead." It meant that one shouldn't overindulge in apricots. Jiaoyan knew this well and had no intention of eating many. Her goal was the kernels, so after tasting one, she stopped.

"Brother Shaoyuan, shake as hard as you can, the more the better. I’ll pick them up and extract the pits. We can dry them when we get back; I have a use for them," Jiaoyan called up.

Encouraged, Shaoyuan worked even harder, moving from tree to tree like a monkey.

Jiaoyan, on the ground, picked up the fruit, peeled away the flesh, and saved only the pits. "It’s such a waste of the apricot flesh. If only we could preserve them as candied fruit," she muttered. But without the means at home, the fruit would have to go to waste.

After shaking about a dozen trees, Shaoyuan stopped. Jiaoyan couldn't keep up with the volume, and he didn't want to leave her alone on the ground.

The two of them worked together and soon filled half the basket with pits. "Brother Shaoyuan, these apricots aren't bad. Why doesn't anyone come to pick them?" Jiaoyan asked, finding it strange that the local children didn't come.

"Don't you see? Most families in the village have apricot trees. When you have them at home, why run all the way to the mountains?" Shaoyuan explained. In the countryside, no one bought fruit for children, so families tried to plant a few trees near their homes.

"Besides, apricots aren't great for you. I guess most people don't want to travel this far for them," he added.

Jiaoyan nodded. That made sense. For children in the mountains, they found whatever they could to eat, and perhaps these wild apricots weren't very appealing. "Actually, these could be made into candied fruit, but we don't have honey at home, and these are a bit overripe," she whispered.

"Apricots have many uses—candied fruit, wine, and even green silk for pastries. If these trees were ours, I could think of many ways to turn them into money," she murmured while working.

"Is that all? This forest has no owner; anyone can pick them. If you want to do that, it’s easy. Next year, we’ll come earlier, and I’ll help you pick them," Shaoyuan said with a laugh, seeing no difficulty in it.

Jiaoyan shook her head. "We’d have to wait until my family splits up. Otherwise, there would be a huge fuss at home before we even earned a cent. And even if these look ownerless now, if I really manage to make something good out of them, someone is bound to cause trouble."