The Sweet Litte Fulang (SLF)

Chapter 145 - Autumn Rice Harvest

Compared to the black-hoofed sheep with long horns, the doe in the backyard was much less aggressive. Tied up, it could do nothing but watch Lu Gu warily, unable to resist in any way.

In autumn, many trees, fruits, and grasses in the forest ripen. Whenever Lu Gu went out to dig wild vegetables or cut wolfberry branches, he would occasionally come across ripe fruits, which he brought back to eat.

Shen Xuanqing had mentioned that deer also eat fruit. So sometimes, Lu Gu picked grass for the doe, along with fruits he found in the mountains. With fruit and grass readily available, it wouldn't be hard to fatten up the doe and sell it for a good price later.

Wild animals are naturally wary of humans, and Lu Gu wasn't one to push his presence on them. Every time he fed the doe, he simply placed the fruit and grass in front of it and walked away, never lingering too long.

Since the weather was bright and sunny today, Lu Gu decided to take his basket and head into the nearby woods to collect fungi.

He and Shen Xuanqing often foraged for wild vegetables and mushrooms in the surrounding forest, so the area was already a bit picked over. After wandering around for a while, Lu Gu managed to find six edible mushrooms. It wasn't much, but it would be enough for a large bowl of autumn vegetables to stir-fry in the courtyard.

This was the way of life for those who relied on the mountains for their sustenance. The deep forests were abundant, and with few people around, there was always something to find. As long as one made the effort to search, starvation was never a real threat in such a lush environment.

The persimmon trees scattered across the mountains were thick with fruit. Bright orange persimmons hung heavily on the branches, while the unripe yellow-green ones were just as lovely to look at.

Birds perched on the branches, pecking at the soft, ripened persimmons. When Lu Gu approached, the birds scattered in a flurry, wings flapping as they flew off.

Standing on his toes, Lu Gu reached up, grabbed a branch, and pulled it down. He carefully examined the fruit, picking seven or eight good persimmons that hadn't been pecked open. Though it wasn't a lot, it would do. He thought about picking a few more, since Shen Xuanqing had been away for two days and might return today.

They also had persimmon trees at home, and Lu Gu knew that his mother had likely dried some into persimmon cakes and dried fruit for the winter.

It was a shame that the mountains were so far from home—hauling heavy loads down would be exhausting, and most of the carrying would fall on Shen Xuanqing's shoulders. Hunting was tiring enough, and Lu Gu didn't want to burden him by bringing back too much. Besides, the fruits they had at home would be more than enough to last them through the winter.

Before entering the courtyard, Lu Gu glanced toward the forest in the east out of habit, but he neither heard barking dogs nor saw anyone coming. He figured Shen Xuanqing probably wouldn't return until evening.

He didn't bother washing the fungi right away. If Shen Xuanqing didn't come home that night, the fungi could wait until tomorrow. Once he returned, Lu Gu could cook them with autumn vegetables.

He placed the persimmons in a neat row on the kitchen windowsill and picked two that were especially soft and red. He peeled them, savoring the sweet, tender flesh. The persimmons tasted as good as they looked, bringing a little happiness with each bite.

It was still early, and with dinner preparations not yet started, Lu Gu grabbed a long-handled axe and began chopping firewood in the courtyard.

As he worked, he suddenly heard someone calling, "Brother Guzi!" from a distance. At first, he thought he must have imagined it. He had been alone for so long that he figured he was just hearing things—like a dream. After all, Shen Yan was still at home.