After her husband died, her parents came to force her to remarry

Jiang Xiaohe looked in the direction of the voice. Wasn’t it Xiaohua who had spoken for her earlier?

She was carrying a basket filled with wild vegetables. Jiang Xiaohe looked around but didn't see anyone else. She frowned.

"You went into the mountains alone?"

Xu Xiaohua nodded.

Jiang Xiaohe walked over and asked: "Where are your parents? Are they comfortable with you going into the mountains alone?"

When talking about her parents, Xu Xiaohua just forced a smile and said, "I don't have a father or a mother, I only have a grandmother, but my grandmother is old now and can't walk on the mountain road."

After hearing what she said, Jiang Xiaohe immediately wanted to slap herself in the face. How could she have forgotten about this?

It is said that Xu Xiaohua here is also a poor person. Her father was hit to death by a stone while doing labor service, and then her mother ran away with a peddler. Her uncle and aunt couldn't stand her, so they separated the family. Her grandparents followed her because she was young, thinking that they could just raise her. But her grandfather passed away two years ago, leaving only her and her grandmother.

In the past, her grandmother could help the rich families in the town to wash clothes and earn some money. Now she is old and can't move, and the family depends on this little girl. Children of her age in the village either go up the mountain to hunt birds or go down to the river to fish all day long. Only she spends all day looking for food in and out of the village.

Her uncle didn't care about them, but when he couldn't bear to see it anymore, he just scooped out some food for them, as long as they were not starving to death.

The girl looked at her and said, "Auntie, are you hungry? There is a wild fruit tree in front of us. The fruits on the tree are very sweet. I will take you there."

Jiang Xiaohe shook her head slightly: "I just want to try this."

Xu Xiaohua shook her head: "This is really not tasty. It will make my teeth sour."

Jiang Xiaohe climbed up the tree. This tree-climbing skill was a skill she acquired from growing up in the mountains in her previous life.

Seeing that Jiang Xiaohe didn't listen to her, Xu Xiaohua thought that Jiang Xiaohe disliked her, so she turned around and prepared to leave silently.

Jiang Xiaohe stopped her and said, "Xiaohua, help your aunt pick it up down there."

Xu Xiaohua turned around and smiled: "Okay!"

Jiang Xiaohe picked one, peeled it, and put it in her mouth. She grimaced at the sour taste and her teeth fell out.

But this is exactly what she wants, sour jujube! And now it is July, the time when sour jujube is ripe.

Jiang Xiaohe stood on the tree and shook. Xu Xiaohua poured out the wild vegetables in her basket and used the basket to help Jiang Xiaohe pick them up.

After coming down from the tree, Xu Xiaohua asked Jiang Xiaohe, "Aunt, these fruits are so sour, do you want to pick them up and eat them too?"

Jiang Xiaohe bent down and picked some up from the bushes herself: "It's really sour if you eat it this way, but it can also be used to make delicious food."

Xu Xiaohua smiled and didn't dare to ask more questions.

After picking up a basket, Jiang Xiaohe went to get her own backpack, wrapped the wild sweet potatoes with banana leaves, put all the sour dates into the backpack, and then placed the banana leaves wrapped with the wild sweet potatoes on top.

Xu Xiaohua gave her another handful of wild vegetables: "Aunt, take it back and eat it."

Jiang Xiaohe was not polite and asked her again: "Where is the sweet fruit you mentioned? Take aunt to see it?"

Xu Xiaohua nodded, and Jiang Xiaohe followed her. After walking a little deeper into the mountains, Xu Xiaohua pointed at the fruit hanging on the vine and said, "Auntie, this is it!"

As soon as Jiang Xiaohe saw the fruit, a smile appeared on her face. This was not a fruit grown on a tree; it was clearly a fruit growing on a vine!

This is grapes!

Are you kidding! In her time, grapes were introduced to the Central Plains from the Western Regions. She never thought that there would be such things in the mountains in this era.

Jiang Xiaohe picked two and put them in her mouth. They were indeed very sweet.

"Is it delicious, auntie?" Xu Xiaohua also picked a small bunch, held it in her hand, and started eating it.

Jiang Xiaohe nodded and asked her: "Xiaohua, do you know what kind of fruit this is?"

Xu Xiaohua shook her head: "I don't know. I also found it last year when I went up the mountain to find food. Besides here, there are many more in front, but...but I dare not go." When she went there before, there was a big snake coiled on the tree in front, staring at her hungrily, so she didn't dare to go!

Jiang Xiaohe didn't ask any more questions: "These are grapes!"

"Grape?"

Jiang Xiaohe nodded, looked down and saw that their baskets and backs were full of things, and said, "It's noon now, Xiaohua, do you want to make some money?"

Xu Xiaohua nodded first, then lowered her head and said, "But I'm too young and can't make any money." Even when she took the wild vegetables she picked to the town to sell, no one bought them.

Jiang Xiaohe patted her head and said, "Auntie will take you to earn money. Let's go back and have lunch, and then go into the mountains together in the afternoon."

"Aunt, are you serious? Are you really going to help me make money?" Xu Xiaohua's eyes lit up.

Jiang Xiaohe nodded, thinking that it was a way of repaying Xu Xiaohua for helping her before.

"Let's go back first, but don't tell anyone about this."

"Can't you tell grandma?"

"Your grandma can't tell either!"

Xu Xiaohua nodded seriously.

After going down the mountain, the two separated.

When Jiang Xiaohe got home, she saw Wang Qiuxia standing outside the yard waiting anxiously. When she saw her, she felt relieved: "Why did you take so long?"

After entering the yard, Wang Qiuxia took her backpack, only to see that it was full of things.

Jiang Xiaohe smiled and said, "I have been delayed in the mountains for a long time, but mother, I have found some things that can be used to earn money."

Wang Qiuxia brought her some water and said with a smile, "Okay, okay."

Jiang Xiaohe washed her face and asked, "Where's Dad?"

"Your father went to work. As soon as you left, Daniu came back and said that they were short of manpower in the quarry, and the boss asked him to come back and call some more people to work. Your father happened to be with your second uncle, so he followed him."

Jiang Xiaohe frowned: "Is Dad in good health? This quarry is very tiring."

Wang Qiuxia smiled and reassured her: "When Dashan was here, your father would go there occasionally. Don't worry, it's okay!"

Since she said so, Jiang Xiaohe naturally couldn't say anything else.

After eating corn porridge at noon, Jiang Xiaohe prepared to go out.

"Mom, I still have to go into the mountains. You can pick up the wild sweet potatoes in the basket and just take care of Chuan'er at home."

Wang Qiuxia shook her head: "I am worried about you going into the mountains alone. I will leave Chuan'er at your second aunt's house and ask Da Niu to help take care of him. I will go with you."

Jiang Xiaohe thought about it and agreed.

He took Wang Qiuxia into the mountains from another road and met up with Xu Xiaohua.

Xu Xiaohua also carried a small backpack.

"Wait for a long time?"

Xu Xiaohua shook her head and called Wang Qiuxia, "Grandma Wang."

Wang Qiuxia looked at Jiang Xiaohe, who just smiled and said, "Let's go!"

The three of them walked towards the mountains.

Straight to the place where there are grapes.

"Mom, Xiaohua found these grapes. We can take them to the town to sell them tomorrow. Xiaohua will come with me then. We will split the money from the sales between our two families."

When Wang Qiuxia heard her say this, she naturally would not object.

Jiang Xiaohe picked the ripe grapes and filled a basket with them. She thought it was a bit ostentatious, but then she remembered that Xu Xiaohua's home was at the foot of the mountain, so she could just carry the grapes directly to her home when the time came.

After picking up a basket of fruits, Jiang Xiaohe looked towards the deep mountain that Xu Xiaohua mentioned. She wanted to go and take a look, but Wang Qiuxia didn't allow her to do so: "There are big insects in our mountains!"

Jiang Xiaohe thought about it and decided, forget it, there’s no rush. Besides, there are already so many, enough to sell tomorrow.

He carried the grapes to Xu Xiaohua's home and told her, "Let's set out early tomorrow morning to go to the town."

Xu Xiaohua nodded seriously.

After leaving Xu Xiaohua's house, the two took a detour and prepared to take the old road to get some wild sweet potatoes back.

As soon as Wu Youhua saw them, she immediately followed them with the basket.

"I'll go to the mountains to pick some wild vegetables, too."