Farmhouse Green Plum

Touching her purse, Daya poked her head out from the bushes. In addition to the silence of the pine forest slope in winter, there was also a sense of decay.

Here, there were only two six-year-old girls who looked exactly the same scraping pine needles. They were wearing thin, worn cotton jackets, and their faces were red from the cold. After scraping with the rake for a while, they had to stop and rub their hands and blow out air to keep warm.

Daya crouched down, took advantage of the bushes and terrain to avoid this side, and went to the place where they were going to shave pine needles today.

Seeing her, Lai Di's eyes lit up and she asked anxiously, "How is it?"

Song Yuan swallowed and ran towards her: "Sister, you are finally back!"

Daya was startled by his loud voice and subconsciously looked around.

"Don't worry, Xiao Cui and the others have already gone back. Besides us, there are only two sisters, Da Xia and Er Xia, in Songlinpo." Lai Di explained and asked again, "Have you bought everything back?"

Da Xia and Er Xia are the two little girls that Daya just saw. They are the twin granddaughters of the village chief.

Daya was relieved and put the small backpack on her back in front of the people: "We've bought everything, let's find another place."

This year is of special significance to them, and the three of them decided to celebrate their birthdays.

Lai Di's birthday is the second day of the twelfth lunar month, Daya's birthday is the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, and Xiaoxiang's birthday is the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, the day before New Year's Eve. At that time, every household was busy preparing for the New Year, so the three of them certainly couldn't be together.

After a few people discussed it, they decided to celebrate their birthdays together and set the date on the fifth day of the winter month.

A few days in advance, they would pack up the picked herbs, and Daya would take them to the clinic to sell them, and buy meat buns to celebrate.

When she went out this morning, Daya found a good excuse not to go back for lunch, and rushed to the city at noon. She finally got back at the end of the afternoon, giving her enough time to celebrate.

Lai Di and Xiao Xiang nodded together. Song Yuan excitedly opened the cloth bag, and the tempting aroma of oil penetrated into their nostrils.

Song Yuan was so happy that he covered the bag again and pointed to the backpack under the tree opposite and urged: "The pine needles are already packed, just carry it and go."

After a pause, he added in a tone of seeking credit: "I shaved half of it!"

"well done."

Daya was very pleased. Song Yuan had grown very fast in the past few months. He used to do nothing and just play aside. He was the type who wouldn’t even help pick up a broom when it fell.

And now, no matter what work she does, he will help her do what he can.

Lai Di bent down and picked up the pine needles reserved on the ground, placed them on the cloth bag and spread them out, making sure the cloth bag was covered tightly.

Song Yuan immediately carried it on his back and urged them again, "Hurry up and go!"

Daya was a little worried about his anxious look, so she reminded him, "Focus on the road and don't look up so that people can see your expression."

"Good Le!"

Daya walked over, picked up the heavily loaded backpack, and gave Song Yuan a few more instructions before heading down the mountain.

Soon, they came to where the sisters Daxia and Erxia were working. As they walked, she asked naturally, "Daxia, Erxia, how long will it take you?"

Da Xia looked up at the half-back basket of pine needles not far away and said in a disappointed tone, "We'll need a while. Sister Daya, you guys go first."

Lai Di also reminded him with concern: "Then be careful when you go down the mountain, don't fall."

Da Xia glanced at the few people, her eyes flickered slightly, and she nodded: "Okay."

After bidding farewell to the two sisters, the four of them quickly went down the mountain, turned to the middle of the mountain next to the pine forest slope, walked into the lush green trees, and stopped at a small platform surrounded by trees on three sides.

Spreading the cloth bag of herbs on the ground, Daya opened the oil paper bag and said, "Three meat buns and three vegetable buns for each person, eighteen coins in total."

The eyes of Lai Di and others were immediately attracted by the small pagoda-shaped bun in the center of the oil paper. Through the crystal yellow bun skin, they could vaguely see the minced meat mixed with chopped green onions inside.

The rich aroma of meat penetrated into their nostrils, causing several people to swallow unconsciously.

"The aroma seems different from the meat buns I've eaten before." Song Yuan asked in confusion while swallowing hard.

"This is a braised pork bun. We used to eat xiaolongbao."

Song Yuan's eyes lit up.

"Oh yes, there's this too!" Daya took out a handkerchief from her pocket and opened it, revealing the bright red silk wrapped inside. When the cold wind blew, the red silk fluttered like the sunset in midsummer.

"Hong Ling!" Lai Di exclaimed and grabbed the one that was almost blown away by the wind.

Xiaoxiang was also very happy and picked one up to take a closer look.

"This is silk." Daya raised her own piece, her face also full of joy.

In the past, they could only use strips of cloth torn from rags to make hairbands, and they were not allowed to tear them too long; but now, not only can they afford proper hairbands, they even have red silk.

When she thought of the long red silk fluttering as she walked, she felt it was beautiful!

Apparently, she was not the only one who had such an association. Lai Di handed the red silk to her excitedly, "Daya, help me tie it up quickly. I want to wear it now. I want to look beautiful on my birthday!"

Xiaoxiang also said: "I want one too! I want one too!"

At their age, they are very vain and Daya was very attracted. She immediately took off Lai Di's old hairband, used her fingers as a comb, combed her hair into two buns, and tied them with red silk.

After finishing it for Lai Di, she helped Xiao Xiang and said, "You can help me comb my hair later."

Lai Di’s hair-combing skills were so poor that Daya didn’t consider her at all.

Song Yuan looked at the plump white buns, then at the girls tying each other's hair, and stamped his feet anxiously: "Hurry up, the buns will get cold soon!"

"You eat first," Daya added, "You can only eat your own portion."

Song Yuan hurriedly grabbed a meat bun and took a big bite, muttering incoherently: "Oh, I know, I'm not my brother, I like to play tricks."

When he finished eating the three meat buns, Daya and the other two had fixed their hairstyles, shook their heads and admired themselves for a while, then started eating.

Xiaoxiang held the meat bun in her hands and squinted her eyes in satisfaction, "I'm so happy!"

Lai Di stuffed the last bite of the meat bun into her mouth, licked the grease off her hands, and said seriously: "This is the happiest birthday I've ever had!"

Daya smiled with her eyebrows curved, and said softly but firmly: "Next year when we are eleven years old, we will definitely be happier than now!"

Hearing this, Lai Di and the others became excited. They started collecting and selling herbs in August this year and have saved a lot of money. As they get to know more herbs, they will definitely earn more money every month than they do now.

Next year’s birthday will be more prosperous than this year’s, that’s for sure!

Several people were sitting or leaning on the backpacks, eating buns, chatting, and dreaming...

"What are you doing?" a voice suddenly sounded.

Daya jumped up in fright and quickly wrapped the remaining buns. Lai Di had already pried a hole in the pine needles in her backpack, and Daya stuffed the oil paper bag into it. Lai Di then leaned against the backpack to cover the hole that had not yet been covered.