Braised Dragon with Soy Sauce

"Grandpa, what is a maple leaf fruit? Does a maple leaf actually bear fruit?"

Mo Yuming asked, his face full of doubt.

In his memory, he had never heard of maple fruit being edible, which made him feel very strange.

Li Mubai slowly began to speak:

"Maple leaf fruit is not a fruit in the true sense of the word."

These are some tender maple leaves or new branches that have become exceptionally thick and tender due to certain special reasons.

It has a unique sweet taste, and its flavor is in no way inferior to that of fruit.

The maple trees in my Fire Maple Forest are more likely to produce this special 'fruit' than ordinary maple trees, and the fruit is larger, has a purer taste, and is juicier.

Therefore, I named it 'Maple Leaf Fruit'.

Mo Yuming listened to his grandfather's explanation with a mixture of belief and skepticism, unsure whether his grandfather was simply exaggerating or if the food was truly that delicious. Regardless, however, his and Xiao Xinlan's appetites were completely whetted.

At this moment, seeing the two of them looking so hungry, Old Man Li smiled and walked to the window, opening the door of a small cabinet.

He reached into the cabinet and took out a small wooden box. The dark red box had fine golden-red wood grain, which was as bright as a gemstone and shimmered with a captivating light in the sunlight.

The wooden box emitted a faint woody fragrance, a scent that was refreshing and invigorating. Old Man Li slowly opened the box, and a slightly sweet and glutinous aroma immediately wafted out.

The wooden box, no bigger than the palm of your hand, was filled to the brim with "maple leaf fruit".

The thumb-sized "maple leaf fruits" come in various shapes, some round like beads, others slender like leaves. Their color is bright red and translucent, very similar to that of the leaves of the fire maple tree, only thicker and more translucent, as if carved from warm, soft jade.

Each "maple leaf fruit" exudes a faint fragrance unique to the fiery maple tree, as if telling the story of this fiery maple forest.

Mo Yuming and Xinlan looked at the tempting box of "maple leaf fruit" with anticipation in their eyes, eager to taste this unique delicacy.

"Try it and see how it tastes!"

Li Mubai handed the wooden box to the two of them and said.

They each picked one and put it in their mouths without prior arrangement. With a light bite, they found the flesh to be crisp, sweet, and juicy. The wonderful taste spread in their mouths, leaving them with an unforgettable aftertaste.

Mo Yuming carefully savored the small "fruit," slowly reminiscing. A thought unexpectedly touched his heart, and his mind drifted back to his childhood in his previous life.

When Xiao Yuming was in junior high school, he had to walk through a wild tea grove every day on his way to and from school.

I remember that every spring, tea trees would produce some fruits called "tea leaves" for some reason.

If school ended early, the friends would go into the woods together to look for "tea leaves," and if they were lucky, they might find a few.

Even now, recalling that taste, it remains vivid in my memory and is truly intoxicating.

Mo Yuming savored the "maple leaf fruit" slowly, but his thoughts lingered in another time and space, so he ate rather slowly.

Xinlan, however, ate indiscriminately like a chick pecking at food, devouring everything in sight. In no time, she had eaten more than half of the box of "Maple Leaf Fruits."

Only then did Mo Yuming snap out of his thoughts and join Xinlan in eating heartily.

In less than a quarter of an hour, the two little devils had devoured the entire box of "maple leaf fruit".

"It's so delicious! Grandpa, is there any more? There's so little! It's gone before we could even taste it!"

Xinlan, still not satisfied, stared at the empty wooden box and asked, "Is that enough?"

Her little face was full of longing, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Li Mubai, hoping he would take out another box of "Maple Leaf Fruit".

Mo Yuming also looked at his grandfather longingly, clearly wanting to taste the delicious "maple leaf fruit" again.

Li Mubai couldn't help but laugh when he saw the two little ones' greedy expressions, and said:

“These maple leaf fruits are quite rare; Grandpa only has one box of them. I’ll find some more for you next time.”

Although Old Man Li spoke lightly, he secretly thought to himself:

You've already eaten so much, and you're still not satisfied! What a gluttonous little brat! Do you think these are apples and pears, where you can just pick a whole bunch from any tree and eat your fill?

These "maple leaf fruits" are not real fruits; not every tree has them, and even if there are, there are only three or five at most.

If it weren't for that old man Zhang telling me you were coming, I would have gone out into the forest before dawn to search for you, just so you could have a taste of something new.

That box of "maple leaf berries" was picked by me, an old man, after almost a whole day of hard work. I didn't even dare to taste a single one myself; I gave them all to you!

You little brat, not only did you eat it and not thank me, but you even complained it wasn't enough! Really...

Mo Yuming was more knowledgeable and adept at reading people's expressions.

Seeing the old man's unnatural expression, one could tell that these "fruits" had not come easily.

He quickly tugged at Xinlan's sleeve, signaling her to stop talking.

Xinlan was naturally very clever. As soon as she saw Mo Yuming gesturing to her, she realized that she had said the wrong thing and quickly shut her mouth.

"I'm so sorry, Grandpa! These 'maple leaf fruits' are so delicious! We got so caught up in eating them that we forgot to save some for ourselves. We're really sorry!"

Mo Yuming said with a face full of guilt.

“Silly child, why are you apologizing! How can a man be so fussy? These fruits were picked by Grandpa for you to eat, what's there to be embarrassed about? They're not anything special, it's just that there aren't enough for you! Don't blame Grandpa for being stingy…”

After hearing Mo Yuming's words, Old Man Li's expression softened considerably, and he replied to Yuming with a smile.

Looking at the two children, a kind smile appeared on her face, and the unhappiness in her heart instantly disappeared.

He knew the children genuinely loved the "maple leaf fruit," and he was happy to see them so joyful.

Despite spending a lot of time and effort picking these "maple leaf fruits," seeing the children's satisfaction made it all worthwhile.

"Grandpa, the city nestled in this boundless maple forest in the picture is so charming. I think the people living there must be very content and happy. It's so enviable!"

Mo Yuming stood in front of a five-foot-long ink painting scroll, carefully admiring it with focused attention.

In the scroll painting, nestled amidst an endless maple forest, lies a city built against a mountain. The city stretches for miles, clinging to the mountainside and beside the water. Many residents live both inside and outside the city.

The residents' houses are mostly one- or two-story wooden buildings, with similar styles, all being simple stilt houses.

Houses are built according to local conditions, and more or less, a corridor is built around the house, about one or two feet off the ground, simply surrounded by a fence.

Better houses either paint their wooden railings with color or decorate them with carvings, showcasing the refinement and sophistication of life.

"That's Maple Fire City, my hometown. Although the maple trees there aren't as unique and vibrant as the Fiery Maple Forest, they're red like fire all year round."

But when autumn arrives, and the maple trees stretching for hundreds of miles don their vibrant attire, the boundless expanse of crimson, like fireworks against the sky, is truly magnificent, breathtaking, and awe-inspiring…

Old Li gazed longingly at the city in the painting, his unparalleled homesickness radiating outwards.

His eyes were filled with longing and nostalgia for his hometown, as if the crimson maple forest and ancient city were right before his eyes.

Mo Yuming was moved by Old Man Li's emotions and seemed to see that magnificent maple forest and feel that deep homesickness.

He stood quietly to the side, immersed in the beautiful scene and profound emotions.

Over the course of more than a month, all the elderly people that Mo Yuming met had one thing in common: they had become indifferent to everything else, but their longing for their hometown was something they could not let go of.

When they first entered the canyon, they might still have some other concerns in their hearts, perhaps about their relatives, perhaps about hatred, or perhaps about their inability to let go of interests and power.

However, as time slowly passes, decades, or even centuries go by, those past attachments gradually fade away, but the longing for home burns ever stronger like a raging fire, and cannot be forgotten until death.

If someone were to ask them what they can't let go of, they would all answer in unison:

"If I could go back and see it... I would have no regrets in this life!... Sigh!"

Upon hearing this, Mo Yuming felt terrible, even more upset.

They might still have hope; once they get out of the canyon, they'll have a chance to return to their hometown and take a look.

But what about myself? Can I go back and see? The hope is probably slim.

Just as Mo Yuming was trying to change the subject and talk about something else to get himself out of this awkward and heartbreaking situation.

Suddenly, he felt a warm current rising in his abdomen, surging around as if trying to find a hole to escape through.

Mo Yuming had never practiced any profound skills. In his previous life, he had only learned a few simple moves of the Tai Chi Kung Fu that was popular everywhere, let alone any profound skills.

The sudden surge of mysterious spiritual energy left Mo Yuming bewildered. Feeling uncomfortable, he tried desperately to suppress the chaotic energy. But the more he tried to suppress it, the more chaotic the situation became.

Gradually, he began to feel hot all over, and his meridians felt congested and uncomfortable. His face turned bright red, and beads of sweat kept appearing. In a short while, his clothes were soaked with sweat.

Old Man Li, who was lost in his deep homesickness, suddenly realized something was wrong when Mo Yuming, who was standing in front of him, swayed unsteadily.

He quickly reached out his right hand and put it on Mo Yuming's shoulder, trying to help him stop.

To his surprise, the moment his hand touched Mo Yuming's body, he felt that Mo Yuming's body was as hot as fire.

However, his more than 100 years of experience made him realize the problem immediately, and he couldn't help but smile slightly.

Then, Old Man Li stretched out his left hand and placed it on Mo Yuming's other shoulder, pressing gently. A stream of pure spiritual energy flowed from his palms and slowly entered Mo Yuming's body.

This spiritual energy traveled down Mo Yuming's meridians, methodically controlling the chaotic spiritual energy within his body. Then, it circulated and spread throughout Mo Yuming's body, gradually dissipating into various acupoints.

Finally, after circulating for one cycle, the remaining spiritual energy was sent to the dantian, where it was stored.

Although the process was simple, the amount of spiritual energy in Mo Yuming's body was negligible to Old Man Li, and controlling and regulating this spiritual energy was effortless.

But for Mo Yuming, who had never undergone any cultivation, it was an upheaval and immense test. Although he escaped unharmed, it left him utterly exhausted.

Imagine what it would be like if a stream of spiritual energy, which was originally like a trickle, were suddenly injected into the meridians like a bursting dam.

Mo Yuming was in this situation. His meridians, which were originally small and had not been properly trained or cleared, were suddenly injected with a powerful spiritual force. His meridians were instantly stretched out like a balloon being inflated. The tearing pain was unimaginable.