Chapter 30: If You Don't Uproot the Weeds, You Can Still Profit from Them Later

Although she said so, Mother Song knew better than anyone that the girl's habits would not change overnight.

Never mind, if she couldn't change them now, she would change them gradually. Sooner or later, she would make this child trust her and trust this home.

"I’m taking some flatbread to Chengzi. Wait for me a moment."

Huanya nodded, but she didn’t just stand there idly. She lifted the straw covering the corn, spread out the piled kernels, and laid them on a cloth so that every part of the corn could catch the sun. Seeing that Mother Song hadn't come out yet, she couldn't keep still and picked up a tool to start shelling more corn.

When Mother Song finished talking to Song Tiancheng and stepped outside, a small heap of corn had already gathered by Huanya's side. She paused, shaking her head; this girl simply wouldn't listen.

"Huanya, let's go."

"All right!" Huanya quickly clapped her hands, stood up, shouldered her basket, and walked toward Mother Song.

"Let me see your hands." Mother Song gestured for her to lift them. Huanya reached out, palms up, in confusion. Mother Song examined them closely; the ointment from the previous night had been absorbed, and the blisters on her palms were beginning to dry and peel. She pressed them gently and asked, "Does it hurt?"

Huanya shook her head, smiling as she said, "It doesn't hurt anymore! That medicine from last night was amazing!"

Seeing her silly expression, Mother Song shook her head with an amused smile and tapped her forehead. "Alright, let's go. If we don't leave now, it’ll be scorching once the sun gets higher."

"Mm-hmm!"

Once they reached the mountain, Huanya took the lead while Mother Song followed behind. As they ventured deeper into the mountain, far beyond the paths the villagers usually frequented, Mother Song’s heart sank. Just as she was about to ask how much further they had to go, Huanya said, "Auntie, we're here!"

Mother Song looked up. In the meadow before them grew a patch of perilla leaves. Each stalk stood as high as a calf, the tender leaves tinged with a hint of purple. Since the sun hadn't yet reached this spot, the morning dew still clung to the leaves, making them look incredibly fresh. Along the edge, there were signs of harvesting—clearly the work of Huanya.

"How did you find this place?" Mother Song asked. It wasn't that she didn't venture into the mountains; in fact, she and Chengzi were the only ones in Apricot Blossom Village who enjoyed roaming the hills. However, since Chengzi’s leg injury, she couldn't stray too far, and it had been a long time since she had climbed this high. Even back then, she had never reached this part of the mountain.

"I just followed the path," Huanya said, pointing her sickle toward the way they had come. "There’s a small trail."

Mother Song looked back. From this vantage point, the brush and trees were so dense that the trail Huanya mentioned was completely invisible.

Yet, they had just walked through it.

"You..." Mother Song wanted to scold her for wandering so far, but when she thought of who Huanya was doing this for, the words died in her throat. Poor thing. She had spent her whole life being sharp-tongued and unyielding, yet here she was, time and again finding her words stifled. And strangely, she didn't mind it.

"Call me next time," Mother Song said, fearing Huanya might overthink it. She explained, "Chengzi was also in the mountains when he went too deep, and that’s how he broke his leg."

Huanya understood instantly that Mother Song was worried about her. She nodded vigorously and said, "Mm-hmm, I understand! Don't worry, Auntie, I’ll definitely call you next time!"

"Alright, let's get these back first."

Although it was broad daylight, this was the deep mountain, and it was her first time in this area; she worried about running into trouble. Huanya didn't dawdle. With a wave of her hand, she used the sickle to swiftly harvest the perilla, placing the greens into her basket.