Wood ear mushrooms they dared to pick, but regular mushrooms, no.
Some mushrooms were poisonous, a fact they knew, but which ones precisely, neither father nor son was sure.
So, to avoid any mishaps, even if they saw mushrooms, poisonous or not, they dared not pick any.
Alas, living honestly like this family was a hardship.
But Grandpa Meng thought differently from others, even looking at his somewhat dull nephew with a changed gaze.
When everyone had eaten their fill, Fu Yu came to clear the dishes. Grandpa Meng instructed his son again, "Yu'er, lunch is done."
"Father." Fu Yu felt he had already considered his father's feelings.
Lunch had been prepared for over a dozen people, enough to cover the portions for all Meng family members who had accompanied his father to the mountain pass, and even more.
Grandpa Meng hadn't expected his son to interrupt, so he smiled and said, "I wasn't finished speaking, Yu'er, why have you lost your composure today."
Fu Yu: He didn't want to. Could he help it? If he could have patrolled and stood guard at the mountain pass in his father's stead, his heart wouldn't have been so anxious, worrying about the old man and the child.
The elder knew his son was worried about his health and his granddaughter's safety, all for their well-being.
But he didn't want to admit his age. He could still be useful. To him, protecting his loved ones was paramount.
Besides, he had his granddaughter, this unpredictable variable, and he couldn't let anyone know her secret.
Seeing his son remain silent, the elder continued, "Yu'er, rest assured, I will take good care of myself and Ci'er."
Alas, to put his son's mind at ease, a little boast now and then was unavoidable.
Even though he knew, most of the time, it was his granddaughter who looked after him.
Fu Yu: He was still uneasy, but he was helpless.
Seeing his son still silent, the elder continued to use his silver tongue, "Yu'er, I just wanted to tell you to prepare more food for dinner. Some of the cooks from the garrison have joined the patrols, and I thought we shouldn't let them work too hard."
"Father, don't worry, son understands." Fu Yu finally grasped his father's intention: their family would cover the meals for the patrolling teams and the soldiers at the garrison.
Alas, he understood.
He couldn't help but cast a resentful glance at his elderly father, then subtly observed the few old men chatting nearby.
He thought: Almost all those out today were of advanced age, though there was one younger man he didn't recognize.
Considering this, it was best to follow his father's arrangement and help with whatever was within their capacity back home.
Having come to this realization, Fu Yu's mood seemed to improve.
As he drove the donkey cart home, even the sandy road seemed different.
Fu Yu looked back at the undulating mountain range behind him and the shrinking figures below Eagle Beak Cliff, sighing softly.
Only when her "father" drove the donkey cart further away did Fu Xin Ci quietly share her newly devised plan with her grandfather.
"Grandpa, what if we picked up some stones and gave them to Brother Xi Zi!"
"Ci'er means, if the Tatars come, Xi Zi can stand on high ground and throw stones at them from afar?"
"We can throw them too."
In truth, Fu Da Niu wanted to throw grenades.
But considering that she didn't want to be seen as a monster, she held back in front of everyone.
Also, she had a selfish motive: she wanted to save those grenades as souvenirs for the Japanese pirates.
Qi He, Meng Yu Tang, and Meng Yu Luo, who were walking beside them, were immediately inspired.
"Grandpa Meng, (Second Grand Uncle), (Second Uncle), we'll go pick up stones right now."
After saying so, the three boys lowered their heads and began to pick them up.
Shan Xiao Cong, understanding what was happening, also joined in.
Meng Qi Cheng and Meng Qi Hua exchanged a glance and bent down to pick up stones they deemed suitable.
Fu Xin Ci hadn't expected her simple suggestion to be taken so seriously by everyone.
How could they not take it seriously?
Even those mischievous brats knew the power of throwing stones.
Those elders, even more so. While they might be outmatched fighting Tatars one-on-one,
they were confident that by throwing stones from a distance, together, they could surely hit those "bastards."
When Jin Xiao Qi came to inspect, he saw piles of stones, egg-sized and fist-sized, by the mountain pass and felt a stir of interest.
Upon seeing the first team still scrambling to pick up stones, he, a veteran of warfare, immediately understood the significance of these stones.
"Hahaha, Meng Er Ge, your idea is excellent. Why didn't we think of it before?"
"Old Jin, your earlier stone formation was the real stroke of genius."
"Hahaha, not at all, just petty tricks."
Seeing her grandfather and Jin Xiao Qi discussing the matter in increasing detail, Fu Xin Ci quietly retreated to the mountain pass. She watched her grand-uncles, their foreheads beaded with sweat from constantly bending down to pick up stones.
Fu Xin Ci thought, this wouldn't do. Their cotton-padded clothes were already thin, and sweating profusely like this would surely lead to catching a cold on the way back.
What to do?
Fu Xin Ci's mind raced, constantly searching. Fortunately, at a crucial moment, she grasped a hint: ginger soup.
She recalled that her grandfather had been foresightful and had prepared a lot of old ginger when they went to town previously.
In winter, it got dark early. When Grandpa Meng's first team finished their shift, they handed over to the second team.
(Jin Xiao Qi, considering the varied ages of the team members, some old and some young, allowed them to return home after their shift and report back before their next duty.)
The second team, upon arriving to take over, still grumbled a bit. After all, it would be dark soon, and everyone knew winter nights were much colder than days.
However, when they saw Fu Yu arriving with the donkey cart, bringing food – steamed corn buns filled with cabbage and pork lard, and a large bucket of thick, glutinous sorghum porridge –
all their displeasure was swallowed down with the hot food.
Jin Xiao Qi hadn't expected Meng Er Ge to have this capability either. He and the brothers from the garrison were so touched they were speechless.
Fu Yu was gradually learning his father's way of handling things, saying a few simple words.
"As long as Brother Yuan Shan and the others return, and the Eagle Beak Cliff garrison and we are here, that is the best."
"Yes, as long as we and the Eagle Beak Cliff garrison are here, that is the best."
After saying this, Fu Yu didn't forget to hand over the two green padded jackets he had brought to Jin Xiao Qi. "My father instructed me to bring these. He said the lookouts on the large rocks were too cold, so these two jackets are for them to keep out the chill."