Xiang Xi, with his booming voice, made hunting impossible; any prey would have long since fled at his bellow.
Chen Lan glared at Xiang Xi, annoyed. Xu Mingxuan smiled and tried to placate her, "Alright, Lan'er, don't be angry. Look, you're sweating. We've hunted quite a bit. Have you forgotten you have a child in your belly? Take it easy and don't tire yourself out."
And so, the couple walked slowly ahead, with Xiang Xi supporting Third Sister Aunt behind them, following along. Every now and then, he would shout, "Anyone in the mountains? I'm back! I'm back!"
Only his echo returned from the mountains; no one responded. Xiang Xi mumbled to himself, "That's strange! Why is no one responding? Are they all hiding at home?" He then shouted again, with no less persistence, "Anyone in the mountains? I'm back!"
At that moment, a clear young voice called back from the mountain hollow ahead, "Who are you? What are you doing in the mountains in the middle of winter?"
Chen Lan recognized the voice instantly; it was her young uncle, Ming Zhe! She immediately called out loudly, "Ming Zhe, it's me, your sister-in-law! We're all back!"
As soon as she finished speaking, a chorus of voices erupted, "It's Big Sister's voice, it's Sister-in-law's voice, I hear Mother's voice too! Let's stop digging, the voices are right ahead."
Soon, a long line of young boys carrying medicine baskets ran towards them. The one in the lead was naturally Ming Zhe, tall and long-legged, already seventeen. Behind him followed seven or eight other boys of varying ages.
Before Ming Zhe reached Chen Lan, he saw Xu Mingxuan standing beside her. Chen Lan watched as he stopped abruptly, then grinned in surprise and shouted, "Big Brother! Big Brother, you're back too! You're finally back! You've been gone for several years. Mother has been mentioning you often lately! How are you doing?"
Xu Mingxuan walked forward, his voice also filled with emotion, and put his arm around Ming Zhe's shoulders, saying, "Yes, I'm back for the New Year. You kid, you're almost as tall as me after not seeing you for years. You're all grown men now!"
At this point, Wen Kai, Wen Qi, Jia Yao, Xiao Shi Tou, and several other boys from the valley also ran over. They chattered excitedly, calling out names and politely greeting Third Sister Aunt and her daughters. Jia Yao greeted them all, then, without any further ado, wrapped his arms around Chen Lan's waist, burying his big head in her embrace.
Wen Kai and Wen Qi, being older at sixteen, knew to restrain their emotions. Though very excited, they didn't cling to Chen Lan as Jia Yao did. Instead, each took one of her arms, mumbling, "Big Sister, why were you gone for so long? We thought you weren't coming back even for New Year's."
Chen Lan was unable to move, pinned by the three boys. Xu Mingxuan quickly stepped in to ease the situation, "Alright, we'll talk more when we get back. Your big sister traveled for days and hasn't had much rest or eaten properly. She's tired."
He then patted Jia Yao's shoulder and said, "Come, son, let go. Don't hug her so tightly. You can be all clingy with your mother when we get home."
Jia Yao lifted his head, his small face flushed, and his voice a little muffled as he replied, "Dad, what are you saying? Who's being clingy with Mom? I just haven't seen Mom for a long time and missed her a little!"
Chen Lan put her arm around Jia Yao's small shoulders, coming to her son's defense, and then asked a series of questions to change the subject, "Jia Yao, Wen Kai, Wen Qi, it's so cold today, why are so many of you in the mountains? Are you digging for herbs? What herbs are there to dig in the mountains now? Has someone in the valley fallen ill? Is it serious?"
Wen Kai took the large backpack Chen Lan was carrying and replied, "Big Sister, many people in the valley have had internal heat and sores lately. Master said that eating grains can accumulate toxins in the body. Having internal heat and sores is because there are toxins in the body that need to be purged. We're here to dig some dandelion roots for everyone to make tea, to help detoxify their bodies, and then they'll be fine."
Chen Lan knew about dandelions. Dandelions have properties that clear heat, detoxify, and reduce swelling. They are also rich in various vitamins and minerals and have good detoxification effects. In her past life, she often suffered from liver heat, leading to toothaches and mouth ulcers, and she frequently drank dandelion tea, which had a good effect.
Furthermore, in pharmacology, dandelions indeed possess the functions of clearing heat, detoxifying, reducing swelling, promoting urination, and activating blood circulation. They can treat internal heat, sore throat, and also have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects.
It is said that dandelions contain abundant trace elements, have strong blemish-removing effects, and also possess antibacterial and antiviral properties.
Chen Lan looked at their small baskets and noticed they didn't contain much. She asked, "There isn't much in the baskets. Do you still need to dig?"
At this point, Ming Zhe spoke up, "No need, Sister-in-law. We've been digging for several days and have accumulated quite a bit. It should be enough. If it's not enough, we few can come out and dig again. Digging this is very fast! It's not much effort."
With that, he stepped forward and took the few hunted animals from Xu Mingxuan's hand, saying, "Big Brother, can you teach me how to hunt too?"
Then Wen Kai and Wen Qi also spoke up, "Me too! And us too! Brother-in-law, can you teach us how to hunt?"
The other young boys immediately chimed in, "Yes, yes! Uncle Ming Xuan, teach us too!"
Chen Lan ignored the men's matters and walked ahead, holding Jia Yao. Jia Yao kept looking back. Chen Lan asked, "What is it, son? Do you want to learn hunting too?"
Jia Yao hugged Chen Lan's arm and pouted, "Mom, can you teach me how to hunt too?"
Chen Lan nodded in agreement, but she asked with some curiosity, "Jia Yao, why don't you go learn from your dad like your two uncles?"
Jia Yao's small face flushed, and he replied somewhat shyly, "I'm afraid I'm too stupid, and Dad will think I'm stupid and won't teach me."
Chen Lan patted Jia Yao's small shoulder and said with a serious expression, "Jia Yao, you haven't even tried, how do you know your dad will think you're stupid? You are his son. Even if you were really slow, I'm sure he wouldn't dislike you. Especially since you're my smart and lovely eldest son! Have confidence. Nothing can stump you. If you are willing to learn skills from your dad, I believe he'll be more than happy! Try asking him."
Jia Yao asked with some uncertainty, "Mom, is that really true?"
Chen Lan encouraged him, "You'll know if you go ask now. Mom is waiting for you. Go on, hurry up and ask your dad."
Watching the father and son, whose smiles were strikingly similar, from a distance, Chen Lan knew without asking that it had worked out.