The next day, because they were going up the mountain, everyone got up relatively early. After eating breakfast together in the large kitchen, Chen Lan saw everyone chatting in groups of three or five.
She had them move out the items she had brought that morning and stored in the large kitchen's warehouse. These were things she had purchased in the system the previous night for their mountain trip today.
Chen Lan felt that this chaotic situation was not ideal, so she decided to start assigning tasks. She stood on higher ground, raised her hand, and said loudly, "Everyone, everyone, comrades, please be quiet. Stop talking. Everyone listen carefully. We will now assign the tasks for going up the mountain today.
First, we will start by forming groups. Two people per group or four people per group, it's not limited. You can form groups freely. However, when submitting tasks, each person will be responsible for one bag of linden flowers, and two people will share one bucket for linden honey. Don't worry, the bags for linden flowers and the buckets for linden honey are not very large. As long as you work diligently and properly, you will easily be able to complete the task. There will be no strict requirement for linden fungus today; pick it if you encounter it, and if not, then forget it. Did everyone understand clearly?"
When they heard this, everyone immediately became excited and replied in unison, "Understood. Little Lan, it's getting late! Let's hurry!"
Chen Lan smiled and continued, "Don't rush. Everyone come to me now to get the necessary supplies for the mountain. The buckets for honey will be shared by two people, and the honey knives will also be shared by two people. Each person will receive a set of protective clothing with a hat, each person a pair of anti-sting gloves, and each person a snakeskin bag for linden flowers. The bags for adults will be slightly larger, and the ones for the younger students will be a bit smaller. Sudan Novel Network.
After Qian Yingzi and Liu Man'er received their items, they curiously examined them, not knowing how to use them. So Qian Yingzi asked, "Little Lan, we're just picking flowers and collecting honey, why do we need so many tools? Why make it so troublesome?"
Hu Yuzhen couldn't help but chuckle, "Sister Qian, if you don't use these things for protection, I guarantee that when you come back, your head and face will be swollen like the pig's head we ate last night."
Everyone burst into laughter upon hearing this. Qian Yingzi said with lingering fear, "Little Lan, is it really that serious?"
Chen Lan nodded sternly and said, "More or less. Sister Yingzi, bee stings are poisonous. If you are stung carelessly, people with good physical health might only need to remove the stinger and then it will swell for a few days, be painful for a few more days, and then slowly heal. However, some people are allergic to this venom and can experience anaphylactic shock, which can damage the liver and kidneys. Sister Qian, I'm telling the truth. I'm not scaring you. It might even cost you your life."
Qian Yingzi, Liu Man'er, Wang Yuling, and everyone else who heard this gasped. They never imagined that a bee sting could be so serious. They no longer dared to take Chen Lan's words lightly or be careless. Thus, everyone immediately became solemn.
After the supplies were distributed to everyone, Chen Lan had them tie their sleeves and pant legs tightly with ropes, and then they prepared to set off.
Hu Yuzhen and Cui Qiao had been to that linden forest last year, so they led the way for everyone. They led Qian Yingzi and the others, who were at the front. Ming Wei led the students in the middle, and Chen Lan, along with Zhang Xiaohe, Zhang Dani, and a few older sisters, brought up the rear.
Everyone pushed forward and reached the mountaintop in one go, planning to rest for a while before continuing. At this moment, Ming Wei suddenly exclaimed, "Heavens! I never imagined that the place where we are living is so beautiful! Look at all the flowers blooming all over the mountain, doesn't it look like a beautiful garden?"
When everyone heard Ming Wei say this, they also looked down the mountain curiously. At a glance, the flowers were not yet in full bloom; they were all in bud. The dew on the flowers was like clear, transparent crystals, shimmering with colorful specks of light under the sun.
At this point, a sister Zhang from Henan Province said, "Flowers! I'm not that surprised. In my hometown, in Luoyang, Henan Province, there is the king of flowers—peonies! What I like most is the summer in Changbai Mountain. It's not hot at all. In my hometown, by the time summer arrives, it feels like it could bake people to death."
Sister Chen from Hubei Province, standing nearby, chimed in, "Sister Zhang is right. In our hometown, Hubei Province, it's the same. In the summer, it's impossible to stay indoors. It's so hot at night that you can't sleep at all. The whole family has to take a straw mat and sleep outdoors. And there are so many mosquitoes outdoors. You'll be tossing and turning all night! In short, you can't get a full night's sleep all summer. I really like it here! Not only is the scenery beautiful, but there are also fewer insects, and the summers are cool. And there aren't so many troublesome things. People live here comfortably and freely."
While chatting and exchanging pleasantries, everyone stood up and prepared to set off again. They walked and marveled all the way. Now they didn't need anyone to lead the way; they knew where the linden forest was. As the sweet fragrance grew stronger, what seemed close by felt like a long trek that would break their legs.
Chun Cao said with a smile at this time, "You should have heard an old saying, which is 'seeing mountains and running a dead horse.' It looks close, but this is in the mountains. Once you start walking, it's a long way."
Everyone quickened their pace and walked for another hour. The young students' faces were all red and their foreheads were covered in sweat.
Chen Lan quickly encouraged them, "Everyone, put in a little more effort. Walk for another fifteen minutes, and we'll be there soon."
After another fifteen minutes of walking, they indeed reached the linden forest. The linden trees were tall and straight, with lush foliage. The leaves were green and dense. Clusters of pale yellow linden flowers hung from the branches, releasing a faint, refreshing sweet fragrance. A group of diligent bees busily collected nectar among the flowers.
Chen Lan quickly asked Ming Wei, Cui Qiao, and Hu Yuzhen to demonstrate to everyone how to put on their protective clothing, hats, and gloves. Then, she found a few beehives that had been harvested last year and had the three of them demonstrate to everyone how to collect honey.
Chen Lan solemnly and repeatedly emphasized, "Don't cut all the honey at once. Leave one-third of the honey for the bees to overwinter. We cannot let the bees starve to death, or there will be no honey to collect next year."
Everyone indicated that they understood and would definitely follow the requirements and not act recklessly. They were all accustomed to manual labor and were dexterous. Collecting honey was a hands-on task, and they learned it quickly. So, everyone formed their own teams and immediately got to work after finding their beehives.
Chen Lan, along with Ming Wei, led the students to pick linden flowers. Chen Lan repeatedly instructed the students not to climb too high and to pay attention to safety.