During dinner in the main kitchen, Chen Lan announced the decision to cancel the holiday plans to everyone at the table.
The reason was that it was the season for harvesting linden flowers, collecting linden honey, and picking linden fungus. If they missed it this year, they would have to wait until next year, meaning everyone would go without linden flower tea for almost a whole year.
Following that was the season for picking wild mushrooms from Changbai Mountain, wild grapes, wild walnuts, wild chestnuts, and other mountain produce. Since time waits for no one, missing the season meant waiting until next year. Therefore, starting the day after tomorrow, they would begin going up the mountain to gather and store supplies for winter. Everyone would have to work hard now; they could only rest when winter came and they could hibernate.
Qian Yingzi, Liu Man’er, and Wang Yuling expressed their full understanding to everyone. Qian Yingzi said with a smile, "Xiao Lan! What's there to say! If you hadn't mentioned it, everyone would understand anyway. If we don't work hard now, are we going to starve when winter comes? Besides, everyone is already used to drinking linden flower tea, and going almost a year without it wouldn't do at all!"
Liu Man'er, Zhang Dani, and Zhang Xiaohe also chimed in, "Yes, yes, exactly. Sister Qian is right. If we want to rest, the few months of winter hibernation will be enough for everyone to rest! Xiao Lan! Don't feel bad about it. This is something everyone should be doing as part of their duties, so just give us your orders! Tell us how to proceed, and we'll all listen to you!"
Qian Yingzi, Liu Man'er, and Wang Yuling were most interested in going up the mountain to pick linden flowers, collect linden honey, and gather linden fungus.
Everyone else was also eager to participate and expressed their determination to bring back plenty this time.
Upon hearing that everyone was going together, Ming Wei also asked Chen Lan if the students from the Reading Club could participate in this harvesting activity. The older children also looked very enthusiastic.
So, Chen Lan and Ming Wei discussed it and decided that it was appropriate for children over ten years old to participate in some labor within their capabilities to develop their practical skills and improve their physical fitness.
It was finally decided that starting the day after tomorrow, students over ten years old would be led by Ming Wei to join Chen Lan and the others on the mountain for the labor. Students under ten years old would still be under the charge of Ming Zhe, Wen Kai, and Wen Qi, who would continue to teach them in the Reading Club.
Early the next morning, Chen Lan woke up, not wanting to disturb her mother or the children. After washing up, she quietly went downstairs. Without even eating breakfast, Chen Lan walked out of the house and headed for the mountain. By the time she reached the summit, the sun had just begun to rise.
At this moment, looking down from the high vantage point of the mountain peak, Changbai Mountain looked like a vast garden, with flowers everywhere. The mountainsides, the base of the trees, the valleys, and the streams were all covered in blooming flowers.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it an ocean of flowers. As far as the eye could see, the mountains and plains were a riot of colors, full of life, with flowers blooming wantonly, displaying the vitality of life.
In this sea of flowers, there were large patches of azaleas, birch flowers, and countless other flowers whose names she didn't know, all blooming in abundance.
The entire mountain seemed to be covered with a thick layer of floral carpet, where countless exotic flowers and rare herbs vied for beauty. The flowers here, red in their brilliance, yellow in their freshness, purple in their mystery, and white in their purity, adorned Changbai Mountain with a beautiful, multicolored cloak.
This place was seldom visited by humans, and the scenery was enchanting. It was no wonder some people believed it to be a place where immortals roamed, calling it "the place where angels stroll."
Chen Lan rested for a while, ate a piece of bread, and drank a bottle of yogurt before preparing to move on. Chen Lan quickly descended the mountain. Having been here a few times, she navigated through the woods with ease, moving very swiftly.
Walking alone through a patch of forest in the quiet mountain woods, all she could hear was the rustling of her feet on fallen leaves and the chirping of insects and birds in the mountains. Breathing in the fresh air of the forest, Chen Lan felt completely at ease, as if every pore was bathing in a natural oxygen bar.
Although it was already midsummer, the primeval forest of Changbai Mountain felt as if spring had just arrived. Everywhere was lush and green, a vibrant scene of life.
Chen Lan quickly climbed over another mountain and finally arrived at the valley. Standing on the mountain and looking down into the valley, she saw ancient trees reaching for the sky, a babbling stream, and many nameless flowers blooming everywhere. The scenery was breathtakingly beautiful.
Chen Lan had no time to admire the beautiful natural scenery. She opened the system with her mind and began to search for wild animals within a radius of five hundred meters of the valley.
As she walked slowly forward, keeping a close watch on the system's screen, she walked around the valley for about half an hour. Then, a dozen small red dots appeared on the screen. At this point, Chen Lan's anxious heart finally relaxed. Today had not been a wasted trip.
She continued to walk slowly around the valley. After about another twenty minutes, she reached the optimal range for her bow and arrow. At this time, she could clearly hear the grunting of wild boars.
Chen Lan mentally opened the system's warehouse, took out the bow and arrow with a red dot sight and six carbon steel arrows, hid her body behind a large tree, and looked far ahead. Indeed, it was a family of wild boars.
Fearing she might hunt a pregnant sow, Chen Lan decided to only hunt adult male wild boars this time. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves, adjusted the red dot sight, and scanned for her target prey, keeping her eyes fixed on it, ready to strike at any moment.
Seeing the target prey enter the kill range, she pressed the launch button. She heard the sound of arrows piercing flesh and blood, followed by the thundering sound of wild boars falling and their roars. The deafening roars of the wild boars echoed through the valley, startling the birds in the valley into flight.
With her experience in hunting wild boars multiple times, Chen Lan leaned against the large tree and closed her eyes to rest, waiting quietly until the valley returned to silence, as if nothing had happened, returning to its original peaceful state. If not for the three wild boars bleeding on the ground, no one would have known that a hunt had just taken place here.
Chen Lan didn't dawdle. She quickly went down into the valley, pulled out the six carbon steel arrows, put the three wild boars into the system's warehouse, and turned to leave the dangerous place!
She walked back towards home, hunting pheasants and rabbits along the way and picking mushrooms.