Chapter 5: 505 Found a Treasure

After resting for a little while, Li Dazhu, Li Zhiming, Li Zhihao, and Li Menglan ate some steamed buns prepared by Zhang Yuniang. After a quick tidy-up, they set off along the winding mountain paths toward the interior of Crooked Neck Mountain.

As they walked along, the scenery Li Menglan saw caused her to sigh incessantly in her heart. *Sigh... the scenery in this forest is simply incomparable to the mountain slopes and woodlands outside.*

As Li Dazhu and his sons ventured deeper into the mountains, the path became increasingly rugged and difficult to traverse, and the light grew dimmer and dimmer. Fortunately, the sky was already fully bright; otherwise, they really wouldn't have been able to see the way clearly. On both sides of the path were various trees, flowers, and grasses that Li Menglan had never seen before and couldn't name... there were also some wild fruits she didn't recognize at all; they looked bright red and mouth-watering, making her wonder if they were edible.

Occasionally, a wild rabbit foraging for food would dart out from the bushes on either side of the road. Whenever this happened, Li Dazhu, Li Zhiming, and Li Zhihao would unslung the bows and arrows from their waists and fire an arrow. Although they didn't hit the target every time, there were always those one or two instances where luck struck like a blind cat finding a dead mouse. Their harvest along the way was actually quite significant; they had managed to get two pheasants and three wild rabbits. It looked like the Li family would have a good meal tonight.

Li Menglan asked curiously, "Father, didn't you tell Big Brother that there is very little prey in these mountains and it's hard to catch?" Li Menglan glanced at the prey hanging from her father's waist and spoke with implication.

"Hmm... Father doesn't know either." Li Dazhu gave a simple-minded laugh and scratched his head in confusion, looking equally puzzled.

Li Zhihao couldn't help but tease, "Father, I think it must be because of Little Sister." Li Zhihao was only two years older than Li Menglan, and the bond between the two siblings was usually very strong.

"Because of me?" Li Menglan was stunned, her eyes widening as she looked curiously at her second brother.

"Second son, tell us why?" Li Dazhu was also bewildered by his son's words.

"Hehe... it's probably because the Mountain God of Crooked Neck Mountain knows that Little Sister is entering the mountains for the first time, so he's giving her a meeting gift," Li Zhihao said with a grin.

"Bah! You brat, what nonsense are you talking?" Li Dazhu reached out his thick, large hand and gave Li Zhihao a casual smack on the head.

Li Zhihao rubbed his head with a look of grievance. "Father, why did you hit me for no reason?"

Li Zhiming, however, gave a thoughtful look at Li Menglan, who was leisurely picking wild flowers nearby. "Father, regardless, today's good luck might really have been brought to us by Little Sister." Ever since Li Menglan had undergone a significant change, Li Zhiming had grown increasingly fond of his little sister.

Li Zhiming's words caused Li Dazhu to fall silent. Perhaps his eldest son was right; if he thought about it, he and his sons had entered and exited Crooked Neck Mountain hundreds of times, but when had it ever been like today... having such a bountiful harvest just after entering the mountains?

Li Menglan rolled her eyes in boredom. The minds of the ancients were truly quite superstitious. The father and sons chatted and laughed, unknowingly walking further and further away. By the time Li Dazhu snapped back to his senses, they were already very, very deep into the interior of Crooked Neck Mountain.

Li Dazhu and Li Zhiming had never been into the deep mountains of Crooked Neck Mountain at all. As for the siblings Li Zhihao and Li Menglan, it went without saying; today was Li Menglan's very first time entering the mountains as a young lady. Compared to Li Menglan, Li Zhihao wasn't much better; at most, he had wandered near the edge of the mountain a few times.

The mountain paths were rugged and hard to distinguish; one could easily get lost with a slight slip. Fortunately, Li Dazhu and his sons hunted in the mountains frequently and were not unfamiliar with them. Additionally, since Li Menglan had left her own markers along the way, the group quickly climbed up to the northern peak of Crooked Neck Mountain.

"Eh..." Li Menglan's eyes suddenly widened in surprise as she stared blankly at something not far ahead.

In a shaded area, there were several uniquely shaped large rocks, and upon them, a chestnut tree was actually growing. It was covered with large and small spiky balls. It was currently the season for eating chestnuts; some chestnuts had even burst open and fallen to the ground.

Overjoyed, Li Menglan stepped forward a few paces. Because of her short stature, she had to struggle to stand on her tiptoes and stretch her arms out, trying to pluck those chestnut balls.

"Little Sister, what are you doing? Be careful!" Li Menglan's actions were spotted just as Li Zhiming turned his head. His face instantly turned pale as he shouted a warning.

"Big Brother, what are you doing? You scared me to death!" Li Zhiming's shout gave the unprepared Li Menglan a huge fright, nearly causing her to fall flat on her face.

"That's what I should be asking you!" Li Zhiming's expression was somewhat frighteningly dark. "Little Sister, do you know that those are hedgehog fruits growing on a hedgehog tree? Aside from being prickly, they aren't edible. What are you plucking them for? Be careful not to prick your hands; don't come crying to me later!" Li Zhiming pointed at the chestnut tree and spoke with a stern face.

Uh... what? Li Menglan was stunned by Li Zhiming's words. Chestnuts were a wonderful thing; especially sugar-roasted chestnuts in the winter—they were fragrant, sweet, and delicious. Just thinking about them made one's mouth water. But now... someone was actually saying chestnuts couldn't be eaten? Li Menglan felt like she was running out of brain cells. Help!

"Big Brother, are you saying..." Li Menglan asked hesitantly, "that this is called a hedgehog tree and what grows on it are hedgehog fruits?"

"That's right!" Li Zhiming nodded and said, "That stuff is both prickly and inedible; everyone in the Yunliang Kingdom knows that."

"Big Brother, do you mean... no one in the Yunliang Kingdom knows they can be eaten?" Li Menglan swallowed hard, trying to confirm the meaning behind Li Zhiming's words.

"Lan girl, who told you that hedgehog fruits are edible?" The speaker was Li Dazhu, who had been drawn in by the conversation between the two siblings.

Li Zhihao also nodded like a pounding garlic. "Little Sister, if you're hungry, your second brother still has half a steamed bun here. Eat it to line your stomach first. Those hedgehog fruits really can't be eaten, so don't go plucking them." Li Zhihao carefully pulled half a black steamed bun from his bosom and handed it to Li Menglan.

"Second Brother." Li Menglan gave her second brother a reproachful glare. *Hmph... good grief; so in this second brother's eyes, I'm just a glutton?*

Li Menglan explained patiently, "Father, Big Brother, Second Brother, you are all wrong. This hedgehog fruit is actually called a chestnut. Not only is it incredibly delicious, but it can also serve as a meal when you are hungry."

Of course, Li Dazhu and his sons did not believe her. In the Yunliang Kingdom, no one had ever heard of anyone eating these hedgehog fruits. However, unable to withstand Li Menglan's combination of acting spoiled and being clever, the father and sons had no choice but to compromise. *Uh... let's just treat it as making our daughter happy. It's just plucking a few hedgehog fruits, isn't it?*