Zhu Yanyi nodded. "Yes, I pick them. Some wild herbs work better than the ones we grow at home. And some don’t need planting at all. They grow everywhere on the mountains, like dandelions and cocklebur. I just go to the wild or up the mountain to pick them when I need them."
Cheng Baokun frowned slightly. "So your dad lets you go up the mountain alone?" He sounded a bit displeased. It was the first time he heard his goddaughter went herb picking by herself.
"Hee hee. At first, Dad wasn’t sure either. She went with me. But after a few times, she gave up," Zhu Yanyi said, feeling a little shy. The truth was, she moved much more nimbly on the mountain than Zhu Shun Yao. After following her a few times, she realized she didn’t need her help. So she stopped going. Now, if she knew she was going out, she would just remind her to be safe. She knew her skills were better than her. Going with her would just waste time and she couldn’t help anyway.
"Your dad has a big heart," Cheng Baokun laughed, scolding lightly. "Come, let’s go find your dad and settle the score."
Cheng Baokun and Zhu Yanyi went to the next compartment. Chen Ailian still had some tidying up to do, and Cheng Chen was excited, leaning out the window to look at the scenery. So the mother and son stayed behind.
The train journey from Yaojiang to the capital took three days and three nights. It was not like in later years, where high-speed trains could make the trip in less than ten hours. Fortunately, they had soft sleeper berths, so the environment was decent. Everyone could tolerate it. It was much better than the hard seat cars, where seats were full, the aisles were crowded with people, and the whole carriage smelled of sweat.
Zhu Shun Yao and the others had finished packing. Seeing Cheng Baokun, Zhu Shun Yao smiled. "Brother, let’s sit over there." Opposite the compartment door, there were two small folding seats. Some people liked to sit there to enjoy the view.
Cheng Baokun and Zhu Shun Yao sat on the small seats. Zhu Yanyi handed them a large bag of homemade five-spice peanuts. Zhu Yanli brewed tea for them and placed everything on a small table between their seats. They could drink tea, eat peanuts, and watch the scenery.
"Daughter, save some of those peanuts. Your godfather and I will use them as snacks with alcohol later," Zhu Shun Yao said, worried there wouldn’t be enough snacks for dinner.
Zhu Yanyi smiled. "Don’t worry. I made plenty. It’s enough for the two of you for several days. I also made five-spice dried meat. That’s best for drinking snacks. These are just for you to enjoy while passing time." She then took another bag to the next compartment for Chen Ailian and Cheng Chen to eat.
"Shun Yao, our daughter is so thoughtful. How did she become my daughter? If I had known, I would have made her our daughter-in-law. Look at our two sons. She could have picked either one. It’s a pity she is now our sister," Cheng Baokun said. In their view, sworn relatives were like real family. Sworn siblings were like biological siblings, except for surname and blood. So sworn siblings could not marry. Cheng Baokun felt regretful now.
Zhu Shun Yao laughed loudly. "Brother, if you hadn’t adopted my daughter, you wouldn’t know how excellent she is."
Cheng Baokun nodded. "That’s true." If she hadn’t adopted her, how would she know Zhu Yanyi was so outstanding? "Daughters are good. They take such good care of us," Cheng Baokun sighed with emotion.
"Sons are not bad either. I heard Cheng Xu went traveling during the summer vacation. He will probably bring you souvenirs when he returns," Zhu Shun Yao said with a dry laugh.