By the vegetable garden's pond in Chu Village, the village children gathered around to watch Chu Qingzhi harvest lotus roots.
Despite its small size, the pond was rich in resources, with lotus roots, fish, shrimp, clams, water chestnuts, and water celery all reaching harvest season.
However, unable to consume everything at once, Chu Qingzhi planned to harvest and eat fresh produce gradually.
Standing by the pond, Chu Qingzhi grabbed a lotus stem and pulled, bringing a plump white lotus root from the mud to the water's surface, where it gently swayed, shedding its mud.
The children cheered, "Wow, Sister Qingzhi is so skilled!"
Chu Qingzhi continued her efforts, bringing another tender root to the surface.
After harvesting six or seven roots in succession, each root was intact, with four to five nodes, looking incredibly pleasing.