Chapter 14 - Grape picking

"What miracle, quickly, don't keep us hanging!"

"Is, look at your appetite, just hang on!"

Now that he has stirred the appetite of his listeners, the person who spoke earlier continued mysteriously, "Some time ago, when the old man Liu fell from a mountain and was sent to the town medical center, the doctor said that he couldn't save his life and told his family to go home and prepare for his funeral. At that time, his wife was there weeping! The two Liu brothers kowtowed before the master of the medical center to save him, but the doctor said that old Liu's head injury was severe and that he couldn't do anything about it. Guess what happened next? Their baby granddaughter rushed into the scene, but nobody noticed her climbing into the ox cart, pop! Old Liu climbed back from the dead!

Then there's Liu Er, who was one of the villagers who freed the water that night. The Dafu Family whacked him with his own hands, did you know that his injury was serious? Dafu was so scared that he didn't dare to stay at home for three days, afraid that they would seek revenge! What do you think happened this time? He just drank a cup of water poured by their baby granddaughter and the next day, he went to the field to work as if nothing had happened!…"

The miraculous tale left the villagers of Xiapo Village dumbfounded.

The village chief watched the festive harvest across the river and his face turned cold and gloomy.

Similar discussions were staged in many private houses in Xinghua Village.

The rumor about the blessed baby was like a whirlwind, which quickly swept through Xinghua Village and surrounding villages.

In the meantime, Liu Yusheng knew nothing about this.

She was thrilled whenever a load of golden rice harvested was brought home and piled up in the yard. Watching her family's overflowing smiles, she felt elated.

"This year's grain harvest reached nearly 10% more than in previous years! After paying the tax, the rest is enough for our family to eat for a year!" Grandpa Liu grabbed a handful of rice grains and let it slip through his fingers, grinning from ear to ear while looking at the small hills of grains.

"Dad, today is a happy day, shall we drink a jug of wine?" Liu Erlin licked his lips as he proposed.

Before Grandpa Liu could respond, Grandma Liu slapped both of them with a scolding, "What wine are you planning on drinking, don't you know how your father's body is? Unless you're completely back to health, don't ever think about drinking!"

Right, the queen mother has spoken, so discussion's over.

Liu Dalin was amused, "Don't even think about wine. After the harvest ends, we can take a break for a while. I remember there's a wild grape forest behind Xinghualing mountain. They should be ripe by now. Tomorrow, let's go and pick some and let the children have a sumptuous snack."

"Picking grapes! Dad, I'll go with you tomorrow too!" Liu Zhixia, who was squatting next to a valley and building a sand castle, stuck his head out with eyes bright.

Liu Zhiqiu was not to be outdone, sucking in his drool, he followed, "I want to go too!"

"These two little greedy devils!" Liu Er laughed and cursed beneath his breath, "All right, we will all go tomorrow! We'd better start off early or we won't pick anything if we arrive late."

"Go ahead, you all go, pick some more and let our Nannan have a taste of them. You haven't had wild grapes yet, right?" Hoisting Liu Yusheng up, Grandma Liu lovingly pinched her little nose.

Liu Yusheng laughed, nodding her head like a chicken pecking rice, causing laughter.

"Mother, the millet at home has to be dried, so I won't go with them. I'll stay at home and help you dry and spread them out." Chen Xiulan, who was sitting by the door and watching the family gathered happily, smiled.

Du Juan also added, "I'll also stay at home to help, the lot of you should be enough to pick grapes."

"Then I …" Grandpa Liu wanted to insert his own opinion, but was glared at by Grandma Liu, "You are not allowed to go, so just rest at home. Let those old hands and legs catch a break for a while, you are no longer young!"

"…" A group of young children snickered beside him. The old man was defeated, his stinky wife didn't leave him a little face.

Although Liu Yusheng didn't speak, her small brain turned quickly, grape forest, behind the mountain, hillside … maybe she could do something.

Early the next morning, Liu Da and Liu Er woke the two boys up, and prepared to set out towards the back of the mountain.

That grape grove was a land belonging to no one, anyone can go and pick grapes. If they're late, everything would be gone.

Today, Liu Yusheng also got up very early, put on her own little gown, and let her mother brush two small buns on her head, and flew into the sky.

Like a baby painted on New Year's Eve, she looked adorable.

When Liu Da and his entourage were about to leave the house, she again clung to her father's calf and said, "Dad, Nannan, go!"

"Aiyo, Nannan, stay behind. There are a lot of little bugs in the woods. You might get bitten. Stay at home and wait for dad to go and pick grapes for you. Come on!" Hearing Nannan's milky voice outside the kitchen, Grandma Liu immediately came out to stop her.

No? That's not going to work, she has a lot of work to do.

Liu Yusheng looked up at Grandma Liu, pursed her mouth, and blinked her big teary eyes. Tears immediately swam in her eyes, but they refused to fall, this appearance would certainly induce pity.

Towards the little baby, Grandma Liu has yet to learn how to put up a firm resistance, "Nannan, the mountain path is too hard to walk on, it's still scorching outside, just stay at home and wait…"

"Grandma, Nannan, wants to go." She turned around and hugged Grandma Liu's leg, blinking her wet eyes and rocked.

"… Go! Grandma will go with you! Xiulan, take out the wicker basket, I remember there is a small vegetable basket in the kitchen. I'll also go and pick some grapes with Nannan!"

Everyone who had no chance to speak, "…"

For the sake of Nannan, even if it's the queen mother, the principled becomes unprincipled.

In the end, most of the family went.

Grandpa Liu, who was ordered to stay at home and raise himself, squatted at the door of the house and watched dejectedly as his wife dragged Nannan further and further away.

Xinghualing mountain is located in the east of the village. The ridge is not high with verdant trees, pine trees, red maples, and many shrubs mixed in. At a glance, the colors turquoise, yellow, red, and yellow green are intertwined, forming a natural colored tapestry.

The path to the back of the mountain is winding along the foot of Xinghualing Mountain. While walking in the middle of the path, the fragrance of grass and wood floated beneath the nose. Their ears were sometimes graced with the twittering of birds and chirping insects. Their heads were covered with wisps of gold from the morning sun that seeped through the shades of the trees.

Among them, Liu Yusheng just felt her heart jumping.

Round the back of the mountain was a hill. A wide expanse of grape vines climbed on shrubs. Purple and black wild grapes dangling among the green leaves were partially hidden. The fruity flavor filled the air.

"Fortunately, we came early, there's still no one! It looks like we are the first to arrive, quick, start picking! I'm sure someone will come and rob them again later!" Liu Erlin spurred them into action while he rushed into the grape grove and moved quickly, dumping a bunch of tight and plump grapes into the wicker basket.

The two boys were the most excited and couldn't care less about picking. Their little paws directly grabbed a grain of grapes and stuffed it in their mouths, biting and squirting grape juices all over their mouths.

"Hmm! So sweet! Pick a huge one for Nannan!"

"Wait, wait, this grape hasn't been washed, wait a minute, your brother will peel it before you eat!"

Now that they had a taste, the brothers scrambled to feed their sister.

"Ahh!" Opening her mouth, Liu Yusheng chomped on the grape that her brothers had peeled, her eyebrows arching like the moon.

Her obsession with cleanliness has never flared up in this home for a long time.

Liu Dalin smiled and rubbed the two boys' heads. "Take care of your sister, father and uncle will go and pick grapes!"

"I'll watch over Nannan, all of you can go and play, it's hard to come on this trip together, so don't be restrained." Grandma Liu waved her hand and drove the family away, then she picked the basket she especially brought for Liu Yusheng, "Nannan, come, grandma will accompany you picking, let's have lots of fun today!"