| TBBOTOF | 305
It has been more than three years since the plantation, and the fruits have only started to bear fruit, and there are not many fresh fruits.
After rushing to harvest the fields at the Tang family’s side, they couldn’t help out entirely, as there were enough hands over there.
So early in the morning, Wei Dong headed to the orchard. Seeing the ripe fruit made him happy, and after lunch, he took the four children up the mountain to pick the fruit.
Since it was their mountain, there was no need to worry about wild animals. Wei Dong carried a machete at his waist and held Xiao Bao in one arm.
Turning to look at Sun Yang, who was following behind, he reminded him, “Xiao Yang, watch your step and don’t step into a ditch. Hold onto the other two.”
Sun Yang held the chubby boy and Er Bao by the hand as they followed behind Wei Dong.
The mountain wasn’t high, and the fruit trees were scattered. The first one they came across was a wild pear tree.
When they dug up trees on the mountain, Wei Dong had deliberately chosen relatively sturdy ones, hoping they would bear fruit after some care. Although they had waited three years and the fruit on the tree wasn’t densely packed, seeing the golden, palm-sized pears hanging among the leaves was still satisfying.
Xiao Bao raised his hand and pointed at a pear. “That one!”
Wei Dong reached up, plucked the pear he pointed at, wiped it on his clothes, and handed it over. “Here, take it and have a bite.”
The pear wasn’t big, but it was just the right size for Xiao Bao. His little hands could hold it perfectly.
Xiao Bao first lowered his head to sniff it, then looked up at Wei Dong.
“Father, eat.”
He held the pear up to Wei Dong's mouth.
Wei Dong smiled and took a bite, grinning at him. “Father ate it, now you eat.”
Xiao Bao stared at his mouth and asked in his soft, childish voice, “Father, is it sweet?”
Wei Dong raised an eyebrow and leaned down to bump foreheads with him. “It’s sweet. Go on, eat.”
Only then did Xiao Bao happily start nibbling on the pear, taking little bites.
The pear was juicy, sweet without any sourness, crisp when bitten into, and its skin was thin.
Wei Dong glanced around, then put Xiao Bao down on the ground. “Don’t wander off, sit over there.” He pointed to a large rock nearby.
Xiao Bao obediently sat down on the rock, swinging his little feet as he munched on the pear.
The other three children, who had climbed up behind them, saw how happy he was eating and quickly gathered around, asking for their share.
Er Bao clung to the tree trunk, agilely climbing up with ease. His movements were quick and steady.
Wei Dong stood nearby, ready to catch him in case he lost his grip and fell.
Er Bao climbed higher, stepping confidently on the tree trunk. Once he reached a good spot, he looked down and grinned at Wei Dong. “Father, I’ll pick them!”
Wei Dong nodded, taking the basket off his back and securing it on a sturdy branch. “Pick them and toss them in here. Get them all.”
“Okay!” Er Bao wedged himself securely between two branches and began reaching for the pears hanging nearby.
Wei Dong, keeping an eye on him, turned to Sun Yang and the chubby boy. “The apricot tree over there is shorter. You two can jump and grab the fruit, but no climbing.”
Sun Yang nodded obediently, taking the chubby boy’s hand and promising seriously, “I’ll watch him. We won’t climb the tree.”
Wei Dong watched them walk over to the apricot tree, where they stood on a higher spot to pick the fruit easily. Seeing they were managing just fine, he turned his attention back to Er Bao.
Er Bao was a mischievous one, and if left unwatched, he’d climb straight to the treetop. This pear tree was at least ten meters tall; if he went any higher, he wouldn’t be able to get down.
From time to time, Wei Dong called up to remind him, “Don’t climb any higher!”
Once Er Bao had picked most of the pears, Wei Dong raised his hands and called out to him, “Jump down, I'll catch you.”
If it were any other child, even an older one, they’d probably hesitate before jumping down.
Even knowing the adult below could catch them, they’d take a moment to psych themselves up, take a deep breath, and tightly shut their eyes before leaping.
But not Er Bao.
This kid seemed to be missing the nerve that made people feel fear. The moment he heard his father call out from below, he didn’t think twice—he just let go and jumped straight down.
Not only was he unafraid, but he even shouted an excited “Wahoo!” as he leapt.
Wei Dong, on the other hand, broke out in a cold sweat.
Thankfully, he’d anticipated this rascal might jump down, so he had been standing ready with his arms wide open. His quick reflexes ensured he caught Er Bao securely; otherwise, there was a real chance Er Bao could’ve hurt himself badly.
Holding the solid weight of his son in his arms, Wei Dong let out a breath before glaring down at him. “Why did you jump so recklessly? What if I couldn’t catch you? You’d break a leg!”
Er Bao just giggled, his bright eyes sparkling, clearly finding the whole thing thrilling. “Father, let’s do it again over there!” He pointed enthusiastically at another pear tree nearby.
Wei Dong set him down on the ground and gave him a light swat on the backside. Er Bao immediately bolted off.
“Slow down, or you’ll fall!” Wei Dong shouted after him.
“Got it!” Er Bao called back without slowing.
Wei Dong picked up the basket from the ground and scooped up Xiao Bao, who had finished eating his pear. He wiped Xiao Bao’s hands clean and said, “Come on, let’s go sit somewhere else.”
Xiao Bao nodded enthusiastically but suddenly raised his hand and gestured wildly. “A bug! So big!”
Wei Dong chuckled, not paying it much mind. “How big?”
“This~~~ big!” Xiao Bao made a large circle with his arms.
Wei Dong frowned slightly and glanced around the ground casually. Then his eyes froze as he spotted the half-exposed brownish-yellow body of a snake partially buried under fallen leaves not far away.
“Er Bao!” Wei Dong shouted sharply.
Er Bao skidded to a halt mid-step, turning to look at his father in confusion.
What’s wrong?
Father rarely shouted at him like that.
Er Bao looked at him nervously. “Father?”
Wei Dong’s sudden shout startled not only Er Bao but also the chubby boy and Sun Yang, who had been picking apricots nearby. They quickly ran over.
Wei Dong set Xiao Bao down on the rock again, but this time, he made him stand instead of sit.
Then, waving his hand at the other kids, he signaled them to stay where they were.
Snapping a branch off the tree nearby, Wei Dong crouched low and swiftly moved toward Er Bao. In one fluid motion, he grabbed Er Bao and flung him backward to safety while stabbing the branch toward the snake’s partially visible body.
The snake, buried beneath the leaves, writhed violently as the branch pierced it, scattering the fallen leaves and revealing its fully coiled body.
Wei Dong quickly drew the machete from his waist and, with one clean swing, chopped off the snake’s head.
“Stay where you are! Don’t come over,” he commanded the children firmly.
“Father, there’s another one!” The chubby boy pointed to a spot not far from Wei Dong.
Wei Dong turned to look, and sure enough, there was another snake, better hidden than the first. The commotion had likely startled it, revealing its location.
The four children stood frozen, closely watching the thick layer of fallen leaves for any sign of movement. Meanwhile, Wei Dong, armed with his machete, went to work. The sound of heavy, decisive chops echoed through the area as he swiftly dispatched the second snake.
“Father! Look! I killed it!” the chubby boy laughed heartily as he picked up a large rock from the ground and smashed it down on the snake’s body. Then, grabbing the now-dead snake, he swung it around gleefully. “What a big bug!”
“That’s not a bug—it’s a snake. You can use it to make soup or soak it in wine. It’s very nourishing and good for your health,” Wei Dong explained, using his machete to sweep through the nearby leaves.
Finding no more snakes, he decided it was best not to let the children stay there any longer. “Let’s head down the mountain. Later, we’ll ask Old Wu for some realgar powder to sprinkle around and drive the pests away.”
The chubby boy nodded eagerly, still excitedly swinging the snake in his hand. “I’ll take it to show Dad! He’ll definitely be happy!” With that, he ran off.
Wei Dong watched his eldest son’s cheerful figure disappear into the distance. Thinking of his husband’s usual preferences, he doubted this snake would bring him much joy.
But then again, his son was having fun, and that was good enough.
TL: This feels more like chapter 304 but this chapter is basically a flashback lol
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