readease Chapter 471 A Collection of Stories About Mealtime
Chapter 471 A Collection of Stories About Mealtime
The spring breeze caresses the face, and all things revive.
Walking on the stone path through the forest, Su Tianqing experienced this feeling again.
Unlike the forests in Chengdu, the Yinsha Valley, a natural scenic area in a cold-climate city, is covered with dense fir and pine trees that remain evergreen year-round.
Even at the beginning of spring, the dense shade of the trees remains unaffected.
"You know what, Little Fish? I heard that the pollen production of cedar trees is terrifying."
Walking to a relatively low fir tree, Su Tianqing looked at the cluster of tender flower buds and said to Nan Jiayu beside her.
The catgirl strolled over, leaned closer to admire her, tilted her head, twitched her cat ears a few times, and showed a puzzled expression.
"Pollen... how much pollen could such a tiny cluster of flower buds possibly contain?"
"Don't underestimate it. If you shake the trunk vigorously when it's in full bloom, the pollen can even form a pollen cloud!"
Xia Youyou happened to be passing by behind the cat and fox and overheard their conversation, so she spoke up to explain.
Nan Jiayu looked up in amazement at the towering spruce trees around her, imagining the magnificent sight when the spruce flowers were in full bloom.
The mountainside was covered in blossoms and fruit, and a gust of wind blew out a thick cloud of pollen.
...It feels like a nightmare for allergy sufferers. Nan Jiayu dared not think any further.
The discussion about cedar pollen lasted for a while, but it was quickly veered off course by the relationship between squirrels and pine cones.
"It is said that squirrels bury nuts underground in winter as food reserves, but they easily forget where they bury them, indirectly sowing seeds for trees."
"I know that! Maybe if we go and shovel some pine cones now, we can dig up a lot."
"The sky is falling when the squirrel goes home," Nan Jiayu joked with a laugh.
The hike continues.
The stone-paved path in the cedar forest is very wide. Tourists chat and laugh as they walk, stopping from time to time to take photos, enjoying a very leisurely and carefree time.
Xia Youyou volunteered to be the guide for the cat and fox duo, skipping and hopping happily along the forest path.
Compared to the lively little rabbit, Xia Taotao seemed much calmer. It was unclear whether she was experiencing mild social anxiety or cyberbullying, as she quickly became quiet and silent when more tourists appeared around her.
Although she appears taciturn on the surface, the bright look in Rabbit Girl's eyes when admiring the scenery doesn't lie; she clearly enjoys this rare hiking trip through a natural scenic area.
"Woof! Look, look! It's a little squirrel!"
Not far away, the dog-girl Wang Xiaowang showed Aurora the squirrel she was holding, its tail wagging happily.
Aurora smiled wryly and cooperated with Wang Xiaowang's futile attempt to catch a mouse, while also advising her not to harm innocent small animals.
"This is the angle! Karin, hang in there!"
On the other side, Lin Muyao held a DSLR camera, the lens like a cannon, and snapped a series of photos of Hua Ling, who was standing by the tree with her long hair gathered up.
The literary girl and the natural scenery are intertwined, creating a visually stunning scene.
Seeing her companions' happy smiles, Su Tianqing also felt great.
Compared to crowded famous tourist attractions, I much prefer leisurely strolling through natural scenic areas like this, chatting about topics we wouldn't normally discuss, or experiencing some interesting entertainment.
It's really just a temporary change in lifestyle. After all, people get tired of everything they do eventually. Even if you maintain your enthusiasm for your current life, there will always come a day when you feel bored.
For me, travel is an important way to relax, especially when I'm having fun and laughing with my friends; that kind of experience is invaluable.
The group walked along the stone path toward the woodland park at the top of the mountain.
Climbing the steps, you arrive at the spacious mountaintop of the valley. From the sparse edge of the forest, you can even see the endless dense forest, as magnificent as a sea of trees.
It's called a mountaintop, but it's actually a very wide highland with two hotel-like buildings standing there, both claiming to be "forest hotels".
While it's unclear whether these two forest hotels can truly meet tourists' needs for "forest camping," their popularity, with rooms in high demand, suggests there's little difference.
Compared to the sandy river valleys where people are constantly taking photos and laughing, the woodland park is just as popular, but the surrounding noise level is much lower.
This is probably related to the mountain path that must be taken to get up the mountain. Most tourists chose to sit on the chairs to rest, while only the energetic children were still laughing and playing.
Su Tianqing naturally belongs to the former category.
"I'm so tired... I can't walk anymore..."
The exhausted fox lay sprawled on the bench, clinging to the catgirl beside it like a sticky rice cake, clearly showing it was too tired to move.
"You've been resting for over ten minutes, are you still unable to walk?"
"Let's rest a little longer~"
A fluffy tail was nestled in my arms, fox ears were brought close to my nose, and the familiar scent of gardenias became even more pronounced from the slight sweat of the climb, like a potent dose of catnip—
Almost instantly, the Nan Jia fish was captivated by it.
The saying "A touch of the fox brings joy to life" probably describes this situation perfectly.
The leisurely afternoon passed by with lingering sweetness after the hike, and soon it was time for today's main event:
"Camping dog by the stove!"
Wang Xiaowang clutched the stack of tickets in his hand, picked out a stove usage ticket, and excitedly showed it to everyone.
This is one of the attractions in the woodland park: a picnic dinner in a spacious open-air stove area.
Visitors can bring their own ingredients or use vegetables provided in the park's supermarket to barbecue or cook a hot dinner outdoors.
Of course, you also have to build your own stove.
The energetic Wang Xiaowang took on the task of building the stove. Using the remains of a stove built by his predecessors, he quickly pieced together a wood-fired stove that could accommodate a wok.
As for the fuel used for cooking...
"I brought charcoal!"
Fei Yelan confidently showed off her bag of black, smokeless honeycomb briquettes, and everyone tacitly refrained from asking her why she brought her own coal.
With a stove and fire ready, a reliable conclusion was quickly reached regarding who would be responsible for cooking:
"I suggest that everyone cook one dish, and we can have a huge feast!" Lin Muyao suggested.
"Then I'll go first. It's been a long time since I've cooked anything," Nan Jiayu volunteered, stepping forward first.
"Little Fish cooks incredibly well!" Su Tianqing confidently promoted her cat to everyone.
"That's right, Sister Jiayu's cooking skills are even better than my dad's. I love her stir-fried green peppers and shredded pork."
Nan Xiaofeng also praised her older sister's cooking skills, making Nan Jiayu, who was wearing an apron by the stove, feel a little embarrassed.
Each person prepared a dish, showcasing their unique skills. Even Su Tianqing enthusiastically ran to the stove to demonstrate her omelet-making skills.
"But really, can an omelet really be considered dinner?" Fei Yelan muttered under her breath, her face expressionless.
"Shh, if Sister Tianqing thinks it is, then it is." Hualing showed great tolerance.
The dinner atmosphere was lively and cheerful.
From Sichuan's signature twice-cooked pork to an unnamed stew, the dishes are diverse, and the flavors vary greatly.
Adhering to the principle that whoever cooks the food is responsible for finishing it, Nan Xiaofeng maintained a mask of pain throughout dinner, looking at the plate of stir-fried green peppers and preserved eggs piled high with chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns in front of her with a dilemma.
"...Muyao, would you like to try my preserved eggs?" Nan Xiaofeng tried to sell them to Lin Muyao beside him.
Lin Muyao picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks, chewed it for a while, then silently picked up her drink and took a big gulp, refusing to touch it again.
Xia Youyou was quite curious and wanted to try it, but was quickly dissuaded by everyone, who really didn't dare let this authentic Northeastern rabbit taste Nan Xiaofeng's hellish spicy flavor.
No, no, this is really not allowed.
As the meal progressed, perhaps sensing that the atmosphere at the table was becoming a little lukewarm, Jin Lanshuang brought up a new topic:
Have you heard the rumors about the Silver Sand Valley treasure?
"I've heard of it!" Lin Muyao was the first to raise her hand.
"They say it's a treasure left behind in the valley by a previous magical girl, and our hiking trip evolved from that treasure hunt, right?"
"Hmm... about 70-80% correct, but there's another rather shocking fact."
At this point, Jin Lanshuang revealed a teasing expression and said with a smile:
"The Hero Association confirmed with that senior that the treasure does indeed exist!"
"No one has found it yet!"