Chapter 31: Uncle Is So Good to Auntie!

The two worked one after the other, and before long, they had harvested most of the lush perilla leaves.

Huanya did not cut them all, leaving some of the smaller plants behind. She told Mother Song, "It's summer now, and perilla grows quickly. If we leave these, we might be able to come back for them later!"

Mother Song wanted to say that once a path was cleared, this place would likely be discovered by others soon enough. But seeing the look of anticipation on Huanya's face, she could only nod. It wouldn't hurt to just stop by more often when she had some free time.

Both of them had filled their baskets, yet a significant amount remained. They hadn't realized it while cutting, but now they saw that their baskets were simply not enough to hold everything.

Looking at the remaining leaves, Huanya couldn't bear to leave them behind. There was enough here to make at least two or three pounds once dried!

She thought for a moment, and when her eyes caught sight of some thumb-thick vines on a nearby tree trunk, an idea struck her. She decisively cut the vines wrapping around the trunk and said to Mother Song, "Auntie, let's make a basket so we can take all these leaves back with us."

"Wouldn't it be easier if we just went down and came back up later?" Mother Song asked.

Huanya shook her head. "If we go back and return, it will take half an hour. By then, the sun will be high, and since there’s no shade here, the leaves will surely wilt once the heat hits them." She pointed to the vines. "If we make a basket, we can take them back directly and save time."

"All right." Mother Song didn't hesitate and helped cut several more vines. "How many do you need?"

"About seven or eight long ones should be enough. I'll start weaving the base."

"Good." Mother Song didn't waste words; she nimbly cut a few more vines and dragged them over to Huanya.

By then, Huanya had already fashioned a base using a thick vine. Mother Song looked closely and noticed Huanya was using thinner vines for the joints, so she asked, "Isn't a rope better for this part?"

Huanya said sheepishly, "I didn't bring any."

Mother Song smiled. "I have some. Just wait." With that, she unfastened a piece of rope from her own basket.

Huanya looked on, stunned. "You can take this rope off?"

"Yes, I have a poor memory," Mother Song said with a soft smile. "I used to go up the mountain and then have to go all the way back just to get rope, so Tiancheng’s father attached some directly to the basket."

Huanya had a sudden realization and smiled. "Uncle Song was so good to you, Auntie!"

Hearing this, Mother Song couldn't help but smile, a look of nostalgia in her eyes. "He was indeed a good man. But ever since he passed, I’ve never forgotten to bring rope again."

Huanya pursed her lips and said, "Don't be sad, Auntie. Uncle Song will be watching over you from heaven."

Although it was the kind of thing one might say to comfort a child, Mother Song took the words to heart, feeling a warmth spread through her. She nodded, beaming brightly. "He certainly has to look after me. If he dared not to, I’d surely scold him."

Huanya laughed, her hands moving even faster. In just a quarter of an hour, she had finished weaving the basket. To make it easier to carry, she added two "ears" on either side that could be used as handles.

"Huanya, you are so clever with your hands," Mother Song exclaimed in surprise. "You could even take things like this to town and sell them!"

Huanya felt a bit shy from the praise and just busied herself by stuffing the perilla leaves into the basket. Seeing this, the smile in Mother Song’s eyes deepened, and she helped Huanya pack the remaining leaves.

"It fits perfectly," Mother Song noted, lifting the basket to test its weight. It was sturdy, and the handles didn't wobble at all.

Mother Song was genuinely impressed. "I mean it, Huanya. With this skill, you really could weave things to sell in town. I’m sure plenty of people would want them!"