Era: Rise from the Wilderness

The bright red fruit tumbled in the water, becoming even more translucent.

Lü Ruoxi picked one up and put it in her mouth. The sweet and sour juice burst in her mouth, carrying the unique fragrance of the mountains and fields.

"tasty!"

Her eyes curved into crescent moons.

"not bad!"

Li Yunjing tasted a few himself and nodded, agreeing that they were indeed more flavorful than the greenhouse strawberries of later generations.

It's also more sour and not as sweet.

He picked some more, carefully wrapped them in large, washed leaves, and stuffed them into Lü Ruoxi's handbag: "Take these back for your family to try."

Before leaving, Li Yunjing picked a large handful of dandelions on the hillside.

This wild vegetable is rarely seen in the city, but it grows abundantly in Dongshan.

The emerald green leaves have serrated edges, and the roots are white and tender.

"I'll share half of this with you."

He divided the wild vegetables into two portions, tied them together with grass stems, and said, "I'll blanch them in boiling water when I get home, then mix them with other ingredients to eat. It'll help clear heat and reduce internal fire."

Lu Ruoxi accepted the wild vegetables, a warm feeling welling up in her heart.

This seemingly carefree young man is actually very thoughtful.

By 2:30 pm, the sun was no longer so strong.

"Assemble!"

Li Yunjing glanced at the sky and called out into the depths of the woods, "It's time to go down the mountain!"

Soon, people began to emerge from various places.

Ma Xingyuan and Ma Guofeng carried plastic bags of wild vegetables in their hands. Several girls had bits of grass stuck in their hair, and their faces showed fatigue and satisfaction after playing.

"Going up the mountain is easy, but coming down is difficult. Everyone, please be careful."

Li Yunjing reminded, "The downhill path is slippery, so make sure you step firmly before you go."

He arranged for Ma Xingyuan and Ma Guofeng to scout ahead and take care of the other three girls.

He then naturally took Lü Ruoxi's hand and said, "Stay close to me."

"Um……"

Seemingly somewhat accustomed to Li Yunjing's actions, Lü Ruoxi blushed slightly and slowly nodded, tacitly approving of his actions.

The road down the mountain was indeed more difficult to walk than the road up the mountain.

The slope was steep, and there were loose stones scattered on the road.

Lu Ruoxi walked carefully, almost slipping several times, but Li Yunjing caught her in time.

"Slow down, no rush."

Li Yunjing held her hand tightly, taking each step steadily.

He was familiar with this mountain path and knew where it was easy to slip and where he could get a foothold.

The others walked ahead in a crooked and unsteady manner.

Ma Xingyuan stumbled and almost fell, but luckily the girl next to him caught him.

"Fatty, aren't you ashamed of yourself?! You need Li Xue to help you up?"

Ma Guofeng had just made a mocking remark when he lost his footing and slid down the ground, getting his pants all stained.

"Hahaha! You're still laughing at me?"

Ma Xingyuan couldn't help but burst into laughter at Ma Guofeng's comical appearance.

"Watch your step, be careful!"

Li Yunjing shook his head with a wry smile, only he and Lü Ruoxi had made the most steady progress.

He held Lü Ruoxi's hand, sometimes reminding her to watch out for the tree roots under her feet, and sometimes pointing out the wildflowers by the roadside to her.

Lu Ruoxi gradually relaxed and followed his rhythm, walking even more easily than when she was going up the mountain.

"How do you know the mountain roads so well?"

She couldn't help but ask.

"I came here every day when I was a kid."

Li Yunjing smiled and said, "I know every tree on this mountain—the one that raids bird nests, picks wild fruits, and gathers wild jujubes."

At four o'clock in the afternoon, the group finally returned to the small shop at the foot of the mountain.

Everyone was exhausted. Ma Xingyuan plopped down on a stone bench, panting heavily, "Finally... finally we're done..."

Lu Ruoxi wiped the sweat from her forehead, her face still flushed from exercise.

She glanced at her exhausted companions, then turned and walked into the convenience store.

A short while later, she came out carrying a pile of glass bottles.

It's the newest trendy champagne soda in town.

"I'm treating everyone to soft drinks today!"

She smiled and distributed the bottles to everyone, saying, "Thank you for your hard work!"

Wow! Sister Ruoxi is so generous!

Ma Guofeng's eyes lit up.

Champagne soda was a rare treat these days, costing twice as much as regular orange soda.

The glass bottle has a red label on it, and the cap can only be opened with a screwdriver.

Li Yunjing took the cold bottle, the water droplets condensed on the bottle wetting his palm.

He used his teeth to open the bottle cap.

This is an essential skill for boys these days.

The bubble burst out with a "hiss".

The sweet soda, with a slight alcoholic sensation, slid down my throat, instantly dispelling the fatigue of the climb.

"Cool!"

Ma Xingyuan tilted his head back and took a big gulp, letting out a loud burp, which drew laughter from everyone.

Six young people sat on the stone steps in front of the convenience store, clinking glasses with their glass bottles.

"Cheers! To today's hike!"

"For our friendship!"

The glass bottles clinked together, making a crisp sound.

Lu Ruoxi took small sips of her soda, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons with laughter.

She turned her head to look at Li Yunjing and found him looking at her. The two smiled at each other.

At this moment, the fatigue from the mountains, the thrill of descending, and the joy of picking strawberries all melted away in this bottle of sweet soda.

After finishing the soda, I returned the glass bottle to the shop owner.

These days, bottles are all recycled.

Otherwise, they'll deduct money from your pay.

The setting sun had already dyed half the sky red. Everyone said goodbye and pushed their bicycles, preparing to go home.

"Let me see you off."

After everyone else had left, Li Yunjing spoke naturally to Lü Ruoxi.

Lü Ruoxi paused for a moment, then nodded: "Okay!"

The two rode their bicycles slowly south along the main road.

The evening breeze dispelled the daytime heat, and the willow trees along the roadside rustled softly.

This time of day is the peak of the rush hour for people leaving get off work and school, and the sound of bicycle bells can be heard everywhere on the road.

Did you have fun today?

Li Yunjing asked.

"Um."

Lü Ruoxi nodded gently, "It's been a long time since I've had such a pleasant mountain climb."

She paused, then said, "Thank you for taking care of me all day."

"Of course."

Li Yunjing smiled.

In fact, given his reborn mental age, taking care of these little boys and girls is as natural as an adult taking care of children.

The two chatted casually, talking about interesting things that happened that day, their teachers at school, and their plans for the future.

Lu Ruoxi's place was a little far away, and she kept walking south until she was almost at the seaside.

That area houses some cadres' family quarters, and banks also allocate housing there.

As she approached the cadre housing building where Lü Ruoxi lived, she stopped and said, "I'm here."

It was a four-story red brick building, which was quite impressive in this town where single-story houses were the majority.

Several bicycles were parked downstairs, and warm light shone from the windows.

"Then... goodbye?"

Looking at the beautiful woman before him, Li Yunjing smiled and said.

"Okay, see you tomorrow!"

Lu Ruoxi pushed her bicycle into the building, and when she reached the door, she suddenly turned back. "By the way, shall we go fishing together?"

"OK!"

Thinking that he had nothing to do tomorrow, Li Yunjing smiled and nodded, then asked one last time, "Where do we meet?"

"Come downstairs and wait for me!"

Lü Ruoxi responded with a smile and ran towards the stairwell.

"hehe!"

After watching her walk into the building, Li Yunjing turned around and walked back.