Chapter 28: Mulberries

"Oh, look! Some mulberries are actually ripe!" An Songyu’s eyes widened in pleasant surprise.

Pushing aside the mulberry leaves that had been obstructing her view, she found that among the vast majority of green or semi-red berries, there were indeed a few deep red ones and a couple that had turned black.

An Songyu carefully picked them, took a large, black mulberry about the length of a thumb, and held it out to Shi Youqin. "Grandma, this one is perfectly ripe. Have a taste."

"I don't want any, you eat it yourself!" Shi Youqin shook her head without hesitation. Seeing An Songyu persist, she quickly explained, "I already had some last night. The people picking leaves discovered some that ripened early and brought them back right away. There were far more than just these few you found."

"Yesterday is yesterday, and today is today! Besides, today's mulberries are the first batch your granddaughter has picked this year!" An Songyu wouldn't take no for an answer, insisting that Shi Youqin eat the berry to be satisfied.

With no other choice, Shi Youqin took the perfectly ripe mulberry from her granddaughter's hand and ate it. "It's actually quite sweet. Mulberries are quite tasty and yield well, it's just that the harvest season is hard to time, and they are difficult to preserve. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many mulberry fields in our village with no one wanting to lease them." As she spoke, Shi Youqin couldn't help but sigh.

She had been married into Jiang Village for several decades. She still clearly remembered that in her youth, the vast majority of the village's income came from the snow-white silk cocoons produced by the silkworms raised on these endless mulberry groves. It was a pity that as the village underwent one change after another over the years, these mulberry fields had increasingly fallen into neglect.

"Once we've got things running properly, someone will definitely want to lease them again," An Songyu said, picking a red mulberry to eat. The sourness made her face pucker, which conveniently masked her guilty expression. Her father had indeed made up his mind to focus on this sericulture project, though the mulberry fields of Jiang Village as they existed now might not last. However, her grandmother didn't need to worry about these delicious mulberries going to waste. In a few years, as the city of Shuncheng continued to expand, the remaining mulberry fields around it would dwindle. By then, whether it was self-picking experiences during the harvest or pre-packaged boxes of mulberries, they would surely be loved by many.

Shi Youqin told An Songyu, "Ah Yu, you don't need to busy yourself with the work today. Since the May Day holiday ended, there are plenty of people in the village looking to earn some extra pocket money, so we aren't short of help in the silkworm house."

Speaking of this, Shi Youqin sighed again. Most of the women in Jiang Village were quite hardworking, but with the rise of rural tourism, they had less and less discretionary income, even though their daily workload had not decreased. It wasn't that their families were harsh—they had plenty to eat and wear, and no one questioned their spending—it was just that with the next generation grown up, they were no longer the ones calling the shots at home. Consequently, their control over money had diminished.

That was why, once their family reopened the silkworm house, people of all ages—from fifty to sixty—from both inside and outside the village were eager to do odd jobs for them. After all, the mulberry leaves they brought were weighed and paid for on the spot. Although these people were not particularly young, they worked just as well as the younger generation. However, with the weather turning hot, they didn't dare to let them overwork.

An Songyu, who rarely returned to the village, was unaware of this situation. Once she was sure her grandmother truly didn't need her help, she grabbed a basket from the silkworm house and began searching the fields. By lunchtime, her basket was more than half full—and that was only because she had specifically picked the ripest and best-looking ones.

Mulberries were not only difficult to preserve and transport, but they also attracted insects. Since their mulberry garden was used for raising silkworms, they basically didn't use pesticides. Finding good mulberries, especially just as the season was beginning, required a sharp eye.

Seeing An Songyu’s haul, not only her parents, An Shun and his wife, but everyone else working nearby burst into laughter. She really was a child raised in the city. Even though she had seemed quite composed over the past month or so, she had shown her true colors the moment she saw these rural treats.

An Songyu was embarrassed by their laughter and quickly explained, "These are the first ripe mulberries of the year. I picked a few extra to take back and share with my family." She also thought she could take some to her brother to ask about the mulberry wine he had mentioned earlier. But since she didn't know how that would turn out, she didn't mention it in front of so many people.

The other villagers found her explanation even more amusing. Fortunately, someone kind-hearted stepped in and invited her, "Then Ah Yu, you can stop by my place when you leave later. My family tried planting a small patch of pineapples this year, and they are just right for eating now."

"That’s right, come to my place too! The guavas in our garden are also ready to be picked."

An Songyu had never faced such enthusiasm. Feeling a bit overwhelmed, she cast a look of distress toward her grandparents. Shi Youqin, catching her granddaughter's gaze, first said, "If you want to eat them, go ahead and pick some!" Then, turning to the two villagers, she added, "Your fruits are grown in picking gardens to be sold; just give her a fair price."

"Oh, sister, what are you saying!" the woman replied with a playful roll of her eyes before turning to An Songyu. "Ah Yu, don't listen to your grandmother. Things like pineapples aren't meant for guests to pick. We just grow them ourselves and occasionally sell some to visitors. During the holidays, we might soak some in salt water to offer guests or sell them in small batches. Otherwise, we just use them for cooking or give them to neighbors. It’s our first time trying to grow them, so we don't have many. If the guests give good feedback, by next year, we can lease more empty land in the village and plant more, just like your family."

She then remembered something else. "By the way, the muskmelons and watermelons in our vegetable garden have been growing for years, and they are perfectly ripe right now. Remember to take some of those back, too, along with some white gourds and cucumbers."

Before Shi Youqin could even speak, An Songyu began waving her hands in a panic to decline. To her surprise, after chatting with the woman for a few more minutes, her grandmother actually agreed. Confused, An Songyu followed Shi Youqin to the enthusiastic woman's house. This woman was much younger than Shi Youqin, though she was a generation older in terms of kinship. Once they stepped into her vegetable garden, An Songyu vaguely began to understand why.