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墨書 Inktalez
"Ah? Oh, it's nothing, I was just thinking—how to make good use of this fat pig's meat, turning it into a delicacy that you all have never tasted before, and also easy to preserve. But somehow, I always feel like something is missing. What could it be?"
While mumbling to herself, she shook her head and bent down to pick up a small light brown object that had fallen from the tree. After examining it in her hand, she brought it to her nose and sniffed it. Although the scent was faint, she could still detect a hint of sweetness.
Counting the points on the small object, she found it had eight. Suddenly, Ziyan exclaimed like thunder, "Ah—I've remembered! It's Star Anise, Star Anise!"
Gu Yuxuan crossed his arms over his chest. He wasn't surprised by Ziyan's reaction; she always got excited when she found something good, and he had grown used to it.
However, Ziying was different. Every time she saw her sister act like this, she would curiously approach and ask questions. So this time was no exception; curious Ziying came closer.
Stretching her neck to look at what her sister was holding, she asked, "What is that? Why are you so excited?"
"Hmph, of course it's something good! You wouldn't understand, would you? Look closely, this is a very good spice, and it can also be considered a traditional Chinese medicine."
"Ah? Oh! I see."
Ziying slowly processed this information in her mind and marveled at how much she had learned from the book her sister bought yesterday. Truly a genius!
It seemed Ziyan could see through Ziying's reaction and explained further: "Yesterday on the road, Brother Yuxuan helped me brush up on some knowledge. I recognized the pictures while he recognized the words. I learned quite a bit about the actual effects of various herbs."
Then she turned to Gu Yuxuan and said, "See, Brother Yuxuan, my memory isn't too bad, right?"
Gu Yuxuan understood Ziyan's little trick and responded, "Of course! To add on—you're quite clever; you catch on quickly."
After finishing his sentence, he raised an eyebrow and gave Ziyan an exaggerated wink as if to say he was clever too.
Ziyan pursed her lips noncommittally while observing Ziying, who usually was straightforward but actually believed her sister this time and didn't linger on the topic any longer.
Taking a gentle breath, Ziyan fiddled with the small Star Anise, then looked up at the green canopy above. She noticed some sparse Star Anise still hanging on the tree along with some green buds that were slightly pink.
It was only March now; Star Anise matured in August or September. This meant that what she held in her hand and those few remaining on the tree were last year's harvest that hadn't been picked.
After enduring a fall and winter filled with wind, rain, and frost, it's no wonder that the scent was faint; this was the reason.
Though there was a slight regret in her heart, it was still Star Anise. She could simply use more when cooking to bring out its flavor naturally.
Thinking of this, Ziyan immediately took action, not only moving herself but also calling Gu Yuxuan to join the team.
Ziyan was not at all polite as she instructed the other two, pointing at Ziying and saying, "You help me pick up the Star Anise on the ground, and also pluck those from the nearby short tree."
After directing Ziying, she turned to Gu Yuxuan and pointed at the tall Star Anise Tree, "You, use your lightness skill to fly up and pick the ones from the tree."
Looking up at the tree's branches that crisscrossed like a giant umbrella, Gu Yuxuan felt speechless and wanted to facepalm.
This girl! Reluctant in her heart, Gu Yuxuan hesitated for a moment but eventually shook her head and leaped up to the top of the Star Anise Tree, starting to pick the Star Anise.
Just as Gu Yuxuan was about to break off a large branch directly, she heard Ziyan's voice from below: "Don't pick off the branches; if you do, there will be much less Star Anise in autumn. Can't you see they are about to bloom? You're so foolish."
"What? Foolish? Who are you calling foolish?"
"Who else could it be?"
Ziyan rolled her eyes again, while Gu Yuxuan felt wronged and protested in silence—focusing on picking the Star Anise.
...
Next, the three of them worked hard for half a day. Gu Yuxuan was drenched in sweat from flying up and down around the tree. However, the two sisters below were not having an easy time either; they were crouching down and sweating profusely as they collected all the usable Star Anise from the ground, their eyes sparkling.
Their little waists were also exhausted to the point where they could hardly stand up straight. So Ziyan and Ziying both stopped and sat down on the grass.
Looking back up at Gu Yuxuan, although she was already covered in sticky sweat, she continued working diligently at the top of the tree without stopping.
Seeing this scene, Ziying couldn't help but feel a bit sympathetic.
She softly said to her sister, "Sister, look at how tired Gu Young Master is; why don't you call him down to rest for a bit?"
Actually, Ziyan also wanted to call that guy down. She had once been quite mature and sensible herself. Moreover, even if her heart was made of iron, it had been warmed by his 'actions' over these days.
So without further explanation to Ziying, she calmly called out, "Brother Yuxuan, come down and take a break."
When Gu Yuxuan came down, she handed him a bamboo tube. Gu Yuxuan's mouth twitched a couple of times; only then did he show some good humor while looking at Ziyan with a hint of surprise. He then tilted his head back and gulped down the last bit of water in the bamboo tube.
Looking at Ziyan, who smiled gently at him, he cautiously asked, "It's just seasoning; can you really eat all of this?"
"Of course, if I can't eat it all, there are other uses."
"Other uses? What kind of uses?" Ziying asked curiously.
"To keep!"
"What? Keeping it? Can that be eaten?" Ziying was even more puzzled.
"Yes!" Ziyan nodded seriously, noticing the strange and doubtful looks from the two of them. She then lowered her head and chuckled.
Shaking her head, she looked at them and said, "You two are so cute. Of course—it's definitely not true. I plan to keep it for now; I haven't figured out how to use it yet. But it's good stuff, and it will definitely be useful in the future. Just wait, and I'll tell you when the time comes."
Then she shrugged and looked at the two in front of her with a determined gaze, nodding vigorously twice.
"Oh, fine, you just keep playing your game!" Ziying pouted in resignation.
Gu Yuxuan, hearing what his beloved little girl said, actually believed her quite a bit.
Because he knew that Ziyan always thought things through carefully before doing anything, so he smiled brightly and gazed affectionately at the adorable person across from him—Ziyan.
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