Male Lead's Canon Fodder Wife - Chapter 1042

Chapter 1042: Harvesting Wild Honey ( 2 )
As Chen Jianmin waited for the smoke to thicken, he wrapped himself tightly to avoid bee stings and readied the knife Lu Jueyu had given him. Though its shape was unusual, the knife was ideal for cutting through honeycombs.

After a while, the smoke grew thicker, and Chen Jianmin inserted the bamboo tube into a small hole below the tree trunk. As smoke filled the trunk, groups of honey bees began to fly out.

Seeing this, Chen Jianmin smiled and climbed up the tree. When he noticed that the number of bees inside had lessened, he reached inside and started cutting the honeycomb. He held the honeycomb carefully and placed it in the buckets he had brought.

He had brought four buckets this time, three of which he borrowed from Li Jingxu. It took about twenty minutes to harvest half of the honeycomb inside the tree trunk, filling three buckets. Looking at the remaining honeycomb inside, he decided to leave it alone.

The location of this tree was hidden, and he was sure no one else would find it. Since the bees needed honeycombs to reproduce, he didn’t plan to take everything, ensuring a steady supply of honey for the future.

Satisfied with his harvest, Chen Jianmin closed the buckets with lids and placed one in a bamboo basket. Before leaving, he doused the fire with water. After confirming there was no more fire, he slung the bamboo basket over his back and held a bucket in each hand.

On his way back, he was breathing heavily due to the heat. The children were startled when they saw him, thinking he was a monster due to how tightly he had wrapped himself in old clothes. It took them a moment to realize that the “monster” was actually Chen Jianmin.

Seeing him carrying two heavy buckets, Li Jingqian and Chen Jianguo walked over to help him.

“Brother Jianmin, what is in these buckets? They are so heavy!” Li Jingqian asked curiously.

With his hands free up, Chen Jianmin unwrapped his face and sighed in relief. Wrapping himself so tightly in summer had been pure torture, but the reward was worth it.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he replied with a smile, “It’s wild honey.”

The children’s eyes lit up instantly the moment they heard this. Seeing the two big buckets of honey, the Chen siblings swallowed with excitement. Even Dong Huang, Lu Wenyi, and the Li brothers couldn’t resist sniffing the air.

Noticing their eagerness, Chen Jianmin smiled and said, “Once we are done foraging mushrooms, we will filter the honey, and everyone will get a share.”

Hearing this, Chen Jianyan wanted to say something but she hesitated. Recalling what Dong Li had told her before, she stayed silent.

Her mother had taught her the importance of sharing good things with others, especially since Li Chenmo and his family had given them many nice things in the past and present.

The children quickly carried their bamboo baskets filled with mushrooms and wild vegetables and followed Chen Jianmin back.

As they walked back to Li Chenmo’s house, Chen Jianmin observed his sister. Seeing her no longer behaving selfishly, he felt a weight lift from his heart. It seemed that this time, his sister had genuinely changed for the better.

Satisfied with her change, he reached out to pat her head and said gently, “Brother will save a bottle of honey just for Xiao Yan. You can enjoy it slowly.”

Hearing this, Chen Jianyan smiled and asked, “Brother, can I share it with Xiao Fang?”

“Of course,” Chen Jianmin nodded.

Chen Jianfang is only three years old, is weak, and needs more nourishment. In the past, Chen Jianyan was not willing to share honey with her. But now, she has learned how to care for her family. So, she is no longer reluctant to share her honey with her sister.

When they reached Li Chenmo’s house, Zhang Dongmei was preparing steamed eggs. While cleaning the kitchen, she had found a basket of eggs and, worried they might spoil, used them to make snacks for the children.

Hearing the children’s voices in the backyard, she called out from the window, “Children, wash your hands. We will have steamed eggs in a moment.”

When Dong Huang heard this, she said excitedly, “Eldest Aunt, can Xiao Huang have more bacon?”

“Of course,” Zhang Dongmei agreed with a smile.

After washing their hands, Liu Qingran stood outside the kitchen, watching the others flocking around Zhang Dongmei. Even though he was young, he knew it wasn’t polite to eat other people’s food, so he didn’t join the others in the kitchen.

When Dong Huang came out holding a bowl of steamed eggs, she noticed Liu Qingran staring at it. Thinking he might be too young to carry it himself, she said, “Xiao Ranran, come with me.”

Hearing her words, Liu Qingran looked at his sister. When she nodded, he followed Dong Huang curiously.

Dong Huang brought him to a small living room near the backyard and said, “Xiao Ranran, this is for you. Can you eat it by yourself?”

Liu Qingran’s eyes widened as he asked, “Sister Xiao Huang, can Xiao Ran really eat this?”

Dong Huang nodded, replying seriously, “Of course. Everyone has a bowl. This one is yours.”

Brightening at her words, Liu Qingran said, “Then Xiao Ran will wait for everyone to eat together.”

“Good,” Dong Huang smiled while ruffling his hair.

As she did, she found herself wishing for a little brother or sister. She liked the idea of being an older sibling. She feels a sense of accomplishment when she takes care of her younger cousin or a younger friend. It was as if she had finally matured enough to go to the mountains with her father and brother.

Liu Qingran was well-behaved and let her play with his hair. Soon after, Li Shu came over while carrying two bowls of steamed eggs, followed by the other children.

“Xiao Huang, I brought your share,” she said.

Hearing this, Dong Huang reluctantly released Liu Qingran’s soft hair. Liu Fuyan, noticing her brother’s messy hair, simply smiled and helped him tidy it up.