Sure enough, after walking through a dense thicket of mixed trees and shrubs for a while, the space ahead opened up. It wasn't completely barren; rather, the trees here were so tall that the underbrush couldn't thrive. The ground beneath the canopy was covered merely in thatch grass and scattered, low shrubs. Occasionally, a few mushrooms could be seen.
When they arrived at the wooden cabin where the wood ear mushrooms were grown, Huai Zi hesitated. "Take a look around here first. Wait until Heipi and the others come up, and we can go down the mountain together. Otherwise, I won't be able to look after you when I'm carrying the logs later."
Juhua was bending over to pick mushrooms and had just spotted a wild gardenia plant bearing green flower buds. Hearing his words, she realized her coming along was truly just causing trouble. Not only could she not help, but she also needed looking after. Her playful mood quickly faded.
