The Heiress Strikes Back

Chapter 768: A New Day

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Sharon also took a bite and felt that her entire mouth was astringent. It felt like she had been smeared with a mouthful of weird tastes. At the moment, it seemed like wild persimmons were inedible.

“The persimmons aren’t ripe yet in this season, and they’re still hard to the touch. They’ll be very astringent to eat. We can store these persimmons. After some time, when the sun shines on them, the persimmons will become sweet,” Sharon said.

Many small persimmons had fallen from the trees and were already broken. Many had already been pecked by birds.

Sharon carefully put away the less damaged wild persimmons. Although there were many persimmons on this tree, most of them weren’t ripe, so it was best for them to store the ones that Dan had picked first.

After Dan was done plucking, he jumped down from the tree agilely.

“These persimmons are still unripe and taste very astringent. Let’s store them,” Sharon said.

“That’s a good idea. We’re already halfway through our mission. We can store the persimmons for food later,” Shane agreed.

“Why don’t we skew these persimmons? Just like when we were young, we would dry some skewered chili peppers and mushrooms in the village,” Dan suggested.

“But what if we don’t have rope?” Melinda asked.

“I saw a short-lived tree beside here just now. We can use the fibers in the bark as a rope,” Sharon said.

“Sharon, you’re too smart,” Melinda said.

“I’ve watched related programs before, but I don’t have much practical experience.”

“Don’t be so humble,” Melinda said in admiration.

“Dan, Shane, can you help me peel off the bark of those short-lived trees?” Sharon pointed at a tree not far away. “That one.”

“Alright, no problem,” Dan and Shane said almost at the same time.

Dan and Shane quickly plucked some tree bark and returned.

“Melinda, Melissa, help me tear the bark into strips,” Sharon said. She picked up the bark, followed the patterns, tore off a strip of bark, and demonstrated to them. “Just like this. Then, I’ll rub them into ropes.”

Sharon sat on the ground and rubbed the bark fibers torn off by Melinda and Melissa into a rope. Then, she used a thin wooden stick to thread the rope into the persimmons.

“Sharon, you’re still the one who has a way,” Dan said in amazement.

Sharon smiled in embarrassment and said humbly, “I’m just learning and trying it out on the spot.”

“Is this tree called a short-lived tree?” Melinda asked curiously.

“This tree is called a bitter neem tree. Because its lifespan is very short, about thirty to forty years, it’s also called a short-lived tree,” Sharon explained.

Looking at the string of persimmons, everyone felt a sense of accomplishment. Now that they had found the little bitter fruit, flower nectar, and wild persimmons, the mission was half completed.

It was already noon. Everyone could only eat some wild fruits that they had picked previously. They still had to rest and replenish their strength at night, so there was still an afternoon. They had to find three plants that could be used as food.

The sunlight shone on the forest, taking away the haze brought by the howling wind last night.

Although the task in the afternoon was still very difficult, Sharon felt that her mood wasn’t that bad. Moreover, finding wild persimmons today that could be stored was a good start.

“Look at the tree in front. All the leaves have fallen off,” Shane said as he pointed at a tree.

“This should be cassava,” Sharon said uncertainly.

Dan walked closer and grabbed the branch to take a closer look. He said, “That’s right, it’s cassava.”

“What’s cassava? Is it edible?” Melissa asked in puzzlement. She grabbed the bare branches and a few leaves to look at it, but the tree did not look edible.

“The roots of the cassava are edible,” Sharon said.

“That’s great! We found another plant!” Melinda said excitedly.

“But I remember that the roots of the cassava are poisonous, right?” Shane asked worriedly.

“The cassava root is poisonous. It has to be soaked for more than two days before it can be eaten. The starch content of the cassava is especially high. We can soak it for two to three days before roasting it.”

“What if we get poisoned? I don’t want to eat it,” Melissa said with a look of disdain.

“Let’s dig out the cassava first and store it to eat in the future,” Sharon suggested..