Chapter 17: Harvesting a Beehive

Sigh. Wang Man used to never sigh, but ever since coming here, she had lost count of how many times she had done it.

And the culprit behind all of this? Her storage space.

Why did it have to show up at all?

If it hadn’t appeared, none of this would’ve happened. But once it did, not only did she lose silver over it, she also ended up constantly thinking about it.

And now, great—after making a brief appearance, it had vanished again without a trace.

That wasn’t even the worst of it. What really made her want to slap herself was that she had been too dazed to grab even a single gold bar when she had the chance.

Now she couldn’t even afford a full meal, only managing to eat just enough to not go hungry.

And even that wouldn’t last much longer.

Just as she was brooding over this mess, something suddenly darted past her feet with a “whoosh,” startling Wang Man, who hadn’t been paying attention.

When she looked down and saw what it was, she muttered under her breath,
“See? Even a rat gets to eat more than I do. No wonder it’s so fat.”

The rat:
Thank you very much. I’m not fat—just well-fed.

The hills were covered with many saltbush trees, and the frosty layer on their fruits could be used to extract salt.

However, at this time of year, the fruits weren’t ripe yet and had no frost on them, so salt couldn’t be refined.

Oh? There were a lot of waxberry trees here too. Their fruits could be used to make candles.

The villagers usually lit oil lamps, which not only produced a lot of smoke but also emitted a strange odor that stung the eyes.

The lamp oil used here wasn’t kerosene—it was boiled from seeds of the tung tree found in the nearby mountains.

Even so, many households still couldn’t afford to use it.

Most people went to bed early before it got dark to save on lamp oil.

If there was something urgent, they would light a torch instead.

Though torches also produced heavy smoke, they were at least brighter than oil lamps.

After walking for half the day, Wang Man had only gathered a few wild vegetables in her basket and nothing else of value.

She was starting to feel tired and sat on a rock to rest, her eyes scanning her surroundings.

Back then, Wang Manman had endless chores at home. In her spare time, she would go up the mountain to dig for wild vegetables.

She would also look for wild fruits to eat along the way.

There were quite a few wild fruits in the mountains, but they were often picked clean by the village children before they were fully ripe.

There were more on Xianfeng Mountain, but no one dared to go there.

Wang Manman had learned a few skills from an old hunter, so she was more capable than the other children. Sometimes, she even managed to catch wild chickens or rabbits.

At first, she had been happy to bring them home for everyone to share.

But later on, whenever she caught something, she would roast it and eat it alone in the mountains. She never brought anything back again.

Of course, she knew—even if she brought it back, none of it would be hers.

She might even get blamed for not catching enough.

Wang Man now had no intention of doing anything so foolish. Never mind the fact that she’d been sold off—whether that family lived or died had nothing to do with her anymore.

Even if she hadn’t been sold, with the kind of people her biological father and that stepmother were, they didn’t deserve her kindness.

After resting enough, Wang Man was just about to leave when she heard a familiar buzzing sound.

Her eyes lit up—bees. That was the sound of bees.

There had to be a beehive nearby.

Thinking of the thick, sweet honey she could use to brew in hot water, Wang Man immediately decided to bring the hive back with her.

As long as they weren’t hornets, getting stung once or twice wasn’t a big deal.

With that thought in mind, she began tracking the sound.

Not far ahead was a bush surrounded by dense weeds.

Wang Man was certain the hive was in there.

She thought it over, then quietly tiptoed over for a closer look.

Sure enough, nestled inside was a beehive larger than a washbasin.

Judging by how full it was, there had to be plenty of honey inside.

Staring at the honey practically spilling from the bulging hive, Wang Man suddenly hesitated.

How was she supposed to take it?

Smoke it out? That would surely draw the whole village over, thinking the mountain was on fire.

Wrap it in a cloth bag? She didn’t even have one.

Use her clothes? She only had this one tattered outfit on—if she took it off, wouldn’t she be stark naked?

Going back to fetch tools and then returning? Way too much trouble. She wasn’t in the mood to run back and forth.

Taking it with bare hands? Those bees buzzing all around weren’t exactly harmless.

Getting stung once or twice was no big deal, but swarmed by that many? Just imagining it made her drop the idea. Her life was more important.

She had originally thought of bringing the bees back to raise them, but now that didn’t seem possible.

After weighing her options, she decided to abandon the idea of raising bees and just take the hive. That would be simpler.

Wang Man broke off a leafy branch and flipped her basket upside down, placing it over herself like a shield.

She crouched low and inched slowly toward the beehive.

She moved so gently and gradually that the bees didn’t even notice her.

Once she reached the hive, she used the leafy branch to sweep around it, disturbing the bees and sending most of them flying away.

Still, a few stubborn ones refused to budge.

She wasn’t in a rush. Making slightly bolder movements now, she waited until only a few bees remained—then swiftly, precisely, and cleanly snapped the hive off and tucked it under the basket.

Suddenly, as if their home had vanished into thin air, the bees scattered in a panic, buzzing frantically in all directions.

Some flew off into the distance, still searching, while others circled tightly around the area.

Perhaps drawn by the scent of honey, they began to cluster on top of the basket.

Wang Man knew she couldn’t stay here much longer, but she didn’t dare lift the basket fully either.

Left with no better option, she crouched low and gently lifted the basket just a crack, using her memory of the path she came from to carefully retreat down the mountain.

When she reached the stone where she had rested earlier, she paused, holding her breath and listening carefully. It seemed like most of the bees had dispersed—there weren’t many buzzing nearby anymore.

Taking advantage of the moment, she swiftly flipped open the basket, placed the hive carefully inside, added the leafy branch too, then slung the basket over her back and dashed down the mountain.

She moved fast, but behind her came a loud whoosh—a swarm of bees had spotted her and gave chase, making her feel like she was fleeing for her life.

At this rate, she thought with dread, she might become a walking beehive by the time she got home.

This couldn’t go on—she needed to think of a way to get rid of these annoying little stalkers, and fast.

Suddenly, Wang Man’s sharp eyes caught sight of a patch of stinky peony, also known as dwarf tung tree.

This plant had a very distinct smell—those who were used to it didn’t mind, but for others, it was overwhelming, enough to cause dizziness and nausea.

Without thinking twice, Wang Man yanked off a handful of leaves and threw them into her basket. She also grabbed a large bunch into her hands.

A strong, pungent smell of the stinky peony instantly spread over her whole body, making even her feel a little lightheaded.

Sure enough, it worked surprisingly well.

The bees buzzed around for a moment, then finally gave up and stopped following her.

Even though Wang Man had been as careful as possible, she still got stung several times.

Her eyes had taken a hit too—she could already feel the discomfort, and they were definitely starting to swell.

Her hands itched terribly in several spots where she’d been stung.

Just then, a few village women happened to see her in this disheveled state.

Among them was Madam Lu—the one who had once given them wild vegetables.

She asked in surprise,
“Manya, what happened to you?
Just look at yourself—how did you end up like this?
Oh dear, were you stung by bees? Your eyes are all swollen!”

Wang Man gave an embarrassed smile.
“There’s no food at home, so I went and took a beehive. I was planning to sell it in town and trade for some grain.”

Madam Lu looked even more shocked.
“You really got a beehive? Let me see!”

Wang Man didn’t try to hide it. She pulled back the leaves and showed them.

Madam Lu clicked her tongue in amazement.
“You really are fearless, girl—bringing back such a huge hive!
While it’s still early, you better hurry and sell it in town.”

She didn’t have any intention of taking advantage—just pure surprise and admiration.

The two women beside Madam Lu also thought Wang Man was incredibly bold.
Such a large beehive—even the most daring boys in the village wouldn’t have the guts to snatch it so openly, yet this little girl actually dared to do it.

Sigh, but honestly, wasn’t it just desperation driving her?
If not forced by hardship, who would take such a risk?