Chapter 4: The Exploration Begins

The panel popped up with a countdown. Fang Mingxi pulled her fingers away and turned to look behind her. The lush, leafy trees suddenly seemed to double, and dense clusters of fruit appeared on the branches out of nowhere.

The green grass was now dotted with patches of color, and a few unidentified mushrooms sprouted from the base of the trees.

In the bushes, red and black berries hung in clusters, their ripeness sending a sweet aroma wafting toward Fang Mingxi’s nose.

The mountain icon on the panel also appeared as a phantom in the sky, overlapping with Maple Leaf Mountain.

The golden hand appeared. Time was tight. Fang Mingxi quickly tugged on Tang Yao’s hair, gesturing for her to look behind.

Under the tree, a cluster of white mushrooms grew, varying in height. If she wasn’t mistaken, these were the only mushrooms in the modern era that couldn’t be artificially cultivated, chicken mushrooms.

Chicken mushrooms grow on termite mounds and are extremely nutritious.

In the famous southwestern province, the locals were fanatical about chicken mushrooms.

Before this, Fang Mingxi had once traveled to Sichuan Province and, by chance, tasted chicken mushrooms at a farmhouse restaurant. The unique texture and distinct aroma had immediately captivated her.

Now, seeing something so familiar again, it was impossible for Fang Mingxi to remain calm.

“Little Sister, what’s wrong? Did you poop?” Tang Yao rubbed her scalp in pain and reached for the dry diaper.

I didn’t! Are you hungry? Fang Mingxi quickly shook her head, tugging on her hair and babbling incoherently, pointing behind her.

Look back! Look behind!

Tang Yao still didn’t understand what she was trying to convey. She set down the wooden bucket, wrenched her hair free from Fang Mingxi’s grip, and said, “Come on, let’s go!” She hugged Fang Mingxi, whose body was slipping, and carried the bucket as they continued walking.

Fang Mingxi was speechless. She wished she could grow another mouth just to scold.

Her eyes locked on the chicken mushrooms within arm’s reach. Determined, she tilted her body and started to fall forward.

No matter what, she had to get to the mushrooms. This was a matter of whether her grandparents would have enough to eat, she would crawl if she had to.

“Ah! Xixi!”

Tang Yao suddenly felt her back lighten. Fang Mingxi, who had been obediently still, wobbled and started tipping to the right.

Terrified, Tang Yao quickly dropped the bucket, spun around, and caught her.

“Little Sister, what are you doing? You scared me to death!” she exclaimed, shaking off the fear as she set Fang Mingxi down and adjusted the straps.

When she glanced up, her eyes caught sight of the mushrooms growing beneath a large tree. Her hand froze, and a surge of ecstatic joy filled her chest.

Mushrooms! There were mushrooms ahead!

Tang Yao immediately retrieved the wooden bucket, scooped up Fang Mingxi, and ran a few steps to the tree.

Large chicken mushrooms pushed up through the soil, spreading freely around the tree. Cracked earth revealed more mushrooms just below the surface. Any of these mushrooms were as big as Fang Mingxi’s face.

Tang Yao went wild with excitement. Forgetting about Fang Mingxi, she set her down and grabbed a thick stick to pry the soil.

She had never seen these mushrooms before and didn’t know if they were edible, but she wouldn’t pass up anything that could fill a stomach.

Tang Yao thought to herself that even if she hadn’t seen them before, the adults surely had.

During the few days they’d been here, they had cut firewood on the mountain multiple times, but had never found anything. Everything the family ate had been borrowed in advance from the brigade leader. Eating even a little meant less for later, and any excess had to be returned.

Now, finding mushrooms meant they could last at least two days without worry.

Tang Yao gleefully dug up the chicken mushrooms, loosening the soil and pulling out the roots. Fully grown mushrooms were huge, with roots as long as her arms. She grabbed some grass, placed it in the bucket, and carefully arranged the mushrooms. She was so engrossed in digging that she didn’t notice Fang Mingxi crawling off toward the bushes.

Her target was the red thorn berries in the bushes, resembling the hong cipo she had eaten in her past life. They could only pick three types of food, and this was the second time Tang Yao had been guided by Fang Mingxi.

Time was limited, and Fang Mingxi had to act fast. She didn’t know if others could see the projection of Maple Leaf Mountain, so she had to use the gathering opportunities quickly.

Fang Mingxi was no saint, there was no way she would hand over a golden opportunity in this extraordinary time. The reason she had let Tang Yao see the mushrooms was that their interests were now aligned. Anyone familiar with this part of history would understand.

Now that Fang Mingxi had crossed over and become part of this world, she had to ensure her family survived. Unity was essential for survival. With Tang Yao taking care of her, there was no reason to hoard resources.

Fang Mingxi crawled under the bushes, avoiding the thorns, and used her still-clumsy hands to pick the red thorn berries. Without a container, she layered several leaves together. Once she got the hang of it, her speed wasn’t slow. By the time Tang Yao finished digging the mushrooms and came over, all the red thorn berries had been collected.

Only a few intact berries remained on the fallen branches, while most were stored in the panel’s temporary basket. The panel showed a cart. She didn’t know if it could be sold, but she could at least try.

Seeing the berries, Tang Yao crouched down in delight. “Xixi, you actually found red thorn berries! These are so sweet. We can take them back for tonight.”

She planted a kiss on Fang Mingxi’s cheek and deftly used leaves to make a small basket to hold the fallen berries. Tang Yao almost forgot the anxiety of mistakenly entering Maple Leaf Mountain, only joy remained.

She felt that bringing Xixi along had been the right choice. Just by searching casually, they had found so much. No wonder everyone loved going up the mountain, there was so much to eat.

As they prepared to descend, Fang Mingxi pointed out another discovery: on a withered tree, Tang Yao saw a large patch of wood ear mushrooms. She quickly picked them, tossing them into the wooden bucket and covering them with leaves.

All the chicken mushrooms had been dug up. The bucket was packed full. For the excess wood ear mushrooms, Tang Yao widened the strap around Fang Mingxi to fit as many as possible.

Carrying the ten-kilogram bucket felt effortless. She cheerfully carried Fang Mingxi as they retraced their steps.

After only a few steps, the half-hour exploration time ended. The panel reset the exploration and gathering counters, leaving a cooldown countdown.

Fang Mingxi glanced back. The phantom disappeared, the pits left by digging the chicken mushrooms quickly restored, and everything returned to its original state in the blink of an eye.

From a distance, the mountain looked the same, the trees the same. If not for the things in her hands, Fang Mingxi would have thought it was all an illusion.

She hugged Tang Yao, a small smile curling at the corner of her lips. The experiment was a success, they no longer had to worry about starving.

Descending the mountain was harder than climbing up. Although they hadn’t gone very high, Tang Yao almost took a wrong turn several times.

Finally on the correct path, with the main trail beneath their feet, several voices suddenly echoed near them.