Chapter 6: First Encounter

Inside the small pit they had dug, something shaped like a tiny human doll was buried in the soil.

A faint medicinal fragrance drifted out, and the five of them inhaled it, instantly jolting awake.

“Big Brother, is this…?” He Tian stared at He Gao in shock.

He was still young and hadn’t seen many valuable things, but he had heard of something that looked just like this. A few days ago, Grandma had mentioned that a family from the neighboring brigade had accidentally dug up a ginseng root in the mountains.

That ginseng looked just like a little child, and rumor had it they sold it for several hundred yuan.

Their whole family had been envious, fantasizing about trying their luck in the mountains. Who would’ve thought they would actually run into something today?

This shape, this smell, whether or not it was ginseng, it was definitely something precious.

He Gao was the first to snap out of his shock. He cautiously scanned the surroundings, and when he saw no one nearby, he immediately dug faster.

Whether it was ginseng or not, they would know once they brought it home. For now, the priority was making sure no one else discovered it.

He Xin hurried forward to help.

The two brothers dug with everything they had, nervous someone might walk over at any moment and yet unable to suppress their excitement.

Was this really ginseng?

The deeper they dug, the longer the root extended. Soon, they unearthed a chubby, human-shaped root.

“Hiss, Big Brother, it really is ginseng!”

“Shh! Don’t say it out loud. Let’s head back.”

While his younger siblings were nearly bursting with joy, He Gao remained far more composed. He wrapped the ginseng in leaves, tucked it into the bottom of his basket, and covered it with firewood.

Once done, he filled the pit back in and had He Xi stomp the soil firmly.

Just then, the others who had been gathering firewood returned, shouting from afar for them to hurry.

“We’re coming!” He Gao wiped his hands, slung the basket over his shoulder, and pulled He Xi along with him.

He Tian and He Lei followed right behind.

He Xin lagged for a moment, secretly stuffing a handful of wild pheasant eggs, found earlier by He Xi in a nest, into his pockets.

People always said that whenever their little sister came along, they would definitely find something good. And today proved it again, they had found yet another nest of eggs.

He Xi hurried along on her short legs. She hadn’t spoken while her brothers dug up the ginseng, but once she saw what they uncovered, everything suddenly made sense.

So that’s what Big Brother was looking for.

On their way up the mountain, she had seen similar things elsewhere. She would tell her brothers to come back tomorrow and dig those up too.

Lost in thought, she glanced back at the filled pit. A ring of small yellow flowers still bloomed brightly around it. She paused, wanting to pick a few to take home.

“Little Sister, let’s go!” He Lei called to her.

He Xi snapped back to attention. Seeing everyone waiting, she quickly grabbed He Lei’s hand and followed them out of the forest, looking back every few steps.

Their mountain trip ended with an impressive harvest. Tang Yao had been holding back her laughter the entire way down. Once they reached the main road at the foot of the mountain, she dashed forward, practically flying as she carried Fang Mingxi home.

The moment the door closed and the wooden bucket was set down, she couldn’t contain her laughter anymore, she nearly shook the roof.

“Xixi, did you see that?! We’re eating good tonight!”

Beyond delighted, Tang Yao hugged Fang Mingxi and smothered her with kisses. Thank goodness she ran fast, otherwise those mushrooms wouldn’t have been theirs.

Fang Mingxi nodded repeatedly. I know, I know. Your drool is almost flowing more than mine.

Once her excitement settled, Tang Yao fetched some water and soaked the red thorn berries to wash off the dirt. She made a small bowl of them as a late lunch.

The red thorn berries were tart and sweet. One bite in, and her grumbling stomach felt instantly satisfied.

Fang Mingxi watched her with obvious envy. The fruity aroma filled the air, and her mouth watered uncontrollably.

Let me try, sister… just a little…

Laughing, Tang Yao picked up a small spoon, mashed the red thorn berries into pulp, dipped a chopstick into the juice, and traced it across Fang Mingxi’s lips.

“Xixi, taste it, sweet, right?”

Fang Mingxi stuck out her tongue, licked her lips, and her eyes lit up immediately.

Sweet!

The afternoon passed quickly, and by the time everyone returned from work, night had already fallen.

Tang Yao had prepared a pot of hot water early for everyone to wash up. After resting and changing the cloth wrapped around her head, Wu Meixia went to start cooking.

But Tang Yao rushed forward and stopped her inside the room, looking mysteriously excited.

“Yaoyao? What’s wrong?” Wu Meixia asked.

Tong Lingxian, holding Fang Mingxi, also glanced over. “What is it, Yaoyao?”

Grinning, Tang Yao lifted the wooden bucket and removed the leaves covering it. “Grandma, Grandma Tong, look.”

Hmm?

Mushrooms—and wood ear mushroom!

Wu Meixia and Tong Lingxian were stunned.

“Yaoyao, you found mushrooms in the mountains?” Tong Lingxian exclaimed. Each mushroom was nearly the size of a face—how could she be this lucky?

Wu Meixia rubbed her eyes. “Since when did the mountains have this many mushrooms…?”

Tang Yao then recounted everything that had happened, including her encounter with He Xi and her brothers.

Wu Meixia hugged her tightly, emotions swirling. “Good girl… it’s all Grandma’s fault for slowing you down. But next time, don’t go there again. What if someone bullies you?”

“Mm.” Tang Yao nodded obediently.

Going to Maple Leaf Mountain today had been an accident. She wouldn’t go again. At most, she would collect firewood from the small hill near their home.

The chicken mushrooms she brought back were unfamiliar to Wu Meixia, so she carried the bucket outside to ask if anyone recognized them.

The Yun Province region where Maple Leaf Brigade was located was famous for mushrooms, yet Yaoyao didn’t know whether the ones she picked were edible.

Without a definite answer, Wu Meixia didn’t dare cook them. One mistake could poison the entire family.

Fortunately, someone in the cattle shed recognized them. His name was Old Yu, a man sent down from neighboring Chuan Province, and he had eaten chicken-fir mushrooms since childhood.

“These are chicken mushrooms, they grow on termite mounds. They’re edible and incredibly delicious.”

As he spoke, Old Yu swallowed, clearly remembering their taste. The flavor of chicken mushrooms was unforgettable.

Yaoyao really was lucky to find so many. He only hoped she hadn’t damaged the termite mound, otherwise they wouldn’t grow again.

Hearing this finally eased Wu Meixia’s worries. Following Old Yu’s instructions, she picked some leaves from behind the cattle shed and began cleaning the soil off the mushrooms.

There were nearly ten open-cap chicken mushrooms and fifteen unopened ones.

Wu Meixia and Old Yu washed all the open-cap ones. The unopened mushrooms would be saved for the next day.

Rare food couldn’t be stored long. It was safest to cook them right away, otherwise someone might notice and cause trouble they couldn’t afford.

To make full use of the mushrooms’ flavor, Old Yu told her to crack their last two eggs into the pot.

With no oil, the chicken mushrooms were coated in egg and placed straight into the pan. Once they set, she added water to simmer.

Before long, a large basin of chicken mushrooms soup was set on the table, along with a plate of stir-fried wood ear and greens. Paired with corn-grit porridge, they all ate until their bellies were round.

The soup was so incredibly fragrant that not a single drop was wasted. Even little Fang Mingxi, who usually only drank rice water, licked a bit from a chopstick for the taste.

Sucking on her pacifier, she watched her grandparents drink the soup with contented smiles. Determination filled her tiny heart:

Tomorrow, she would continue exploring the mountains.

For the sake of feeding the entire family, she would fight on!