Chapter 41: Bamboo Fungus

Chapter 41 Bamboo Fungus

The voices ahead grew closer, and soon the figures of two women emerged, each carrying a woven bamboo basket already filled with a good number of straw mushrooms.

“Hey, aren’t those Lin Laoer’s girls? Xiao Pu, A Shu, and… A Ye, kid?” The more robust woman was the first to spot the three of them and called out in their direction.

The woman looked a few years younger than He Guixiang and was quite outgoing. Upon seeing them, she greeted them warmly and made her way over.

The woman accompanying her was around the same age but had a worried look, glancing in their direction. Though she didn’t speak, she nodded at them and followed behind the more outgoing woman.

Lin Xiaopu knew her older sister hadn’t yet familiarized herself with all the villagers. Before the two women got too close, she quickly whispered a reminder, “Sis, the one in front is Aunt Li, Wang Yingen’s mother. The one behind is Aunt Lin. Both aunties are very easy to get along with.”

Although she didn’t like Wang Yingen, she quite liked his mother, Aunt Li. In the past, if Wang Yingen ever bullied her, Aunt Li would drag him by the ear to apologize and even give her some of his snacks. Eventually, Wang Yingen stopped bullying her openly and resorted to mocking her behind her back instead.

Aunt Lin was also very kind. Once, when she heard someone call Lin Xiaopu a “jinx,” she immediately scolded that person on the spot.

But Xiao Pu knew that Aunt Lin was often gossiped about. She had been married into Sweetwater Village for many years but hadn’t been able to bear a child for Uncle Zhao San. However, Aunt Lin was fierce—if anyone dared to gossip about her to her face, she would scold them right back and even slap them. No one in the village dared to provoke Aunt Lin.

Li Chunmiao, walking in front, scanned the basket on Zhou Ye’s back and exclaimed, “Oh my! How did you manage to gather so many mushrooms in such a short time? You can't possibly eat all that in one meal, can you?”

Lin Xiaopu looked up at her sister, looking flustered. She was lively around her family but became timid and quiet around outsiders.

Lin Shu patted her little sister’s head and replied with a smile, “Aunt Li, A Ye has a big appetite, so we gathered a bit more. Even if we can’t finish them in one meal, we can dry and store them. Mushrooms aren’t available year-round, so if we dry and store them properly, they can last for a year or more. That way, we can still enjoy them in the winter.”

Li Chunmiao was intrigued by the idea. She had considered gathering more mushrooms to dry and store, but the mushrooms on the mountain were limited. Once everyone picked their share, there were none left, and what they gathered was barely enough for a single meal.

Thinking this, she couldn’t help but muse: A Ye wasn't just strong; he was a better mushroom hunter than anyone else. Just look at how much he’d already collected!

Li Chunmiao instinctively assumed that the trio’s success in gathering so many mushrooms was due to Zhou Ye’s efforts.

Her eyes lit up with an idea as she chuckled and said, “A Shu, A Ye, how about we gather mushrooms together from now on? Auntie here has had terrible luck—after searching for ages, I’ve only managed to find this much. Don’t worry, I won’t compete with you. If you find a spot with mushrooms, you can take the bigger ones, and I’ll take the smaller ones you don’t want. How about that?”

“Ahem—” Lin Zhaodi, standing beside her, coughed lightly and tugged at her sleeve, whispering, “Aren’t you ashamed to compete with children for mushrooms?”

Li Chunmiao felt no shame. If she were the type to feel ashamed, she wouldn’t have chased her mischievous son around the village with a stick, earning herself the reputation of a fierce woman known far and wide.

Her family loved mushrooms, and if she gathered too few, there wouldn’t be enough to go around.

“Haven’t you seen their basket is almost full? They won’t be able to carry much more anyway. If we stick with them, we’re sure to find more mushrooms.” Li Chunmiao couldn’t resist stealing another glance at Zhou Ye’s basket.

Lin Zhaodi knew there was some truth to that, but she still felt mortified about taking advantage of younger people.

Lin Shu, however, laughed. She quite liked straightforward people like Aunt Li, who openly admitted when they wanted something. Such honesty was far more endearing than those who pretended to be friendly while scheming behind others’ backs.

“To be honest, aunties, I’ve studied the mushrooms on this mountain quite a bit. The mushrooms in your baskets are just ordinary straw mushrooms. What we’re about to gather isn’t straw mushrooms but another type of edible mushroom. If you trust me, why not come along?”

Lin Zhaodi, who had been feeling somewhat embarrassed, was taken aback by this and kindly reminded her, “A Shu, you must be careful with wild mushrooms. Some are poisonous.”

Lin Shu appreciated her concern and replied gently, “Don’t worry, Aunt Lin. I’ve eaten these mushrooms before. They’re called bamboo fungus—not only are they non-toxic, but they’re also incredibly delicious.”

Bamboo fungus was such a delicacy that it became a royal dish during the Qing Dynasty, classified as one of the “Eight Treasures of the Vegetarian World.” It was only because it hadn’t yet become widely known that they could enjoy such a bargain now.

Lin Xiaopu couldn’t help but glance at Lin Shu, her cheeks puffing up slightly.

Lin Shu smiled and pinched her little sister’s cheek, knowing exactly what was bothering her.

Life in the village was hard, and people usually kept their good finds to themselves. Few were as selfless as Lin Shu, willingly sharing their knowledge with others.

But for one thing, the mushrooms on the mountain were free for anyone to gather—she just happened to have the advantage of knowing how to identify them.

For another, since the two women had suggested joining them, she didn’t want to miss out on a delicious meal just to keep things secret. Bamboo fungus was best picked right after it sprouted, as it lost its flavor after a day or two.

Most importantly, even if they picked all the bamboo fungus on this mountain, there was still the deep forest three miles away. They wouldn’t run out of options.

Li Chunmiao and Lin Zhaodi didn’t hesitate for long and decided to follow along to see for themselves.

When Lin Shu led them to the bamboo grove on the back mountain, the two women finally realized that the bamboo fungus she mentioned was actually the bamboo mushroom they had always avoided because of its strange appearance!

The bamboo mushroom had a peculiar shape: a small, dark-green cap at the top, beneath which hung a delicate, snow-white net-like skirt that spread out like a tiny umbrella. When the wind blew, it swayed gracefully, resembling the elegant gown of a noblewoman.

After the rain, the snow-white bamboo mushrooms had sprouted up everywhere. Some spots had only a few, while others were covered in clusters, making them highly noticeable. Not only were they beautiful, but they also emitted a rich, fragrant scent.

Lin Shu took a deep breath, inhaling the strong aroma, and exclaimed, “They’re so beautiful! No wonder bamboo fungus is also called the ‘Snow-Skirted Fairy.’ They really do look like a group of snow-skirted fairies!”

Li Chunmiao and Lin Zhaodi exchanged glances, both looking incredulous.

It was precisely because the bamboo mushrooms looked so extraordinary that the villagers had always avoided them. Yet here was Lin Shu claiming that these seemingly toxic mushrooms were not only edible but also delicious?

A Shu wouldn’t joke about something like this, but faced with these mushrooms they had always steered clear of, the two women were still hesitant to touch them.

Lin Shu, however, was too excited to pay them any mind. She quickly urged Xiao Pu and Zhou Ye to start gathering the mushrooms. “Be careful not to damage the bamboo fungus when you pick them. A Ye, hurry—that patch over there looks big and plump. You take care of those. Xiao Pu, let’s gather these ones!”

Seeing the three of them spring into action, Li Chunmiao quickly pulled Lin Zhaodi along to join the mushroom-gathering team.

Well, A Shu *is* from a noble family in the capital, you know. If she said these bamboo mushrooms were edible, then they must be!