“Brother Yun Lu, when does the village plant rice?”
Yun Xi didn’t answer his earlier question. Another thought popped into her mind, and she asked directly.
“Why are you asking that?” Yun Lu raised a brow, but still replied,
“We planted in the spring this year. But there was no rain, so all the seedlings dried up. We’ll have to wait until next spring to plant again.”
“You mean the fields are empty the entire winter?”
“Of course. Nothing can survive the cold—it would all freeze to death.”
Yun Xi’s thoughts raced.
This world had no wheat, no corn, no rapeseed, no winter crops—nothing but a single annual rice harvest. No one here knew about crop rotation, intercropping, or double and triple cropping systems.
As a modern agronomy PhD, this was her battlefield.
If she could introduce winter crops…
If she could increase yield…
If she could break the cycle of one harvest a year…
This village could transform.
“Brother Yun Lu, go up the mountain with me? I want to look around.”
She didn’t dare go alone—she was a hopeless direction-idiot, even in modern times.
Though puzzled at her sudden request, Yun Lu didn’t refuse. Kids in the village often played on the mountain anyway.
Together, they headed up the mountain.
As Yun Xi climbed—panting, dizzy, her weak little body protesting—the villagers along the path were happily digging up sweet potatoes. Each household had piles of them. Their laughter echoed through the mountain.
Yun Xi’s heart warmed.
At least they won’t starve this winter.
After greeting everyone, she and Yun Lu left the main path and climbed along the mountainside. Yun Xi kept her eyes glued to the ground.
Why?
Because every edible leaf had been eaten months ago. Only bare stems remained—tiny clues on what might once have grown here.
They searched for half a day.
Nothing.
Yun Xi felt discouraged.
After all, this world didn’t even have basic crops like potatoes or beans. Expecting to find winter seeds so quickly might have been too optimistic.
Then—
Under a large tree, she finally saw something.
Mushrooms.
A small cluster, umbrella-shaped, nestled among the tree roots.
Orchid mushrooms.
Yun Xi’s eyes widened with delight. She rushed over and inspected them.
They were nearly mature. If they opened fully, the spores would disperse and she wouldn’t be able to collect good cultures.
She carefully picked each mushroom.
If I can cultivate these… even just a small batch… we’ll have another dish on the table.
“Xier! What are you doing?”
Yun Lu panicked and hurried over.
“Elders said those things are poisonous! You can’t eat them!”
“They’re not poisonous.” Yun Xi shook her head, amused. “These can be eaten. When I get them growing, I’ll let you try.”
In this era, with no sterile equipment or temperature control, cultivation would be tricky—but not impossible.
“Xier, no! Really—don’t eat them! You’ll die!”
Yun Lu was so nervous he stuttered.
Yun Xi rolled her eyes.
It’s understandable. Even modern people struggle to distinguish edible mushrooms from deadly ones. These villagers have never seen anything like this.
Fine. She’d prove it to them later—just like she did with the sweet potatoes.
Although she didn’t find any winter crops, finding the orchid mushrooms made the long climb worthwhile. She decided she would search the mountain regularly.
Who knew?
There might be far more food hidden here than the villagers ever imagined.