Yun Xi knew the couple before her must be full of questions.
Truthfully, she didn’t intend to hide anything from them.
If they ever asked directly, she would tell them the truth—she couldn’t deceive such kindhearted people.
If they refused to accept her as their daughter, she would simply leave.
But Madam Yun merely asked a few simple questions and didn’t press further.
The family quietly finished every last bit of food.
Yun Xi rubbed her firm, round stomach, completely stuffed.
It had been far too long since she’d eaten this well.
After the meal, Yun Xi mentioned there were many orchid mushrooms left in her room and told Yun Dahai to distribute them to the villagers.
He was stunned—he had been wanting to ask if there were more, hoping to share with everyone, but he didn’t dare ask in this period of scarcity. He never expected Yun Xi would offer on her own.
Seeing his confusion, Yun Xi smiled and explained nothing more.
She simply asked him to teach the villagers how to use the mushrooms, and added that if any family wished to grow their own, she would be happy to teach.
Yun Dahai thought for a moment.
Giving food was good— but teaching people how to produce food was far better.
“It will make things harder for you, Xier.”
“It’s fine, Father. I want to help lighten your burdens. Orchid mushrooms can be grown even in winter, though the house is too cold right now.”
“What if we build that heating system you mentioned earlier—the ground dragon?”
“Then it would be perfect. But Father has been busy—organizing the villagers to dig sweet potatoes, building storage pits… there may not be time. I’ll continue growing them at home for now. When the ground dragon is finished in winter, I’ll teach everyone together.”
Yun Xi continued:
“If we grow enough, and the villagers can’t finish eating them, perhaps we can trade mushrooms with the neighboring villages for grain.”
Yun Dahai nodded seriously.
“That makes sense. But the nearby villages are also suffering from shortages. Unless we bring them to the town marketplace, it might be hard.”
“That works too. As long as we have something to sell, everyone will worry less about food.”
“Then Xier, tell the villagers to prepare materials—straw, cotton waste, cottonseed hulls, bamboo baskets, and wire mesh. They will need them for mushroom cultivation.”
“You’re saying… only these things can produce mushrooms?” Yun Dahai stared at her, suspicious.
Yun Xi laughed.
“They are just supporting materials. What we truly need is… hmm… the seeds. I’ll go to the mountain later to find more.”
She originally wanted to say “mycelium,” but the explanation would be too complicated, so she changed the term.
“If you need help, tell someone. You shouldn’t go into the mountains alone.”
“Father, don’t worry—the one helping me is Brother Yun Lu.”
Yun Xi used Yun Lu as a shield again; he was trusted by the family, and fewer people knowing her secrets was safer.
Then a thought struck her.
“Father… why doesn’t anyone in the village know how to read?”
Yun Dahai sighed.
“Ah… that’s a long story. Since the founding of Yun Village, only the village chief was allowed to learn. Every chief teaches the next chosen heir, and so on. So only the chief knows how to read.”
“So there was no rule forbidding others from learning?”
“No. There simply isn’t anyone to teach them. The village chief’s work is heavy—there’s never enough time. Why are you suddenly asking about this, Xier?”
“Because… if our children never learn to read, Yun Village will remain like this forever. Shouldn’t we become more connected with the outside world someday?”
“That… is difficult. The roads are blocked, information doesn’t spread well, and outsiders rarely enter. In all these years, only your mother ever married in from elsewhere. Villagers almost never leave except for someone occasionally going to town to buy supplies.”
“Oh? Why is that?”
“That… is tied to events from the founding of Yun Village. It is not yet time to tell you. Someday, when the time is right, you will know.”
Yun Dahai’s tone carried a weight Yun Xi couldn’t ignore.
Her curiosity toward the secrets of Yun Village grew stronger than ever.