“Hey, this one’s pretty good. It’s not old yet, and there aren’t any worms underneath.”
“Yeah, we’re lucky. A mushroom this big must weigh over a pound,” Qin Ruan said as she weighed it in her hand.
“Isn’t this just a mushroom? Why do you call it Huang Laitou?”
“Auntie, it’s a porcini mushroom. Huang Laitou is just what we locals call it.”
“Oh, I see!”
“These mushrooms all sprout after the rain. This one probably stayed smaller because it was shaded by this tree.”
“Then let’s come back up the mountain after the next rain.”
“Exactly. After it rains, the mushrooms are tender and tiny. They haven’t even opened their caps yet.”
“Sounds great! I’ve never seen wild mushrooms before.”
“Let’s go. Auntie, be careful. I’ll help you down the mountain.”
“Okay.”
After saying that, Shen Jianning placed her hand in Qin Ruofeng’s.
Qin Ruan carried the basket on her back and held the large mushroom in one hand as they made their way downhill.
Halfway down the mountain, they reached the spot where Qin Ruan had found the milk-cap mushrooms the day before.
“Auntie, look over here! These are milk-cap mushrooms, right here!” Qin Ruan waved excitedly and pointed toward yesterday’s patch.
“They’re still in great shape. No worms, and they haven’t dried out.”
“Let’s pick them.”
Qin Ruofeng took off his jacket, spread it on the ground, and helped Shen Jianning sit on it.
He reminded her, “Just stay here. Don’t wander around, and don’t squat down. Sit here and wait for us. We’ll finish picking these first, then check out the other spots.”
“Okay, don’t worry. I’ll be careful.”
Only after hearing her reply did Qin Ruofeng crouch down and begin picking mushrooms.
Both Qin Ruofeng and Qin Ruan pinched off the dirty bases of the mushrooms while harvesting them because they were difficult to clean.
Cleaning them on the mountain also left the spores behind, giving them a chance to grow again next year.
“Auntie, how did you and Uncle get together in the first place?” Qin Ruan asked, suddenly in the mood for some gossip.
Shen Jianning blushed at the question.
Qin Ruofeng laughed.
“When your aunt’s performance troupe came to our area, I spotted her in the crowd at first glance. Then I started asking around whose daughter she was. Turned out she was Commander Shen’s daughter.”
“And then? Did you just walk up and tell her you liked her?”
“Of course not. I first found out whether she already had someone. When I learned she was single, I made my move and asked someone to introduce me.”
“Huh? You had someone introduce you directly?”
Qin Ruan looked at her uncle with obvious disdain.
“What else was I supposed to do? Walk up and say, ‘Comrade Shen Jianning, I’ve fallen for you. Let’s date’? I couldn’t do that! That would make me look like a hooligan.”
“Well… that’s true. If they charged you with hooliganism, you probably would’ve been sent away.”
“Heh! Heh! Heh!”
Qin Ruan was speechless at her uncle’s sarcastic laugh, while Shen Jianning was already laughing so hard she could barely sit upright.
“Ruanruan, can you stop being so funny? Don’t tease me anymore.”
“Auntie, I’m trying to learn about your love story, not tease you.”
“But the way you talk is just hilarious.”
Qin Ruan sighed helplessly.
“Fine, then I won’t say anything. I’ll just keep picking mushrooms.”
“Alright. Let’s finish this patch first, then we’ll check how much tea is left to harvest.”
“There’s still plenty on the mountaintop and the surrounding area. I only picked the lower section.”
After speaking, Qin Ruan looked helplessly at Qin Ruofeng.
“You two never come back, so I’m the only one taking care of the tea plantation. How much can I possibly harvest? I still have farmland to work.”
“Right, right. Our Ruanruan has worked hard. We’re really lucky to have you at home.”
“Hmph. At least you know that.”
Qin Ruan looked rather pleased with herself.
“Uncle, after we move to Shancheng, let’s come back less often. We only need to harvest the tea once a year and let the trees grow naturally.”
Deep down, Qin Ruan knew that if they left the tea grove alone, the tea trees might eventually become ancient tea trees, making the tea far more valuable.
“Alright. Whenever we want to come back, we’ll all come together,” Qin Ruofeng agreed.
“Ruanruan, if things really work out between you and Huo Tingchen, will you still come back?”
“Auntie, what kind of question is that? No matter who I end up with, of course I’ll come back.”
“That’s right. This is our family’s roots. We’ll always come back. Maybe we should even renovate the old house someday.”
Hearing that, Qin Ruan hurriedly objected.
“Uncle, don’t touch the old house! It’s a historic home now. Someday it could even serve as a historical landmark. If we build a new house, let’s build it next to the old one instead.”
“Fine. Whatever you say. As long as you’re paying for it—I’m broke.”
“Hmph. Broke? You have so much money.”
“What nonsense? Where would I get money?”
“Grandma’s been saving it for you.”
The moment Qin Ruofeng heard that, he knew the old lady must have told Qin Ruan about the money she had saved for him.
“I don’t want the money your grandmother saved for me. Someday, I’ll give it all to you as part of your dowry.”
Qin Ruan was stunned.
“You’re really giving it all to me?”
“Yes. I don’t want it. You know I’m not actually a biological member of the Qin family.”
“Uncle, whether you’re biologically related or not, your surname is Qin. You’re Qin Ruofeng, not anyone else. Since Grandma saved that money for you, then it belongs to you. I don’t want it. If you want to contribute to my dowry, just give me a portion. That’s enough. You have your own family now—a wife and soon a child to support.”
“Alright, alright, alright. You little nag.”
“See? You’re calling me naggy again.”
Watching the uncle and niece continue bickering, Shen Jianning couldn’t help smiling.
“You are naggy. And you talk too much.”
“Fine, fine. Anyway, Grandma saved that money for you. It’s yours. I don’t want it. I have my own.”
“Oh? And how much do you have? You’re talking about buying a house. Is what you have really enough?”
“Uncle, you have no idea… Forget it. I’m not telling you. I’ll buy my own house.”
Just the boxes of gold bars and precious jewelry she possessed were enough to buy countless houses.
At that moment, Qin Ruan’s eyes sparkled, and she nearly started drooling at the thought of all that treasure.