Compared to Tang Jiao’s half-baked theoretical knowledge, Gu Yu had solid, hands-on experience.
He had loved small animals since childhood and had raised several cats and dogs. As for chickens, ducks, geese, and pigeons—he had personally incubated and raised them himself.
Because of this passion, he had even chosen an animal husbandry–related major when he was in school, so his experience was genuinely extensive. Naturally, the task of selecting fertilized eggs fell to him without question.
In fact, Gu Yu had already thought of this even before Tang Jiao did. He simply hadn’t had the time to put it into practice yet, so he hadn’t mentioned it.
Once the fertilized eggs were picked out, Tang Jiao carefully stored them in a safe place, planning to figure out a suitable incubation method after their food-gathering phase settled down.
The family continued pushing forward with difficulty when, at a bend in the path, they suddenly heard An’an cry out, “Ouch! That hurts!”
Tang Jiao had been examining a plant in the grass when she heard the shout. Startled, she hurried over. Gu Yu also stopped immediately and turned back, asking anxiously, “An’an, what happened?”
An’an said, “Something fell down and hit me. It’s prickly—really hurts!”
Tang Jiao quickly reached for An’an’s head and asked, “Where did it hit you? Let Mommy take a look.”
An’an patted his shoulder and pointed to the bottom of his basket. “Mom, look—this big hedgehog hit me! It’s covered in spikes and it really hurts!”
Following An’an’s finger, Tang Jiao looked into the bottom of the basket and saw a spiky ball lying quietly by his little feet. At first glance, it really did look like a tiny hedgehog.
She first checked An’an carefully. Luckily, he hadn’t been hit on the head. He was wearing thick clothes, so he’d probably just been pricked a bit and wasn’t actually injured. Otherwise, those spikes could have pierced deep and hurt for quite a while.
Then Tang Jiao carefully picked up the spiky ball—and laughed. Why, it was a chestnut!
Honestly, what kind of divine luck did An’an have today? He was practically a walking good-luck charm!
A casual glance had led them to a whole patch of pumpkins; getting hit by something turned out to be a big chestnut.
Back in the day, Newton was struck by an apple and discovered gravity.
Now An’an got hit by a chestnut—who knew, maybe he’d lead them to an entire chestnut grove!
With that thought, Tang Jiao looked up to search around. Sure enough, behind them on the left side of the path stood a thick, sturdy chestnut tree.
Gu Yu had already been scanning the surroundings when An’an mentioned a “hedgehog,” so he had naturally spotted the tree as well.
An’an really was lucky. If he hadn’t been hit, they would have already rounded the bend and gone off in the opposite direction—very likely missing out on this delicious find altogether.
The family immediately turned back and headed toward the chestnut tree. As they moved closer, they discovered another chestnut tree not far away—just as thick and strong. The ground beneath both trees was carpeted with fallen leaves and a thick layer of spiky husks.
It was already late autumn, and normally the chestnut harvest season should have passed. Yet for some reason, although most of the husks had fallen to the ground, quite a few chestnuts were still hanging on the trees.
Tang Jiao casually picked up a spiky husk and carefully pried it open. When she saw the intact chestnuts inside, her face lit up with joy.
Another new food unlocked. In her mind, she could already see sugar-roasted chestnuts, chicken stewed with chestnuts, chestnut porridge, and chestnut cakes all waving at her…
By now it was noon, so the family decided to rest near the chestnut trees. They would eat something and peel a batch of chestnuts while they were at it, making them easier to carry back later.
Tang Jiao and Gu Yu’s lunch consisted of pan-fried cured fish prepared earlier and some simply stir-fried wild greens. There was no staple food, but the portions were generous.
The cured fish had been soaked briefly in warm water, rinsed clean, and cut into chunks about three fingers wide. Oil was heated in a pan, and the fish was slowly pan-fried over low heat until both sides turned golden. Then a little sugar and a splash of vinegar were added. After a quick stir, some boiling water was poured in and the fish was simmered briefly. Just before serving, chopped wild scallions were sprinkled on top.
The wild greens were washed, lightly blanched, rinsed again, and squeezed dry. After a rough chop, oil was heated in the pan and crushed garlic was added until fragrant. The greens went in next, stir-fried over high heat, seasoned with salt, and then plated.
The color and aroma were both spot-on—and of course, the taste didn’t disappoint either.
It would have been even better with dried chilies, but unfortunately An’an couldn’t handle spicy food.
An’an’s lunch was fresh pan-fried fish, a small bowl of rice, and some wild greens.
He was still young, and eating too many cured foods wasn’t good for him. Although their river catch had been modest lately, it was still enough to provide fresh fish just for An’an. After all, the little one didn’t eat much, so Tang Jiao tried her best to make sure he had fresh food.
After half a month of steady consumption, foods that didn’t store well—steamed buns, cooked salted duck eggs, jujube cakes, and sponge cakes—were already gone. Convenience foods like bread, instant noodles, and mooncakes had also been used up in large amounts.
They didn’t have much staple food to begin with, and if they ate freely it wouldn’t last long. So recently, Tang Jiao and Gu Yu had been eating mostly fish and wild vegetables. Staples were reserved for An’an, and only occasionally would they cook a pot of porridge for everyone to share.
Now, with pumpkins and chestnuts added to the mix, their range of ingredients had finally expanded quite a bit.
Given An’an’s incredible luck today, it was entirely possible they’d keep unlocking new foods as they went. Tang Jiao thought about it with eager anticipation.
After lunch, An’an drank some milk, while Tang Jiao and Gu Yu had hot water. Then the family sat together peeling chestnuts—resting their legs and helping digestion at the same time.
Peeling chestnuts required a bit of skill; otherwise, they’d strike back fiercely. Sure enough, not long after they started, An’an got pricked and cried out in protest.
Gu Yu patiently showed An’an how to open them without getting hurt. Meanwhile, Tang Jiao worked deftly—using a stick to wedge a husk between her feet, then stepping outward with both feet at once. The husk split open easily, and she used the stick to nudge the chestnuts aside and pick them up.
Many husks that had fallen earlier were already split open, and some chestnuts had even spilled out—but those were usually claimed by small animals long ago.
The forest was full of hardworking little residents, and chestnuts were likely an important winter food source for them. Since Tang Jiao and her family had arrived late, most of what remained had to be pried out by hand.
They didn’t mind. As long as there were chestnuts, that was enough. If the husks weren’t so cumbersome to carry, they would have taken those home too—dried chestnut husks made decent fire fuel.
After peeling for a while and feeling rested enough, they set off again. Tang Jiao even gave An’an a few peeled chestnuts to snack on along the way.
Once the hard shell and the fuzzy brown skin inside were removed, the chestnut flesh was crisp and mildly sweet—somewhat like raw sweet potato, though not quite as crunchy.
Still, raw chestnuts were hard to digest, so they couldn’t be eaten in large amounts.
Chatting and laughing as they went, the three of them continued their climb toward the mountaintop.