Watching everyone leave one by one, the Yan family members returned to the courtyard, and Yan Mother finally asked about what had happened.
After hearing Yan Zihao’s explanation, Yan Ziyi exclaimed indignantly, “Big brother, you were too gentle! With someone like Yan Lao-san, you should have smashed his mouth!”
The two younger kids, Yan Silang and Yan Zimeng, chimed in, “Yes! Smash his mouth!”
Their “cute but fierce” tone made everyone burst out laughing.
The mood lightened, and the topic was dropped. Breakfast was ready, so Yan Mother called everyone to eat.
The weather had cleared after the rain; in just one morning, the soil in the courtyard had mostly dried. There were still a few chores left in the fields, but Yan Father didn’t want to wait. After a brief rest following lunch, he put on his rain boots and went out to finish the work.
..
After the rain, the mountains would have lots of fresh wild vegetables. Yan Zihao and Yan Ziyi agreed to go up the mountain for a look.
“Ranran, you stay with Mother at home. Zihao and I will go up the mountain for a while,” Yan Ziyi said.
“Wait! I’ll change out of these dirty clothes and go with you,” Lu Qingran said, originally intending to return to the house to wash her clothes.
Yan Zihao wanted to refuse, but thinking that his wife had found ginseng on her first trip up the mountain and was likely lucky, he agreed.
The post-rain mountain paths were slippery. Yan Ziyi led with a basket on his back, Lu Qingran walked in the middle, and Yan Zihao followed behind.
The three of them slowly ascended the mountain. Yan Zihao stayed behind to carefully watch over his wife, worried she might slip. The gesture made Lu Qingran’s heart warm.
“Big brother, look over there!” Yan Ziyi pointed to a patch under a tree.
Yan Zihao told Lu Qingran to stand steady and not move. He went over to examine the patch. “Looks like mushrooms, but you can’t just pick any mushrooms in the mountains. We don’t know if they’re poisonous.”
Hearing the word “mushroom,” Lu Qingran cautiously approached, her eyes lighting up. “Husband, these are edible. They’re called chicken mushrooms [Ji Zong Gu]. Very nutritious, and the soup is delicious.”
Yan Zihao said, “Are you sure? People in the village once picked mushrooms from the mountain, and luckily they discovered they were poisonous before it was too late.”
Lu Qingran knew well that even in modern times, many mushrooms looked appealing but were toxic. But she was certain about these chicken mushrooms—she often bought them for soup.
“Really! I’ve eaten these before,” she said, crouching down to start picking the mushrooms like a little girl.
Yan Ziyi looked at his older brother, as if asking, Big brother, should I pick too?
“Listen to your sister-in-law,” Yan Zihao said, then stepped forward to help. Yan Ziyi followed immediately. They finished picking all the mushrooms in that area, and the small basket Lu Qingran carried was full.
The three continued up the mountain. Along the way, they found more wild ferns and several clusters of chicken mushrooms.
By the time they returned to the foot of the mountain, the baskets were nearly full. Yan Ziyi, carrying a full basket on his back, felt very pleased. Yan Zihao tried to take over the basket, but Yan Ziyi refused.
“Big brother, we were really lucky today!”
Yan Zihao nodded, his gaze warm as he looked at Lu Qingran.
The mountain paths were slippery, especially on the way down. They moved slowly, with Yan Zihao in the lead, frequently turning to check on his wife and younger brother.
“Ziyi, be careful!”
“Don’t worry, big brother,” Yan Ziyi replied, his voice full of joy.
“Ah…”
Near the bottom, Yan Ziyi slipped but only fell to a squat, landing on his backside. Hearing the cry, Yan Zihao quickly pulled Lu Qingran back to prevent her from being kicked.
“Ziyi, are you alright?” Yan Zihao asked, steadying Lu Qingran.
“I’m fine, I’m fine!” Yan Ziyi said, standing up with his backside covered in mud.
When he caught up to them, Yan Zihao reached to take the basket from him.
“Big brother, really, it’s fine. I just slipped. Take care of sister-in-law,” Yan Ziyi said.
Seeing this, Yan Zihao didn’t insist, especially since they were nearly home.
“Mother! Mother, we found so much food!” Yan Ziyi shouted as soon as they reached the house entrance.
Yan Mother, sitting at the doorway sewing, nearly pricked her hand with the needle.
“You’re grown, and you still shout so loudly!” she scolded.
“I’m just too happy, Mother! Besides, it’s only our family here—who else would hear?” Yan Ziyi chuckled.
Lu Qingran and Yan Zihao followed behind, Yan Zihao carrying a basket full of mushrooms.
Yan Father had already returned from the fields and was sitting under the eaves weaving something. On the ground beside him lay a bamboo basket identical to the one Yan Zihao carried. Hearing Yan Ziyi’s voice, he looked toward the door.
Yan Ziyi placed his basket in front of his parents and proudly showed its contents.
“Father, Mother, look! These are chicken mushrooms. Sister-in-law said they’re delicious. The soup is very tasty and nutritious. Luckily, sister-in-law went up the mountain with me and big brother today—otherwise, we wouldn’t even recognize these. In previous years, we wasted so much.”
Yan Father and Mother looked into the baskets, following his hand gestures.
“Qingran, are these mushrooms really edible? People in the mountains almost died eating wild mushrooms before,” Yan Mother said.
“Mother, really! I’ve eaten them before, don’t worry!” Lu Qingran said earnestly.
“Alright! If you say they’re safe, then they’re safe. I trust you!” Yan Mother said. She noticed Yan Ziyi’s muddy backside and lightly flicked his arm.
“Look at all that mud! Go change your clothes!”
Yan Ziyi touched his nose, embarrassed, and walked toward his room.
Lu Qingran looked at the bamboo basket at Yan Father’s feet. “Father, did you make this yourself?”
“Yes, it’s not very well made, but it’s fine for home use,” Yan Father said, his voice tinged with embarrassment.
“I think it’s very nice,” Lu Qingran praised.
Hearing this from his daughter-in-law, Yan Father felt even more embarrassed, his face slightly reddening.