Lu Qingran slept very soundly. Yan Zihao’s movements didn’t disturb her at all—not even when he lay down beside her.
When she woke up, it was already mid-afternoon.
Seeing the man beside her watching her, Lu Qingran spoke:
“You’re back. How much did you make from this morning’s sales?”
“About 60 jin in total—we sold them for 1,800 wen. The jizong mushrooms were very popular. When we got there, many customers had already ordered them, and the batch we delivered early in the morning was almost sold out,” Yan Zihao replied.
Lu Qingran nodded. This was a delicacy even modern people loved—of course people in ancient times would like it too.
“Alright, let’s get up. Jizong mushrooms only grow during this period, and they’re freshest after the rain.”
“Going up the mountain every day—isn’t that tiring? How about my second brother and I go instead? You can stay home and rest,” Yan Zihao suggested.
“I’m not tired. Some things in the mountains look very similar to jizong mushrooms. You might pick the wrong ones—I’ll feel more at ease if I go along,” Lu Qingran explained.
“If you get tired, tell me. I’ll carry you,” he said.
“Got it.”
Women are like this—no matter their age, they like being pampered by their boyfriend or husband. Lu Qingran was no exception. Even though the man in front of her was younger than her in terms of soul age, she still couldn’t help but be moved by his care.
..
That afternoon, only Father Yan, Mother Yan, Yan Zihao and Lu Qingran, and Yan Erlang went up the mountain. Yan Ziyue and the twins stayed home. The soil in the fields had dried quite a bit, and some villagers had already returned to work. Seeing the entire Yan family heading into the mountains didn’t draw much attention.
With an extra basket, and since most of the easily accessible mushrooms had already been picked, they went deeper into the mountains this time. By the time they filled everything and came back down, the sun had already set, and only a few people were still working in the fields.
..
Days passed.
During this time, the Yan family earned nearly 30 taels of silver from jizong mushrooms. Of course, not all of it came from the mountain—Lu Qingran had secretly mixed in some from her “space supermarket” when no one was paying attention.
Now, there were very few mushrooms left on the outskirts. The deeper mountains had large wild animals, so they didn’t dare venture further in.
By the end of April, every household began transplanting rice seedlings. The Yan family only had one mu of paddy field, and they finished planting in a day and a half.
While other villagers were still busy planting, the Yan family went back up the mountain. Besides collecting the remaining jizong mushrooms, Lu Qingran had another spring delicacy in mind—bamboo shoots.
“Husband, where did Father get the bamboo for weaving baskets?” Lu Qingran asked while picking mushrooms.
“In a small valley. There’s a large bamboo grove there. Why?” Yan Zihao replied.
“Is it far? If not, take me there. Bamboo groves have shoots—they’re delicious.”
“Big sister-in-law, those things are bitter and astringent—not tasty at all,” Yan Erlang said quickly. “Last time when I was cutting bamboo with Father, I tripped over a big shoot and dug it up. It looked white inside, so I brought it home. At that time, we had just been kicked out and had little to eat, so we had to eat it—it was so bitter I almost threw up.”
Lu Qingran understood. In modern times, bamboo shoots can also taste bitter if not prepared properly. But that wasn’t a problem for her. She used to dislike them too, until she learned the proper method.
“That’s because a step was missing. Let me cook it this time—you’ll like it after one try,” she said confidently.
“Really? Then wait here, I’ll go dig some for you!” Yan Erlang said, emptying a basket of mushrooms into a backpack and running off.
The bamboo grove was only about fifteen minutes away. Soon, he returned with seven or eight spring bamboo shoots.
Since they had already gathered enough mushrooms, the family headed back.
..
That night, the star of dinner was the spring bamboo shoots.
Lu Qingran peeled off the outer shells, sliced them thinly, and boiled them in water with a spoonful of salt for about half an hour. Then she removed them and soaked them in cold water. She also sliced the meat they had bought earlier.
Once the brown rice was done, she started cooking stir-fried bamboo shoots with meat. She heated oil, sautéed scallions and ginger until fragrant, added the meat slices and stir-fried until they changed color, then added the bamboo shoots. After a quick stir-fry, she seasoned with salt, sugar, and soy sauce.
Soon, a dish of beautifully colored and aromatic stir-fried bamboo shoots with meat was ready.
Drawn by the smell, Yan Erlang rushed over and eagerly took a bite. After chewing carefully, his eyes widened.
“Delicious! Not bitter at all! Big sister-in-law, you’re amazing!”
The remaining bamboo shoots were made into a cold dish—mixed with salt, sugar, minced garlic, and vinegar—crisp and refreshing.
Without being told, Yan Erlang and Yan Ziyue began serving rice. After tasting the dishes, everyone praised them endlessly.
“Big sister-in-law, there are plenty of bamboo shoots in that grove. Can we sell them to the restaurant too?” Yan Ziyi asked while eating.
“Of course. We’ve almost finished picking the mushrooms on the outskirts. Bamboo shoots can take their place. They’re also seasonal—after we sell them, we can start repairing the house,” Lu Qingran said.
The family sat together, discussing their future, filled with hope and motivation.
..
The next morning, when Yan Zihao and Yan Ziyi went to deliver mushrooms to Futian Restaurant, they brought along some cold bamboo shoots Lu Qingran had prepared for the manager to taste.
Yan Zihao said, “Sir, the mushroom season is almost over. We dug some bamboo shoots yesterday and made this cold dish—please have a try.”
Though he didn’t say it outright, the experienced manager immediately understood.
As the weather grew hotter, cold dishes became more popular. The plump manager took a bite—there was none of the bitterness he expected. His eyes lit up.
“How did you remove the bitterness?”
“My wife came up with the method. She made this dish this morning—I’m not sure of the details,” Yan Zihao replied. (Before coming, Lu Qingran had instructed him to say this if asked—she planned to sell the method separately.)
“I’ll take the bamboo shoots—but the price isn’t high, 3 wen per jin. As for the method of removing the bitterness, our restaurant will buy that too. Go back and discuss it.”
“Alright, we’ll talk it over and give you an answer when we deliver the shoots tomorrow morning,” Yan Zihao said.
“Good.”