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Once they understood this, Shi Wen and the others' success rate in finding Bachu Mushrooms instantly rose from one in five to one in three.

After searching for over two hours, everyone's baskets were half full, far more efficient than when they searched on their own.

Shi Wen felt that the mouse trails in the forest were incredibly easy to spot, as obvious as fireflies in the dark.

Yet Gong Jiang and the others could not identify a single one. Even when Shi Wen pointed them out, they could hardly make sense of them.

Because these mouse trails were so unusual and they could not find them themselves, Gong Jiang even took plenty of photos for the record.

The five of them moved together.

Every time Shi Wen dug up a patch of mushrooms, he left the Small Forest Mouse a handful of sunflower seeds.

Gradually, he used up all the sunflower seeds in his backpack.

Ge Yue and the others took out the sunflower seeds in their pockets to support him, and soon used all of theirs as well.

The last handful of sunflower seeds was gone.

Gong Jiang looked at the Bachu Mushrooms in the basket. "Before coming here, I thought I'd be satisfied if we found enough Bachu Mushrooms to make a soup. At this rate, we might even have enough to stir-fry another dish."

Ge Yue said, "We have enough for two or even three stir-fried dishes. We got so much today—we can truly call this a full haul!"

Yan Kexing looked at Shi Wen. "Then let's stop searching and go eat first?"

Shi Wen asked expectantly, "Are we going to that restaurant you mentioned, the one that makes Bachu Mushrooms especially well?"

Yan Kexing said, "Yes. I'll take you there to try them."

Yan Kexing led them through the forest, got their bearings, and headed toward the main road. Before long, they returned to the car.

This time, Lin Chengqian drove. He set the restaurant Yan Kexing mentioned as the destination and drove them there for lunch.

By the time they arrived at the restaurant, it was already past three in the afternoon, the quietest time of day.

Shi Wen looked around and saw that there were no men in the restaurant. It was filled with aunties in ethnic dress preparing ingredients.

They clearly knew Yan Kexing.

The moment she saw him, one of the aunties came over with a smile. "Teacher Yan, you're here? What would you like to eat today?"

Yan Kexing gestured to Gong Jiang, asking him to hand over the Bachu Mushrooms. "I brought some friends to try your Bachu Mushroom dishes. Could you help us prepare these?"

"Wow, you picked so many Bachu Mushrooms!" The auntie's voice was bright as she smilingly hefted them. "This must be three or four jin, right? Let me weigh them."

The auntie set the basket on the counter, took a plastic bag, poured the Bachu Mushrooms into it, and placed it on the scale. "Look, there are three jin and six liang of Bachu Mushrooms. Should I cook all of them, or take some out and make only half?"

Yan Kexing looked at Shi Wen, signaling for him to decide.

There were five adults, and this amount of Bachu Mushrooms was not much. Shi Wen thought briefly, then said, "Cook all of them?"

Yan Kexing said, "Then cook them all. Make several dishes—a mushroom feast."

The auntie said, "Then how about Bachu Mushroom chicken stew, Bachu Mushroom stir-fried beef, dry-fried Bachu Mushrooms, garlic Bachu Mushrooms, and a plate of stir-fried pea shoots to go with them?"

Yan Kexing nodded. "All right. You decide how to arrange it."

The auntie went off to the kitchen with the Bachu Mushrooms, smiling cheerfully.

The group sat down, drank tea, ate the complimentary side dishes, and waited leisurely for the Bachu Mushrooms to be cooked.

Yan Kexing and the others spent all year working in the field and were serious scientific researchers. Listening to them talk at the table, Shi Wen found it quite eye-opening.

As they chatted, the Bachu Mushroom chicken stew arrived first.

The auntie serving it made a point of explaining, "Our chicken soup has been simmering on the stove for a while. The chickens are all free-range local old hens, and we only added the Bachu Mushrooms later. Give it a try."

It was a large clay pot of golden chicken soup. The moment the lid was lifted, the rich fragrance of mushrooms and chicken broth burst out with the steam, lingering throughout the small private room.

Shi Wen had only been mildly hungry, but the aroma instantly stirred his appetite to full strength.

Lin Chengqian took a ladle and served out the soup, handing the first bowl to Yan Kexing.

Yan Kexing accepted it with both hands, then presented it to Shi Wen first.

Shi Wen hurriedly leaned forward to take it, but Yan Kexing shifted it aside and placed it directly in front of him. "Careful, it's hot."

Shi Wen quickly thanked him again.

Soon, everyone had a bowl of golden chicken soup before them, with a thin layer of chicken fat floating on top.

Shi Wen skimmed aside the chicken fat, gently scooped up a spoonful of soup, blew it cool, and put it in his mouth.

In an instant, a rich savory fragrance spread through his mouth.

At that moment, Shi Wen could not even describe the flavor of the Bachu Mushrooms. The only thing he felt was richness.

The intense savory flavor of the mushrooms mingled with the richness of the chicken soup, steaming hot, as if it were crackling and popping across his tongue.

After swallowing it, a subtle umami taste welled up, fragrant and rich enough to make him take another sip.

Only after drinking nearly half a bowl did he scoop up a Bachu Mushroom.

The cooked Bachu Mushroom had absorbed the broth thoroughly and was plumper than when raw, looking fat and enticing.

He took a light bite. The Bachu Mushroom was wonderfully crisp, completely different from other mushrooms, crisp yet deliciously savory.

That umami, far richer than that of ordinary mushrooms, burst across his mouth. Shi Wen no longer wanted soup—he only wanted a big bowl of rice to go with it.

It was too delicious. He definitely needed rice.

Shi Wen turned his head and looked around.

Yan Kexing, who was drinking soup, glanced at him and asked the auntie to bring up a basin of rice.

Holding his bowl, Shi Wen was stunned. Before he could ask Yan Kexing, You could even guess that?, the auntie brought up another large platter of Bachu Mushroom stir-fried beef.

The beef had been sliced thin and broad, while the Bachu Mushrooms looked like flowers scattered among it. Fresh from the wok, it still carried that smoky wok aroma, steaming hot, with a glossy brown sauce that looked even more tempting.

Shi Wen instantly forgot about speaking. He served himself rice and quickly picked up a piece of Bachu Mushroom stir-fried with beef to taste.

The Bachu Mushroom had absorbed the beef juices, and the flavor of the beef perfectly drew out and balanced the mushroom's plump umami, fusing them into a whole.

With one bite, the meaty fragrance of the juices, the mushroom's savory taste, and the faint aroma of chilies and garlic slices all mingled together.