Chapter 10 (continued)

Yan Kexing looked at Shi Wen. "Then shall we stop looking and go eat first?"

Shi Wen asked eagerly, "Are we going to that restaurant you mentioned, the one that's especially good at cooking Bachu mushrooms?"

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

Yan Kexing led them through the woods, getting their bearings and heading for the main road. Before long, they were back at the car.

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

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

Shi Wen looked around. There wasn't a single man in the restaurant, only a group of aunties dressed in ethnic clothing preparing ingredients.

They clearly knew Yan Kexing.

As soon as they saw him, one of the aunties came over and smiled. "Teacher Yan, you're here? What would you like to eat today?"

Yan Kexing gestured for Gong Jiang to hand over the Bachu mushrooms. "I brought a friend to try your Bachu mushrooms. Could you cook these for us?"

"Wow, you picked so many Bachu mushrooms!" The auntie's voice was bright and clear. Smiling, she hefted them. "There must be three or four jin here, right? Let me weigh them."

She set the basket on the counter, took a plastic bag, and tipped the Bachu mushrooms into it. Then she put it on the scale. "Look, that's three jin and six liang of Bachu mushrooms. Shall we cook them all, or set some aside and only eat half?"

Yan Kexing looked at Shi Wen, indicating that he should decide.

There were five adults, so that amount of Bachu mushrooms wasn't all that much. Shi Wen thought for a moment, then said, "Shall we cook them all?"

Yan Kexing said, "Then let's cook them all. Make several dishes and give us a mushroom feast."

The auntie said, "How about chicken soup with Bachu mushrooms, stir-fried beef with Bachu mushrooms, crispy deep-fried Bachu mushrooms, and garlic Bachu mushrooms? I can add a dish of stir-fried pea shoots too."

Yan Kexing nodded. "Sure, arrange it however you think best."

Smiling, the auntie carried the Bachu mushrooms into the kitchen and got to work.

The group sat down, drank tea and ate the side dishes the restaurant had provided while they waited for the Bachu mushrooms to be ready.

Yan Kexing and the others spent much of the year working outdoors and were also bona fide researchers. As Shi Wen sat at the table listening to them chat, he felt his horizons broaden considerably.

As they talked, the chicken soup with Bachu mushrooms was the first dish to arrive.

The auntie who brought it out made a point of explaining, "Our chicken soup was already simmering on the stove. We use local free-range old hens, and the Bachu mushrooms were added later. Have a taste."

The soup filled a large clay pot and was golden yellow. As soon as the lid came off, the rich aroma of mushrooms and chicken soup burst out with the steam, lingering in the little private room.

Shi Wen had only been a little hungry, but the aroma instantly made him ravenous.

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

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

Shi Wen hurriedly leaned forward to take it, but Yan Kexing moved it out of his reach and set 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 in front of them, with a thin layer of chicken fat floating on top.

Shi Wen skimmed aside the fat, gently scooped up a spoonful of soup, and blew on it before putting it in his mouth.

At once, a rich, savory aroma spread through his mouth.

At that moment, Shi Wen couldn't even describe the taste of the Bachu mushrooms. All he could say was that it was rich.

The rich, savory flavors of mushrooms and chicken soup mingled together, piping hot, practically crackling and dancing in his mouth.

After he swallowed, a subtle savory taste welled up, fragrant and rich, tempting him to take another sip.

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

The cooked mushroom had soaked up the broth and was plumper than when raw, looking soft and enticing.

He took a gentle bite. The Bachu mushroom had an exceptionally crisp texture, completely unlike other mushrooms, and was deliciously savory as well.

That savoriness, far richer than that of other mushrooms, burst in his mouth. Shi Wen no longer wanted soup; all he wanted was a bowl of rice to balance it out.

It was so delicious that he had to have some rice with it.

Shi Wen turned and looked around.

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

Shi Wen held his bowl, stunned. Before he could ask Yan Kexing, "You could even guess that?" the auntie brought out a large plate of stir-fried beef with Bachu mushrooms.

The beef was cut into large, thin slices, and the Bachu mushrooms looked like flowers scattered among them. Fresh from the wok, the dish was steaming and carried the smoky aroma of wok hei. The light brown sauce coating it was glossy and enticing.

Shi Wen immediately forgot about speaking. He served himself some rice and hurriedly picked up a Bachu mushroom from the beef dish to try.

The Bachu mushroom had soaked up the meat juices. The beef flavor perfectly brought out the plump mushroom's rich savoriness, then balanced it, forming a harmonious whole.

He bit down, and the meaty aroma of the juices, the mushroom's savoriness, and the subtle fragrance of chilies and garlic slices mingled together.

This dish went so well with rice!

Shi Wen could hardly believe that stir-frying Bachu mushrooms with beef made them even more savory and delicious than simmering them in chicken soup.

He stuffed a huge mouthful of rice into his mouth to go with the mushroom.

It was so delicious!

No wonder he had ridden in a car for two and a half hours to look for these mushrooms.

The restaurant paced its dishes perfectly. Before they had finished the beef and Bachu mushrooms, the crispy deep-fried Bachu mushrooms and garlic Bachu mushrooms arrived one after the other.

Shi Wen ate one dish after another, stuffing mouthful after mouthful of rice into his mouth. He simply couldn't stop.

Shi Wen ate two big bowls of rice and drank two bowls of soup in one go. He was so full he didn't dare speak.

He was afraid that if he opened his mouth, the food would come back up his throat.

He sat in his chair, feeling a warm, contented happiness at having eaten his fill.

Gong Jiang and Lin Chengqian were still finishing up. They poured the sauce from the stir-fried beef and Bachu mushrooms and the garlic Bachu mushrooms into their bowls and mixed it with rice.

Ge Yue leaned back in her chair. "That meal made me sweat all down my back."

Shi Wen nodded inwardly. He had eaten until he was sweating too. It was so delicious that all his troubles had vanished.

Shi Wen said, "If we get the chance next year, let's come pick Bachu mushrooms again."