Chapter 181 (continued)

Shi Wen was very satisfied with the meal of chicken with mushrooms.

That evening, he specifically texted Zhake to say that they had received the termite mushrooms, tasted them, and really liked them, thanking the sender for the mushrooms.

Zhake was excited to receive his message and said he would send it to him next time, but he politely declined.

Termitomyces mushrooms are also quite expensive, so I feel bad always eating other people's good stuff.

Zhake sent so many termite mushrooms that Shi Wen ate them several times in a row.

Termitomyces mushrooms are very fragrant, and they're especially delicious when mixed with noodles.

Shi Wen that all you need is some shredded cucumber from your own garden, plus two soft-boiled eggs, and you have a delicious meal.

Shi Wen that he ate matsutake mushrooms for several days in a row.

Seeing how much he liked it, Yan Kexing said to him, "We've run out of the matsutake mushrooms at home. How about I have someone send some over?"

Shi Wen, "No need, it's too much trouble for others."

Yan Kexing said with a smile, "Drink more chicken soup to nourish yourself; it will be beneficial for bloodline awakening."

Shi Wen and said, "How about I buy some online?"

Shi Wen quickly went online to look for termite mushrooms.

Although online sellers don't like selling fresh food to their area, there are still sellers willing to take the business as long as they can afford it.

Shi Wen bought two boxes of matsutake mushrooms and also bought several cans of matsutake oil.

He read the reviews and saw that customers were very satisfied with the mushrooms and mushroom oil from this restaurant, so he figured the taste shouldn't be too bad.

Shi Wen received the goods, he found that this batch of termite mushrooms was quite different from Zhake's termite mushrooms in both appearance and aroma.

The sizes are also slightly different.

Shi Wen that the termite mushrooms have lost their aroma, perhaps because they've been stored for too long.

He took it to Yan Kexing and asked, "Is this termite mushroom different from the variety we've eaten before? It doesn't seem as plump, and it doesn't have that special aroma."

After examining it carefully, Yan Kexing said, "The termites we ate before were Globosa acorns, which are not the same species as this."

Shi Wen, "What kind of breed is this?"

"I can't recognize it," Yan Kexing explained. "There are so many varieties of termite mushrooms, and they all look quite similar. It's very difficult for anyone who isn't an expert in this field to tell them apart."

Shi Wen said disappointedly, "Fine."

These termite mushrooms are of slightly different quality from those from Zhake's family, but they are still edible.

Shi Wen ate it several more times, and after eating it, he couldn't stop thinking about the chicken mushrooms from Zhake's house.

He endured it for a few days, and then contacted Zhake, feeling embarrassed.

That day, Yan Kexing had just returned in the evening.

Shi Wen held up his phone and said mysteriously to him, "I found out where Zhake found the termite mushrooms; it was in his fig orchard."

Yan Kexing glanced at the WeChat conversation. "You want to go to his place to dig for termite mushrooms?"

"Yes, it's impolite to keep asking him to send them, but I'm really craving them if I don't. Why don't we go over to his place and dig for matsutake mushrooms? That would be a great family activity." Shi Wen asked Yan Kexing with bright eyes, "What do you think of this idea?"

Yan Kexing: "I think it's a good idea."

Shi Wen said, "Then it's settled. Let's leave early on Saturday and bring the dogs along."

The dogs at Shi Wen's house are very keen on going out to find things, probably because their strong sense of smell gives them great confidence.

They get especially excited whenever we go out to do something involving finding things.

Shi Wen that taking them out this time was a good way to balance work and leisure.

Before setting off, Shi Wen watched several videos, trying to find tips on how to find termite mushrooms.

He later discovered that finding termite mushrooms was purely a matter of luck, with no skill involved whatsoever.

However, if you find termite mushrooms in this termite nest in the first year, you may still find them again in the second year, since termite mushrooms live on top of termite nests, and the location of termite nests is relatively fixed.

Shi Wen had arranged a time with Zhake.

Early Saturday morning, they arrived at Zhake's orchard with their families. Shi Wen bad about digging up their mushrooms for free, Shi Wen also brought Zhake's family a jar of honey and some vegetables.

Their honey is quite expensive outside, but it's actually their own product, so exchanging it for termite mushrooms is quite reasonable.

Since Zhake doesn't accept money, Shi Wen could only bring some gifts.

If Zhake were willing to pay, things would be much easier. He could get a monthly pass from Zhake and come to Zhake's house every day to dig for termite mushrooms.

They set off by car early Saturday morning.

Besides Shi Wen and Yan Kexing, there are three others, including Gong Jiang.

They were also very interested in the search for termite mushrooms, especially wanting to taste what Zhake's special termite mushrooms tasted like.

Zhake Shi Wen they were waiting.

Zhake wasn't good at small talk. When they met, Zhake invited them inside for tea, but they politely declined. Without further ado, Zhake took them straight to the orchard.

Zhake's family orchard grows figs.

Shi Wen glanced over and couldn't help but exclaim, "Your orchard is really big! It must be over a hundred acres!"

Zhake nodded. "More than 130 mu."

For an orchard, this area is already quite considerable.

Shi Wen asked, "How many years have you had the fig trees? Have you recouped your investment yet?"

Zhake shook his head. "It'll take another two or three years to break even."

Shi Wen, "Are figs easy to sell? Are there any risks involved?"

"They sell well." Zhake pointed to the right. "There's a dried fruit processing factory over there that comes to buy our figs every year. Just sell them to them; they sell very well."

The figs on the tree are already ripening.

Zhake casually picked a few figs for them to eat and told them to pick as many as they wanted.

These figs are all red-fleshed figs, and they are Shi Wen as big as a fist. When you gently break them open, the aroma inside is even more intense.

Shi Wen a bite and found the fig to be sweet and soft, very delicious.