Chapter 169 (Continued)

Qing Mengzhu: "I'll go break off a bamboo branch and dig it up. These termite mushrooms that haven't seen the sun yet are the best; the aroma is still concentrated inside and hasn't dissipated."

Ming Chunxi: "I'll dig, you shine the flashlight. Should we leave the really small ones and dig them out in a couple of days?"

Qing Mengzhu thought for a moment and said, "Let's stay. Anyway, no one else will come up here besides us."

That's the advantage of having a private bamboo grove; you don't have to worry about others picking all the good stuff, so you don't need to harvest it in advance.

Ming Chunxi: "I'll dig a little over here, trying not to damage their mycelium."

They didn't bring any baskets or other tools to carry the termite mushrooms, so Qing Mengzhu pulled up two wild grasses nearby and tied the termite mushrooms together.

While we were digging, the four little guys surrounded the termite mushrooms, watching intently. Now that we've finished, they're still not done.

The Dharma Protector gestured with its eyes to the remaining mushrooms, its thick ears twitching. "Woof?"

Does that mean we're not going to continue digging?

Qing Mengzhu lightly flicked its head. "Let's go see the next litter."

There were several nests of termite mushrooms on the mountain that Qing Mengzhu and his group went up, but not all of them had grown; only two nests had. Along the way, they found quite a few bamboo fungus.

Ever since bamboo fungus could be dug up in the bamboo forest, Qing Mengzhu has been carefully cultivating it and intentionally spreading its spores.

With proper care, the number of bamboo fungus has increased, and I can find bamboo fungus almost every time I come.

They found it today too, but the bamboo fungus was still unopened and remained in the form of an egg.

Bamboo fungus eggs are also edible, and taste even more delicious. When Qing Mengzhu passed by bamboo fungus, she dug them out without any hesitation.

The little guys were very excited to see the bamboo fungus being dug up, especially the two dogs, whose tails were practically wagging.

Just as Qing Mengzhu and the others were engrossed in their work, Zhao Hexi called, "Mengzhu? Are you in the bamboo forest?"

Qing Mengzhu: "Yes, how did you know?"

Zhao Hexi breathed a sigh of relief, "The villagers called to tell me that there was some noise in the bamboo forest, and they wondered if someone was stealing bamboo shoots. I was wondering which thief would be so audacious, so I called to ask you, but it turned out to be you."

Qing Mengzhu: "It's nothing, it's just us. We're digging for termite mushrooms, and we'll pick some bamboo fungus later. We'll be down in a bit."

Zhao Hexi: "Then you guys hurry up, it's almost 11 pm..."

Before Zhao Hexi could finish speaking, a voice came from the side. "Ask them how many termite mushrooms they've dug up?"

Qing Mengzhu recognized Zhou Yan's voice and asked in confusion, "Are you with Brother Zhou?"

Zhao Hexi: "Yeah, Brother Zhou asked me to come out for drinks and late-night snacks. We're having grilled skewers right now, grilled beef brisket fat. Do you guys want some? There are still two left. If you want some, I'll bring some back for you later."

As soon as Zhao Hexi finished speaking, Zhou Yan couldn't help but remind him again, "Hey, you've gone off-topic! Hurry up and ask about the termite mushrooms!"

Zhao Hexi: "Got it, I'll ask now. Mengzhu, Brother Zhou is asking how many termite mushrooms you dug up?"

Qing Mengzhu said with a smile, "So far, there are a total of thirty-one flowers."

Zhou Yan: "Ask Mengzhu how to cook these termite mushrooms?"

This time, before Zhao Hexi could relay the message, Qing Mengzhu raised her voice and said to Zhou Yan, "Brother Zhou! We also dug up bamboo fungus. We're going to check the orchard later to see if there are any morel mushrooms, small oyster mushrooms, or other similar mushrooms. If we find any, we'll fry some mixed mushrooms and make noodles tomorrow."

Zhou Yan took the phone from Zhao Hexi and said to Qing Mengzhu, "Let's fry them tomorrow, or the aroma will all dissipate."

Qing Mengzhu: "That's unlikely. We dug it up with mud on it, and we haven't washed it. How could the fragrance dissipate so easily?"

Zhou Yan still felt it was a pity. "The wild mushrooms in the bamboo forest are of such good quality, it's such a waste to leave them overnight. How about we go to your house now and fry them for you later?"

Qing Mengzhu was both amused and exasperated. "Isn't it too late? Don't you need to rest, Brother Zhou?"

Zhou Yan: "It's nothing, we're having a drink right now. I'll bring the barbecue over later too. Oh, and could you catch me a hazel grouse while you're at it? Didn't we say we'd use the hazel grouse as our signature dish after we ran out of prawns? I'll make some hazel grouse soup later, and you happen to have some bamboo fungus."

Zhou Yan has a genuine passion for cooking; when he sees good ingredients, he often can't resist the urge to cook.

Knowing that the news about termite mushrooms had piqued his interest, Qing Mengzhu readily agreed.

After hanging up the phone, Qing Mengzhu said to Ming Chunxi, "Let's hurry down the mountain. Are you sleepy? If you are, I'll take some ingredients to Brother Zhou's place later."

Ming Chunxi: "I'm not sleepy. Brother Zhou said he's going to make hazelnut chicken soup? We don't seem to have many bamboo fungus in our bamboo forest."

Qing Mengzhu: "There aren't many, they're all wild bamboo fungus, we haven't cultivated them much."

Ming Chunxi: "Using bamboo fungus from outside to stew hazelnut chicken is a bit of a waste of our hazelnut chicken. I'll ask him later if he can make a sour bamboo shoot and hazelnut chicken soup. The catering group he used to work for had a sour bamboo shoot and chicken skin soup that tasted pretty good."

Qing Mengzhu was eager to try. "I've heard of this dish! Let me ask him about it!"

Qing Mengzhu communicated with Zhou Yan on WeChat, and Zhou Yan indeed said there was no problem. He also said that drinking it that night would indeed help with hangovers and cut through the greasiness, as the sour bamboo shoot and hazelnut chicken soup would be better than the bamboo fungus and hazelnut chicken soup.

Qing Mengzhu told Zhou Yan and the others to go to her house first.

Anyway, they use a fingerprint lock at home, so they can get in using the temporary password he sends.

With someone waiting at home, Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi quickly walked around the mountain, picked the mushrooms they wanted, caught a batch of bamboo worms, and then went back.

Bamboo worms are easier to catch at night than during the day. They shine a flashlight on them and catch them one by one, catching a whole handful in no time.

Unfortunately, they didn't bring any tools today, so they had to take off their coats to wrap the bamboo worms.

When they got home, Zhou Yan and Zhao Hexi were already eagerly waiting for them.

Zhao Hexi: "Why have you been on the mountain for so long? No, why did you suddenly decide to go up the mountain?"

Qing Mengzhu, of course, couldn't mention the skill book, so she said, "Today, a leader came over and expressed satisfaction with our bamboo. He even entrusted us with cultivating new bamboo. I had some ideas, so I dragged Chunxi up the mountain."

Zhao Hexi immediately asked, "Then you'll be busy with the bamboo matter next?"

Qing Mengzhu smiled and said, "Yes, I'll be busy for a while. Please keep an eye on things at the company."

Zhao Hexi: "It's alright, I'll adjust my work plan."

Zhou Yan, who was standing to the side, couldn't wait any longer. "Give me the hazelnuts first, then we can talk."

Ming Chunxi handed him the hazel grouse he was carrying. "Those wrapped in your coat are bamboo worms. You need to put them in the bucket and release them, otherwise they'll fly away."

Zhou Yan: "More bamboo worms? I'll take them to the kitchen to clean them up."

Ming Chunxi took the matsutake mushrooms and bamboo fungus from Qing Mengzhu: "I'll go help Brother Zhou, you two chat."

Qing Mengzhu's next planting focus will be on bamboo, so naturally she needs to communicate with Zhao Hexi.

Zhao Hexi was not only a partner but also a good friend of Qing Mengzhu. She had no objection to his change of planting plan, only asking, "Can you manage things on your own?"

Qing Mengzhu originally cultivated fifteen mu of land, and this year she added five mu of Rice. If she also has to take care of the bamboo, she may not be able to manage it all.

Qing Mengzhu assessed the situation and said, "It shouldn't be a big problem. If it really comes down to it, we'll ask for your help."

Zhao Hexi: "Okay, just tell me what you need, and I'll prioritize sending people over there."

Qing Mengzhu patted Zhao Hexi on the shoulder and said with emotion, "Good brother."

Zhao Hexi sniffed. "I'm not chatting anymore, I'm going to check the kitchen. Has Brother Zhou already started frying chicken-of-the-woods mushrooms? They smell so good!"

Zhou Yan had indeed started frying the matsutake mushrooms, but the aroma wasn't entirely from fried matsutake mushrooms. The hazelnut soup in the clay pot had already boiled, and the unique fresh aroma of hazelnuts wafted out, mixing with the aroma of fried matsutake mushrooms and other ingredients, making it incredibly tempting.

Zhao Hexi sniffed. "I've noticed that ever since hazel grouse were raised in the bamboo forest, they've smelled better and better."