Chapter 202 (continued)

Zhou Yan laughed, "It should taste good too."

The risotto took an unusually long time to prepare, and it wasn't until after 9 p. m. that it was finally ready.

Seeing that the little ones were hungry, Qing Mengzhu even found some snacks to feed them, hoping to fill their stomachs. However, they didn't eat any and just waited patiently for the stew with empty stomachs.

This composure left Qing Mengzhu in awe.

When Zhou Yan brought out the stew, they couldn't wait to run over and rub against him, begging for food.

Zhou Yan handed the risotto to Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi: "I checked, puppies can't eat onions, so I didn't put onions in the risotto I made for them, and there were basically no other seasonings either. It mainly relies on the freshness of the ingredients."

Qing Mengzhu looked at the meat on top of the risotto and said, "This version of risotto looks delicious too."

Zhou Yan laughed, "Let's finish feeding them quickly and then eat what we need."

Today we had risotto, no side dishes. Everyone was given a big plate and ate directly with a spoon.

Qing Mengzhu rarely eats rice, but today, after trying it, she was instantly captivated by its deliciousness.

The softness of the rice, the crispness of the mushrooms, the umami of the hazelnut chicken soup, and the rich aroma of saffron all blend together harmoniously, each element complementing the other, creating a wonderfully complex flavor.

Zhou Yan, holding the plate, asked everyone, "How is it?"

Zhao Hexi scooped rice into his mouth with a spoon in one hand and gave a thumbs-up with the other. "Two words: delicious! Three words: super delicious! Four words: absolutely delicious!"

Qing Mengzhu, "Brother Zhou, please make us stewed rice again after our new rice harvest."

Qing Mengzhu finished speaking, she looked at Ming Chunxi, and the other two also looked over.

Ming Chunxi gently put down her spoon, looked at Zhou Yan earnestly, and said, "This is the best risotto I've ever eaten. It's very homey, yet delicious and comforting."

Zhao Hexi clapped his hands like a seal.

Zhou Yan's risotto was delicious, and the mushrooms Qing Mengzhu and the others picked were also very good.

After dinner, Zhou Yan even specially fried the mushrooms they had picked into mushroom oil for them.

The mushroom oil contained a little bit of Sichuan peppercorns and chili peppers from Qing Mengzhu's family, giving it an amazing aroma. It was so delicious that you didn't even need to wait for rice to be eaten. Qing Mengzhu and Zhao Hexi stood beside them, eating it with their hands, and soon finished a small plate.

After Zhao Hexi finished the last piece of fried mushroom on his plate, he said to Qing Mengzhu, "Don't wash this plate. I'll take it home, seal it with plastic wrap, and put it in the refrigerator. I'll use it to serve noodles tomorrow."

Qing Mengzhu gave him a speechless look. "Are you serious? Just take two cans back later."

Zhao Hexi picked up the plate and showed it to Qing Mengzhu: "There's still oil left; we can mix it with noodles."

Qing Mengzhu: "Promising!"

Zhou Yan's fried mushrooms are so delicious, especially the termite mushrooms and porcini mushrooms. They're also great as a snack.

It's mushroom season now, Qing Mengzhu and the others went mushroom picking on Saturday. They only went to two mountains, but there are still many more mountains with plenty of wild mushrooms to pick.

So they decided to go again on Sunday.

When Zhao Hexi found out, she insisted on going with them, saying that she could pick more.

Zhou Yan also wanted to go, but Saturday and Sunday were the busiest times at the farm, with a large number of guests coming to eat, including some from other provinces. As the head chef, he had to stay at the farm to work.

Qing Mengzhu comforted him, saying that if they couldn't finish picking mushrooms over the weekend, he could take a day off during the week and they could go mushroom picking together then.

Qing Mengzhu has a detailed jungle map, recording the growth locations of many mushrooms.

Few people venture into the deep mountains, so the three grown men led the four little ones deep into the mountains. They picked even more mushrooms, each carrying a basket on their back, a bucket in their hand, and even the baskets the four little ones were carrying in their mouths were full.

Their achievement caused a sensation in the village, and many people who saw it also wanted to go up the mountain to pick mushrooms.

Most of those who remain in the village are middle-aged and elderly people. They are very familiar with the mountains and forests, and they are also exceptionally hardworking. They get up early and return late, and they don't mind spending all their time running around in the mountains.

Qing Mengzhu originally planned to pick mushrooms for a few more days, but seeing this, she gave up.

There's no need. They're just picking for themselves. Many elderly people in the village don't have many opportunities to earn extra money throughout the year, so it's not a good time to compete with them.

Qing Mengzhu and the others stopped going up the mountain to pick mushrooms; the farm started buying mushrooms instead.

Most of the freshest, most tender mushrooms, picked right from the mountain, were bought by the farm at high prices.

These seasonal wild mushrooms were then served to the tables of discerning gourmets, who raved about them.

A seasoned gourmand specifically sought out Zhou Yan and said, "Old Zhou, only you guys have the guts to go after wild mushrooms."

Zhou Yan: "Actually, we didn't dare to release it on a large scale. We only selected a few that were safe and controllable, and we went through several rounds of selection. I personally inspected the last round before it was delivered to everyone's table."

The gourmet said, "That's excellent! The best wild mushrooms I've had this year are from your farm—tender, plump, and large. They're delicious in chicken and fish soups. When will your wild mushroom supply end? I'll reserve two tables in advance."

Zhou Yan: "That's hard to say. If someone's selling, we'll buy; if no one's selling, we can't conjure it up."

The gourmet said, "Then why don't you create a group chat? Post any good ingredients you find in the group, and we'll know to come and eat them."

Zhou Yan hadn't considered this before, but upon hearing this, he nodded. "I'll go back and think about it, discuss it with our partners, and if it's feasible, we'll create a group chat."

The gourmand immediately replied, "Sure thing, just remember to give me a ride then."

Qing Mengzhu hadn't thought about this before, but after Zhou Yan mentioned it, she immediately thought it was feasible and made the decision to hire someone to manage it.

While Qing Mengzhu was busy, Yi Yanbai called him.

Qing Mengzhu had rarely contacted Yi Yanbai recently, and when she suddenly received a call from Yi Yanbai, she was momentarily stunned. "Yanbai?"

Yi Yanbai sounded very happy, "Brother Mengzhu, it's me. I heard there are a lot of people picking mushrooms in your area lately, and it seems like there aren't many mushrooms left to pick in the mountains now?"

Qing Mengzhu: "It's not that bad, we can still gather them, what's wrong?"

Yi Yanbai coughed lightly. "I just wanted to say that there aren't many people here. If you can't find mushrooms over there, you can come here to pick them. I'll take you into the mountains."

"Oh, I see," Qing Mengzhu thought, her heart warming. "Thank you for remembering us. I'll come visit when I have time."

Yi Yanbai: "Didn't you say you were going to fertilize the bamboo? I've already taken some people up the mountain to fertilize the bamboo these past few days. Brother Mengzhu, you're welcome to come and take a look when you have time. We did a pretty good job."

Recently, Zhao Hexi has been in charge of the company. The bamboo in Zhaiqian Village is under the company's name, and the company should have asked Yi Yanbai and others to hire people to fertilize the bamboo according to the planting plan.

However, Qing Mengzhu hadn't been there for a while, so this was a good opportunity to go and see, not only the bamboo but also the tea trees.

Qing Mengzhu said to Yi Yanbai, "I might be busy these next couple of days. I'll go with Chunxi on Saturday or Sunday."

Yi Yanbai: "Okay, I'll get ready. We'll have dinner at my place."

Qing Mengzhu: "We'll have to see about that later. Thank you for your hard work."

When Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi went to Zhaiqian Village on Saturday to check things out, it was also the time they had their date.

The two of them drove there, not intending to bring the two dogs, but the Guard and Dharma Protector were all incredibly clever. As soon as they saw them carrying things and trying to get into the car, the two dogs ran off quickly and jumped into the back seat, their bottoms completely immovable, and Qing Mengzhu couldn't push them away.

Ming Chunxi looked at the two dogs lying on the back seat and said, "Never mind, take them with you. I'll go get a leash."

Seeing Ming Chunxi quickly give in, Qing Mengzhu was both amused and exasperated. She went over and pinched Ming Chunxi's earlobe. "Brother, why are you so soft-hearted?"

Ming Chunxi grabbed Qing Mengzhu's wrist to stop him from moving. "They're usually cooped up at home, it's good for them to go out and play occasionally."