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Zhou Yan looked to the other side and saw Qing Mengzhu wearing a hat and sunglasses, looking like she hadn't even broken a sweat. He couldn't help but wonder, "The Dharma Protector and Guard are always running around, so it's understandable that they have great stamina, but how come you have such great stamina too?"

Qing Mengzhu: "I'm a farmer, how could I not be physically strong?"

Zhou Yan said enviously, "I toss the wok every day, but my stamina can't compare to yours."

Qing Mengzhu glanced at him, adjusted her sunglasses, and then said, "That's probably because I'm young."

Zhou Yan laughed and scolded, "Get lost, you're talking like someone's old."

Qing Mengzhu also smiled, "Shall we continue walking?"

Zhou Yan: "Let's go! If you can walk, then I can walk too!"

After a short rest, they continued their journey.

Today, there was no need for Qing Mengzhu to lead the way; the two dogs happily ran ahead, heading towards their usual "mushroom den."

Before long, they spotted a clump of ripe mushrooms. The orange-yellow mushrooms resembled soft butter, with pine needles hanging from them. They grew evenly among the weeds and looked incredibly tempting.

Zhou Yan strode forward. "Mushrooms! These are mushrooms, right?"

After reading it, Qing Mengzhu gave an affirmative answer, "Yes!"

Zhou Yan: "Wow, it looks really good. I'll pick it then."

They pinched the stems of the ripe mushrooms and picked the tempting clusters of mushrooms into their baskets.

Among this patch of ripe mushrooms, some have already begun to wither, while others haven't even grown to the thickness of a little finger. Those that are too old or too small are not to be picked; they only harvest those that are in full bloom.

Even so, the bottom of their baskets was also full.

Looking at the ripe mushrooms, Zhou Yan said contentedly, "With so many ripe mushrooms, even if we don't find any more mushrooms later, this trip won't have been a waste."

Qing Mengzhu glanced at him. "Don't jinx it, it might come true."

Zhou Yan: "Pah, pah, pah, never mind. Shall we keep looking?"

Qing Mengzhu led the way, saying, "Come this way, there's a truffle farm over here. You people in this line of work must really like truffles, right?"

Zhou Yan smiled and said, "The main thing is that the guests like it. Every time truffles are served, the guests know that the money spent on the dishes is worthwhile. Especially for dishes like ham rolls with truffles, which are very particular about the ingredients, the guests feel that they got their money's worth after tasting good truffles and ham."

The two chatted as they walked.

Upon reaching the truffle nest, Qing Mengzhu led Zhou Yan to touch the truffles.

They were lucky today; there were two truffles of moderate size hidden in the nest. They each took one and carefully placed them in their baskets.

The dogs ran ahead, and soon barked at them, "Woof woof woof!"

Judging from their excited sounds and the way their tails were wagging so vigorously, they knew they were sure to have a good harvest ahead. Qing Mengzhu and Zhou Yan rushed over and, sure enough, saw a patch of tender-colored mushrooms.

The Dharma Protector opened its mouth wide and took a bite out of the mushroom, then began chewing.

The Guard also gnawed, deliberately avoiding the roots and only eating the cap and stem. The juice flowed from their mouths, which they then licked back into their mouths with their long tongues.

Zhou Yan was startled. "Why are they eating raw mushrooms?! Are these edible?"

After examining the mushrooms, Qing Mengzhu said, "This is a milk-cap mushroom. It's sweet and crunchy, and tastes good raw too. Would you like a couple?"

As she spoke, Qing Mengzhu picked two milk mushrooms and handed them to Zhou Yan.

Zhou Yan, holding the milk-cap mushroom, asked, "Really edible? Aside from truffles and matsutake mushrooms, I've hardly ever eaten raw mushrooms."

Qing Mengzhu: "Yes. If they couldn't eat, the two dogs wouldn't have been so eager to go up the mountain."

Zhou Yan glanced at the two dogs happily munching on mushrooms, broke off a small piece of the cap, carefully tasted it, and was surprised to find that it tasted quite good.

Qing Mengzhu laughed, "What? I wasn't lying to you, was I?"

Zhou Yan: "It's delicious. But I still prefer it cooked."

Qing Mengzhu: "Then let's pick them and cook them."

There are indeed more mushrooms this season. Qing Mengzhu originally wanted to take Zhou Yan to those familiar mushroom burrows, but unexpectedly they encountered many newly sprouted mushrooms on the way.

They picked mushrooms along the newly sprouted trail, but before they knew it, they had strayed from their original route and ended up in an unfamiliar forest.

However, they collected quite a few delicious mushrooms along the way, and exploring new routes was also quite interesting.

The two continued walking and suddenly saw a large patch of light yellow mushrooms ahead.

The Dharma Protector and Guard ran quickly over and barked "woof woof" in front of them.

Seeing their excited expressions, Zhou Yan carefully examined them and asked, "These mushrooms are edible, aren't they?"

Qing Mengzhu nodded. "Yes, this is Armillaria mellea, also called hazel mushroom."

Zhou Yan: "The hazel mushrooms from chicken stew with mushrooms?"

Qing Mengzhu: "That's the one."

Zhou Yan walked forward excitedly. "If we could use these hazel mushrooms to stew hazel chicken, how delicious that would be!"

Qing Mengzhu warned, "My hazel grouse aren't fully grown yet; don't even think about harming them."

Zhou Yan: "They'll grow up eventually, right? If we can stew them with hazel mushrooms then, hehe!"

Qing Mengzhu didn't participate in his daydreaming; she simply squatted down and picked hazel mushrooms one by one into her basket.

This patch of hazel mushrooms is particularly abundant and looks very tempting, probably because the mycelium underneath is distributed very widely.

In fact, the largest living organism in the world is the giant honey fungus. Although the hazel mushrooms here are not giant honey fungus, it is not surprising that there are so many of them.

Qing Mengzhu took out her phone from her pocket, opened the map, and marked the location.

After picking hazel mushrooms today, he'll definitely be able to pick more next time he comes, provided the season is right. We can't miss such a valuable spot.

Zhou Yan hadn't expected to have so many gains today. "I'm so lucky today, maybe I borrowed the puppy's luck."

The Dharma Protector and Guard stood by, barking, "Woof woof!"

Zhou Yan: "It's true, I'm usually pretty unlucky when I go out. I never have much luck when I go fishing or mushroom picking."

After marking the item, Qing Mengzhu put her phone back in her pocket. Listening to his muttering, she said, "Then you have to give our Dharma Protector and Guard a little extra food."

Zhou Yan readily agreed, "Yes, yes, yes! I'll sneak the boss's Supreme Grade- steak for the Dharma Protector and Guard."

They were laughing and joking when Qing Mengzhu suddenly grabbed Zhou Yan's shoulder, "Don't move!"

Zhou Yan's body stiffened instantly. Hearing his serious voice, her own voice tightened with tension. "What's wrong? Is there a snake?"

Qing Mengzhu: "It's not a snake, it's a national second-class protected plant behind you. Don't back away, slowly stand up, and be careful not to step on it."

Zhou Yan: "Ah!"

Zhou Yan was sweating profusely. With Qing Mengzhu's help, he leaned forward first, then stood up and slowly left the area.

If he's not careful, he won't have to cook for his guests anymore, and the government will have to cover his meals for the next few years.

After retreating a few meters away and confirming that there was nothing beneath his feet, Zhou Yan wiped his sweat and asked, "What kind of protected plant is it?"

Qing Mengzhu pointed to the bare stalk in front of her. "This should be a wild gastrodia elata."

Zhou Yan looked down carefully. "Are you sure you haven't mistaken me for someone else?"

Qing Mengzhu: "I don't think so. I saw it when I was a child. Besides, a major characteristic of wild Gastrodia elata is that it grows together with Armillaria mellea. Judging from this, it's most likely true."

Zhou Yan: "What kind of luck is this?"

Qing Mengzhu: "Good luck, it's alright, keep picking, just be careful."

After saying that, Qing Mengzhu commanded the two dogs, "Dharma Protector, go outside, do Guard stay here."

If the dogs accidentally step on and kill the gastrodia elata, it will be a big problem.

Seeing Qing Mengzhu's serious expression, the two dogs didn't dare to bark and obediently went outside.

Qing Mengzhu praised them twice, told them to wait outside, and then continued picking hazel mushrooms with Zhou Yan.