Chapter 9 ☆ Bamboo Fungus and Bamboo Bird’s Nest

Cheng Yaoyao brought the white mushroom close to her nose and smelled it. It had a fragrance reminiscent of laundry detergent. The entire mushroom was hollow and delicate, easily crushed with slight pressure.

It was indeed bamboo fungus. In later times, bamboo fungus was very expensive and considered a high-end ingredient. Wild bamboo fungus was especially costly, three times more expensive than cultivated ones.

Before it matures, bamboo fungus appears as a purple-red capsule hidden among rotten bamboo leaves. Once it emerges, it is easier to identify because of its white color.

Thanks to the original owner’s sharp eyesight, Cheng Yaoyao could spot bamboo fungi with ease. She found several more near the first one, but they were either just emerging from their capsules or still developing their “skirts.”

Cheng Yaoyao marked the large bamboo and planned to return the next day to pick it. Bamboo fungi, like chicken mushrooms, tend to grow repeatedly in the same spot. If you return to a location where bamboo fungus grew this year, you’ll likely find more next year.

Bamboo fungi also like to hide under piles of fallen leaves and grass. Cheng Yaoyao used a bamboo stick to gently move aside the grass and discovered more bamboo fungi. These had light brown umbrellas and white skirts, indicating they were non-toxic and edible. Yellow umbrellas and skirts would signify poisonous fungi, but they were not present here.

Cheng Yaoyao collected more than a dozen bamboo fungi. When she came across a large bamboo root that had been cut, she made a new discovery.

She found a large piece of light yellow, tremella-like substance attached to the bamboo tube, which felt slippery and wet.

It was a bamboo bird’s nest!

Cheng Yaoyao was thrilled. She broke the bamboo stick in her hand and carefully scraped off the bamboo bird’s nests with the sharp end.

Han Yin saw and shouted, “Yaoyao, what are you picking? They’re poisonous!”

“This is bamboo bird’s nest,” Cheng Yaoyao explained. “It clears heat and moistens the lungs. It can be fried or made into dessert.”

“You really are the daughter of a capitalist. A bird’s nest is a precious commodity. How can it grow in a place like this?” Han Yin said. “We can’t just pick mushrooms randomly. If we include a poisonous one in the pot, we’ll all be in trouble!”

Cheng Yaoyao tried to explain, “Bamboo bird’s nest is just a name. It’s also known as a bamboo flower. Cooking it into sweet soup can help whiten your skin.”

Cheng Yaoyao had noticed this morning that the original owner’s figure and appearance matched hers from her previous life, including the teardrop mole under her eye. However, due to recent exposure to the sun and wind, her skin was not as white and delicate as her body. She had developed two sunspots, which worried her. A bamboo bird’s nest could help restore her skin.

Zhang Xiaofeng added a flower of safflower to the basket and said seriously, “Comrade Cheng Yaoyao, I must criticize you. Your petty bourgeois ideas are showing. We came to the countryside to work and build a socialist rural area. How can you always focus on your appearance?”

Liu Minxia also said cautiously, “Yaoyao, poisonous mushrooms can be deadly.”

Cheng Yaoyao, upset by their comments, grabbed her basket and walked to the other side of the forest. “When I cook it, you’ll see whether it’s safe or not!”

Zhang Xiaofeng called after her, “Yaoyao, don’t go too far!”

Han Yin said, “Ignore her. The young lady is getting angry again.”

The bamboo forest was small, and there were no wild animals, only a few rabbits. No one chased after Cheng Yaoyao, allowing her to go her way.

Cheng Yaoyao ran to the other side of the bamboo forest. Here, the bamboos were as thick as bowls, and there were a few large bamboo shoots sprouting from the ground, half a person tall. These bamboo shoots were old and inedible.

This bamboo forest was specifically preserved by the village. Bamboo is valuable for making furniture and generating income, so the amount cut each year must be approved. During the spring, people are not allowed to dig bamboo shoots freely, as this would undermine socialist principles. Only in late spring and early summer, once all the bamboo shoots have been harvested, are villagers and children allowed to enter to pick mushrooms. If you manage to dig up a bamboo shoot during this time, you’re considered lucky, and no one will question it further.

The towering bamboos swayed in the wind, rustling softly. Cheng Yaoyao took a deep breath, enjoying the unique fragrance of bamboo dew, which reminded her of her childhood.

After Cheng Yaoyao’s biological mother passed away, her grandfather became disheartened and retired, moving to his hometown with her grandmother. Cheng Yaoyao would visit her grandparents every summer vacation. In that small town, rich with resources, she spent her happiest childhood days.

Every day, she accompanied her grandparents to the market, buying mushrooms, flowers, seasonal vegetables and fruits, birds and animals, and seafood. Nature’s generosity was bountiful. Her grandfather taught her how to select the freshest and most delicious ingredients, and her grandmother cooked them into delectable dishes, sharing culinary secrets passed down through generations.

In terms of identifying wild ingredients, Cheng Yaoyao likely had more experience than Zhang Xiaofeng and the others combined.

Determined to impress them, Cheng Yaoyao began searching more carefully. This time, she didn’t find another bamboo bird’s nest, but she did discover two bamboo shoots.

Dark brown bamboo shoots emerged from the soil with pointed tops. If not closely observed, they would be easily missed. Cheng Yaoyao was about to harvest them when an unexpected guest arrived first.

A bamboo rat, with gray fur and a round body, was gnawing on the bamboo shoots, making a crunching sound. Cheng Yaoyao tiptoed closer, trying to catch it.

The wind rustled the bamboo leaves above, and Cheng Yaoyao was focused on the bamboo rat, oblivious to other events.

Suddenly, she heard steady footsteps approaching. She looked up to see a tall man with a stern face, carrying a large bamboo basket and a hatchet. It was Xie San.

Cheng Yaoyao was startled by the sight of the hatchet and quickly stood up. “Xie San… Xie San, what a coincidence.”

Just as Xie San was about to speak, his gaze fell on her head, and he shouted, “Don’t move!”

Cheng Yaoyao, halfway through her action, shuddered at his shout and looked up, confused, “Huh?”

Xie San’s expression grew fierce. His arm muscles tensed as he raised his arm, and the hatchet flew through the air, its cold glint flashing as it cut through the bamboo branch with a snap.

In that moment, everything seemed to slow down. The hatchet flew toward her in slow motion.

Cheng Yaoyao’s mind raced. Had she been killed by the boss before she even had a chance to act? ! ! !

In an instant, the hatchet passed just above Cheng Yaoyao’s head and sliced the bamboo branch.

She collapsed to the ground, a few strands of hair falling around her. Before she could fully grasp her relief at having survived, she felt something cold on her shoulder.

Looking down, she saw a triangular-headed snake, about two fingers thick, draped around her neck. Its slippery, cold scales brushed against her delicate skin.

The snake’s body, broken into two pieces, slid down from her shoulders and landed in her arms, dark blood oozing from the severed sections.

Xie San quickly walked over. The bamboo rat had already vanished, leaving behind the bamboo shoots it had gnawed on. Frowning, Xie San pulled out the hatchet, cleaned it of mud and blood, and then approached Cheng Yaoyao, who remained seated on the ground, calm but clearly shaken.

The snake was a common venomous type found in bamboo forests. Its emerald green color made it hard to spot on bamboo branches.

Xie San said, “This snake is mine.”

Cheng Yaoyao blinked slowly and looked up at him, as if not understanding what he meant. The teardrop mole under her eye gleamed against her pale skin.

Xie San averted his gaze, pointing at the snake’s broken corpse in her arms. His voice was awkward from lack of practice: “Give it to me.”

Cheng Yaoyao looked down and saw the snake with its mouth still open.

A moment later, the loudest scream a young girl could muster echoed through the bamboo forest.

The bamboo rats fled underground, and the pheasants flew away. Xie San took a few steps back, frowning as he observed her.

Cheng Yaoyao flailed her arms, tears streaming down her face. “Ahhhhhhh snake! Take it away, take it away, help! Ah!!”

The snake was still in her arms. Xie San hesitated, and Cheng Yaoyao cried even harder. “Help! Ahhhhhhhh!”

Xie San reached out to take the snake corpse, but Cheng Yaoyao kept moving around. When his hand touched something soft on her chest, he quickly withdrew, startled. The snake slid down and landed on Cheng Yaoyao’s knees again.

Cheng Yaoyao screamed again and kicked her legs wildly. “Ahhhhhh, take it away! Take it away! Did you do this on purpose?!”

Xie San’s ears burned with embarrassment. Frowning, he said, “Don’t move!”

Cheng Yaoyao was in no condition to listen. Her entire body shook uncontrollably as the snake remained caught in her skirt. Xie San half-knelt, holding her knees with one hand and swiftly picking up the snake pieces with the other, tossing them away.

“Stop screaming and take it away!” Xie San’s voice was like a stone, attempting to soothe her frayed nerves. His large hand continued to press on her knee, flooding his mind with chaotic images.

Cheng Yaoyao suddenly became quiet, her hand resting on the back of Xie San’s hand. She thought about the box, the red rope, Cheng Nuonuo, and…

The hand was abruptly pulled away.

The crucial memory was interrupted once again. Cheng Yaoyao looked up in dissatisfaction and saw Xie San stepping back, eyeing her with a strange, defensive look.

Realizing her reaction had been too extreme, Cheng Yaoyao pouted and said, “I was scared to death… I’m most afraid of snakes.”

She gazed at Xie San with misty eyes and a tear still clinging to her eyelashes, looking genuinely pitiful.

Xie San slowly clenched his hands by his side, as if trying to erase the sensation of the soft touch. His tone remained stern: “Snakes eat bamboo rats. You shouldn’t have been standing there.”

Was it the bamboo rats that attracted the snakes? Cheng Yaoyao then noticed two dead bamboo rats hanging from Xie San’s waist with ropes. She asked, “Are you here to catch bamboo rats? So you were trying to catch bamboo rats just now, and you happened to save me?”

Xie San, clearly uninterested in a conversation, picked up the snake corpse. He used the tip of his knife to cut open the snake and extract a bright red snake gallbladder.

Cheng Yaoyao’s eyes widened in surprise.

Noticing her gaze, Xie San offered the snake gallbladder to her. “Want to eat it?”

“Ugh…” Cheng Yaoyao dry-heaved.

Xie San’s expression darkened, and he withdrew his hand.

Cheng Yaoyao quickly explained, “I… I know that the snake gallbladder is very nutritious and can cure all kinds of poisons. I’m just afraid of snakes. I didn’t mean to be disgusted, really!”

Xie San looked at her with narrow eyes and said nothing.

Cheng Yaoyao had initially hoped to win Xie San’s favor, so he would be lenient with her in the future. Now, she just hoped he wouldn’t hold a grudge.

Feeling a pang of regret, Cheng Yaoyao tried to force a cute smile and said, “From yesterday to today, you’ve saved me twice. I can’t repay you for saving my life, so… I’ll give you these bamboo fungi!”

She looked around and found only a dozen bamboo fungi in a basket. She presented them to Xie San like a treasured gift.

Xie San glanced at the basket and finally asked, “Can this be eaten?”

“Yes, yes, yes!” Cheng Yaoyao eagerly replied. “It’s delicious. It makes a great soup. People in my hometown eat it!”

Cheng Yaoyao held out the snow-white bamboo fungi, which were even whiter than ordinary mushrooms. Her expression, as if offering a precious gift, was clearly flattering, like that of a clumsy little animal.

Xie San swallowed the snake gallbladder, and his tone softened slightly. “Keep it for yourself.”

Xie San’s long neck and prominent Adam’s apple made him look very masculine. Cheng Yaoyao glanced at his moving Adam’s apple and thought:

If she couldn’t avoid marrying Xie San in the future, she would never kiss him!