Chapter 57: The Reed Field

Reeds are even more favored by livestock than water hyacinths. The plants contain rich nutrients—both the fresh tender reed shoots and the sun-dried reed grass can be used to feed cattle and sheep. However, dried reeds must, like water hyacinths, be fermented and processed into silage before being used as animal feed.

Beyond that, reeds have many other uses. The roots and rhizomes are edible and can be stir-fried, stewed, or used to make reed-root mung bean soup, reed-root chicken soup, or reed-root congee. They are rich in dietary fiber, which helps accelerate intestinal movement and promote digestion.

Reeds also have medicinal value. The reed root clears heat, the reed flowers detoxify, and the stalks and roots are essential ingredients for treating epidemics.

Reed stalks are high in cellulose and can be used to make paper, mats, and woven items.

People who live near reed marshes often make flutes, brooms, mats, bedrolls, and even build houses using reeds.

Reeds are a treasure trove of resources, and the sight of the vast expanse of reeds before them was truly uplifting.

Recent rainfall had decreased, and the water level was no longer enough to support the continued movement of the yacht and steamships.

Rather than risk stopping mid-river, they decided it was better to stay here temporarily and take a break.

With excited howls from Da Hei and Xiao Hei (the two big cats), several brown birds suddenly took flight from the reed marsh.

They were quite large—estimated to weigh at least two to three catties each.

Lu Zhifeng, being a forest ranger, immediately identified them as a large type of wading bird known scientifically as Ardeotis—commonly called “reed chickens” or Pujis by the locals.

When they spread their wings, they resembled large fans; when they ran, they looked like half-domesticated chickens.

Lu Zhifeng grinned, “Pujis can’t fly high or far. If we go after them now, we should be able to catch a few.”

Shen Baoying laughed, “Then we’ve got dinner covered for tonight!”

Lu Zhifeng, eager to try, knew many techniques for trapping prey and was confident he could catch the birds.

Jiang Si scanned the surrounding terrain with binoculars. After confirming there were no lurking humans or signs of predators, she dropped anchor to stabilize the boat.

However, simply dropping anchor didn’t keep the boat fully in place—it still drifted slightly with the current.

Qin Shen and Jiang Linhai jumped off the boat and drove sturdy wooden stakes into the ground around the reed field, then tied the boats securely to the stakes.

After ensuring that all three vessels were stable, Jiang Si and Lu Zhifeng grabbed animal traps, baskets, and sickles and also went ashore into the reeds.

The ground in the reed marsh was mostly soft, silty mud. Jiang Si wore overall-style rubber boots, making it easy to use the sickle to harvest reeds.

In no time, they had half a basket full of reeds.

Suddenly, Jiang Linhai called out excitedly, “Sisi, come take a look!”

Jiang Si walked over and saw a pile of soil-covered lumps near the feet of Jiang Linhai and Qin Shen.

She picked one up and sniffed. “Mushrooms?”

Jiang Linhai nodded enthusiastically. “Yes! It’s a type of fungus that grows around reed roots. Since it only grows under reeds, we used to call it reed mushroom when we were kids.”

Lu Zhifeng came over and added, “Reed mushrooms are even tastier than regular mushrooms. I used to dig them up all the time as a kid. But people harvested them so much that as we grew older, they became really rare. They’re best in soup.”

Jiang Si thought back. “I think I’ve eaten them before when I was little.”

She remembered questioning why her dad had brought home cow dung.

Jiang Linhai chuckled, “You did eat it once—and you even had two big bowls of chicken soup! Hey Qin Shen, I bet you’ve never tried it before. Have extra tonight!”

Qin Shen nodded. “Okay.”

They moved further in, cutting reeds as they went, and soon Jiang Si had gathered an entire sack of reed mushrooms.

Even if they couldn’t eat them all at once, they could dry them for storage.

Jiang Linhai also dug up some reed roots. Mixed with chili for a cold dish, or stir-fried with bacon, they were delicious.

As kids, they used to treat them like snacks.

He was about to taste one to see if it was sweet, but Jiang Si stopped him. “Be careful—there might be parasites.”

She had already privately taught him about many mutated plants and animals. Reminded of this, Jiang Linhai froze mid-bite, then laughed. “Alright, I’ll wash it first before eating.”

Under the reeds, where there was some standing water, Jiang Linhai accidentally dug up a fairly large crayfish.

He exclaimed, “Sisi! Look how big this crayfish is!”

“Check if it’s mutated—can we eat it?”

He said it as if Jiang Si would automatically know whether it was mutated. Lu Zhifeng found the question odd but assumed it was just casual talk.

The crayfish’s back was bright red, with bluish-purple claws and head.

Jiang Si had eaten this kind during the apocalypse, so she nodded. “It should be edible.”

Jiang Linhai was thrilled. “Your mom used to make amazing garlic crayfish and spicy crayfish! When we go back, I’ll come back to set some traps!”

“Okay.”

There were indeed a lot of crayfish here. Even without traps, Jiang Linhai caught half a sack full by hand.

He also pulled some good-sized tilapia from a small puddle.

Seeing live tilapia flopping on the grass, Jiang Si frowned slightly.

There were fish and shrimp, but no sign of alligator gars.

Could it be that something even more dangerous than alligator gars was lurking here?

A chill ran through Jiang Si’s heart. She was just about to suggest everyone return to the boat when—

From the spot where Lu Zhifeng had set a trap came a rustling noise.

Lu Zhifeng waved and shouted excitedly, “I found Puji eggs!”

Everyone headed toward him and followed his finger to see, across the marsh, a nest containing about ten quail-sized eggs.

Lu Zhifeng handed his basket to Jiang Linhai. “I’ll go grab the eggs.”

Jiang Si stopped him. “Let’s wait. We don’t know what might be in the water. Tomorrow, we’ll use the inflatable boat and check out the reed patch across the way—there’s probably more than one nest. We’ll collect them all then.”

Lu Zhifeng agreed. They had already gathered a lot from this trip.

Still, they hadn’t managed to catch a Puji bird yet.

But killing one would mean one less egg-laying hen, and they were feeling reluctant.

Back on the boat, Jiang Zhenwu saw how long they’d been in the reeds and shouted worriedly, “Are you guys coming back?”

Jiang Si raised a red flag and waved it. “We’ll be back soon!”

Suddenly, rustling sounds came from Lu Zhifeng’s trap.

He dashed over quickly and soon returned, beaming, holding a two-catty Puji bird in his hands.

The bird was grayish-brown, its feathers blending in perfectly with its surroundings. If it didn’t struggle, it would be nearly invisible in the grass.

Jiang Linhai laughed heartily. “We’ve got a bird too—tonight’s gonna be a feast!”

Back on the boat, Shen Baoying and the others rushed over and were overjoyed by the massive haul.

Shen Baoying boiled water to pluck the bird, Jiang Linhai helped, and the others sat on the deck, cleaning mushrooms and shredding reeds for animal feed.

Suddenly, the reeds swayed with the wind.

Qin Shen suddenly stood up, gazing toward the dim horizon—he seemed to have noticed something…