Chapter 31 – Picking Matsutake Mushrooms

Xuan Yue had spent many years campaigning on the battlefield. Although he now lived a secluded life in Yunzhong Mountain, as a man who had fought in wars across the land, he had encountered all sorts of people and seen much of the world.

Just now, before entering the pine forest, that rustic village girl had tied up her pant legs with cloth strips—a trick known only to seasoned soldiers preparing for battle.

Because it made movement easier.

But how did a mountain girl know something like that?

Moreover, he couldn’t shake the feeling that, whether in her speech or actions, she exuded a certain boldness. She wasn’t afraid of strangers at all—in fact, she had nerves of steel.

Back in the day, when he was wounded and stayed with a farming family, the village girl there hadn’t even dared to breathe loudly, let alone speak to him. And those were border towns—where girls had seen a bit of the world. Even then, they blushed and stammered before him.

But this Lin Furong, from a remote backwater like Yushou Village, acted more like the daughter of a general—graceful and confident.

“Why would a girl like her want to take her own life?” Xuan Yue couldn’t understand.

He recalled that day in the mountains when he first saw Lin Furong. At first, he thought she was merely a sorrowful young woman who had run into the woods to cry. But when he saw her tying a cloth strip to hang herself, he realized she had come to end her life.

Xuan Yue wasn’t the kind of man who would ignore someone in danger, so he saved her from the brink of death.

But once she woke, something felt… off. Her gaze, her movements, her words—all unlike someone who had just attempted suicide.

And the way she knelt and begged him… it felt more like…

He couldn’t quite find the word. But in modern terms—it felt more like she was faking it.

What kind of woman is she, really? This question now lingered in Xuan Yue’s heart.

Still, he didn’t dwell on it for long. He soon picked up his machete, called Iron General to his side, and headed in the opposite direction.

Today, he planned to hunt some wild pheasants near the thickets by the stream.

…

Wen Lan, who had always enjoyed wilderness survival sports, wasn’t at all afraid of the dense mountain forest. She knew that during this season, besides being wary of large wild animals, the most important thing was avoiding poisonous insect bites.

Medical resources were scarce in the mountains. If she got infected or sick, she might die with no one to help her.

That was why she tied her pant legs and secured her belt tightly.

The forest air was fresh and invigorating. As Wen Lan walked, she greedily breathed in the crisp mountain air. Before long, she reached the pine forest that the hunter had pointed out.

It must have rained in the past few days, as the forest was still a bit damp. Luckily, it was already noon, and although humid, the ground wasn’t slippery. The soft pine needles underfoot made walking rather pleasant.

Wen Lan found a sturdy stick and crouched down, parting the pine needles as she searched for matsutake mushrooms—just like she had imagined.

For someone who studied health and wellness, matsutake was a highly nourishing ingredient. It strengthened the heart and blood, boosted brainpower and intelligence, and especially offered kidney-tonifying benefits for men.

She had even written several articles in her wellness column on over ten types of tonic soups made with matsutake mushrooms. Thanks to that, she was once known as a gourmet expert.

Her recipes weren’t just healthy—they tasted great and looked beautiful, becoming secret weapons for many wives to win their husbands’ hearts at home.

Matsutake mushrooms were delicious but hard to find. They required very specific growing conditions and only thrived in pristine mountain forests untouched by pollution.

That was also why matsutake mushrooms were so expensive.

“I wonder how much a jin (500g) of matsutake sells for here?” Wen Lan thought as she searched, trying to do the math. She didn’t really understand the economy of the Southern Dynasty yet, nor how one wen of ancient currency converted to modern yuan.

But she did know that in historical times, currency values were often compared to the price of rice. At the market yesterday, a shi of white rice sold for one tael of silver, while white flour cost nine wen per jin. Since one shi equaled 100 jin, one tael of silver would be about two to three hundred RMB.

So, if matsutake could sell for 60 RMB per jin, that would be around 200 to 300 wen in this world.

She also remembered that when they dined at the restaurant yesterday, Qingfeng only gave the waiter some loose silver. If she priced the mushrooms at 200 wen, how was she supposed to calculate change from scattered silver bits?

“Ugh, looks like I really need to get a better grasp on the market here—otherwise, I won’t make any money,” Wen Lan muttered as she continued digging.

Just as she gave a casual swipe with her stick—

To her amazement, she unearthed a perfectly plump matsutake mushroom, just like the ones she had dreamed about.