Chapter 61: Spring Mountain Outing, So Many Bamboo Shoots (2)  

Although the word vegetable was in its name, bracken did not resemble ordinary leafy greens at all.  

In fact, it had no leaves.  

Its entire body consisted of stems.

Bracken looked quite similar to garlic scapes.  

However, while the stems of garlic scapes were smooth and bright green, bracken had a darker yellowish hue and was covered in fine, soft fuzz, giving it a fuzzy appearance.  

At the top, the curled tips formed small round balls, standing upright in the soil, swaying slightly as if nodding, making them look rather adorable.

Bracken was also a seasonal wild vegetable exclusive to spring.  

However, it had a strong vitality, often growing in large clusters, and was relatively easy to harvest, so its price was not very high.  

But!  

It was delicious!  

Bracken could be used for cold salads, stir-fried with meat, or even pickled using traditional Sichuan methods.  

It had a naturally crisp texture that paired exceptionally well with other ingredients, making it particularly tasty.  

Jiang Rou was quite fond of bracken.  

Harvesting bracken was also more convenient compared to other wild vegetables.  

There was no need to dig up the roots—just snap off the tender stem with a light pinch, and it would break off easily.  

Jiang Rou immediately squatted down and began picking bracken from the densely packed clusters around her, the crisp snapping sounds echoing in the air.  

In just a few minutes, her hands were already full with two large bundles of bracken, which she quickly placed into her bamboo basket.  

Bracken could also be dried and stored as preserved bracken, so there was no need to worry about it spoiling. She could pick as much as she wanted.  

As Jiang Rou continued picking, she suddenly spotted—wild bamboo shoots!  

The ancients once said: “A meal is incomplete without meat, and a home is incomplete without bamboo.”

And before a bamboo fully matured, in its juvenile state, it was a bamboo shoot.

There were many types of bamboo shoots—some were large and long, like hairy shoots; others were thick and sturdy, like thunder shoots; and there were even winter shoots, so fresh they seemed to melt in one’s mouth.  

However, the bamboo shoots in front of Jiang Rou were thin and long, tightly wrapped in layer upon layer of leaves, with little edible flesh inside.  

These were called wild bamboo shoots.

They formed naturally in the wild, but due to their slender shape, they rarely grew into full-sized bamboo.

In terms of taste, wild bamboo shoots were not as delicious as other varieties.  

But!  

Jiang Rou had originally thought that this island had no bamboo groves, and therefore, no bamboo shoots.  

Yet here, in the wild, she had stumbled upon wild bamboo shoots.  

Any kind of bamboo shoot in spring was an absolute delicacy.  

She was absolutely delighted!  

Jiang Rou’s heart brimmed with joy.  

After finishing her bracken harvest, she wasted no time and eagerly started picking wild bamboo shoots.

These wild shoots had just sprouted a few days ago after heavy rains, making them at their freshest and most tender.  

Jiang Rou grasped the base of a shoot and, with just a slight amount of force, it snapped off with a crisp, juicy break.  

Snap! Snap!  

There were so many—she could barely keep up!  

She couldn’t stop—there was just no end to them!  

As Jiang Rou remained completely absorbed in her harvest, lost in the thrill of gathering, a voice suddenly called out from behind her.  

“Sister Rou—take a break—it’s time for lunch—”

Jiang Rou felt as if only a moment had passed, yet the entire morning had already slipped away.  

It was now midday.  

Zhao Guifen stood on the hillside, calling out to everyone.  

She gathered all the scattered sisters-in-law, making sure everyone was accounted for before they sat down to eat together.  

Jiang Rou stood up and waved toward Zhao Guifen.  

Looking into the distance, she immediately spotted Zhou Xiaochuan and Zhou Xiaohua crouched in the grass.  

They had been playing the whole time, but never strayed too far from her.  

This was what reassured Jiang Rou the most.  

“Xiaochuan, Xiaohua, let’s go eat.”  

Jiang Rou called out to the two children.  

The moment Zhou Xiaohua heard the word eat, she instantly tossed aside the wild vegetables in her hands and dashed toward Jiang Rou, her little feet pattering eagerly.  

Zhou Xiaochuan also stood up.  

It was only then that Jiang Rou noticed he had taken off his outer jacket at some point.  

He held it bundled in front of him, as if cradling something inside.  

When Zhou Xiaochuan reached Jiang Rou, his face remained expressionless. He simply gave his jacket a shake, and the contents tumbled to the ground at her feet with a soft rustling sound.  

“I picked these.”  

It wasn’t a boast—just a simple statement.  

Jiang Rou looked down and saw several bundles of Chinese toon, several bundles of bracken, several bundles of wild bamboo shoots, and various other wild vegetables.  

Zhou Xiaochuan had gathered quite a lot, and he had even used long, thin wild grass to tie them neatly into bundles, saving Jiang Rou the trouble of sorting them out.

Jiang Rou also noticed that Zhou Xiaochuan had picked most of the vegetables, and they happened to be the ones she had picked the most.  

In other words, the little wolf cub was actually very observant.  

Since he did not know Jiang Rou’s preferences, he simply followed her actions.  

Whatever Jiang Rou picked, he picked as well.  

That way, he would not make a mistake.  

His heart was soft, but his mouth was far too stubborn—he refused to say even a single nice word.  

“Xiaochuan, you’re amazing! You picked even more than I did. That’s really incredible.”  

Jiang Rou praised Zhou Xiaochuan happily, then took Zhou Xiaohua’s hand and asked together,  

“Xiaohua, isn’t your brother amazing?”  

Zhou Xiaohua nodded enthusiastically, her big, watery eyes shining as she looked at Zhou Xiaochuan.  

【Of course, Brother is the best!】  

Zhou Xiaochuan’s small face was already flushed red from the sun, and sweat trickled down his forehead.

All of a sudden, he felt even hotter. His face darkened into a deep red as he averted his gaze.  

Jiang Rou placed all the wild vegetables that Zhou Xiaochuan had picked into the bamboo basket on her back.  

Then, she led the two children toward the meeting point.  

The meeting point was under several large trees.  

The dense branches and leaves of the trees shielded them from the dazzling midday sun. The other women were resting in the shade, occasionally glancing at each other’s harvests.  

Every basket was filled to the brim.  

However, when they saw Jiang Rou’s basket, they were taken aback.  

“Sister Rou, how did you manage to pick so much in just one morning? Your basket is practically overflowing!”  

“It wasn’t just me—Xiaochuan helped too. The two of us worked together to gather this much.”  

Jiang Rou explained with a smile.  

“Xiaochuan is truly remarkable. He can take care of his sister and even help you pick wild vegetables. There aren’t many children as obedient as him. Unlike my brat at home—when I asked him to come along, he flat-out refused. He just likes playing marbles in the courtyard.”  

“Exactly! My boy said that picking wild vegetables was embarrassing, but when it comes to eating them, he never seems to think it’s shameful!”  

“Aiya! Sister Rou, is this… is this wild bamboo shoots? Where did you pick them? Are they really growing on this mountain?”  

“This is bamboo shoots? Why do they look different from the ones I’ve seen before? Are they even edible?”  

“They’re edible! They’re edible! Stir-fried wild bamboo shoots with meat are absolutely delicious—so tender they practically melt in your mouth!”  

The women in the courtyard had come from all over the country. Some of them, who had grown up in the northwest, had never seen wild bamboo shoots or fiddlehead ferns before.  

They gathered in a circle around Jiang Rou’s bamboo basket, their curiosity evident.  

All of them chattered excitedly, declaring that they would go pick wild bamboo shoots in the afternoon as well.  

“Sisters, the fiddlehead ferns are over there, next to the Chinese toon trees… The wild bamboo shoots are nearby too. You’ll see them once you get there—it’s a huge patch.”  

Jiang Rou pointed them in the right direction.  

Then, she found a clean stone and sat down with Zhou Xiaohua and Zhou Xiaochuan. She took out the lunchbox she had carried along the way.  

When she lifted the lid, inside was—a mantou and egg sandwich.