Chapter 7: Mushroom Picking

At dawn, the sky was just beginning to lighten.

Wanru carefully got out of bed, but despite her efforts to be quiet, Wanqing still woke up. Rubbing her eyes, she propped herself up on one arm and asked, “Sister, why are you up so early?”

The dim light seeping through the window outlined Wanru’s silhouette.

“I’m making something for Father to eat. You go back to sleep—it’s still early.” Lin Heng was heading to town for work and needed to bring lunch. Since their mother, Li Yulan, was unwell, the responsibility of cooking fell on Wanru.

Wanqing was now fully awake.

There weren’t many entertainment options in ancient times, so people slept and woke up early. She hadn’t been used to it at first, but over time, it became second nature.

Resting her chin on her palm, she watched her sister and thought about their meals. In Xishan Village, most people only ate two meals a day. However, Wanqing believed their family couldn’t afford to follow that practice.

“Sister, make some porridge and a few extra pancakes for Father.” That way, they could have breakfast as well.

Wanru assumed her little sister was just being greedy and teased, “You and your appetite.”

“I am not!” Wanqing huffed. How can anyone work without breakfast?

She was about to argue further but then realized that eating habits couldn’t be changed overnight. Instead, she explained with a pout, “Mother needs to eat, and we all have work to do. How will we have energy without food?”

Wanru hesitated but was eventually convinced. She went ahead and made some vegetable porridge.

By the time everyone woke up, the kitchen was filled with the delicious aroma of food.

Zhiqin took a deep breath. Smells amazing! What’s the occasion? We’re having porridge in the morning?

“Brother!” Zhiqin ran to the kitchen door and peeked inside.

“There’s porridge today! Go call Father and Brother,” Wanqing said with a bright smile.

Zhiqin’s eyes lit up as he turned and dashed away.

Wanru placed the porridge on a wooden plank over the water vat. When Lin Heng and the others came in, they didn’t question the extra meal. They simply gathered around and drank their porridge. Wanru then handed the oil-paper-wrapped pancakes to their father. Lin Heng tucked them into his coat and left for town.

After breakfast, Wanqing and her siblings grabbed their baskets and headed into the mountains.

Walking along the winding path, they soon approached Daxi Mountain, which was shrouded in mist. The breathtaking scenery could rival any famous national park Wanqing had seen in her past life.

If only I had a phone to take pictures…

Still, there was no time to dwell on regrets. They had to keep climbing.

Although Wanqing had the original host’s memories, the previous Wanqing rarely went into the mountains due to her frail health. As a result, she wasn’t very familiar with the mountain trails.

After much effort, they finally reached their destination. Looking at the sea of green plants covering the ground, Wanqing felt completely lost. She could eat wild vegetables, but recognizing them was another matter entirely.

Fortunately, Zhiwen and Zhiqin were experienced and had dug up plenty of wild vegetables before. Wanqing mimicked their movements, managing to collect a few herself. They continued picking as they walked, eventually reaching the fruit trees.

They gathered a good number of wild fruits, their small red berries so ripe they looked ready to burst. Wanqing discreetly stored some of them in her space, feeling satisfied as they left this “treasure trove.”

On the way back, she kept scanning her surroundings for plants she recognized. She spotted plenty of wild chrysanthemums—perfect for drying into flower tea.

In a pine forest, the siblings stumbled upon some mushrooms. Wanqing discreetly stored some in her space again. Once their baskets were full, they started their descent. Zhiwen even took the opportunity to chop a bundle of firewood.

By the time they reached home, it was noon.

Li Yulan was sitting in the courtyard mending clothes. Seeing Wanqing among the returning group, she felt a pang of concern. “Why did you go to the mountains too? You should rest properly.”

Wanqing avoided the subject and changed the topic, eagerly showing off their harvest. “Mother, we picked lots of wild vegetables, fruits, and mushrooms today!”

Sure enough, Li Yulan was distracted. “Make sure to check the mushrooms carefully—some are poisonous.”

“We already checked! These are safe to eat,” Wanqing assured her, though she wasn’t entirely confident herself. She quickly sent a silent plea for help to her brother.

“Mother, don’t worry, these mushrooms are edible,” Zhiwen said as he put down the firewood.

“Right!” Wanqing immediately chimed in, her confidence restored. “They’re safe!”

She emptied her basket into a wooden basin, and they all began sorting through the vegetables, fruits, and mushrooms.

They only stopped when Wanru called them for lunch.

Their stomachs were truly empty by then. Even the coarse pancakes, which were usually dry and hard to swallow, tasted delicious when washed down with porridge.

Once she was no longer hungry, Wanqing made up her mind—she would return to the mountains in the afternoon. She needed to gather more mushrooms. If they couldn’t eat them all, they could be dried and stored.

Food was scarce for their family, so the more they could stockpile, the better.

Li Yulan called Wanqing over, gently placing a cloth on her head and tying it securely under her chin. She carefully instructed her daughter to protect her head from the wind, as she had suffered an injury before and couldn’t afford to let the cold air get to it.

The scar on Wanqing’s head had already scabbed over, and thanks to drinking the spiritual spring water daily, she had long since recovered. However, she understood her mother’s concern and nodded obediently without arguing.

That afternoon, the siblings headed up the mountain once again, while Wanru stayed in the courtyard to sort through the wild vegetables. She washed the ones they would eat for dinner and set aside the better-looking mushrooms to dry. Their youngest brother, Zhiyuan, stayed behind to help his eldest sister.

Li Yulan sat on a stool, working on needlework. Wanru had advised their mother to take a break for a few days, but Li Yulan couldn’t sit idle and continued mending clothes with her sewing kit.

Having left behind the bustle of their extended family, the small courtyard was now peaceful and serene.

As evening fell, the family returned home.

The courtyard became lively once more. Though they had only brought back wild vegetables and mushrooms, the excitement in the air was undeniable.

Lin Heng stepped into the courtyard under the night sky. Seeing his family chatting and laughing, the fatigue from a long day of labor instantly melted away, filling his heart with warmth.

“Dinner’s ready!” Upon seeing their father enter, little Zhiyuan shouted excitedly, “Tonight, we’re having wild vegetable pancakes and mushroom soup!”

The family gathered around the heated brick bed to eat, sharing stories of their day’s work.

After the meal, Lin Heng carefully took out 15 copper coins and handed them to Li Yulan. She accepted them, took out a small clay jar, and placed the coins inside. The soft clinking of the metal was a delightful sound, drawing everyone’s gaze toward the jar.

“Mother, we have 35 coins now,” someone remarked.

“Mm,” Li Yulan hummed, gazing at the jar with warmth in her eyes.

“There will be more in the future,” Wanqing declared with certainty.

The family nodded silently in agreement.

That night, Wanqing lay in bed. Once Wanru had fallen asleep, she quietly entered her space to check on the mushrooms she had stored earlier. To her surprise, they looked as fresh as if they had just been picked—none had withered at all.

So, the space has a preservation function too!

Since the space had appeared so mysteriously and lacked any instructions, Wanqing was still figuring out its abilities. Most of what she knew so far was based on her own observations.

Sigh, I’ll just have to keep experimenting.

She wondered if crops could actually grow in the space. Maybe I should try planting some mushrooms?

Still undecided, she walked over to the spiritual spring and took a sip of water. Its effects were as potent as ever.

These past few days, she had secretly been adding spiritual spring water into the household’s drinking supply. She herself felt noticeably different—her energy levels were better, her mind was clearer, and she moved with greater ease.

But what about her family?

She hoped the water would improve their health as well. Given their poor diet, this was the best way she could help for now.

Wanqing then took a bath in the pond beside the spiritual spring before leaving the space.

Tomorrow, she planned to explore a different area of the mountain. As she drifted off to sleep, her mind buzzed with ideas for what to do next.