My village can't be like this

Chapter 573 Picking up mushrooms

When I fell asleep at night, it was still a night with a clear moon and stars and good weather.

But in the middle of the night, Zhang An, who was sleeping very soundly, noticed a chill coming over him.

After rubbing his eyes, he woke up a little, and then realized that it had started raining outside the window at some point.

The night in the mountains was already a bit cold, and with this night rain, the temperature dropped a few degrees.

Perhaps because he felt cold, the thin quilt that Zhang An had covered himself with before going to bed had already been rolled up by his wife beside him. Only then did Zhang An wake up from a deep sleep.

Zhang An could only get up and close the window that was still open, then straighten the quilt, cover Su Ying's feet that were still exposed outside the quilt, and fall asleep again.

The next morning, the cold rain had not stopped, turning this sunny morning in August into a dull and rainy one.

The day for Hongyan Health Center to go to the countryside was originally scheduled for today, but now it can only be postponed for one day because of the moderate rain.

"Hey, it was fine yesterday. Why did it suddenly become so cold today?"

When the fat man got up and went downstairs, he looked a little shivering. Yesterday he was still wearing short-sleeved pants, but today he just put on long-sleeved pants and a jacket.

"You're from another province. Even if it's summer here, as long as it starts to rain, it won't always be like this."

Fatty's posture was a bit too exaggerated, and Zhang An really couldn't stand it.

If this guy comes from outside the province, it is normal for him not to adapt to this kind of weather.

In later generations, many people from outside the province came here to travel. Thinking that July and August were very hot summers, they packed lightly and brought summer clothes.

But after I came here, I realized something was wrong. The promised summer turned out to be similar to the late spring, and I couldn't bear the cold. Even if I put on all the clothes I brought, I still wasn't able to withstand the cold.

Some people even buy two pieces of clothes from later generations to keep out the cold regardless of whether it is summer or not.

But Fatty is not an outsider, he is a real provincial citizen.

Although the summer in the provincial capital is not as cool as Hongyan Town and the temperature is higher, it is actually not much different when it rains.

"Although this is true, when it rains, it's much colder here than in the provincial capital. The temperature is at least five or six degrees lower. Maybe it's because the altitude here is higher."

Fatty used to be dissatisfied that the summer in Changqing was so much cooler than the provincial capital, but now he felt more balanced. After all, when it is cold here, it is even colder than the provincial capital.

After everyone got up and washed up, Wang Fang had already prepared breakfast.

Today’s breakfast is no longer noodles or rice noodles, but spicy soup cakes.

After the bright red glutinous rice cake peppers are thoroughly fried in lard, they are added to the broth made from large bones, and the paste made from fresh green onions and ginger seeds is added. Then the corn cake cakes that Zhang An’s family just made some time ago are cut into pieces. Put it in and cook.

"Phew, this sip of hot soup feels really good. I don't feel cold anymore."

The fat man ate two pieces of soft and glutinous boiled corn cakes, then took a big mouthful of bright red spicy soup, and suddenly exhaled a white breath.

Knowing that the young couple, Fatty and Zhang Zilin, couldn't eat too spicy food, Wang Fang only put in ordinary chili peppers at home.

Coupled with the unique fragrance of the wood ginger seeds and enough green onion, it not only tastes delicious and appetizing, but also has the effect of repelling cold.

On this cold rainy day, I ate a bowl of spicy soup and cakes. The heat brought by the chili pepper warmed my chest. The cold air and moisture that invaded my body from the outside were completely driven away, which made me feel so comfortable.

By noon, the rain had lightened up a lot, but there was drizzle all over the sky, as if it was really going to rain non-stop today.

However, there is rain everywhere outside, and it is not suitable to go anywhere. A bunch of people can only fight at home.

If more than ten years later, everyone has a mobile phone and has a wireless network at home, then everyone can still surf the Internet on their mobile phones to pass the time.

But now I only have a TV to watch at home, and even if I have a mobile phone, I can only play Snake.

If it were just Zhang An's family, there wouldn't be any discomfort, but the fat man and his wife were here, and for a while they seemed a little bored.

"Zhang An, the fungi are popping up on the mountain. Do you want to go to the mountain to pick up the fungi?"

Just when Zhang An was thinking about what kind of things to do for fun, Zhang Ping came over.

"Let's go, I just feel a little bored with nothing to do. Wait for me to get ready and then go to your house to call you."

Zhang An agreed without thinking. June to August every year is the golden time to go into the mountains to collect fungi.

Villagers go into the mountains to pick up mushrooms almost every day. Because this period of time is relatively slack for farming, many villagers store dried mushrooms from the mountains at this time.

Although the time is now at the end, almost all the common fungi on the mountain have been picked up by others.

But that's not the case. Fungi are something that belongs to the flow of luck. Many people may pass by the same place without noticing anything.

Suddenly one day, you are walking by there, and you just happen to find a cluster of fungi there. You can't tell.

Moreover, it is not an exaggeration to say that fungi are springing up like bamboo shoots after a rain. They grow really fast.

It just rained last night, so a lot of fungi must have been unearthed.

"Fat man, are you going to go into the mountains to pick up fungi?"

After agreeing to Zhang Ping, Zhang An turned around and asked the fat man who was doing nothing just now.

In fact, Zhang An could go or not. He mainly wanted to take Fatty and the others out to kill time.

"Go, go, go, I haven't picked up mushrooms yet. Wife, do you want to go?"

Before Zhang An could finish speaking, the fat man had already stood up from his chair and asked Zhang Zilin, who was sitting with Su Ying.

"It's chilly outside, you go play, we'll be fine at home."

Su Ying wanted to take care of her child at home. After school started in a while, her son wouldn't have much time to be near her, so she didn't go.

Zhang Zilin didn't like to move very much. Seeing that Su Ying wasn't going, she didn't want to go even more. It was nice to have Su Ying as company at home.

"Okay, then you guys wait at home. Let's go to the mountain to pick up more, and let Aunt Wang prepare delicious food for us in the evening."

The fat man didn't want to go when he saw his wife, and he didn't feel sorry.

"Come on, let's not talk about whether we can find it. Even if you find it, you can recognize what can be eaten and what can't be eaten, but don't pick up poisonous mushrooms that are inedible."

Seeing how poor her man was, Zhang Zilin couldn't help but pour cold water on him.

Fungi are not low-grade goods. If they were so easy to pick up, people in the mountains would have made a fortune from them long ago.

And encountering fungi is nothing, the main thing is to be able to recognize them, otherwise it will be in vain. "Don't worry. I went with Zhang An and Zhang Ping. I don't have to worry about these problems. I don't think they recognize them at all."

The fat man didn't take it seriously. He felt that since Zhang An was so familiar with people in the mountains and Zhang Ping, the ranger, was here, it wouldn't be a problem.

After Zhang An came out after changing into work clothes, the fat man also changed into clothes. Although they were not clothes for working, they were easier to move around than what he was wearing just now.

There was nothing he could do, this guy didn't have anything to wear to work, especially at Zhang An's house.

And with his size, he can't wear Zhang An's clothes.

But to him, this doesn't matter, it's just a piece of clothing.

Then Zhang An entered the utility room and found a basket and two rakes.

The rake is made of a thin wooden board with a wooden handle more than one meter long. It is specially used to find fungi. Almost every household in the village has one.

If the basket is to be carried on Zhang An's back, it will be enough. The fungi are hard to find, so it would be great if he could find less than half of the basket today.

Finally, the two of them went to Zhang Ping's house, called Zhang Ping and set off.

"Hey Zhang An, when did your squirrel come out? We obviously didn't take it with us when we came out."

Just after leaving the village and not walking far, the fat man said directly to the basket behind Zhang An.

Zhang An turned around and found that Qiuqiu had followed him unexpectedly.

"Maybe it was when I was picking up the basket just now that it jumped in and followed me, and I didn't notice it."

Seeing Qiuqiu, Zhang An understood. No wonder he had always felt that there was a rustling in this basket, and the feelings were caused by little things inside.

Fortunately, when he went out just now, little Siqi was taking a nap, otherwise, the little thing would definitely not be able to escape the clutches of the big devil.

Zhang An actually had no intention of bringing the family animals out. He didn't even let the little tiger follow him out because it was raining outside and the mountains were even muddy.

If you take them into the mountains, they will definitely be covered in mud. Given their size, it will take a long time to wash them.

But the little thing came as soon as it came, and Zhang An didn't expect it to go back on its own. He could just let it stay in the basket when the time came.

"Zhang An and Zhang Ping, you also have to go into the mountains to pick up fungi."

Along the way, the three of them met some Zhang Mazi and several villagers, all of whom were coming back from the mountains. They greeted Zhang An when they saw them.

"Yes, Uncle Mazi, you are very fast. You went to pick them all up. It seems that you have picked up all the good ones."

In fact, their appearance is similar to that of Zhang An and others. They all carry a basket and a rake. Without even thinking about it, they are all going into the mountains to pick up mushrooms.

"It's not that easy to pick up. I went there in the rain early in the morning and only found two or three nests of chicken fir trees."

Even though Zhang Mazi said this, he couldn't keep the smile off his face. As he spoke, he showed Zhang An and the others his basket.

"Hey, that's not too much, Uncle Mazi. You've got more than half of the basket. It may not be enough for one hundred, but you can easily sell it for seventy or eighty yuan."

Zhang An and others took a look into Zhang Mazi's basket and found that there were more than half of the basket of chicken fir trees, and they were all large. It was definitely not like this person said there were only three or four nests.

The other people who were with Zhang Mazi also gained quite a lot. Although not as much as Zhang Mazi, they still couldn't get away with just a few dozen yuan.

After chatting with each other for a while, the two groups separated, because Zhang Mazi and the others had gone into the mountains early in the morning and had not eaten yet.

"Zhang An, why didn't you ask them where they found it just now? Let's go look for it too."

On the way forward, the fat man couldn't help but ask. He just saw the chicken conongs in the baskets of those people, and they were all a little careful.

"In our place, when it comes to picking up fungi, you generally can't ask others where you picked them up. You have to look for them yourself, and others won't tell them easily."

Before Zhang An opened his mouth, Zhang Ping started to explain to the fat man.

"Why? Is it a big deal to ask?"

Fatty was very puzzled by this.

"It's really a big deal, because the places where these fungi, especially the chicken fir, grow are fixed. There are bacterial nests where they grow. So usually after someone collects the fungi, they will note that place and wait until they grow out later. Cai, if it were you, would you tell others? "

Most of the fungi in the mountains are valuable things, and anyone who picks them up is a good harvest.

Therefore, asking someone where the fungus grows is tantamount to asking for a share of someone else's money. This kind of thing is taboo in the mountains, even in a village. Unless you are a close relative or have a very, very good relationship, you will tell.

"Oh, that's it. Fortunately, I didn't ask just now, otherwise it would have been misunderstood."

After learning about it, the fat man said happily. He wanted to ask the villagers where they picked it up just now, but luckily he held it back in the end.

"What's the point? You're not from our village, and you don't go into the mountains often. Even if you ask others, you won't think anything of it."

Seeing the fat man's fear of being misunderstood, Zhang An smiled and comforted him.

Most people in the village knew him and knew that he was a wealthy boss from the provincial capital, so even if he asked, Zhang Mazi and the others wouldn't think much about it.

"Brother Ping, which way should we go? You often wander around in the mountains. Today I will listen to your arrangements."

When they came to the branch road of Chahe, Zhang An handed over the decision-making power to Zhang Ping. After all, he often patrolled the forests in the mountains, so he must know better than others about the good resources there.

"Don't worry, just leave it to me. When I went into the mountains before, I found a good place with a lot of fungi, and you can also find morels."

Zhang Ping waved his hand and led the way.

Although most people would not tell others where the fungus grows, the relationship between Zhang Ping and Zhang An is not ordinary people.

These things haven't made them care too much, otherwise Zhang Ping wouldn't have taken the initiative to ask Zhang An to go into the mountains to collect fungi today.

Of course, if it were anyone else, Zhang Ping would definitely not say it.

"Oh? There are even morels. This is a pretty good thing, fat man. If you can find it today, you will be lucky. This thing is very delicious."

If it was an ordinary fungus, Zhang An wouldn't care too much about it and would just treat it as just coming out to play.

But if it is rare fungi such as morels and Hericium, they are not comparable to ordinary fungi.

When the fat man heard this, he felt a little more motivated even though he hadn't seen the morels yet, and his steps sped up a little faster.

(End of this chapter)