The fishing net tied to the cement pipe was almost being forced off by the weight of the heavy fish.
Jiang Heng didn’t dare to delay, hurrying over to transfer the fish from the net into the bucket.
She picked out some of the smaller fish and tossed them back into the pond, even deliberately going a bit farther away so those little fish wouldn’t be unlucky enough to get swept away by the current again.
When the rain stops, any fish that get washed into the fields won’t survive for long.
After this round, Jiang Heng’s bucket was about seventy percent full.
She had brought a big bucket to begin with, and it was heavy in her hands—at least fifty jin. Now she had a new problem: it wasn’t how to eat them, but whether she could finish so many fish at all.
When she got home, Jiang Heng was almost soaked through, but thankfully, she could use the Dust Removal Art.
In the blink of an eye, she became a clean and refreshed young lady again.
The shoes that had picked up a bunch of mud and water were now spotless, and aside from looking a bit old from long use, there was no sign they’d just been caked in mud.
The Dust Removal Art was really handy!
She found another unused big basin, filled it with water, then poured all the fish from the bucket into it.
One basin wasn’t enough, so she split them into two, placing both in the backyard. She added a bit of Lingqi-infused Water, and the fish—already lively—began leaping and thrashing about.
Each of these fish weighed two or three jin, with even the smallest Wild Crucian Carp being almost one jin. For wild fish, these were pretty big.
They thrashed so hard that water splashed all over her.
Jiang Heng glared, almost wanting to send them all straight to the dining table with one stroke, but she held back. She’d let them live for a bit—the flavor would be better.
So she carefully picked a smaller Wild Crucian Carp and headed to the kitchen.
She’d thought about calling Da Boiniang over for a meal, but the rain was still pouring, so she gave up on that. She’d just deliver a fish to her later—Da Boiniang was a good cook, too.
With that thought, she went to steam some rice.
Once the rice was set, she started handling the fish.
A Water Blade appeared in her palm, effortlessly splitting open the fish’s belly.
She removed the innards, scraped off the scales, chopped off any excess from the tail, and cleaned the whole fish thoroughly.
Only then did Jiang Heng light the stove and heat the oil. She planned to make fish soup, but the fish had to be pan-fried until both sides were golden first, so she quickly grabbed the fish by the tail and placed it in the pan.
The oil wasn’t very hot yet, but as soon as the fish touched it, it began to sizzle loudly.
The upper half needed a bit more time.
Once both sides were golden, she added scallions, ginger, and garlic. Jiang Heng wasn’t aiming for a milky-white broth, so she didn’t add any poached eggs.
She poured in water, then went to handle the Mushrooms. She tore the Mushrooms into small pieces, washed them clean, and by then, the water was boiling.
She tossed the Mushrooms in, then added some salt, a dash of cooking wine, a few drops of white vinegar, and some pepper. Then she just had to wait for it to cook.
Jiang Heng wasn’t a master chef, but by following the recipe and using such excellent ingredients, she could still make delicious food.
Like right now.
The Wild Crucian Carp was pure wild, the scallions, ginger, and garlic were all grown with her own Spiritual Energy, and the Mushrooms were Lingqi-infused.
Even a simple Mushroom Fish Soup filled the whole house with a mouthwatering aroma, making people recall the most delicious fish soup they’d ever had in their lives.
While waiting, Jiang Heng quickly made some Oyster Sauce Lettuce.
She sautéed minced garlic in oil, added salt, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and other seasonings, then poured it over the blanched lettuce. Instantly, the tender green leaves were tinged with a shade of brown.
This meal came together quickly—she was done in less than half an hour.
The rice in the Electric Rice Cooker wasn’t even done yet.
Jiang Heng first served herself a bowl of fish soup. The soup wasn’t pure white but had a slightly yellow tint, with a few drops of oil floating on top.
It was a bit too hot, so Jiang Heng gathered a bit of frost in her palm. In less than thirty seconds, the frost melted, and the once-boiling soup cooled to a more comfortable temperature—still hot, but not scalding.
She took a sip. The slightly salty, savory soup slid over her tongue and down to her stomach, driving away the chill in the air and leaving nothing but a deep sense of satisfaction.
So delicious!!!
Truly, the better the ingredients, the tastier the dish!
“I really shouldn’t have tried to save that little bit of money! With the wrong ingredients, even following the same steps, the taste is just so different?!”
In a residential home in the county town, the old man in charge of grocery shopping looked at the plate in front of him—another serving of fried Mushroom.
After tasting a bite, he let out a regretful sigh.
The old lady in charge of cooking was so frustrated she could pull her hair out.
Seeing her husband, she snapped, “You! Why didn’t you buy more?! I told you, buy more Mushrooms. If we can’t finish them, we can dry them, sun them—either way, they won’t go to waste. And now look at us?”
The old man, feeling guilty, tried to defend himself, “These Mushrooms are just too expensive. The ones your Grandson likes are at least seventy yuan a jin! Who could bear that? I was hoping to shop around, maybe the supermarket would have cheaper Wild Mushrooms.”
The old lady snorted, “You just can’t let go of your money! Since when has the supermarket ever sold such good Wild Mushrooms? Maybe next year!”
The old man fought back, “If you hadn’t cooked all the Mushrooms for lunch, would we be in this situation now?!”
The old lady shouted even louder, “…Wasn’t it you who said the weather’s cold and you wanted some Mushroom Soup to warm up?!”
The old man:
The two bickered for a while, then both clutched their heads in unison.
It’s just Mushrooms—not really a big deal.
But today was different. Yesterday’s heavy rain meant that when they went to pick up their Grandson, even with an umbrella, the boy still got drenched.
Today, seeing it rain again, he absolutely refused to go to school.
The two elders valued education, even if it was only second grade, so they did everything they could to coax him. Finally, they came up with an idea—
They promised he could have fried Mushrooms when he got home.
A few days ago, the old man had gone grocery shopping and met a young girl selling Mushrooms.
They smelled really good, and since his Grandson had been craving fried Mushrooms—and the supermarket ones looked all watery and unappealing—he decided to buy a little of the expensive ones.
Once he fried them, it was a revelation.
The Grandson fell in love, demanding them every meal.
But his parents didn’t want him eating too much fried food, especially since the boy was getting a bit chubby. So after some back and forth, they settled on having them every other day.
He’d just had some yesterday, so he wasn’t supposed to have any today, but to coax him, they made another promise.
Who knew, at lunch, the old man casually mentioned wanting Mushroom Soup.
Well, truth be told, the two elders loved eating them, too. Expensive as they were, they had to admit they were worth it—no matter how you cooked them, they were delicious.
Even a casual soup was incredibly fresh.
What’s more, ever since they started eating a little every day, both of them felt lighter and more energetic.
As you age, even if you take care of yourself, your body inevitably declines.
But after eating these Mushrooms, it felt almost like when their daughter-in-law bought Cordyceps back home—maybe not as strong, but their breathing, walking, even sleeping, all felt more comfortable.
They both felt the high price of Wild Mushroom was justified.
Still, after a lifetime of thrift, the old man just couldn’t bring himself to spend several hundred yuan at once to stock up.
He only ever bought a little at a time, enough for a meal or two, then bought more the next day.
But then came the rain.
And, succumbing to their cravings, they used the last of the Mushrooms for lunch’s Mushroom Soup. When it was time to make dinner, they realized they’d run out!
The old man braved the rain and went to the supermarket for Mushrooms, hoping to make do.
The old lady tried her best to replicate the previous fried Mushroom recipe—even making the egg batter more even, and frying them to a golden crisp.
But just the aroma alone revealed the difference, let alone the taste. Both fell silent.
The Mushrooms they used to think were fine now tasted… bland and hard to eat, especially compared to the delicious Mushrooms they’d had just that afternoon.
It was like chewing on a piece of gum that had lost all its flavor.
The Big Devil King was about to get out of school. If he started making a fuss…
Just thinking about it gave them both a headache.
As the time approached, the old lady glanced outside and made the decision, “You go to the plaza and see if the vendor’s there yet. The rain’s let up, so maybe she’ll be there. Buy more this time. I’ll go pick up our Grandson.”
The old man nodded, “Alright!”
He hurried off to catch the bus.
Sure enough, the rain had stopped. By the time he got off, the sun even peeked out for a few seconds, warming his back.
With such nice weather, the vendor should have come, right?
But when he reached the spot where vendors were allowed to set up, his heart sank.
The Sushi stall was there, the fried skewer stall was there, the stinky tofu stall was there—but the tricycle Mushroom vendor was nowhere to be seen.
Just then, someone else arrived and exclaimed, “The Mushroom-selling miss isn’t here yet?!”
“Doesn’t she usually set up around five-thirty?”
A few people got off the bus together, all seemingly there for Mushrooms, gathering around the empty spot and sighing.
Song Ming was selling Sushi while keeping an ear out.
When she heard this, she immediately raised her voice to help explain, “It rained today, so the boss didn’t go pick Mushrooms. If it doesn’t rain tomorrow morning, she’ll go pick some.”
As for whether she’d come… that would depend on the weather.
Of course, she didn’t say that part—didn’t want to scare off customers.
The old man looked disappointed, “We’ve run out of Mushrooms at home!”
A young man nearby chimed in, “Yeah, sigh, I should’ve bought more the other day. The Mushrooms are just too tasty—I could eat them three meals a day. If I’d known, I’d have bought more.”
Zhang Yan had just gotten off work and hurried over. Seeing the situation, her heart sank too. Helpless, she said, “I came to buy Mulberry Fruit, but the boss really isn’t here. That’s all business! All money!”
A customer nearby immediately asked, “Are Mulberry Fruit tasty? I saw them the other day, but they were thirty yuan a jin—couldn’t bring myself to buy any.”
Zhang Yan replied at once, “They’re delicious! Really, when they’re just ripe, they’re so clean and not astringent at all. I highly recommend them!”
The customer was tempted, “Next time, I’ll try some.”
Zhang Yan was happy to have convinced someone.
She hadn’t tried the Mushrooms, but she had tried the Mulberry Fruit, and her boyfriend had, too. They were really good.
The key was…
That night, her boyfriend—who’d been suffering from serious insomnia—actually fell asleep before midnight!
He used to stay up until four or five in the morning, sometimes all night, with a totally messed-up schedule.
They hadn’t thought much of the Mulberry Fruit at first, but after talking about it so much, the algorithm started pushing them related videos and posts.
They happened to see one about the health benefits of Mulberry Fruit: melatonin, anthocyanins, and a variety of vitamins.
That’s when they realized maybe the vendor’s Mulberry Fruit were so high-quality, they could actually help with insomnia.
So they were eager to buy more.
But yesterday it rained, and as expected, there were none to be found. Now, even though the rain had stopped, the vendor still hadn’t shown up!
Heavens, such a good business, and the vendor could still take a day off!
How was that reasonable?!
But no matter how disappointed they were, none was none.
Everyone visibly wilted. Just then, a middle-aged man carrying a shoulder pole hurried over, calling out, “Fresh Mushrooms! Just picked from the mountain—cheap and delicious! Come take a look!”
Song Ming’s expression changed slightly.
She knew this man—he was one of the vegetable vendors from the other end of the street.
He must have noticed Jiang Heng wasn’t here today and guessed people would come for Mushrooms but leave empty-handed, so he’d come over to try and grab some customers.
But things didn’t go as he expected.
A few people did glance over at his Mushrooms, but after seeing what he was selling, they all turned away.
The middle-aged man quickly shouted, “These are really Wild Mushrooms! Picked from the mountains! Fresh!”
But the few people who had been planning to leave now walked away even faster.
The middle-aged man was stunned—he hadn’t expected not a single customer. For a moment, he didn’t know whether he should keep setting up his stall or not.
Song Ming was relieved and quickly messaged Jiang Heng about what had happened.
Heavens, she’d really made a friend who was so sought-after that customers chased after her—refusing to buy Mushrooms from anyone else! Just like in those videos online.
She thought Jiang Heng would be happy too.
But then she saw the reply:
[Jiang Heng: It’s your time to shine! Go for it, pika pika]
[Song Ming:?]
[Song Ming:!!!]
With those words, Song Ming instantly understood. She immediately called out, “Beef Mushroom Sushi! Super delicious Beef Mushroom Sushi made with the best Mushrooms!”
Sure enough, the next second, someone stopped.
Song Ming seized the opportunity, briskly opening a box of Beef Mushroom Sushi. “Guaranteed value for money! Made with Mushrooms bought from the neighboring Mushroom vendor!”
At that, the few people all stopped in their tracks.
Even the boss of the noodle shop across the street poked his head out for a look.
The old man, who’d been worrying about how to explain things at home, turned right back, “Are you sure you used Mushrooms from that vendor?”
Song Ming nodded confidently, “Of course! I have her contact info. If I’m buying Mushrooms, it’s always from her! And just smell that aroma—one box for twenty-five yuan, it’s really worth it!”
The old man had already caught the familiar scent—the unique fragrance of those Mushrooms. He immediately said, “I’ll take a box.”
“Alright!” Song Ming beamed and quickly packed up an unopened box. “Come back for more if you like it!”
The old man finally managed a relieved smile.
But deep down, he felt a pang of regret.
For twenty-five yuan, he could’ve bought several of those prized Matsutake Mushrooms at eighty-one yuan a jin.
That would be more than what’s in the Sushi.
If only he’d known the vendor wouldn’t come today and that he’d run out at home, he would never have bought just half a jin last time!
Thinking this, he hurried home.
But because of the delay, he was late. The elementary school wasn’t far from home, but by the time he got back, his chubby Grandson was already rolling on the floor, his round little face red with anger: “Wuwuwu, you lied! You lied again! You promised I’d have Mushrooms after school!”
“I want to eat those Mushrooms, not these Mushrooms! Wuwuwu, liar!”
His wife was at her wits’ end, coaxing him, “Your grandpa went to buy Mushrooms. As soon as he’s back, you can have some…”
The Grandson didn’t believe it. He’d been tricked too many times. This time, he wouldn’t believe them no matter what: “He’s not back yet—it’s a lie! Definitely a lie!”
Just then, the door opened.
The old man came in.
Both his wife and Grandson looked over in unison.
The Grandson asked eagerly, “Grandpa, where are the Mushrooms?”
The old man, feeling guilty, instinctively hid his hand behind his back, but then remembered and handed over the bag. “The Mushroom vendor didn’t pick any today because of the rain, but I got some—”
Before he could finish, the Grandson burst into loud sobs. “Wuwuwuwu! I want Mushrooms, I want Mushrooms! Wuwuwuwu…”
This time he was truly heartbroken, tears streaming down his face.
The old lady: “!”
Hearing the bad news, she nearly blacked out!
Such misfortune!
They really hadn’t managed to buy any!!!