Jiang Heng arrived at her aunt’s house and first delivered the Mushrooms.
Chen Aying saw that they were all top-quality Mushrooms, and there were even two Boletus among them.
Her eyelids twitched with distress, wishing Jiang Heng would just take them back—these could all be sold for money, who would bear to eat them?
It wasn’t until Jiang Heng explained that these were damaged and not suitable for sale that she finally accepted them. “Alright, have a seat. Your cousin will be here soon.”
“Okay.” Jiang Heng nodded.
The sun was already getting a bit hot, so she found a shady spot in the courtyard and had just pulled out a chair when her cousin Jiang Peng happened to ride back on her electric scooter.
Before she even entered the courtyard, she waved at her. “Xiao Heng!”
Jiang Heng called out with a smile, “Sis!”
On the back seat was a little girl with two pigtails.
When the scooter stopped, mother and daughter got off.
The little girl poked her head out, spotted someone unfamiliar, and immediately hid behind her mother, peeking out with big curious eyes.
“Xiao Dao, this is your Xiao Yi!” Jiang Peng pulled her daughter forward. Jiang Heng hadn’t come back for several years, and kids forget people easily, so she reminded her, “Call her Xiao Yi!”
Xiao Xiao’s full name was Jiang Ruodao.
She was seven this year, a bit shy and introverted.
Pulled out like this, her little face flushed as she softly called, “Xiao Yi.”
Jiang Heng replied with a cheerful, “Hey~”
Jiang Peng said helplessly, “This kid is just too introverted, I’m so worried.” As she spoke, she handed over the milk tea from the basket. “Which one do you want? They’re all half-sugar.”
Jiang Heng picked a Yang Zhi Gan Lu and watched the little girl run off to the kitchen to talk to her grandma.
The child’s crisp voice and the adult’s gentle coaxing drifted out, making her smile. “You see, she’s quite lively, isn’t she? She just doesn’t know me well yet, that’s all—she just needs time to warm up.”
Jiang Peng sipped her Bo Ba Milk Tea and shook her head. “Not at all. She’s fine with us, but at school she’s completely silent. I’ve seen so many news stories these past two years—I’m just afraid if she’s bullied at school, she won’t say a word, and then she’ll have nowhere to cry.”
“The main thing is, she’s a picky eater. Look at her—she’s smaller than other kids her age, skinny arms and legs, can’t even put up a fight. And the doctor said if she doesn’t get enough nutrition soon, we’ll have to intervene with growth injections, which cost several thousand a month…”
At this, Jiang Heng understood, but she had never raised a child herself and didn’t know how to solve it.
She could only do her best to comfort her.
As they chatted, the aroma of food began to waft over.
A true free-range chicken, stewing in a large iron pot on a rural stove, together with Wild Mushroom full of spiritual energy—the buff was stacking to the max.
As time went on, the fragrance only grew richer.
The tender chicken released all its essence, carrying its unique flavor, blending with the Mushrooms’ mouthwatering aroma—it was simply irresistible!
Jiang Peng couldn’t even keep chatting, swallowing her saliva, and got up to go to the kitchen. “Mom, what are you making? It smells amazing!”
Chen Aying beamed. “It’s Mushrooms that Xiao Heng picked from the mountain. Who knows where she went—she picked all the expensive ones. Look at the color! These Mushrooms would sell for dozens a jin outside!”
“Wow!” Jiang Peng was a little surprised. “But this smells too good!”
She wasn’t new to Wild Mushroom—she’d eaten them since childhood, even Wuzhong Mushroom, so her standards were high. But today’s dish smelled so good she could hardly stand it.
Chen Aying was quite proud. “Of course. Maybe it’s the good rain this year. Even I thought it was delicious yesterday, so I called you to bring Xiao Xiao over to eat.”
She lifted the lid to check inside.
The moment the lid came off, a rush of steam carrying an even richer aroma filled the entire kitchen.
Even little Xiao Xiao was drooling. “It smells so good!”
Chen Aying said immediately, “That’s because your Xiao Yi is amazing and found such delicious Mushrooms. You have to thank her later, okay?”
“Okay!” Xiao Xiao nodded decisively, staring eagerly at the pot. “Grandma, can we eat yet?”
Jiang Peng looked just as eager.
Seeing the two of them like that, Chen Aying couldn’t bear it.
She poked the chicken with her chopsticks—still not done.
So she searched around and fished out a small Chicken Wing Tip for Xiao Dao.
The Chicken Wing Tip didn’t have much meat, and by now the skin was soft and falling off, so it could be eaten first. “Here, nibble on this for now.”
The light brown Chicken Wing Tip was still steaming. Xiao Xiao, afraid of the heat, hesitated to reach out, when suddenly her mom stretched her neck over, opened her mouth, and snatched it away.
Snatched it away???
Xiao Xiao’s eyes widened in disbelief at the scene.
Jiang Peng huffed to cool it down, felt the temperature drop, and quickly ate it.
The rich, savory juice on her tongue made her eyebrows twitch with delight. “Mmm! So good!”
Chicken Wing Tips don’t have much meat, and these weren’t stewed until totally soft like Lu Chicken Wing or Fried Chicken Wing Tip—just cooked through.
But soaked in broth, their flavor alone made her eat with gusto.
Chen Aying was shocked. “…Aren’t you grown up yet?! Stealing from your own daughter?”
Xiao Dao’s eyes filled with tears as she nodded hard in grievance.
Jiang Peng laughed awkwardly. “I just thought it was too hot for her to chew. I’m not afraid, so I ate it first. Isn’t there another Chicken Wing Tip?”
They were all family anyway—she was shameless and didn’t mind.
Chen Aying rolled her eyes, then went looking for another Chicken Wing Tip.
Finally she found one, cooled it by blowing on it, and handed it to Xiao Xiao.
This time, the little girl who had been so quiet just now imitated her mother, opening her mouth and biting down—not quiet at all, huffing to cool the Chicken Wing Tip.
When she finally tasted it, her eyes went wide with delight. “Wow! It’s really delicious!!!”
It smelled so, so good, and it tasted just as amazing!
Watching the two of them, Chen Aying was both exasperated and amused.
She searched the pot again—no third Chicken Wing Tip, but there was still Chicken Claw.
She fished it out, wrapped one end in a tissue, and handed it to Jiang Peng. “This one’s for Xiao Heng, no more stealing.”
Xiao Xiao also looked wary. “It’s for Xiao Yi!”
Jiang Peng had already finished her Chicken Wing Tip, just gnawing on the last bit of bone, reluctant to spit it out.
When she heard this, she spat out the bone, took the Chicken Claw, and glared fiercely. “I’m going to eat it!”
The little girl’s face turned red with anxiety.
She wanted to grab it but hesitated.
Just as Jiang Peng wondered how far her daughter would go to protect her Xiao Yi’s Chicken Claw, she saw her run straight outside, shouting at Jiang Heng, who was quietly sipping milk tea in the courtyard, “Xiao Yi! Mom wants to eat your Chicken Claw!!!”
Jiang Heng: …ABOT?
Jiang Peng:
The sisters looked at each other and burst out laughing.
Jiang Heng took the Chicken Claw from Jiang Peng, thanked Xiao Xiao, and then said seriously to the still-smiling Jiang Peng, “I suspect Xiao Dao’s quietness is all because of you. She can’t win against you, can’t out-noise you, so she just gives up.”
Jiang Peng laughed heartily and added, “No, no, no, it’s just that this is so delicious. She’s really picky—she doesn’t care for most things. If I steal her snacks, she just switches to another kind. Take all of them, and she just stops eating. But this—this is so good, it finally taught her to guard her food.”
She nodded in agreement after saying this.
That must be it!
The pot was still simmering.
Some people were already enjoying their meal.
Li Ruqin was the aunt who used her Wise Eye for Treasure and was the second to buy Mushrooms last night.
Her family was well-off.
Even though the compensation for demolishing homes in the County Town wasn’t as high as in big cities, it still raised their standard of living.
Her children were successful, and her life was comfortable.
She didn’t have many hobbies, except making good food for her kids.
It just so happened that today was Saturday.
Yesterday, on her way home from playing cards, she spotted the Mushrooms and bought 150 yuan’s worth.
It was expensive, but she knew good Mushrooms when she saw them.
And now that she had money, she was willing to try anything.
To be honest, although many things are just hype, some ingredients really do taste better when you pay more.
Mushroom was one of them.
She used to just buy any Mushrooms from the supermarket and make Mushroom soup, which was fine.
But once, her daughter’s friend gave her some home-picked Wild Mushroom.
After tasting it, Li Ruqin couldn’t forget the flavor, and from then on, she became picky about Mushrooms.
Basically, whenever she saw good Mushrooms, she’d buy them to try.
Over time, she developed a Wise Eye and could quickly tell if they were Wild Mushroom.
And the ones she bought yesterday—absolutely were.
Just by looking, you could tell they were fresh.
After bringing them home, without the interference of other smells, Li Ruqin felt like she could smell that unique pine forest fragrance all night, as if she were dreaming in a cool, shady pine grove.
So early this morning, she went to the Market to buy a small chicken.
She took her time preparing it.
Her family had big appetites, so she added two potatoes, a Baby Nappa Cabbage, and some Glass Noodles.
She timed it just right for her daughter’s arrival, and a big pot of Little Chicken Stewed with Mushroom was ready.
No need for any other dishes.
When her daughter came home, she called out “Mom!” and took a deep breath. The fatigue from driving back from the city center was instantly swept away by the delicious aroma, replaced by pure hunger. “It smells amazing!!! Mom, I want to eat! I’m starving!”
Hearing her daughter’s tone, Li Ruqin knew the Mushrooms had been worth it and smiled. “Come eat first, the rice isn’t quite ready yet.”
Today, all she could think about was Mushroom stewed chicken.
Halfway through, she remembered to steam some rice, so it’d be a few more minutes.
When she turned around, she saw her husband trailing behind her like a ghost and snapped, “What are you doing?”
Her husband grinned. “Getting chopsticks for the food.”
Li Ruqin was exasperated.
He never showed up while she was cooking, but as soon as he smelled food, he appeared. She scolded, “Eat what? The rice isn’t even done yet!”
Her husband saw their daughter already gnawing on a chicken drumstick with glee.
He was silent for two seconds, then hurried to the kitchen. “I’ll go wash the pot, you rest a bit, it’s hot in here.”
Li Ruqin’s mood improved a little.
She reminded him not to forget to clean the stove, then looked at her daughter with affection. “How does it taste?”
The young woman nodded with a bright smile. “Super delicious!!! Mom, you have the best taste. These Mushrooms are as good as the ones my friend gave me last time! The chicken is so soft and tender, really easy to chew…”
Her memory of that flavor had only grown fonder with time.
It had been ages since she’d tasted such delicious Mushrooms, and now, the taste in her mouth seemed to bring back that memory perfectly.
After finishing, she put down the clean chicken drumstick bone.
Even the chicken skin she used to dislike was eaten up.
Satisfied, she felt a little embarrassed to eat more, wanting to wait for her parents.
Still, she couldn’t help but lick her lips.
At that moment, the salty, savory taste on her lips made her lick again and again.
Li Ruqin watched her daughter and laughed, then picked up the chopsticks and put another little drumstick in her bowl. “Go on, eat.”
The girl blushed.
She hadn’t been this greedy in a long time.
The Little Chicken Stewed with Mushroom was just too good.
But she felt bad eating alone, so she immediately offered the drumstick to her mother. “Mom, you have some too, it’s really delicious!”
Li Ruqin accidentally touched the drumstick with her lips and had no choice but to take a bite.
As soon as she bit down, the juice from the chicken flooded her mouth, salty, fragrant, and fresh, making her instinctively slurp so as not to waste a drop.
Hot!
But the taste was truly amazing.
Her eyelids twitched, but she couldn’t bear to let go.
After a moment, she officially began eating, exclaiming, “Wow, it smells so good and tastes just as great!”
The drumstick meat was especially tender, falling off the bone, and with the savory broth, every bite was delicious.
As she ate, she kept mumbling, “The meat is great, stewed until soft. I bet the cabbage and Glass Noodles are delicious, too, and the potatoes…”
The girl’s mouth watered at her words, and she quietly picked up her chopsticks.
First, a bite of Mushroom—stewed in chicken broth for a long time, still tender.
Then a bite of soft, powdery potato, Glass Noodles soaked with broth, and the slightly sweet, soft Baby Nappa Cabbage—every single thing was delicious!
Her husband, busy in the kitchen, glanced back to see his wife and daughter enjoying the food together and swallowing hungrily.
He didn’t dare slack off anymore!
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