Reborn in a small village in the 1990s

Chapter 57

Zhou Chunwen thought for a moment, then scratched his head: "I think I picked some mushrooms and dried them. A few days ago, your aunt sold them for money."

"Then my second sister and I will go up the mountain to pick some mushrooms."

"It'll do for now."

"No, no, no." Zhao Da'e shook her head vigorously. She wasn't the type to settle for meager meals, unless she absolutely had to eat out of necessity...

Now that we have the means, we can enjoy a good meal.

Zhao Da'e went back into the house and called to his second sister, Zhou Chunhong: "Second sister, come with me to pick mushrooms."

"No, no, I won't go... It's cold... It's cold." Zhou Chunhong stammered, so she spoke haltingly.

"Then I'll go by myself."

Zhao Da'e then prepared to go up the mountain by himself.

Zhou Chunwen quickly said, "Then I'll go with you. I can't afford to pay for it if you get lost."

"Dad, I'm going out with Da'e for a bit, we'll be back to cook later."

Uncle Zhou Yuren responded, "Don't go too far. Come back soon."

Zhou Yuren trusted Zhao Da'e, and besides, his eldest daughter was already fifteen or sixteen, a grown woman, and often went up the mountain to work, so she wouldn't get lost.

Zhao Da'e tugged at Zhou Chunwen's hand and whispered, "Big sister, big sister, what do you think about us sneaking up and catching some wild game to eat? Like rabbits, pheasants, wild boars or something..."

Zhou Chunwen patted Zhao Da'e's head: "Silly child, don't think too much. If the two of us really encountered a wild boar, let alone a big one, we wouldn't be able to come back even if it was a small one. And there are no wild boars on the mountain... but there are quite a lot of rabbits. But you definitely can't run as fast as a rabbit. With your short legs, if you could catch a rabbit, the only possibility would be—waiting for it to come to you."

Zhao Da'e looked embarrassed: "What if a blind cat stumbles upon a dead mouse?"

Zhou Chunwen shook his head: "Big Goose, stop dreaming. If it's a snowy day, a really heavy snow, have your older cousin take you rabbit hunting. On days like this, let's just go pick some mushrooms. Pheasants can fly, rabbits can run, and you can't beat a wild boar. Stop dreaming, or you'll have nothing left when you wake up."

Zhao Da'e sighed, looking at his small, six-year-old frame, and could only give up.

Not far south of Aunt Zhao's house are mountains, very high mountains, so high that the sun can't be seen until eight or nine o'clock in winter. The mountains are rich in wild game, and of course, mushrooms and firewood. So Aunt Zhao's family never lacks food or firewood. As the saying goes, those who live by the mountain eat from the mountain, and those who live by the sea eat from the sea; but Aunt Zhao's family was so poor they only had dirt, so they lived off the dirt.

Picking mushrooms isn't technically difficult; there are so many mushrooms on the mountain that no one bothers to pick them. Although mushrooms are edible, they're not easy to eat on their own. And now that people are generally well-fed, unlike many years ago, mushrooms are sometimes picked and used as a side dish in dishes like stewed bok choy with mushrooms, stir-fried mushrooms with green peppers, or chicken stew with mushrooms. So, even though it's winter now, there are still plenty of mushrooms on the mountain.

While picking mushrooms, Zhao Da'e took out a few sugar pills from his pocket: "Big sister, here you go. They're super sweet, they'll make your throat ache."

Zhou Chunwen took one, popped it into her mouth, and found it very sweet. She rarely ate candy, so she was overjoyed. She carefully wrapped the remaining candies and put them in her pocket, finding extra strength in them while picking mushrooms.

"Big goose, you're such a good boy, no wonder everyone loves you."

Zhao Da'e raised an eyebrow: "Isn't it because I'm pretty that people like me?"

Zhou Chunwen gasped: When did this goose start to become narcissistic?

Oh no.

They've become more confident.