An eight-year-old kid emptied his scumbag father's warehouse and followed his grandparents into

They climbed up the stairs one by one, and had already climbed dozens of steps. It felt more tiring than climbing a mountain, but the vendors were tireless and still surrounded them, refusing to give up.

The steps are made of mountain stones, weathered by wind and rain, their surface has been worn smooth, with occasional traces of moss visible. With every step, you can feel the accumulation of time.

Due to the obstruction and shoving of the vendors, I was only concerned about my own safety and had no intention of enjoying the ancient scenery of the mountain city.

During the past two years of the city lockdown, few vendors have been able to come here, and even fewer, like Jing Chunxi and his companions, come in groups and take boats into the mountains. This deserted scene makes the vendors cherish every potential customer even more. They follow closely, fearing to miss any sales opportunity.

The children, however, worked tirelessly, their eyes brimming with perseverance and hope. As long as customers came, hope remained. Every sales pitch they made offered a chance to change their current situation.

The youngest children were at most four or five years old, and the oldest were around ten, mostly boys. They kept surrounding Jing Chunxi and the others and followed them, refusing to leave even after the adult vendors had left.

Although these children are young, they have already learned how to survive in a difficult environment. Their clothes may be a little worn, but most of them have been washed clean, and their faces are filled with shy but expectant smiles.

Their little hands tightly grasped the bamboo basket filled with various kinds of dried bamboo shoots, which were the fruits of their family's hard work.

The children were very discerning and kept talking about sales. The older ones kept their eyes on Jing Chunxi and the others who were surrounded in the middle. They realized that these well-dressed guests might be their best sales targets.

A little boy, who looked to be eight or nine years old, held a handful of dried bamboo shoots high and shouted, "Brothers and sisters, do you want some? Jianning County produces the most bamboo shoots in all of Jiujiang County, and they're the tenderest and best. Look how dried they are! They break right off if you try to break them."

His voice was clear and loud, with a hint of childishness, yet full of confidence. He actually broke open a bamboo shoot with great effort, showing everyone its texture and proving that his words were not an exaggeration.

Another younger child came up, pleading in his voice, "Brothers and sisters, please be kind and buy some! In the past, foreign merchants would buy half or even a whole boatload. If it weren't for the famine, the price wouldn't be so low."

There was a hint of helplessness in his eyes, as if he was worried about his family's livelihood. His words softened the hearts of the people holding bamboo shoots, and they all lowered their heads and carefully examined the bamboo shoots in the children's hands.

"Brother and sister, these dried bamboo shoots are really cheap, only three coins per pound. They're not that expensive in the city. My mother said they sell for dozens of coins."

Another child chimed in, his voice a little childish but his tone serious.

More than a dozen children were carrying small bamboo baskets on their arms. The older ones carried bigger baskets so they could carry more bamboo shoots; the younger ones had smaller baskets that could only hold two handfuls of bamboo shoots.

These dried bamboo shoots have a light luster and emit a faint fragrance. They look really good.

They shouted at everyone they saw, and now that they saw a few people forced to stop, they rushed forward and surrounded them tightly.

After a while, except for Jing Chunxi who was standing in the middle, everyone else had a handful of dried bamboo shoots stuffed into their hands.

Even Xiao Man, who was walking in the front and kept refusing and saying "No, no, we don't buy it", couldn't stand the siege of so many people. He just stopped and turned to look at the lady behind him, who knew that a handful of dried bamboo shoots was also stuffed into his hand.

A little girl of five or six years old succeeded in her attack and smiled at him with her mouth wide open, revealing a row of white teeth. Xiao Man's heart softened and she even thought about paying out of her own pocket and buying the dried bamboo shoots for three cents.

Another child started shouting, "Our bamboo shoots in Jianning County are the best. Look, brothers and sisters, they are so tender. You can eat the whole bunch after soaking them in water. There will be no waste at all."

He picked up a handful of dried bamboo shoots and gently broke them apart, showing everyone their texture. His movements were very skillful, obviously after many practice sessions.

As he demonstrated, he continued, "The bamboo shoots here are picked in the spring when they just sprout. At that time, the bamboo shoots are the most tender and taste the best."

Jing Chunxi had nothing in her hands and wasn't particularly interested in any of this. She just wanted to take a break. She stopped, panting slightly. After climbing the stairs for so long, she was a little tired.

Looking at the children around her, she couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness. Though young, these children had to leave their homes to earn a living at such an early age. It was truly heartbreaking. She also decided to help the mountain children and buy all the dried bamboo shoots they had.

Chuntao listened to so many shouts, and when she stopped, she stared at the dried bamboo shoots in her hand, examining them carefully, turning them over from beginning to end. She then took the one in Tang Xing's hand and immediately asked, "Why are the two different?"

She frowned, carefully comparing the two bunches of bamboo shoots in her hands, a look of confusion on her face. Looking up, she saw that although each bunch was about the same size, one bunch of bamboo shoots was still round after drying, while the other was flat. Jing Chunxi also became curious and wanted to hear what the children had to say.

Climbing the stairs was a bit tiring, and being constantly surrounded by these people from all sides was a bit tiring. Seeing that Chuntao was already interested, everyone thought it would be nice to buy a few and stir-fry bacon, stew chicken, or stew duck back on the boat.

Seeing that this deal seemed promising, the oldest boy was delighted, and the others also smiled. In their experience, as long as the customer was willing to stop and look, pause, and flip through the items, they would definitely choose one or two out of respect!

The big boy immediately approached Chuntao and Tangshuang. This time, Xiaoman and Qiyue did not stop him, wanting to watch his performance.

He first handed a handful of dried bamboo shoots to Chuntao and Tangshuang respectively, and then continued Chuntao's question: "There is a kind of bamboo growing in the mountains of our Jianning County. In fact, the bamboo shoots dried here are all the same. But there are different ways of drying them. Guests can buy according to their preferences. The price is the same, three cents per catty, and a handful counts as a catty, and the weight is full." There was a hint of pride in his voice, and it was obvious that he was very confident in the specialty of his hometown.

Then he took out the bamboo shoots from his bamboo basket, one by one, and introduced them one by one: "Look, Miss, this is straight bamboo shoots, the same as the one you just had in your hand. They are still round after being soaked in water, and they are still crispy when boiled or stewed;

Look at this one, it's bent bamboo shoots, which are rubbed hard until they become soft before being dried in the sun. They are more chewy when eaten and are more flavorful when cooked.

The ones pressed and dried are flat bamboo shoots. After soaking in water and cutting into several sections, they will separate into long thin bamboo shoots by themselves, which are best used for cooking.

Dried bamboo shoots are cut and dried in the sun for easier drying and faster drying. Look at this bunch, after drying, they are stacked and pressed so flat, they don't take up much space and are easier to store."

As he introduced the dish, he gestured with his hands, fearing the guests wouldn't understand. His movements were perfectly executed, evidently from numerous practice sessions. After his introduction, everyone glanced down at the dried bamboo shoots in their hands and instantly understood.

After the older boy finished speaking, he just stood there and didn't leave, and the other children stared at him eagerly.

There was a hint of anticipation on their little faces and a hint of nervousness in their eyes, as if they were waiting for the guests' decision.

There was silence all around, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind, as if praying for the children.