The aroma of cooking filled the house: I sent my eldest brother to become the Grand Secretary.

When the two entered, everyone was already seated. When they arrived, everyone stood up, and Grand Tutor Zhou was invited to take the seat of honor.

Shen's father sat to the left of Grand Tutor Zhou, and Shen Chen sat to the right of Grand Tutor Zhou.

Ye Shu was sitting next to Shen Chen, and Shen Cao and the others were next to Ye Shu.

The village chief sat on the other side of Shen's father, while Shen's mother and Shen Cao sat next to each other.

When Grand Tutor Zhou sat down, his eyes fell on the table of food in front of him.

This table has both meat and vegetables; although it's not some rare delicacy, it looks very delicious.

There were many of these dishes that he had never even seen before.

He hadn't expected that the Shen family restaurant didn't have a chef; all the dishes were made by Shen Chen's younger sister, Shen Cao.

At such a young age, her cooking skills are already so good; what will she be like in the future?

After everyone was seated, they began to eat.

Shen's parents didn't know whether Grand Tutor Zhou drank alcohol or not, so they went to the best restaurant in the county town and bought a pot of the best wine.

Father Shen poured himself a glass of wine. “Grand Tutor Zhou, it is an honor for our family that you have accepted Chen’er as your student. I would like to toast you.”

"I don't know if you drink alcohol or not. If you don't, then tea will do instead."

After saying that, Mr. Shen took the first bite.

Grand Tutor Zhou placed his hand on Shen's father's arm and said, "Nephew Shen, I am much older than you, so I will take the liberty of addressing you as my nephew."

“You’ve raised a good son. Shen Chen’s talent is undeniable. It’s my good fortune to be able to take him as a student.”

"I don't usually drink, but I'm in a good mood today, so I'll have a drink with you."

With his head tilted back, Grand Tutor Zhou downed the wine in his hand.

Shen Chen also stood up and toasted Grand Tutor Zhou with tea instead of wine, saying, "Grand Tutor Zhou, I will definitely study hard in the future and live up to your expectations."

"Very well, very well!" Grand Tutor Zhou drank the tea beside him.

"Alright, there's plenty of time later. We'll meet again someday."

"The food is getting cold, let's eat."

"Okay, then let's eat and chat."

"Grand Tutor Zhou, please try this. These were all made by my younger sister." Shen Chen used serving chopsticks to put a piece of stir-fried porcini mushrooms on Grand Tutor Zhou's plate.

Shen Cao then served Grand Tutor Zhou a small bowl of braised rice with porcini mushrooms.

"Grand Tutor Zhou, please try this. It's braised rice with porcini mushrooms."

Grand Tutor Zhou accepted the porcini mushroom rice that Shen Cao handed over.

He took a bite of the stir-fried porcini mushrooms, and his eyes immediately lit up. If there hadn't been outsiders present, his legs would have been uncontrollably swaying from side to side.

Shen's father also used serving chopsticks to serve food to the village chief.

Shen Cao had already served the village chief and everyone else a bowl of porcini mushroom rice.

As the village chief ate the porcini mushrooms stir-fried by Shen Cao, he couldn't help but wonder why the taste of the same ingredients tasted so different between what his wife made at home and what Shen Cao made.

When he ate it at home, he didn't think the mushrooms were anything special.

Although it was fresh, it still had a slightly earthy taste. How come the food here not only didn't have any strange taste, but it was also more delicious than what I eat at home?

Sure enough, there's a reason why the Shen family can run a restaurant.

Grand Tutor Zhou felt that the dish tasted somewhat like meat, but it clearly looked like some kind of fungus.

"What is this? It tastes just like meat, but it's much more delicious."

Shen Cao completely agreed; it was her absolute favorite, and she could eat it every day without getting tired of it, except that it was only available for a few months each year.

She explained to Grand Tutor Zhou, "This is a type of mushroom. It's called Boletus because it looks somewhat like a beef liver. This mushroom has very thick flesh and tastes very delicious."

"Moreover, there are many other edible mushrooms on this mountain, not just one type."

The village chief hadn't expected that there were other kinds of mushrooms that could be eaten. He had seen quite a few other kinds of mushrooms on the mountain, all sorts of them.

However, it is said that people have died from eating mushrooms, so every summer, after the rain, the mountains are full of mushrooms, but because people are afraid of dying from eating them, no one dares to pick them.

"Shen, are you telling the truth?"

"Of all the mushrooms on that mountain, I only dare to pick this one kind. If the others were edible, it would take me a long time to eat them all."

“Uncle Village Chief, when have I ever lied to you? That’s why I said I’m going to Stone Village in a couple of days.”

"Judging from the weather, it might rain in a couple of days. I'll go after the rain stops."

After listening to Shen Cao's words, the village chief felt that this was another way to make money, and it would be even better if the mushrooms could be sold.

"Shen, can these mushrooms be sold for money?"

Shen Cao nodded. "Yes! Absolutely."

"wait for me."

Shen Cao went to the kitchen and scooped out a small bowl of porcini mushroom sauce.

"Everyone try it."

The others looked at the somewhat burnt yellow substance in front of them, which was soaked in oil, and didn't know what it was.

But everyone picked up their chopsticks, took a bite, and put it in their mouths.

The initial taste is a delicious mushroom flavor, and it has a chewy texture, similar to dried meat.

Grand Tutor Zhou picked up another piece of rice with his chopsticks and ate it. Although the taste was a bit milder than eating it alone, the rice tasted even better and was very appetizing.

"What is this? It's so appetizing."

"The porcini mushroom sauce is made from the porcini mushrooms we just ate."

"Moreover, this stuff is very easy to store. If you seal it up, it can be kept for two or three months without any problems."

Grand Tutor Zhou's eyes lit up when he heard Shen Cao's words. "Really?"

"Of course."

Grand Tutor Zhou thought that if this thing could really be preserved, he could carry some with him on his journeys to at least ensure that he wouldn't go hungry.

"Moreover, those mushrooms, when dried, have a unique flavor."

"So, this thing can definitely be sold for money."

The village chief was overjoyed; he felt as if a lot of money was beckoning to him.

"Boletus is not the best-tasting mushroom. There are mushrooms that are even more delicious than Boletus. I want to go and see them for myself."

Grand Tutor Zhou was somewhat intrigued by Shen Cao's words and also wanted to see what these delicious mushrooms looked like.

"Then I'll go with you."

Shen Chen turned to look at Grand Tutor Zhou, "Grand Tutor Zhou, aren't you going back to the capital?"

Grand Tutor Zhou waved his hand, "The capital won't be in chaos without me. In order for you to stay with your family a little longer, I will stay in Xin'an County for a while longer."

Ye Shu, standing to the side, choked on Zhou Taishi's words, "Huh?! Zhou Taishi, are you sure you're doing this for Shen Chen, and not just for your own gluttony?"

However, he was also reluctant to part with the Shen family's food, and he was also very interested in the mushrooms.

Shen Cao suddenly thought of the crabs in the river in Stone Village, "Uncle Village Chief, does anyone eat the crabs in the river in Stone Village?"

"Crab?"

Shen Qing, who was standing to the side, immediately started gesturing excitedly, "They're those monsters with eight legs."

Upon hearing Shen Qing's description, the village chief immediately realized, "Hey, you mean Guo Suo in the river?"

“Every year at this time, the Guosuo swarms in the river, often crawling out to eat the crops in the fields.”

"Shen, you think this is edible?"