Travel to the mountains and make a fortune in silence

When Wang Cuiying returned from the field and saw the mountain of bamboo shoots, she couldn't help but mutter to herself, "These bamboo shoots are edible? Qing'er must have eaten them before. The mushrooms yesterday tasted really good."

He muttered to himself while reminiscing about the deliciousness of the mushrooms.

She called out twice in the courtyard, "Qing'er... Mu Nan..." However, only the silent air answered her.

……

"Where did those two go?" Wang Cuiying wondered to herself. Thinking that she didn't have anything important to do, she started peeling bamboo shoots.

Not long after, Zhou and her children stepped into the courtyard.

Every afternoon, Mrs. Zhou would take her granddaughter and great-granddaughter to the private school to pick up Mu Lin from get out of class. She was afraid that Mu Lin would not go home after school and would run around outside and get into fights with the children in the village.

Looking at the mountain of bamboo shoots in the courtyard, Zhou asked in surprise, "Did Qing and the others bring these back again? Where are they?"

“Mother, when I came back I only saw this pile of bamboo shoots and a basket of mushrooms, I didn’t see them at all,” Wang Cuiying answered truthfully.

"Did he run off to the mountain again? How come this child doesn't know how to get tired?" While telling Mu Lin to do his homework, Zhou Shi also started peeling bamboo shoots with the two girls.

When Wang Qing'er returned, she saw her grandmother and mother-in-law peeling bamboo shoots from afar, so she shouted at the top of her lungs, "Grandma, Mom...we're back!"

Wang Cuiying looked up and saw her son carrying two full baskets of bamboo shoots. She frowned and muttered, "These two kids must be crazy. How can these bamboo shoots taste good? Aren't they said to be bitter and astringent?"

Zhou didn't seem to mind, and said with a smile, "Qing'er must have eaten before, otherwise she wouldn't have brought so much back."

Wang Qing'er noticed that her grandmother and mother-in-law were peeling bamboo shoots incorrectly, so she hopped and skipped into the kitchen like a nimble little rabbit and took out a sharp knife.

"Grandma, Mom, this is how you peel bamboo shoots. It's fast and doesn't hurt your hands." Wang Qing'er said as she demonstrated to Zhou Shi and Wang Cuiying. The small knife in her hand was like a nimble little snake. She gently made a cut on the tip of the bamboo shoot, and then she rolled the husk down like peeling a banana. In no time, the husk of a bamboo shoot came off easily.

Zhou and Wang Cuiying followed suit and tried peeling a few, and it was indeed much faster.

So the two of them tacitly divided the work: one of them made slits in the bamboo shoots, and the other was responsible for peeling them.

While working, Zhou asked curiously, "Qing, what are you planning to do with all these bamboo shoots?"

Wang Qing'er replied with a smile, "Grandma, there are so many ways to cook bamboo shoots! You can stir-fry them directly, blanch them and then dry them for preservation, pickle them in salt to make salted bamboo shoots, or you can use them to make soup. They're so delicious!"

"Wow! So many ways to eat it?" Zhou and Wang Cuiying were so surprised they couldn't close their mouths. They never expected that such a small bamboo shoot could be prepared in so many ways.

Wang Qing'er said happily, "Hmm, how about I make bamboo shoots tonight so you can try something new?"

Mrs. Zhou smiled and said, "Make it if you want to eat it, no need to ask us."

Wang Qing'er then asked, "Grandma, do you have any cured pork at home? Bamboo shoots cooked with cured pork taste absolutely amazing."

Zhou gently stroked her head affectionately and said, "Little glutton, let Mu Nan help you get it. Put only a little bit in, you have to save it for later."

"Okay, Grandma." Wang Qing'er, like a cheerful little bird, grabbed a handful of bamboo shoots and ran happily to the well to fetch water to wash them, and then carefully washed some mushrooms.

Mu Nan was turning over the soil in the vegetable garden next to him, occasionally observing his wife in secret. He thought to himself: Ever since she entered the family, everyone in the family has been as happy as spring flowers blooming every day. Even their luck seems to have been blown by the spring breeze and has become much better.

He caught so many rabbits yesterday, a feat he had never achieved in all his years of hunting.

After washing the vegetables, Wang Qing'er, like a light butterfly, gracefully carried them into the kitchen, calling out sweetly to Mu Nan to help her start the fire.

She first scooped out most of a bowl of brown rice, washed it clean, and then poured it into a large pot to cook porridge.

She longed to eat white rice or rice porridge, but given the Mu family's current situation, they simply couldn't afford to enjoy such a luxurious meal of white rice every day.

So she peeled a few more sweet potatoes, washed them, cut them into small pieces, and put them in the pot to cook together.

She really didn't like brown rice porridge. Adding some sweet potato might make it taste better. She could just serve herself more sweet potato later.

Wang Qing'er asked Mu Nan to fetch the cured meat for her. The cured meat was only about twenty centimeters long. She held it as if it were a rare treasure, cut off a small piece, and then asked Mu Nan to put the rest back in its place.

Wang Qing'er gently washed the cured meat with warm water, then sliced ​​it into pieces as thin as cicada wings.

She then used the back of the knife to forcefully pound the bamboo shoots before cutting them into long strips.

After stir-frying the cured pork in the pan, it bounced around and rendered some oil. She scooped out some of it to save for later when stir-frying mushrooms and shepherd's purse.

She put the minced garlic into the pot, and instantly the aroma filled the air, like a mesmerizing magic, permeating the entire kitchen.

Next, stir-fry the bamboo shoots, add half a spoonful of soy sauce for seasoning, which seems to breathe life into the dish. Add some water and simmer for a while, and the delicious stir-fried bamboo shoots with pork slices will soon be ready.

These bamboo shoots are as sweet as spring water, with no astringent taste, so there is no need to blanch them.

While stir-frying the vegetables, she lifted the lid of the large pot inside and gently stirred the porridge, afraid that it would stick to the pot.

Soon the bamboo shoots released an enticing aroma. Before taking them out of the pot, sprinkle some garlic chive leaves on top, like putting on a beautiful green dress for the dish, which not only enhances the aroma but also serves as a garnish.

The next two dishes were quickly stir-fried with practiced ease, and the porridge was cooked to perfection. "Grandma, Dad, Mom, come and eat!"

The family sat together, enjoying dinner in a harmonious atmosphere. Everyone praised Wang Qing'er's cooking skills, commending her for her skillful hands and cleverness.

Mu Nan silently put several pieces of meat into Wang Qing'er's bowl, while Wang Qing'er immediately put the meat into Mu Yao's bowl.

After finishing their meal, everyone worked together to peel bamboo shoots. Wang Qing'er enthusiastically suggested, "Grandma, let Dad and Mu Xiao take some fresh bamboo shoots and mushrooms to town to sell tomorrow."

“That works too. Since we’re going to sell vegetables anyway, we might as well bring some to try.” Zhou Shi wholeheartedly agreed.