During my escape from famine, I survived by eavesdropping on the whispers of food.

Lin Zheng stood next to Qin Shuangshuang and said to her, "I never thought that someone would use such a method. But I wonder, do you really have that many ingredients to cook for tens of thousands of people?"

Qin Shuangshuang smiled and said to him, "Now we can only try anything, even if it's a desperate situation. If anyone is willing, could you lend me some soldiers?"

I was thinking of taking them up the mountain to search for supplies, to check out other mountains, but we can't let those refugees go up the mountain anymore. If they do, they'll just trample and ruin the food, and then we'll have less and less to eat.”

Lin Zheng nodded and said to him, "I will send my best soldiers with me. I will let those refugees take this opportunity to steal those things."

Qin Shuangshuang nodded, then squatted down and said to the younger brother in front of her, "You stay here. Your sister and Uncle Li will go up the mountain to gather some things and will be back soon."

Qin Hao shook his head and said to her, "I'm a man now. I can go with you to pick things to bring back for everyone to eat. Don't worry, I can do it."

Seeing that her younger brother was so insistent, Qin Shuangshuang had no choice but to nod in agreement.

Then, accompanied by Uncle Li behind her, her younger brother beside her, and the more than 30 constables sent by Lin Zheng, they went up the mountain together.

The large group of people went up the mountain, and Qin Shuangshuang was now thinking about how to leave them behind as much as possible.

When Qin Shuangshuang reached the halfway point of the mountain, she said to them, "The path up the mountain is quite difficult now. If we split up, we'll have a better chance of finding food. Let's find some mushrooms first, whether they're poisonous or not. Don't worry about the poisonous ones; I'll find a way to remove the toxins."

Everyone thought about it.

One of the soldiers quickly said to Qin Shuangshuang, "This won't do. How can we possibly get rid of the toxins in those poisonous mushrooms? My good-for-nothing wife ate poisonous mushrooms and is now bedridden. So I think we should avoid poisonous mushrooms and find something edible instead."

Others added, "That's right, those poisonous mushrooms are extremely toxic. Many people have died after accidentally eating them."

Qin Shuangshuang said, "Don't worry, I have a way to decide. However, I'll taste it myself first before everyone else can eat it."

Upon hearing Qin Shuangshuang's insistence, everyone had no choice but to agree, saying to her, "Alright, then let's go according to your plan, Miss Qin, now."

Qin Shuangshuang squatted down and said to her younger brother, "You go with Uncle Li. Don't stray too far from him; stay right behind him and be careful."

My sister went to look for it nearby.

Qin Hao was saying to Qin Shuangshuang, "Sister, you must take good care of yourself. I'll be back soon, and I'll bring back lots of mushrooms."

Qin Shuangshuang nodded, "Go quickly."

As everyone gradually moved further and further away from her, Qin Shuangshuang headed towards the deepest part of the area. Soon after, she heard a commotion in her ears.

"Spending all day on this dark mountain, my heart is so cold. I haven't seen my little deer sister in so long. I wonder how she is doing."

"You're still thinking about your little deer sister? I'm still thinking about my pigeons. I wonder how they're doing lately, whether they're eating well in the dead of winter, and whether they're dressed warmly enough."

"Stop talking! Don't think you're so great just because you're poisonous mushrooms. You can sit there and talk all day long. If that old mountain demon catches us, we'll be in big trouble."

Qin Shuangshuang was curious about the old demon in the deep mountains.

Qin Shuangshuang then brushed aside the snow in front of her and discovered many poisonous mushrooms.

These poisonous mushrooms have grown larger and fatter because no one has stepped on them.

Qin Shuangshuang had never been to this area before. This area had always been used as a battleground, so it was often sealed off. Now that she was able to come in and see the poisonous mushrooms around her, each one bigger than the last, Qin Shuangshuang was overjoyed and picked them up one after another, throwing them into her space.

Just then, other sounds came from nearby.

"Did you hear that? Did you hear my poor nephew yelling nonsense over there?"

"The Black Mountain Demon is coming! Everyone run!"

"Why run? Our somersault is right here. If I don't run, I'll die here."

Qin Shuangshuang laughed smugly, "Then die!"

Then Qin Shuangshuang picked up one mushroom after another and stuffed them into her space until it was completely full. She hadn't expected there to be so many. It seemed that she had made the right bet this time.

Qin Shuangshuang was overjoyed. Seeing that all the big babies had been cleaned up, she thought to herself that tonight, many people who had been starving, including the elderly, women, and children, would be able to eat the mushroom soup she had made.

At this moment, Qin Shuangshuang heard the joyful and excited voices of many people around her.

"Look, look! There are so many mushrooms here! So many!"

"It seems that because of the war, no one dared to come in and pick the poisonous mushrooms here. Now, this mountain is well protected. Qin Shuangshuang also thinks that if this mountain can continue to have so many mushrooms, then the people will always have something to eat."

This is true.

Qin Shuangshuang thought that many people had noticed their presence when they arrived tonight, and that many more would likely come afterward.

Qin Shuangshuang stood halfway up the mountain and said to everyone, "All the mushrooms here today must be picked and taken back. Send one of your soldiers back and tell your Master Jin that I need another fifty constables to come up and pick all the mushrooms on this mountain. Even if they have to be dried, they must be picked and taken back!"

Everyone was shocked when they heard this.

"Why did you suddenly pick so many mushrooms?"

Qin Shuangshuang said to them, "If we don't pick these poisonous mushrooms today, many people will probably come up the mountain to pick mushrooms on their own, unaware that they are poisonous."

Or rather, they might think the mushrooms are poisonous because they'll be eating them that night, and therefore assume they're harmless.

Then it would swallow it without clearing away the toxins, so this is the safest way for me.”

Everyone agreed that Qin Shuangshuang's words made a lot of sense, and that this matter needed to be dealt with immediately.

Two of the officers hurriedly went down the mountain. When they returned to the county government office, they saw their master reading a book before committing the crime.

Lin Zheng looked up at the two soldiers opposite him and asked, "Why are you back?"

One of the officers knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in prayer, and said, “Sir, Miss Qin has asked us to come back and call fifty more constables over, saying they need to go and pick poisonous mushrooms.”

Lin Zheng was shocked. "What?"