From the mid-slope to the mountaintop, there was a stretch of dense forest. Trees with intertwining branches, along with thick vines, blocked out the sun. Walking through it, one had to bend down from time to time to get through. Shen Lingzhi pushed aside the branches as she led the way, calling back over her shoulder, “Brother, come quickly. I’ll hold the branches for you.”

“Coming, just a sec. Huh?”

Lin Yue’s voice trailed off mid-sentence. When Shen Lingzhi looked back, he saw Lin Yue had already crouched down.

“Lingzhi, there’s a black-capped bolete here. Wait while I see if I can find any more.”

The ground was covered in dead branches and fallen leaves; the black mushrooms were hidden among them, impossible to spot without a careful look.

Shen Lingzhi nodded in response and said, “I’ll go ahead and take a look. Brother, come over once you’re done searching.”

“Got it. Take it slow—the path’s slippery over there.”

That’s how mushroom hunting goes—under every tree, in every patch of grass, beneath every mound of fallen leaves, a mushroom might be hiding; they might even pop up right in the middle of the mountain path.

When you’re lucky, a quick glance around is enough to spot a plump mushroom in some corner; when you’re unlucky, you might wander the mountain for half an hour without finding a single one. And sometimes, you’re standing right next to a mushroom but just can’t see it—only to return the next day or the day after and find a rotten, overripe mushroom in the exact same spot.

By the time Lin Yue and Shen Lingzhi reached the mountaintop, an hour had passed. There weren’t many spots where mushrooms grew at the summit, but there were several bayberry trees, and the two of them picked to their hearts’ content.

“Lingzhi, look what I found!”

Shen Lingzhi was busy picking bayberries when she saw Lin Yue running over with a basket, holding a handful of black berries in his hand. “Black rice berries? I was just thinking of picking some later. Do they grow near that thickest pine tree over there?”

Lin Yue nodded. “That’s the one. I was just about to go pick some waxberries when I looked down and saw them. I’ll give you half.”

“Thanks, big brother. Come over here to eat—we can sit down.”

There weren’t any streams nearby, so the two wiped the berries on their sleeves and ate them right away. The blackberries, about the size of a fingernail, tasted sweet—even sweeter than ripe waxberries.

Lin Yue lay half-reclined under the tree, raising his hand to toss a berry into his mouth. Shen Lingzhi tried to imitate him, but lacking experience, he threw it too high and couldn’t even find where it had landed.

Lin Yue laughed a couple of times heartily before beckoning, “Watch me, watch me. Like this—don’t throw it too high. Just make a small motion, and you’ll be able to catch it.”

The two sat under the tree until they’d finished the wild berries, then ate a few more bayberries before getting up to head down the mountain.

On the way down, they didn’t take the direct mountain path. Lin Yue followed Shen Lingzhi as they weaved through the woods. At first, everything went smoothly; though Lin Yue hadn’t found as many mushrooms as Shen Lingzhi, he’d still managed to gather a few.

Halfway down the mountain, the ground became slippery and covered in moss. Just as Shen Lingzhi had warned, “Brother, walk slower—it’s slippery here,” he slipped and fell to the ground, completely dazed.

Lin Yue instinctively let go of the branch he was holding, took two quick steps forward to grab him, and clattered to the ground himself.

The patch of moss he stepped on was even wetter and slipperier; he didn’t stop after falling but slid right down the slope. In just a moment, he slid all the way to Shen Lingzhi’s back. If Shen Lingzhi hadn’t dodged quickly, the two of them would have collided.

Lin Yue tried to hold it in, but the next moment, he couldn’t help himself. “Ouch… that hurts!”

The spot where Shen Lingzhi had slipped was covered in moss, so the fall wasn’t as painful, but he didn’t get up either. The two looked at each other and burst out laughing together.

Lin Yue shook his head and sighed, “Never mind, never mind. Who picks mushrooms without tripping? Good thing I reacted fast—I raised the basket the moment I fell.”

Shen Lingzhi nodded solemnly, “Me too. I don’t mind falling, but I can’t let the mushrooms get crushed.”

After that fall, the two stopped venturing deep into the dense forest and instead walked along the sides of the mountain path. This time, they finally made it safely to the foot of the mountain.

As soon as they got home, they got to work. Shen Lingzhi fetched a bucket of water and began washing the bayberries. Lin Yue went over to splash some water on his hands, then headed to the kitchen to light the fire and prepare pastries.

It was their first time foraging for mushrooms this year, and both were quite excited. However, since Shen Huaizhi wouldn’t be home for dinner until evening, Lin Yue didn’t rush to clean the mushrooms; the pastries to be sold that afternoon took priority.

Since they planned to go around the village hawking their wares first thing today, Lin Yue chose pastries that were relatively simple to make, produced in large quantities, and tasted good: rice cakes and buckwheat cakes.

She ground the rice she’d soaked before leaving into a paste using a stone mill, then mixed in flour, sourdough starter, and sugar until well combined. Once the batter had risen to the desired height, she stirred it again. The method for the buckwheat cakes was largely the same: buckwheat flour, sourdough starter, eggs, sugar, and water were mixed into a batter.

A layer of fresh burlap is laid over the bamboo steamer baskets in the steamer; the edges of the burlap must extend beyond the baskets. Finally, the batter is poured directly into the baskets and steamed until cooked.

Since the steamer at home wasn’t very large and only had three tiers, Lin Yue had to steam the batter in five separate batches to finish. She made forty-five pieces each of rice cake and buckwheat cake—each slightly larger than the palm of a hand—and the price remained two pieces for three wen.

While Lin Yue was making the pastries, Shen Lingzhi had already prepared the bayberry soup and washed half of the mushrooms.

A basin of clean water and two pumpkin leaves were all it took to wash the mushrooms spotless.

The rough, prickly white hairs on the underside of the pumpkin leaves made them perfect for cleaning mushrooms; a gentle rub was enough to scrub away the dirt clinging to them.

“Lingzhi, do you need help?”

Shen Lingzhi didn’t even look up, busily scrubbing the mushrooms with both hands. “No, Brother, I’m almost done.”

Lin Yue glanced at the remaining unwashed mushrooms—there weren’t many left. “I reckon Mom and Dad will be back soon. I’ll go cook. Call me if you need anything.”

It was June, and on days without rain, the heat was unbearable. It had been fine while they were up on the mountain—the woods were even quite cool—but coming down was another story. The walk from the foot of the mountain to home took barely the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, yet both of them were drenched in sweat by the time they arrived. It wasn’t until they stepped inside that they began to feel a little better. Thinking of the Shen couple working in the fields, Lin Yue had already decided what to make for lunch.

Earlier, while making pastries, Lin Yue had kneaded a batch of wheat flour on the side. Between steaming the rice cakes and buckwheat cakes, he rinsed the proofed dough several times, pouring the rinse water into a clean wooden bucket. By now, the liquid had separated into layers; he poured off the clear water on top, leaving behind the flour slurry.

That’s right—Lin Yue was making wheat gluten and cold noodles. He spread the washed gluten on a steamer tray and steamed it until cooked, then moved on to steaming the cold noodles. Lin Yue took down the cheesecloth, replaced it with a plate, brushed the bottom with a thin layer of oil, poured in a spoonful of the gluten slurry, spread it into a thin layer, and steamed it until set.

Once the steamed sheet cools, it becomes cold noodles. The round sheet is cut into long strips, while the gluten is cut into small pieces. It fills nearly half a bowl—more than enough for a single meal.

Lin Yue went out to the vegetable patch to pick a cucumber, along with a bunch of scallions and cilantro. After washing them, he julienned the cucumber and chopped the scallions and cilantro into segments, placing them all in a bowl. He then poured in the freshly made garlic water, along with oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar—the oil being homemade chili oil with sesame seeds. She mixed everything thoroughly with chopsticks, and the cold wheat gluten and cold noodles salad was ready.

Perhaps because the farm work had been so heavy today, Lin Yue had finished lunch before they returned. In the end, he pushed the cart out, thinking he’d take a stroll around the village first, just as Song Xunchun and the others were coming back.

Shen Lingzhi hurried over to greet them, “Father, Mother, you’re finally back! Give me the bamboo basket and the hoe—go wash your hands quickly. Brother Lin Yue made wheat gluten and cold noodles today; they look delicious.”

Song Xunchun shook her head with a smile. “Why didn’t you eat first? Next time, if we come back late, just go ahead and eat.”

In addition to the wheat gluten and cold noodles, Lin Yue had also placed five pieces of rice cake and buckwheat cake on the table, filling it up nicely.

As soon as Song Xunchun entered the room, she spotted the buckwheat cakes on the table. “Are we selling buckwheat cakes today? I haven’t had these in nearly two years. I’m sure they’ll sell well—there are plenty of people who love them.”

Lin Yue was even happier to hear this. He picked up a piece with his chopsticks and offered it to her. “Mother, try this and see if I made it well.”

“Delicious, delicious. Everything you make is delicious.”

Unlike Song Xunchun, who loved buckwheat cakes, Shen Zhengchu preferred the tangy and spicy cold noodles, especially the wheat gluten—it was his first time trying it, and he fell in love with it immediately.

“Yue’s cold noodles is delicious too.”

Receiving such back-to-back compliments, Lin Yue was overjoyed. “I just thought I’d make this since it’s so hot today. I was worried you guys wouldn’t be used to it.”

Shen Lingzhi was busy stuffing his face—one hand holding rice cake, the other cold noodles—but upon hearing this, he paused to look up. “Brother, why would you think that? We all love everything you make.”

“Lingzhi’s right.”

Seeing that they both loved gluten and cold noodles, Lin Yue had a new idea. He’d been selling pastries by hawking them along the street for so many days now. If he collected mushrooms, he’d have to set up a stall—and then he could sell both mushrooms and food at the same time. Initially, he’d planned to sell cold jelly, cold cakes, and cold shrimp, but now he could add gluten and cold noodles to the mix, which would bring in even more money.

After dinner, Shen Zhengchu stayed home to wash the dishes, while Song Xunchun took Lin Yue and his brother out together.

The village roads were uneven, so Lin Yue and Shen Lingzhi pushed the cart with great care. Song Xunchun had intended to call out to customers, but in the end, she couldn’t bring himself to do it. Instead, he quietly switched places with Lin Yue, letting him take over the hawking.

Lin Yue, however, wasn’t shy. He cleared his throat and began his call: “Steaming hot rice cakes and buckwheat cakes—two wen for a big piece, three wen for two pieces! And sweet-and-sour apricot and peach juice—just one wen a bowl! Only one wen a bowl!”

Whenever a peddler came to the village, whether people bought anything or not, almost every household would send someone out to take a look if they were free, let alone today, when the voice sounded somewhat familiar.

Shen Fanglin’s family lived right next door. As soon as she heard the voice, she came out holding a bowl. “I knew that voice sounded familiar. It’s Brother Yue! Is your husband here too?”

Song Xunchun smiled and called out, “Cousin,” then waited for the two children to greet her before continuing, “Cousin, would you like to try a piece of buckwheat cake?”

Although Shen Fanglin had come out because the voice sounded familiar, she actually wanted to buy something herself. She walked closer, took a look, and asked, “Oh my, they all look delicious. Could you give me a piece of each kind?”

Song Xunchun instinctively looked at Lin Yue, waiting for him to respond.

Lin Yue paused for a moment, then smiled and said, “Of course. I’ll pack some for you right away, Auntie.”

As Shen Fanglin handed over the bowl, she also slipped in three coins. Lin Yue’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, and he immediately declined, saying, “It’s just two pieces of cake—I can’t possibly accept your money. Just take them and enjoy them, Auntie. No need to pay.”

Shen Fanglin shot him a playful glare. “What are you doing? You’re a young entrepreneur—if I don’t buy a few extra to support you, that’s one thing, but I can’t very well eat for free.”