This is no joke. If nothing goes wrong, that's fine, but if something does happen, there's no way we can afford to pay for it.

Wang Hu quickly said, "Brother Fei, we all know. We didn't agree to these kids coming with us at first either. This is only the first day."

“But everyone’s life is so hard. They can’t even get enough to eat. You know, we brothers can all make money now, and these kids look so pitiful. I give them a few cents a day, and their families are so grateful to us.”

"I can't really refuse! Look at Gouwa, his mother begged him to come. We're all from the same village, what can I do?"

Chen Yifei frowned: "Your family agrees? Aren't they upset?"

“Hmm.” Sun Quansheng shrugged helplessly. “We’ll take them with us then. Let the kids play in a crowded place nearby, so we can protect their safety.”

"Alright." Chen Yifei didn't say much. "You guys figure it out yourselves. As long as the people who come have your parents' approval, it's fine. Just tell us when the time comes and we can start. I'll pay you."

"Not a single one will be missing."

Most of the villagers are honest workers and not many are dishonest. Chen Yifei gives them money, especially the children, who all try their best to pick more mushrooms.

Then Chen Yifei will be able to make them sit for a few more days.

Chen Yifei said, "It hasn't rained these past few days. After we finish this chestnut grove area, we'll go check out the hazelnut trees on another hill. They should all be there."

"Um."

At this moment, Zhao Ershuan came over carrying a full basket.

He said somewhat angrily:

"It's definitely not as easy to pick these days as it was at the beginning."

"Several people got up earlier than us and rushed to grab mushrooms. They heard you were selling them in the city, so they went to get some too."

"You took it but couldn't sell it, so you sheepishly brought it back and threw it away. Many people in the village curse you every day, Brother Fei. I'm tempted to punch someone."

"They say you're quick-witted and good at researching, so why did you end up working as a supplier at a state-run restaurant?"

As expected.

These mushrooms were taken to the roadside for sale, but few people bought them. The villagers didn't like eating mushrooms, and those who went to work in the city certainly thought it was a waste of fuel.

These days, wild vegetables from the mountains can only sell a handful in half a day, so it's normal that mushrooms aren't easy to sell. Chen Yifei had thought of this from the beginning.

The target audience is either wealthy residents in the family compound, or the family compound can't possibly sell them all, and the market quickly becomes stagnant after a short time.

So he put all his effort into supply from the very beginning.

"Don't worry about others, just focus on doing your own thing."

"As long as we can make money, let them say whatever they want. Keep an eye on the mushrooms in the basket and check them several times. Make sure no one puts poisonous mushrooms in them, or there will be problems when we sell them."

Chen Yifei had been framed by similar tricks in his past life. He knew very well what the villagers were thinking; they were indeed hardworking, but also always jealous of those who did stupid things.

"Okay, okay." The three brothers nodded immediately, they really needed to be careful.

"You guys pick them up here, I'll go check out the termite mushrooms, or maybe I'll get lucky and get some matsutake mushrooms."

These are all quite valuable.

Upon hearing Chen Yifei's words, the brothers waved their hands, deciding not to go.

They're working for Chen Yifei now, which is much easier and more profitable than finding matsutake mushrooms.

In previous years, the peak season for harvesting termite mushrooms was from the 15th of July to the 15th of August.

But this year, it hasn't rained for several days.

Nobody has found it on the mountain.

Chen Yifei was different!

He was reborn. During his decadent period in his previous life, he even went to the mountains to find matsutake mushrooms. The Eighteen Mountains were connected to each other, and he made his way through all of this step by step.

The mushroom nest naturally remembers.

Termitomyces mushrooms are hard to find; it's said in the village that those with bad luck are more likely to get them.

The truth is, because there are so many mountains and rivers to traverse, it's possible to walk from morning till night and gain nothing.

The person who gets the mushrooms is naturally capable of enduring hardship. Everyone says he's unlucky.

Chen Yifei continued walking along the deserted path with his sickle, sweeping away the fallen leaves one by one.

After walking out of the two mountains, we arrived at the halfway point of the third mountain. Remember, if you walk up a little further, there's a mushroom grove.

As Chen Yifei walked, he carefully observed these earthen mounds and whether the soil on the mountain was loose.

If a large area is covered with fluffy soil, you might be able to uncover a large patch of black termite mushrooms by simply lifting the top layer of soil and digging a little deeper.

It has a thick pole and a small umbrella, making it particularly heavy. It's excellent for stir-frying cured meat, and you can make double the money selling it.

Termitomyces mushrooms will stop growing if they see people, and their caps will even tilt in the direction they are looking at people. So if you see one, dig it up quickly and don't think about waiting for it to grow bigger.

Just then, Chen Yifei's right foot slipped.

With a "snap," the stem of the termite mushroom broke in the middle.

Then the umbrella hat fell onto his shoes.

A single termite mushroom leads the way, and looking up, you see neat rows of umbrella-shaped caps, a vast expanse of white stems—all termite mushrooms!

It's worth noting that termite mushrooms are extremely rare, and Chen Yifei brought out a whole bunch of them right away, which is truly remarkable.

It's impossible not to be shocked by such a scene.

Suppressing his excitement, Chen Yifei carefully counted how many mushrooms there were.

If it's an odd number, there will be other ones, and perhaps there's another large patch of termite mushrooms nearby. If it's an even number, then there's probably only this one patch.

I counted them, there are 80 in total!

Although there's no "right" piece, this piece is enough to cover half the frame. We'll see how heavy it is later.

You should know that ordinary mushrooms cost two yuan per kilogram, while termite mushrooms cost five yuan per kilogram, and matsutake mushrooms cost about seven yuan per kilogram.

He remembered that the price of termite mushrooms rose to 280 yuan per catty (500 grams) the year Chen Yifei died.

Whether in the 1980s or in later generations, this stuff has always been precious, and its fresh taste remains unchanged.

Chen Yifei was extremely excited; he had made money!

They moved quickly and chopped a sturdy wooden stick with a sickle.

Then sharpen one end and pry it down into the loose soil next to the termite mushroom.

Try to push the stick deep into the soil, then pull it up sharply. The roots will be pulled out as much as possible.

The stem of the termite mushroom grows very deep, and it can easily break in the middle if you're not careful. Once it breaks, it's even more difficult to pry it out. It requires both strength and skill!

Chen Yifei finished preparing everything and put it in a large basket on his back.

Eighty termite mushrooms filled about half a basket, and the other half was still empty!

Since we've come all this way, we can't waste it.

Chen Yifei continued walking deeper into the mountains. He climbed four more mountains, and then, following his memories from his previous life, he walked deeper into the forest. After another half hour, he was covered in sweat.

Finally, we saw the pine forest.

Arriving at the west side of the pine forest, he walked behind the large rock, stood on the rock, and immediately saw the view blocked by the rock: a large patch of matsutake mushrooms!

The surrounding area was full of dead branches and some broken pine trees.

Not only can you see that these fresh matsutake mushrooms are growing well, but more importantly, in addition to the pine resin in the pine forest, you can already smell the unique aroma that belongs to matsutake mushrooms.