Xu Xinghe did not elaborate on Xu Mingli's crimes; there was no need for others to know too much about the past.

Seeing this, Aunt Mei immediately understood that she didn't want to talk about it anymore, so she tactfully changed the subject, her face breaking into a smile again. "Let's not talk about that anymore, let's talk about something happy. It rained the other night, and the mushrooms on the mountain are growing really fast, and a lot of wild vegetables have sprouted too. Tomorrow the military is organizing a mushroom picking trip for the families. I've already made plans with Aunt Zhang and the others. I'll teach you how to identify which ones are edible and which ones are poisonous, and I guarantee you'll come back with a full load!"

Xu Xinghe's eyes lit up, and she immediately agreed, "Great! I've never picked mushrooms before, so I'll learn from you."

She had heard Jiang Linchuan talk about mushroom picking before and was already looking forward to it. Now that Aunt Mei, an experienced person, was leading the way, she felt even more at ease.

"That's right!" Aunt Mei laughed even more. "We'll meet at the military headquarters at eight o'clock tomorrow morning. Don't be late! Bring an extra basket, and let's try to fill it up. When we get back tonight, we'll make a mushroom soup that'll be so delicious it'll make your eyebrows fall off! We'll also kill a chicken and make chicken stew with mushrooms."

The two chatted for a while longer about everyday matters. Aunt Mei, worried about delaying Xu Xinghe's work, got up to say goodbye.

Xu Xinghe escorted her to the courtyard gate, watched her walk away, and looked down at the fresh vegetables in his hand.

Great, today's dishes are sorted out.

The next morning, Xu Xinghe deliberately got up a little earlier.

He changed into a light blue cotton jacket and trousers, tied his hair into a tight ponytail, found a small bamboo basket and slung it over his arm. Seeing that it was almost time, he locked the courtyard gate and walked towards the entrance of the military compound.

Before I even reached the door, I could hear a burst of cheerful laughter.

Looking into the distance, a large crowd had already gathered at the entrance of the military compound. They were all military wives, each carrying a basket and a cloth bag, their faces full of smiles.

Aunt Mei was standing in the middle of the crowd, talking to several military wives. When she saw Xu Xinghe coming over, she immediately waved and called out to her, "Xinghe, over here! We've been waiting for you!"

Xu Xinghe walked over quickly, smiling as she greeted everyone, "Aunt Zhang, Aunt Li, good morning!"

"Good morning, Comrade Xu!" Several military wives responded one after another, their eyes filled with warmth.

Previously, Xu Xinghe helped Aunt Mei's son get married and also provided a prescription to help the military. The military families all had a good impression of this capable and kind girl.

Aunt Zhang held her hand and said with a smile, "Is this Xinghe's first time picking mushrooms with us? Don't be afraid, with Aunt Mei here, I guarantee you'll learn! The wild mushrooms here grow so plump after the rain, they're delicious in stews and soups!"

"Yes," Aunt Li chimed in, "The rain a couple of days ago was just in time; we'll definitely be able to pick a lot today. My husband loves mushrooms; every time we go mushroom picking, he eats two extra bowls of rice!"

Everyone chimed in, chatting animatedly.

At eight o'clock sharp, the military spouse in charge checked the number of people and called out, "Everyone's here, let's go!"

The group chatted and laughed as they walked up the mountain.

The mountain path wasn't steep, and it was covered with wild grass and shrubs on both sides, glistening with morning dew, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of soil and vegetation.

Xu Xinghe followed Aunt Mei and watched the military wives around them chatting familiarly about everyday things, from their children's homework to their vegetable gardens, from trivial matters at the military headquarters to the latest happenings in town. It was lively and friendly.

"Xinghe, look at this clump of grass by the roadside." Aunt Mei pointed to a clump of plants with serrated leaves and said, "This is called ox tongue grass. It can be eaten as a wild vegetable. After blanching it, it's delicious in a cold salad. After we finish picking mushrooms, let's dig some up and take them back with us."

Xu Xinghe leaned closer to take a look and carefully noted the shape of the leaves. "Thank you, Aunt Mei. I don't recognize any of these."

"Take your time and you'll get it after a few tries." Aunt Mei smiled and patted her shoulder. "We military dependents are here, so we have to help each other out. If you don't understand anything in the future, just ask me!"

After walking for about half an hour, we arrived at a pine forest.

The ground was covered with a thick layer of damp pine needles, and sure enough, many mushrooms of all sizes sprouted up.

"Everyone, spread out and search, be careful not to trample the mushrooms!" the leading military wife shouted. The military wives immediately spread out and bent down to search in the woods.

Aunt Mei pulled Xu Xinghe to squat under a pine tree and pointed to a brown mushroom. "Xinghe, look, this is a meat mushroom, the freshest kind. It's best for stewing pork ribs. Look at its cap, it feels thick, and the gills are pale yellow. It doesn't have any strange smell. This kind is edible."

She then pointed to a brightly colored red mushroom not far away, "You can't touch this! The brighter the color of the mushroom, the more poisonous it is. Look at its smooth cap and the ring on its stem. Touching it can easily cause poisoning, let alone eating it."

Xu Xinghe studied diligently, nodding as she listened, and carefully searching under the pine needles according to Aunt Mei's instructions.

Soon, she spotted a small, fleshy mushroom. Carefully pinching the stem with her hand, she gently pulled it off, and the mushroom came off intact, carrying the fresh scent of pine needles.

"Aunt Mei, look, I've picked one!" Xu Xinghe held up a mushroom.

"That's great!" Aunt Mei praised with a smile. "It's just a little small. Look around some more; there are definitely bigger ones ahead."

"Aunt Zhang, I've found a piece!"

"Sister Li, look at this one! It's bigger than a fist!"

Xu Xinghe became more and more skilled at searching, and the basket gradually filled with mushrooms, including meat mushrooms, straw mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, and a few tender wild vegetables, making it quite full.

In the midst of their enthusiastic picking, Aunt Mei suddenly pulled Xu Xinghe to her feet and pointed to a patch of low bushes not far away, saying, "Xinghe, look, that's a hazelnut tree! Look at its leaves, the edges are serrated, and it still has small green berries hanging on them. They don't look particularly remarkable, do they?"

Xu Xinghe looked in the direction she pointed and sure enough, she saw clusters of small, greenish-blue granules on the bushes, hidden among the leaves, almost invisible unless you looked closely. "Is this the tree that bears hazelnuts?"

She had eaten hazelnuts before, but it was a long time ago, when her father had someone buy them for her.

"That's right!" Aunt Mei nodded with a smile. "After August, when September arrives, these green hazelnuts will turn yellow and split open, and the hazelnut kernels inside will be plump. Then we can come back and pick them up right under the tree, dry them, peel them, and eat them. They're fragrant and crunchy, and they can also be a snack for the children."

She then pointed to several tall coniferous trees nearby, "Those are red pines, and the pine cones they produce contain pine nuts! Look at the green cones hanging on the trees; they're not ripe yet. You have to wait until around October, when the pine cones turn dark brown and fall down. Then you can crack them open to get the pine nuts. Pine nuts are oily and filling."

Xu Xinghe listened attentively, memorizing the appearance of the two types of trees, and couldn't help but look forward to it, saying, "That will be soon."

"Yes, time flies! The military will definitely organize another group picking event, and we'll come over together then. I promise you can pick as much as you want!"

Before we knew it, the sun had risen to halfway up the sky.

The military wife who was leading the group looked at the sky and then at everyone's bulging baskets. "That's about enough for everyone! Pick a couple more handfuls and then head back. We can also dig up some wild vegetables along the way!"