Chapter 58 Aunt Li Shiyi

Autumn was coming soon, so Zhao Liya simply bought some fine and thick cotton cloth and a few pieces of leather to make soles for shoes to keep warm.

I've also reserved a few quilts and will pick them up in half a month.

Now is the season when there are many kinds of mushrooms. Zhao Liya plans to go into the mountains with Hu Ling to look for them again.

No matter what kind of mushroom you find, take it home and dry it, and you'll have an extra dish for the winter. You can also stir-fry it or make some mushroom sauce.

There was no need to go out of your way to find the precious Hericium erinaceus and Morchella edulis, nor was there any need to go to the remote mountains. Widow Qu had also gone to the mountains to look for mushrooms in previous years, so everyone just went together.

Widow Qu, Qu Yutao, Aunt Li Shiyi, Mrs. Deng, Zhao Xiang and the two children all went up the mountain.

The two children have been here for a long time but have never been to the mountains. They are very happy. They take their two chubby puppies, Dabao and Xiaobao, with them. It is so lively for the whole family to go out.

In this way, it’s not a serious mushroom hunt, just an autumn outing.

Deng and Zhao Xiang were very happy. When they were in the capital, he was busy with government affairs and the family rarely had the opportunity to travel together like this. They didn't expect that it would come true today.

At this time of year, many wild fruits in the mountains are ripe. Zhao Liya actually knows a lot of them, but she doesn't dare to show her knowledge.

Fortunately, there were Aunt Li Shiyi and Widow Qu, they knew each other.

They told me about the edible wild fruits, so Zhao Liya, Qu Yutao and Hu Ling picked a lot of them. The two children were so excited that they ate the wild fruits and caught grasshoppers. They wanted to roll around in the mountains like two puppies, and their laughter like silver bells filled the hillside.

What’s strange is that although the two chubby puppies are small, they actually chased a wild rabbit out of the grass!

The two children were so excited when they saw the hare running out of the bushes in panic: "Ahhh! Rabbit! Rabbit!"

The hare must have been frightened by their screams and ran into Hu Ling's leg in a panic, somersaulting backwards. Hu Ling caught it with his quick eyes and hands.

Everyone laughed. It's rare to see such a live version of "waiting for something to happen". We can have more dishes tonight.

In the fir forest, among the thick fir leaves, everyone found a lot of red mushrooms and fir mushrooms, as well as a kind of gray mushroom.

After half a day, the two backpacks were full.

We also found several wild persimmon trees scattered in the woods and mountains, and wild grapes climbing on the large trees with lush branches and leaves.

Zhao Liya smiled and said, "Let's remember this place. When these wild grapes and persimmons are ripe, we can come back and pick them."

Aunt Li Shiyi laughed when she heard this and said, "Oh, there's no need to remember this stuff specifically. There are plenty of them in the mountains. We have plenty in Zaihu Village too. If you want some, just let us know and someone in the village will take you there!"

Zhao Liya smiled and said, "Really? Then I'll remember it!"

"Okay," Aunt Li Shiyi laughed heartily, "I'll go with you then!"

Everyone went home in the afternoon and processed various mushrooms. They also killed the fat rabbit and stir-fried it with ginger, onion and garlic in the evening. The mushrooms were stir-fried with vegetables, which was very appetizing. The two little ones ate very well and cherished the food. It turned out that the results of their labor were indeed different.

Zhao Liya and her friends searched for mushrooms in the mountains for several days and had a great harvest. The winnowing baskets in the yard were full of mushrooms. Under the sun, the mushrooms were fragrant and delicious.

After it is dried, put it away and use it to stew soup, make dry pot, stir-fry meat, or stir-fry vegetables in winter. Aren’t they all good things?

They were lucky enough to find two more Ganoderma lucidum plants. Although one was only slightly larger than the palm of their hand, it was still Ganoderma lucidum. They could dry it and keep it. Cut a piece and put it in the soup. It was also nourishing.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching, and Aunt Li Shiyi is talking about wanting to go back.

Although she had asked someone to take care of her vegetable garden and fields, she still had to go back to visit them. Furthermore, the Mid-Autumn Festival was a time for family reunions, and although her husband was gone, her family was still there, so she had to go back to celebrate. Her married daughters would also come home before the festival to worship their ancestors together.

So Deng discussed with Zhao Liya and prepared a very generous gift for her to take back.

Zhao Liya went to the city specially and bought two boxes of mooncakes, two boxes of snacks, five or six pounds of pork belly, and several pounds of dried mushrooms picked a few days ago.

Zhao Liya also paid her the wages, which was six cents of silver for three months, including August. Zhao Liya also gave her an extra cent as a red envelope.

Mrs. Deng was reluctant to leave and repeatedly reminded her, "Sister-in-law, I can't bear to leave home. Stay a few more days after the festival, but don't forget to come back! We will be very bored if you are not here."

Zhao Liya also smiled and said, "It doesn't matter if Aunt Eleven doesn't come. We'll go pick her up when the time comes, and then Aunt Eleven won't feel embarrassed not to come."

Everyone laughed out loud, and Aunt Li Shiyi also nodded with a smile: "Come on, I will definitely come!"

She could sense that the Zhao family really welcomed her here, and she was happy to live here, relaxed and comfortable, without feeling bored.

Zhao Liya, Hu Ling, and Qu Yutao personally sent her back. Zhao Liya actually felt quite guilty. She had her own little thoughts. She kept Aunt Eleven as a shield. With Aunt Eleven around, the Gu family had a lot to worry about, and she had shielded them from so much trouble.

When Aunt Li Shiyi returned to the village, everyone was envious of her radiant appearance, the many gifts she had brought back, and her wages. They all said she was so lucky! Aunt Li Shiyi was also very proud and couldn't help but brag about the Zhao family.

Everyone said: The Zhao family is good, do I need you to tell me?

During this year's Mid-Autumn Festival, every household was willing to buy a box of mooncakes, cut a few pounds of meat or kill a chicken, all thanks to the Zhao family!

Aunt Li Shiyi's daughter, Li Xiaoying, married into the Pan family of Bajiaozhai, which borders Zaihu Village. Her son-in-law Pan Erzhu, grandson and granddaughter Liangger and Xiaoduo went back to her parents' home to see her before the Mid-Autumn Festival. Seeing that their mother was in high spirits and looked very good, they learned that she was working in Yan Village.

Although the two villages border each other, each family is busy with their own affairs on weekdays. Naturally, it is impossible to inquire about the affairs of the mother's family or go back to her mother's family every day, unless something happens.

Li Xiaoying felt sorry for her mother, so she would bring a lot of New Year gifts when she came home with her husband and children during the New Year. The only thing she felt guilty about was that all the money in the family was in the hands of her mother-in-law, and she had no access to it. As a woman, she had no work to do and could not earn any ready money, so she could not give it to her mother.

Unexpectedly, this time when she came back, her mother actually took out mooncakes, pastries, and even peanut candy for her children to eat. Li Xiaoying was shocked and said hurriedly, "Mom, why did you buy so many things? It doesn't matter whether they eat them or not. It's such a waste for the children! You should keep the money for yourself!"

(End of this chapter)