4. Wild game from Cuiliang ends up in the desolate mountains

I sell mushrooms in town.

Once she had a direction, Yan Yunzhao got busy with great enthusiasm.

As a seasoned farmer, she first made a simple plow by splitting sticks and grass roots, then chose a flat place to cultivate a piece of land, and dug a small ditch to lead to the stream, which could both drain rainwater and draw water for planting at any time.

This is a barren mountain, and the land needs to be fertilized before it can be cultivated. We just need to turn the soil over from time to time, and it would be best to buy some fertilizer from the foot of the mountain after some time.

Nourishing the soil cannot be rushed. Following the old custom, Yan Yunzhao paid homage to the local earth god, praying for a good harvest and fewer natural disasters. He then took his blade and went up the mountain to chop a dozen thick branches, carrying the stack of timber back to his own plot of land.

Fortunately, this place is deserted; otherwise, if anyone saw this fair-skinned and beautiful young girl carrying a bundle of firewood as tall as a person without even panting, they would definitely be terrified.

There are many plump pheasants running around in the mountains. If they are raised in captivity, they can have eggs to eat and raise their own chicks.

She surveyed the surrounding terrain, chose a flat spot, and deftly split the wood into strips. Then, she used thin, soft branches to tie together a fence around the farmland to make a simple chicken coop.

They didn't bring back two live pheasants until the sun was setting. Keeping the pheasants in the field would nourish the soil, which would be beneficial for growing vegetables later.

The grass demon was resilient, and after finishing all this, Yan Yunzhao felt that he still had plenty of energy. The worst thing for a farmer is to have a weak body.

Next was the small shop. She cut a flat piece of wood, then picked berries to make ink, pondered for a moment, and then wrote the crooked words "Cuiliang Wild Game" on her pen.

With the signboard hung up, the small shop finally began to take shape, and Yan Yunzhao clapped his hands proudly.

However... without furniture, and with the cabin crookedly situated in the desolate wilderness, it had an indescribable eeriness.

If someone were to walk by, they'd probably run away in fright rather than come in and order a dish. Who knows if they're using the flesh of some corpse dumped in the wilderness?

But now he was penniless, and opening a shop required solving the capital problem. Yan Yunzhao looked around, and an idea came to him: The saying goes, "Those who live near the mountains live off the mountains," and Cuiliang Mountain was rich in resources. Not only were mushrooms scattered everywhere, but the river teemed with plump fish, and fat pigeons nested in the treetops. In infrastructure games, the first step is often selling off resources to collect them.

Thinking of this, Yan Yunzhao couldn't help but smile. He picked dozens of sturdy branches and reeds and wove them into a solid basket, intending to go up the mountain to pick some mushrooms to sell at the market.

The air in the mountain forest after the rain was filled with the damp scent of earth, making one feel refreshed. Relying on her keen sense of smell, Yan Yunzhao picked out mushrooms that looked good and were large. After smelling them many times, she gradually realized that those with a strange smell were poisonous mushrooms. She followed the winding stream upstream and unknowingly filled a basket to the brim.

This place is rarely visited by people, and the mushrooms are not ordinary varieties. Some mushrooms have a mild smell and, growing in the mountains, may be somewhat poisonous. She deliberately avoided the brightly colored mushrooms and picked all sorts of oddly shaped mushrooms, boiling each for half an hour to test their poisoning first.

Fortunately, the grass demon had a strong self-healing ability. After eating several kinds of mushrooms, Yan Yunzhao would break out in a cold sweat, suffer from unbearable abdominal pain, and then have colorful little people dancing in front of him.

She described the poisonous mushrooms she ate and added text to create a book called "A Collection of Poisonous Mushrooms from Cuiliang Mountain," so that she could carefully avoid poisonous mushrooms in the future and not pick such mushrooms.

Time always flies when people are busy. After the dappled shadows of the trees had moved a long distance, the sky finally darkened.

Yan Yunzhao made do with the straw mat for the night. The next day, he got up early and returned to the hillside. Like a patriarch, he comforted the grass demons and then carried a basket full of mushrooms down the mountain.

Cuiliang Mountain slopes from north to south, so most villages must be concentrated in the south. Following the wilderness survival skills she learned during her nine years of compulsory education in her previous life, she drew a clock face on the ground and used it to determine north and south by the sun. She observed the mountains and trees to orient herself, and after crossing several hills, she finally saw signs of human habitation.

Modern wisdom truly lives up to its word!

The small town at the foot of the mountain was surprisingly lively, with its blue bricks and gray tiles, small buildings and pavilions, and a wooden sign at the entrance that read: Lixi Town. It was much more prosperous than Yan Yunzhao had imagined.

The streets were bustling with activity. Yan Yunzhao, carrying a basket of fresh mushrooms, looked around and stood out on the path. He hadn't walked more than a few streets into the town when he was stared at by dozens of eyes, which made him feel a little uneasy.

Perhaps because he hadn't seen a living person for nearly two hundred years, Yan Yunzhao felt a little uneasy, but he forced himself to keep walking forward.

Her clothes weren't that strange at all. They were simple and plain, so it was odd that they attracted so much attention. She kept looking down at herself, but unfortunately, she couldn't find anything amiss.

Just as he was wondering, a sharp-eyed vendor ran over to Yan Yunzhao with a cheerful smile and asked if he sold mushrooms.

She didn't know the prices here, so she took the opportunity to find out: "This basket of genuine wild mushrooms is of such good quality, it must be worth more than those others, right?" Yan Yunzhao pointed to a cart of cabbages in the alley across the street.

To everyone's surprise, the vendor beamed with delight and clapped his hands, saying, "Great! Two hundred coins, the mushrooms are mine."

"Oh no, I offered too low a price," Yan Yunzhao thought to himself.

"Only two hundred coins? Not for sale. These are freshly picked mountain mushrooms." Yan Yunzhao left with a dashing back view, picked up his basket, and decisively walked away.

This conversation made her realize one thing: either cabbage in Lixi Town was worthless, or mushrooms were too valuable.

To confirm her guess, she walked along the street observing the vegetable stalls, which offered a variety of vegetables such as winter melon, radish, scallion, garlic, and garlic sprouts. Of course, the most common vegetable was still cabbage.

Seeing that there weren't many stalls selling mushrooms, Yan Yunzhao guessed that perhaps it was because Cuiliang Mountain was steep and wild mushrooms were extremely difficult to pick, which was why there weren't many people selling them. She simply found an open space, spread the small talisman on the ground, arranged the mushrooms neatly according to their varieties, sat cross-legged there, and waited for customers.

Before long, the mushrooms had been put on display and attracted a crowd of people who rushed over, each grabbing a bamboo basket and scrambling to pick out the mushrooms.

"Huh? They're selling mushrooms from Cuiliang Mountain today?"

"What kind of oil mushroom? If you don't know its value, don't sell it."

Yan Yunzhao couldn't understand what they were arguing about, nor did she know what oil fungus was, so she pretended not to see and let them jostle each other.

The stalls were packed with goods, and most of them were sold out in a few breaths. Only one old man looked hesitant, as if he was thinking about something.

"Uncle, would you like to buy some fresh mountain mushrooms?" Yan Yunzhao asked with the standard smile of a waiter.

"Young lady, did you pick these from Cuiliang Mountain? You're a young lady, you have to be careful. I've heard that there are man-eating monsters on Cuiliang Mountain that specialize in bewitching people!" The old man spoke in a rustic tone, describing the scene vividly, which sounded truly terrifying.

Yan Yunzhao felt a little embarrassed; logically speaking, she was a demon herself now…

Yan Yunzhao cleared his throat a few times and said righteously, "It's alright, old man. If there really is a monster, I'll catch it off guard!"

The old man chuckled a few times, looked around the stall, and couldn't resist picking out five or six mushrooms. He exclaimed, "Oh my, these are top-quality pine mushrooms and goat mushrooms! They're really rare. It's been a long time since we've sold such fresh mountain mushrooms in town."

Seeing that the old man was kind and sincere and didn't seem to have any bad intentions, Yan Yunzhao asked, "Are these two kinds of mushrooms very expensive in Lixi Town? How much do they usually cost? I'm new here and just started doing business, so I don't know much about these things."

The old man patiently explained, “I’ve only seen this pine mushroom a few times myself. Everyone wants something new. If you want to sell it, it’ll probably be fifty coins a piece. As for this velvet mushroom, it’ll be around thirty or forty coins. I don’t recognize all the other varieties, but I imagine they’re not cheap either, so I’ll decrease the price in that order, with straw mushrooms being the cheapest.”

Yan Yunzhao smiled knowingly: "I understand. Uncle, I'll sell you the mushrooms you picked for fifty coins."

The discounted price is considered a special offer.

The old man smiled, shook his head, paid the fair price, and left with his mushroom basket.

Yan Yunzhao glanced at the types of mushrooms on the stall, already knowing exactly which ones she wanted to pick. However, she couldn't help but sigh; things with the word "grass" in their names seemed to become a bit more ordinary, like grass carp, grass rabbit, grass snake…

However, Yan Yunzhao did not think the grass demon was ordinary at all. After two hundred years of cultivation, she even felt that the grass root was much more resilient than her original half-immortal physique.

As the ancients often said, "Wildfire cannot burn it all; the spring breeze will bring it back to life." Grass may seem soft, but it is actually the most resilient thing.

Lost in thought, she noticed that the area in front of her was now crowded with people, and when she looked down at the stall, she saw that there were hardly any mushrooms left.

"Boss, this is all that's left. How much? Give me a discount and I'll take it all."

Upon hearing Yan Yunzhao's price, they all exclaimed, "That's too expensive!"

"These are rare mushrooms freshly picked from the mountains. You can only buy them here in Lixi Town," Yan Yunzhao explained with a smile.

A woman picked up the mushroom with some skepticism and examined it. The cap was plump, and the milky white surface of the cap had a warm sheen. It felt thick and elastic to the touch, and it looked very fresh.

"It looks just like any other mushroom to me, so why is it so expensive?" The woman pretended to complain, but in reality, she was holding the plump mushroom in her hand, admiring it so much that she couldn't bear to put it down.

The wild mushrooms had a strong, fresh aroma that permeated the entire street. She had followed the scent all the way from the east side of the street and was already determined to buy them. She was just saying this now to try and bargain.

"Madam, my business has very low profit margins, and wild mushrooms are not easy to pick. If you think they are too expensive, you might as well look elsewhere. I can guarantee that our mushrooms are the best and freshest in the entire Lixi Town."

Don't even mention that Yan Yunzhao's mushrooms are the best; these kinds of wild mushrooms aren't sold at all in town. In the past, when trade routes were open, a few strong young men could pick some to sell, but now they're extremely rare.

Hearing Yan Yunzhao's assurance, and after a moment's thought, several townspeople who were still observing flocked over, left their money, and happily carried away the remaining few mushrooms.

Passersby, seeing how popular the stall was, crowded around to join in the fun. They glanced at Yan Yunzhao, then at the now empty talisman stall, their eyes filled with suspicion as they scrutinized it repeatedly.

Yan Yunzhao frowned and touched her face, somewhat puzzled. Seeing everyone staring at her in a daze, she hesitated and asked, "Is there something on my face?"

Everyone shook their heads, still staring at her.

"My goodness... I didn't notice just now, this young lady is so beautiful."

"Yes, yes... cough, is the young lady married?"

Yan Yunzhao was stunned for a moment, then waved helplessly: "I only sell mushrooms here."

"I won't sell myself." Yan Yunzhao silently added in his mind.

She had been praised for her pretty looks before, but not to the point of attracting attention. Could it be that a demon who transforms into human form can become more beautiful?

On second thought, she realized that she hadn't looked in a mirror since taking human form; she had only touched her skin, and it was noticeably smoother and more delicate than before.

"Auntie, may I borrow your mirror?" Yan Yunzhao glanced around at the vendors at their stalls and then turned to the old woman selling vegetables next to him.

Yes, yes.

She took the mirror and looked at herself, almost shaking with shock: This face! Is this really her? After calming down and looking closely, it was indeed her.

Her facial features were still the same, only several times more refined than before. Even through the blurry bronze mirror, she could be certain that she was indeed much more beautiful.

Yan Yunzhao held the bronze mirror and touched her face with satisfaction. The crowd watched her strange behavior with unpredictable expressions.

As the saying goes, beauty is also a part of strength, and Yan Yunzhao decided to make good use of this face to sell more mushrooms.

Looking at the sold-out stall and the thick stack of cash, Yan Yunzhao couldn't stop smiling as he counted the money. 1,500 coins should be enough to renovate the shop.

She inquired along the way and found the best carpenter and blacksmith in Lixi Town to make furniture and tools. She also bought some essential kitchen utensils and vegetables, and hired a few carpenters to renovate the small shop. She readily counted out eight hundred coins and handed them to the owner, who took the money and repeatedly agreed.

With 700 coins left, Yan Yunzhao first bought himself a decent set of clothes, then went to the market to buy some vegetable seeds, and also inquired about the price of mushrooms. Sure enough, just as the old man had said, the price was exactly the same.

"Young lady, these seeds you bought cannot be planted at the same time."

The old woman selling vegetable seeds saw Yan Yunzhao quickly pick out a whole sack of seeds and, thinking she was a naive young girl, kindly reminded her.

"Don't worry, Auntie." Yan Yunzhao smiled at her, left a few bills, picked up the sack, and walked away.

After she discovered that the small talisman was very elastic, airtight yet translucent, she had an idea: wouldn't it be wonderful to use the small talisman as a mat?

This way, vegetables could be grown regardless of climate change or season, and better varieties could be cultivated using biological genetics. Although she didn't major in agriculture in college, in ancient times when science was underdeveloped, that basic knowledge was sufficient.

Now, the shop is only missing a bit of popularity. Yan Yunzhao returned to the hut and stored a sack of seeds inside. Then, carrying a basket, he excitedly went up the mountain: before the shop opens, he needs to stock up on more money. He can also use the excuse of selling mushrooms to promote the unopened shop.

This time, instead of picking mushrooms in the same grove of trees, she followed the stream upstream and picked a basket of wild vegetables and berries.

Yan Yunzhao listened to the rumbling in his stomach and rubbed his belly helplessly. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the dense clusters of fresh mushrooms in the grass next to him. He turned back several times, but under the pressure of hunger, he had no choice but to carry the wild vegetables back to the house to have a hearty meal first.

This time, Yan Yunzhao finally had proper cooking utensils, but when he set up the pot, he was in trouble: without chicken essence, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, and soy sauce... what flavor could the wild vegetables taste like?

As a seasoned food enthusiast, she could never stomach bland food. Driven by her ultimate pursuit of culinary perfection, she decided to make her own soy sauce, cooking wine, and other seasonings.

[Author's Note]

Hunting and eating wild animals is prohibited! Some pheasants are protected animals and cannot be hunted casually. The people in the article were only hunting common free-range chickens in the mountains. In ancient times, animal husbandry was smaller-scale, and hunting in the mountains was common. Times have changed, so please don't take it too seriously. [Applause] Also, mushrooms from the mountains cannot be eaten casually! Wild mushrooms are highly poisonous. Zhao Zhao chose edible mushrooms that were less poisonous and cooked them for a long time before serving them to customers.