Once everyone was seated, it was time to eat. Wang Lun was the first to pick up a piece of pig's head meat. It had been stewed for several hours and was very tender. Although it only contained Sichuan peppercorns and salt, it was still delicious. Wang Lun even tasted the fresh aroma of mushrooms in it. Turning his head to look in the pot, he indeed saw mushrooms. Seeing Wang Lun start eating, Li Ling and the other woman also picked up their chopsticks and started eating pig's head meat. Liu Ruoxi wanted to eat, but felt unwell, so she could only quietly watch the three of them eat meat and then drink kudzu root porridge. Seeing this, Wang Lun said, "Why don't you blanch some offal? Don't eat too much, it's best to just eat some wild vegetables. We can make more later." However, Liu Ruoxi didn't listen at all, or perhaps she did but ignored it. Anyway, she heard that she could eat some offal, so she quickly picked up a few slices of pig's heart, blanched them in the earthenware pot, and ate them with the kudzu root porridge. After eating the pig's heart, Liu Ruoxi felt incredibly satisfied, as if her whole being had been elevated. Then she tried several other types of offal, all of which were delicious. Just as she was about to eat them again, Wang Lun stopped her. It wasn't that he wouldn't let her eat them, but she wasn't fully recovered and shouldn't eat anything too oily. Liu Ruoxi knew this, but she still couldn't resist, especially seeing the three of them enjoying their meal while she could only eat kudzu root porridge and wild vegetables. She suddenly felt that perhaps it was better not to treat her illness at all. But could she really decide now? Of course not. Due to the three's restraint and her own rationality, she didn't continue eating meat and instead went to eat boiled wild vegetables.

During the meal, Wang Lun asked Li Ling and the other woman to cut some wild boar meat and make some sausages later, so they could eat them together after Liu Ruoxi recovered. Li Ling knew how to make sausages, so she immediately agreed.

After the meal, Wang Lun was about to wash the pots and pans, but Li Ling and Liu Ruoling stopped him, refusing to let him. Left with no other option, Wang Lun sat down by the hearth and continued weaving straw sandals. Liu Ruoxi, having been lying down for a while, wanted to get up and sit for a bit, so she sat by the hearth and helped Wang Lun twist ropes. Before long, the two women returned with the washed pots and pans.

Back inside, Li Ling took out two wild boar meats, removed the skin and ribs, and then minced the meat. The two of them took turns mincing the meat. While mincing the meat, they set up another pot and started brewing medicine. The medicine had been sorted by Wang Lun; all they needed to do was add water, boil it, and it was ready to drink.

Li Ling and Liu Ruoling took turns chopping the meat, working for almost an hour before it was nearly finished. After resting for a while, they started stuffing the sausages. At first, Li Ling stuffed the meat while Liu Ruoling held the sausages, then they took turns, working for another half hour or so until all the sausages were stuffed. The stuffed sausages were hung over the fire pit to dry slightly before being moved to the roof. Then the two went to wash their hands. As for the pot, of course, they didn't need to wash it; they planned to save it for cooking rice the next morning, which would also add more oil.

After finishing the sausages, the two Liu sisters were supposed to take their medicine. Liu Ruoling wasn't planning on taking it, but Wang Lun said, "Take one more. The rain might stop tomorrow, and all three of you need to go out and find food." The food Wang Lun was referring to included the drowned animals, as well as mushrooms and wood ear fungus that had sprouted after the rain. Liu Ruoxi was left alone at the campsite; her current physical condition prevented her from going out, and they didn't have enough baskets. So, Liu Ruoxi stayed at the campsite to guard it and watch over the food. When Liu Ruoling heard that they might have to go out the next day, she immediately poured a bowl of her medicine for her to drink.

After Liu Ruoxi finished her medicine, she was told to go to bed and rest. The other three, however, continued weaving straw sandals for a while. Only after each person had finished weaving one sandal did they all go to sleep. That night, they slept the same way Wang Lun and Li Ling had before, though it felt a bit crowded, since there were now four of them sleeping.

Nothing happened that night. The next day, Liu Ruoling got up very early and saw that it wasn't raining outside, so she started cooking breakfast. Breakfast was, of course, wild vegetable stewed fish, something Liu Ruoling had heard Li Ling recommend, and it was almost always the same. But today, Liu Ruoling was determined to change things up; she took some mushrooms from the shelf and put them in the pot.

When Wang Lun got up, he smelled a mushroom aroma, so he went to check on the breakfast Liu Ruoling had cooked. Seeing mushrooms in the food, his first thought was that it was pretty good, and the addition of mushrooms for flavor was a nice touch. He went out to wash up, and when he returned, he saw the mushrooms still under the eaves but didn't think much of it. Back inside, he smelled the strong mushroom aroma again, and suddenly remembered something. He quickly turned around and saw the mushrooms he needed to cook were still there. Where did those mushrooms in the pot come from? He rushed back inside and called out, "Liu Ruoling, where did you get those mushrooms in the pot?" Liu Ruoling, confused, said, "From the shelf." Wang Lun said, trembling slightly, "The very top shelf?" Liu Ruoling nodded. Wang Lun was speechless. Li Ling and Liu Ruoxi, woken by Wang Lun's shout, had contrasting expressions. Li Ling knew they were poisonous mushrooms that Wang Lun had collected, saying they would be useful later. Liu Ruoxi, however, was confused and puzzled.

Wang Lun strode over to the shelf and glanced at the small basket containing the poisonous mushrooms. Half the mushrooms were gone. No wonder the mushroom smell was so strong. Wang Lun was on the verge of tears. "Don't touch the mushrooms in this basket," he said, "they're all poisonous." When the Liu sisters heard that it was full of poisonous mushrooms, Liu Ruoling's face turned pale, and Liu Ruoxi wasn't much better off. Wang Lun went to the stove, picked up the stewed wild vegetables and fish with mushrooms that was cooking, and carried it to the grassy area outside the campsite. He poured all the poisonous mushroom soup into the small depression, then took the pot to the stream to wash it thoroughly. He then carried a pot of water back to the campsite.

Back in the house, Wang Lun saw that Li Ling and Liu Ruoxi were both up. Liu Ruoxi was still talking about Liu Ruoling, Li Ling was trying to comfort her, and Liu Ruoling was still crying. Wang Lun went up to her and said, "Why are you crying? You didn't even get to eat any. Besides, it wasn't intentional. Remember next time, if you don't know something, you must ask." Liu Ruoling nodded and said, "I didn't know it was a poisonous mushroom. If I had..." Before she could finish, Wang Lun said, "Since it wasn't intentional, then we can forgive you, but you still have to be punished." Liu Ruoling said, "Punishment? I'm willing to do anything." Wang Lun thought for a moment and said, "Then you'll be punished by making breakfast today. Remember to put in fewer mushrooms." Liu Ruoling nodded at the punishment and said, "Okay, I'll go cook breakfast." So she took another pot to the sink to fetch water. When she came back, she brought a few mushrooms with her. This time she took them from under the eaves and saw the pot Wang Lun had left by the door. Fortunately, after Liu Ruoling asked, Wang Lun remembered to say, "Let's soak that pot for now, change the water a few times, and use it tomorrow. Let's use the other pot today." And that was the end of that. Liu Ruoling went to cook breakfast alone, Li Ling helped with the fire, and Wang Lun and Liu Ruoxi sat and waited for their meal. During this time, Wang Lun explained the location of the kudzu root powder and the salt to Liu Ruoxi, and also mentioned the other ingredients he saw.