Chapter Sixty-Two Mountain Delicacies
The county magistrate, showing compassion for his subordinate, saw that Xiong Zixiang had been working tirelessly on the land encroachment case and was truly exhausted, so he granted him a day off to rest properly.
Xiong Zixiang naturally cherished this rare moment of leisure.
As dinnertime approached, the night deepened outside the window, while the candlelight flickered inside.
Xiong Zixiang rummaged through the food in his bowl, then, as if suddenly remembering something, looked up at Zhang Liuyi and said, "Liuyi, it's almost the time of the Awakening of Insects."
Zhang Liuyi paused in her chopsticks, looking at him: "Yes, it'll be soon. What are our plans?"
"Once the Awakening of Insects passes and the earth warms up, snakes, insects, and rodents will start to stir."
Xiong Zixiang put down his bowl: "Although our family's frame was built with the help of Brother Ji, and we used insect-proof wood and even applied tung oil, our village is nestled against the mountains and by the water. There's no guarantee that there won't be some insect eggs hiding in the soil and cracks in the walls. The rice, beans, and dried goods in the preparation room are most susceptible to insect infestation. I was thinking that since I have a day off tomorrow, I should go up the mountain to cut some camphor tree branches."
"Camphor tree branches?" Zhang's eyes lit up.
"Yes! Camphor wood has a strong smell, and it's the most effective way to fumigate the house and repel insects! We should stock up on some! Killing the insect eggs will make the house feel fresher."
She immediately agreed, then remembered something else: "Oh, right! I need to tell my sister-in-law later that the stall will be closed tomorrow. I'll also stay home and tidy up properly, fumigating all the jars, pots, and nooks and crannies!"
"Okay!" Xiong Zixiang nodded.
After the meal, Zhang Xiaoyi handed the dishes and chopsticks to her husband to wash, and then went to the Zhang family home under the moonlight.
Li Xiulan was tidying up in the kitchen, while Zhang Liuji was polishing a wooden piece in the main room by the light of an oil lamp.
"Sister-in-law! Brother Liu Ji!" Zhang Yili called out as he entered the door.
"Hey, watch out, have you eaten yet?" Li Xiulan came out wiping her hands.
"I've eaten, sister-in-law. The stall will be closed tomorrow." Zhang explained his purpose: "Zixiang is off tomorrow. We plan to go up the mountain to cut some camphor tree branches to fumigate the house and get rid of insects. We also need to tidy up the house properly."
"Sure, it's time to fumigate it. The bugs are really annoying." Li Xiulan readily agreed.
At this moment, Zhang Liuji put down his tools and came over: "Take care, going up the mountain to cut camphor trees? Then... could you help me cut down a couple more thicker, better-quality camphor tree branches? They don't need to be too long, just about the thickness of my wrist!"
Zhang Liu asked curiously, "Brother Liu Ji, what kind of thick camphor wood branch do you want?"
Zhang Liuji smiled and explained, "Camphor wood has a wonderful scent and can repel insects. I was thinking of using thicker branches to make some small wooden beads, polishing them smooth, and stringing them into a string. Hang a few around the house, and you, Zixiang, and Nan'er can wear one too, to ward off insects and bad luck!"
"That's a great idea!" Zhang Yiwu readily agreed: "No problem, I'll definitely pick the best cuts for you!"
Having received confirmation, Zhang returned home satisfied.
The thought of sleeping in late tomorrow and going up the mountain with my husband makes me feel so happy.
The next day, as expected, I slept until the sun was high in the sky.
Sunlight streamed through the paper windows, casting a bright glow on the kang (a heated brick bed).
Zhang Liuyi lazily rolled over, avoiding the beam of light, and mumbled sleepily, "What time is it?"
Xiong Zixiang woke up and was lying on his side looking at her. Hearing this, he chuckled and said, "It's almost 9 o'clock. Want to sleep a little longer?"
Zhang Liuyi finally woke up completely, rubbing her eyes as she sat up: "Oh dear, it's so late!" She quickly got dressed and got off the kang (heated brick bed): "Get up, get up! It'll be too hot in the mountains if we stay up any longer!"
The two hurriedly washed up, ate a simple breakfast, and then each carried a basket on their backs, along with a wood-chopping knife and a rope.
Xiong Zixiang also thoughtfully brought two water bags and a bag of dry food.
After making all the preparations, I locked the courtyard gate and headed towards the mountains behind the village, bathed in the warm spring sunshine.
The mountain road winds its way through the forest, where the grass and trees are bursting with new green, and birdsong fills the air.
After walking for about half an hour, the sun was getting higher and higher, and I started to sweat a little.
"Take a break and have some water." Xiong Zixiang found a flat rock and gestured for Zhang Xiaoli to sit down.
Zhang Liuyi untied the water pouch, gulped down a few mouthfuls, and wiped his mouth: "Is camphor wood easy to find? I don't think I've seen it much before."
Xiong Zixiang also took a sip of water and pointed to a grove of trees in the distance: "There aren't many camphor trees. They like shade and dampness, and are mostly found in valleys or on the shady side of hillsides in deep mountains. They also have a unique smell. If you smell a slightly spicy woody aroma later, it's probably camphor."
"However, your husband's nose and eyesight, honed from being a constable, are quite good at finding things."
He rarely joked, so Zhang Liuyi laughed and punched him lightly: "Alright, let's see how Chief Constable Xiong performs today!"
After resting for a while, the two continued deeper into the mountains and forests.
As expected, Xiong Zixiang was not bragging. He led Zhang Yili to specifically choose the slopes and valleys with moist soil.
After walking for about an hour, the sun was already setting in the west, and the light in the forest became dappled and irregular.
"Listen, smell it." Xiong Zixiang suddenly stopped and sniffed.
Zhang Yili took a deep breath, and sure enough, a unique aroma wafted through the air. It was spicy, and Yili couldn't stand the spiciness, so she sneezed twice.
"Is this the smell of camphor wood? I don't want to stand it anymore," she asked.
"Hmm, it smells like it. I'll cut some branches while you collect them. If it smells too strong, then I'll take over." Xiong Zixiang followed the scent and parted a dense thicket of bushes.
Suddenly, the view opened up before me, revealing several tall and straight trees standing on a relatively open slope. Their bark was grayish-brown, and they were camphor trees.
That cool and refreshing fragrance comes from these trees.
Xiong Zixiang put down his basket and took out his wood-chopping knife: "First, chop the thin branches to smoke out the house, then find two thick ones for Brother Liuji."
He moved swiftly, selecting the straightest branches, and with a swift, precise cut, the camphor tree branches with green leaves fell into his basket.
Zhang Liuli helped tidy up the bindings; she could tolerate it if she didn't smell them too hard.
Soon, a whole basket was filled with the thin branches used for fumigating the house.
Xiong Zixiang searched carefully again and found two branches about the thickness of a wrist, with solid wood and clear grain. He cut them down, tied them with rope, and prepared to make a string of beads for Zhang Liuji.
Having finished most of the work, the two were both a little tired, so they sat down in the shade under the camphor tree to rest, drink water and eat dry food.
Zhang Liuyi munched on a pancake while casually looking around.
The ground beneath the tree was covered with a thick layer of decaying leaves, damp and soft.
Just as her gaze swept over the vicinity of the tree roots, she suddenly saw several mushrooms with thick, grayish-white caps emerging from the decaying leaves, looking exceptionally fresh and plump.
"Brother Zixiang! Look! Are those mushrooms edible?" Zhang Liuyi pointed at the mushrooms, hoping that Xiong Zixiang would recognize them so she could have an extra meal.
Xiong Zixiang leaned closer, squatted down, and examined it carefully.
He reached out and gently touched the stem, a look of surprise on his face: "This is... a button mushroom. Do you remember that chubby clerk Qian? He was a bit lazy, but he was a real connoisseur of food. I saw him eat it once, and I heard it's quite rare and tastes incredibly fresh!"
"Mushroom?" Zhang Yi had never heard of this name before.
"Then what are we waiting for!" she immediately perked up. "Let's go back and pick them. Even though I don't know how to cook them, I can ask Sister Xiulan! She's very knowledgeable and will definitely know!"
The couple exchanged a smile and immediately got to work.
Carefully parting the decaying leaves, avoiding damaging the mycorrhizae, I gently picked those plump and tender button mushrooms.
I picked seven or eight mushrooms in total, each with a thick cap and a sturdy stem.
Zhang carefully wrapped the package in a clean cloth he carried with him and placed it in his basket as if it were a precious treasure.
After tidying up the camphor tree branches and the unexpected mushrooms, the two set off on their journey home, completely satisfied.
Back in the village, Zhang Liuyi first carried the cut camphor tree branches home, lit them for incense when no one was in the house, and then handed the two thick branches to Zhang Liuji.
Zhang Liuji touched the smooth, firm camphor wood: "Good! Good! This wood is really good! I'll make you some of the best beads later!"
Then, Zhang Yili couldn't wait to grab the bag of mushrooms and run to the kitchen to find Li Xiulan.
"Sister-in-law! Sister-in-law! Look what we've found!" Zhang Yili opened the cloth bag as if showing off a treasure.
Li Xiulan was preparing dinner when she came over and her eyes widened immediately: "Oh my! This is... a button mushroom? It's rare to see here, where did you pick it?"
"This is really good stuff!" Zhang Yili was even more excited when she heard this: "Zixiang said he saw the registrar eating this at the county government office. Sister-in-law, how do you make this taste good? I don't know how."
Li Xiulan took the mushrooms, examined them carefully, and smelled them to confirm they were the right kind: "Don't worry, I'll teach you! These mushrooms are best eaten fresh. Sauté them in lard with plenty of garlic cloves and chopped scallions until fragrant, then add the shredded mushrooms and stir-fry quickly over high heat. The flavor is so delicious you'll want to swallow your tongue!"
As she spoke, she deftly began to prepare the mushroom, scraping away the soil from the base of the stem and gently tearing open the cap: "Look how thick and meaty this is! Don't cook tonight, just eat here! Your sister-in-law will show you what she can do!"
Flames leaped in the stove, and lard melted in the pot, sizzling loudly.
When garlic cloves and chopped scallions are added to the pan, a rich aroma bursts forth instantly.
Li Xiulan poured the torn mushroom strips into the pot. The white mushroom flesh quickly contracted in the hot oil, oozing juices. A fragrant aroma of oil and sweetness filled the entire kitchen.
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