"Girl, do you know what you're saying?!" Li Qingshan said.
Lu Dahai and Li Shi also became anxious, scratching their heads and speaking one after another, as if they would miss the opportunity if they spoke even a moment too late.
"So many shiitake mushrooms, are you not going to sell them? Shall we keep them for ourselves?"
"We've put so much effort into growing these shiitake mushrooms, how can you just stop selling them like this!"
The three surrounded Lu Qiqi, as if they wanted her to take back her words, otherwise they would not let her off easily.
Seeing this, Lu Qiqi knew they had misunderstood, and quickly explained, "It's my fault for not explaining clearly. I'm thinking that we won't sell fresh shiitake mushrooms anymore. From now on, we'll sell dried shiitake mushrooms and shiitake mushroom sauce instead."
After exchanging glances, the three of them asked, "I know about dried shiitake mushrooms, but what is this shiitake mushroom sauce?"
Lu Qiqi smiled and said, "You'll know once I make it and you can try it."
After saying that, Lu Qiqi rolled up her sleeves and went to the kitchen.
She chopped the cleaned shiitake mushrooms into small pieces and put them into a porcelain bowl for later use.
Then heat oil in a wok, add chopped chili peppers, minced ginger, and garlic, and stir-fry until fragrant.
Add the shiitake mushrooms to the pot and stir-fry until well combined.
Next comes seasoning: soy sauce, salt, sugar, and her homemade fermented soybean paste.
As the aroma gradually rises from the pot, it is time to simmer over low heat for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, until the broth has reduced and thickened.
At this point, you must stir it frequently to prevent the bottom of the pot from burning and ruining all your previous efforts.
"It's ready!" Lu Qiqi scooped out the mushroom sauce onto a plate. "Uncle, Third Uncle, Third Aunt, come and have a taste."
Looking at the glossy red mushroom sauce, Lu Dahai felt a surge of appetite and couldn't resist being the first to scoop a spoonful of the sauce into his mouth.
"How does it taste?" Lu Qiqi asked, staring intently at Lu Dahai.
After tasting it carefully, Lu Dahai gave it a thumbs up and said, "Fragrant, spicy, and fresh!"
Li and Li Qingshan followed suit, picking up spoons and tasting it as well.
After finishing the meal, everyone praised it highly.
Lu Qiqi also tried a bite herself, and she was quite satisfied with the taste of the mushroom sauce. It was spicy and addictive, fresh and rich, and perfect for mixing with rice or noodles.
This is much more convenient than selling mushrooms to restaurants one by one, which also requires considering the mushrooms' growth period.
After tasting the mushroom sauce, the family had no objections and unanimously agreed to sell the mushroom sauce and dried mushrooms.
The first batch of shiitake mushrooms wasn't large enough, so they were all used to make shiitake mushroom sauce, which was sold in noodle shops and became incredibly popular.
Gradually, Lu Qiqi had more money in her hands, and she felt much more at ease.
A few days later, the shiitake mushrooms were harvested in abundance, but it was obviously impractical to use them all to make shiitake mushroom sauce.
So Lu Qiqi put all the shiitake mushrooms into the pre-made kiln to dry.
After the shiitake mushrooms were dried, they were taken to the dock on Monday and Tuesday to be sold to the boatmen.
Boatmen rarely eat vegetables throughout the year; they usually eat dried goods.
After being soaked in water, these dried shiitake mushrooms taste almost the same as fresh shiitake mushrooms, and are very popular with boatmen.
Every Monday, when I take dried shiitake mushrooms to sell, they are quickly sold out.
Some boatmen even sensed a business opportunity and bought a lot of dried shiitake mushrooms to sell themselves at the disembarkation point.
Upon learning this news, Lu Qiqi consolidated the timber and asked Li Qingshan to find someone to build another factory to continue growing shiitake mushrooms.
The factory was under construction in full swing, but what Lu Qiqi and the others did not expect was that the plague in Heshun Prefecture was out of control, and the government had begun to forcibly recruit doctors from the people.
That day, Lu Qiqi and Li Shi finished sewing the mushroom bags at home, preparing to plant shiitake mushrooms the day after tomorrow.
“My sister-in-law and aunt are getting faster and faster these days,” Li said happily. “They’ve already sewed all the mushroom bags in just four days.”
Lu Qiqi was very happy that the mushroom bags were completed ahead of schedule.
This way they can plant the shiitake mushrooms in advance, and maybe this batch of shiitake mushrooms can be harvested before the second batch is planted.
"This is it."
A loud male voice suddenly came from outside.
Lu Qiqi and Li Shi exchanged a glance, Li Shi's face showing some fear.
Lu Qiqi, who had put down the mushroom bag, comforted her, "Third Aunt, I'll go out and take a look."
"Seventh girl," Madam Li said with some concern.
"Don't worry," Lu Qiqi gave Li a reassuring look before going out to check the situation.
As soon as Lu Qiqi stepped out of the gate, she saw a group of soldiers with long swords at their waists, heading towards her menacingly.
She was initially surprised, but then calmed down.
"Are you Lu Qiqi?" A long-bearded old man in a gray shirt walked ahead of the soldiers and finally stood in front of Lu Qiqi to ask.
Lu Qiqi hesitated for a moment, but her tone was not timid at all. She said, "That's right. May I ask what brings you here?"
Seeing that he hadn't found the wrong person, the long-bearded old man asked again, "Did you cure the plague in Yi'an Village, Heshun Prefecture?"
Yi'an Village?
Isn't that the Zhou brothers' hometown?
"Yes," Lu Qiqi replied. She had a feeling that the old man wanted to see her about something important.
The old man said happily, "Then that's it!"
“Come with us!” a tall soldier stepped forward and said.
Just then, Li came out. She was worried about Lu Qiqi going out alone to check the situation, so she followed her out.
"Where are you taking Seventh Girl?!" Li's voice trembled slightly, but she still managed to shout it out.
Lu Qiqi also said, "I haven't broken the law, so how can you take me away for no reason!"
Lu Dahai and Li Qingshan, who were leading the able-bodied men of Lijia Village to build the factory, rushed over when they heard the commotion.
With the two sides deadlocked, the officers and soldiers, seeing that the situation was not going well, immediately wanted to draw their swords and fight.
The able-bodied young men of Lijia Village were already emboldened by their mob mentality. The other side was an official, and they were ordinary people. As the saying goes, "the common people don't fight with officials." Seeing this, they all took a few steps back.
Only Lu Dahai and Li Qingshan remained unmoved.
The tall soldier said, "Lu Qiqi has openly defied the government; seize her!"
At the command of the tall soldier, two soldiers stepped forward.
The long-bearded old man hurriedly stopped him, saying, "No, no!"
"Young lady, the government has posted a notice summoning doctors to Heshun Prefecture to treat the plague. Those on the list must not disobey the order. This plague has already claimed the lives of hundreds of people, and the government is taking it very seriously. You must not be foolish and disobey the order!"
Lu Qiqi gleaned some subtle details from the old man's words, and after piecing them together, she understood.
The government posted a notice summoning doctors to treat the plague, but she had been busy preparing to grow shiitake mushrooms in the old soldiers' village and hadn't paid any attention to the government's notice, so naturally she couldn't have known about it.
After realizing what was happening, Lu Qiqi thought for a moment and then said, "Third Uncle, Eldest Uncle, I need to go to Heshun Prefecture!"
Lu Dahai said, "This plague has claimed the lives of hundreds of people. We finally managed to settle down in the veterans' village. What will we do if something happens to you?"
Madam Li also said anxiously, "There are so many doctors in the world, it doesn't make sense for a young lady like you to go and treat them. If those grown men can't cure it, do you expect a young lady like you to do it too!"
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