Chapter 718 Digging Bamboo Shoots in the Bamboo Forest
"Yeah, what else did you think it was, maggots?"
Fu Mingchao rolled his eyes. He had been busy in the bamboo forest for so long, and had excitedly brought back so many bamboo insects, only to be mistaken for maggots by his sister!
Hmph, I'll cook it later and not give it to her, I'll send it all to my wife.
Seeing this, Fu Wan quickly smiled apologetically, "Oh brother, I didn't see it clearly. This bamboo worm is really big. Did you catch it on the mountain?"
Fu Ming got excited when this was mentioned.
"Yes, I originally wanted to get a couple of good bamboos to make fishing rods for Grandpa Fu, but after looking around, I didn't see any suitable bamboos. Instead, I found quite a few bamboos that had been eaten by bamboo worms."
"Oh no, that won't do! We have to catch these bad guys right away!"
Upon hearing that bamboo worms were eating bamboo, Ye Xiaocui quickly interjected.
It's not surprising that Fu Wan mistook it for a bamboo worm. Bamboo worms, also known as bamboo maggots, are generally about five centimeters long and less than 0.1 centimeters wide. Like silkworms, they are milky white before pupating and usually appear inside bamboo tubes, feeding on the bamboo.
It is the offspring of a weevil that gnaws holes in a bamboo shoot and grows up eating bamboo shoots. These creatures grow at an astonishing rate; in just ten days, they can grow from the size of a grain of rice to the length of a finger.
Image of bamboo worm (removed if copyrighted). High in protein, haha.
As the bamboo shoots grow, so do these bamboo worms. They eat their way from the tip of the shoot to the middle, and once the shoot has grown into a bamboo stalk, they hide in the middle of the bamboo. When they are hungry, they gnaw on the bamboo nodes, and when they are full, they nestle inside the bamboo tube to sleep.
These bamboo worms may seem to be having a good time, but the bamboo suffers greatly. The parasitized bamboo not only fails to grow tall, but its branches and leaves also turn yellow and cracks appear in the middle of the bamboo tube.
Back in the famine, not to mention insects, even the grass and leaves on the mountain were eaten by people.
It was around this time that people discovered bamboo worms tasted quite good. So, if people found worms in the bamboo when they went up the mountain, they would take the worms out of the bamboo tubes. This was partly to help the bamboo forest grow better, and partly to add some meat to their meals.
As for the hollowed-out bamboo, they can only be cut down with a machete, dried at home, and used as firewood.
Fu Ming found a bowl and poured the bamboo worms in, complaining as he poured: "Hey you guys don't know, there are so many bamboo stalks on the mountain that have been eaten by bamboo worms. I just cut down three and made this big bowl. When I run into the village chief, I'll have to tell him to tell everyone to go up the mountain and get rid of the bamboo worms when they have time."
These words immediately energized Ye Xiaocui. She figured she could mend the fishing net anytime, and the weather was nice this morning. It was still early before lunchtime, making it the perfect time to go up the mountain to dig for bamboo worms.
"How about now? I'll go call your aunt, A-Wan, and ask her to get two baskets."
"Okay, sure!"
It rained for a long time recently, and the bamboo shoots in the bamboo forest have all sprouted. Look at the ones Fu Ming casually picked back; they're incredibly tender. If you stir-fry them with a few pieces of cured meat at noon, the taste will be unimaginable.
With that in mind, Ye Xiaocui hurriedly went out to call Jiang Chunlan. Jiang Chunlan was sewing clothes in the yard with her daughter-in-law Wang Huiping, while Fu Liang had just returned from the mountain with bamboo shoots and bamboo worms.
Upon hearing Ye Xiaocui's invitation, Jiang Chunlan hurriedly picked up her basket and machete and prepared to go out.
Seeing this, Wang Huiping also came out. Her mother-in-law had just said she was going to go up the mountain to pick bamboo shoots, but she didn't expect Ye Xiaocui to come over so quickly.
Fu Liang got married on the eighth day of the Lunar New Year. His wife was Wang Huiping from the next village. This girl was a year younger than Fu Wan. Because her family only had one daughter, they had always wanted to find a son-in-law to live with them, but they hadn't found a suitable one, which is why they hadn't gotten married for so many years.
Later, through an introduction, she met Fu Liang. Although Fu Liang did not agree to move in with her family, he promised that if they had children, regardless of gender, the first child would take the surname Wang. Only then did Wang Huiping's parents agree.
In addition, Wang Huiping's parents were also genuine fishermen. After inquiring about Fu Liang's family situation, it was learned that although his father had passed away early, his mother had not remarried. He had a good relationship with his uncle, owned his own boat, and was a down-to-earth young man.
Fu Wan had only met Wang Huiping once before, at her wedding. Her first impression of her was that she was a very straightforward and outspoken woman, which complemented Fu Liang's quiet nature.
So, upon hearing that they were going up the mountain to dig for bamboo worms, Wang Huiping followed her mother-in-law to Fu Wan's door. As soon as she saw Fu Wan, she smiled and took her arm.
"Ah Wan, I'm going with you to dig for bamboo worms. I heard there are also bamboo shoots on the mountain. Let me tell you, I'm really good at digging bamboo shoots!"
Fu Wan was overjoyed and let her hold her arm. When they passed Wang Xiuer's house, Fu Wan specifically called out to Fu Qing. As for Fang Min, she went to the cannery with Fu Jian after the Lantern Festival.
Fang Min approached her on her own initiative. This girl couldn't stay idle; she felt like she was going to get moldy if she stayed at home all day. Since she didn't have to go out to sea for the next few days, Fu Wan simply asked her to find work at the cannery.
Fu Qing was watching Wang Xiuer plant vegetables in the yard when she heard that they were going up the mountain to dig bamboo shoots, so Wang Xiuer found her a basket.
"Ah Wan, I still have a plot of land that hasn't been tilled yet, so I'd like to trouble you to keep an eye on Ah Qing for me."
"Okay, Auntie, don't worry!"
Fu Qing has always been well-behaved, so she doesn't really need to keep an eye on her.
Six or seven people went up the mountain at once. Fu Ming also called on Fu Liang, who had just returned carrying bamboo, and the two men led the way for the women.
The bamboo grove was opposite the cemetery, behind the mountain. It had rained for a long time, and the mountain path was all muddy, but fortunately, Fu Wan and the others were wearing waterproof shoes, so they could just rinse them off when they got back.
Seeing the bamboo forest from afar, Fu Wan could spot the tips of bamboo shoots sprouting from the ground.
"Haha, I see bamboo shoots!"
Fu Qing exclaimed in surprise and ran towards the nearest bamboo shoots with her basket in hand.
With a crisp snap, a bamboo shoot about ten centimeters long was grasped in Fu Qing's hand.
She ran over and showed it to Fu Wan like it was a treasure.
"Ah Wan, look, this bamboo shoot is so tender!"
"That's great! Break off a few more, and I'll have your auntie stir-fry them for you at lunchtime!"
"good!"
Fu Qing agreed without hesitation, then put the bamboo shoots in the basket and went to continue looking for new shoots.
As soon as Ye Xiaocui and Jiang Chunlan arrived, they immediately went into battle like soldiers. They spotted the bamboo shoots and twisted them off with a quick grasp.
Looking around, Fu Wan realized that this bamboo forest had been behind the mountain since she could remember.
Every spring, villagers go up the mountain to dig bamboo shoots. There are many kinds of bamboo shoots here. The kind that Ye Xiaocui and her friends can break is called Lei bamboo shoot.
This type of bamboo shoot is small in size and has tender flesh. Whether it is stir-fried or used in a cold dish, it is very fragrant and delicious.
What Fu Ming and his companions dug up with hoes were moso bamboo shoots. These bamboo shoots are particularly abundant and larger in size, available year-round, and have different names at different times of the year.
Image of bamboo shoots from Leizhu (image removed due to copyright infringement).
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