Liu's mother and Xuemei took a total of 40 kilograms of bamboo shoots, 10 kilograms of black fir mushrooms, 15 kilograms of yellow fir mushrooms, and 5 kilograms of other edible mushrooms.
The purchasing station has just started buying mushrooms, so the prices are quite high. Black fir mushrooms are 0.2 yuan per jin, yellow fir mushrooms are 0.1 yuan per jin, and the other mushrooms are 0.5 cents per jin. The total price of mushrooms is 3.75 yuan. Bamboo shoots are 0.5 cents per jin, for a total of 2 yuan. This time, Liu's mother received 5.75 yuan.
On the way home, Liu's mother took out fifty cents and gave it to Xuemei.
"Xuemei, this fifty cents is for you. You picked a lot of mushrooms today and put in a lot of effort. Just keep them in your storage and don't use them carelessly. Don't tell your father or your brothers and sisters. Remember not to let anything slip. This is a secret between us, mother and daughter, okay?"
"Mom, I get it. Let's go quickly! It's almost dark."
When Xuemei and Liu's mother returned home, it was already dark. Liu's mother walked into the kitchen, where Liu's father was cooking and Qingya was watching the fire.
"Qingya, go out and play! I'll watch the fire for your dad."
"Li Niang, Qing Ya said that you and Xue Mei went to the purchasing station so late today to sell bamboo shoots." Father Liu asked.
"It's not just bamboo shoots. I heard Zhiqing at my second brother's house say that my second sister-in-law went to pick mushrooms. After I came back, I took Xuemei to the mountain behind the house and hiked for over an hour. We picked over 20 kilograms and sold them for 3.25 yuan when we got to the supply and marketing cooperative. Not many people know about this yet, so don't go digging bamboo shoots tomorrow. Come with me to pick mushrooms."
"Okay, go there early tomorrow morning and come back early this afternoon to buy some mushrooms at the purchasing station. The price of mushrooms left overnight is not good. Li Niang, turn off the fire. The dish is ready."
…
For the next two days, Liu's parents went out to pick mushrooms every day, and then went to the purchasing station to sell them around 4 p.m. In two days, Liu's parents earned ten yuan.
On the third day, there were not many mushrooms left on the mountain, so Liu's mother picked some by herself, intending to dry them and eat them in the winter. Liu's father then went to dig bamboo shoots.
Ever since Xuemei's second mother said that, Xuemei and Qingya walked home with their second brother Mingwen and third brother Mingwu after school every day. Each of them picked up a bundle of firewood on the way and then went to Xuemei's house to do homework. After finishing their homework, the second brother and third brother took the firewood they picked up back home.
…
Early in the morning, after finishing their meal, Liu's father and mother prepared to head to the mountains to chop some larger firewood and dry it for winter use. Liu's father planned to collect more firewood whenever he had time to store at home. He and other able-bodied workers from the village would be working on the reservoir in a few days. Each village under the Danru Commune was mobilizing teams to contribute to the construction, requiring at least one worker from each household, except for those at home who were filled with elderly people and children. Generally, men earned ten work points per day, while women earned eight, for a month. Those who went needed to eat breakfast at home and bring their own lunch. Tools were also taken from the village warehouse. Those who lived far from the reservoir had to bring their own blankets and food to live in a thatched hut near the reservoir for a month. Fortunately, the reservoir construction site was only six miles from Liujia Village, allowing Liu's father to go and return daily.
Xuemei dreamed yesterday that there was a treasure on the mountain. She didn't have to go to school today, so she went to the mountain with Liu's father and mother to see if there was any treasure and to help out.
Father Liu pulled the cart, while Xuemei and Mother Liu walked beside him. "Dad, Mom, let's go to that mountain at the entrance to the village! When I came home from school, I saw there were a lot of firewood there that I could chop." Xuemei had dreamed of this mountain the previous day.
During the Great Steel Production Campaign a few years ago, many large trees were cut down on the mountain. Now, the fir, bush, and pine trees planted by the team members on the mountain cannot be cut down indiscriminately, but they can pick up their fallen branches. Only those trees that grow on their own on the mountain and are generally used for firewood can be cut down.
Father Liu parked the cart at the foot of the mountain and went to the middle of the mountain with Xuemei and her daughter. Father Liu and her mother chopped firewood, while Xuemei was responsible for picking up branches and then filling a basket with branches from the trees and bringing it home to start a fire.
More than an hour later, Xuemei had secretly used the space to load half a cart of twigs, and the backpack was also full.
"Dad, I've picked up almost half a cart of branches. How much firewood have you chopped?"
Father Liu put down his hatchet, looked at the bundled firewood and said, "We already have two loads. I'll carry them downstairs and put them on the cart. I'll take one load back first. You and your mother can rest here for a while while I get more firewood. If you're hungry, eat some of the sweet potatoes I brought this morning. I'll go home and get a pot of boiled water."
After Liu's father left, Xuemei walked over to Liu's mother. "Mom, take a rest!"
Mother Liu put down her hatchet, found a flat surface, picked a few leaves and used them as cushions to sit on. Xuemei also sat down next to her.
"Mom, I dreamed last night that there was a treasure on the mountain. It's nearby. Come with me to see it later, okay?" Xuemei pulled Liu's mother's arm and acted coquettishly.
"Okay, you lead the way and we'll go take a look." Mother Liu wanted to take the opportunity to see if there were any mushroom nests she had missed.
Xuemei brought Liu's mother to a pine forest and began looking for treasure, but they found nothing after searching for more than ten minutes.
"Okay, Xuemei, let's go back. Your father will come looking for us later."
"Mom, look for it a little longer. I remember it's right here. I think it's next to a small hill." Xuemei said and went to look for the hill. After searching for a while, she didn't find anything. When Xuemei was about to leave the hill, she slipped and fell down.
"ah!"
"Xuemei, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Liu's mother walked over and asked anxiously.
"Mom, it's okay, come here quickly."
Mother Liu walked up the hillside and asked, "Xuemei, are you really not hurt?"
"Mom, no, this hillside is not very high, and there are a lot of leaves underneath. My butt hurts a little, and I just rolled down and landed on my butt first. Mom, you stepped on the rocks next to you to get down, there really is a treasure here."
"Mom, look what this is. I just picked up some leaves from the ground and wiped my hands with them. I could only see it after I pushed them aside."
Liu's mother was surprised to see a large Ganoderma lucidum. They had never seen one in the mountains in all their years. This was the first time they had found one. It seemed they would have to take Xuemei's dream seriously. She parted the leaves nearby and found five smaller Ganoderma lucidum, likely from recent years.
Mother Liu carefully picked the Ganoderma lucidum and put it in her coat pocket. "Xuemei, let's go back!"
When Liu's father arrived, he saw Liu's mother and Xuemei coming from the other side of the mountain. Liu's father went to meet them and saw what Liu's mother was holding in her pocket, her hands still protecting it well.
"Hey! You two found mushrooms again!"
"Dad, it's not a mushroom. I found a treasure. Mom said it's Ganoderma lucidum." Xuemei whispered beside Liu's father.
Father Liu was startled upon hearing this, but quickly calmed down. He took the Lingzhi mushrooms from Mother Liu's pocket and wrapped them in leaves. The large one weighed about a pound, and the five smaller ones weighed about three ounces each. He then told Mother Liu to hide them among the bushes in her backpack and take them home. Father Liu continued to gather firewood with Xuemei in the mountains.
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