Chapter 12 Digging for Bamboo Shoots
Breakfast was, as usual, fish and vegetable soup.
Inspired by the sight of drying vegetables, Su Yun stared thoughtfully at the bamboo sofa in the hall for a long time. With so many bamboo utensils in the house—winnowing baskets, fish baskets, and carrying baskets—there must be bamboo growing nearby. So Su Yun made a quick decision to go out and look for traces of bamboo.
Speaking of which, I've watched a lot of wilderness survival shows before, and they all say that bamboo is a goldmine for survival in the wild. It's very versatile, and you can use simple bamboo to make simple fishing cages, weave utensils, make fishing rods... there are so many uses for it.
Moreover, there are so many bamboo shoots in early spring!
This is the perfect time to eat bamboo shoots in spring. The bamboo shoots are so tender and crisp, just thinking about them makes me look forward to it.
After finishing his meal and tidying up, Su Yun, as usual, equipped himself with a knife and a stick and prepared to set off.
I'm planning to go somewhere a bit further away.
She had walked with her back to the sun when she came before, and entered the village from the northeast. The village is on the southwest side, and thinking about it, she hasn't been there yet.
"It's probably over there," Su Yun thought, resting his chin on his hand.
Counting the days on his fingers, Su Chen realized it was early spring, a season with a high chance of bamboo shoots. He then grabbed a bag and a hoe, intending to go and check. If there were indeed bamboo shoots, he would dig some up while he was at it.
Speaking of bamboo shoots, they are absolutely wonderful.
Fresh bamboo shoots can be dried or pickled. You can also stir-fry pickled bamboo shoots with chili peppers when you have plenty of chili peppers—it's so spicy, sour, and fragrant! Pair it with some white porridge or noodles, mix it up, and it's incredibly delicious!
Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.
Thinking about stir-fried bamboo shoots with pork and braised duck with bamboo shoots, Su Yun was in high spirits.
She was an expert at digging bamboo shoots. When she was a child, her family was poor, and her grandmother barely made ends meet by selling some of the vegetables she grew and the chickens she raised. There was no extra money to buy snacks, so she relied on the mountains and rivers for food. She often went up the mountain with her grandmother to find food. They often went up the mountain to dig wild bamboo shoots. They not only enjoyed eating them themselves, but also occasionally dug up too many and took them to the market to sell. Freshly dug bamboo shoots with the soil still on them were very popular and sold out quickly.
Because the bamboo shoots at this time of year are not only tender enough, but they are also perfect for stir-frying with sliced meat or cured meat. The crisp and tender bamboo shoots absorb excess oil, neutralizing the greasiness of the meat, making them very refreshing and delicious.
Thinking of the deliciousness of bamboo shoots, Su Yun felt full of energy, and even her steps became much lighter.
With all the tools in hand and the sun in sight, we headed southwest of the village. After walking for about fifteen minutes, we gradually left the village. After a few steps, sure enough, between the gray tiles and the blue sky, we could see a lush bamboo forest in the distance.
Su Yun gave a soft cheer, quickened her pace, and began heading towards the bamboo forest.
The bamboo forest is located in the southwest of the village, peeking out from the foot of a small hill, revealing a corner of verdant greenery. I initially thought it was a small grove, but upon turning around, I discovered that the bamboo forest was actually quite large.
It seems that no one has taken care of it for many years, and it has taken over most of the mountain and even grown into the fields. Judging from how lush this bamboo forest is, it means that there must be a lot of bamboo shoots.
Wow! So much bamboo!
"Bamboo?" Ye Feng, though puzzled, followed closely behind her, carrying a bag.
Before long, they arrived at the bamboo grove. Sure enough, many bamboo shoots were sprouting from the base of the bamboo. Su Yun happily touched the green bamboo stalk and said, "Wow, there are so many bamboos and bamboo shoots here!"
Night Breeze tilted her head slightly, a look of doubt on her face, and asked softly, "Is this bamboo? Is it edible?"
Su Yun smiled, her eyes narrowing into slits, and said, "That's right, this is bamboo. You asked if bamboo is edible? Of course not, but bamboo shoots are!"
Night Breeze: "Son?"
"These smaller ones are bamboo shoots, which are edible before they grow up."
Ye Feng was skeptical, his eyes full of doubt: "Really?" He had seen bamboo before. In the winter before, when he couldn't find anything to eat, the mountains and fields were covered in snow, and the only thing still green was this thing called "bamboo." He was so hungry that he had no choice but to pick a few bamboo leaves and stuff them into his mouth. They were hard and tasted terrible. It would have been better to just hold the snow to fill his stomach. Bamboo was absolutely inedible. He didn't even have the courage to put it in his mouth a second time because of its taste. But the son of bamboo—bamboo shoots—was actually edible?
Ye Feng was a little curious and looked down at Su Yun's hands. She was holding a small hoe and was concentrating on digging up something called bamboo shoots.
It was dark and half-buried in the ground, like a tree stump. He asked again with doubt, "Is this tree stump really edible?"
"Pfft~ A tree stump?" Su Yun couldn't help but laugh out loud, looking at the dark, muddy bamboo shoot in her hand. "You know what, it really does look like a tree stump. Hehehe~ This is a bamboo shoot, and it's really edible!"
The night wind grew increasingly curious, looking at the dark bamboo shoot, and even reached out its paw to poke at it. Sure enough, it was as hard as before, and the surface was very rough.
Is this really edible?
Ye Feng was puzzled, his eyes filled with doubt, but he didn't ask any more questions. Instead, he watched Su Yun's actions.
Seeing the other person's puzzled expression, Su Yun chuckled and said, "You'll find out later!"
As she spoke, she picked up a small hoe and began digging vigorously at a small bamboo shoot that had just sprouted a tiny bud.
Digging bamboo shoots requires some skill.
It's best to first use a small hoe to loosen the soil around the bamboo shoot until the root is almost exposed. Then, give it a good shake and it should come out. If it still hasn't come out, continue digging deeper and finally use the hoe to dig hard at the base of the shoot.
Like this, she dug down along the base of the bamboo shoot, removing a lot of soil. Seeing that the bamboo shoot had become much looser, she then held the base of the bamboo shoot with her hand and shook and pulled it vigorously.
"Ta-da! Bamboo shoots are in hand!" Su Yun cheered.
She was very happy to have easily harvested a plump bamboo shoot. Although digging bamboo shoots required some effort and she would inevitably get covered in mud, it was a great harvest of fresh ingredients!
I'm so happy!
So, Su Yun began his bamboo shoot digging journey, constantly digging for bamboo shoots.
As he dug, the bamboo shoots piled up higher and higher beside him. Su Yun felt like he was playing a post-apocalyptic resource gathering game, a post-apocalyptic survival game, gathering ingredients...
Bamboo shoots +1
Bamboo shoots +1
Bamboo shoots +1
......
"Look!" Su Yun held up a bamboo shoot and handed it to Ye Feng behind him with a smile. Ye Feng reached out and took the plump, hard bamboo shoot, stretched out his paw and scratched it. It was hard, like a tree trunk, an edible tree trunk, or so the human in front of him said.
He just believed it, without reason or explanation.
Looking at the girl's smiling eyes, the sunlight filtered through the bamboo leaves, casting a bright, soft glow on her smooth face, making her seem to glow.
The light before him was dazzling, and he couldn't help but squint slightly. He reached out and took the bamboo shoots, putting them into a bag, and then sat quietly to the side, gazing at the beam of light.
He originally wanted to help, but Su Yun wouldn't allow it. She said the wound would reopen, and with limited medical care at the time, it would be bad if it became infected.
So he could only sit on the ground and watch her quietly, occasionally helping to put the bamboo shoots he had dug up into bags, and keeping an eye on her surroundings to prevent her from encountering any danger.
Although this bamboo forest looks quiet and safe, it is still a bit remote and close to the mountains. Animals are particularly active in the mountains, and there is no guarantee that a mutated rat like the one from that day won't suddenly run out, so we still need to be vigilant.
As Su Yun dug bamboo shoots, he sensed the atmosphere around him. Although it was already noon, the bamboo forest in early spring was still a bit chilly. The wind blew, and the bamboo branches collided with each other, making a rustling sound, like a wild beast roaring in the depths of the forest. Occasionally, a few scattered footsteps sounded like small animals running.
Every time she heard the slightest unusual sound, Su Yun couldn't help but be startled, her whole body tense like a frightened bird. She was a little nervous. Although she was very good at farming, her martial arts skills were not high, so she had to be extra careful. If she found any danger, she had to be the first to retreat. After all, she understood the principle of fighting if she could win and running away if she couldn't.
"Swish swish swish—" Another gust of wind blew by, and the bamboo leaves rustled and made a strange sound. "Tap tap tap—" It sounded like something was running past on the thick bamboo leaves, and the sound was very close.
It feels a bit different from ordinary bamboo poles that are blown by the wind.
Su Yun unconsciously tensed up and stopped what she was doing. She listened quietly to the sounds in the forest, her eyes constantly scanning her surroundings. Unfortunately, the deeper she went, the denser the bamboo forest became, making it difficult to see clearly. She looked back at Ye Feng with some unease, her eyes asking him if something was wrong.
Night Wind didn't receive her gaze. Instead, he focused intently on listening, his expression more tense than ever before. His handsome face was expressionless, except for a pair of slightly dilated golden vertical pupils that shone brightly in the shadows, his gaze fixed on the direction from which the sound came.
This is unusual!
Su Yun didn't dare to make a sound rashly. Instead, she involuntarily held her breath, gripped the small hoe, and watched the surrounding movements with utmost care.
Time is slipping away quietly.
Suddenly everything became unusually quiet, with only the rustling of the bamboo forest in the wind. Everything seemed to have returned to calm, as if nothing had happened.
What's going on?
After a few minutes of silence, Su Yun heard nothing unusual and was about to ask when…
A strange "da da da—" sound rang out again from the depths of the bamboo forest, very close by. Su Yun was about to turn and run away.
Ye Feng, who was beside her, suddenly darted out first. Before she could react, she only felt a blur before her eyes, and Ye Feng's figure had already disappeared into the dark bamboo forest.
Su Yun: !!!
What's going on?
Su Yun was stunned, then gripped the hoe and hurriedly chased after them.
However, before she could even enter the dense forest, Ye Feng had already returned, covered in fallen leaves and clutching a lifeless, fat rabbit in his hand.
Su Yun: ? ? ? !
She stared in disbelief and couldn't help but exclaim, "This is a rabbit?"
Su Yun was completely bewildered. After all that fuss, it turned out to be a rabbit?
The silence and vigilance of those few minutes had made her think she had encountered some ferocious beast, which terrified her.
The result was just a rabbit?
Su Yun was completely dumbfounded, feeling both angry and amused. She was angry because the atmosphere had been so tense just now, and she had been startled by Bai Bai. She was amused because the bunny was so cute and delicious!
"Yes, that was the sound it made just now. I listened for a while before I pinpointed its location and caught it." Nightwind held the rabbit in his hand, his eyes sparkling. "We're having this tonight."
Seeing the kitten's happy expression, it was impossible to scold it. The kitten didn't have any bad intentions; it just wanted to have some extra food for dinner.
Of course, she was the same.
Su Yun's eyes lit up immediately after hearing this: "Great! We'll have rabbit to eat tonight!"
However, wait a minute, Ye Feng's actions and skills just now really surprised him. He rushed out too fast. Su Yun didn't even see his figure clearly. He couldn't help but sigh again at the difference between humans and beastmen.
But he still has injuries, doesn't he?
Su Yun frowned, looking at Ye Feng's chest, and then her expression suddenly changed.
Ye Feng didn't understand why her expression suddenly changed. She was quite happy just a moment ago, so why did her expression change so suddenly?
Su Yun frowned and stepped forward to examine Ye Feng's gruesome chest wound. Sure enough, the bandages that had just been changed that morning were still oozing blood. It had finally gotten a little better, but now the wound had definitely reopened.
"Look, the wound has reopened," Su Yun said, frowning, her tone tinged with concern and reproach. "Does it hurt a lot?"
pain?
Ye Feng paused, looked down at his wound, and saw faint traces of blood seeping out. Did it hurt?
This injury was nothing to him. After all, he had endured even more serious injuries before. The next day, he still had to force himself to find food. Here, not being able to eat meant getting closer to death. Countless eyes around him would only be focused on whether he was about to die and eventually become their food. So, to survive, he had to keep fighting. Therefore, his reaction just now was just an instinct, an instinctive desire for food. So he pounced on it without caring about his injuries.
No one ever asked him if he was in pain.
Seeing that Ye Feng didn't speak, Su Yun assumed it was because he was in a lot of pain, so her tone softened and she said in a low voice, "You can't move around anymore. You're still injured. We'll have to reapply the medicine when we get back. We've already dug out most of it, and we can't carry any more. Let's pack up and go back."
"Okay." Ye Feng silently agreed, sat down to one side, and stopped moving around.
Su Yun quickened her pace, gathered the bamboo shoots and the rabbit, put them all into a bag, and headed home.
When I got home, the first thing I did was check on Ye Feng's wounds.
Due to the sudden strenuous exercise, Ye Feng's wound tore open again, leaving a bloody mess that was a truly gruesome sight.
"Sigh~" Su Yun sighed softly, "The wound has reopened, it must hurt a lot, right?"
Ye Feng's face remained calm as always, showing neither pain nor sorrow. Only when he saw the girl's worried gaze did his expression soften slightly, and he said softly, "It's alright, it doesn't hurt."
"Of course it hurts, look, you're bleeding." Su Yun clearly didn't believe his explanation. "Sigh~ It's not your fault. There's so little food here, there's nothing we can do about it. But, but, you can't do this again next time."
Night Breeze: "Hmm? What should we eat?"
Su Yun's words made a lot of sense, and I was speechless, after all, I was just a weakling. But the other party was still injured, and we couldn't exactly send an injured person out hunting, could we?
Although Su Yun was very unsure of herself, she still braced herself and said, "Leave the food to me for now, I can manage!"
Night Breeze looked at her soft, delicate arms and legs, his eyes filled with suspicion: "Hmm?"
Facing Ye Feng's questioning gaze, Su Yun forced a smile and continued, "Well, whatever, I'm quite good at catching fish! We can talk about other things after you're healed! Just focus on getting better and resting..."
Su Yun kept giving instructions, feeling both heartache and helplessness. The little cat, who was seriously injured, still had to take on the responsibility of supporting the family. What a world!
Su Yun sighed inwardly again, then glanced at Ye Feng's pale face, and immediately made a decision.
We need to find some medicine!
However, this village is remote and small, with very few resources, let alone medicine. Even if there is medicine, most of it is expired. Although expired medicine can still be used in emergencies if it does not spoil.
If there are any prerequisites.
I've checked several households over the past few days, and the medicines and such were really scarce.
Moreover, most of them were weathered and decayed.
We'll have to look for herbs.
Looking at the gruesome, bleeding wounds, Su Yun began to consider what herbs would be best for internal use. However, she wasn't very knowledgeable about herbs, only recognizing some of the most common ones like dandelion, centella asiatica, plantain, honeysuckle, and isatis root...
It's not just to treat Ye Feng's wounds, but also to prepare for the future. What if he gets sick one day and has difficulty moving around? Wouldn't it be too passive to go looking for him then?
It would be better to dry some herbs in advance, so that you can just grab a handful and boil them when it really matters.
Alternatively, she should try to go to the city and obtain more supplies. If she wants to survive in the apocalypse for a long time, she can't rely on this small village of a dozen or so households alone.
Thinking about how Su Yun incorporated the collection of herbs into her work plan, she realized that this was for Ye Feng's speedy recovery and also so that she herself would have medicine to treat any future injuries.
But let's treat the wound first.
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