Chapter 13: Mushroom foraging with the children and treasure in the wood

The next morning, Bai Yi Yang woke up at 6.00 am.

Last night she was teaching Bai Yi Ling how to use the smartphone, she help install some apps that is suitable with her age group.

She didn't let her register social media account yet and only use chatting apps, later she can add her friends on her own.

Bai Yi Yang wash her face and brush her teeth before going into the kitchen and lit up the fireplace.

Then using the rice she had soak overnight, she start making rice porridge, then she make half boiled eggs and stir fried mushroom.

Today she didn't need to pack lunch box for Bai Yi Chen so she didn't make heavy food.

This will be enough for the whole family to eat full in the morning.

[3 points earned. Total points: 21]

Bai Yi Yang hummed as she bring the food to the table and went into the house to wake up her siblings.

They are going to enter the jungle early today since they need to go back early too to to go the town later.

The time now is still early, only 6.40 am so the children is still half awake, only Bai Yi Chen is fresh as a dew, he already changed into his work clothes and bring his bag to the kitchen.

After eating he will go straight to the bus stop.

"Are we still going to the jungle today?" Bai Yi Mo ask.

He suddenly remember that her sister promised to bring them along today.

"Of course, as long as you still remember what you promised me." Bai Yi Yang said.

"Err…"

Bai Yi Mo look away and scratch his head.

"Listen to me and don't run around." Bai Yi Yang repeat her words yesterday.

"Of course!"

Bai Yi Mo said, he finally remember.

They usually listen to Bai Yi Yang so its not a problem.

"I will be back around 12.30 pm, there are shuttle van to the town at 1.30 pm so we will use that."

Bai Yi Chen remind them.

He didn't say anything about the smaller one going to the forest because he also have been there before, there were nothing dangerous.

"Alright."

Bai Yi Yang said then they continue to eat their breakfast.

As usual, Bai Yi Chen finished earlier than the rest and when he see that the time is a few minutes past 7, he also leave to work.

Bai Yi Yang let the rest take their time to eat.

As long as they go before 8.00 am, then they can return by 11.00 am. They still have time to dried the mushrooms by then.

"I will go move the mushrooms to the empty fields, it is more sunlight there."

Bai Yi Yang stood up and put her empty dishes to the sink.

"Jie do you need help?"

Bai Yi Ling is almost finished with her food.

"No need. When you finished help you sister snd brother to change clothes, make sure to wear long sleeve and long pants. If can don't let any skin exposed, there are mosquitoes in the woods." She said.

"Understand."

Bai Yi Ling said then she urged the two children to eat faster.

Bai Yi Yang moved swiftly, the mushrooms are only a bit dry but it was lighter than yesterday.

In no time she finished spreading the canvas on the empty vegetables patches and transfer the mushrooms from the basket.

When she enter the courtyard again, the children has changed and Bai Yi Ling is at the store room, choosing suitable baskets for the three of them.

Bai Yi Yang went into the house and changed too.

Today, she will also bring two large basket, one on her back and one sling on her shoulder.

They left the house in high spirit, even the two short one have small basket on their back, hoping to collect mushrooms too.

Bai Yi Yang didn't stop them, the amount of mushrooms that can fit their little basket, they are more than capable of carrying it.

Bai Yi Yang have a plan, when they filled the basket later, then they will leave it along the way so that they don't have to carry it around, they can just bring it when they return.

They don't need to be afraid of people taking their things because this mountain is the private property of the Bai siblings.

People can be sued for trespassing of course they won't really sue if it is not people with bad intention.

Following the same route that she already cleaned yesterday, she lead the children to the area where the morels are.

They took 15 minutes to reach here since the path is already made.

"Be careful not to step onto the mushrooms, its just up front."

She said to the children.

The three people behind immediately become more alert.

They already heard yesterday that these mushrooms can earn them a lot of money, they cannot be careless and damage it.

Bai Yi Yang stopped at an area with a lot of black morels. She put down both baskets and ask the other to do the same.

"See, this is black morels. The colour is black and its head is crinkly, you can see a lot in this area, there too. Use a stick and dig a bit so that we don't damage it."

Bai Yi Yang explain and the kids nod.

Their look is easy to identify so even Fang Fang can understand easily.

What more, they all grow in this area.

Bai Yi Yang pick a stick and demonstrate how to pick the mushrooms.

"Do you understand? Show me how to do it one by one." Bai Yi Yang told them.

They immediately pick a stick and one by one demonstrate to their sister.

It was quite easy so they immediately mastered it.

"Very good. Now we spread out, Xiao Ling and Xiao Wo can pick the one here and there, Fang Fang will follow me over there. If it is too small then let them be, we will pick them later. If you find something different that you don't understand, remember to call me before touching it. Understand?" Bai Yi Yang remind again.

It's possible that they may came across poisonous mushrooms in this sea of morels.

She cannot be careless only because she is excited to see this money on the ground.

"Yes jie, don't worry." Bai Yi Ling said.

"Good. Fang Fang, lets go over there, be careful oh.."

Bai Yi Yang hold Bai Yi Fang hands.

The two quickly start to pick mushrooms excitedly and putting it into their own basket.

After finding a spot with a lot of mushrooms, Bai Yi Yang and Bai Yi Fang also start foraging.

Once in a while Bai Yi Fang will show off if she found a big one, which Bai Yi Yang praised again and again then encouraged her to look more carefully for more.

They gradually moved around and continue to look for mushrooms between the dried leaves and sticks, occasionally Bai Yi Yang will look at the two a few meters away so that they won't go too far, other than that, she continue to forage the morels carefully.

"Jie! We find something new!"

Bai Yi Mo shout and wave from their spot.

He and Xiao Ling seems to have stopped and squat together.

"Alright, wait a while."

Bai Yi Yang look around her a bit more while Bai Yi Fang already want to join the two people squatting.

"Jiejie!"

Now Bai Yi Fang is calling her after seeing that she haven't moved.

"Oh.."

Bai Yi Yang stood up and head over to the children.

"Let me see.."

She was about to explain to the them when her eyes widened.

Isn't this Matsutake mushroom?! She knows that this is a mixed pine tree forest but she wouldn't think that there are Matsutake here.

'System, you could have told me right?' She said to the system.

'Host didn't talk to me the whole day today so I also keep quiet'The system answer.

Is this throwing tantrums?

'Anyway, is there any other Matsutake around here?'

She knows that Matsutake is very hard to find, even if she can recognise it, it doesn't mean that she can find it.

'Of course, since Host has asked. 10 meters forward there are two of them.'

Bai Yi Yang was overjoyed. She wanted to kiss the system if she can.

She quickly squat down and carefully dig deep with the stick and pick the Matsutake before asking Bai Yi Mo to transfer the morels in his basket into her big basket.

"Xiao Mo and Xiao Ling did well, this is called Matsutake mushroom or pine mushroom. The head is round and brownish in colour, the stalk is also brownish like this. It is delicious and very expensive too. The way to pick it is more difficult since you need to dig deeper, if you find something similar then you just call me." Bai Yi Yang explain.

"More expensive than morels?" Bai Yi Mo ask.

"Yes, much more expensive. What more, we will sell it fresh without drying it so it is more heavy. However this is quite hard to find. How about this, the three of you stay around here and try to find more morels, jiejie will go look for more Matsutake mushrooms, after 30 minutes I will return here and we will move to other area." Bai Yi Yang said.

"En, alright." They all agree.

After reminding the three children about picking morels only and ask her about other mushrooms later, she start heading to the location that the system point out.

The children looks for more morels but their focus is also finding more Matsutake mushrooms.

But of course even after Bai Yi Yang returns with half of the small basket full with Matsutake, they didn't find any around them.

Bai Yi Yang had a hard battle in the wood while looking for Matsutake, she didn't have time to clean the bushes and will only slide under the taller bushes, she even met a few hornet nest that she will cleverly avoid.

Well, even with the system help, the one who need to do the job is still her, anyway, it is all worth it.

"You collected a lot more than I thought. Good job!"

Bai Yi Yang can still praise them.

"Fang Fang also collect a lot." Bai Yi Fang said.

With Bai Yi Ling instructions, they transferred all the morels into the largest basket, it was almost full.

They really have a good harvest of morels from this area.

Bai Yi Yang covered the opening with big leaves and put it at the side of the road.

"We leave it here first, later we will take it back. Lets move on."

Bai Yi Yang lead the way again while chatting with her siblings about this and that.

Bai Yi Mo have taken over Bai Yi Fang basket since Bai Yi Yang is carrying the basket with Matsutake in it.

'There is one under the pine tree 5 meters to the left'

Bai Yi Yang stopped and head towards the certain pine tree, as expected there is a Matsutake under it.

"Jiejie is so amazing. How did you see that?"

Bai Yi Mo said full of praise.

"I just has a sensitive nose for mushrooms I guess."

'A very good system actually.' She praise the system.

'At least Host knows how to appreciate'

The system add a comment feeling a bit happy.

Bai Yi Yang secretly release a chuckle as she pick the mushrooms.

Then they arrive at slightly damp area where oyster mushrooms grows.

"I know this, isn't this oyster mushrooms?" Bai Yi Ling said.

"Xiao Ling is so clever. This is oyster mushroom, it grows on trees like this. The younger one is delicious but we can also dried it." Bai Yi Yang said.

She ask the three to collect the mushrooms and put it inside the sling basket.

"I like stir fried mushrooms. I am also curious how Matsutake mushrooms taste like.."

Bai Yi Fang said as she collect the mushrooms on the dead trees.

"We can't eat it, we need to sell it for money. Jiejie said that we can earn a lot from it."

Bai Yi Mo who understand how important money is said to Bai Yi Fang.

"No problem. We can still leave some for us to eat. Later at night, jiejie will grill some Matsutake for Fang Fang to try." Bai Yi Yang said.

"Jiejie is the best! Blerh!"

Bai Yi Fang show her tongue toward Bai Yi Mo.

Bai Yi Mo just humphed and look away, continue picking the mushrooms.

"Xiao Mo is already a big boy, you already know the value of money. Money is good but all of you must remember that we earn money so that we can eat better and live better. So we don't have to be stingy to ourselves, why do we work hard to earn money at the first, isn't it so that all of you can taste whatever delicious things in the world?"

Bai Yi Yang said this to the boy so that he understands that life is not all about making money.

Bai Yi Mo nod. He really was blinded with money for a moment, he was just focused on making money, forgetting the real purpose of it. What use is there for them to have money if his sister can't even eat the good things?

'This child is good. He looks mischievous usually but he is quite matured already.'

'Of course all of them are good' Bai Yi Yang proudly said.

"Xiao Mo is a good boy."

Bai Yi Yang praised out of nowhere while helping him picking mushrooms.

Bai Yi Mo grinned and his spirit is lifted immediately.

"When I grow up, I will give all good things to jiejie, er jiejie and Fang Fang."

He said with a righteous tone.

"Me too, me too! I will give Jiejie, gege, er jiejie and xiao gege a lot of good things." Bai Yi Fang chimed in.

Her resentment towards Bai Yi Mo disappear instantly and they started chatting happily again.