Chapter 57: A Bountiful Harvest from the Mountains

But there was nothing to be done about it; with such tight work schedules every day, Han Li, who didn’t like wandering around the village, rarely had the chance to get to know anyone unless they were in the same work team. Among the few educated youths in Shanghe Village, Han Li was almost a celebrity—tall, handsome, and the first among them to build his own house. It was only natural that he stood out.

Han Li shook the bag in his hand with a smile and said, “I haven’t been here long myself, and these little creatures aren’t easy to catch; I haven’t managed to get many yet.”

“That’s all you’ve got? Then you’ll have to work harder, Han. There’s very little meat on these things; you need to catch enough for yourself at least, don’t you?”

Han Li nodded with a grin, then bent down to continue catching snow frogs. Once he’d filled the bag, he bid the man farewell and headed home.

Carrying the sticky bag, Han Li entered the house and was just setting up a small stool to deal with the snow frogs. Since he had brought back such a large haul, he needed to at least appear to be working, so he left the street door open.

Hao Hongmin, hearing the commotion, came over. Seeing Han Li was fine, she quietly let out a sigh of relief. “As long as you’re alright. Last night, a few of us came by and knocked, but there was no response. We thought you might be ill.”

“Hey, when did you build this eave? Why does it stick out so much?”

Han Li replied, “I put up the framework for a porch yesterday afternoon. When I have time, I’ll turn it into a proper porch.”

“I had a little to drink last night and went to bed early, so I didn’t hear you knocking. Was there something you needed?”

At his words, Hao Hongmei’s cheeks turned red. Though she hadn’t been the one to suggest coming over last night, and in the end she hadn’t gone, she still felt embarrassed when she remembered. Just then, the snow frogs in the bag began to croak.

“So you went out in the rain early this morning just to catch frogs?”

Han Li replied, “These are local snow frogs, not just any ordinary frogs.”

“They’re not only delicious, but also particularly beneficial for women.”

“Beneficial?”

“Yes, snow frogs help delay aging, nourish and beautify the complexion, and moisten the lungs. Don’t you think that’s especially good for women?”

Hao Hongmin’s eyes instantly lit up, gazing at the frogs—or rather, the snow frogs—in the bag with a glowing expression.

The phrases “delay aging,” “nourish and beautify the complexion,” and “moisten the lungs” echoed endlessly in her mind. Women of any era care about their appearance, no matter their looks.

“Where did you catch them? Are they easy to get? Let’s wake the others and go catch some too.”

“I caught them by the riverbank; snow frogs don’t jump fast, so they’re fairly easy to catch. But it’s still raining—are you sure you want to get wet for them?”

Han Li’s question gave her pause. Last night, Yun Jingjing had complained of a stomachache, and the rest weren’t feeling great either. If they got drenched today, those few days of the month would be even more miserable.

“Well…”

Seeing her hesitation, and not wanting to clean and kill each frog himself, Han Li offered, “How about this: you help me clean the snow frogs, and we’ll have a feast together.”

“Alright, leave it to us. We’ll take care of the main dish for the meal,” Hao Hongmin replied quickly, then hurried off to call the others to help, as if afraid Han Li would change his mind.

Soon, a chorus of lively voices sounded, and all five girls arrived in Han Li’s courtyard.

Yun Jingjing remarked, “This eave wasn’t here yesterday morning. You really built such a big project in the rain.”

Yun Yingying added, “No wonder you didn’t answer us last night—you must have been exhausted.”

Han Li smiled, “Not really. I wasn’t all that tired, but I did have a little to drink, so I slept soundly. Now that you’re all here, these snow frogs are yours to deal with.”

With people to help, Han Li was happy to relax and didn’t mind them eating everything. After all, he still had plenty stashed away in his special storage—he could always bring out more whenever he wanted.

Sitting by the street door, Han Li watched to see if any villagers might be willing to trade snow frogs, and at the same time enjoyed the sight of the young women working in the porch. He had to admit, watching pretty girls busy at work was a pleasure in itself.

Ahem… best not to dwell on that.

At noon, everyone gathered for a meal together, and as they ate, the rain outside finally stopped. The voices of aunties and older women could already be heard, calling each other to head into the mountains to pick mushrooms.

The villagers wasted not a moment; as soon as the rain ceased, they hurried into the hills.

“I’m heading up the mountain after lunch, too,” Han Li said. “The aunties say that after rain, mushrooms sprout up everywhere like weeds.”

“I heard the same yesterday,” Yang Xiuying agreed. “Let’s go together after we eat.”

“I plan to go a little deeper into the mountains, so I won’t be with you,” Han Li replied. “The paths will be slippery after the rain, and it’s easy to get your clothes wet. If you go, be careful not to catch cold. Stick together and don’t wander too far.”

He couldn’t help but nag a little, and the girls were warmed by his concern. Two of them even thought that perhaps it wouldn’t have been so bad if Han Li had opened the door for them last night.

After finishing his meal, Han Li slung his basket over his back and quickly made his way into the mountains. He greeted villagers along the way with a smile, and, guided by a sparrow, ventured deeper into the forest.

Before long, he saw wild mushrooms carpeting the hillsides, and immediately set to work. He focused on collecting the best varieties—any that caught his eye went straight into his pack.

Pine mushrooms, hazel mushrooms, morels, field mushrooms, boletes, and, to his delight, he even found the legendary monkey head mushroom.

Hazel mushrooms were famous in the northeast for the classic dish of stewed chicken and mushrooms, made with farm-raised chicken and these very mushrooms. Morels were renowned worldwide as rare, edible, medicinal fungi, with a unique aroma and rich nutrition—said to boost the kidneys, invigorate, refresh the mind, and even have anti-cancer properties. Boletes, once dried, filled the house with their fragrance and were particularly delicious in stews.

These high-quality mushrooms were Han Li’s main targets—he didn’t let a single one slip by, no matter the size.

The golden oyster mushroom, also known as elm-yellow mushroom, was said to lower blood pressure and cholesterol when eaten regularly—a perfect food for the elderly or those with cardiovascular disease.

Han Li scarcely paused in his gathering, continuing until dusk began to fall. As he was about to head back, he spotted two large fallen trees ahead. The trunks were covered in brown wood ear mushrooms. He couldn’t possibly leave such a bounty behind after the rain—it would be a crime not to collect them.