The Chicken Cong mushrooms tasted best before their caps unfurled, when the stems were crisp and tender while the caps remained soft and silky. Stewed, stir-fried, pan-seared, or deep-fried—they were exquisite no matter the method.
Liu Datie was reveling in his role as the golden miner. Halfway through digging one up, he paused to take a deep, intoxicated breath. “Once I make some money, I’ll get you all a phone that lets you smell scents…”
“This aroma is really so fragrant… I just want to take a bite right now!”
A special fresh fragrance permeated the entire space, mingled with the scents of soil and green grass. Far from unpleasant, it spurred the flow of saliva. Even unwashed, it smelled this irresistible—what must it taste like cooked? Liu Datie didn’t dare imagine.
{Man, this sucks!}
{Shut your trap! It’s sour! Stinky! No way it tastes good!}
{Chicken Cong’s gotta be three hundred per catty this year… An unopened one like that? At least double.}
After all, it was still early in the season, making them a rarity on the market. Pure wild ones like these required scouring the mountains by hand, putting them leagues above the cultivated black Chicken Cong varieties. Sky-high prices were only natural.
Chen Ji wasn’t digging as quickly as Liu Datie. By the time Liu Datie finished his share and wandered over, Chen Ji had only completed half. Liu Datie dumped his plastic bag, brimming with Chicken Cong, into Chen Ji’s backpack basket. “Let me give you a hand!” he said eagerly.
The phone, resting nearby, dutifully captured Liu Datie’s industrious figure.
{Woo woo woo, I’m starving!}
{What insane luck! That bunch has to be two or three catties, right?!}
{That’s gotta be worth thousands!}
{Can Da Tie run a giveaway? Share some mushrooms…}
{Wake up upstairs—fresh mushrooms are a nightmare to ship, and overnight they’re nowhere near as good as day one. If they were this tasty, why would they still be just a local specialty?}
Chen Ji was pleased by Liu Datie’s enthusiasm. As they dug side by side, Liu Datie asked, “Brother, what’s the best way to cook these mushrooms?”
“They’re delicious however you prepare them.” Chen Ji had nothing better to do, so he selected two Chicken Cong from the basket, rinsed them with his mineral water, and pulled out some solid alcohol fuel and a tin foil box. Before long, oil sizzled atop the foil as the unique fresh scent transformed into a rich, mouthwatering aroma that filled the woods.
Liu Datie swallowed hard but remembered his live audience. “One fire on the mountain means a police station visit below! We’ve got professionals here, folks—don’t try this at home! Protect the forest; it’s everyone’s duty! We’ll douse the flames and clean up the trash live later, so rest easy!”
Chen Ji prodded the Chicken Cong in the foil box with a pair of disposable chopsticks. “You’re pretty professional yourself.”
“Love what you do, and… Ow—!” Liu Datie hadn’t finished before he tripped with a thud. Unbeknownst to him, Fifth Grandpa had slithered right up to his feet. Liu Datie’s heart quaked, his hands shook, and he blurted out in a craven whimper, “Fifth Grandpa, mercy—!”
Chen Ji had spotted it earlier and assumed Fifth Grandpa was just passing through—this was its territory, after all. He turned with a smile. “What brings you here, Fifth Grandpa?”
The Five-Step Snake glided elegantly past Liu Datie’s leg, its scales gleaming with a dark purple sheen as they brushed his calf through the thin fabric of his pants. Liu Datie was on the verge of tears. It reached Chen Ji’s side and raised its head without a hint of formality. Chen Ji stroked its chin, only for the weight to shift as Fifth Grandpa coiled onto his palm and wound itself around his arm.
Its head remained haughtily elevated as a lazy voice drifted into Chen Ji’s ear: 【Fragrant…】
Chen Ji instantly understood. He pinched off a piece of Chicken Cong that had browned nicely, blew on it, and tested the temperature with his fingertip. “Fifth Grandpa, hold on—it’s still a bit hot.”
The snake subsided, lounging comfortably on Chen Ji’s smooth, pale arm. Unfazed, Chen Ji blew on the morsel a few more times until it was the right warmth, then held it to Fifth Grandpa’s mouth. “Here you go, Fifth Grandpa. Ahh—”
The Five-Step Snake parted its jaws, and Chen Ji fed it the piece. It lowered its head again, seemingly savoring the flavor. Trembling from head to toe, Liu Datie stammered, “B-Brother… Fifth Grandpa’s… deadly venomous…”
“No problem—Fifth Grandpa doesn’t bite friends.” Chen Ji plucked half a cooked piece from the box. “Wash up and give it a try.”
The live chat scrolled furiously.
{Bro, your life matters!!!}
{Deep woods like this—no hospital in time if it bites!}
{Heh, only you guys would buy it.}
{Probably a pet Five-Step Snake—toothless or venom glands removed!}
Chen Ji was endlessly patient. He’d cool a piece of Chicken Cong for Fifth Grandpa, then prepare the next. But the mushrooms were piping hot, taking time to cool. Growing drowsy, Fifth Grandpa stretched its jaws in a wide yawn.
Two slender, crescent-moon fangs sprang from its upper jaw, flaunting their menace for all to see—and the phone camera captured it faithfully.
{Fangs, right? Those are fangs! Speak up, you idiot upstairs!}
{Heh, no fang pull means they just cut the venom glands?}
{Live streamers these days—what won’t they do for clicks!}
Liu Datie had wanted to warn Chen Ji further, but seeing his calm demeanor, he gave up. He took the foil box aside to eat, his mind racing through grim scenarios: Chen Ji bitten, him charging with a stick yelling “Hyah!” to fling Fifth Grandpa away, smashing its head, performing first aid, calling forest rescue…
“Holy crap, this is delicious!” Liu Datie couldn’t hold back his tongue; the words burst out. His eyes transformed—from tense worry to wide-eyed shock, round as saucers.
Chen Ji looked up with a smile. “Told you. Once we’re back, I’ll make oil Chicken Cong. It’ll last you days.”
“Yes, yes, perfect!” Liu Datie nodded vigorously, overcome with emotion. The words tumbled out: “Foster Father above, accept your child’s bow!”
Chen Ji waved it off. “No need at all!”
The chat erupted in laughter. Chen Ji fed the final bite to Fifth Grandpa and wiped its mouth with a wet wipe. “More, Fifth Grandpa?”
【Want…】 The raspy, languid voice echoed in Chen Ji’s ear.
Chen Ji pondered for a moment. “How about coming with me to the flat clearing? We can dig some bamboo shoots to eat together?”
The Five-Step Snake nodded with elegant poise. Chen Ji grinned. “Ride in the basket?”
Receiving no objection, Chen Ji deposited Fifth Grandpa into the backpack basket, where it nestled atop the pile of Chicken Cong like a natural mattress. Liu Datie had offered to carry it but fell silent at the sight.
—Foster Father above, forgive this unfilial child! Fifth Grandpa is just too terrifying—child dares not!
Chen Ji shouldered the basket himself. Liu Datie dutifully extinguished the fire and tidied the trash before picking up the phone to continue onward. “It rained this morning,” Chen Ji advised. “Look closely—if you see any bumps in the ground, they might be mushrooms.”
“Oh, got it, got it!” Liu Datie replied eagerly. It wasn’t spinelessness on his part; in the face of such transcendent flavor, few kept ironclad resolve—especially for something so minor. It wasn’t like he was kowtowing… Well, okay, he had bowed three times.
But only to an animal. Liu Datie could live with that.
“Could be snakes or other critters, though,” Chen Ji added. “Best to use a stick.” He paused, reached behind a nearby tree, and relaxed with a smile. “Still here.”
“What’s still here?” Liu Datie turned and saw Chen Ji retrieve a straight branch, over a meter long. His eyes lit up; he snatched it and swung it experimentally. “Foster Father, this peerless divine sword—is it truly for your child?!”
{Grass, dying laughing hahaha.}
{If I’d had that sword in my youth, oilseed rape for ten kilometers around would be headless!}
{Bro’s a national treasure. How does he have everything?}
Chen Ji inclined his head. “Go ahead and play with it.”
Fifth Grandpa poked its head from the basket, its triangular skull resting on Chen Ji’s shoulder. Chen Ji gave it a jostle—solid as a rock.
What should have been a half-hour trek for Chen Ji stretched into twice that under Liu Datie’s lead. He’d spot a mushroom and ask if it was edible, shriek at every snake, and once crashed through a sapling in his glee—like a husky romping wildly through the woods.
The haul was impressive, though. Chen Ji’s basket brimmed with mushrooms.
Watching Liu Datie gleefully harvest Fragrant Mushrooms up ahead, Chen Ji glanced sideways at what seemed to be a dozing Fifth Grandpa on his shoulder. Suddenly, he felt a pang of pity for it—as a snake, it craved cooked food, especially mushrooms…
Everyone knew some mushrooms were inedible raw, toxic enough that animals avoided them. And most fungi tasted far better cooked anyway; raw-eaters were few and far between.
When it came to misery, Fifth Grandpa took the crown.
Chen Ji stroked its head fondly. Fifth Grandpa cracked open its eyes and gazed lazily at him, rubbing against the warmth of his palm as if savoring it.
Chen Ji chuckled softly. “Fifth Grandpa finish the milk tea?”
【Mm…】
Question marks filled Chen Ji’s mind as he subtly eyed Fifth Grandpa’s belly. Where had the milk tea gone?
A monster’s appetite was truly an enigma.
Liu Datie, having gathered his fill of Fragrant Mushrooms, bounded back exuberantly. He pointed at the bright sunlight piercing the distant canopy. “Are we almost out? Can I forage a bit longer in the woods?”
Chen Ji shook his head. “Close enough. No room left once we add bamboo shoots.”
Liu Datie had no choice but to nod. Chen Ji led him out of the woods. Bamboo grew incredibly fast, and that patch of Sweet Dragon Bamboo Forest should have yielded a good haul by now.
Chen Ji asked Liu Datie whether he wanted to wait for him at the clearing or tag along. Of course Liu Datie wanted to go with Chen Ji. He glanced around. “Brother, hold on a sec. I gotta take a leak.”
Chen Ji nodded and waited right there.
Liu Datie had already picked out his spot. He headed behind a large tree, hanging his phone off to the side where it could only capture the view behind him. He undid his pants to relieve himself. Unbeknownst to him, a faint white shadow flickered into existence at his back. When he stood up, he felt a sudden weight settle on his shoulder.
He muttered a few words under his breath and rubbed at his shoulder, which had inexplicably started to ache and grow stiff. Then he grabbed his phone and went off to find Chen Ji.
