Whenever Song Wei found a patch of bamboo mushrooms, she would show them to the animals and let them sniff.
“Go search for these. If you find any, give a call.”
The animals took turns sniffing the mushrooms before scattering.
Song Wei dug up all the bamboo mushroom eggs.
She planned to take them back and see if they could still grow if planted.
Bamboo mushrooms grow quickly, but if not picked in time after they sprout, they decay rapidly.
Still, they are nutritious and delicious.
“Awooo~”
Hearing the wolf’s howl, Song Wei headed in that direction.
“Good job, Wolf Two!”
He actually found some.
These guys weren’t raised for nothing.
One after another, the other animals also found bamboo mushrooms.
However, the bamboo forest wasn’t large, so they soon finished searching.
But her basket was almost full, including the bamboo mushroom eggs.
Later, Song Wei also dug up some bamboo shoots. They would be delicious in soup or served cold.
Suddenly, the wolves, foxes, and eagles grew restless, chasing toward the same spot.
Song Wei glanced over and saw something scurrying in panic through the bamboo forest, but it was eventually cornered and bitten.
“A bamboo rat, and such a big one!”
Song Wei’s tone carried a hint of surprise. “Come, let’s see if there’s a burrow.”
This bamboo rat seemed to be in its lactation period.
It had already been bitten to death. She wondered if there were baby bamboo rats in the burrow.
After searching around, they actually found a burrow.
At this moment, Song Wei completely forgot about her pregnancy. She grabbed a hoe and started digging with vigorous movements.
After opening the burrow, she caught six baby bamboo rats from inside.
Each was the size of a palm, plump and adorable.
These little ones didn’t have much meat on them, so she decided to take them back and raise them.
Although bamboo rats have “rat” in their name, they are actually quite clean and only eat bamboo.
Their meat is exceptionally tender and delicious.
Bamboo rats burrow, so she needed to create an environment where they couldn’t dig.
“It’s about time. Let’s head back.”
In the end, Song Wei carried a basket full of goods on her back and ran home holding two large bamboo poles.
Her light and swift movements made Aunt Xinghua and Lin Ping’an extremely anxious.
“Oh, Song Wei, you went into the mountains again!”
Lin Ping’an also cried out, “Sis-in-law, slow down! Don’t fall!”
It was only then that Song Wei remembered her belly.
She slowed her movements slightly.
Feeling a bit guilty.
“It’s fine. I’m perfectly healthy. I didn’t go deep into the mountains, just to the bamboo forest and the surrounding area.”
“You should still take someone with you.”
When Aunt Xinghua went to take the basket from Song Wei, her face darkened as she lifted it.
“How much stuff did you carry?”
Song Wei replied, “Not much.”
Just some mushrooms, wild fruits, bamboo shoots, and bamboo rats.
She really didn’t think it was heavy, nor did she feel the weight of the two bamboo poles.
Aunt Xinghua set the basket down and looked inside.
The six baby bamboo rats were kept separately in a basket, while the adult one was carried by Wolf One.
Below was a basket full of mushrooms and bamboo shoots.
“You’re something else, bringing back so much.”
“I had their help.”
Song Wei patted the heads of Wolf One and the others.
“Are you planning to raise these six baby bamboo rats? They’ll need milk, right?”
“Yeah, we have formula at home that I can feed them for now.”
The formula had been sent by Lin Zhen during one of his long-distance trips.
The previous mother goat had already been returned.
Hearing that she planned to feed the bamboo rats with formula, Aunt Xinghua immediately felt a pang of heartache.
What a waste.
Noticing her reaction, Song Wei explained, “I won’t be feeding them formula for long. Once they’re a bit bigger, they can eat bamboo. I’ll mix bamboo in with their food.”
Aunt Xinghua didn’t say much else. “As long as you have a plan.”
She knew Song Wei loved foraging in the mountains and felt restless if she stayed home for too long.
Pregnant women in rural areas weren’t treated as delicately, but the first three months still required caution.
“If you want to go to the mountains in the future, just let us know. At least have someone with you. It’d be even better if Lin Zhen were back—he could accompany you, and that would be more reassuring.”
“When exactly is Lin Zhen coming back? He still doesn’t know you’re pregnant. He’ll be so surprised when he finds out.”
Song Wei was digging soil in the yard to plant the bamboo mushroom eggs.
“Should be soon.”
Meanwhile, the man being talked about sneezed three times.
“Hahaha… Brother Lin Zhen, someone must be talking about you back home.”
The driver beside him laughed heartily.
Thinking of his family, Lin Zhen couldn’t help but smile.
“We’re almost home.”
“Sure are, finally almost there. Damn, it’s a good thing you were with us this time, or our cargo wouldn’t have made it safely…”
As the truck driver rambled on, Lin Zhen recalled the dangers of this delivery.
Just before reaching Shenzhen, they had encountered a group specialized in ambushing by the roadside to hijack cargo.
Some of them were even armed with guns, though not many.
Fortunately, he had his wrist-mounted crossbow and managed to take down the armed ones while hiding in the truck.
But some on their side had been injured.
That was why they had been delayed longer in Shenzhen.
While his colleague was receiving medical treatment, Lin Zhen hadn’t been idle. He had taken the opportunity to source goods from the local black market.
This was something truck drivers all understood implicitly—everyone found ways to buy and sell goods, and no one pried into what others were acquiring.
The black market in the south was especially lively, with a greater variety of high-quality goods available.
From this alone, Lin Zhen sensed that things were changing rapidly.
He seized the chance to buy small but valuable items: fountain pens, watches, radios, cigarettes, famous liquors, and more.
These items were compact, drawing little attention, yet highly valuable.
Once the injured had recovered, they immediately set off in the truck. At each city they passed through, they inquired about the black market, sold their goods at high prices, and purchased local specialties to resell elsewhere.
They all operated separately, each minding their own business, as was their unspoken agreement.
After all, they had reported to their superiors, and due to the injuries, they were permitted to return later.
Now, they were finally back.
Making money was thrilling but exhausting, with nerves constantly on edge for fear of being caught.
Now that they were back, their hearts finally settled.
No matter how exciting the outside world was, home was where they truly longed to be.
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