On a rainy night, the school beauty knocked on my door and asked for shelter

"It really is wild berries!" Lin Xiaoxiao cheered and reached out to pick them.

"Wait a minute." Shen Xinghe called out to stop them. He stepped forward, skillfully avoiding the small thorns on the bushes, picked a plump, red fruit, and showed it to everyone. "You should choose one that is deep red in color and slightly soft to the touch. That means it is fully ripe and very sweet. Lighter-colored or harder ones will be more sour."

He paused, then added an important safety tip: "Also, never pick or eat wild fruits that you are unsure about."

As he spoke, he handed the wild berry in his hand to Zhou Yue, who was closest to him: "Try it."

Zhou Yue took it, without any of the affectation of a spoiled young lady. She casually wiped it on her clothes, then put it in her mouth. After a gentle sip, her eyes lit up immediately: "Mmm! So sweet! With a hint of fruit tartness, the flavor is very rich, much better than what you buy at the supermarket!"

With the "taste tester's" affirmation, everyone immediately started to get started with great enthusiasm.

Zhao Ya carefully avoided the thorns, selecting the reddest berries. Sometimes, if she used too much force, her fingertips would accidentally get berry juice on them.

She secretly glanced at Shen Xinghe, who was patiently teaching Wang Lan how to distinguish maturity levels. The ripples in her heart caused by him seemed to be tinged with the bittersweetness of wild berries.

Chen Mo and Su Yuqing worked together seamlessly, one clearing away the branches and the other picking the fruit, and soon they had gathered a small handful.

Su Yuqing picked up a piece, but instead of eating it herself, she gently wiped it and then naturally offered it to Chen Mo's lips.

Chen Mo smiled and lowered his head, taking the fingertip from hers. His lips brushed against her fingertip, bringing a slightly tingling sensation.

"Is it sweet?" Su Yuqing asked expectantly.

"It's sweet, you should try some too." Chen Mo looked at her with gentle eyes, and moved his head closer to Su Yuqing, clearly implying something.

Su Yuqing naturally knew what Chen Mo meant by "try it." She glanced at his lips, blushed immediately, and playfully punched him lightly. She then picked another one and put it in her mouth, the sweet taste seemingly reaching her heart.

However, whether the sweetness comes from the fruit itself or something else is unknown.

Wang Lan was the most unrestrained, picking only the biggest ones and stuffing them into her mouth as she went, not even bothering to wipe them. While eating, she mumbled and praised, "So satisfying! This is the true taste of pure nature! Zhe, don't just watch, get started!"

Li Zhe pushed up his glasses and began to carefully select items.

The small patch of wild berries was filled with laughter and cheerful conversation.

Sunshine, forests, fresh air, and the joy of picking their own produce allowed these young people from the city to immerse themselves completely in nature's generous bounty.

At this moment, the pressure of studies and the hustle and bustle of the city are left far behind, leaving only the simplest and purest joy.

Seeing everyone's satisfied expressions, Shen Xinghe's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile.

The sweet taste of wild berries still lingered on their lips and teeth. Seeing that everyone was still enjoying themselves, Shen Xinghe made another suggestion: "If we go a little further into this forest, we might be able to find some other mountain products if we're lucky."

"Anything else?" Wang Lan immediately perked up, filled with the motivation to explore. "Let's go! This is a completely free purchase! The items are good and free."

The others couldn't help but chuckle upon hearing this. Indeed, nature's gifts are the best.

It costs you nothing and is completely natural and pollution-free.

Led by Shen Xinghe, the group walked along a narrow path resembling an animal trail into the depths of the forest.

He hadn't gone far when Shen Xinghe stopped in front of a sunny hillside.

Here grow some low-lying shrubs with serrated leaves, on which hang small, spiky, green balls that resemble miniature sea urchins.

"This is... a chestnut?" Chen Mo, with his sharp eyes, recognized the primitive form of this snack, which is common in city nut shops but rarely seen in the wild.

“That’s right.” Shen Xinghe nodded, carefully using a sturdy branch to pry open the thorny outer shell, revealing the smooth, plump, brownish-red fruit inside. “The period around National Day is the season when chestnuts ripen. However, wild ones are smaller and have harder thorns, so you have to be extra careful when picking them.”

Having learned from their previous experience picking wild berries, everyone was much more cautious this time.

The boys were mainly responsible for using branches to knock and pry open the thorny shells, while the girls were responsible for picking up the fallen chestnuts.

Although the process was somewhat "tricky," the joy of the harvest was indescribable, watching the plump chestnuts roll down the pile of fallen leaves.

"Hey! These are way harder to get than wild berries!" Wang Lan exclaimed, grimacing as he dodged the bouncing spiky balls, excitedly collecting his spoils. "We'll roast them tonight, they'll be absolutely delicious!"

Zhao Ya carefully used a twig to pick up a chestnut, its skin feeling cool and smooth to the touch.

She stole a glance at Shen Xinghe, who was skillfully prying open the thorny shells with a stick. His focused expression and deft movements made her feel that even this somewhat "tricky" picking had become an interesting experience.

Besides chestnuts, they also found several clumps of creeping raspberries on the edge of a more humid woodland. These are small raspberries that ripen in autumn and have a sweet and sour taste. Although the berries are smaller than the wild berries they had seen before, they have a unique flavor.

Even more surprisingly, under Shen Xinghe's guidance, they discovered some newly sprouted goose mushrooms under an ancient chestnut tree. These mushrooms, also known as pine mushrooms or Chongyang mushrooms, are a famous and delicious wild mushroom in Xiangsha and other places in autumn.

The cap is pale yellow, the flesh is thick and fleshy, and it emits a unique mushroom aroma.

"Xinghe, you dare to pick wild mushrooms? What if they are poisonous?" Seeing Shen Xinghe squat down to pick the mushrooms in front of him as if he had found a treasure, Wang Lan quickly stopped him.

"Don't be afraid, this is a good thing, it's non-toxic." Shen Xinghe squatted down and carefully cut it off from the root with the knife he carried with him, showing it to everyone. "This is called goose mushroom, it tastes very delicious, whether it's stewed in soup or stir-fried, it's excellent."

After saying that, he emphasized safety again, "Of course, Wang Lan is right. We must be very careful when picking and eating wild mushrooms. We must never touch any species we don't recognize. This goose mushroom has relatively obvious characteristics and is easy to identify, so don't worry. But if you find other mushrooms, don't rush to pick them."

Besides Shen Xinghe, Chen Mo also recognized the fungus. He had taken many wilderness survival courses before, which included instruction on how to distinguish between poisonous and non-poisonous wild mushrooms.

The characteristics were obvious, and it was a well-known species of goose mushroom, which Chen Mo naturally recognized, so Shen Xinghe did not mistake it.

Zhou Yue immediately took out her phone and started snapping photos of the mushrooms in Shen Xinghe's hand and the surrounding environment: "Then pick more to take home! These are genuine mountain delicacies! We'll have them for a nice meal later!" (End of Chapter)