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

Su Yuqing also curiously leaned closer to observe, feeling the unique texture and aroma of the mushrooms in front of her, and whispered to Chen Mo, "The old saying is right, people who live near mountains live off the mountains and people who live near water live off the water. There are really a lot of good things in these mountains."

Chen Mo smiled and nodded, watching his companions' excitement and satisfaction at discovering these gifts of nature, and felt that the meaning of this journey far exceeded simple sightseeing.

This is not only a relaxation of the body, but also a precious experience of reconnecting with nature.

Since he didn't bring any containment equipment with him when he came out, the boy simply took off his clothes to store various things.

The girl helped carry the clothes while the boy loaded things onto the clothes, and soon they had a very satisfying haul.

There are bright red wild berries, shiny brown chestnuts, deep purple winter berries, and the precious, enticingly fragrant goose mushroom.

The autumn forests of this land of Hunan and Hubei generously welcomed these young visitors from the city with their abundance and tranquility.

At this time, the sunlight gradually became hotter, and the sounds of various animals and insects in the forest became louder and louder.

With a bountiful harvest and the fresh scent of nature, the eight people finished their breakfast and began their return to the campsite, all looking forward to using the wild delicacies they had gathered to cook a delicious lunch.

When the group returned to camp, laden with the bounty of the mountains and forests, the sun was already high in the sky, and the camp was bathed in the warm autumn light.

The nearby stream murmured and the shadows of the trees swayed, making the colorful tents look especially welcoming at that moment.

"Let's wash our catch by the stream and get it ready for lunch!" Zhou Yue's eyes sparkled as she looked at the various spoils everyone had brought back in their clothes. "Perfect! The ingredients we brought and the local produce Uncle gave us can go perfectly with these mountain delicacies!"

She immediately demonstrated her exceptional organizational skills, assigning tasks: "Wang Lan, Li Zhe, start the fire, and then prepare the chestnuts; we'll have roasted chestnuts for dessert. Chen Mo, you're good with a knife, so help slice the piece of cured meat Uncle gave us, and also chop the green peppers we brought. Xinghe, you know these mushrooms best; cleaning and supervising them is your job. Girls, come with me to wash the vegetables and berries!"

The campsite instantly became lively.

Chen Mo and Wang Lan skillfully lit the stove fire, while Li Zhe carefully used a knife to make a cross-shaped cut on the hard shell of the chestnut.

Shen Xinghe took the precious goose mushrooms, carried a vegetable washing basket to the stream, and carefully cleaned the tiny impurities from the folds of the mushroom caps with the clear water, his movements as gentle as if he were handling a work of art.

Su Yuqing, Zhao Ya, and Lin Xiaoxiao washed the fresh vegetables that the uncle from the foot of the mountain had picked the previous afternoon—bright green bok choy, tender white mushrooms, and a few tomatoes and cucumbers given to them by the farmer.

The bright red wild berries and deep purple wild berries that were just picked were also washed together.

A bunch of colorful fruits and vegetables swayed in the clear water, their colors becoming even more enticing.

Soon the ingredients were ready, and the cooking officially began.

Of the eight people, Chen Mo was the best cook, so the task of cooking naturally fell to him. Those who had nothing to do for the time being simply stood aside and admired his cooking skills.

The first dish Chen Mo made was a delicious and fragrant stir-fried cured pork with goose mushrooms.

He first heated the wok, then added the paper-thin slices of cured pork and stir-fried them. The translucent fatty parts quickly turned golden brown, releasing a rich, savory aroma of oil. Once the time was right, Chen Mo immediately added the drained slices of goose mushrooms to the wok and stir-fried them together with the cured pork.

In an instant, the unique wild aroma of the mushrooms and the rich smoky flavor of the cured meat blended together, creating a mouthwatering complex aroma that wafted powerfully from the iron pot and permeated the entire camp.

"My God, this tastes amazing!" Wang Lan exclaimed dramatically as she flipped the roasted chestnuts over, sniffing towards Chen Mo.

Next up was chicken soup with seasonal vegetables.

Before we set off, the farmer gave us a live free-range chicken and a slaughtered and processed free-range chicken.

The live chicken is still being kept at the camp. We ate half of the processed chicken yesterday, and today we're processing the remaining half as well, since it won't keep for long.

While Chen Mo was making the stir-fried meat, he had already started simmering it over a low flame in the small stew pot that Zhou Yue had brought. At this moment, the soup was clear yellow and had a rich aroma.

Now, the chicken soup is boiling and can be used as a mini hot pot. Before eating, simply put the washed bok choy, mushrooms, tomato slices, etc. into the boiling chicken soup in turn for a quick blanch, which preserves the freshness of the vegetables and the deliciousness of the chicken soup to the maximum extent.

Su Yuqing took the opportunity to use the small amount of rice noodles they brought, along with crushed wild berries and wild berries, and a little yogurt, to cleverly make a sweet and sour wild berry cold rice noodle dish. While Chen Mo was still cooking, she put the prepared food in a basin and used the nearby stream water to cool it down, ensuring that everyone could eat something refreshing and delicious on this slightly hot midday.

Of course, there are also the original roasted chestnuts, roasted in the embers of charcoal fire, which occasionally make a slight "crackling" sound and emit a sweet caramel aroma.

Soon everyone finished their tasks, and the lunch feast began!

The folding table was piled high with food: glistening, savory cured pork stir-fried with wild mushrooms, a steaming hot pot of chicken soup with a small candle burning underneath to keep it warm, tempting wild berry cold rice noodles, tantalizingly roasted chestnuts, and bread and steamed buns brought as staples, which had also been slightly steamed.

Everyone sat together, eager to start eating.

Wang Lan was the first to pick up a piece of stir-fried mushrooms with cured pork. The salty and fragrant cured pork perfectly brought out the ultimate freshness of the goose mushrooms. The texture was smooth and tender with a slight chewiness. He sighed with satisfaction, "It was worth it! This mountain climb was really worth it! You can't even get this kind of taste in a five-star hotel!"

Chen Mo carefully served Su Yuqing a bowl of chicken soup. The soup base was golden with a few golden oil droplets floating on it, and the blanched bok choy was sweet and tender.

Su Yuqing took a sip and felt a warm current flow straight to her stomach. It was so delicious that her eyebrows almost fell off. She smiled sweetly at Chen Mo with a satisfied expression.

Li Zhe was particularly fond of the roasted chestnuts he helped make. Peeling off the charred shell to reveal the golden flesh, he said with satisfaction, "These wild chestnuts are very sweet, and the charcoal roasting brings out the unique aroma of nuts. They're really good."

Zhao Ya savored the wild berry cold rice noodles in small bites. The sweet and sour fruit flavor complemented the smoothness of the rice noodles perfectly. She secretly glanced at Shen Xinghe, who was quietly drinking soup, and felt that the taste in her mouth was even more complex and layered.

Although Shen Xinghe ate quietly, his brows were relaxed and gentle, clearly indicating that he was very satisfied with this lunch, which was the result of everyone's hard work.

Watching Lin Xiaoxiao wolf down her food and rave about it, and seeing the smiles on everyone's faces that said the trip was worthwhile, Zhou Yue felt that this was the most fulfilling and happiest trip she had ever taken. (End of Chapter)