Even the photographer capturing the scene was stunned.
Jiang Lai paused for a moment before looking up at the camera with a smile, whispering.
"I feel like Iâm about to strike it rich."
Yangyang squatted beside her, shouting.
"Getting rich, getting rich!"
[Does Jiang Lai have some kind of insanely lucky disposition?]
[Iâm starting to wonder if the show planted those on purpose.]
[If the show really had the ability to bury so many truffles here, then Jiang Lai would likely have to be the directorâs own daughter.]
[Even if Jiang Lai is well-connected, they wouldnât be foolish enough to bury so many truffles for her to find, right?]
[If Jiang Lai had been a step later, these truffles wouldnât be hers.]
The audience speculated noisily, but Jiang Lai ignored it all. She carefully picked the larger truffles off with her small shovel, burying the smaller ones back in the soil.
Grandma Yang watched this, deeply regretting why she hadnât just reached out to dig around that patch of ground earlier.
Now itâs too late, such valuable treasures belong to someone else.
Suddenly, she said.
"These are mountain treasures. Weâre all mountain folk, so these truffles should belong to the village."
Before Jiang Lai could respond, Grandma Tian stood up and retorted impolitely.
"Youâre greedy all the way to the core! If hers belong to the village, then whatâs in your basket should too, right? Fair is fair."
"Mine are worth so little! Besides, if it werenât for our villagers protecting the mountain, how could they possibly dig these treasures up?"
Jiang Lai nodded.
"Makes sense, then Iâll give all these truffles to Grandma Tian, since our show is here to help impoverished elderly in the village, and the money from selling them goes to the elders. Letâs go, Grandma Tian, itâs getting late, we need to sell these for money."
Ignoring Grandma Yangâs continued muttering behind her, Jiang Lai left with Grandma Tian and took the unique mountain ox cart to the nearest market. This season was the peak for mushroom proliferation, and the market was already bustling with sellers.
Jiang Lai gathered great quality items, selling two pounds of matsutake for nearly a thousand yuan, and the fist-sized truffles went for over two thousand. Adding the miscellaneous mushrooms, she earned over 3,800 yuan in total, handing everything to Grandma Tian.
If it werenât for buyers deliberately lowering the prices, and so many people selling, these prices could be even higher.
Grandma Tian couldnât accept it all; she insisted on giving half to Jiang Lai. In the end, Jiang Lai compromised.
"Alright, if you feel uneasy, just use the leftover mushrooms to cook us a meal. Weâve been here for a while and havenât had an authentic mushroom feast yet."
"Thatâs simple. You should still take the money."
Yangyang suddenly chimed in.
"Mom has money, Grandma, just take it."
Jiang Lai looked at Yangyang silently.
How did you figure your mom has money?
Grandma Tian still felt uneasy and bought plenty of fish, shrimp, and meat at the market, along with fresh celery.
"Some for soup, some to fry with meat, and the rest for dumplings for you all to taste. Absolutely delicious."
Jiang Lai listened, eyes shining.
Yangyang couldnât stop swallowing.
Since coming here, he hadnât had a feast in a long time. Back home, every meal was carefully crafted for him, and seafood and meat were always prepared in diverse ways to encourage him to eat more.
Since arriving here, forget variety, just being able to eat enough was good.
But Yangyang was still very happy because being with Jiang Lai made him happy.
On the way back, they happened to encounter Wang Xuanâer and Dan Dan, who were also selling mushrooms. The two kids gathered together and couldnât stop talking, so despite being irritated with Jiang Lai, Wang Xuanâer had no choice but to sit on the same ox cart as her.
Her partner was an old man, quite familiar with the Light Element and Grandma Tian, the two elders chatting about their recent gains.
"Thanks to Jiang Lai, this year the mountain goods sold over three thousand yuan, enough for a year!"
"Three thousand plus? Thatâs surely enough for a year. I did okay too, six hundred yuan, saving up for when the kids return for a good New Year."
Listening to their conversation, Jiang Lai silently watched the beautiful landscape of the mountains.
Endless mountains stretched beyond sight, their peaks shrouded in mist like the fabled Penglai Immortal Realm, truly a magnificent testament to nature.
Wang Xuanâer couldnât help but be captivated; such grand beauty couldnât be seen in the city. Initially participating in this show for the fame and money, she realized through these days of experience how rushed and weary life used to be.
Just when she closed her eyes to immerse in the cool, misty mountain rain, a sudden buzzing shot straight at her face, followed by a shrill scream that shook the camera lens.
In the lens, a colorful beetle flew straight into Wang Xuanâerâs face, and with her scream, it fell onto her shoulder.
Just a moment ago, she felt serene and contemplated staying longer in the mountains, but the mountain-dwelling beetle scared her into a frenzy, stomping and flailing.
The wet ground wasnât suitable for stopping, and Wang Xuanâer was about to stand.
Jiang Lai patted her shoulder, swiftly catching the beetle attempting to fly off, skillfully grasping its back. Wang Xuanâer, terrified, clung tightly to her waist, head buried in her embrace, still shouting.
"Take it away!! Take it away!! Quickly!!"
"Alright, Iâve got it."
Jiang Lai calmly patted Wang Xuanâerâs shoulder, looking helplessly at the thumb-sized beetle in her hand.
Wang Xuanâer, still trembling with fear, lifted her head to see the beetle pinched by Jiang Lai.
"Kill it! Quickly!"
Jiang Lai flicked the beetleâs shell, launching it outside, the colorful insect soared away.
"Okay, itâs gone."
Wang Xuanâer anxiously confirmed there were indeed no more insects before regaining her composure, realizing what sheâd done, and was overcome with shame.
More embarrassing than fearing bugs was seeking protection by clinging to Jiang Lai.
On some subconscious level, she believed Jiang Lai was capable of anything, even though she disliked her attention-seeking nature, in these days together Jiang Lai conveyed a sense of reliability.
The truth was, she was indeed reliable.
Throughout the remainder of the trip, Wang Xuanâer was subdued, only speaking when they reached the village.
"Thanks for earlier."
"No big deal, beauty falling into my arms like this isnât common."