Chapter 9: Wild Delicacies Are Worse Than Dog Shit

The food in the mountains had a strong flavor and not many fancy tricks. A basin of meat was mixed with red chili, white garlic, and yellow ginger, the fragrance drilling straight into one's nose, causing one's appetite to expand infinitely.

Liu Quan pointed at the food with his chopsticks and said to me: "Eat! Don't be polite; it's all green food, wild animals. This is the condition in Suxi; we don't have good things, but it's easy to eat wild game."

I picked up a few pieces of wild boar meat, and before I even ate it, saliva was about to leak out.

Old Wang from the cafeteria brought over a large basin of stewed pheasant with mountain mushrooms. Before he even reached the room, the fragrance had already enveloped the entire place. Liu Quan scooped up a ladle of soup, tasted it, and shouted: "Old Wang, what trick did you play? Why is today's soup even more fragrant than usual?"

Old Wang was a very reserved old man. He wiped his hands on his apron and said: "Secretary Liu, this pot of soup has been stewing for a day. I first stewed it with last year's old mushrooms, and then added this year's fresh mushrooms before taking it off the heat."

"Damn it. Good fellow, these mushrooms are expensive as hell in the city. Rich people can't even eat them if they want to, but in our Suxi Township, they're worse than dog shit. Even dog shit has someone who wants it, but these monkey head mushrooms, no one even looks at them."

I asked Secretary Liu: "Why don't you take them to the city to sell?"

"Easy to say!" Liu Quan sighed.

Later, I learned a story. A few years ago, when Liu Quan had just become Township Head, he organized many villagers to go up the mountain to pick mushrooms, saying they would send them to the city to sell for big money. All the men, women, and children in the township went all out, picked a whole cartload, piled it on the cart, and swayed all the way to the city. When the citizens heard it was monkey head mushrooms from Suxi Township, fresh ones, they called their friends and surrounded the cart, wanting to buy.

Liu Quan was full of ambition, standing on the cart and waving his hand to open for business. As a result, the whole cart of mushrooms had rotted into a lump because of the bumpy road and the long time, and it even emitted a strange smell. The citizens dispersed in a flurry, cursing the mountain people for being cunning, trying to trade rotten things for money.

Liu Quan had bitterness he couldn't speak of. Before he could think of a way to deal with it, the city inspectors came to his door, saying he had polluted the environment and fined him two hundred yuan. He hadn't sold a single cent, had paid for the transport, and was fined two hundred yuan. At that time, Liu Quan wanted to die.

We ate until the sky showed a fish-belly white, and everyone was tipsy.

The wine had burned my heart like fire. Liu Quan beside me was slurring his words, and I suggested whether we should stop. As soon as the words fell, Hongyan took over: "Yes, it's time to rest. Secretary Chen has been on the bus for a day."

Liu Quan stood up and said: "Everyone disperse."

He walked to the door, turned back to Hongyan, and said: "Invite Secretary Chen to eat at home this afternoon. I'll tell your mother to prepare."

He walked out as he said this. I looked at Hongyan, and she said a bit embarrassedly: "Secretary Liu is my dad!"

In the afternoon, as soon as I woke up, Liu Hongyan called me: "Secretary Chen, my dad is waiting for you at home."

I said: "I've just arrived and I'm already bothering you, how embarrassing! I'll just eat something in the cafeteria; I'll visit your home another day."

Hongyan smiled sweetly: "I don't have anything to say, but my dad invited you; you go tell him yourself. I've finished my task. You've slept for a whole day, aren't you hungry? My dad went to two places this morning to find some mountain goods for you; this is the first time I've seen him do that. Originally, whether people came from the county or the city, my dad was too lazy to care."

I was truly flattered and scratched the back of my head, smiling embarrassedly.

Seeing my appearance, Hongyan probably found it extremely cute and actually started to smile brightly. The daughters of the mountains have no shyness; they are very open, as open as the big mountain in front of the township government.

"The township doesn't open for meals early or late. Old Wang has already gone back. You'd better come with me." Hongyan happily flicked her braids.

I suddenly discovered that Liu Hongyan had a beautiful head of long hair, woven into two oily black braids, resting very casually on her firm chest. As soon as my eyes touched her full, firm chest, Wu Qian's shadow swayed in my mind.

Wu Qian's breasts were definitely not as full as Hongyan's; her petite chest seemed to have just started developing, barely a handful. But Hongyan's breasts were like undulating mountains, deep and mysterious.

Hongyan seemed to have discovered my gaze; her face turned red, and she turned away unnaturally.

When we arrived at Liu Quan's house, this man was still as enthusiastic and bold as ever. After pulling me into the house, he first took out a bottle of Nanshan Daqu and then ordered Hongyan's mother to serve the dishes.

Hongyan's mother was a very pretty middle-aged woman. She smiled at me, put down a basin of vegetables, and turned to go out again.

"Why hasn't Zheng Gang come yet?" Liu Quan muttered: "Didn't we agree to be early? This kid."

I said: "Police Chief Zheng is coming too?"

"Haha! This kid Zheng Gang is not bad. He's the only gun in our Suxi Township. Originally, a few police officers were assigned here, but the longest one stayed for forty days. Only he has been in Suxi Township for five years. He's a local, after all, and can't leave." Liu Quan was full of praise, his eyes full of kindness. "Hongyan, go take a look, why hasn't this kid come yet? Tell him to hurry up, I want to drink."

Hongyan seemed a bit unhappy and pouted: "He won't come himself, he needs to be invited three times!"

"You little girl! How can you talk like that?" Hongyan's mother said from the side: "There's a guest here, don't talk without thinking." ===== CHAPTER 10 =====