Li Xu walked deep into the dense forest, the fresh scent of pine needles and earth filling the air.
Li Xu's sharp eyes soon spotted traces of wild mushrooms.
Beneath a patch of pine trees sheltered from the wind, he was delighted to discover several clusters of plump matsutake mushrooms.
These matsutakes were pale brown, their caps covered in a layer of fine scales, and they gave off a unique, fresh aroma.
He carefully picked them and placed them in his cloth bag.
Next, by a dead tree stump, he found clusters of golden-yellow porcini mushrooms.
These porcinis were thick and meaty with a smooth, tender texture—a rare mountain delicacy in the winter.
Li Xu gathered and identified them as he went, his eyes like radar, scanning every inch of the surrounding land.
In a leeward part of the valley, he found a patch of vines covered in snow, with oval-shaped fruits hanging from them.
Li Xu moved closer and saw they were wild hardy kiwis.
