That afternoon, Zheng Changhe indeed returned with a good haul of toon shoots. He arrived just as Liu Xiaomei was delivering some dried chilies and chili powder, so he gave her more than half to take back to the village and share with the little girls from earlier that day.
That evening, Juhua scrambled two eggs with the toon shoots and blanched some in boiling water for a cold salad. The shoots were wonderfully fragrant. Being freshly picked, they had a unique, tender, and crisp flavor. Even after the meal was finished, a fresh scent lingered in her mouth.
Qingmu remarked, "Grandma used to pickle these, and they were delicious too."
Juhua quickly asked, "How did she pickle them?"
Qingmu and Zheng Changhe exchanged blank looks. 'How did she pickle them? You just add salt!'
Seeing their expressions, Juhua knew it was useless to ask. "These tender shoots are best eaten fresh anyway," she said. "We barely have enough as it is. There's none left over to pickle."
