Chen Hong packed all the large bowls, plates, and small dishes from the table into two large basins and carried them back to the kitchen in two trips.

We can't count on Xiaoyun and the others to do any work now. They're useless; they even overeat cold noodles.

Chen Hong quickly finished cleaning up the restaurant, wiping tables, sweeping the floor, washing dishes and pots, and cleaning the kitchen.

After Xiaoyun and the others had caught their breath and digested their food, they wanted to help Chen Hong with the chores, but Chen Hong had almost finished. All that was left was to feed the dog, chickens, and ducks.

As long as there was work to do, the children didn't mind getting dirty. They carried the dog food and chicken feed that Chen Hong had prepared to the backyard to feed the animals.

Chen Hong looked at them and chuckled to herself. Luckily, she had bought two more batches of chickens and ducks, otherwise there would have been more people feeding chickens and ducks than the chickens and ducks themselves.

After feeding them, Fang Xiaoying and Guan Tao, along with Yu Yang and Nini, brought back half a basket of chicken and duck eggs.

Fang Xiaoying excitedly held the warm duck egg in her hand. "Sister Chen Hong, look, this duck egg was just laid. It feels so warm and comfortable in my hand!"

The fish meal and seaweed powder you fed them really worked! Look how big these duck eggs are! They're almost as big as other people's goose eggs.

No wonder your salted duck eggs are so big, fragrant, and juicy! The ducks must be eating very nutritious food!

"Chen Hong, when we leave, you must give us some of your salted duck eggs."

It's delicious with porridge in the morning or with drinks in the evening. Let's take some back for Lao Fang and Lao Guan to try.

Chen Hong also sat down on the sofa to rest. "Okay, I've pickled quite a few salted duck eggs. I'll bring you more later."

"As for having some with drinks, my family has pickled quite a few preserved eggs. I'll bring you some to take home; they're great for making congee with preserved eggs and lean pork!"

It's already mid-August, and in less than two weeks, it will be almost time for school to start.

The three elders of the Zhou family will be leaving Yujia Village tomorrow. Xiaoyun and Director Jin will also be returning to Beijing in about ten days. This summer vacation is almost over.

Chen Hong thought to herself that the Zhou family was returning to Beijing tomorrow, and she should at least show her appreciation by sending some local specialties.

As a fisherman, the only things I can give away are dried seafood and agricultural products.

With dried sea cucumber, abalone, dried shrimp, and dried fish at home, Yunwu tea is out of the question, and honey can be bought at Wu Zhongyi's Chinese medicine shop.

Last year's wine has already been distributed, and this year's has just started brewing. At worst, we can send out some salted duck eggs and preserved eggs.

This was just an idea that Director Jin had given her. She eats these chickens and ducks every day without realizing it, and the eggs they lay from the chickens and ducks raised on the water in the space are also of good quality! They would be perfect as a gift.

Chen Hong was making plans in her mind, but she was listening to Xiao Yun and Director Jin talking:

"Sister, we picked more than a dozen ears of tender corn and pulled up five or six clumps of peanuts. Let's cook them for the kids tonight!"

Also, a new batch of tender wild vegetables has sprouted in the field. I see quite a few shepherd's purse and dandelion, as well as a lot of tender sow thistle.

We dug up quite a lot; it's been years since we've had wild vegetables, and I'm really craving them. Could you cook some for us tonight?

Chen Hong suddenly realized why they came back so late! They were so engrossed in digging up the tender wild vegetables that they couldn't move.

Chen Hong laughed and asked Director Jin and Mrs. Guan, "Aunt Jin and Aunt Guan, you don't also want to reminisce about the past and eat wild vegetables tonight, do you?"

Director Jin and Mrs. Guan both laughed heartily: "Chen Hong, the wild vegetables in the orchard are growing so big and tender, they look so delicious!"

Isn't it strange? I planted shepherd's purse in my yard in Beijing, fertilized it, loosened the soil, and took such good care of it, but it just wouldn't grow well.

They grow everywhere in your orchard, cornfield, peanut field, and under the pear trees.

No one planted it intentionally, and no one weeded or managed it, yet it grew exceptionally well.

If this were in Beijing, other fruits and crops wouldn't count; people would dig up wild vegetables every day and sell them at the market, making a good living.

In Beijing's vegetable markets, those wild vegetables that grow small and tough still sell for five or six yuan a pound!

With such a large orchard, you must make a lot of money just from selling wild vegetables!

Xiaoyun said, "You couldn't eat it all, so you hoed it up like weeds. It really hurts to see you do that!"

Mrs. Guan also said, "Now it's all the rage to eat wild vegetables in big cities, and they're even more expensive than greenhouse vegetables in winter!"

These wild vegetables are grown without fertilizers or pesticides, retaining their original flavor; they are pure, natural, green, and organic.

Nowadays, vegetable yields are high and there are more varieties, but they are becoming less and less flavorful and less and less tasty.

The wealthier people are, the more they prioritize healthy and safe food. In large supermarkets, fresh, tender, and robust vegetables are less sought after than withered, golden-brown wild greens!

Chen Hong understood this without them having to say it: the overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides had led to a surge in crop yields, but also a rapid decline in their quality.

People blinded by greed have no bottom line in their pursuit of profit; they don't care about health or how much pesticide residue is left behind.

As long as the relevant authorities don't crack down on these practices, they will only pursue higher output and more money.

Xiaoyun said, "My sister makes delicious shepherd's purse dumplings, shepherd's purse pancakes, and shepherd's purse salad."

Dandelion is delicious whether used in cooking, tofu, soup, or as a dipping sauce.

Sister, I remember that thistle porridge and steamed buns were also very fragrant! Especially when you add soybean porridge, or make them with millet flour or cornmeal, they're delicious no matter how you eat them!

When I was a child in my hometown, I ate all sorts of wild vegetables. What I missed most were shepherd's purse, dandelion, and thistle.

Chen Hong nodded in agreement, "When I was a child, we ate wild vegetables to save food. Now we eat wild vegetables because of their medicinal and health benefits."

Thinking about it carefully, I don't know if society has progressed or regressed.

In the past, the mountains and fields were covered with all kinds of wild vegetables, and since people couldn't eat them all, they were used to feed chickens and pigs.

Now it has become a health vegetable sought after by wealthy people in big cities. Where can we find justice in this?

"But Aunt Jin, if you like to eat them, take the kids to dig up more while they're still fresh and tender these next few days."

Madam Guan asked, "It would be a waste if we dug up too much and couldn't eat it all! We can't go through all that trouble to dig it up and feed it to the chickens and ducks, can we?"

Chen Hong said to them, "That definitely can't be fed to chickens and ducks. Don't you like to eat it? Dig up more; I have a way to preserve it."

You can wash the vegetables, blanch them, and then dry them in the sun. Alternatively, you can blanch them and then freeze them for storage.

Dried vegetables can be soaked and used as fillings for steamed buns, dumplings, and pies.

Frozen shepherd's purse can be used as filling, stir-fried with eggs, made into soup, or served cold after thawing. It can be prepared in various ways and tastes exactly the same as fresh shepherd's purse.

You can dig them up from our orchard. I haven't used any chemical fertilizers or pesticides in the field, so they're absolutely safe, healthy, and have a natural, original flavor!

Mrs. Guan asked, "Will this preserve it for a long time?"

"It's stored well, and it'll last until next spring without any problem. We rural folks used to be so poor, who would dare spend money on vegetables to eat!"

In summer and autumn, our vegetable garden is full of all kinds of vegetables. If we can't eat them all, we dry them. In winter and early spring, we don't have to worry about not having vegetables to eat.

In spring, the fields and mountains are full of all kinds of wild vegetables; even if we can't eat them all, we try our best to preserve them.