Chapter 236 Give You a Big Winter Melon

"Uncle Wang San!" Su Ying came to the vermicelli factory, where Wang Sanlang and others were pounding fern roots.

After several months of unremitting digging, the kudzu roots in a nearby area have almost been dug up. We have to wait until autumn for new kudzu roots to grow out.

It is spring now, and fern roots and young stems are growing all over the mountains. When the women dig fern roots, they pick a lot of young stems as well.

Nowadays, vermicelli factories all use fern root powder, and occasionally some konjac powder.

The picked fern roots and tender stems can be washed and blanched, and can be eaten cold, stir-fried, or dried and made into dried vegetables, which can be used for roasting meat, stewing soup, or braising.

"What's the matter?" Wang Sanlang stopped what he was doing and said, "Aying, I'm afraid our vermicelli factory won't last long."

"Who said that?" Su Ying asked.

“Even though there are hundreds of thousands of mountains, we can only mine around the village and we dare not go deep into the mountains.

There is only one harvest per year, and we can’t harvest it endlessly. We have to give it time to grow, and even planting it will take two or three years.”

Wang Sanlang was worried about the decreasing production.

"There are many things that can be used to make vermicelli, including other crops. Once the fern roots are dug up, we can switch to making new vermicelli." Su Ying replied.

"Are there other crops that can be made into vermicelli?" Wang Sanlang's frown relaxed, and he asked hurriedly, "What?"

"Mung beans!" Su Ying said with a smile.

"Really? That's great!" Wang Sanlang said happily.

"There are a lot of mung beans and soybeans planted in every corner of the village. Several families have rotated their crops and cultivated their land according to what you said. They are quite old and young, so they will be busy for a while."

Su Ying smiled. This amount was not enough. She would have to trouble the grocery store to buy a large amount of soybeans and mung beans, so that she could squeeze oil from the soybeans and make vermicelli from the mung beans.

These two kinds of beans are full of treasures. We should make full use of them and not waste anything. We will also have a series of soy products on the market.

In autumn, tea oil is used again

In the future, we will focus on high-quality products such as mung bean vermicelli, soybean oil, and tea oil.

The village was poor at that time and could only rely on fern roots, kudzu roots, and konjac vermicelli to make a living.

By popularizing it, more poor people can earn money and have life-saving food in times of famine.

(A tribute to Professor He Jiaqing, the father of Chinese konjac! He researched konjac at his own expense, traveled extensively across China, and promoted konjac cultivation to farmers in impoverished mountainous areas. He eventually died of cancer.)

"Oh, Aying, now that you mention that, I, I suddenly feel less panicked! Haha!" Wang Sanlang smiled foolishly.

The other men and women who were working were overjoyed and wished that the soybeans and mung beans would be cooked immediately.

"Don't worry. The early stages of starting a business are difficult and the most tiring. We will slowly improve the equipment and try to reduce the intensity of labor." Su Ying looked at the simple workshop and felt it was too backward.

"Not tired, not tired!" Everyone said in unison. As long as they have income and enough food to eat every day, this little bit of tiredness is nothing.

"Aying, what were you going to say just now?" It took Wang Sanlang a long time to remember.

"How long will it take you and Uncle Zheng to make this abacus?" Su Ying took out the blueprint.

"What is this used for?" Not everyone has seen it like Yang Chunhua.

"Instead of using counting rods, I just attended a class on counting rods and it was too slow. It would be better to use an abacus.

This thing is used by the Imperial Astronomical Observatory to calculate the calendar and weather conditions. We can use it for accounting, it's faster and more convenient than counting sticks." Su Ying borrowed Yang Chunhua's words.

"This method is clever!" Everyone present was amazed.

"What material should be used?" Wang Sanlang, Zheng Silang and other carpenters pondered.

The most difficult thing to make are the abacus beads, which have to be rolled into balls and have holes drilled in the middle. An abacus requires 119 beads.

"Wood, bamboo, stone, and iron are all fine. It depends on how convenient you make it." Su Ying didn't care, as long as it could be used.

"How much do you want?" Wang Sanlang asked again.

"Well, there are sixty-three children in the village school, plus a few teachers. Um, we should make seventy-five frames, right?" Su Ying calculated.

I also want to send one each to Mrs. Hu, my father, and my third uncle.

"Hiss, so many?" Wang Sanlang exclaimed.

They were just worried about not having the raw materials to make flour, but now they have to do carpentry work, which is so exhausting.

"In the future, the children will be able to make a living with this accounting skill. If they have the opportunity to take the mathematics exam in Chang'an, it will also be a strong point." Su Ying said with a smile.

"Okay, we'll go back and think about it later!" This concerns the children's future, so we have to rub it out even if our hands start to smoke.

Su Ying came out and stood at the intersection looking outside the village.

Why hasn't the promised thresher arrived yet? The wheat is turning yellow, and in half a month, it will be time for harvest.

"Aying, what are you looking at?" Gao was picking vegetables under the eaves.

"I'm seeing if anyone is coming. The wheat is almost ripe, but the thresher hasn't arrived yet!" Su Ying sighed.

"It's still early! Don't worry, Lord Lu will definitely send it over!" Gao was calm.

"Grandma, why are you so sure?" Su Ying smiled and chatted with Gao.

"Isn't Lingnan Dao a special grain administration area? This is no joke. How could he, a provincial governor, not know the seriousness of this matter?

If he hasn't arrived yet, he must have been delayed. He'll definitely be here before the wheat harvest," said Gao.

"Wow, grandma, you really see things clearly!" Su Ying praised.

"Haha, you've just been eating salt for a few years, that's not that great. If you want to talk about greatness, it has to be you!" Gao said as she stood up.

"Come on, I'll give you something, use it to cook."

Last night, the Su family sent over a bowl of mutton and green onion dumplings, and the grandchildren were overjoyed.

Gao divided five of them and sent them to Old Man Wang's house.

After A He was adopted, he became Old Man Wang's grandson. Since we were relatives, I would give him some good things. It wasn't much, but it was a token of my thoughtfulness.

When she saw Su Ying, Gao remembered the winter melons stored in the cellar. She had no other gifts to give in return, so she used the winter melons to make up the number.

"Grandma, does your house have a cellar?" Su Ying followed Gao to the shade behind the house.

There is a hole on the small slope, more than one person high, covered by a bamboo sieve.

"Put the leftover vegetables, dried vegetables, and grain in there." Gao untied the sieve to let in some air.

Walking down the ladder, there are several jars and pots, and a few winter melons piled on the ground.

"Here, take it!" Gao picked up a winter melon weighing about 20 kilograms. "I don't have anything to give you in return, so I'll give you this big winter melon."

"This is too big, grandma. I can't finish it!" Su Ying held the heavy winter melon.

"It's okay, just cut as much as you want to eat. It won't go bad if it doesn't get greasy!" Gao didn't care.

Winter melon can be kept for several months without being cut, and it can be kept even longer if stored in a cool cellar.

When eating, cut as much as you need from the whole winter melon. The remaining portion can be kept for several days without going bad as long as you do not peel it and do not let the cut surface get greasy.

"Thank you, grandma!" Su Ying went home carrying the big winter melon. If she had known earlier, she would not have looked around at the village entrance.

"Oh, where did you move from? Winter melons don't grow in this season!" Wei was shocked.

Go out and pick up a big one.

Yang Chunhua covered her mouth and laughed. This was planted by her mother. She was so rare!

When harvesting winter melons, he gave me one as a gift. It is still at Wang’s house now. I wonder if you have eaten it?

"Grandma gave it to me! It's a big one, and I said I couldn't finish it, but grandma didn't care and insisted that I take it away!" Su Ying shook her arms, feeling so sore and exhausted.

"You little girl, at this time of year, I give you a winter melon, which is very precious, but you start complaining!" Mrs. Du smiled and poked her daughter's forehead.

"I know it's precious! Even grandma's family can't bear to eat it!" Su Ying leaned on her mother.

Such a big winter melon, if we only cook it and eat it at home, we can only stir-fry it or make soup with the conditions at home, which is a waste.

It has to be delicious so that it won’t be wasted! What should I make?