Chapter 14: When I get older, eating comes first

Bobai County belongs to the hilly area in southeast Guangxi in the geographical division of Guangxi. The landform types are complex and diverse, with plains, valleys, basins, hills, hills and mountains intertwined.

The Shuangwang area is a hilly area.

There are many mountains here, but most of them are small hills that you can run to the top of in one breath. In later generations, these hills were planted with lychee trees by every household, so they are also called lychee mountains.

Early that morning, Deng Shirong, who had nothing to do, took a long stick and went to the hill opposite his home to see if he could get some good food to eat.

After going up the mountain, Deng Shirong saw that the myrtle trees had begun to ripen, so he picked a few and tasted them. The taste was still as sweet as he remembered.

However, picking millet fruits was not his goal this time when he went up the mountain. After tasting them, Deng Shirong shifted his attention to the weeds and slowly searched.

As a result, Deng Shirong spent more than an hour searching the entire hill, but he didn't find what he needed. He shook his head with regret.

Deng Shirong’s goal was simple, which was to search for hornet’s nests and various wild mushrooms.

There is no need to talk about the hornet's nest. The bee pupae inside are fried and used to drink wine, which is really a unique way. In later generations, even frozen goods of this thing will be sold for one or two hundred yuan per catty. If it is fresh and live bee pupae, it is normal to sell it for three or four hundred yuan per catty.

As for wild mushrooms, in Shuangwang area, the most famous wild mushrooms are rice mushrooms, pine mushrooms, and arrowhead mushrooms. Whether used to make soup or porridge, the taste is extremely delicious. It is a delicacy that is hard to come by.

In later generations, it is rare to eat this kind of delicious wild mushroom. At least, as far as I can remember, Deng Shirong hasn't eaten it for at least ten years. If someone is lucky enough to pick up such wild mushrooms, many people will rush to buy them even if they are sold for several hundred yuan per pound.

After searching the hill carefully, Deng Shirong still couldn't find a hornet's nest or wild mushrooms. He was mentally prepared for this, mainly because the hill was too close. If there was a hornet's nest, it would have been taken away long ago, and he would not have had a chance to find it.

As for those wild mushrooms, whether you can come across them is entirely a matter of luck.

Take the arrowhead fungus for example. If it grows in the morning, it will be out of date even if you encounter it in the afternoon, let alone the next day.

You have to dig it out in the morning when it just grows out of the soil and looks like an arrowhead, and then go back and eat it immediately. If you are late and wait until the fungus grows and opens completely like an umbrella, it will start to rot and grow worms, and the taste will not be so good anymore.

Because of the harsh conditions, eating this wild mushroom is completely a matter of luck.

Plus, it hasn't rained in the past two days, so it's not a good time to dig wild mushrooms.

Of course, Deng Shirong did not gain nothing. At least he found a nest of termites in a bush, and he immediately memorized the location.

As an experienced rural person, Deng Shirong naturally understood some of the growth patterns of wild mushrooms. Where arrowhead mushrooms grow, there must be termite nests, and they often only grow after rain.

So, Deng Shirong remembered this place and planned to wait for it to rain and come over the next morning to see if there were any arrowhead mushrooms to pick up.

When he got home and saw his eldest son making a slingshot at the door, Deng Shirong said, "Yuntai, after breakfast, if you have nothing to do, go to the mountain and see if you can find a hornet's nest."

Deng Yuntai stopped what he was doing and asked, "Dad, why are you looking for a hornet's nest?"

Deng Shirong took the pipe and took out tobacco and matches from his pocket, saying, "If you find the beehive, burn it and fry the bee pupae inside to drink with it. That's a must."

Deng Yuntai asked in surprise: "Dad, can bee pupae be fried and used to make alcohol?"

It's no wonder he asked this. He had never heard of anyone frying bee pupae and drinking wine since he was a child. Usually, bee pupae are either eaten raw or used to cook bee pupa porridge. This was the first time he heard of frying them.

Deng Shirong stuffed tobacco into his cigarette holder and said with a smile: "Fried bee pupae are fragrant and sweet, and are a perfect side dish for drinking."

Deng Yuntai wondered, "Since fried bee pupae taste so good, why have I never heard of anyone frying bee pupae?"

Deng Shirong struck a match, lit the tobacco and took a few puffs before answering, "What's so strange about this? Every household in the village is so short of oil right now. Who would be willing to use oil to fry bee pupae?"

Deng Yuntai suddenly realized what was going on, and then said with some anticipation: "Okay, after breakfast I'll go to the mountain to see if I can burn a few nests of wasps."

Deng Shirong nodded and said, "Well, if we can't find the hornet's nest, we'll try to catch some fish in the river. We have to have something delicious today."

Deng Yuntai responded. He was only interested in the fried bee pupae his father mentioned. He didn't have much expectation for fish. There were plenty of them in the rivers and fields, but few people in the village would catch them to eat.

The reason is simple, the fishy smell is too strong and it doesn’t taste good.

There are not many rural people nowadays who are good at cooking. Besides, they are reluctant to use oil when cooking, so you can imagine what the fish tastes like. Basically, after eating it once, people will stay away from fish.

Of course, this is also because everyone can eat their fill now. If it were like in the old society when people were hungry, they would rush to catch and eat no matter how unpalatable the fish was.

…

Because he had to build a new house and buy a bicycle, Deng Shirong was under great pressure and did not allow himself to be idle. After breakfast, he walked towards the home of his other cousin Deng Yunjin.

Although Deng Yunjin is Deng Shirong's nephew, he is already 56 years old this year.

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Deng Yunjin has three sons and two daughters. The first four are already married, leaving only the youngest daughter who has not yet found a husband.

If Deng Changfu and his wife were the model couple in the village in their previous life, then Deng Yunjin, their youngest daughter with a high school education, was the best-married girl in Naye Village.

"Jiugong, have you eaten?" As soon as Deng Shirong arrived at Deng Yunjin's house, Deng Yunjin's second son Deng Changquan greeted him.

Deng Shirong nodded and said, "I have eaten. Are your parents home?"

"Yes." Deng Changquan responded, and then shouted loudly into the house: "Dad, Mom, Jiugong is here!" After shouting, he took a stool and a water pipe and said, "Jiugong, light the pipe first."

Deng Shirong sat down and waved his hand, saying, "I just came here after burning two chimneys at home."

As they were talking, Deng Yunjin and his wife came out of the house, greeted each other, and chatted about this and that for a while before they got down to business.

"Yun Jin, how old is your younger sister this year?"

"I'm already twenty-one years old."

Deng Shirong said: "At this age, it's appropriate to talk about the in-laws!"

Deng Yunjin figured out something from Uncle Jiu's words and asked quickly, "Uncle Jiu, do you have a good lead (referring to the man with good personal and family conditions) to introduce?"

Deng Shirong smiled and nodded, "There is indeed a good boss I want to introduce to your little sister."

(End of this chapter)