Brother Yang led a few people out of the mulberry forest and walked towards the forest where wax gourds grew. When they got there, they saw only a few wax gourds hanging sparsely on the vines.
There are a few cat shit melons growing on the small bush next to it, but unfortunately they are not ripe yet.
Cat shit melon is a clumping deciduous shrub of the Akebia family. Cat shit melon and wax gourd are from the same family, one matures in August of the lunar calendar, and the other matures in October or November of the Gregorian calendar.
When ripe, the fruit is blue-purple, sweet and juicy. Because the shape of the fruit resembles cat poop, some people call it "cat poop melon", others call it "cat poop" or "ghost fingers".
Another peculiarity of the cat shit melon is that while other melons and fruits produce one fruit per flower, this one produces three fruits per flower. The fruits are green before they are ripe, and turn purple-blue when ripe.
Its seeds are high in oil, the oil is edible, tastes delicious and nutritious, and its peel is rich in rubber.
The roots and fruits can also be used for medicinal purposes, with the effect of clearing away heat and detoxifying. The roots and fruits of cat shit melon are used as medicine. Digging the roots and boiling them in water can treat vaginal itching and prolapse of the anus, and the fruits can be boiled in water and taken to treat hernia.
Yang Dongmei looked at the cat shit melons and said with a look of regret: "They are all similar fruits, why does one ripen earlier than the other?"
After hearing this, Brother Yang laughed and said, "Brother, come dig some next year and plant them beside the vegetable garden. Then you won't have to search all over the mountain when you come back for the Mid-Autumn Festival."
"It's fun to go up the mountain and find food to eat, but it's also good to dig a few and plant them back home."
Yang Dongmei smiled and picked a wax gourd with a small cut on the skin and handed it to Wang Zhen, "Doctor Wang, try the sweet and juicy wax gourd from Hengshan."
"Thanks!"
Zhou Huaian looked at Wang Zhen in surprise, "Hey, brother, you haven't even eaten wax gourd, have you?"
Wang Zhen smiled and said, "You look down on me, don't you? Go to the market tomorrow and see if you can find wax gourds and myrtles for sale there."
A few people picked all the ones that were about to ripen, walked forward, and when they came to an area where myrtles grew, they picked some more. But when they saw that it was getting late, they walked straight back.
Zhou Huaian and Brother Yang were used to carrying heavy loads on mountain roads, so it was fine. However, after Wang Zhen crossed the ridge and walked down the mountain for a while, he felt that the backpack on his shoulders was getting heavier and heavier, and his legs felt like they were filled with lead, and he walked slower and slower.
Seeing this, Yang Dongmei hurriedly called out to Yang Chunyan and the others who were walking in front, "Sister, let's take a break!"
Yang Chunyan and the others stopped and waited until they got there. They saw that he was sweating profusely. "Wang Zhen has never carried anything on a mountain road before. Let's take a break. We will carry it."
Yang Dongmei smiled and said, "Sister, you carry the basket and I'll carry it on my back!"
Wang Zhen wiped the sweat off his face and said, "It's okay. I'll just take a break."
Yang Dongmei felt distressed when she saw his face flushed, "Don't be so stubborn. This is your first time climbing such a long mountain road. You can't walk fast with all the stuff on your back."
Wang Zhen: "Go home and massage your muscles to relax them, and then soak in hot water and you'll be fine."
After resting for a while, Yang Dongmei carried the backpack and Wang Zhen rushed to help carry the basket and the backpack. They went down the mountain tired and breathless. They put down the backpack at the bridge and went to the small ditch in Xiadilong.
Zhou Huaian went into the water and picked up the first trap, which contained peach blossom fish, white striped fish, and a large silver carp. "We can make a pot of pickled fish."
"I'll go see if Big Brother has caught any good stuff."
Yang Dongmei excitedly dragged Yang Chunyan to where Brother Yang put the trap, only to see that he had already brought the trap to the shore. Inside the trap were several small crucian carps the size of a palm, a black fish weighing more than a pound, as well as loaches and whitefish.
"There are more fish in this cage, but not as big as that bigmouth carp."
"These are enough for us to eat. Let's quickly take the pheasant and fish back and put them in the pot."
"We have to get that musk deer out when we get back." Brother Yang happily carried the trap and went to the intersection with the two sisters to meet up with Zhou Huaian and Wang Zhen, then went home with the backpack on their backs.
Before entering the yard, she heard Xiao Jiuer crying. Yang Chunyan hurried in and saw Yang's mother holding him and spinning around on the steps.
"Oh, you're finally back!" Mother Yang hurriedly handed the child to her. "It was fine at first, but it just stopped working after waking up. It's been crying for more than ten minutes."
Yang Chunyan held the crying and hiccuping little Jiuer in her arms, patted him gently on the back, and coaxed him softly into the house, "Don't cry, mommy is going to the mountain to look for mountain products. We found a lot of things today, and even shot a musk deer and a pheasant. I'll make soup for you later!"
Xiao Jiuer took two sips of milk, looked up at her, sobbed twice, and pouted his aggrieved mouth as if he was about to cry again.
Yang Chunyan kissed him and said, "My dear Jiuer, Mommy didn't abandon you. This is my husband's home, which is Mommy's family home..."
"Sister!" Yang Dongmei came in and put the basin aside. She walked up to the mother and son and pinched his little ears. "How can he understand such a small kid?"
Yang Chunyan patted him gently, "Tell your aunt, she will understand!"
"Mom said she fed him milk and some rice noodles before he went to bed, and asked you not to feed him too much."
"Well! Bring the basin closer so I can wipe the sweat off my body!"
"I'll make it for you!" Yang Dongmei squeezed the handkerchief for him, "We came back late, and my sister-in-law has already cooked the old duck soup."
"Duck soup is good, it won't make you so hot." Yang Chunyan wiped it and felt much better. She carried the child to the backyard.
Zhou Huaian and Wang Zhen were peeling the skin of musk deer. The musk had been taken out and hung under the eaves. Mother and Father Yang were drying turmeric, and Brother Yang and Sister-in-law Yang were killing fish.
When Dashuang and Xiaoshuang saw her coming, they came over with two crisp persimmons and pulled Xiaojiuer's little feet, "Brother, eat persimmons."
"My brother hasn't grown any teeth yet!" Sister Yang brought a chair over. "You like to eat raked persimmons. I've covered two baskets with pine needles and hawthorns. You can take them back when you go back."
Yang Chunyan: "Two baskets are too much. If you can't finish them when you take them back, they will go bad."
"My brother-in-law has a large family, you can take some back and share it with each family." Sister Yang looked at her gratefully, "Chunyan, thank you and my brother-in-law!"
In the past two years, thanks to the business of collecting truffles and red mushrooms that they gave them, they built a new house at home, bought land in the county town and built a new house, and they also have savings in the bank that earn interest...
Yang Chunyan smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, look at what you said, we are a family!"
"Yes! We are a family! Please sit down, I will go to cook the fish!" Mrs. Yang happily cleaned up.
Zhou Huaian and Wang Zhen peeled the musk deer skin, hung it up, and took it back to Lao Xiazi for nitre processing.
The two of them chopped the meat into two pieces, one for Yang's mother to give to her close uncles and aunts, and the other Zhou Huaian took with mooncakes and pastries and took them all to Yang Weidong's house.
He thought that once the wine cellars in the oven were dug, the three wine cellars would be able to store at least three to four thousand kilograms of wine, so he planned to store another three thousand kilograms of wine.
After hearing this, Yang Weidong looked at him with a smile, "Four thousand kilograms have been shipped over, and you still want to order another three thousand kilograms. It seems that your truffle wine is selling well!"
"I really don't know. After they took the wine away, they haven't replied. I thought the new wine cellar has been dug, so I'd better order the wine as soon as possible to avoid running out of low-alcohol wine later."
"That's true. Low-alcohol wines are hard to sell in consignment stores and restaurants, and your family wants the most. Don't worry, I promise to prepare them for you once your wine cellar is dug."
Zhou Huaian smiled and nodded, "How about giving me three more jars of your cellar wine?"
Yang Weidong glared, "I only gave you two cylinders last time, and you want three more. Look in the cellar, I only have five cylinders left."
"It's not like I didn't see it. It's the low-altitude five-cylinder. You didn't even count the high-altitude ones!" Zhou Huaian smiled and raised two fingers at him, "Give me at least two more cylinders!"
Yang Weidong had a look on his face that said, "I'm afraid of you," "I'll give you a little at a time, a little at a time, I'll just pay for it all!"
Zhou Huaian pointed at him happily and said, "Give it all to me. Will you keep your word?"
"All for you!" Yang Weidong responded unhappily, and then he started laughing at himself. "I plan to renovate the house and expand the winery. You can take it with you to help me earn some capital."
Zhou Huaian looked at his somewhat dilapidated mud-walled house and said, "It's time to repair it."
Yang Weidong nodded and said, "Last year I planned to build a brick house in the front yard and hire someone to build a small two-story rammed earth house in the back yard, which will be convenient for storing wine and grain in the future.
My old man is worried that if we use our family fortune to expand the winery and the same thing happens again, we will never be able to recover. A few days ago, when I saw that Weiguo had built such a bright and spacious house, I went to have a drink with my second father, and he agreed when he came back. "
"All old people are like this. When I was farming herbs on the mountain, my grandfather and old man were also worried about this and that. Now that they have tasted the sweetness, they still support us to do it!"
"My old man is different. He and my grandfather were bullied during those years. My grandfather was also killed during that time. I dare not do anything unless I convince him."
Zhou Huaian patted his shoulder and said, "Now it's all right, just work hard!"
"You have to do it when no one else dares to do it. Once everyone starts, there will be nothing left to do." Yang Weidong took a puff of his cigarette. "Just like your truffle and red mushroom business, when everyone gets jealous and starts looking for ways to do it, there will be no profit."
"Great!" Zhou Huaian gave him a thumbs up, "Brother's business brain is really good!"
"You're brainwashing me again!" Yang Weidong smiled and slapped him, "I'm far inferior to you!"
"You're the one who fooled me!" Zhou Huaian looked at him with a smile, "I'm going to go back to eat first. Remember to bring the five cylinders to me tomorrow!"
"That's great!" Yang Weidong walked him out, "I heard your hotel has a shop?"
"Yes, but none of them have been rented out!"
"The station has just been built, and gradually more people are renting shops. Please leave me a shop closer to the front."
"Okay! I'll tell Wang Zhen when I get back and I'll reserve the one closest to the station for you." Zhou Huaian looked at him, "How about we go over and have a couple of drinks together?"
Yang Weidong waved his hand, "Next time we get together, today is Mid-Autumn Festival, it will be bad if you are not at home."
"Then I'll leave first!" Zhou Huaian waved his hand and walked towards the Yang family.
Today is a festival, and the villagers started preparing dinner early. Along the way, the aroma of twice-cooked pork, braised pork, and fish with fermented black beans kept filling my nose.
"Whose cooking is so good? It makes me drool." He touched his stomach and walked back quickly. (End of this chapter)
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