Yang Chunyan saw the bun still on the steps, and remembered the Yeerba inside, so she hurried to the backyard to get it, "Mom, Ning'an sells Yeerba, we bought some, and it tasted good, soft and not sticky, so Huai'an bought some back, and we can eat it after heating it up."
"Ye'erba!" Zhou's mother took it with a smile and opened the lid of the pot. "I haven't eaten it for many years. If you like it, why don't you buy some sprouts? I'll steam it for you."
Yang Chunyan handed her the steamer grate and asked, "Do you know how to make it?"
Mother Zhou took it and put it in the rice steamer, then put the Yeerba inside. "I saw my grandma make it before. It can be made with glutinous rice flour."
Yang Chunyan then remembered that she had not soaked the rice for wine and ground it into flour for glutinous rice balls. "I'm already twenty-seven, it's time to soak the rice and grind it into flour for glutinous rice balls."
These days, the flour for making glutinous rice balls is all water-ground flour ground with a stone mill. Glutinous rice and rice are mixed in a certain proportion and soaked in a bowl. The mixture is ground into rice slurry and put into a white cloth bag, which is then hung on the beam to drain the water. The leftovers are broken into small pieces, dried in the sun and kept for later eating.
Mother Zhou smiled and said, "I made it last night. The third and second sons are grinding it at the old house. Your third aunt said we were busy, so she sent some glutinous rice cakes over. I bought white sugar and brown sugar when I went to the market. We also have walnuts, sesame seeds, and peanuts at home."
Yang Chunyan smiled and nodded, "Then we'll make it after dinner. Make some with brown sugar filling and some with sesame filling. You can make whatever flavor you like."
At this time, the old man came into the yard carrying pig grass on his back, "Youngest, let Village Chief Liu Qu eat at home, and let you cook two more dishes."
Yang Chunyan nodded, "Okay, what does grandpa want to do?"
The old man: "It seems that he is asking the youngest brother whether he will still harvest herbs next year. I think he wants to ask you about growing herbs."
Yang Chunyan felt that there were few fields and many hills in the mountains, so reclaiming some wasteland to grow medicinal herbs was a solution.
After hearing this, Zhou's mother said worriedly, "Yan'er, don't agree to anything you ask. If everyone grows herbs, they will be everywhere and the price won't be high enough."
"Also, if you make money, it will be good for you, me and everyone else. But if you can't make money and you meet unreasonable people, I will cause trouble for you."
The old man said: "That's right, it's fine to use the barren mountain land at home. If you use the fields to plant, it will delay the planting of grain, and I don't agree with you doing it."
Yang Chunyan felt that what they said made sense. She thought that Zhou Huaian was much more experienced now, "Don't worry, Huaian should know what to say."
…
In the back mountain, Zhou Huaian took Qu Qiulin towards the forest on the mountain that had not yet bloomed. The cockscomb and codonopsis pilosula planted beside the fence had already grown.
After seeing this, Qu Qiulin said, "Brother Zhou, I think you should go dig up some thorns, rose hips, and peppercorns and plant them along the fence. When they grow up, people and animals won't dare to get through the fence."
Zhou Huaian: "I know about prickly rose pepper, but what is a sheep's horn thorn?"
Qu Qiulin smiled and shook his head, "I don't know either. We like to plant these on the edge of the field to prevent wild animals from burrowing into the ground and destroying the crops."
"We plan to find some thorny roses or roses to plant in the spring." Zhou Huaian pointed to the medicinal field and said, "Brother Qu, what do you think of my medicinal field?"
Qu Qiulin smiled and shook his head, "To be honest, I can't recognize many kinds of herbs. Many of them look like weeds grown on the edge of fields and in the woods."
Zhou Huaian felt that what he said was really true, "Herbs, herbs are just wild grasses! My wife said that there is no idle grass in the mountains, knowing it is a treasure."
"Yes, that's what the herb collector said!" Qu Qiulin pointed at the Codonopsis pilosula next to the fence. "I have quite a few Codonopsis pilosula seedlings. If you want me to send them to you next time."
"Okay!" Zhou Huaian walked up the mountain side by side with him, "How many wild bees are there over there?"
Qu Qiulin nodded. "There are hornets, wasps, yellow jackets, rock bees, and native bees in the mountains. No one dares to touch hornets, wasps, and yellow jackets, but some people harvest native honey and rock honey."
Zhou Huaian: "Don't deal with wasps and hornets. You might lose your life if you are not careful."
"Of course not. Last year, someone from our village went into the mountains and was stung by a wasp. He died before he could even get down the mountain."
"Next time someone gets stung, try using half-flowered lily or violet yedoensis... mash it up and apply it on the stinger. Ordinary bee venom will work, but wasp and hornet venom are too toxic and probably won't work."
"We also have elders who use seven-leaf aconite flower and half-flowered aconite to treat snake venom and bee venom." Qu Qiulin said a little embarrassedly, "I'm waiting for you for another favor. Is anyone buying the herbs you grow?"
Zhou Huaian smiled and said, "You guys want to grow herbs too?"
Qu Qiulin: "Old people in the village also grow some herbs for their own use. I think it's better to sell herbs to make money. If it can be grown, I will let the villagers grow some next year to try!"
After hearing this, Zhou Huaian felt that he came too suddenly. Planting herbs, like planting crops, both depend on the weather. If the weather is not good and the crops fail or the price is too low, he cannot take the responsibility.
"This is our first year of planting. We thought that since we have reclaimed the barren hills, we wouldn't lose much if we tried planting for a year. If it doesn't work, we can plant corn and potatoes next year. Why don't you let everyone reclaim the wasteland and try planting there?"
Qu Qiulin smiled and shook his head. "We have already reclaimed all the barren hills that can be reclaimed. I'd better wait until the household contract responsibility system is implemented and then try it out on my own land."
Zhou Huaian agreed: "Yes, even if you lose your own land, no one will ask you to compensate for the loss."
"Yes!" Qu Qiulin sighed, "After I became a village cadre, I found that the elderly in the village are not only conservative in their thinking, but also like to show off their seniority. Sometimes I even want to quit my job."
Zhou Huaian smiled and changed the subject, "I want to collect some winter honey. If you are free, please go find some and send it to me. Winter honey is 7.8 yuan per pound, and summer honey is 5.8 yuan per pound. When you send the honey, you have to pack the honey of each population separately."
Qu Qiulin nodded happily after hearing this, "Okay, I'll send you some truffles when we send them out after the New Year."
The two men walked to the top of the mountain and took a look around. Zhou Huaian saw that some of the three-leaf viburnum and epimedium that were destroyed by the Xiong Guangyao brothers were dead and some were not.
When I saw the two cut down Magnolia officinalis trees, I thought about getting some branches for grafting while I was looking for honey. I wonder if they can survive?
And those mountain incense that were hit by bamboo poles, many of them have wilted, and I don’t know if they can survive?
…
After going down the mountain and having dinner, Yang Chunyan took two packets of brown sugar and two handfuls of noodles, and asked Zhou Huaian to go to the room where the coal was piled and get two strips of bacon as a return gift for Qu Qiulin.
After a few polite words, Qu Qiulin happily accepted it. Zhou Huaian sent him to the door of Zhou Huairong's house before turning around and walking back.
When I got home, I saw Yang Chunyan and Zhou's mother peeling peanuts and walnuts at home. The old man and Zhou's father were sitting at a low table smoking leaf tobacco. I thought of giving the gold jewelry I bought to my eldest brother and the others while they were away.
He turned around and went back to the house to get the gold he bought, and returned to the backyard, handing the velvet bag to the old man, "Grandpa, this is what Chunyan and I bought for you." Then he handed it to Zhou's father and mother respectively, and said with a smile, "We bought it for you."
Mother Zhou picked up the bag and said with a smile, "It looks like it should be a good thing. This bag is worth a few dimes."
Father Zhou was happy, but what he said was not pleasant at all, "Why do you need such an expensive bag to hold it? You are the only one who is so extravagant!"
"You are such a jerk!" The old man rolled his eyes at him and said to Yang Chunyan cheerfully, "Your husband is just like that. He never said a good word when I bought him something. Don't buy anything for him in the future."
"Oh my god! My god!" Zhou's mother screamed as she looked at the earrings and rings in her hands, "Yan'er, youngest, is this real gold?"
Yang Chunyan looked at her with a smile. Zhou Huaian nudged her to signal her not to say anything, and sat down opposite Zhou's mother with a smile, "How about you take a bite first?"
Zhou's mother's tears welled up in her eyes and she said in a nasal voice, "Ha! It's so ugly to have a tooth mark!"
Zhou Huaian said with a smile: "Don't be afraid, you will wear it if you bite it yourself!"
"You unlucky kid!" Zhou's mother patted him with a smile, "Old man, why don't you take it out and see what your youngest bought for you?"
The old man remembered what Zhou Huaian had said to him last time about buying a gold ring. He opened his bag, poured the ring into his calloused hands, and scolded with a smile, "You prodigal son, did you really buy it?"
Zhou Huaian looked at him with a smile, "How dare we tease you, old man!"
Father Zhou also poured out the ring. Looking at the golden thing in his palm, the corners of his mouth unconsciously raised, and the fine lines at the corners of his eyes became more and more numerous.
"This thing is only worn by wealthy landlords in the movies. If old peasants like us wear it, it will almost attract thieves!"
"Go away! If you can't speak, get out of here." The old man put the ring on his thumb and said, "This life is worth it."
Yang Chunyan said to Zhou's mother, "Mom, your ear holes are still there. I'll put the earrings on you and see if they look good."
"How can gold not look good?" Zhou's mother held her hand and said, "Mom knows you are filial. I will put it away and wear it later, otherwise people will envy me."
The old man nodded, "Your mother is right!"
Zhou Huaian frowned and said, "We bought it with our own money, not by stealing or robbing. Let others gossip if they want."
"Youngest, you have to remember, make a fortune quietly, the first bird to stick its head out gets shot!" The old man took off the ring and carefully put it back into the bag, "Many people can't even afford to eat now. This thing is too eye-catching. Let's put it away first and wait for someone to wear it in the future!"
Yang Chunyan felt that what Zhou's mother and the old man said was right. Too much publicity would only cause more jealousy and hostility. "Grandpa, you can put it away and take it out when you want to wear it."
The old man nodded with satisfaction, "Okay, we'll keep it for ourselves."
Father Zhou thought so too, and put it in the bag and handed it to Mother Zhou, "Put it away and wear it later!"
Mother Zhou smiled and nodded, "That's fine!"
"I'll put it away and lie down for a while before getting up again." The old man stood up, patted Zhou Huaian, walked through the kitchen and returned to his room.
He sat on the edge of the bed, took out the ring, looked at it over and over again, and murmured: "Old woman, you are not mistaken, the youngest son you love the most is now capable, and the whole family depends on them! The couple and their brothers have earned more wealth than we can earn in several lifetimes..." (End of this chapter)
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