Chapter 23
Ye Qingyun also tried it and thought that it would taste better if diluted.
She served some to her two children and her parents.
Jiang Si took a bite, and her eyes visibly lit up. "Auntie, what is this? How come it's so, so... just as delicious as the one Uncle gave me last time!"
This is the second time that Jiang Si has tasted something sweet.
The taste of that candy made her feel so happy she almost melted. She never expected to have the chance to taste it again, it was like opening up a whole new world for her.
Jiang Sui was eager to prove that she had tasted sugar before: "Sisi, I told you, this tastes sweet."
"Mmm, it's sweet, so delicious!"
Even Grandma Jiang said, "I thought I would never have the chance to taste sugar in my life."
"Haha, we're all benefiting from Ah Zhi's good fortune."
Ye Qingyun weighed the amount of sugar syrup in the pot. A pot of cotton aphids could be boiled into half a pot of sugar syrup, which was a considerable output. "Dad, do you know how much the sugar cubes at the base sell for?"
Everyone present was intelligent, and they immediately understood Ye Qingyun's thoughts upon hearing these words.
Grandpa Jiang: "I bought a few 50-gram candies before to supplement Ah Hai's nutrition. I remember they were 15 cents each, ridiculously expensive."
Ye Qingyun was surprised: "How can it be more expensive than oil?"
Fifteen points equal fifty grams, so five hundred grams equals one hundred and fifty points.
It's even more expensive than meat.
Grandpa Jiang said helplessly, "There's nothing we can do about it. The base cultivates rapeseed, so rapeseed oil isn't particularly rare. The current yield is also relatively stable, so the supply of rapeseed oil is relatively stable."
Candy, for example, is now considered a luxury item.
Meat can be exchanged for some during festivals, but candy is not always available.
Upon hearing this, Ye Qingyun immediately decided to process these cotton aphids a second time.
Half a pound of cotton aphids can only be sold for 50 points.
However, half a pound of cotton aphids can yield more than a pound of sugar juice, and if made into sugar cubes, it would yield more than half a pound.
This business is better than simply selling meat.
"Mom and Dad, what do you think about processing these cotton aphids into candy?"
Grandma Jiang hesitated, "It's feasible, but these sugar syrups can't be stored for too long. What if we can't sell them—" then we'll be stuck with them.
Ye Qingyun smiled and said, "Mom, don't worry, we can just make these sugar syrups into candies, which will keep them for ten days to half a month."
Jiang Shu asked in surprise, "Mom, you know how to cook?"
Ye Qingyun: "It's not a difficult thing, it just consumes a lot of wood."
In the past, when the older generation had poor living conditions, they would also do some time-consuming handicrafts.
Ye Qingyun had done things like boiling sugar cubes before.
By heating the sugar syrup and allowing the water in the syrup to evaporate continuously, the sugar concentration will increase, causing the syrup to crystallize and form a solid.
Generally speaking, these sugar cubes are very sweet, and a small piece can make a pot of sweet water, making them very cost-effective.
If it is actually made, I believe many people in the base will be willing to buy it.
Jiang Shu was a little excited. "Mom, let's give it a try! Whether I can become a rich second generation depends on you!"
Ye Qingyun was amused: "You little rascal!"
She pushed the bowl of boiled cotton aphids to the ginger tree, saying, "I'll make the sugar syrup; you can roast these yourselves."
Unable to enjoy his mother's special barbecue, Jiang Shu pouted regretfully, "I'll just have to grill it myself. Mom, could you give me the seasoning?"
Ye Qingyun looked at him coolly, "I'll sprinkle it on after you've baked it."
We only have so many seasonings at home; if we gave them to that brat, there wouldn't be enough for him to eat.
Jiang Shu: "Mom! You're so stingy!!"
Ye Qingyun pretended not to hear.
She and Grandma Jiang took out the whole small bag of dead cotton aphids and washed them.
Prepare to cook them one pot at a time.
After boiling, take them out and let them dry, then use them to roast ginger.
Grandma Jiang looked at the single pot and said with some worry, "We still don't have enough pots. It would be great if we had a bigger one."
Before the cataclysm, the Jiang family had never separated, and the pot they still use is the same large pot they used to cook for the whole family; it's not small anymore.
But they have quite a few cotton aphids now, and one large pot is clearly not enough.
If I borrow it, I'm afraid someone with ulterior motives will suspect something; buying it isn't worth it.
Ye Qingyun said, "Mom, let's see how much we ship after we make a batch. If it's a lot, then we'll sell all the candy and buy a couple more pots."
Grandma Jiang thought for a moment and did not immediately agree: "Let's wait until Dashan and the others come back and find out what the situation is before we see what it is."
If we make all the candy but no one can afford it, we'll lose a lot of money.
Ye Qingyun nodded and then instructed Jiang Zhi, "Azhi, weigh the cotton aphids we scooped out later and see how much they've shrunk."
Jiang Zhi replied, "Okay."
Meanwhile, Jiang Shu was already eagerly preparing the barbecue tools.
Before the cataclysm, Jiang Shu was a playful person, and barbecuing was a piece of cake for him.
He took out a barbecue grill from his camping toolbox and used two elm wood blocks as a support for it.
Then he picked out a large handful of cotton aphids from Ye Qingyun to use for the experiment, strung them up, and put them on the table. Finally, he set out a few folding cloth chairs and beckoned to the two children who were watching eagerly: "Come on, Sui Sui and Si Si, help your uncle flip them over. Remember, flip them over when one side turns yellow, and take them out when the edges are slightly charred."
The two little ones nodded happily and sat obediently in front of the grill.
The shrunken cotton aphids were only the size of a child's little finger. The oozing syrup coated their surface, and when roasted in the fire, a sweet, caramelized aroma quickly filled the air.
Jiang Shu took a few deep breaths and said to Jiang Zhi with satisfaction, "A-Zhi, isn't this the caramel-flavored madeleine we used to eat? Do you remember? We used to buy it all the time."
Madeleines are small, shell-shaped cakes with a particularly sweet caramel topping, and they used to be one of the siblings' favorite snacks.
Jiang Zhi nodded. "It does look somewhat similar."
Jiang Shu couldn't wait to take a bite, and his face immediately turned green.
If I weren't afraid of wasting food by spitting it out, I definitely wouldn't be able to swallow it.
Jiang Zhi, who was about to take a string of skewers, immediately withdrew her hand.
Jiang Shu didn't dare chew it much. After finally swallowing it, he rushed to the water vat and splashed several scoops of water on it before sticking out his tongue and saying, "No, no, it's too sweet. It almost killed me with its sweetness."
One bite and it bursts with juice, a sweet and juicy burst.
It's like eating a high concentration of honey.
Even the flesh of the cotton aphid was still chewy and bouncy, as if it hadn't been cooked through.
The feeling was indescribable.
Ye Qingyun frowned. "Could it be that the sugar inside the cotton aphid hasn't been fully extracted yet?"
Jiang Shu was very certain, "There's definitely no, let's boil it again."
Ye Qingyun looked at the skewer in his hand with disdain, "You cooked it yourself in that small pot at home, and you've already eaten it. Aren't you ashamed of the mess?"
Ye Qingyun was referring to the portable camping pot that his family of four used to use.
Jiang Shu had no choice but to continue, saying, "Alright."
He turned to comfort Jiang Sui and Jiang Si in a serious tone: "Sui Sui, Si Si, listen to your uncle, we're not in a hurry, let's cook it a little longer."
Jiang Sui: ...Why do you make it sound like they're in a real hurry?
Jiang Si leaned close to Jiang Sui's ear and whispered, "Brother, is Uncle not quite right in the head?"
Jiang Sui asked with a stern face, "Why do you say that?"
"Because I'm not in a hurry at all, but he says I am..."
Jiang Sui shushed her, "Don't talk nonsense."
Jiang Si misunderstood, and nodded her head emphatically, "Yes, yes, I won't tell anyone."
Jiang Sui: ...I always feel that my younger sister has also misunderstood something.
Jiang Shu squinted: "What are you two talking about?"
The two little ones shook their heads vigorously, like rattles, and said in unison, "No!!"
Jiang Shu pinched each of their little cheeks and said with a smile, "Be good, and your uncle will make you something delicious later."
This time, the two children answered even louder: "Yes!!"
Jiang Shu hummed a song and boiled the cotton aphids in a small pot for another 20 minutes. A lot of honey juice still came out of the cotton aphids.
Before long, Jiang Shu's patience ran out. "These worms have been cooking for over an hour and they're still not done. It's too much work."
Ye Qingyun chuckled, "You brat, with your patience, you expect to eat something delicious?"
Jiang Shu muttered, "I'm stating the facts."
But what Jiang Shu said was true. She looked at the pot of cotton aphids, which had been cooking for half an hour, and the syrup in the pot was already very thick.
If it continues to cook, the sugar syrup in the pot will probably become impossible to stir.
Ye Qingyun was also a little worried, "If we keep cooking like this, how much firewood will we need..."
The firewood they have now is the elm branches that Jiang Zhi and her brother brought back yesterday.
Jiang Zhi originally wanted to add a layer of firewood to the outside of the tent, but now that the old Jiang family has been found, there aren't enough elm branches, so Ye Qingyun simply used them all as firewood.
Fortunately, these elm branches are hard enough and very heat-resistant; after burning for more than an hour, two-thirds of them are still burning.
Grandma Jiang also found it strange. "I can't believe how many cotton aphids these tiny creatures can hold. These things have mutated so strangely. If I wasn't worried about them being unclean, I would have squeezed them out with my hands."
Grandma Jiang's words gave Jiang Zhi a flash of inspiration.
She ran back into her room and rummaged around for a while before finally finding a few barbecue tongs.
"Grandma, do you think this will do?"
Grandma Jiang took one look and couldn't help but slap her thigh, "Why not! This thing looks practical."
There are four in total, and they are medium-sized barbecue tongs, which look somewhat similar to the food tongs used at buffets in the past.
The old lady had never used this thing before, but now she uses it to catch cotton aphids and squeeze out the syrup inside, finding it very convenient.
With a forceful expulsion, the cotton aphid immediately sprayed out a large amount of sugary juice.
Several people worked together to squeeze the sugar out of the cotton aphids, and soon the pot was full of sugar syrup.
Ye Qingyun said happily, "This method is good. It can speed things up without reducing the amount of fuel, and it also saves firewood."
She scooped the cotton aphids out of the pot and was delighted to find that even after extracting a lot of sugar syrup, the cotton aphids only shrank by half, but their elasticity decreased significantly, and they felt like squirting raw squid to the touch.
This time, they put in half a bag of dead cotton aphids, which weighed about 20 kilograms, but it produced a whole pot of broth that, under the high heat, became as thick as maltose.
Grandma Jiang: "This sales rate is too high! If we can sell them all, we might have enough food for the next few months."
This is after deducting the points required for debt and building houses.
The ginger tree had already used this method to extract most of the sugar syrup and started baking.
Smoke curled around the grill, and the cotton aphids sizzled as they were roasted, filling the air with a delicious aroma.
It tastes different from the caramel flavor we just had.
This time, the cotton aphids had a strong and mellow flavor. You could smell the domineering aroma of protein even without getting close. The strings of cotton aphids had an extremely tempting golden-brown and slightly charred appearance. They were neatly arranged on the grill by the ginger tree and occasionally made a "crackling" sound as they were licked by the charcoal fire.
The two little ones sat close together and couldn't help but stretch their backs to lean closer.
Seeing that the time was almost right, Jiang Shu picked up a skewer and said, "Same as always, let me let you taste it first this time."
As he spoke, Jiang Shu opened his mouth wide.
The teeth first touched the slightly crispy outer skin, and with a "crack," they bit through the golden-brown, crispy crust.
Next comes the tender and elastic texture inside. Without much chewing, the remaining sweet syrup gently melts on the tip of the tongue.
This cotton aphid has both the rich flavor of meat and the subtle sweetness of sugarcane, the two flavors complementing each other perfectly, intertwining and lingering on the taste buds.
Upon closer inspection, one can also perceive the rich layers of meaning contained within this tiny cotton aphid.
After the initial fresh aroma, a subtle hint of charred fragrance emerges, and upon further tasting, one can capture the unique "smoky" flavor of charcoal.
Jiang Shu had been craving this for far too long.
The only downside was that no seasoning was added.
No one needed to ask; just by looking at his expression, everyone knew whether it was delicious or not. His look of enjoyment was enough to make anyone's mouth water.
Ye Qingyun: "Are these treated cotton aphids still sweet?"
Jiang Shu swallowed, smacking his lips as if savoring the taste. "Sweet, but bland. It would be perfect if you added some salty seasoning."
Generally speaking, adding a little salt to sweet foods will make them taste even sweeter.
Jiang Shuguang thought it would taste delicious just by imagining it.
Ye Qingyun rolled her eyes at him.
That brat, he really knows how to eat.
"Hurry up and keep baking, your grandparents haven't eaten yet."
"Yes, sir!" Jiang Shu gave a military salute without hesitation and continued working.
Soon, the dozen or so strings of cotton aphids in my hand were roasted.
Jiang Shu called out to Ye Qingyun, "Mom, it's done grilling, where are the seasonings?"
Ye Qingyun said irritably, "Couldn't you have finished grilling them all before calling me?"
Jiang Shu declared confidently, "No way! Sui Sui and Si Si can't wait any longer!!"
The two little ones, who were mentioned, immediately shook their heads frantically, "No! I didn't!"
Jiang Shu grinned and put his arm around their shoulders. "Oh dear, I saw you wiping your drool, Sui Sui, Si Si. You have to be honest, you know?"
Ye Qingyun was both annoyed and amused to see him bullying the two children. "You're such a grown man, and you're still using two children as shields. You're really something!"
That's what she said, but she still took out a bottle of seasoning and handed it over, saying, "Use it sparingly, so your dad and the others don't have anything to eat."
This seasoning was specially made by Ye Qingyun.
I mixed the last few packets of soaking flour, salt, and powdered river clam shells together, and surprisingly, it tasted pretty good.
The umami flavor was immediately enhanced after the ginger was sprinkled on top.
Jiang Shu gave each person a string of them.
The two elders took a bite of the roasted cotton aphids, and their dormant taste buds were reawakened.
Grandpa Jiang didn't chew it. Just as Jiang Shu said, the salt brought out the sweetness of the cotton aphids to the fullest.
How many years has it been since I tasted something this delicious?
Grandpa Jiang slowly held it in his mouth, reluctant to chew or swallow.
After eating one skewer, Jiang Zhi noticed Grandpa Jiang's expression and asked, "Grandpa, why aren't you eating? Is the taste off?"
Grandpa Jiang shook his head. "I used to think that there was no meaning to living in this post-apocalyptic world. The world has become like this, and it's hard for us to even have a full meal. But now that we can have this bite to eat, I feel that it was all worth it to have persevered until now."
Jiang Zhi never expected that Old Master Jiang, who was always calm and composed even in the face of a collapsing mountain, would have such a negative thought.
She pursed her lips. "Don't worry, sir, we'll be able to enjoy even more delicious food in the future."
Grandpa Jiang smiled and nodded, swallowed the cotton aphid in his mouth, ate the rest in his hand, and then said, "Ah Zhi, you say it, I'll believe you!"
Just then, Jiang Shu brought out some skewers for Jiang Hai's family inside the house. Hearing Grandpa Jiang's words, he asked, "Grandpa, what do you believe?"
Grandpa Jiang smiled and said, "I believe you can still find a wife."
Jiang Shu stumbled. "Grandpa, forget it. Aren't you afraid I'll marry a wife who eats a lot and bankrupt our family?"
As Ye Qingyun squeezed the cotton aphids, he hummed, "As long as you can get married, I'll support you no matter how much you eat."
Jiang Shu shamelessly brought the skewers to his mother's mouth to change the subject: "Mom, really, there's always work to be done. Come on, have something good to eat first."
The aroma wafted to his nose, how could Ye Qingyun resist? He took a bite and felt utterly blissful.
Jiang Zhi glanced at her uncle's family in the tent, and asked Grandpa Jiang while eating, "Grandpa, how much longer will Uncle need to recuperate?"
She was wondering whether she should continue to feed Jiang Hai more tooth powder.
Grandpa Jiang seemed to see through her thoughts, "Keep that medicine powder in your hand for emergencies. I checked your uncle's pulse, and although he is still somewhat deficient, he can recover with proper care."
Jiang Zhi thought for a moment, "If Uncle eats food with low toxins, will he recover faster?"
Grandpa Jiang nodded.
"Low-toxin foods can not only detoxify our bodies from radiation, but eating more of them is also good for our health."
Jiang Zhi's heart skipped a beat. They had caught several kilograms of low-toxicity cotton aphids today, but they hadn't told their elders about it yet.
Just as she was about to speak, Ye Qingyun said, "Azhi, Niu Dacheng and his wife came over again today, but we were busy at the time, so we sent them back."
"This couple is also very honest. When we asked them to go back, they filled the water tank for me and dug a lot of land before they went back."
Jiang Zhi nodded to indicate that she understood.
It seems that Niu Dacheng and his wife know how to repay kindness.
Grandma Jiang also said, "I think that young man is very strong. Ah Zhi, is he a mutant?"
Jiangzhi: "Grandma, I don't know either."
In fact, Jiang Zhi initially thought that Niu Dacheng was a mutant.
The residents of the base undergo a unified test every three months, and if they are found to be mutants, the base will register them.
Then they will provide sufficient conditions to get all the mutants to join the official team.
But even when Liu Xu was in such a state, Niu Dacheng didn't seek help from the authorities, so he must just be naturally strong.
Just as everyone was chatting, Jiang Shan and Jiang He, a married couple, returned.
Ye Qingyun quickly put down what he was doing. "Dashan, Second Brother, how is it?"
Jiang Shan found a small stool and sat down. "Chen Li is a bit hesitant. No one in the base has ever eaten cotton aphids before, and they're afraid of getting sick from it, but they're willing to buy twenty or thirty kilograms to try. They'll probably give us this price."
Jiang Shan made a 7 gesture with his fingers.
Ye Qingyun was somewhat disappointed, but it was within her expectations. "Twenty or thirty pounds is still too little."
Jiang Shan said, "Actually, it's quite a lot. If he likes it, he'll definitely buy it again. Don't forget, he has Captain Luo behind him."
Ye Qingyun remained noncommittal. "Second brother, second sister-in-law, what about you over here?"
“We only visited two base stores, and the responses were similar. They said they needed to try it before they could give us a price, but the price wouldn’t exceed the price of regular meat.”
The price of regular meat is 90 points per pound, which is still less than the price of sugar.
Jiang Shu strode over, a skewer dangling from his mouth. "Hey, Mom, why are you worrying? If they knew our cotton aphids could be used to make sugar, they'd be willing to buy them for 200 points a pound, let alone 70!"
Jiang Shan was stunned. "What can be made into sugar?"
Jiang Shu stuffed a string of roasted cotton aphids into Jiang Shan's mouth.
The moment Jiang Shan tasted the cotton aphids, his eyes widened. "What... what is this?"
Jiang Shu proudly gave Jiang He and his wife two skewers as well, saying, "Dad, Second Uncle, come and try my cooking. I guarantee you'll want to eat it again and again."
Ye Qingyun waved his hand, "Go away, you brat, don't delay our serious business."
As he spoke, Ye Qingyun told the others about how cotton aphids could extract sugary juice.
Jiang Shan stared at the large pot of thick sugar syrup for a long time before finally saying, "We have the money to build the house now."
Jiang He was speechless with astonishment.
Yuan Ying, on the other hand, curiously approached the large pot and looked at it again and again.
"Is this the sap excreted by cotton aphids? It smells so good!"
Ye Qingyun nodded with a smile, "We just did an experiment. Ten pounds of these cotton aphids need to be boiled for two hours, and we also have to manually squeeze out the sugary juice from inside the cotton aphids before they can be eaten. Otherwise, they are too sweet and not easy to roast."
Jiang Shan thought for a moment, "How many kilograms of sugar cubes can be made from one pot of sugar syrup?"
Ye Qingyun: "I estimate it to be about ten to fifteen jin."
Unlike sugar syrup, sugar cubes need to be boiled over high heat for a long time until all the water evaporates before they become solid.
Ten pounds of cotton aphids can produce ten to fifteen pounds of sugar cubes, which is already considered a lot.
In the past, anyone who heard this would have said it was unscientific.
Jiang He's lips trembled; he knew the price of sugar all too well. "This...this...so much...if we could sell it all..."
By the end, everyone was in a daze.
How many points can I get from this...?
Jiang Shan pondered for a moment, then said, "Qingyun, do you mean we should stop selling cotton aphids and start selling candy instead?"
Ye Qingyun nodded, "The cotton aphids probably won't keep after being boiled, it's better to sell them as candy."
Jiang Shan thought it was a good idea, but he had never done business before and had no experience in this area, so he suggested, "My older brother has led villagers to sell things before, why don't we ask him what he thinks?"
Everyone agreed.
At this moment, Wu Xiu helped Jiang Hai out.
Jiang Shan: "Brother, why don't you rest more?"
Jiang Hai laughed and said, "I've been lying down for a year, and I don't want to lie down again."
“I heard what you were discussing just now,” Jiang Hai said, “The tent’s soundproofing wasn’t very good, so I heard the whole story. “Your idea is good, but there’s one thing: we need to act quickly. Otherwise, with the cotton aphids producing sap so efficiently right now, we’ll easily become a target.”
Jiang Shan nodded.
When I got back, I could smell a sweet fragrance from several hundred meters away.
Almost everyone in the neighborhood is spying on them; if this goes on for too long, something bad might happen.
Upon hearing this, Ye Qingyun gritted his teeth and said, "In that case, I'll go buy a pot right now."
Although she wanted to save money, she was still clear-headed about this; this was not the time to cut corners.
Jiang Hai added, "You'd better divide the tasks among yourselves. Have some people boil the juice, and have Da Shu fry all the cotton aphids that have been juiced. We can eat them ourselves or sell them."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Shan said, "Alright, let's all get moving and sell these goods as soon as possible."
They made quite a move today; by the time the surrounding people realize what's happening, they won't be able to sell it for a good price.
Once the family made their decision, they divided the work and got busy again.
Buy a new pot, change the sand and firewood, build a stove, ...
Fearing it would be too conspicuous, Ye Qingyun specially placed the new pot inside the tent tunnel.
After setting up the makeshift stove, we started cooking with both pots at the same time.
Ye Qingyun and his sister-in-law Wu Xiu boiled sugar syrup together, squeezing out all the sugar from the cotton aphids' bodies. Then they took out the cotton aphids and continued boiling the syrup.
Grandma Jiang then stir-fried the cotton aphids that had released their juices together with sand.
Sand can increase the heat in the pot and also prevent cotton aphids from sticking together.
Yuan Ying and Xu Na, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, were responsible for weighing and packaging the food.
To save money, the two also had to rush to make cloth bags. Since they didn't have enough cloth at home, they took apart their tattered clothes and made small bags, each ten by ten.
Each bag contains one pound, making it suitable for both gifting and resale.
Cotton aphids fried in sand absorb water faster and clump together when they come into contact with the broth.
While sewing the cloth bag in her hands, Xu Na asked Yuan Ying, "Mom, how can we eat the soup if it gets covered in sand?"
She used to work in a textile shop, so she always kept needles and thread at home.
Yuan Ying continued her needlework, and upon hearing this, she smiled and said, "This is the wisdom of the old lady. Although there is sand stuck to the sugar syrup, it can be separated by collecting it, boiling it again with water, diluting it, and filtering it slightly."
Xu Na suddenly realized that they had really squeezed every last drop out of the cotton aphids.
Not only can all the sugary juice inside the insect be extracted, but cotton aphids also become exceptionally crispy when stir-fried.
Despite her advanced age, Grandma Jiang was still quite adept at stir-frying. Hearing what Yuan Ying and her daughter-in-law said, she smiled and said, "That makes sense. This way, we won't have to worry about the cotton aphids secreting syrup while we're stir-frying them."
Jiang Zhi listened from the side and couldn't help but admire the wisdom of the working people.
She walked over and said, "Grandma, let me do it."
Grandma Jiang looked at her skeptically, "A-Zhi, can you do it?"
Jiang Zhi twitched her lips. After all these years, her grandmother still didn't trust her cooking skills as much as ever. "I just checked, it's fine."
Grandma Jiang said, "Alright, it doesn't require any skill. You just need to keep stirring it. But you have to hold the spatula, or your hands will be ruined in no time."
Following Grandma Jiang's instructions, Jiang Zhi quickly got the hang of it.
Jiang He is responsible for fetching water. There is only one water tank at home, and with the current workload, he has to keep fetching water to make up for the shortfall.
Jiang Shan wasn't idle either; he piled the fresh cotton aphids in a basin and washed them.
This thing still needs to be kept secret, so Jiang Shan packed it up in the tent.
He had just finished washing two basins when he saw Jiang Jun crawling out of the room on all fours.
Jiang Shan quickly helped him up, "A-Jun, you're just recovered, what are you doing out here?"
After they helped her up, Jiang Jun said with a smile, "Third Uncle, please take me there. I just can't walk, but my hands can still work. The whole family is doing this work, and I'm the only one resting inside. I feel bad about it."
Jiang Shan wanted to say something, but looking at his nephew's serious eyes, he couldn't say a word.
"Alright, I can't handle this all by myself anyway, you come and help me wash these bugs."
Jiang Sui and Jiang Si ran inside in unison, "Dad, let us help you!"
Jiang Jun patted the two little ones' heads and said, "Okay."
When Wu Xiu saw this scene from outside, she felt a sense of relief.
Although her husband and son have recovered, Jiang Jun's lost leg can never be regained.
She was genuinely worried that her son might not be able to accept this.
Seeing this scene now puts my mind at ease.
She looked away, glanced at the few pieces of wood in the house, and said to Ye Qingyun, "We need to find someone to replace some tomorrow, otherwise it definitely won't be enough."
Ye Qingyun nodded, "We don't even have enough bags to hold the candy."
Upon hearing this, Yuan Ying from next door said, "The bags are easy to solve. We can find someone to exchange them for some palm leaves and use those to wrap the bags."
The palm leaves were originally the raw material for making palm fans. After the mutation, many people in the base used them to wrap leftover meat, which has a certain preservation effect.
This stuff is plentiful near the base, so every household has it, and it's not worth much.
All the problems were solved one by one, and the whole family got busy and worked quickly. The only worry was that there weren't enough pots.
It takes at least 3 or 4 hours to boil a large pot of cotton aphids, and with only two pots available, it's impossible to speed things up.
Ye Qingyun could only send Jiang Shu to the Lin family to borrow money from Old Man Lin.
As for why they sought out the Lin family...
Firstly, because the Lin family is powerful, the probability of others coveting their property is much lower than that of others.
Secondly, it's because Grandpa Lin loves to eat. By offering him some food, he can get something in return without owing anyone a favor. There's nothing more worthwhile than that.
So Jiang Shu, carrying seven or eight skewers of roasted cotton aphids and a small handful of fried cotton aphids, happily trotted to the front of the Lin family's house.
"Grandpa Lin, are you there?"
This time, Grandpa Lin slowly walked out of the house not long after.
"Young Jiang, is the meat ready?"
The extra meat that Grandpa Lin gave us yesterday is still hanging in the house by his mother.
Jiang Shu smiled awkwardly, "Something came up at home today, and my mom didn't have time to cook. I came here to borrow a pot from you."
Upon hearing this, Old Master Lin's expression darkened.
"Can I borrow a pot?"
Jiang Dashu quickly said, "We won't borrow it for nothing, Grandpa Lin, look, we've made some food..."
Grandpa Lin lifted his eyelids and glanced at him.
"What is that?"
Jiang Shu handed it over with a grin, "I guarantee you'll like it! I made these skewers myself."
As soon as the food got close, it emitted a fragrant aroma, along with a hint of sugarcane sweetness.
Grandpa Lin twitched his nose. "What is this thing? It looks so dark."
Jiang Shu smiled mysteriously, "Try it and see if you can guess what it is?"
Grandpa Lin took the things, picked up a roasted cotton aphid and threw it into his mouth, crunching it crisply.
The meat inside was surprisingly sweet and tender, with a unique sweet and savory flavor, thanks to some special seasoning.
Grandpa Lin rarely praised it, saying, "It tastes good, like silkworm pupae, but it shouldn't be silkworm pupae. This thing has a sweet base flavor."
To be honest, the taste is really no worse than silkworm pupae.
Jiang Shu gave a thumbs up: "As expected of Grandpa Lin, you even noticed this."
Although Grandpa Lin knew that Jiang Shu was flattering him, he was quite pleased with it.
"Alright, considering all this stuff you have, I'll lend you the pot for the night."
Jiang Shu beamed as soon as he received the pot. "Great! Thank you, Grandpa Lin. We'll bring you more good stuff next time we have something nice."
Old Master Lin chuckled.
The Lin family consists of only two people, but the pot is quite large, leading Jiang Shu to suspect it's related to Old Master Lin's grandson.
He would be doing a disservice to his imposing presence and physique if he didn't eat three to five bowls of rice in one meal.
Just as they returned with the borrowed pot, Jiang Wen also arrived.
Seeing the pot in Jiang Shu's hand, "This pot is..."
Jiang Shu then embellished the story and recounted the cotton aphid incident.
Jiang Wen was pleasantly surprised to hear this.
I even felt a little dizzy, like I had suddenly been hit by a gold brick.
—Maybe this time, not only will my family be able to live a good life, but my good brother can also make a fortune.
This time, Jiang Wen went out and found his childhood friend Han Lei, who works as a middleman.
The other party has connections and can help them find buyers.
If they offered each other the candy to help sell, it would be a win-win situation.
Soon, the rich, sweet aroma spread for hundreds of meters around.
"Is this sugar being boiled? Who started this? It smells so good!"
"It looks like it came from the new family's house."
"It's them again? Who are they? How come they're always eating and drinking so well?"
...
Those living nearby craned their necks to look in that direction.
I just want to figure out why.
Just then, a medium-sized truck drove in from the other end.
Everyone could tell at a glance that it was the vanguard team's vehicle.
They all hid back inside.
When they looked out again, they realized that the car was parked in front of the house belonging to the newcomers.
Hearing the car, Jiang Zhi looked outside and saw that it was Hu Yang, the man who had helped them settle the real estate deal before.
Then he called out, "Mom! Hu Yang is here."
Upon recognizing the person, Ye Qingyun immediately put down his work and washed his hands.
"Little Hu's here? You're back so late today? Did something happen?"
Hu Yang carried two large bags of clay off the car and said with a smile, "Aunt Ye, today went quite smoothly. I brought back more clay today than yesterday."
Ye Qingyun was overjoyed, "Xiao Hu, I don't know how to thank you enough."
That bag of clay looked to weigh two or three hundred pounds; two large bags, once diluted, could build a house.
This is free, which saves them a lot of points.
Hu Yang glanced at the old and young standing outside the tent, but didn't ask why there were suddenly more people in the Jiang family. He just smiled and said, "I didn't encounter anything special today. There just happened to be a swamp near where we were on the mission, so I brought some back."
At that moment, the mutant in the driver's seat cleared his throat.
Hu Yang then said, "Aunt Ye, I have something to do, so I won't bother you any longer."
"Wait, Xiao Hu, don't rush off, Auntie has something for you."
As he spoke, Ye Qingyun dried his wet hands and quickly returned to the tent.
"Quickly, give me four bags of roasted cotton aphids; I want to give them away."
Upon hearing this, Yuan Ying quickly handed it over.
Ye Qingyun handed the snacks to Hu Yang and said, "Little Hu, we don't have anything special, but these bags of snacks are for you and your colleagues. Thank you for your hard work."
Hu Yang was a little embarrassed: "Aunt Ye, this is what I promised to bring you before, how can I take your things again?"
"He who eats another's food is bound to him," and the Jiang family, being newcomers, needed points. Besides, the lighter Ye Qingyun had given him had made him quite the star in the team, even catching the captain's attention...
Ye Qingyun had already given enough, and Hu Yang didn't want to take advantage of her any further.
Ye Qingyun: "Hey, it's nothing precious, you can take it. Besides, this isn't just something you did hard on. Your colleague helped transport it from so far away, so I'd like to thank him too."
Ye Qingyun's voice was perfectly timed, and the mutant in the driver's seat felt comforted.
Hu Yang was about to refuse when his colleague in the driver's seat coughed again.
Hu Yang paused for a moment before taking it, "Then thank you, Aunt Ye."
Ye Qingyun waved his hand with a smile, "We're all family, no need to be so polite. If anyone should be thanking us, it should be us."
Only after the vanguard team's vehicle left the self-built housing area did Hu Yang open the bag that had been emitting a pleasant fragrance.
The rich, caramelized aroma immediately filled the entire carriage.
Wu Bing, sitting next to Hu Yang, glanced at it and asked, "What is this? Why does it smell so good?"
He's the senior member of the team, and lately he's been in charge of training the new recruits. Today it just so happens that it's his turn to train Hu Yang.
Wu Bing had wanted to ask about it earlier in front of the Jiang family's tent, but after just a short while, the car was covered in that sweet smell.
I didn't look at it much at the time because I was too embarrassed to look at it, but my mouth was already watering.
Hu Yang: "I don't know."
He took one out and put it in his mouth, and was immediately captivated by its crunchy, salty-sweet flavor.
His eyes lit up, and he couldn't resist popping another one in, then a second, a third...
Wu Bing complained, "Hey, remember to leave two bags for me! I heard that clearly just now, I got some too!"
Hu Yang picked one up and threw it into his mouth.
Wu Bing was immediately shocked.
"Holy crap, what is this thing?! Is it meat?! No, it doesn't taste like meat. Wow, this stuff tastes amazing!" Wu Bing chewed and found it more and more delicious. "This is the first time I've ever tasted something that's both salty and sweet. Hmm... why does it smell like sugarcane?"
One piece wasn't enough for him to savor, so Wu Bing couldn't resist reaching out and grabbing a small handful, stuffing it into his mouth.
"This is so refreshing! This kind of fragrant and crispy stuff is definitely best eaten by the handful."
Hu Yang's lips twitched—You grabbed mine!
He quickly sealed the bag.
Hu Yang was reluctant to finish it all; he wanted to take some home for his elderly relatives to try as well.
This type of insect is always rich in protein; regardless of the taste, it's a good source of nutrition.
After turning a corner, Wu Bing looked at the two bags again, still seemingly unsatisfied.
"They smelled like this everywhere just now. Were they planning to sell food?"
Wu Bing knew about the Jiang family.
Their captain bought the new team vehicle from this family.
I initially thought this family was just lucky, but I never expected they would actually have something like this in their possession.
Although it's an insect, it's still meat, and if you were to sell it, it could be worth quite a few points.
Hu Yang: "I don't know either."
"Hey, you can ask them next time. If they sell them, remember to let me know so I can buy some too."
As the two chatted, the car quickly returned to Zone B.
Several teammates saw the car and walked straight over to it.
"Why are you so slow? You're wasting our time to inspect the car."
Hu Yang and his companion opened the car, and the unique aroma of roasted cotton aphids wafted out.
One of them twitched his nose and asked, "What delicious food did you guys go to eat?"
Hu Yang really wanted to speak, but Wu Bing preemptively replied, "There's nothing good to eat. I think you're just desperate for food."
"No! There's definitely something delicious here." The man said, and got into the car to search.
Wu Bing immediately became anxious, "Hey, hey, you bastard, don't you have any sense of martial ethics?"
The man had sharp eyes and immediately noticed two bags next to the driver's seat, which he picked up.
Wu Bing tried to snatch it, but it was too late.
"Wow, Angkor, that's not very generous of you. You have good stuff but you don't even share it with your brothers."
"Wait a minute—I haven't had enough of this yet..."
Who would wait for something good?
Those people each took a handful and started eating.
"This smells amazing! Angkor, where did you get this?"
"What's wrong? I can't stop eating it."
"Hey Angkor, don't grab it! What's wrong with us having a little? We're brothers who've been through thick and thin together—"
Without uttering a single unnecessary word, Wu Bing poured the remaining cotton aphids into his mouth and began to eat them with gusto.
—Are you kidding me? You think you can steal his food by risking your life? Dream on!
Hu Yang silently moved away from the group.
Luckily, I was careful when I got off the bus and put my two bags into my own bag.
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