A small plot of land in a mountain village

Chapter 50 Mountain Chrysanthemum

He shook the shrimp trap in his hand. "It's for catching yellowtail and loach. Otherwise, it's very difficult to catch them like this, unlike in the small ditches in the village, where you only need a thin wire to hook out the yellowtail."

"Haha, this has broadened my horizons quite a bit. There aren't many young men like you these days, leasing wasteland... You've got guts!" Uncle Zhang said with a chuckle.

"It's nothing special. Um, you've been staying in the provincial capital for a long time. What do you think about setting up a leisure place here?" Zhang Niu, who was busy setting up the scarecrow, said.

"The location is nice. It's just that the road conditions are a bit poor. But it's quite close to the city, so it should be a good option," he said after thinking for a moment.

"Thank you for your kind words." Zhang Niu, who had set up the shrimp traps, walked up from the pond. He didn't forget to wash the yellow mud off his feet on the steps.

"Come on, let me take you to sit in the front yard. Standing here is tiring, so I'll put some flat stones there so you can sit down," he said.

Uncle Zhang, walking along the path lined with cycads, saw many cycads and Buddha's hand citrons. He stopped, frowned, and asked, "Are all these cycads and Buddha's hand citrons?"

"Yes. Is there a problem?" Zhang Niu, who was walking in front, turned around and saw Uncle Zhang standing there.

"I heard that cycads can only be grown in Lingnan, and they seem to freeze to death when it snows in winter here. Have you thought about that? If your cycads, which are worth several hundred yuan, are damaged by the frost, you will suffer a lot of losses," he reminded her.

Zhang Niu chuckled, "I know about that. But I've figured it out through experience; it can survive the winter. It won't freeze to death." Actually, Zhang Niu's experience was all just boasting. He simply watered the cycad regularly. Now, the roots of the cycad are thicker than when it was first planted.

"That's good. Don't blame your uncle for being long-winded. If you're staying there for too long, just say whatever comes to mind."

"I have to thank you, Uncle. My place is just ahead. Usually, no one lives in the bamboo house. I feel more comfortable living in the tiled house."

Today, all the turtles, including King Kong, were sleeping in their sheds, which pleased Zhang Niu; he figured they wouldn't run out and scare people again. Uncle Zhang's eyes lit up at the big and small turtles in the pond. He's always been a keen researcher. He'll scrutinize anything unusual, even if he doesn't understand it, he won't get angry. He'll still be cheerful.

He brought out a cup and a bottle of mountain wine from inside the house. "Uncle, come and sit here. Have some of this mountain wine first."

Uncle Zhang, still observing, came to the shed with some reluctance. "That turtle, where did you catch it? I think that guy must have lived for hundreds of years."

"I caught them in the mountains. The little turtles next to them were also brought back when they were still eggs. I just buried them in the sand. I didn't expect them to hatch, so I raised them," he replied.

"Try this mountain wine." The cap was lifted and a glass was poured. The mountain wine didn't come out red as I'd expected; instead, it was a clear liquid with a pure, fragrant aroma. It seemed to have a strong flavor.

He took a small sip. "Good wine, but this bottle of wine must have been made with the ones Tingting brought out! My family hasn't even had a chance to drink it yet, and you..." Uncle Zhang was a little confused.

Ugh... I never expected this to happen. Zhang Niu, of course, wouldn't say it was because it was stored in his spatial storage. He chuckled and said, "Villagers all have their own methods. You just put it at home, of course it won't get better quickly."

"That's true, we all forgot you're from the countryside. Getting old. A little senile, haha."

After finishing a glass, savoring the aroma of the wine, and seeing Uncle Zhang enjoying it, I quickly poured him another glass. After a long while, I said, "Good wine. Good mountains, good place."

"It's not exactly a good mountain, just a dilapidated place." Zhang Niu was surprised.

"Being humble is good. But being too humble can be a problem," Uncle Zhang said, blushing slightly.

"Sit down here first. I'll go catch a duck so you can take it home and have a taste when you leave." Without waiting for Uncle Zhang's reply, she walked towards the duck shed.

The second batch of ducks, roughly speaking, was just right for cooking. They were a little tender, but Zhang Niu thought it didn't matter. Tender or not, they would still taste delicious.

Inside the duck shed, several ducks were sleeping, standing on one leg. He spotted a large white duck with black spots in the distance. "You're the one," he thought. The duck seemed to know Zhang Niu was eyeing it, quacking occasionally. It took quite a bit of effort to catch it, but the struggle left several claw marks on Zhang Niu's hands. He slapped the duck's head a few times, muttering to himself, "You rascal. I've raised you for so long. I told you to go out and sacrifice yourself, and you dare to leave scratches on my hands. I've really wasted my time raising you."

He tied the duck's feet together with a rope. Returning to the front yard, he placed the large white duck on the ground and said, "Uncle, I'll take this duck back with me later."

The large white duck on the ground seemed to know what had happened, quacking incessantly.

After chatting for a while, Uncle Zhang got up and went home. "I came to visit when I had time. If I need anything in the future, I can ask him for help." Then, satisfied, he drove home.

After leaving, Zhang Niu called Zhang Ting to ask what had happened. From Zhang Ting's words, he learned that Zhang Ting returned home looking much better than before and had brought back quite a few things. Under his father's questioning, he finally admitted that he had spent a few days visiting a friend in the village. Zhang Niu described it as a wonderful place, so his father, who was free at home, decided to check it out, especially to see the mysterious classmate he had been talking about.

After hanging up the phone, I realized it was because my place was too nice. I was so embarrassed...

After Zhang Ting's father left, the village committee cleared out Maotou Mountain, leaving it completely bare. During the clearing, they also unearthed quite a few wild rabbits. The villagers were delighted, saying they were in for a treat.

While they were clearing the mountains, Zhang Niu took a basket and went into the mountains to pick some wild jujubes to cool down his body. Although it was a bit late to pick jujubes at this time, there were still quite a few in the mountains.

After drying the jujube flowers, brew a few cups when you have time. It can help relieve fatigue, and if you find it too bitter, you can add some sugar.

Wild jujube flowers may not be as good as honeysuckle, but what could Zhang Niu's family do? All the few pounds of dried honeysuckle they had this year were bought up by the merchants. Afterwards, Zhang Niu even complained about why they hadn't left some for their family; he loved the bittersweet taste of hardship followed by reward. Everyone experiences hardship in life, but rewards follow. That's why he had a special fondness for honeysuckle and wild jujube flowers.

White jujubes bloomed in an empty lawn, mixed with yellow ones. Few people came to this place. Zhang Niu, however, didn't have any pollen allergies or other problems, otherwise he really wouldn't have dared to come.

The jujubes bloomed a bit late this year, and quite a few have already fallen into the grass in this area. They're not rotten, just wrinkled. I'll take them back and steam them. After drying them, they can be used to make tea, though the flavor won't be as good; they're fine for entertaining guests.

Even on the small lawn, Zhang Niu managed to pick a small basket of fresh jujubes.

Second update. Please recommend and add to your favorites. Sorry for the slow writing; I'm too busy this week.