"Tic tac tic..."
In the middle of the night, a small sound came from outside the window, Gu Changfeng's eyelashes trembled then his eyes opened. The cool night breeze mixed with moist and refreshing water vapor floated in from the window. It turned out that it was raining.
The young man next to him put his hands on his waist and slept soundly. Gu Changfeng gently put the young man's hand down and got up to close the window. It was pitch black outside the window, but it was not silent. In addition to the sound of rain hitting the window, there was also the chirping of insects, and the sound of cicadas in the distant mountains could be faintly heard.
The summer was coming.
Gu Changfeng took off the fork that was supporting the window. The young man on the bed turned over and subconsciously reached out to hug the body beside him, but his side was empty. After he touched back twice and still didn't get the person, he frowned...
Seeing that his eyes were about to open, Gu Changfeng hurriedly walked over and laid down on the bed. Finally finding the warm body, Shen Yanbei, who slept in a daze, grabbed the person and hugged him. The young man's warm nose sprayed on his shoulder blades, Gu Changfeng felt very peaceful in his heart. Then he closed his eyes again.
In the early morning of the next day, the sky was blue and the sun was shining. The sun dried the moisture on the ground all at once. After Shen Yanbei got up, he went to the yard to exercise boxing. It rained last night, so the leaves of fruits and vegetables in the backyard were shiny green. Long beans hung on the shelf vigorously, tomatoes and cucumbers were washed by the rain which made them more watery, and the newly grown corn whiskers were fluttering vigorously.
"Morning Shen Dàgē!" Su Qingze brought Ming'an over for breakfast. Seeing the good-looking fruits and vegetables in the yard, he asked with interest, "When can these fruits and vegetables be picked?"
"The beans, cucumbers, and vegetables are all ready to eat. We have to wait for the tomatoes to be red, and the corn has to grow for another month." Shen Yanbei stopped and exhaled a turbid breath.
Su Qingze nodded and looked at the sky. "The weather is so good today. Why don't we go up the mountain for a walk?" He was always thinking about this when he heard Zhou Yu talk about the wildness of the mountains in the bullock cart that day.
"Okay, go after breakfast." The air on the mountain was very fresh, so it was nice to go for a walk in the mountains. The weather would be hot in the future, so there would be many mosquitoes on the mountain. At that time, they couldn't go there.
"Hmm!" Su Qingze replied, walking quickly into the house for breakfast.
Knowing that today he didn't need to practice basic skills but went to play in the mountains, Zhou Yu ran home to get a homemade bow and arrow, took a knife, and went up the mountain enthusiastically. Along the way, he happily introduced to a few people all kinds of fun in the mountains and also taught them the experience of catching birds.
The three teenagers in straw hats were chirping like happy little sparrows along the way. Shen Yanbei and Gu Changfeng each carried a wicker basket and slowly followed behind. In addition to tools such as machete rope and other tools, the wicker basket also contains seasonings and pots. Today's lunch had to be settled on the mountain. Shen Yanbei thought about having a picnic, so he brought condiments and cooking utensils, and planned to get local ingredients to make a special lunch.
Not long after it rained, the mountains were full of the fragrance of soil and vegetation. Sometimes the birds were jumping between the trees. It was very lively here.
Following Zhou Yu's instruction, Su Qingze picked up a long branch and swiped the grass on the side of the road with the branch as he walked. Suddenly he heard a strange sound coming from the grass, very weak like a milky cat.
Huh, what was it? Su Qingze's eyes were puzzled. He stopped and slashed away the grass...
"Ah -" Su Qingze paled and yelled.
"What's happening?" Gu Changfeng stepped forward to protect him.
Su Qingze's eyes were full of disgust. He hurriedly hugged his sturdy and powerful arms, pointing at the grass on the side of the road. He said, "There is a snake!"
Everyone was surprised hearing his yell. Zhou Yu smiled and stepped forward then slashed the grass away. "Don't be afraid. It's just a grass snake! It's not poisonous and doesn't bite."
"It's disgusting!" Su Qingze shook the goosebumps on his body. "It's eating a frog!" That milky meow was made when the frog was dying and struggling in the snake's mouth!
Shen Yanbei couldn't laugh or cry. "It's okay, it's natural for snakes to eat frogs, just leave it alone."
Gu Changfeng patted Su Qingze on the shoulder, silently comforting. But the scene of the snake eating the frog was so shocking Su Qingze so much that he couldn't forget it for a while. He couldn't help feeling a little agitated until Zhou Yu chased a group of gray shadows with bright eyes.
"It's a pheasant!"
Su Qingze's depressed mood suddenly rose. He looked around. "Where is it?"
Zhou Yu took his bow and arrow from his back, drew up the arrow. "It's over there!" He walked toward the thatch pile that was half a meter high on the opposite side.
"Cuckoo..." A pheasant with gorgeous feathers suddenly flew up from the grass. Zhou Yu swiftly aimed at and released arrows. It was a pity that the arrow didn't hit, but flew over the pheasant. The pheasant fell into the grass and disappeared!
"Oh!" Zhou Yu cried out annoyedly.
Gu Changfeng said quietly, "Insufficient arm strength and have poor accuracy, more practice is needed."
"Yes!" Zhou Yu immediately corrected his attitude.
"Lend me the bow!" Su Qingze was eager to try, his eyes fixed on the thatch. "Help me get the pheasant out!"
Ming'an ran over wildly in the grass. For a moment, another gray pheasant flew up screaming.
"Shoo-" Su Qingze narrowed his eyes, loosened his hand, and shot the arrow out.
"Goo!" The pheasant screamed, waving its wings and struggling until it fell to the ground.
"Young Master is amazing!" Ming'an shouted and went to pick up the pheasant that was still fluttering on the ground.
Both Shen Yanbei and Gu Changfeng looked at Su Qingze in surprise. The young man smiled embarrassedly. "A-Heng taught me how to shoot arrows. His archery skills are amazing!"
"You are also very good." Shen Yanbei smiled and dragged Gu Changfeng into the forest to hunt for treasure. It was the season for pheasants to multiply, and that gray pheasants were females. He estimated that there might be a pheasant nest in the grass. Sure enough, after searching for a while, the two found two nests of wild eggs.
"A lot of eggs!" Su Qingze looked at the round wild eggs, full of joy.
"We have to try harder for our lunch today." Shen Yanbei carefully put the wild eggs into the basket. They traveled very smoothly today, and it didn't take long for them to gain something after going up the mountain.
Zhou Yu pointed to the dense pine forest on the opposite side and said, "It rained last night. There must be mushrooms in the forest. Shall we go pick some mushrooms?"
"Let's go!" Su Qingze ran over, couldn't wait. This young man was getting thinner day by day, so the pace was getting faster.
Shen Yanbei smiled and shook his head. He walked slowly with Gu Changfeng. "Wife, you'll taste my cook later!" The pheasant was quite fat, about three or four catties! Later, he would look for a few wild banana leaves to wrap the bird, buried them in the ground, then roast them. Thinking about it made he was so excited!
Gu Changfeng nodded and exhorted, "Don't be too tired." This was the first time Shen Yanbei had walked such a long way after he had recovered. Even the young man didn't look tired, he was still not at ease.
"Okay, I'll listen to you." Shen Yanbei raised an eyebrow and smiled. There were other meanings in that smile, which made Gu Changfeng's ears became red.
"Oh! This mushroom is actually red! There are some snowflakes on it, so beautiful!"
Su Qingze's exclamation came from the front, Shen Yanbei loudly reminded, "Some mushrooms are poisonous, don't touch it carelessly!"
Hearing this, the three stood obediently. Shen Yanbei took a look. A few bright red and snow-like mushrooms stood quietly among the rotten leaves, Shen Yanbei frowned and said, "This mushroom is mostly poisonous, it's best not to touch it. " This mushroom was very similar to the amanita he had seen before, but he didn't know if it was the same genus.
Su Qingze felt sorry, but several people, including Zhou Yu, couldn't determine which mushrooms were edible. Shen Yanbei said, "Forget it, go find something else. There is a lot of food in this mountain."
Suddenly Gu Changfeng waved his hand, and a stone flew out of his hand. His action was too abrupt, and several people couldn't help looking in the direction where the stone flew. They saw a big grey bird was shot in mid-air...
"Grouse!" Zhou Yu's eyes lit up.
"That's amazing!" Su Qingze stared at Gu Changfeng in admiration. "Gu Dàgē, do you know martial arts?"
Gu Changfeng didn't deny it. Su Qingze realized that this was tacit consent, his eyes became even more enthusiastic. "Gu Dàgē, do you really know martial arts?"
"Do you have internal strength? Can you fly away?"
"Do you use a knife or a sword?"
...
Su Qingze, who turned into a curious baby, kept asking. Gu Changfeng answered them one by one with a good temper. While talking, a group of people walked through the pine forest to a small river.
"There are fish!" Ming'an exclaimed excitedly looking at the clear river.
When Zhou Yu heard this, he rolled up his trousers and then went into the water. "Look!"
Su Qingze stopped talking, went to the river, and stared into the water. The water surface reflected the red-faced young man, and under the water were two fishes that as big as a palm.
Zhou Yu's movements were very light, he stopped moving after entering the water. The fish in the water didn't know the danger was imminent and swam past his feet casually. Zhou Yu bent down and slowly plunged his hand into the water. When the fish passed by, he caught it suddenly, and the fish was really caught by him!
"Haha! I caught it!" Zhou Yu was overjoyed when he successfully caught the fish.
"I'll try too!" Su Qingze quickly took off his shoes and socks.
"Young Master, be careful, don't let the stone pierce your feet!" Ming'an exhorted.
"It's okay!" Su Qingze stared at the water and followed Zhou Yu's way of catching fish. Unfortunately, he didn't catch it after a few tries. The young man was not discouraged but thought of a way to surround a small pond with a stone, leaving a small gap, and then drove the fish in the direction of the small pond. This method really allowed him to catch the fish!
Shen Yanbei sat down on the rock and handed the water bag to Gu Changfeng. Gu Changfeng didn't feel that thirsty and just took a sip. Then Shen Yanbei took two sips from where Gu Changfeng was drinking. Gu Changfeng's face flushed slightly.
Looking up at the sky, it was getting late. Shen Yanbei built a simple stove next to the river with rocks and started to cook. "We will work together. Qingze and Ming'an will go pick firewood, Zhou Yu will pick a few large banana leaves, and Changfeng chops the bamboo. I will kill the chickens. Please pay attention to your safety and don't go far! Call out if you find anything wrong! " The wild vegetables and plantains grew near the river. The bamboo forest was not far away, so it was very convenient to make a fire and cook.
"Yes!" the three teenagers replied in unison and walked away happily.
Shen Yanbei processed the fish first, when Su Qingze and Ming'an returned from picking up the dry branches, he started a fire and boiled the water. When Gu Changfeng returned from cutting the bamboo, he still carried a hare in his hand.
The breeze was blowing and the branches were swaying. The young people by the river were talking and laughing around several bonfires, each holding a branch and a fish. The soup in the pot on the stove was gurgling, and a grouse and a hare were roasted on the fire next to each other. The grouse and hare were roasted to be golden all over, and sometimes oil fell to the ground from time to time. The scent flowed with the wind. The greedy teenagers who had just eaten the fish kept bothering them by asking if it was all cooked.
Seeing that it was almost roasted well, Shen Yanbei brushed a layer of seasoning on the grouse and hare.
"Can we eat it?" Zhou Yu swallowed. Su Qingze and Ming'an also looked forward to it.
"Okay, it's time for lunch!" Shen Yanbei laughed and gave each of the teenagers and Gu Changfeng a drumstick.
Gu Changfeng handed the chicken drumsticks to Shen Yanbei. "You eat it."
Shen Yanbei did not refuse, grabbing his hand, tearing off a small piece of meat, chewing it, and saying, "It's okay."
Gu Changfeng was taken aback. Shen Yanbei had brought the chicken leg to his mouth and chuckled, "You eat it too."
"Okay." Gu Changfeng lowered his eyes and took a bite at the place where Shen Yanbei had bitten.
"It's delicious!" Zhou Yu ate the chicken wings and his mouth full of oil. Su Qingze and Ming'an were relatively gentle, but the expressions on those faces were the same as Zhou Yu.
These people ate the meat while drinking the wild vegetable soup and wild egg soup in the bamboo tube. They looked extremely satisfied.
At this moment, an earth-shattering roar resounded across the mountain. Su Qingze's hand trembled, which made the chicken bone fell to the ground.
Gu Changfeng's face changed suddenly, he hurriedly grabbed the hatchet. "Run!"
"What... what?"
The three of them didn't know what was happening but Gu Changfeng's face was solemn. Shen Yanbei's brows wrinkled, before he had time to ask, he ran away.
A huge black bear with dark hair shining brightly in the sunlight suddenly jumped from the forest to the place where a few people had just been sitting while eating meat.
"Oh my..." This black blind man wouldn't be greedy, right? He saw the black bear sniffing at a bone and then grinning. The crystal-clear saliva dripping to the ground. Zhou Yu couldn't help being dumbfounded. As soon as he finished speaking, the black bear raised his head and its gaze as sharp as a sword.
Zhou Yu shivered. The black bear stared at him straight. With the force of all its limbs, it actually started to chase him up.
"!" Zhou Yu's eyes widened, feeling a little soft in his legs. The black bear looked huge and bulge, but it ran extremely fast. Its four strong and powerful legs could reach several meters away!
"Zhou Yu, run!" Shen Yanbei shouted, there were fine beads of sweat on his forehead. The bear's speed was very fast, and people couldn't beat it at all. Since this bear had found them, he would die if he didn't run! There might be a chance of survival if he ran!
"You climb the tree! I'll get it away!" Gu Changfeng rushed to face the black bear with a machete in his hand.
"Be careful!" Shen Yanbei said with red eyes.
Gu Changfeng glanced back at him deeply, the muscles of his arms were tight for a while.
"Ah—" The black bear rushed to the front within a short time, and rushed towards him with a big terrifying mouth. Zhou Yu's pupils shrank and he yelled in fright.
Gu Changfeng arrived in time with a hatchet in his hand.
"Oh-"
After Gu Changfeng hit it, the black bear jumped as fast as thunder. It shouted, pulled up his forelimbs, and rushed toward Gu Changfeng. Gu Changfeng flashed, avoiding its sharp claws.
The black bear had thick skin and thick flesh, this hatchet couldn't give much effect to this bear.
"Young Master!" Suddenly Ming'an called out in a panic. It turned out that Su Qingze had tripped over by a stone.
The black bear grinned and roared at Gu Changfeng, then turned around to run towards Su Qingze. Ming'an hurriedly helped Su Qingze to run, but Su Qingze's ankle sprained, and couldn't walk at all. Gu Changfeng hurriedly jumped in front of the two to block the black bear. The black bear angrily raised his paws and was about to scratch him while opening his fangs to bite.
The strength of the black bear was amazing, and it was a bit difficult for Gu Changfeng to protect the two behind him.
"Attack its eyes!" Shen Yanbei shouted to Zhou Yu. "Throw your knife over!"
Zhou Yu, who was sweating profusely, hurriedly took the knife out of his leg. "Shīfu, catch it!" Then he threw the knife over.
Gu Changfeng used ten layers of force to kick the black bear's head fiercely. The black bear took a few steps back because of the pain. Gu Changfeng took this opportunity to flip backward. The knife was flying in the air. After Gu Changfeng landed, he grabbed the knife.
Shen Yanbei couldn't admire the handsome action, only felt that his heart was stuck in his throat.
The black bear stabilized his body, snarled with his head held high, suddenly exerted force, and rushed over like a cannonball. Gu Changfeng held the knife with a calm face. He stepped forward and directly met the black bear.
When the black bear's claws in front of him, Gu Changfeng tilted his head. After kicking the black bear's belly, he jumped up-
"Aw-" The sharp knife was inserted deeply into the black bear's eyes, which made the black bear roared sternly and deafeningly. Before Gu Changfeng had time to retreat, the violent black bear swept over with a frantic paw—
"Changfeng!" Shen Yanbei's voice cracked.
"Ugh!" Gu Changfeng snorted. His chest surged with blood, and blood slid down the corner of his mouth. He frowned, wiped it with his hands, and dried the blood on the corners of his mouth.
"Changfeng..." Shen Yanbei clenched his fist tightly, distressed.
The black bear was furious and pounced on Gu Changfeng again. Gu Changfeng pressed his lips tightly and attacked its injured eyes. The black bear roared again, shocking the forest.
"Asshole!" Shen Yanbei gritted his teeth and ran back to the place where he was just cooking.
"Changfeng!"
As soon as Gu Changfeng turned his head, he met the cold eyes of the young man. Shen Yanbei shouted, "Get out of the way!"
Gu Changfeng's heart tightened, and he turned sideways to avoid the black bear's bite. Shen Yanbei raised his hand, and the off-white powder in the paper bag flew away and floated directly to the black bear. The furious black bear suddenly stagnated, and his huge body trembled, and it constantly sneezing and spitting.
Taking this opportunity, Gu Changfeng picked up the hatchet and smashed it with all his strength.
"Ah-" The black bear let out a creepy hiss, swiping wildly, with extremely fierce and violent movements. Shen Yanbei didn't have time to run far, and he was about to be caught by the bear.
Yanbei! Gu Changfeng's eyes trembled, and he rushed forward, hugging him and rolling aside. It just so happened that this was a hillside, and Gu Changfeng and Shen Yanbei rolled directly down the hillside. There were a lot of weeds and rocks on the hillside. Gu Changfeng hugged the young man tightly and tried to protect him, but his head was slammed by the stone. He then passed out.
"Changfeng!"
Between conscious and unconscious, like sinking into a quagmire, he couldn't get rid of it anyhow. There were countless fragments in his mind, strange and familiar scenes flipped one by one. Some handsome young people were holding the hands of the toddler little milk doll and smile with joy, some sturdy men scold the little doll with a serious face, and a child cried in front of the young man. A woman with a more beautiful face gently stroked her round belly and spoke coldly to the child. There was a young boy who was taller than his peers with a head and a stature like a calf, so people laughed at him. The little boy sat in the corner silently and watched the room full of people teasing around a doll with delicate facial features. There was a tall, sturdy boy who was practicing martial arts with a blank face. A servant shook his head and sighed and looked at the young boy who was not at all feminine, with pity in his eyes.
Who? Who was it?
As soon as the picture turned, the little girl suddenly grew into a charming little girl. The little girl had willow eyebrows, apricot eyes, cherry lips, and her skin was like porcelain. She was getting beautiful day by day. At the same time, the gazes of the people around looking at the young boy were becoming more and more contemptuous.
"Miss Gu is a nation's beauty, how can this ugly monster be her brother? Impossible!"
"The ancient dragon god had nine different sons, sincerely don't deceive me!"
"Some people are as beautiful as flowers, and some are ugly as salt-free. It must refer to this brother and sister, right?"
The woman who gathers everyone's eyes of admiration smiled softly. Her smile bloomed like delicate flowers that made people feel disheartened. while the young man with sharply angular faces beside the woman clenched his fists quietly and bowed his head silently. The woman who caught the embarrassment of the young man smiled even more coquettishly. She raised her slender wrist, plucking a flower and pinning it on her hair which like a waterfall. The picturesque brows and eyebrows were more delicate than flowers. Along with the unparalleled beauty of the woman, some crude rumor spread saying that her elder brother was eight feet tall and his hips as strong as a bear's and his back as supple as a tiger's. Every time the young boy went to the street, people would point at him while whispering.
"Don't make our Gu's Family loses face!" The woman punished and scolded him in front of the people, and he was banned to go out for a long time.
The young boy who was living alone in a courtyard became more silent. He practiced boxing and kung fu all day and night. He was often sitting alone by the wild river in a daze.
The picture turned again, it was a rugged mountain road. A few vicious criminals were chasing after a luxuriously decorated carriage. The horrified screams of women, the clang of weapons, and the roars of frightened horses echoed in his ears. Suddenly, a sharp pain hit his chest, then the young man flew out of the cliff!
The body instantly lost weight, and the heartbeat almost stopped beating. The fear of being enveloped by death came to his heart like the sound of wind whistling in my ears—
"Haahh..." Gu Changfeng, who was sweating profusely, sat up abruptly.
"Changfeng!" Shen Yanbei embraced him in joy and kept kissing his face. He said with remaining fear, "You have shed a lot of blood..." The sharp corner of the stone hit the back of Gu Changfeng's head, he didn't know when but his hands were covered with his blood.
Gu Changfeng was stunned. He firmly hugged Shen Yanbei. The strength was so great that he wanted to melt him into the blood.
Shen Yanbei took a cold breath. Realizing that the man's expression was distressed, he calmed his expression and kissed his pale lips. He comforted him softly. "It's okay, Changfeng. It's okay..."
"Yanbei..." Gu Changfeng blinked his teary eyes and kissed his lips. But his expression made Shen Yanbei frown.
It was rare to see the man taking the initiative, but it was a pity that the mood was not right. Shen Yanbei was so distressed that he whispered, "Tell me where it's uncomfortable, don't hold it in your heart." Gu Changfeng was not a weak person. He had never seen Gu Changfeng being like this.
"I..." Gu Changfeng's throat was hoarse. "I just gained my memory..."
Shen Yanbei was overjoyed. "Did you remember?"
Gu Changfeng nodded and shook his head, his eyes a little blank. That was indeed his memory. These people in the memory seemed to be his family members, but...
The loneliness and pain implied by those memories made him panic. His heart very refused this memory, and he didn't want to remember it at all!
Gu Changfeng frowned and remained silent. Shen Yanbei lifted the broken hair from his forehead and looked straight into his eyes. "Why are you being unhappy?"
Gu Changfeng held his hand, and his voice trembling. "If I can't remember..."
"What does it matter then?" Shen Yanbei looked serious. "You only need to know that you are my wife. Don't think about the others if you are not happy."
Gu Changfeng made a heavy "um" sound, the stone in his heart fell to the ground, and most of the depression in his heart disappeared.
"Do you feel any discomfort? Do your headache come again?" A bandage was wrapped around Gu Changfeng's head, Shen Yanbei felt that the white color was an eyesore.
"It's okay. It's just skin and flesh injuries. Don't worry." He suffered some minor injuries from the black bear's paw. As long as he was able to adjust his breath for a few days, it would be fine.
Shen Yanbei didn't believe what he said. He brought the chicken soup that had been boiled and skimmed. "Drink the soup and take a good rest."
Fearing that Shen Yanbei would not let him do any work as before, Gu Changfeng said hurriedly, "I'm really fine."
Shen Yanbei frowned. Without a word, he took a sip of the soup and then pinched Gu Changfeng's chin to block his lips.
Gu Changfeng blushed when the delicious chicken soup was put in his mouth. Shen Yanbei licked his lips and warned, "Be good."
Gu Changfeng's face turned redder. He hurriedly picked up the spoon to drink the soup by himself.
Shen Yanbei was quite satisfied. But when he recalled the dangers before, he was extremely depressed. "We just go to the mountain for the first time. Who knows that that bear will come out of nowhere. Such really bad luck!" The good mood was gone, and even his wife was injured. Damn!
"It's still a relief that we meet the bear first than the other villagers." With the size of the black bear, ordinary people couldn't beat it.
This made sense, Shen Yanbei's anger rested a little. "I have informed the village chief to tell the villagers who go up the mountain to be careful in the future."
"What happened to the black bear?"
Shen Yanbei said unhappily, "Dead. Being slaughtered." Gu Changfeng slashed the black bear violently and finally died of exhaustion. Since it was not in the modern time where hunting and killing of protected animals were not allowed, he had no mercy on this cannibal animal. He then asked Zhou Yu to tell the village chief and also called the villagers to carry the bear back to kill it. Every household was given a bit of black bear meat, and he even kept the black bearskin and bile.
Gu Changfeng's face revealed hesitation. "Is this bear still edible?"
"It can be eaten. I take the bear paw, I will stew it for you tonight." Shen Yanbei helped him to lie down. "I will call you when dinner is coming."
"I'm not sleepy." Gu Changfeng was a little embarrassed. He just woke up, where could he fall asleep? The most important thing was that he didn't want to remember those messy people and things.
Shen Yanbei looked at him solemnly. "You are injured."
"I want to look at you." Gu Changfeng's calm black eyes met him.
Shen Yanbei's eyes softened suddenly. He kissed him on his lips, and said in a helpless and indulgent tone, "I really can't help it."
Gu Changfeng blushed unconsciously.
Finally, Shen Yanbei had to move a reclining chair to the kitchen and let Gu Changfeng lie down and watch him make capers.
First, took the emerald green beans off the shelf, washed them, cut them apart into small pieces, added a little salt, and put them in an airtight container. Then poured three large bowls of water into the pot, put a few star anises, and a handful of pepper. After the fire was boiled, put the beans in the boiling water. After the container was filled with boiling water, Shen Yanbei put the lid on. To prevent air leakage, he deliberately put a basin filled with water on the container.
"This is a simple version of capers, which can be eaten the day after tomorrow." Shen Yanbei explained. "Let's make another one that can be stored for a long time." After saying that, he put a few star anise, pepper, and a little salt into a clean pot and stir fry for a while. Then add water to boil it together, then turned off the heat when all the salt has melted. The remaining beans were stuffed into the sauerkraut jar. Shen Yanbei poured the pepper water and finally sealed the jar mouth.
"The beans will slowly ferment in the water. You can eat them when the strong sourness comes out." Shen Yanbei put the sauerkraut jar in the shady corner and turned to Gu Changfeng. He said, "Okay, go to rest."
Gu Changfeng looked at him quietly. "I don't want to sleep."
Shen Yanbei raised his eyebrows. "I will read a story to you."
"Okay." Gu Changfeng responded, eyes full of expectation.
So the two went back to the bedroom.
Shen Yanbei took a book and sat on the edge of the bed, while Gu Changfeng laid on the bed and watched him.
This was a storybook, bought by the original owner. Shen Yanbei roughly turned it over. It was about the love story between Fairy Rabbit and the farmer.
"Ekhem!" Shen Yanbei cleared his throat and began to tell the ancients' bedtime stories. "There is a diligent and simple farmer in Changjia Village called Chang Sheng. When he returned from work in the field, he suddenly picked up a fluffy little white rabbit by the river. ..."
The young man's voice was clear and mellow, which made the story sounded interesting. Gu Changfeng gradually became fascinated by it.
"...The two of them are still together until their hair turns to be white, which made everyone envy them." After reading the book, Shen Yanbei felt a bit dry in his mouth. When he glanced at Gu Changfeng, his eyes were clear and there was no sleepiness.
After throwing the book away, Shen Yanbei got up to drink water. When he came back, he laid on Gu Changfeng's side.
"Close your eyes and sleep with me for a while." Shen Yanbei stretched out his hand to cover his eyes.
The smell of the young man lingered at the end of his nose. Gu Changfeng felt at ease in his heart. He made a soft "um" and closed his eyes obediently.
"Really good." Shen Yanbei smiled, kissed his forehead, and closed his eyes. Originally, he just wanted to close his eyes and take a light nap. But he overestimated his mental strength and physical strength. The room suddenly became quiet and peaceful, which made his whole body relaxed, so he fell asleep after a while.
Hearing the sound of shallow breathing, Gu Changfeng slowly opened his eyes and looked at Shen Yanbei's sleeping face.
After walking so long in the morning, he was also busy cooking for them before, then he had been in a state of anxiety because of him. This young man must be tired enough, but he didn't realize it. He even still had the energy to coax him.
When he touched Shen Yanbei's lips, Gu Changfeng's eyes were deep. "No matter what identity I am, I am your wife."
People in the nearby villages had ever heard that there was a bear in that mountain, but no one believed it at first. After all, everyone had lived here for so many years and there was no case of large beasts attacking people. The people of Lijia Village scolded the people of Shenjia Village for being overreacting and spreading rumors. They accused that the purpose was to prevent everyone from going up the mountain, to monopolize the resources. But unfortunately, no one would be caught in the trap!
They treated kindness with badness, even turned back to blame them. Shen Dezhong was so angry that he almost cursed them right on the face. So he directly threw the bear's paw on the opponent's face. Even though the very talented person of Lijia Village shut their mouth, they still doubted it.
Shen Yanbei had nothing to say about this. Indeed that no one else had ever encountered it, but he did. Should he blame his roasted chicken for being too fragrant or the black bear for being too gluttonous?
Whether they believed it or not, he had informed them. So for the rest, he didn't care!
Two days later, it would be the Dragon Boat Festival. In addition to making rice dumplings, the people's custom here was to hang colorful gourds, tie colorful ropes, drink realgar wine, wear sachets, etc. They did it in the case to help the family members get rid of diseases, avoid evil, and wish for luck.
A big man like Shen Yanbei naturally didn't know how to make colorful gourds and weave colorful ropes, but the villagers prepared them for him. The aunts in the village said that since his Fulang was injured so his condition was inconvenient to do this, they helped him to prepare these things. They comforted him too that he would be lucky if he survived the catastrophe, hoping for his Fulang's injury would be better soon.
Shen Yanbei wondered why the villagers suddenly became so enthusiastic. Shen Dezhong sipped dry smoke and said, "It was because everyone thanks you for killing the black bear."
Sometimes they must go to the mountains to get firewood, pick herbs, or hunt the wild animals. When Gu Changfeng was brought back with blood on his head, the villagers were very shocked. These days were too peaceful so they forgot that there were still cannibal beasts on the mountain.
Shen Yanbei seemed to understand. He took out the dumplings he had made. "This is the dumplings I made. Uncle Zhong, please try it."
The dumplings made by the villagers here were filled with a candied date or mung bean. But his dumplings were a modern luxury version of rice dumplings: mung bean and pork dumplings, salted egg yolk, and fresh meat dumplings.
Seeing these dumplings looked unordinary, Shen Dezhong was not polite and accepted it directly.
"There is something else I want to discuss with Uncle Zhong." Shen Yanbei took out a jar of capers. "These are my pickled capers. These days have been getting hot, so it affects everyone's appetite. It's good to eat something sour for dinner. This new dish will give you a fresh taste."
"Caper beans?" Shen Dezhong took the jar and opened the seal, a strong sour smell floated out.
"It can be used to stir-fry minced meat with porridge, or being a stuffing for buns." Shen Yanbei said, "This dish is well preserved and can be stored for a year. So I want to buy some beans from the villagers to make this."
The capers were good for cooking or as side dishes. The most important thing was that it was cheap and delicious. As the Shopkeeper Liu at the restaurant said, the new design dishes were quite popular with customers.
Shen Dezhong asked his wife to take a clean spoon and dig out some to taste. The irritating acid made him squint. "It's quite sour!" The acidity of this tamarind bean was not the same as the acidity of sauerkraut, but it was equally irritating the taste buds.
"Is this tamarind troublesome to pickle? How long do you have to preserve it before you can eat it?"
"It's not troublesome. If you want to eat it as soon as possible, it can be eaten after two or three days." The method of sauerkraut here was more cumbersome and troublesome, it took about a month to ferment in a jar before it can be used. In contrast, making capers was obviously easier.
"Okay, I'll tell the villagers." Shen Dezhong responded and asked about the progress of Shen Yanbei's study recently. After Shen Yanbei told him that Li Zhiyuan intended to help him, Shen Dezhong was very happy. He patted him on the shoulder and said, "County magistrate is a learned man. It's a rare chance. Don't make him disappointed!"
Shen Yanbei repeatedly said yes. Before leaving, Shen Dezhong reminded him again, "Remember to prepare realgar wine, spray some along the periphery of the wall of your home to get rid of evil spirits."
"Alright." Shen Yanbei smiled. When he was a child, he didn't have so many things to pay attention to during the Dragon Boat Festival. Instead, he would put some wormwood in front of the door. His grandmother would also go to the mountains to pick some wormwood, calamus, psychotria rubrapoir, and other herbs then boiled them. Shen Yanbei would use them to bathe. It had a strong and unique herbal aroma, which made him have a strong impression.
Su Qingze would spend the festival with his family members, so Shen Yanbei gave them a jar of tamarind beans, a basket of salted duck eggs, and rice dumplings. After knowing that Su Qingze had been attacked by a black bear, Su Wanqing was so scared that she spilled all the tea, and Li Zhiyuan was so scared that his heart almost stopped. But the young man seemed not to be too frightened. Instead, he told them vividly how dangerous the situation was at the time, and how Gu Changfeng bravely fought with the black bear, making them wonder whether to praise him for his courage or to reprimand him for not running away.
Fortunately, Su Qingze was fine but the other party was injured to protect her little brother. Su Wanqing frowned. "Is Shen Xiucai's Fulang seriously injured?"
"Gu Dàgē looked to have a good spirit, but I saw Shen Dàgē feeding him, so he seemed to be hurt very much." Su Qingze's eyes were worried. When Gu Changfeng fainted, he shed a lot of blood, which made Shen Yanbei's face look very gloomy. His appearance looked like not allowing strangers to enter. It made him feel a bit jealous of Gu Changfeng.
Su Wanqing was taken aback, and said, "Then let Doctor Lin see his injury, and you should bring him some medicinal materials for replenishing his body."
"Okay!" Su Qingze pointed to the pickled cabbage jars and salted duck eggs on the table. "These are from Shen Dàgē. He made them himself. The jars contain pickled capers, which could be used to stir-fry meat. So it's good for dinner! These salted duck eggs are very well matched with porridge, which makes you eat three bowls!"
Li Zhiyuan frowned slightly, the courtesy was not expensive but it was all sincere. But it seemed his thoughts were spent on cooking whether...
Su Qingze then took out a stack of manuscripts. "This is what Shen Dàgē asked me to show to my brother-in-law. Brother-in-law, take a look?"
Li Zhiyuan took a look and turned it over. The more he looked at it, the more satisfied he became, which made him nod in his heart. It seemed that this Shen Xiucai was quite attentive in learning...
"Uncle, stack up high!" The little nephew came over and grabbed Su Qingze's hem, his big black eyes were full of joy.
"Hey, good!" Su Qingze picked up his little nephew and happily went to play with building blocks.
Su Wanqing shook her head and sighed. "When can this detached temperament be changed?" If it hadn't been for her brother who was clamoring to go to the mountain to play, a few people would not have encountered a black bear. Fortunately, nothing big happened.
"What's wrong with young people playing around?" Li Zhiyuan said casually.
Su Wanqing gave him a hating look. "Is that good? At this age, he can get married. Can this kind of temperament be liked by her husband?"
"Hm, his husband probably likes his temperament?" Li Zhiyuan said in his heart, the reason why the man was so attached to his brother-in-law might be because he liked him!
This sure tone made Su Wanqing wonder, "Do you know something?"
"Hehe, Fūrén, you think too much. How can I know?" Li Zhiyuan touched his nose and dared not say more. His father-in-law and mother-in-law didn't tell his wife about this, and he didn't know if his wife would keep shutting his mouth up if she knew about it in the future.
With a cold snort, Su Wanqing called the maidservant to let the kitchen prepare the dinner, while Li Zhiyuan took Shen Yanbei's work to the study to make corrections. After the foods were served, they washed their hands and enjoyed the family dinner.
In Shenjia Village, because Su Qingze wasn't here, Shen Yanbei could make a special table of many delicious dishes: chicken with scallion oil, salt, and pepper shrimp; taro old duck meat; vermicelli soup; stuffed tofu; and cold cucumber.
Zhou Yu also went home to spend the festival season with Yupo. So right now there were only Shen Yanbei and Gu Changfeng in the house. It was a rare time for two people could enjoy their own world. Shen Yanbei smiled and poured a glass of realgar wine for Gu Changfeng. "Eat. we will go to the bamboo forest after eating." He raised many chickens on the ten acres of bamboo forest. Counting time, the chickens should have grown new feathers.
Gu Changfeng said "Yes" and gave Shen Yanbei a chicken leg. This scallion chicken was delicious and tender, which made them drool just by looking at it. He hadn't ever eaten such a smooth chicken before, and he didn't know how Shen Yanbei had so many recipes in his mind. Why could he have many tricks in making a chicken!
Everyone in Shenjia Village was celebrating the festival happily, but some people in Lijia Village next door couldn't. They had contacted the construction team to pick a lucky day to start construction of the school, but who would have thought that the above still didn't approve their proposal yet!
Li Yi's face became dark. He clenched the handrail hardly. His eyes were full of dissatisfaction. "Didn't you say that you have taken care of it? How has the matter turned to be messed up!"
Li Zheng Yuan, the chief of Lijia Village, stroked his goat's beard. "Don't you think someone is causing trouble on purpose to us?"
"You mean?" Li Yi frowned, his eyes resentful.
"Su xiǎo gōngzǐ is his good friend, and the county magistrate can't help but buy his face." Lijia Village and Shenjia Village had been at odds for a long time. When they said that this school was built in their Lijia Village, this Shenjia Village might be unhappy! So it was normal to find ways to stop the construction!
Li Yi gritted his teeth. "Unreasonable! How dare he spoil my good deeds!"
"You almost let him make a fool of himself at his crown ceremony last time. So he must hate you!" Li Zheng Yuan soothed. "I'm afraid that it will take more time to consider again about handling this official business."
"How long? When the time comes, it will be late!" Li Yi said angrily, hatred rolling in his heart. Why was this person so lucky? Not only were there noble people to help him at his crown ceremony, he even could come back alive when he encountered a black bear! Why didn't this black bear beat him to death?
"Liu Dàrén can't wait longer anymore?"
"There is only one vacant position. After this village, there is no such inn! Liu Dàrén asked me to quickly send the money!" Li Yi clenched his fists and said solemnly. "This fat man!"
"Then I have to think about other ways." Li Zheng Yuan was helpless.
Li Yi was furious. "What else can I do? Where can I get that large sum of money?"
"Lend some money from Li Yuánwài first?"
"But I can't pay it back!" Li Yi was furious. "Last time, Li Sheng was beaten by Li Zhiyuan, which made the old man so afraid. He banned Li Sheng from wandering and said that Li Sheng was not allowed to go out and play foolishly anymore! Besides that, Tongfu Restaurant robbed the business of Changsheng Restaurant. He was so distressed, where else could he find someone to support him?"
Borrowing money then repaying the money was justified, who did want to do a business at a loss? Li Zhengyuan slandered him, but he still looked very worried on the face. "Why don't we ask the village chiefs to come over to discuss and let them try to pressure Shenjia Village?"
"No." Li Yi's eyes flashed. "This matter has to be solved on its root!"
What? Li Zheng Yuan wondered.
Li Yi waved his hand. "Uncle Yuan, go back first!"
Li Zhengyuan didn't change his color face. "Alright then. If you have something to do, let people call me."
Li Yi responded indifferently, sitting there thoughtfully. Seeing this, Li Zheng Yuan had to withdraw.
After a while, Li Yi stood up and called the young servant to come over, and said: "Go find Lin Wanru and take her here."
"Yes, sir!" The young servant took his order.
"Be careful, don't let people see it." Li Yi exhorted.
The weather was getting hotter day by day, and the sound of the leaves rustling was very clear. The children in the village got together in twos and threes, playing around happily.
If it was in the past, Su Qingze would only feel that this summer was extremely difficult to endure. Even the sound of cicadas outside the window could make him irritable, and besides that hot weather would make him lose his appetite and sleep restlessly. But this time, he only thought that summer was very fun!
"Young Master, the sun is scorching outside. Let's wait for the sun to go down before going out?" Ming'an anxiously looked at the young man who had been tanned a lot but didn't care about it. After living here for a few months, the young master of his family changed from a fleshy bun face to a slightly pointed chin. He had lost a lot of weight, which made him become more energetic. But since he spent all his time in the countryside, why he even lost a demeanor as a Gōngzǐ of a wealthy and influential family?
Su Qingze didn't care much. "It's indeed not cool outside the house! So why don't we go to the forest?"
"But it will get in the sun too!" In the hot summer, which Gōngzǐ did not stay at home and let the maidservant fan him, drink iced plum soup to relieve the heat, and take a nap in the bedroom with ice cubes? But his young master was no different from a mountain kid now except for his identity as a Shuang'er! He now could be adept at fishing in the water and digging out bird eggs in the trees!
Ming'an was about to cry. Where was his white and tender young master who was like a fortune doll?
Knowing what Ming'an was worried about, Su Qingze didn't think much. "What are you afraid of? It's not that I can't get married! My parents have said that I have been wrapped* up in the next half of my life, whether it is round or flat, black or white, I still must marry him!"
*Describes the meaning of taking all the remaining things or affairs.
These words quite calmed him down, Ming'an immediately comforted him cautiously. "I've never heard anyone in the mansion mention this. Maybe the lǎoyé and fūrén lied to you?"
"What's the difference between true and false? Isn't it necessary to marry in the end?" He understood his parents, that look absolutely couldn't deceive people! the most important is! His father and mother who loved him so much even couldn't refuse this marriage. That person must have the right to provoke their family, but on the other contrary their Su's Family couldn't afford to provoke him and dare not provoke him!
Seeing the young man laughing at himself, Ming'an felt distressed, "If you really don't want to marry this person, why don't you go and ask Young Master Ah-Heng?"
Su Qingze frowned and asked puzzledly, "What do you want him to do?"
"Let him push this marriage for you!"
Su Qingze felt even more strange. "What does my family have to do with him?"
"Doesn't..." he like you? Ming'an didn't say the second half of the sentence. Su Qingze was at the end of his 17 now. If Young Master Ah-Heng was really interested in his young master, he would have come to propose a marriage early, so why bother by sending letters?
"You will cross the bridge when you get to it*. It is useless to think much." Su Qingze waved his hand, putting on his straw hat and preparing to go out.
*chuán dào qiáotóu zìrán zhí: in the end things will mend.
Ming'an finally couldn't stop him, so he could only follow. But in his heart, he wanted to find someone to persuade Su Qingze not to let him go wild like this. Or not, if he finally married into someone else's house in the future, this kind of character would not be liked by your husband's family.
The person who could do it was naturally Gu Changfeng.
Gu Changfeng was just silent. Just let Su Qingze play, because young people should be lively people. He had developed the dull temperament he was now, so he actually was a little envious of Su Qingze's sunny and cheerful character.
Ming'an then looked at Shen Yanbei, trying to make him to persuade Su Qingze with his eyes.
Shen Yanbei couldn't laugh or cry. "It's good for him to be happy like this. It's impossible for your master's family to not know the situation of your young master here. Since he is allowed to live here, it means that they acquiesced to let him play. Don't you think your worry is a bit useless?"
If he asked him to say that a boy should look like a boy. Did it mean that he should show pretentious elegance or exquisiteness such as a walk with mincing steps like a woman and always act shyly?
Ming'an was taken aback. The emperor actually didn't worry, but the eunuch did? After thinking about it carefully, it seemed that the lǎoyé and fūrén just told him to pay attention to the safety of the young master, but did not ask him to remind the young master to pay attention to words and deeds...
"Such a wealthy and influential family have so much restraint!" After Ming'an left, Shen Yanbei couldn't help shaking his head, turned around, and hugged his wife. He smiled. "It's better to be a small family like us. You can do as you want!"
Gu Changfeng, who was hugged tight, only said "um". Since it was too hot he wore less, and dressed more casually at home, which made the clothes stick to the skin because of the sweat. The opponent's body was cold, but why did it make him feel that his whole body was burning.
Realizing that the skin under his hands was gradually getting hot, Shen Yanbei kissed that sharp face. "Last night... did you like it?"
Hearing that, Gu Changfeng's whole body froze, and his exposed honey-colored skin glowed reddishly. His eyes flickered, and he did not dare to look at Shen Yanbei.
"You don't like it?"
The young man's eyes looked a little disappointed and lonely, Gu Changfeng resisted the shame in his heart and hurriedly said, "I...I like it!"
A smile flashed in Shen Yanbei's eyes, but he said in a faint voice, "You don't need to comfort me, I know my skills are not good."
"No, it's not..." Gu Changfeng was anxious. "It's very... very comfortable!"
Shen Yanbei didn't quite believe it. "Really?"
Gu Changfeng nodded quickly. Shen Yanbei frowned slightly. "You don't have to force yourself."
"I'm really comfortable!" Gu Changfeng clenched his fists and said with a blushing face, "If you don't believe... let's do it again..."
Shen Yanbei raised his eyebrows, dubiously. Gu Changfeng gritted his teeth and hugged him directly onto the bed.
Shen Yanbei lowered his gaze at the red-faced man, he said hesitantly, "Tell me if you are uncomfortable."
With his head tilted, Gu Changfeng's ears were red in response, which made the smile in Shen Yanbei's eyes gradually clear. Then he lifted his shirt to reveal sexy and strong chest and abdominal muscles.
The warm lips and tongue fell on the muscle body like a wildfire that started to burn out of control. When the most sensitive and fragile part of his body fell into the opponent's mouth, tears overflowed from the corners of Gu Changfeng's eyes. The unspeakable pleasure made him slightly lost, and he clenched his fists tightly to endure it without screaming.
Shen Yanbei's eyes turned deep. He was very satisfied with the extreme joy he brought to the other party.
Gu Changfeng was still injured and lost a lot of blood. So he didn't dare to do it with real guns and ammunition. Taking into account the needs of his wife, he did it with his mouth last night. Even though his novice skill still ought to be improved, what made him happy was the reaction of his wife. His muscles became tense, and the look of desperation that he was suppressed almost made him look awkward. So he tried to make him cry desperately.
"Um—" an unbearable cry leaked from his mouth, and the blushing Gu Changfeng raised his head, which made his usual calm dark eyes turn to be watery.
The sun outside was like a fire, and the inside of the house was like fire too.
Su Qingze wiped the sweat from his forehead, and his cheek was flushed with rouge from the sun. He smiled and squinted his eyes, taking off the big black cicada stuck to the bamboo pole. "I got it!"
The big black cicada screamed, flapping its wings desperately to fly. Su Qingze directly pinched its wings and prepared to put it in the net bag.
"Su Gōngzǐ!"
Suddenly there was a woman's sweet voice from the other side. Then a woman in a water-green skirt came slowly with a bamboo basket. "What a coincidence?"
Su Qingze looked up at the woman, nodding lightly.
"This sun is so poisonous, Su Gōngzǐ has to be careful to not be burned. Why don't we go to the bamboo forest to enjoy the cool?" The woman smiled softly and invited, "I have prepared watermelon soaked in well water in the bamboo forest, how about Su Gōngzǐ went to sit and eat a piece of melon to cool off?"
"No. Shen Dàgē has prepared sour plum soup for me." Su Qingze refused unceremoniously. In the past few days, this woman had always tried to see him all the time. If she just wanted to get close to him because of his identity, he didn't think much. Although this woman acted friendly on her face, he could see the hatred in her eyes. How could he get close to such a purposeful person unless he was a fool?
The smile on the woman's face condensed, she smiled dryly. "I have two new textbooks, and they are pretty good. Why don't I give it to Su Gōngzǐ to relieve your boredom?"
Su Qingze slammed the big black cicada in front of her. "I'm not interested!"
The hideous big black cicada suddenly zoomed in front of her eyes, the bulging black eyes and the big black legs with barbed startled the woman. The woman in a water-green skirt screamed so much.
Su Qingze laughed, like a proud dude who made fun of people, looked at the woman contemptuously, and warned, "No matter what your purpose is, don't try to approach me!" After speaking, he carried the bamboo pole on his shoulders and walked away.
The woman's face flushed red, staring at his back, stomping her feet fiercely, and cursing in a low voice, "You fatty man! Just because you were born in a good family, you can't just look down on me!"
The boy originally had a good foundation, but now he was getting thinner, which made his facial features become more and more three-dimensional. When he smiled temperament became more exquisite, like a gem that was slowly brushed away from the dust, slowly showing a dazzling brilliance.
The woman couldn't say whether it was because of jealousy or other reasons. The only thing she knew now was that she couldn't get close to the teenager to understand the teenager's preferences!
This kind of method failed, So she had to think of other ways...
Thinking of this, the woman snorted coldly and went home with the basket on her back. When he passed a certain bamboo forest, he heard a cheerful laugh. The face of the woman was scornful.
"A Master Xiùcái who does farming and raising all day really makes scholars lose their face!"
"Oh! Who do you mean to lose the face of a scholar?" Shen Qiukui yelled. With a stroke of the bamboo pole in his hand, he drove the healthy duck into the bamboo forest surrounded by fishing nets.
The woman's face became stiff, she stopped speaking and walked away quickly.
"Why do you care about her?" Wu sān-gē's wife Jinhua also held a long bamboo pole. "We can't eat the sour grapes, but it doesn't mean she also doesn't eat."
"Yeah, maybe it is because of the sour!" Shen Qikui smiled, watching the energetic ducks in front of him, he said happily, "This duck is well raised! I don't know how will it taste!" The paddy in the Shen's Family's field began to yield rice. So Shen Yanbei asked him to drive the ducks to the bamboo forest to raise them temporarily. The ducks had been raised for three months and they can be slaughtered soon!
"It should taste good!" The duck stayed on the farm all day, either eating the pests in the field or eating some fish and shrimp. It looked different from the ducks raised at home and was more flexible than domestic ducks.
"Shen Xiucai's family will have a bumper harvest this year!" Shen Qiukui said with emotion. The rice produced by Shen Yanbei's rice was heavy and rich, the number of rice grains per plant was more than other people's. His corn was a bit higher and had more corn than other people's. With the ducks and the fish in the rice fields, this total income in great abundance was very fantastic!
"My husband said that after the new round of rice planting, he will also learn to grow rice and raise fish and duck as what Shen Xiucai does." Jinhua was eager to try.
"My family doesn't have enough hands, I can't do this one." Shen Qikui was a little regretful. "But I do grow a lot of vegetables at home. If Shen Xiucai wants to buys beans, I still have more beans."
"The beans are good!" Jinhua pulled the fishing net and said, "These days are getting hot, which makes my girl doesn't want to eat rice. The beans are sour and refreshing. If you stir-fry with a little bit of meat, she can eat two bowls of porridge!"
"My mother loves this too. She likes to eat it with vegetable stir-fry..."
The two laughed and chatted, but the information revealed in the words was that Shen Yanbei's actions were affecting the whole village.
"Okay, okay!" Shen Dezhong smiled and looked at the golden rice wave in front of him, with a look even happier than the owner, Shen Yanbei.
"The sun is scorching. Uncle Zhong, let's go over there." Just standing under the sun for less than a moment could make them feel so hot.
Shen Dezhong smiled and nodded, following Shen Yanbei to the side of the shade of the tree.
"The fish have all gone to the ditch?" When the rice was about to be harvested, the water in the field had to be drained. Apart from being convenient to harvest rice, it could accelerate the maturity of rice. Since there were fishes on Shen Yanbei's rice field, the fish would have to be moved.
"Yes." After deciding to raise fish at the beginning, he specifically instructed Uncle Xu to dig the ditches of the ridges, so that they could raise fish in the ditches while drying the fields.
Admired by Shen Yanbei's detailed plan, Shen Dezhong said happily, "The weather is good these few days. Once the rice is harvested, it has to be dried and put away." Because Shen Yanbei was a Xiùcái, he didn't have to pay taxes. So these grains of rice could enter the warehouse directly.
"I know." Shen Yanbei replied. Because he had no grain at home before, the grains that he bought outside were all the coarse grains. So he had to save some of these grains and grind some of them to eat. The peasants here had worked hard for a year and still had to pay taxes. So they didn't have much rice left. The white rice that was milled out was usually reserved for New Year's Eve and New Year holidays. They rarely eat large white rice on weekdays. But he had eaten white rice for more than 20 years. Although coarse grain rice could be accepted, the taste was not good. Now his family was not short of money or food, so he didn't need to make himself suffer.
Shen Dezhong stroked his beard and felt relieved. Thinking of the villagers' request, the joy on his face faded, and he looked at Shen Yanbei a little hesitantly.
Seeing that he was hesitant to speak, Shen Yanbei raised his eyebrows. "What's wrong Uncle Zhong?"
Shen Dezhong tentatively asked, "Yanbei, your method of breeding fish, rice, and duck together now seems feasible. Have you ever thought about expanding the scale of farming? Have you thought about buying land?" When Shen's Family was at its peak, there were hundreds of acres of fertile land. They were a famous landlord in these ten miles and eight townships! Now there were only ten acres of farmland left, he didn't know if Shen Yanbei had the idea of restoring the glory of the Shen's Family.
"Of course. Buy some more to round up." The restaurant now received several hundred taels a month. Besides the money being kept, it was also a good idea to invest it somewhere.
"It's good to buy land, it's good to buy land! You can exempt 80 mu of land tax under your name. You won't regret it!" Shen Dezhong breathed a sigh of relief.
Shen Yanbei was puzzled. Intuitively, what Shen Dezhong wants to say was probably related to his exemption of 80 mu of land tax.
"Some people in the village saw that your harvest is good this year, so they also think of it. They want to put the land under your name, so they can raise fish, rice, and duck together like you..." Shen Dezhong was a bit embarrassed to say it. Although this idea did not harm Shen Yanbei's interests, it still made people feel uncomfortable. Moreover, Shen Yanbei had a self-respecting temperament in the past, so the villagers were a bit afraid to speak up!
Shen Yanbei was taken aback and then shook his head. "I can teach them the method of raising fish, rice, and duck together, but you can't put the land under my name." Inequality rather than want was the cause of the trouble. All from the same village. If he helped some people who weren't his direct blood relative to avoid taxes, it might make other villagers inevitably feel that he treats them differently.
Shen Dezhong nodded and said firmly, "I'll tell them when I go back and let them give up. Don't worry, the villagers don't want to take advantage of you, they just came up with this method because they are desperate."
Shen Yanbei understood that as the village head, all his decisions should be considered for the sake of the villagers. It was just that... was someone in the village already in such a difficult situation?
Shen Dezhong explained: "There is a family that was originally poor, and both father and mother were in poor health. To make more money, the man ran the boat outside. But the boat sank a while ago and no one was left..."
After getting the economic situation of the people in Shenjia Village from Shen Dezhong, he said, "Whoever wants to raise fish, rice, and duck together in the second half of the year, I will teach everyone how. Besides, I will purchase a large amount of bean curd, more varieties of radish, and Chinese cabbage at the market price."
His peppers had grown well, and it would be harvested in the second half of the year. By then, they could pickle hot and sour vegetables. This area was near the river, and boats were going north from the dock in the county seat. After his restaurant launched the capers dish, many businessmen from north to the south would come to order. The journey to the north was far away, and the waterway was not like land, which had to be frequently recharged. The ship needed to prepare food that could be stored for a long time, so pickled vegetables and meat were very popular among the boaters. A savvy businessman smelled the business opportunity and had ordered hundreds of capers from him early. When the hot and sour pickles were launched, he believed that more people would look for him to order!
Knowing that Shen Yanbei intended to help everyone, Shen Dezhong said gratefully, "Okay, I'll talk to everyone after this!"
Shen Yanbei smiled. This move could be regarded as killing two birds with one stone, that was, it solved the problem of the source of his pickles, and it also helped the villagers. But if the villagers really wanted to make a fortune, it depended on their effort and brave to do it!
The paddy was bowing because of the heavy golden rice grains. The man who harvests the rice held a sickle and grabbed a handful of rice stalks with the left hand. Raising his head and wiping the sweat from his forehead, Uncle Xu looked at the golden ground and his eyes were full of admiration. In the beginning, he thought that Shen Yanbei's farming of fish in the fields was a careless decision, but the facts proved that this Master Xiucai was far-sighted! In the past few days, he had helped harvest a lot of people's rice. But only Shen Yanbei's rice had the best quality and was predicted to have the highest yield!
Eight acres of rice were harvested in less than two days, which made everyone in Shenjia Village shocked. Generally other people harvested four hundred catties per mu, but Shen Yanbei's rice had reached eight hundred catties. This harvest was so terrifying!
The result was actually doubled!
Shen Yanbei was quite satisfied with this number. In modern times, the average yield per mu of land was about 800, in kilograms! But in ancient times, conditions were limited. Without pesticides and fertilizers, the land he planted actually could yield half of the modern per mu, which exceeded his expectations!
Shenjia Village was boiling! People with paddy fields came to ask Shen Yanbei how to farm the land. Shen Yanbei didn't hide his personal information, he explained in detail and passed on his experience on the spot. When the next season of rice was planted, the rice fields of the villagers in Shenjia Village were all surrounded by fishing nets.
Shen Dezhong was a little worried. It looked like all the villagers were in the battle. Everyone was farming according to a unified pattern. It was a good thing to increase production, but when the time came, the fish and ducks would increase sharply. How could this be sold?
"It's okay, if the villagers can't sell it, they can sell it to me." Shen Yanbei said with a generous and honest voice. His ducks were currently selling very hot in Tongfu Restaurant because nobody else before him ever sold the roast duck!
The roast duck had a strong smell, and the scent spread to the surroundings, which attracted everyone nearby. Because there were some breeding ducks and female ducks that laid eggs, the restaurant only sold five roast ducks a day on a first-come, first-served basis. In the future, if the villagers sold the ducks to him, he could offer even more menus!
As for fish, if peppers had grown a lot, whether it was sauerkraut fish, boiled fish, chopped pepper fish head, and other dishes would greatly drive fish sales!
With Shen Yanbei's words, Shen Dezhong was completely relieved. Tongfu Restaurant was now the best and most popular restaurant in the county. People came for breakfast and dinner every day, and the employees were often unable to sit down. For this reason, it also served the delivery service. This method was really manageable!
After collecting millet and selling ducks, Shen Yanbei was happy in his heart so he wanted to make a delicious meal. In modern hot summer, one of the things that people liked to do most was to eat barbecue and drink cold beer. Even though there was no beer here, making a barbecue with mung bean syrup was still quite good. In the evening, Shen Yanbei took out the iron grid made by the blacksmith and put it on the charcoal fire. The meat and vegetable skewers made of long bamboo were put on the table.
This way of eating was quite fresh. The teenagers were full of enthusiasm and each took their favorite meat skewers and grilled them on the iron net.
"First brush the oil on the chicken wings, then turn it to one side to the other side..." Shen Yanbei held a small brush to demonstrate to a few people. The oil dripping on the chicken wings fell on the charcoal fire, which made the white smoke come out. The smoke brought the aroma of the barbecue mixed with the heat of the charcoal fire.
"It's fun!" Su Qingze's eyes were bright, he brushed his corn with oil, and asked curiously, "Shen Dàgē, how do you know so many ways to make food?"
"Food is the most important thing for the people." Shen Yanbei hid the source, raising his hand to brush Gu Changfeng's chicken wings with cumin. "If you like to bake it yourself, you have to be careful!" After speaking, he handed the grilled chicken wings to Gu Changfeng.
The outer skin of the chicken wings was roasted brown, brightly colored, and exuding an incomparably alluring aroma. A gust of wind blew, dots of sparks on the charcoal fire were flying, and the rich aroma of the barbecue was blowing into the distance.
Gu Changfeng's quiet black eyes smiled. When he picked up the chicken wings and was about to eat, a strange feeling suddenly surged in his heart. He frowned slightly and raised his head. His puzzled gaze crossed the fence and landed on the big tree outside the yard. The tree was very tall, with dense leaves on the thick trunk, like a large emerald green umbrella. For a moment, he seemed to feel a hot gaze staring at his chicken wings...
"What's the matter?" Shen Yanbei asked with a smile.
The strange feeling in his heart dissipated suddenly, and Gu Changfeng shook his head.
It should be an illusion...
"It's delicious!" Su Qingze was moved and sad. "What should I do if I can't eat these so many delicious things when I return to Qinghe in the future?" He had been away from home for a few months. Seeing the Mid-Autumn Festival was approaching, his parents had sent him a letter urging him to go back for the holiday.
"Don't just worry about eating. Remember to measure the consumption after returning to your house." Shen Yanbei warned.
Su Qingze nodded. Shen Yanbei's eating control was very strict but not harsh. He would not be prohibited from eating meat or fish, but he still had to move more after eating. Now he had reduced his appetite a low, and he had also developed the habit of exercising every day.
Looking at Gu Changfeng's tall and sturdy body, Su Qingze was full of confidence. As long as he persevered, one day he would become as strong as Gu Dàgē!
But…
"Shen Dàgē, I think you should open the branch restaurant at Qinghe!" Su Qingze said earnestly. "There are many wealthy people in Qinghe. Everyone is quite picky in eating. The dishes at Tongfu Restaurant can definitely satisfy them. Besides, Shen Dàgē will go to Qinghe to participate in the autumn imperial examination next year, so he can also get familiar with the environment at the same time!"
Hearing this, Gu Changfeng looked straight at Shen Yanbei, but Shen Yanbei did not change his color face. "This is a good idea, I'll think about it."
"Shen Dàgē, you must think about it! I have to go back to Qinghe in a few days, but I don't know if I will come again." Su Qingze was a little melancholy.
Ming'an quickly comforted. "Young Master, let's go back first so that we don't need to be watched by someone! You also can let lǎoyé and fūrén see you and make them feel at ease. Wait until the end of the year if you want to come again."
Gu Changfeng frowned. "Who is watching you?"
Ming'an calmly said, "There is a woman named Lin Wanru who has been staring at my young master recently. We can meet her wherever we go! It's so annoying!"
Su Qingze brushed oil on his shrimp skewers, and said indifferently, "I didn't know what she wanted to do before, until one day she told me in private that the Juren of Lijia Village admired me very much. She inquired about my preferences so he could send me gifts to please me..."
"I pooh! How come there is such a shameless person? That Li Juren is in his 30s, right? It's a toad who wants to eat swan meat!" Zhou Yu's eyes were full of contempt.
Shen Yanbei twisted his eyebrows. "What does he want to do?"
"I don't know." Su Qingze said without taking it to heart, grilling the shrimp on the iron net.
"It may be because of the school's problems," Gu Changfeng said solemnly.
Several people were startled, then they all understood.
"It's disgusting!" Zhou Yu was angry.
Su Qingze turned the shrimp to the other side and grilled. "I have told my brother-in-law about this, and my brother-in-law will take care of it."
Shen Yanbei and Gu Changfeng looked at each other, Gu Changfeng's eyes were firm and slightly cold. Shen Yanbei said, "After you return to Qinghe, please find a place for me. We plan to open a branch in Qinghe."
Su Qingze was overjoyed. "Really?"
Shen Yanbei smiled: "If the time comes, and you find it, we'll go and take a look first..."
"Great!"
...
As several people talked, the meat on the iron rack was grilled one after another, and the aroma became more fragrant after being sprinkled with cumin or salt and pepper. Just as a few people were talking and laughing and eating meat, a black shadow quickly flashed out of the big tree outside the yard.