A small plot of land in a mountain village

Chapter 34 Salted Edamame

As Zhang's father had said, Zhang Niu could easily find his way across the stream to Wangjia Village. Wangjia Village was also home to a large Wang family; almost everyone in the village shared the surname Wang, with other surnames generally belonging to people from other villages. Guided by the villagers, Zhang Niu found Grandpa Wang, who knew how to build bamboo houses. He was also an old man. Zhang Niu felt that it seemed he mostly got help from old men, especially those with some kind of craft. Like the stone carver from last time. It seemed that old men with craftsmanship all had rather strong tempers.

Carrying two bottles of "Centennial Hutu" liquor he'd bought in the village, I arrived at Grandpa Wang's house. It was a two-story villa, standing out prominently in Wangjia Village. But he must have the means, right? The villagers said Grandpa Wang was quite senior in the village; even the village chief had to address him respectfully. Grandpa Wang had a very good temperament. His son in the county town had hired people to build the house, spending over 100,000 yuan. Everyone said Grandpa Wang really had a good son.

Zhang Niu hesitated for a moment. Judging from his appearance, this old man Wang was probably enjoying his retirement at home. Should he go in and check? If it didn't work out, so be it. He could always go to the city to look for him; it would just cost more money.

Grandpa Wang seemed very kind at first glance. That was Zhang Niu's first impression. Unlike some strange old men who do all sorts of odd things, this one seemed alright. Grandpa Wang warmly invited Zhang Niu into his house and served him tea. After they sat down, he asked Zhang Niu what he wanted. After Zhang Niu explained the reason, Grandpa Wang was very happy, surprised that someone still remembered his craft.

Grandpa Wang reminisced about the days when he helped build bamboo houses for people, reminiscing about the past. Zhang Niu listened attentively, showing respect to the older generation.

Through Grandpa Wang's words, Zhang Niu gradually learned about the craft of building bamboo houses, which he had learned in Yunnan during his time as an educated youth sent to the countryside. Back then, they would work in the fields during the day, singing "We Are the Successors of Communism," and rest at night, unlike now where nights are filled with entertainment.

In a chance encounter, he saved an old man from hanging himself in a cowshed. After being persuaded, the old man abandoned his suicidal thoughts. From then on, he would secretly bring the old man some food every night. Over time, the two became friends, but only in private. They would pretend not to know each other when they met. Back then, if someone was associated with someone being criticized or denounced, they would be put on a big-character poster. So, Old Wang was also afraid, afraid that someone would report him.

After some time, the old man suddenly offered to teach him the craft of building bamboo houses. The old man became his master. Under nearly a year of instruction, Grandpa Wang learned all the old man's skills. The only thing lacking was practical experience.

After returning from his time as a sent-down youth in Yunnan, Grandpa Wang relied on building bamboo houses for others to support himself, get married, and have children. Gradually, he gained a reputation in the neighborhood, and his skills became increasingly refined. In his later years, he took on several apprentices to pass on his skills. Now, these apprentices have all made a name for themselves, mostly building bamboo houses for resorts and vacation homes. They often come back to visit him with large bags and small packages.

When talking about the past, Grandpa Wang's spirits were noticeably better.

Zhang Niu could sense Grandpa Wang's feelings and watched silently. After reminiscing about the past, Grandpa Wang was in a good mood about the young people of Zhangjia Village. He said that although he was too old to work, he would call his apprentices from the neighborhood back later to help Zhang Niu build a bamboo house on the contracted land.

After obtaining Grandpa Wang's permission, Zhang Niu bid farewell and left, giving him a number so he could be reached. He was going back to prepare materials for building the bamboo house—moso bamboo.

Grandpa Wang even saw Zhang Niu off at the door, inviting him to come over and visit more often. As people age, what they like most is having someone to chat with and relieve their boredom. A few years ago, Chen Hong's song "Come Home Often" on the Spring Festival Gala resonated with countless elderly people.

The bamboo house construction has been finalized, which puts everyone at ease. They should go back and buy bamboo first. However, this time Zhang Niu didn't plan to buy from the same family as before; instead, he went to another household. This family was also surnamed Zhang, a major bamboo grower in the village. They sold tens of thousands of kilograms of fresh bamboo shoots every year. They were also considered honest and reliable people in the village. Everyone bought bamboo from them. It's easy to discuss things within the village.

Everyone in the village knew that Zhang Niu had contracted the wasteland. Now things were starting to look promising. The bamboo seller knew this too. When Zhang Niu came to his door, he knew Zhang Niu was there to buy bamboo. After some discussion, the purchase was settled. Zhang Niu wouldn't have to cut the bamboo himself. He'd handle everything, just adding a little extra for the labor and transportation costs. If his small mountain road hadn't been widened, the bamboo really wouldn't have been able to get up there.

When Zhang Niu got home, he found his father moving silkworm cocoon racks from the storeroom. It turned out that the autumn silkworms in the bamboo shed by the field were going to "go up the mountain" today. The silkworm rack was a square frame with small slots made of cardboard in the middle, somewhat like a fishing net, only with larger mesh. The silkworms would be picked up and hung on the bamboo rack, suspended in the air. The silkworms would then spin their cocoons within the small slots. It usually took about three days. On the first day, the silkworms spun silk to encase themselves, but the cocoons were still soft at that time. Touching them would cause them to dent, so they had to wait two days for them to harden.

The two silkworm rearing trays, which only had about a hundred frames, were loaded onto a tricycle and taken to the bamboo shed near the mulberry field. Silkworm farmers prefer to build bamboo sheds next to their own mulberry fields. If they used an empty room, Zhang Niu wouldn't be used to the smell of bleach. He found it particularly unpleasant. The mulberry leaves were sprayed with bleach after being picked.

Zhang Niu covered his nose as he entered the bamboo shed; a strong smell of bleach hit him. White plastic sheeting stretched from one end of the shed to the other, leaving a narrow path in the middle. Leftover mulberry leaves from the morning's meal were scattered on the plastic sheeting on both sides.

Several basins were placed by the roadside for feeding silkworms. Once a basin was full, it would be gently poured onto the silkworm cocoon rack, and then hung on a bamboo pole nearby.

One hundred silkworm rearing frames were used, but only seventy-odd were actually used. It seems the survival rate of the three batches of silkworm seedlings this year is not high. In previous years, even one hundred frames weren't enough. Father Zhang hopes to get a good price for the autumn silkworms this year, so he won't have to work so hard for the next month or so.

After hanging up the silkworm racks, it takes three days to harvest the silkworm cocoons. During this time, Zhang's father has to carry all the silkworm excrement and leftover mulberry leaves to the edge of the field to dry. Silkworm excrement is better than chemical fertilizer for planting flowers or vegetables.

Passing by his own edamame field, Zhang Niu casually picked a few stalks to take home and make salted edamame. The pods were still green, unlike in late autumn when they turn yellow and can only be used for oil. Soybean oil isn't cheap now either. Unlike before, when people ate lard and considered soybean oil inferior. Now that life is better, nobody eats lard anymore; everyone uses peanut oil, tea oil, and other natural farm-made oils.

Salted edamame is a favorite food for kids this season. Simply wash the whole edamame pods, pressure cook them for a while, and they're ready to eat. Sprinkle with salt. If a group of people are eating together, you might miss out if you're not quick enough! Tender edamame pods can also be used in stir-fries.

Second update. Please add to your favorites and recommend. Happy National Day.