69novels Chapter 51 Jinyun Sesame Cake
Chapter 51 Jinyun Sesame Cake
A few days later, Maotou Mountain was officially handed over to Zhang Niu, and a contract was signed in the presence of both the village committee and the villagers. Soon after the contract was signed, chicken coops were built beside the pond. However, chickens hadn't been raised yet. The village committee also helped clear the abandoned ditch beside the pond. Clear water flowed into the dried-up pond bottom, and many fish fry were released. There were also snail fry delivered by the aquatic products institute. Sixty pounds of densely packed snail fry were all scattered into the pond. The pond had always been a good place to raise snails. Among the fish fry, there were also a few snail-eating fish. They ate snails exclusively; their meat was crisper than that of ordinary fish. They just loved eating snails.
Instead of planting fruit saplings, they planted a ring of thorny trees around the hillside. These are a type of thorny tree unique to the countryside, reaching heights of over ten meters. Covered in sharp thorns, they are perfect for orchards, very effective at deterring wild animals. You could call them thorn walls. Er Gou's hillside was entirely covered in them, with only a few entrances and exits. Zhang Niu saw how useful they were and bought quite a few. The trees are cheap, and the seed germination rate is similar to corn—basically 100% survival. Since they're mainly used for contracted land, the price isn't high.
The prickly ash trees I bought were all about two meters tall and fifteen centimeters in diameter. These trees are frost-resistant and grow quickly. They planted them for me after I paid for them; Maotou Mountain isn't very big. In just over two days, the workers who sold the trees had already planted them all, spaced one meter apart.
In the following days, the chicks and fruit trees were also delivered. The fruit trees were all jujube and plowshare trees. They didn't plant many cherry or orange trees, just a few dozen, intending to plant them next to the mountain sugar trees.
Qian Pangzi was the one who delivered the fruit seedlings again. The two chatted idly. However, this time he hired workers from the orchard to help, so Zhang Niu didn't have to pay for it.
Zhang Niu thought he'd gotten a bargain, but he realized he'd lost out by noon. Fatty Qian took his fishing gear straight from the car. He caught a five-pound blackfish and was overjoyed.
After the meal, Fatty Qian took over Zhang Niu's rocking chair. Picking his teeth with a toothpick, he said, "Well, the black carp at lunch was really good. It's just that your cooking skills aren't up to par. If you took it to Old Wang's place and had the chef cook it..." He smacked his lips.
"Who's talking to you? I cook lunch, help wash the dishes, and you still manage to break a few, sigh..." Zhang Niu retorted.
"An accident, huh?" Fatty Qian chuckled. "I forgot. I brought you a whole bunch of tonics today. Wait, I'll go get them. I almost forgot while we were eating."
Zhang Niu was quite curious to see what Fatty Qian could bring him, especially since he said it was a health supplement; if it was something like bird's nest, then that would be a different story.
Just as he was lost in thought, Fatty Qian came in carrying a long, white box. He placed it on the table and said, "Take a look for yourself, see if you're satisfied. Don't say your brother ate your food for free."
Zhang Niu opened the box. He expected something valuable, but it turned out to be a brood of newly hatched baby pigeons, all pink with white down. "Um... this is the supplement you were talking about?"
"Yeah. Not satisfied? Or do you just not know what's good for you? How about I tell you?"
"These pigeons were a gift from a friend a few days ago. There were originally eight, but now there are three left. He stewed five for me. Don't underestimate these eight little pigeons, guess how much they cost?" he asked mysteriously.
Zhang Niu shook his head. "Stop pretending. You're just trying to whet people's appetites."
"Eight of them cost over eight hundred. They're valuable, aren't they? I've always loved pigeons. I've heard they're good for nourishing the blood and all that. You'll know how they taste once you try them. If I hadn't thought of you, I would have already devoured the other three."
Looking at the squawking pigeons in the box, Zhang Niu felt sorry for them. They had never experienced the freedom of flight, and now they were going to end up in someone else's mouth. What a sin! Although Zhang Niu occasionally did the bad thing of eating raw bird eggs, he rarely touched newly hatched creatures.
After a good afternoon rest, Fatty Qian had planned to catch another snakehead. However, the snakeheads had become cunning in the afternoon, only taking the bait but not catching anything. For two whole hours, he only managed to catch a few small fish. A little annoyed, Fatty Qian gave up fishing and headed home after saying goodbye.
As soon as I entered the front yard, I saw "Little Dot" lying next to the box, watching the squawking pigeons. It even reached out a paw to touch them. Luckily, we don't have any cats or anything like that at home, or it would be a real hassle if it snatched them away.
I soaked the leftover rice grains from lunch in water until they softened, then used chopsticks to pick some up and put them in their mouths. Watching the little ones next to me imitating me, picking rice grains out for them, I couldn't help but laugh. Their movements were so comical.
Perhaps they were starving! They quickly devoured the small bowl of rice and then fell fast asleep again. Zhang Niu felt it wasn't safe to leave the box outside. He took it into his room and placed it on the table. The light here wasn't as strong as outside. It was just right.
Days passed by like this, and the chicken coop was filled with chicks. Two single elderly men from the village were hired to help feed them daily, for a monthly salary of nine hundred yuan. A house was also built for them to live in by the pond on Maotou Mountain. Although the salary wasn't high, it was a lot for them, and they were only busy in the mornings, with mostly free time during the day. They were very satisfied with this arrangement.
The pigeons that Fatty Qian brought over a month or two ago are now all flying. Zhang Niu made a small bamboo nest in front of his door, just big enough for them to come and go. Only now that they've grown up do Zhang Niu realize they're really different from the ones sold in the market. The others are all white or a mix of blue, but Zhang Niu's three pigeons are entirely fiery red and much larger than their kind. What surprises Zhang Niu most is that they can also catch mountain rats.
The cherry tree in front of the door has grown taller than the tiled house. Three pigeons like to perch on its branches. They're always messing with the piglets, who can only squeal and stare helplessly below.
Watching the pigeons fly by, I realized how fast time flies. The fruit trees in front of the house are all a head taller than the roof tiles. That's because Zhang Niu waters the space too frequently.
The original pergola in the front yard has been torn down and replaced with a small gazebo. However, it doesn't have a pointed roof; it's flat. They've also filled it with soil, saying that in the spring they can sprinkle morning glories or gourds on it. It will look quite beautiful hanging down then.
During this time, Zhang Niu also brought back quite a few cabbages and radishes to make pickled cabbage and radish dishes. Adding a little space water would probably make the flavor even purer.
Along the path outside the village, dried plum vegetables were drying on bamboo mats, and the aroma wafting from afar reminded Zhang Niu of the Jinyun sesame seed cakes from the county town. However, not many people in this village made and sold them. He remembered a song circulating online titled "Jinyun Sesame Seed Cakes": "Jinyun sesame seed cakes are so delicious. Fragrant dried vegetables and meat..." However, the song was sung in the local dialect, which most people couldn't understand. When Zhang Niu first heard it, he thought the guy was incredibly talented. He even managed to sing about his hometown's local snacks.
First update. I'll be off the charts tomorrow. Calling for recommendations and favorites! For those traveling, come to my site. Scenes from *Chinese Paladin 3* were filmed right here in Cornfield, haha...