Free Web NovelChapter 433: Chapter 228: Just Live in Qingnan Village
Zheng Changhe took the net from him and continued casting it as he explained, "The grass carp and common carp aren’t big enough yet. It would be a waste to eat them. We pick out the biggest crucian carp and put the smaller ones back to grow a while longer. Two aren’t enough, which is why Juhua wanted to cast the net again."
Laixi exclaimed in surprise, "Wasn’t that grass carp from before big enough? I thought it looked like it was at least two pounds!"
Juhua shook her head. "It wasn’t two pounds. Even if it were, it wouldn’t be worth it to eat it. Fish like grass carp, common carp, and silver carp should be raised until they’re three or four pounds before we catch them. Otherwise, all we’re doing is stocking the pond. Eating a one- or two-pound grass carp is less satisfying than eating a half-pound crucian carp—and a crucian carp that heavy is already considered large."
Laixi saw her point. He stared at the two fresh, large crucian carp and gulped. "Such fat carp! Oh, man! I’m starving!"
Juhua gave a small smile. As she picked two more crucian carp from the net her father had just dragged in, she said to Laixi, "Patience. It won’t take me long to cook them up."
Looking at the fish filled her with joy as well.
’To be honest, having our own fish pond and being able to catch fish whenever we want to eat... pulling up Huangdou whenever we feel like it, picking peppers when we want some, slaughtering a chicken or duck when we have a craving... this life is truly intoxicating and makes you never want it to end. The harvest makes all the back-breaking labor—planting seedlings, threshing wheat under the scorching sun—feel extraordinarily meaningful.’
’This is what life is all about! If I could just find a good husband, my life would be complete.’
’Of course, if the country fell into turmoil and chaotic times arrived, you wouldn’t be able to live this life of farming and fishing even if you wanted to. They say heroes are born from chaos. Many people don’t necessarily start with grand ambitions or ideals. But when turmoil erupts, everyone is forced into the struggle, fighting just to win back a peaceful life.’
’Sigh... what’s the use in thinking so much? If that time really comes, no one will be able to live a good life. But it’s not as if I wouldn’t be able to find a way for my family and me to survive.’
Juhua and Yang Family gathered a small bundle of tender Huangdou, and carrying the fish, they headed home to make lunch. Laixi, being sharp and perceptive, stayed behind in the fields to help his aunt pull weeds and trim the Shanyu vines.
Back home, the mother-daughter pair started by shelling the Huangdou.
When the Huangdou pods are tender, the beans inside are covered in a pale, greenish-white inner skin. This tender skin is a real delicacy, incredibly savory. Once the Huangdou mature, this skin sticks to the inside of the pod, separating from the bean itself, and by then the Huangdou are no longer as delicious. That’s why it’s best to eat fresh Huangdou while they’re still young.
As Yang Family shelled the pods, she glanced at the straw cushion on the small square stool Juhua was sitting on. "Did Mei bring this over?" she asked. "Her family’s Ershun is getting more and more skilled. But weaving something so intricate takes a lot of time. It’s all for nothing if it doesn’t earn any money. Sigh! What a shame. In a small place like ours, who’s willing to spend money on things like this? People just weave a cruder one for themselves and make do. It’s not like anyone’s short on wheat straw."
Juhua replied, "That’s not necessarily true! Maybe it won’t make money right now, but what about in the future? As long as he puts his heart into it, he’ll naturally get better and better. When the opportunity comes, he’ll be able to sell them. A skill like that isn’t something anyone can just pick up. To truly master it, you have to spend years slowly figuring it out for yourself."
Yang Family nodded. "That’s true. Even if you learn the basics, it takes many years to get really good. It’s just like farming. Everyone farms the land, but some people’s crops yield more than others, while some can only manage to get by. Cooking is the same. It seems like an ordinary task, but there’s a real knack to it."
Juhua smiled at Yang Family and said, "Hey, Mom, you’re wonderful at growing vegetables. Look at those peppers and melons—they’re a joy to see! You only planted two Hulu by the courtyard wall, and they’ve climbed everywhere. Anyone who didn’t know better would think you planted a whole patch of them. I saw a few of the Hulu this morning, and the big ones are ready to eat. I’ll pick one later to make soup."
Yang Family was pleased and said to her daughter, "We should eat them while they’re young. Once they get bigger, we’ll let them mature and dry so we can cut them open to use as water dippers. You sowed so many pepper seeds, it would have been a shame not to plant them. But once you plant them, you have to take care of them."
Juhua had sprouted so many pepper seedlings that she ran out of places to plant them. So she and He planted them everywhere—in the furrows between rows, at the edges of the fields, in front of the house, and behind it. She’d said they could just let them grow wild. But once they were in the ground, she couldn’t help but tend to them, weeding, watering, and fertilizing. As a result, the "wild" peppers, of course, flourished.
Yang Family watched her daughter’s nimble little hands shelling the pods and said with affection, "Those peaches your cousin brought are nice. They’re refreshingly sweet and soft. After you eat them, don’t throw away the pits. Plant them in the backyard, out front, and by the river. If you take good care of them, we’ll have our own peaches to eat in the future."
