Chapter 1423: Mutton Soup and Tonics

When it comes to handling napa cabbage, they are truly experts!

Old Yang arrived as if his agricultural machinery were a god descending to earth. When it was being transported, no one in Yunqiao Village was unaware; everyone came to watch the excitement. Not to mention that not long after it was delivered, Chen Yuan led everyone to start hands-on operations.

In short, now that they saw his face, Sister Yanran, from the three-person team, was the first to jump out:

"Picking napa cabbage? I'm an expert at that! Which ones do you want?"

The girl with the outstanding temperament from before was not to be outdone: "I can do it too. I pick vegetables every night; I'm a professional."

Old Yang hesitated for a moment: "That... it's for making mutton soup, which ones should I pick?"

Once this question was asked, both sides quieted down.

It was mutton.

It was mutton that none of them had ever eaten before...

The trio suddenly whimpered, then said painfully: "Why hasn't the teacher come this year? We've missed out on all the good things!"

This year, the transformation model experiments at two cooperative farms in the country were successful. The local governments there wanted to promote them, so they invited Professor Song to lead the team to take a look, which delayed things here.

And without the teacher leading the way, the three of them hadn't made any contributions, so how could they have the nerve to go sponge a meal!

On the other side, the girl who claimed to be a vegetable-picking expert also paused.

She told the truth: "I can pick napa cabbage, but I don't know which ones are good for stewing mutton."

Old Yang:...

He knew young people were unreliable!

Finally, Master Jiang heard the commotion and came out. Qiao Qiao had called him to say they were having mutton soup tonight. Seeing the broken basket in Old Yang's hand, he said in surprise: "This bamboo basket is decades old, the edges are broken, why didn't you take a new one?"

It looked shabby, but it could still hold cabbage. He walked to the vegetable field on the side, took two more steps inside to circle around to a patch of napa cabbage, and with a flick of his knife, several large napa cabbages were neatly cut down.

Old Yang hadn't reacted yet, but fortunately, the driver quickly stepped forward and caught them all with the basket.

It was heavy.

Master Jiang looked around with satisfaction, thinking about bringing a sheep up to the mountain to stew tomorrow. He asked Old Yang in passing:

"Do you want garlic sprouts?"

"Yes!" Old Yang didn't hesitate, then hurried to the garlic sprout field on the side: "I can do this! I'll come!"

Master Jiang didn't stop him, just pointed to another place: "The cilantro is over there, it's an old variety that grows flat on the ground, take it back and wash it well."

"Also, aren't you making mutton fat fried rice tonight? Pull a bunch of green onions to take back."

He thought for a moment and asked: "Are you used to eating pea tips? This is the last batch of topping on the mountain, there should still be some left. It's also delicious to blanch them in the soup when drinking mutton soup."

Master Jiang gave instructions on his own, but the four people standing on the ridge were almost in tears.

Danran whimpered: "I've picked so many baskets of pea tips, but I've never eaten them..."

Sister Yanran and the others were also in pain: "The cooperative variety from our school grows so vigorously here, just topping the pea tips can yield over 900 jin per mu, but I haven't tasted it, I'm really sorry to my alma mater!"

Tang Xiaodong was heartbroken on the side: "That's right!"

Grandpa Qi Lin also looked solemn: "That's right!"

Master Jiang knew what young people were like now, and waved his hand: "Go, go, go! If you want to eat, find a flower pot and grow them yourself! Pea tips are so expensive to sell, it's a pity to eat them yourself."

Common varieties like napa cabbage and radishes sold to Boss Chang, according to market prices, fluctuated between 20 and 40. But things like pea tips and pumpkin tips, Boss Chang priced them at 80 per jin!

If it weren't for the fact that the family had become wealthy, Wu Lan wouldn't even be willing to eat them herself!

Sister Yanran and the others knew it too, they were just crying about their misery daily, in case there was a chance to eat a few more bites, right?

Grandpa Qi Lin, who had been dealing with plants for a long time, gradually became more lively amidst the calmness that far exceeded ordinary people. He comforted his classmates: "It's okay, my grandfather is coming over, I'll pick him up when I'm on vacation. It's winter, let him grow a batch of pea tips too!"

According to their strawberry experiments, even if the taste couldn't compare to the Old Song family's, it would still be better than what was on the market!

They had their own small group, and Danran, who was ignored on the side, was almost in tears—it was so miserable! It was agreed that she would have two months to recuperate well. As a result, the mission came, and she had to leave as soon as it was mentioned.

Leaving was one thing, but she had been well-nourished during this time, with a rosy complexion and sufficient blood, and she could even take a big bag of local specialties with her when she left, so she was originally satisfied.

They started slaughtering cows a few days ago, and slaughtered sheep today...

Woo!

The number one fan hasn't spoken for the past two days! The feeling of being close at hand but far away, who understands it better than them!

The people on the mountain had their own pains, but Old Yang was happily carrying the basket down the mountain with the driver. Before they had even walked halfway down the slope, he started panting again.

Seeing the driver take the basket from his hand without changing his expression, he couldn't help but look at his slightly rounded belly, thinking, could it be that he really needs to take some tonics?

And down the mountain, Seventh Uncle was earnestly teaching Qiao Qiao and the netizens in the live broadcast room how to make that milky white, fragrant, and rich mutton soup.

【I want to drink mutton offal vermicelli soup】

【Teacher Qiao Qiao said, mutton offal needs to be cleaned and soaked for a long time, let's make a bowl of mutton soup first to satisfy the craving】

【Didn't you calculate the time? At this hour, they are eating mutton soup, which is making us unable to swallow our food. Eating mutton offal soup later will make us eat a midnight snack with them】

【Ah ah ah, the weight loss cause has died halfway!】

【Teacher Qiao Qiao, what will you use to pay back the abdominal muscles you owe me】

And the new fans who were curious because of the giant pumpkin, under such a lively atmosphere, unknowingly forgot about seeds and fertilizers, and were wholeheartedly craving this bowl of mutton soup.

Only one thing made them curious—

【It's so strange, there are so many people doing food broadcasts now, why is it so particularly fanatical here?】

【That's right, looking at the barrage, it doesn't look like a sunken fan group】

【Have you all never eaten mutton soup?】

【Why on earth is it? Is it because the streamer is handsome?】

【The streamer's family members are also good-looking, that little brother in the distance, although he didn't enter the frame, his temperament and figure are superb】

【Looking at the streamer, I thought he was pretending to be young, but after reading the barrage explanation, I realized that his mental age is just childish. Is that why everyone watching the live broadcast is like chasing stars?】

【No, we've chatted so much, the streamer says he doesn't look, and he really doesn't look】

Just as they were chatting, another delicate young girl walked over outside the courtyard yesterday, holding something and circling around: "Uncle, I brought 3 boxes of that tonic here, there isn't much left, is it enough?"

"Enough, enough, enough!" Song Sancheng nodded repeatedly: "It's for Qiao Qiao's classmate's father. They transported so many machines from far away, the shipping cost must have been quite a lot. I saw that we didn't have anything at home, so I thought of getting something good. It won't affect your business there, right?"

Guo Dong laughed: "Why are you being so polite? Didn't you transfer the money to me? Does it make a difference whose business I do? But last year's quantity was still conservative, I have to contract all the Cherokee roses on the mountain this year."

"Okay!" Song Sancheng was also willing: that thing was troublesome, and the labor cost for harvesting was high. If Guo Dong wanted it, the people in the village could have a good period of intermittent income.

If it were really sold to other bosses, it would probably have to be harvested all at once, which would be a bit lacking.

Once this was said, no one in the barrage paid attention to the new fans, but instead asked actively and expectantly:

【What tonic, what tonic, is there any secret I, Hu Hansan, don't know?】

【Teacher Qiao Qiao's father even said it's a good thing! Hiss! Terrifying!】

【Tonic? Why don't you sell it to me? I really want to know how tonic it is, hey!】

【Everyone, don't stir up trouble blindly, you need qualifications to sell this, don't affect our Teacher Qiao Qiao】

【What qualifications does our Qiao Qiao's family not have! They even have cosmetics... Please! Sell the hand cream and hand mask! I'll buy it at a high price!】

【Same request! Same request, baby!!!】

【I actually know a tonic, the one my dad loves... ah ah ah, could it be here! The Cherokee rose one!】

【!!! I've heard of it too!】

The barrage became lively again.

Yang Zhengxin helped with chores, and couldn't help but take a few more looks when passing by. He was quickly confused by the words above, and then felt itchy in his heart:

That's right! Even Uncle said it's a good thing, so how good must this thing be? Let his dad take more later! Let his mom eat it too!

But he didn't know much about this, so he quickly leaned over to Qiao Qiao: "Is that tonic effective? Is it delicious?"

Qiao Qiao thought for a while: "Not delicious, effective."

He thought for a while: "Super many people drive here and call to buy this, Sister Doctor Xiao Guo is tired from making money."

Good guy!

Yang Zhengxin immediately took it seriously.

After all, he knew Qiao Qiao, he didn't know what he didn't know, but since he could say it, it must be a fact.

It happened that Boss Yang arrived at the door and puffed to take back the basket and walked in, and also heard them shouting about some tonic. The intention he originally planned to accept immediately became coy:

"This isn't good, my build is as strong as an ox, I don't really need this..."

"Oh, big brother, if you don't eat it, you can give it to your family." Wu Lan had finished cleaning up the mutton and was rubbing her hands, and said enthusiastically:

"Little Yang said his mom loves maintenance, I thought, since your body is strong, don't eat it, give it to his mom, this is especially nourishing! I used to have back pain often, after Doctor Xiao Guo arranged it for a while, it never happened again."

"There aren't many in total, Doctor Xiao Guo was in short supply last year, this is what she kept for herself, she didn't even sell it out—a total of 3 boxes, 21 pills, just enough for your wife to eat for a month."

Old Yang looked at everyone in the courtyard who was full of energy, and Song Sancheng who was walking like flying after taking the basket, as well as the thick black hair on his and Wu Lan's heads. He was obviously refusing at first, but now, for some reason, he felt so lost.

So he had to try hard to add a sentence:

"Oh."

But in his heart, he was still silently comforting himself: his wife often eats health supplements, this kind of farm local specialty is not suitable for her, it's easy to clash, better keep it for himself, he definitely won't live up to people's enthusiasm!

How exactly is it tonic? Can it also make his hair as black and oily as this?

This thought had just turned, but he saw Yang Zhengxin dial his mobile phone at this moment: "Mom! Are you back from Paris? Is the signal good? Let me show you, we are slaughtering sheep now, Auntie even prepared something for your body, the effect is super great!"

Old Yang:...

After hanging up the phone, the sky was getting dark, and they were about to eat dinner properly.

Qiao Qiao was called in to cut napa cabbage, and at this moment he didn't forget to bring the mobile phone stand set up in the courtyard in, and by the way, asked Yang Zhengxin: "Didn't you say your mom calls you Xinxin?"

Yang Zhengxin's face turned red!

"I'm a person who is going to college, how can I show masculinity if I'm called that? I let you call it last time because we were too compatible, later I told my mom not to call it that."

"Oh." Qiao Qiao just asked casually: "Then if you call Little Yang, will eating Big Yang later become more fragrant?"

Yang Zhengxin:...

He pushed Qiao Qiao's body over: "You cut the napa cabbage well!"

Don't say, the napa cabbage in the mutton soup really needs to be cut well.

Qiao Qiao set up the mobile phone at this moment: "Children, Teacher Seventh Uncle has already taught me just now, I will cut it for you to see now."

The napa cabbage leaves in the mutton soup need to be cut into narrow strips, so that they will be cooked quickly in the pot, and they will be easy to absorb the flavor when eaten, so that the large napa cabbage leaves with their unique freshness and sweetness will not dilute the freshness and fragrance of the mutton.

The napa cabbage stalks cannot be thrown away either, this is more refreshing than the vegetable leaves, and they need to be patted before being cut into strips, and finally they need to be stir-fried in the pot with ginger and garlic first.

Seventh Uncle said on the side: "Actually, it's okay not to stir-fry, just put it in the mutton soup pot and blanch it, it's just as delicious. But since it's the first time today, let's make the flavor full."

"If you want to blanch, there will be a pot without napa cabbage later, let's blanch pea tips."

The mutton bones and beef bones had been stewed in the pot for a long time, because they were cleaned clean enough and soaked in water, Seventh Uncle, in order to retain that rich freshness and fragrance, didn't even blanch them, just skimmed off the foam on top.

Now the soup color was milky white, the grease was slightly yellow, poured into the napa cabbage, that freshness and fragrance was particularly rich!

Green garlic sprouts, green cilantro added... that taste, superb!

Old Yang finally leaned in, and at this moment couldn't wait to put chopsticks directly into the pot to fish, in order to suppress this craving, he had to say one more word:

"When I eat in other places, people put vermicelli."

Master Qi Biao was just scooping out the boiled mutton to slice it, and he answered right then: "We put it in here too, but there weren't many sweet potatoes from last year, so we didn't grind them into starch noodles; putting them in would actually make the taste worse. If you come again next year, there will definitely be some."

Old Yang thought to himself, your family is quite particular; for the sake of that texture, you avoid using things bought outside whenever possible.

But then, catching a whiff of that rich mutton soup...

It has to be this particular!

Over there, Qiao Qiao had finished tidying up the Chinese cabbage, and here, Master Qi Biao had already sliced the mutton fat into the pot, pairing it with a little lard to render it down slowly.

He added some spices inside, and it went *gurgle-gurgle, crackle-pop*. The aroma of the rendered mutton fat was exceptionally rich, and the gamey smell was minimized to the extreme.

Old Yang and his son Yang Zhengxin stood there, both of them tightly pursing their lips and saying nothing—

Such fragrant mutton fat, paired with cracklings and eggs, to be used later for stir-frying mutton-fat fried rice, and then sprinkled with a handful of chopped green onions right before taking it off the heat...

*Slurp! *