Chapter 195: Pumpkins and Cowpeas

Zhao Fangyuan wandered around the mountain for most of the day, feeling satisfied, still wanting more, and unable to forget it.

After coming down the mountain, she was really embarrassed, so she buried her head and locked herself in her room—it's worth mentioning that because there was really no place to live at home, Qiao Qiao went to sleep with his grandparents, and Zhao Fangyuan slept in his bedroom.

She was now in seclusion to rush the design drawings, and would have to hurry to measure the data in a few days; if she dragged it on any longer, there really wouldn't be enough room for the house!

However, her wandering on the mountain also reminded Song Tan—it was really time to plant something on both sides of the protective net.

If she couldn't catch up with the Cherokee roses, she could wait until next year; this year, she would plant some other vegetables and fruits first, and at worst, just pay more attention.

Anyway, with a few treasures around, they ran all over the mountain every day, so it wouldn't be a problem.

She thought for a moment, and after going down the mountain, she found Zhang Yanping:

"Brother Yanping, if we really can't find Cherokee roses, let's forget it. I'll think about planting something else there."

"Then what do you plan to plant?"

Song Tan hesitated: "I haven't decided yet..."

Because the inside was already full of watermelon vines and peach trees, the best things to plant were climbing vines that could use the protective net to grow.

Coincidentally, Seventh Uncle walked by, pondered for a moment: "Cowpeas or pumpkins, either one is fine."

Coincidentally, Song Tan didn't like eating either of these.

Moreover, a few pumpkin plants were already planted at the entrance, and there was about two-tenths of a mu of cowpeas planted in the field.

Seventh Uncle was also happy: "Don't say you don't like eating them; I didn't like eating them before either."

This wasn't because they were picky eaters; it was just that their past memories were too unbearable.

When cowpeas matured, it was the height of the hot summer, and you would sweat like rain just stir-frying a dish, so naturally, you weren't in the mood to mess around with other tricks.

But during that time, there were very few vegetables maturing in the vegetable garden, only cowpeas, which seemed like they would never be eaten up.

So it was cowpeas in the morning, cowpeas at noon, and cowpeas in the evening; I hated eating them every day.

Eating like that, who could like them?

As for pumpkins, I liked them even less.

At that time, every household wasn't rich, so naturally, we couldn't be picky about the taste of the food, and pumpkins were definitely not picked young to be stir-fried; we couldn't bear to!

After all, old pumpkins grew very long and large, and were especially good for feeding pigs to save on wheat bran and rice husks.

If you fed them to people...

Wang Lifen was particularly good at making pumpkin rice before, which was said to be a small trick for filling the stomach that she learned when she was young.

But a pumpkin was so big, with a fat belly and a long neck, and a huge pot of pumpkin rice wasn't enough, so you had to keep eating it for two days—

Just ask, who could stand it?

Therefore, as soon as Song Tan heard Seventh Uncle's suggestion, she was very resistant:

"Seventh Uncle, I've already planted half a field of cowpeas in the field, so we don't need to plant any more. This pumpkin... why don't we change it to winter melon!"

"That's fine."

Seventh Uncle, who made the suggestion, was instead very free and easy: "Pumpkin flowers, pumpkin tips, and small pumpkins, stir-fried, all taste delicious! Cowpeas can be used to make sour beans, dried beans, sour beans stir-fried with minced meat and fried rice, dried beans stewed with ribs and beef in winter... with the quality of your family's produce, it's definitely in short supply."

"Winter melon is also good, large in size, tender when stir-fried, not bad! You can slice it and dry it, and it can be stewed for a long time in winter. However, one weighs dozens of jin; if you want it to climb up, I'm afraid the vines can't withstand its weight..."

Song Tan:...

Climbing vines with high yield and worry-free...

"Isn't planting cherry tomatoes quite good too? They can also be eaten as fruit."

It was her own territory, and everything planted tasted good, so Seventh Uncle of course wasn't picky, looking like whatever you say is fine.

But he was so reasonable, yet he had prepared the recipes first, making the listener drool, so where would there be any thought left for tomatoes?

Song Tan thought left and right, and finally decided to re-plan the long orchard boundary line, and then whispered to Zhang Yanping, setting down a series of crops.

Who makes choices as an adult?

Of course, I want them all!

Anyway, the place is so big, the trenches are all dug, so divide a part to plant some vegetables the family doesn't have, and give the other part to high-yield ones, and make money this year first.

After all, we still need to scrape together hundreds of thousands to build the house!

However, it was a bit late to sow seeds this season, so without a word, she dialed the phone number of the person who sold the watermelon seedlings before:

"Uncle, do you know anyone who grows many types of vegetable seedlings and has good quality?"

She didn't want a small number, and other families in the village couldn't gather them.

Even through the phone, she could hear the other party's surprised, loud voice: "Vegetable seedlings? I have them at home; if you want anything, just come and pick!"

These watermelon seedlings couldn't be sold from the beginning of the year to the end, right?

The uncle on the other side was full of enthusiasm: "I also have two greenhouses growing succulents that are popular now; little girls like them! Do you want to come and pick some?"

Song Tan:...

"Forget about succulents." Song Tan declined: "I only want things I can eat and sell for money now."

"Hey," the uncle was unhappy: "Although succulents can't be eaten, if you grow them well, a big pot is also very expensive! I grew a big pot of this, and it was bought for 500 yuan at the end of the year, not bad!"

The uncle pushed hard; after all, the price of succulents was much more expensive than vegetable seedlings.

Song Tan also laughed, delivering a fatal blow: "Uncle, no money."

The other side stalled instantly.

And then laughed again:

"How can you, the boss, have no money? You're being modest!"

He looked like he had seen through it, but didn't mention the succulent matter at all, for fear that even these vegetable seedlings would run away.

He urged her quickly: "I see it's cloudy tomorrow and the day after, and it might rain; it's just the right time to plant vegetables. Why don't you come and pick them now, and I'll send them to you tomorrow morning?"

Song Tan:...

What are we waiting for?

Weather waits for no one!

Song Tan immediately grabbed the car keys:

"Dad, I'm going to look at the vegetable seedlings."

Only Seventh Uncle was high-spirited: "Are we going to burn for dozens more people tomorrow? Oh my! I just said this work isn't easy..."

Seventh Aunt looked at him circling the yard impatiently, thinking: You old man, don't I know you? You just like people coming to praise you.

Song Sancheng rushed out of the room in a hurry:

"Tan Tan! Don't rush to leave, I'll call Master Zhang who castrates pigs, and you can pick him up on your way back."

Song Tan became curious: "Master Zhang? A veterinarian? How much does it cost?"

Song Sancheng thought for a moment: "What veterinarian, a pig castrator! Have you forgotten? Our family's pigs were all castrated by him before."

It's just that later they were all castrated when the piglets were young, so they couldn't be seen at home.

"As for how much... I didn't ask, I haven't invited him for many years. If you pick him up and drop him off, it should be ten or twenty yuan."

Song Tan:...!

!

"Ten or twenty yuan? Is that enough for anesthesia?"

"What anesthesia?" Song Sancheng laughed: "Do we use such expensive things? Catch it by the four legs, and just make a cut with a knife!" ===== CHAPTER 196 =====