Chapter 70: Green Sichuan Peppercorn

Zhang Zhang Yanping never imagined that his pleasing appearance, which was usually invincible, wouldn't pass three rounds in the hands of the aunties at the vegetable market!

It happened like this—

He wasn't replacing Song Qiao Song Qiao's position, helping Song Tan sell vegetables!

Logically, this wasn't difficult; he skillfully packed the vegetables and reported the price:

"Sixty."

The auntie's face tightened:

"Girl, where did you find this helper? No! Look at him, there's no joy in him at all."

Zhang Zhang Yanping touched his face in disbelief.

He was tall, big, white, and chubby, and all middle-aged aunties liked him! There was no reason to fail here, right?

So when the next red-haired auntie came over, she deliberately squeezed out a smile that would make people feel affectionate toward her.

The red-haired auntie bought a lot this time; it is said that she had researched a new recipe for pickled vegetables, making some every day to accumulate different flavors to send to her children in other places, which was very popular.

However, this time, when Zhang Zhang Yanping stuffed all the Chinese milk vetch into the bag with a smile, the red-haired auntie was picky:

"Oh my, young man, you don't smile as well as Song Qiao Song Qiao, so don't force yourself!"

The smile on Zhang Zhang Yanping's face couldn't hold.

What was even more fatal was that the remaining auntie's words were even more mean—

"This young man must be thirty, right? Learning from little Song Qiao Song Qiao, it's really an old cucumber painted with green paint..."

Zhang Zhang Yanping was furious!

He was only twenty-six this year!

Twenty-six!

Only eight years older than Song Qiao Song Qiao, and still in his youth, how was he an old cucumber painted with green paint?

But the auntie had already walked far away, and a new auntie was queuing up again, so he had to aggrievedly continue to be a numb tool man.

By the time the vegetables were almost sold out, an uncle hurried over:

"Girl, where is my tea?"

While speaking, he looked left and right like a thief.

Zhang Zhang Yanping knew that this was the iron fan who only bought one liang!

Seeing Zhang Zhang Yanping, he also had a surprised expression.

Zhang Zhang Yanping:... Is it necessary?

Seeing the customer nervous, he asked: "What are you doing?"

The other party whispered: "I'm buying this secretly; the tea is too expensive, I'm afraid my wife will see it, you know?"

He took the tea, opened the sealed bag, and took out the small package wrapped in newspaper inside, his expression wrinkled.

Then he lifted a corner of the newspaper and took a deep sniff—

With just this one action, the smile on his face rippled layer by layer, and at this moment, he was full of impatience:

"Fragrant! Truly fragrant!"

So he hurriedly packed the things back into the bag and ran away again without stopping.

The vegetable seller next door squeezed over, curiously sizing up Song Tan:

"What are you selling? Why is it so mysterious?"

He didn't say it, but that action and that demeanor were just like selling that something secretly, very criminal.

Seeing him, Song Tan skillfully packed the five jin of Chinese milk vetch the other party wanted yesterday:

"Just picked this morning, it's fresh."

The vegetable seller looked left and right, and with a lightning-fast action, took the bag of vegetables and carefully hid it behind his stall.

This kind of ghostly transaction was no different from the uncle who bought tea just now.

Only then did Song Tan answer his question:

"Some tea leaves stir-fried at home, the price is relatively expensive, so everyone is cautious."

The vegetable seller couldn't help but be eager to move again:

"Your family's tea leaves..."

However, Song Tan didn't have time to wait for him to hesitate much today, and packed the basket in two or three strokes: "Cousin Zhang Yanping, let's go."

…

The place they went to this time was Huacheng, a two-and-a-half-hour drive away.

No need to enter the city; the suburbs were their destination—Xinxin Nursery.

I don't know where Zhang Zhang Yanping knew so many people, but this Xinxin Nursery actually took out all the things Song Tan couldn't find on Taotao—a full two hundred Chinese rose hip seedlings!

Now in early spring, these Chinese rose hips were deeply pruned last winter, and now they looked bare and not good-looking.

But as long as you look carefully, you know the root system is developed and the vitality is strong; they are truly big seedlings in their prime.

Song Tan pointed to a few that obviously had weaker root systems, but saw the boss touch his head and smile awkwardly:

"Girl, your eyes are quite good... well, the thorns of this original species are really hard to handle; they've been planted for several years and no one buys them."

"You suddenly want them, and I can't gather two hundred trees here, so I scraped a few from the flower pots, slightly weaker, just a little bit. They were originally intended for rose grafting cultivation..."

The boss said, and his face showed reluctance:

"But you won't lose out."

He hurriedly turned out an especially strong and huge one from that pile of pruned Chinese rose hips:

"This one is the mother plant of these seedlings, very strong; in the past, I wouldn't sell it for fifty yuan!"

Since the boss said this one was the mother plant, it proved that all the Chinese rose hips were propagated by cuttings from it; generally speaking, the mother plant would be even more majestic.

This wave was not a loss.

Song Tan was also very satisfied in her heart.

Those few selected by her only had slightly weaker root systems, which didn't mean they wouldn't grow well, and this mother plant was an unexpected gain.

Thick and strong, with a developed root system. Just this one could take care of a space of six or seven square meters.

Both sides were happy.

It's just that even if they came to pick up the goods in person, the boss wouldn't reduce the payment of three thousand yuan by a single cent.

And Zhang Zhang Yanping, as if it were his own garden, pulled Song Tan to stroll around the nursery again.

But there were mostly ornamental flowers here, many of which were specially cultivated horticultural varieties, which couldn't exert huge economic value in the countryside.

Song Tan looked and looked, and finally set her eyes on a small tree that had just sprouted in the corner:

"What is this?"

The boss was stunned and thought for a while before remembering: "It's green Sichuan peppercorn."

Sichuan peppercorn?

Song Tan's heart moved: "Boss, I won't bargain with you for anything else; give me this Sichuan peppercorn tree."

The boss was stunned: "You're from Yuncheng, right? The temperature in Yuncheng drops below zero in winter, and you don't have a nursery shed like me; this Sichuan peppercorn tree won't survive the winter."

"It's okay!" Song Tan said confidently: "I think your green Sichuan peppercorn is quite good. I'll plant it in a warmer place and cover it with straw curtains in winter."

Even if you cover it with straw curtains, below zero is below zero!

But speaking of which, isn't it just a green Sichuan peppercorn tree that is only one meter high?

This thing isn't expensive either; the boss thought about the batch of Chinese rose hips that almost smashed in his hands, and finally agreed.

Zhang Zhang Yanping didn't understand why Song Tan wanted a Sichuan peppercorn tree?

This thing is a seasoning; how much can the family eat? Just buy it casually, why plant one separately?

And Song Tan had already turned her head:

"Cousin Zhang Yanping, I remember that grass carp is more suitable for making rattan pepper and pickled fish pots, right?"

Hearing this, Zhang Zhang Yanping also felt a bit hungry.

－－－－－－Author's Note－－－－－－

Tan Tan's purpose: What I can eat, what I want to eat, I must plant it myself to make it taste good.

Money is secondary.

There's more. But it's estimated to be in the afternoon or evening.

7017k ===== CHAPTER 71 =====