Song Tan’s Chronicle

Chapter 118: Sophora flowers and spring bamboo shoots

Views:

As for tea, who among the middle-aged and elderly doesn’t love it

Uncle Song was indeed tempted: "How much does it cost to pick tea per day?"

Wu Lan did not hide it: "150, my tea leaves are fertilized this year, so they are growing well. I can pick about five kilograms a day. Yours has been unattended for many years, so it's probably not easy to pick. Can one person pick about three kilograms a day?"

She was telling the truth. Tea trees need to be pruned and buds picked every year, otherwise they will grow tall and thin and sway in the wind.

The tips of the buds will also become thinner and longer, and less heavy.

When people stand among such tea trees, they can't see the end at all, and they have to pull down the branches first to pick the tea leaves.

Wulan said that he could harvest three kilograms a day, and that was still based on high efficiency!

Although Uncle Song had abandoned his tea plantation for many years, he had not forgotten everything and he knew exactly what was going on with his tea plantation.

In other places, if the transportation is better, such tea gardens can be leased to big tea merchants in large areas, but here, the tea is not famous, the mountain roads are difficult to travel, and the places are scattered...

In short, his tea garden is really no different from the wilderness.

He was still thinking about whether it was okay, but Mao Li rejected it outright: "No, a pound of dry tea in the market is only two or three hundred yuan, and good ones are only five or six hundred yuan. Just buy it and drink it, and it's worry-free."

"If you hire someone to pick tea leaves, they may not even produce a pound of dry tea a day, and you will have to pay 100 or 200 yuan for the labor. Why would you waste your time? It's not like our family can't afford to buy tea leaves."

This was a meaningful remark, but Wulan was relieved.

If it's not cost-effective, then it's not cost-effective. After all, his family hired someone to roast tea leaves, and they paid them for it.

There are now four tea pickers in the family, plus she and Wang Lifen, they can produce six kilograms of dry tea a day.

Zhou Maozhu stir-fries tea by hand, without a tea-frying machine. In order to ensure the freshness of the tea leaves, he hangs the fresh leaves to dry for several hours and then starts working in the middle of the night. Although the screening process is omitted, it is still not easy every day.

If Uncle Song really wanted to fire everyone, wouldn't it be her family's favor that would be at a loss

Although Mao Li refused, Wu Lan was still happy.

Unexpectedly, the happiness lasted only a minute. Uncle Song hesitated for a moment and said, "Wulan, how much do you sell your tea for? Give me a pound. We are family, so I feel safe drinking it."

Ulan: …

She had no choice but to say the same old thing: "Uncle, my tea is the most expensive."

No matter how much supply there is, it is impossible for not even a pound of tea to be produced. The original excuse is no longer appropriate.

I won’t say anything else.

"How could there be—"

Uncle Song was just about to ask when he suddenly thought of the sweet vetch that cost 20 yuan per pound. After a moment of silence, he gave up.

He thought: What if it costs 1,000 yuan per pound? I really can't bear to buy it! That would be so embarrassing.

After thinking about it, Mao Li and Sun Yanyan quickly picked up the large plastic basket and ran away.

You have to run!

The eldest aunt Song Hongmei has already gone to the old lady's garden with a plastic bag. They looked at the lettuce, which was just one piece. There was also a piece of garlic sprouts, which should not be rare, but they cost 20 yuan per pound!

Don't you have to get it back quickly

When the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law went over, they saw that Song Hongmei had already pulled two lettuces. Mao Li didn't say anything, but put the basket in front and started pulling them out along the vegetable patch.

Wang Lifen's lettuce is growing well this year, with layers of leaves piled up and the tops already beginning to form lumps. Now it's easy to pull with just a little effort.

My aunt pulled three stalks of lettuce and two handfuls of garlic sprouts, and was about to stop. She turned around and saw:

Wow!

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law have already talked a lot, and they can't help but wonder:

"Why are you pulling so many bamboo shoots? You can't eat this every day."

The eldest aunt is stingy, but she is stingy in a skillful way. She is not like other people who eat only the same dish every meal to save money. If she were to do that, her husband Zhu would have overturned the table long ago.

Nowadays, the bamboo shoots are so big that one is enough for a family of three to eat for one or two meals. In addition, the lettuce leaves can also be stir-fried and eaten. Three lettuces can be consumed in seven or eight meals.

Even if you eat one every other day, you can last for a week!

So my aunt thought that if she wanted to ensure freshness, three would be the most appropriate.

Besides, there are garlic sprouts here, right? You can stir-fry bacon, eggs, or anything else. Perfect.

But looking at Mao Li and her daughter-in-law, it seems like they are planning to clear out the vegetable garden and set up a stall in the vegetable market!

But nowadays, all that’s left in every household’s garden is lettuce, which is so cheap. It can’t be that serious, right

Feeling the surprised gaze of her aunt, Mao Li smiled and said, "Oh, things in the city are expensive. Our mother said it's okay to talk nonsense, so I'll bring more back. Your brother loves the food from his hometown now."

Song Hongmei is careless, but she is not stupid.

What do you mean her brother likes to eat? It's obvious that you guys are trying to take advantage! So he glanced at the stupid mother-in-law and daughter-in-law:

"Then you guys take your time, I'll go back and clean up the bamboo shoots."

He turned around and left the vegetable garden.

When I got back, I saw Qiao Qiao happily coming down the back mountain carrying a basket. When I looked down, I saw the basket was full of snow-white and slightly green locust flowers!

"Aunt, here are some locust flowers for you."

Qiao Qiao held the plastic bag and poured the locust flowers into it, looking at her aunt with joy.

"Oh, my nephew really loves me. Look at our Qiao Qiao, how nice! This Sophora japonica flower is also good, it smells sweet. If it blooms, I will make steamed eggs at night, and if it doesn't bloom, I will fry it later..."

Having said that, he picked a few flowers and stuffed them into his mouth. The more he chewed, the sweeter they became.

I have eaten locust flowers since I was a child, but I have never tasted like this!

The eldest aunt stopped and said, "Tan Tan, I think your flowers are very good. Don't eat them. Sell them. At 20 yuan per pound, someone will definitely buy them."

Song Tan was helpless - she was sure that someone would buy it, but the problem was that the quantity was too small. Three or five kilograms was not enough to cover the fuel cost.

If you want to create more spiritual energy, you need a basic foundation.

Otherwise, if those two locust trees bloom over a hundred kilograms of flowers, her mother won’t be able to pass the test!

I just put them all in the bag generously:

"Aunt, you are a good cook, take some home to eat. If we want to eat more, there is more on the tree."

With so many vegetables, the locust flowers can still be frozen and stored after blanching. My aunt is so happy!

After thinking about it, he reluctantly gave a little bit of it and said, "Give it to your uncle to try, otherwise their family will complain again."

Seeing that there was no one around, he fished out a handful of cash from his pocket, and with great difficulty pulled out five dollars. After thinking for a while, he pulled out another five dollars and stuffed them into Qiao Qiao's pocket.

"My dear, I didn't bring you any food this time. Go buy something to eat with it. Don't let your aunt know."

Logically, there should be a business struggle at this time, such as I don’t want it, or you keep it…

But Song Tan didn't do that. Instead, he helped Qiao Qiao stuff the ten yuan into his pocket, then picked up the hoe from under the wall:

"Aunt, the bamboo shoots in the bamboo forest are growing tender, do you want some?"

Spring bamboo shoots can be dried after being blanched!

The eldest aunt decisively took out a large plastic bag from her bag and said, "Let's go! Let's go together!"