“Yes!”
That must be necessary.
Aunt Wang looked expectant: "Didn't you give two sticks of the fungus you planted in the spring to a few elderly people in the village?"
"It's the old lady Chen in Houwan. The rice cooker at home broke that day and your uncle went to check it out. Before he left, she filled a bowl for him... Oh! It's really good! Much better than the cold-mixed black fungus we had at the banquet."
Song Tan thought: Of course, in order to make these chestnut trees promote the growth of wood ear mushrooms better, she used a lot of her little spiritual energy in the beginning.
Even if the mushrooms were distributed to each family to raise on their own, the quality of the naturally raised mushrooms is better than that of the ones purchased in bulk by restaurants. What's more, there is the premise of spiritual energy!
I can’t say the taste is much better, but it’s normal for people to be able to taste the difference.
After saying these polite words, Aunt Wang's expression became much more friendly:
"At that time, I thought that students like you who graduated from a good university must have some skills in farming. Otherwise, you wouldn't have to do such a big project like this, right?"
"When you started growing vegetables, didn't someone in the village come to you to exchange some seedlings? My family wanted to go, but we started growing vegetables too early, so we didn't have the nerve to ask..."
"That time I went to the fields next door to see what other families had exchanged, and sure enough, the seedlings your family gave me grew better!"
"Tan Tan, if your mother asks, then I will shamelessly agree to it. Leave some more - I see your family didn't plant bitter melons this year. The bitter melons in my field are very good this year. I will pick some for you tonight."
Song Tan: …
After blanching the bitter melon, the bitter taste becomes less bitter and it tastes quite good, but the problem is that the people in my family have become picky eaters...
She could only politely refuse: "No, Aunt Wang, there's no need to bother with seeds. Besides, no one in my family likes bitter melon..."
After declining bitter melon, squash, and zucchini in succession, Song Tan returned home and heard Professor Song sighing to Wu Lan:
"The climate this year is too hot. Otherwise, we could plant some heat-resistant plants this season..."
It will take a while to clear the mountain, so it's not a bad idea to use an excavator to clear part of it first.
you do not say!
When talking about this, Wulan complained bitterly: "This is God. Even if we didn't plant the vegetable plots in front of the door in previous years, the grass on them would still grow green. I have never seen a lack of water."
"This year, we started planting, but the sun was so hot that all the water dried up. If it weren't for the pond next to the bamboo forest that could release some water into the ditch, the high temperature would definitely affect the harvest."
Even so, the vegetables in the garden are completely gone now. Only peppers, cowpeas, and eggplants can still hold on, but the yield is still much less than in early summer.
As for cucumbers, the tender cucumbers are becoming increasingly sparse, while the remaining old cucumbers are becoming thicker and more golden each time.
If this continues, the vegetable vendor Lao Zhao will be out of supply.
"fine."
Professor Song calculated the time and said, "It's hot in July, so it's a good time to slowly plan and repair the mountain."
It’s not that everyone is intentionally slowing down the pace, but in this weather we can only work for a few hours a day and we dare not work more than that.
"In August, I'll ask someone to get some seeds and seedlings over, and we'll build a shed to grow them."
This way, it will be just right to wait until autumn when the temperature difference is large before planting.
"Don't worry, don't worry."
Wulan is very free and easy now.
Although the family made a lot of money in the first half of the year - of course it's all been spent now - they are still keeping a tight rein and haven't let down their guard.
The weather is just right, so I can't do any work, so I'll give myself a chance to recuperate.
That's right... When I have some free time, I always feel a little bit uncomfortable.
Song Tan was listening nearby and couldn't help but offer a suggestion: "Mom, we are free now anyway, why don't you and my dad go on a trip too. I'll sign you up for a tour."
Ask for a slower route with a suitable temperature and comfort level so that the couple can experience the local customs and practices of other places.
In the past, Wulan would never even listen to topics like travel, but now, she actually dares to think about it.
But when she turned around and looked at the blazing sun outside, she didn't even have the courage to lift her feet: "Forget it, it's so painful to go out in this weather. Aren't you still waiting to build a house on the mountain? I'll ask in advance who in the village has time."
Who in the village has the time? How many young and strong people are there in the village? Shouldn't we leave it to the engineering team
Song Tan didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Mom, you wouldn't choose this time to build a house."
But it's not like there's nothing else going on right now—
"Why don't you ask again? Aren't the tea leaves on the mountain almost finished being harvested? Find two people to load them onto a truck and I'll bring them to the yard. Then ask someone to pick all the old leaves and dry them in the sun."
"Look, look!" Wu Lan immediately became excited when she found work to do. "I told you I'm not at home, but you can't do anything. There are so many things to do! How many people do you know in the village if I rely on you?"
He reached for his phone and said, "It's just right. Ask them to come and settle the wages for last time."
On the other hand, he was very happy: "I didn't expect that after half of his body was buried, he would still care about the elderly in the village..."
Song Sancheng paused while picking water chestnuts, and for some reason, he let out a long breath.
Professor Song understood what he heard and nodded seriously: "When your family develops well, there will be more things like this that will drive the village."
“And we can do more and better.”
Wu Lan waved his hand and returned to his usual cheerful self:
"I don't dare to think about that. If they can help me, I will help them. If they can't, I won't force them. Otherwise, all the burdens will fall on me. I don't owe them anything. The children will be under a lot of pressure."
As she was talking, the phone was connected. The elderly person on the other end was often hard of hearing, so she quickly went out to speak loudly again.
"I don't quite understand..." Yan Ran asked in a low voice in the room:
"Teacher, didn't they hire someone to do the work? Why do you say you're taking care of the elderly? Does this mean you're taking care of the elderly yourself?"
Professor Song put away the smile on his face and said calmly: "Yanran, the elderly in the village don't have retirement wages, and not everyone is eligible for the minimum living allowance."
"At their age, they can still do some work, so their children won't be around to serve them."
"But they can't adapt to smart products, and they are already past the working age. Even the sanitation industry won't hire workers of this age."
"Even if the higher-ups can provide subsidies, care for the elderly, and visit them during festivals, that's already the best we can do."
"So, what do you think? At this time, there is a job right next to home. The work is easy. You can do it even if you are in your seventies or eighties. The people are all familiar with each other, and the salary is paid immediately... Is this a good life?"
“This is the greatest hope for their lives.”
"But..." Yan Ran was curious: "Then their family also hired people to do the work. You paid me to work, so why do I feel that Aunt Wulan is quite proud?"