Song Tan's Notes

Chapter 1649. Millet and Grapes

Zhang Yanping casually made a promise, and all the fans in the live broadcast room were hooked.

Meanwhile, Qiaoqiao, completely unaware of what was to come, diligently opened the potato blind boxes, oblivious to the fact that something was about to happen.

But the happiest person in this group was none other than Brother Zhang.

He drives back and forth twice a day, delivering goods until his cheeks are practically bulging from smiling so much. Even though he gets a deep tan from it, as long as he gets home at night, checks the accounts, and sees his daughter...

Damn!

Damn!

"Let's burn more paper money for our ancestors on the Ghost Festival," he discussed with his wife.

If it weren't for some divine intervention, how could his ordinary courier station have grown so quickly?

However, when he went up the mountain again, he found that it was no longer Song Tan accompanying Qiao Qiao on her live stream, but Yun Duo.

Where is your boss?

Yun Duo pointed to another hilltop: "Isn't that piece of land vacant? The boss went there to plow the fields."

This job was originally supposed to be done by the villagers, but now they were either busy rubbing moxa wool or cleaning up sweet potato stalks, so Song Tan simply rolled up his sleeves and did it himself.

It was a sloping area, but fortunately the angle of inclination did not affect the operation of the small tiller. With her strong grip on the handlebars, she could roughly till the land in a morning.

There aren't many things you can grow in the middle of summer.

Brother Zhang was a little curious: "You're growing water spinach? I remember you planted a patch of it, didn't you?"

They grow so fast, it feels like we can't pick them all. They look so green and tender from afar.

Yun Duo shook her head: She didn't know either.

It's normal that the clouds aren't clear, because the decision to use that piece of land was made on short notice, and the reason is quite simple—

Grandpa is constipated.

It's normal. After being in a wheelchair for so many years, constipation is a frequent occurrence. But as he gets older, some foods that irritate his stomach or are good for bowel movements, like whole grains, are harder to digest.

He doesn't like to eat it himself.

As my grandfather would say, "When I was young, I ate all sorts of things and just wanted to eat something good. Why did I keep eating this junk?"

In Song Tan's opinion, eating more fruits and vegetables is better than anything else.

But people of my grandfather's generation never had enough to eat, so when they ate, they always had more staple food than vegetables. It was a habit they couldn't break.

Even in Song Tan's family, rice was eaten more often than vegetables.

Ulan went to see Dr. Guo, hoping to get some tea that would soothe the stomach and aid bowel movements. She overheard Dr. Guo, while performing moxibustion on the villagers with a moxa stick, casually remarking:

"Then let's eat some millet."

"Millet is highly nutritious. Although it's called a whole grain, it doesn't taste coarse at all. And if the bran from your own milling isn't completely removed, it's also good for your digestive system."

Most importantly, this is the planting season for millet here, and it can be harvested in August or September.

Ulan instantly perked up.

So he asked Dr. Guo for more details about several dishes for treating constipation, and then discussed them with Song Tan:

"We're not going to plant the amaranth in that area anymore, let's plant millet instead."

Song Tan was indifferent to the matter.

For her, there was no difference between planting millet and planting amaranth; both required tilling the land and sowing seeds.

Moreover, millet is drought-resistant and can be planted almost anywhere except near ponds, and it also has good resistance.

She responded:
"Let me ask Yanran if they have any good varieties over there?"

Since it would take some time for the new seeds to arrive, she simply plowed the land again first.

The golden millet was planted...

Song Tan looked up at the barbed wire fence covering the outside again: We still need to send more guards to patrol, just in case some small birds or mice come to steal them.

Logically speaking, catching mice is a specialty of the whole family, including Daju.

But at home they treat themselves like precious treasures, obeying orders but not commands. When asked to catch mice in the fields, it's unclear whether the millet stalks play more or the mice are caught more.

The destructive power was too great.

But because it's so cute and lovable, it meows twice and then lies down, its round, chubby orange face ready to be rubbed...

In this way, no one dared to criticize them anymore, so they had no choice but to let them be beautiful little useless people.

The only one who was harmed, Da Tian, ​​was bullied by a group of gray squirrels because of his arrogance. Now, he is freed by Qiao Qiao in the back mountain, where he spends his days with the squirrels polishing various dried fruits from the mountain.

The chestnuts weren't even ripe yet, but it had already squeaked and looked at them several times.

If it weren't for Qiaoqiao casually grabbing a handful of rice or beans to feed it every day, people would think it wasn't getting enough to eat at home.

but……

As Song Tan listened to the clattering of the tiller, he wondered: "These fields have been idle at home for too long. Why can't we give them a shift?"

However, because his major was not a good match for his job, he couldn't find a suitable job after thinking about it, so he had to give up.

While she was rummaging through the ground, Song Youde, having finished inspecting the rushes on the mountain and returned, was now staring at this slightly sloping area, pondering:

"Tantan, what are you planning to plant at this time? Grapes?"

The old man had a good idea: "You can plant any kind of grape, just don't plant the Sunshine Rose variety, it's awful, too sweet."

Song Tan was somewhat surprised: Putting aside whether grapes can be grown on this land, there's that awful, cloyingly sweet Shine Muscat grape...

"No way."

She pointed to her house: "Yanran and the others just delivered a box, saying it was sent from their cooperative farm. It really does smell like roses."

It's really sweet, and it's really crunchy, but the rich rose fragrance is the finishing touch.

No wonder they dare to say this stuff can sell for tens of dollars per kilogram; considering the quality, it really is worth it.

"What is this? It smells like roses?"

Song Youde could not accept it.

“Lingqi drove over this afternoon, hoping to see if he could help out at home. Your aunt asked him to bring a basket of these Sunshine Roses. They’re so sweet they’re almost cloying. They don’t have any other flavor besides being sweet.”

Song Youde snorted coldly: "The name is too fancy. I'd rather eat a piece of candy than eat that."

Song Tan was both amused and exasperated: "You can't blame the grapes, they were bought by my aunt..."

She hesitated.

Although I didn't see the quality, judging from my aunt's spending habits, this Sunshine Rose rose must cost more than 6 yuan per kilogram, let alone tens of yuan.

She was absolutely right!
These Shine Muscat grapes, grown in local vineyards, are indeed cloyingly sweet, so they don't sell very well.

The price is 10 yuan when you enter the supermarket, and then it goes on sale at night for 5.98 yuan per jin.

In short, it was so sweet that even when Song Youde visited Old Song's house, he still had complaints.

“I saw Tan Tan tilling the land. I just told her that if she’s going to plant grapes, she shouldn’t plant the Sunshine Rose variety.”

Ulan paused for a moment: "That land is intended for planting millet. It's not for sale. The place isn't very big, so you old folks can eat more of it to soothe your stomachs."

Song Youde didn't object to this: "Millet is good, millet is good, millet is good for people."

When Wang Lifen was in postpartum confinement, she was just grateful to have enough to eat. She finally managed to get a handful of millet, cooked it into a thick porridge, and that was so comforting.

In short, in the eyes of simple country folk, millet is a nourishing food.

However, the Sunshine Rose variety still didn't work.

As they were talking, Wulan brought over a pot of Shine Muscat grapes.

"We were just talking about grapes, are you craving some? Yanran and the others just brought these over, saying there are several kinds, and they want us to try which one is the best."

Once you've decided that it's ready, you can plant it after preparing the land in the fall. It won't affect next year's fruiting.

I originally planned to tell everyone during dinner, but I didn't expect Song Youde to come over so early in the evening.

The vibrant green color made Song Youde uneasy; even without diabetes, his blood sugar would spike.

She waved her hands repeatedly, saying, "I'm not eating! Da Mei sent over a bowl of it, but it wasn't good, so I didn't take it."

"The command flag has arrived?"

Ulan was taken aback: "How come I haven't heard about it? I haven't seen anyone come either."

Song Youde waved his hand: "Isn't he busy at home? He's a big guy with inexhaustible energy, so he went up the mountain to take care of things, and he came over by himself tonight."

Song Youde strongly agreed that the children should lend a hand to each other and do some physical work.

Otherwise, with families living far apart and having few children, it wouldn't be good if the siblings weren't close once the elders passed away.

Besides, country folk don't really value physical strength.

Zhu Lingqi is a very capable worker, as long as you don't skimp on his money.

Ulan was both amused and exasperated, and could only say:

"Okay, cook some good food tonight, and ask him if he wants to stay overnight before leaving. If he leaves tomorrow morning, make sure to get him some good food to take back with him and his girlfriend."

Wow! This is definitely a major source of motivation for Zhu Lingqi!

He was already enjoying such good treatment on his first day of trial work. Although he didn't know it yet, it didn't stop him from dreaming about it on the mountain.

However, Song Youde couldn't resist Wulan's persuasion and ended up picking up a hard, green Sunshine Rose.

Before I even put it in my mouth, I could really smell a floral fragrance!

It's rich and sweet, making you feel wonderful in an instant.

The old farmer couldn't explain it, he only knew that it tasted really good.

As for the taste... it's still sweet, but not cloyingly sweet; instead, it has a delicate sweetness mixed with floral fragrance.

After a couple of chews, it's both crisp and tender.

Song Youde silently finished eating one, and at that moment he thought of the basket of Sunshine Roses at home:
"Da Mei, I didn't mistreat her back then, how did she end up like this?"

Ulan laughed at him: "She's happy this way. Her grandson is already so big. If you force her to change her mind, how uncomfortable would that be? If she doesn't want to spend money, then she doesn't have to. As long as you have money in your hand, you won't panic. You can do whatever you want."

Besides, many of them eat these fruits and other such things; it's like a cow chewing on a peony.

Eat more if you like it, and eat less if you don't.

Given Da Mei's personality, it's quite generous of her to spend 5.98 yuan on this Sunshine Rose watermelon; her family probably still eats the 80-cent watermelon.

According to Da Mei, what fruit isn't something you eat?

Even so, Ulan also took a bite—

"This Sunshine Rose is really good! No wonder it has such a fancy name, this is exactly what it tastes like."

It's not quite as good as the fruit from home, but its own sweet and fragrant flavor is truly unique.

"How about... we plant some next year?"

After dark, when Song Tan and Qiao Qiao returned, the family started to ponder over the grapes.

Song Tan still had some hesitation:
"I haven't decided where to plant grapes yet."

Some vegetables require crop rotation, but fruit trees, once established, are difficult to move, so it's important to plan ahead.

Yanran and the others have marked out a few plots of land, but she hasn't decided on the exact locations yet.

Let's just make a phone call and see who among the three has time to speak.

Tang Xiaodong is incredibly fast.

"Yanran is writing his thesis! Qi Lin's grandfather wants to discuss something with him... I can't refuse to work overtime!"

When it comes to food, he's an expert:

"It depends on your main needs. If you're mainly selling online, then go for this Sunshine Rose."

Firstly, the price is high.

Secondly, it is durable for storage and transportation.

Other grapes, like the Hanxiangmi variety, have thin skins that easily break off the stem or crack with the slightest movement, making them unsuitable for transportation.

Unless someone comes to your door specifically to store and preserve it carefully, I guess only Boss Chang would be willing to go to that much trouble.

"There are also Kyoho and Xiahei, which are very basic varieties that are easy to grow and readily accepted."

"Oh, there's one more."

Tang Xiaodong then recalled the round-leaf grapes that have become very popular in the horticulture industry in the past two years: "Our grapes are grown in bunches, while round-leaf grapes are grown individually. They are more ornamental, have a longer fruit production period, and taste quite good."

This is an imported variety; many people in the horticulture industry sell potted plants here, and some farms...

He said cautiously, "I need to find out more and ask them to send some samples over to try before making a decision."

"Okay."

Anyway, there's no rush to plant grapes right now; their priority is to plant millet first.

As they were talking, Tang Xiaodong suddenly remembered something:
"By the way, boss, you mentioned before that you wanted to plant lemon trees to make lemon water in the summer. I've already chosen the trees for you, but where do you plan to plant them?"

"This thing's cold resistance in winter is the limit of the low temperature here, so it has to be placed in a sheltered place. It still needs to be insulated in the first year."

“But the area with open space sheltered from the wind happens to have orange trees there,” he emphasized.
"We can't choose a spot too close to the oranges."

Otherwise, if the pollination process is chaotic, the oranges that grow will be sour.

It's too hot now to plant these things.

But it's not the hottest time of the year yet, so hurry up and plant some fruit trees. Not only will they have a chance to bear fruit, but they'll also have more time to take root.

Otherwise, if you wait until October to plant them, the temperature will be suitable. However, if they encounter low temperatures before they have grown for two months, their resistance may be slightly weakened.

Song Tan thought for a moment and said, "Let's try planting a few here and there first."

This eliminates the need to be picky about location; you can plant them by digging a hole next to any orchard.

She hadn't originally intended to sell this; it was just that Lu Chuan had mentioned lemonade and such the other day.

Seventh Uncle wouldn't bother with those things; at most, he'd pick lotus leaves and boil them to make something like lotus leaf and plum tea.

According to Lao Song's family, it really doesn't taste good.

Dr. Guo secretly added rock sugar to it.

But Lu Chuan is very particular about making summer iced drinks. Lime, lemon, golden lemon... each has its own flavor, and in his hands, they naturally have different textures.

Putting everything else aside, he's already set his sights on those little green tangerines on the branches.

But I'm too young to do it right now.

He even offered advice to Song Tan:

"If you have extra space, you can set aside a small plot to grow special tangerine peel oranges, just for making tangerine peel."

This type of orange is more about the peel than the fruit, so the oranges you already have at home are not suitable.

Moreover, while dried tangerine peel may sound like a common commodity, the better it is stored, the longer it ages, the rarer it becomes.

Song Tan immediately became interested: "Would this dried tangerine peel taste good in soup?"

She hasn't tried it yet.

Lu Chuan thought for a moment: "It's hard to describe, but it definitely has a different flavor."

He had previously visited other cities and had the opportunity to try it with the locals, for which his friend drove over 100 kilometers.

According to the nature of Chinese people, if something isn't really good, they wouldn't pursue it like this.

Song Tan replied without hesitation, "Then I'll ask Boss Chang."

If they buy these things online themselves, they're almost guaranteed to get fakes. But since he's in the restaurant business, Boss Chang definitely has the connections.

Now, after receiving Song Tan's call, he became incredibly excited:
"Oh dear! You're going to make dried tangerine peel? I'll wrap it up, I'll wrap it up!"

Song Tan said unhurriedly, "Just plant three or five trees, and let my family try them out."

Boss Chang suddenly became emo.

With so much land available, they'd rather leave large tracts for growing cucumbers and beans than seriously cultivate these expensive crops...

Ugh!
I'm such a lowly business partner.

But then again, there's dried cowpea stewed with beef, pickled cowpea stir-fried with anything, fresh cowpea stewed with eggplant, or stir-fried with minced meat...

Oh!

In the summer of their mountain town, they also shouldered a piece of the sky for Chang Le Ju.

Besides, Song Tan wants to plant a few now. What if he likes them and wants to expand the scale next year? Isn't that how tea gardens expand?

He was not discouraged at all: "It's okay, I'm just letting you know in advance. Plant whatever you want, don't worry about not being able to sell it, I will definitely buy it."

Even Song Tanlang, with his heart of iron, couldn't help but sigh at this moment: with Boss Chang's drive, he would succeed at anything.

After thinking for a moment, he asked, "I planted some cardamom last year, and I'm harvesting it this year. It's purely a seasoning, and the price is high. Would you buy it?"

There's also a Sichuan pepper tree and a star anise tree on the back hill.

But these were all extras she had when she bought the rose hips. There was only one plant, and the yield was enough for her own family, so she didn't mention it.

Even so, Boss Chang became quite pleased with himself:
"Acorus tsao-ko? That's good stuff! I want it! I absolutely have to have it!"

These seasonings are indispensable in stews and braised dishes. Sometimes, a single, prominent flavor can significantly enhance the overall taste.

He lamented, "We've already planted cardamom, but it's not quite adapted to our climate. Why don't you plant some Sichuan pepper or black pepper?"

Song Tan echoed, "You're right, cardamom is indeed not suitable. It's too much trouble. We'll plant it this year and not plant it again next year."

I originally wanted to plant it under an apple tree to help it adapt to the local climate.

But as the whole winter went by, Yanran and the others did have a lot to worry about.

It's clear there's a reason why the locals don't grow this.

Boss Chang: ...

My foul mouth!

Here it is! 5000 words, hehehe!