Song Tan's Notes

The 12-meter trap yielded an exceptionally impressive harvest.

With everyone working together, big and small, it took a full half hour to release all the fish that weren't enough or that were too small back into the river.

Even so, Chen Xilai's two large plastic basins were already about 80% full.

Lu Chuan laughed and said, "Looks like we won't be short of fish to eat today or tomorrow."

Looking at Qin Yun and the others again, he kindly comforted them, "With such a harvest, you won't feel any pressure when you're fishing, and the air force won't have to hide anything."

These words drew angry glares from the fishermen:

With their level of expertise, how could they possibly be in the air force?
Besides, who fishes these days to eat? It's all about dignity!
Everyone snorted and decided that they must bring their equipment by 4 p.m. to avenge their previous defeat.

As the sun gradually rises, the morning sunlight, while not intensely hot, gradually becomes unbearable.

What's more, the golden sunlight was dazzling, so everyone put on their hats and stared blankly at the two bowls of still-jumping fish and shrimp:

"How do we get this back?"

Do two or three people need to carry one basin?

Chen Xi had just finished tidying up when he couldn't help but smile, his increasingly tanned face beaming with joy.

He waved his hand: "You guys just have fun, someone else will do the work."

He then casually called out, "Chen Chi, take this over on a tricycle."

"Okay!" Chen Chi responded loudly, and soon rode a maroon tricycle back to the shed on the riverbank.

When Qin Yun and the others came last time, Chen Chi wasn't there yet. Now, everyone couldn't help but marvel at the tall and strong man who was over 1.9 meters tall.

Then, look how deftly the other person picked up the large basin:

What a great strength!

Everyone was filled with admiration. He Tuoluo, being followed closely by Xiao Shi, had completely lost his previous disappointment from the tug-of-war and was now filled with adoration.
"I want to look like that when I grow up!"

He rushed to He Kuang's side and cried out, "Dad, did you hear that? I want to look like that when I grow up!"

He stood on tiptoe and gestured with his hands, saying, "So tall, so strong, and good-looking too!"

However, he is of average build, over 1.7 meters tall, and already nearing middle-aged weight gain, not to mention: ...

He said sincerely to his son, "Why don't you practice playing basketball in the future? I'll buy you more calcium supplements."

He's not tall, and neither is his wife. Although He Tuoluo is growing very fast and his height is increasing rapidly, who knows, he might stop growing after puberty?

oops.

He couldn't bear to discourage his son with the probability of genetics, so he just looked at Chen Chi and said enviously once again, "That's really impressive."

Women, however, have a different perspective.

Chen Chi was just as likable as Qiao Qiao. Almost no one would feel any ill will towards such a bright-eyed, well-behaved young man.

After making some further inquiries, I learned that they were brothers.

Oh my, Lu Chuan has a kind heart, and his girlfriend has a kind heart too!
Such a strong and innocent child would be exploited by a heartless boss!
Besides, this is how it was done when we needed to demolish walls during previous home renovations.

A boss brought in five or six mentally challenged children and made them use hammers and carry construction waste. Although they made several thousand yuan in one order in half a day, these employees only bought two steamed buns from the supermarket for lunch.

Those steamed buns were neither firm nor fresh; they could be easily squeezed into a small ball with your hands. No wonder they weren't filling!

Besides, Mom was very frugal during the renovation, trying to save money here and there, but when faced with several young men who were struggling to get enough to eat, she still went downstairs and bought a roast duck for each of them.

A roast duck cooked in a local electric rotary oven costs only twenty-odd yuan. It's quite delicious when eaten hot.

The few big, hardworking men were overjoyed, having finally gotten a full meal.

The boss even sighed, pretending to be heartless, saying, "It's not that I'm cruel, but if everyone was fed this well, they wouldn't work properly."

He added, “Kids like them, if they don’t come out to work with me, they won’t have any way to make a living back home. Either their parents can’t take care of them and abandon them, or they’ll be disliked by their brothers.”

“If they follow me, people in the surrounding villages will know that if they are raised, they will have food to eat in the future, and they won’t be abandoned right after they are born.”

If these words were spoken to Chen Xi, he would be all too familiar with them.

At home, Chen Chi was almost sold to such a person by his mother.

No matter how high-sounding the boss's words may be, or whether there are really such benefits, it is a fact that he mistreated these laborers.

Although every boss complains about how hard it is to find work these days, or how often there is no work, hiring disabled people not only exempts them from taxes, but also allows them to exploit people's sympathy to attract business or offer higher salaries...

The government itself also provides various subsidies.

In short, Song Tan was willing to take in these two brothers, who looked tall, strong, and well-nourished, indicating that he was a truly good person.

With this secret admiration, everyone grew increasingly fond of this ordinary mountain village.

But now my clothes and hands inevitably smell of fish, and if I keep reminiscing, I'll end up looking like a pickled fish.

While scrubbing themselves vigorously under the tap, everyone laughed:

"Won't the smell bother Dr. Guo if we go to the clinic like this?"

"Yes, she has an interview today, right? What if the new employee sees that our rural patients are so uncaring and doesn't want to stay?"

Lu Chuan then laughed and said, "Wouldn't that make it easier to select suitable employees?"

The villagers aren't necessarily slovenly, but they're likely to come to the clinic while working in the fields or on the way up the mountain.

This kind of physically demanding work, no matter the weather, will always leave you drenched in sweat.

If you can't even stand this smell, then you're really not suited for this place, and you'd be better off quitting after a while because of it.

He added apologetically, "There are so many of us, you don't need to keep us company. Things are arranged, we can find the place, we'll have our own fun. You should go do what you need to do, otherwise it'll be so boring."

Lu Chuan didn't actually find it boring.

Even as a child, he could sit on a small stool in the market all day, observing people, listening to their conversations, and watching their expressions—it was all part of his daily routine.

Moreover, the group in front of me includes friends, the elderly, and children. Their words range from innocent and carefree to mature and composed, and they also show a close and familiar relationship.

For him, it was also very rewarding, and he didn't find it boring at all.

“Even if you don’t come, my daily routine is still to walk around here and there.”

"Besides, if something really happens to me, I'll handle it myself; I won't force myself."

This is true.

Everyone knew his personality, so they weren't bothered by it anymore. But Yunfeng, remembering the lavish meals they'd been having every day, let out another "Ouch!"
"Have we not yet taken the things we prepared for Song Tan's family?"

Good guy!
Everyone came to their senses and realized it was true!
I forgot about it at noon yesterday, and it was too hot in the afternoon. I ate and slept all night and didn't drive, so I couldn't remember it at all.

Lu Chuan chuckled and glanced at the weather: "We'll be able to see Dr. Guo in a little while. There are a lot of us, so it's best not to be late."

Gifts are gifts, it doesn't matter when you give them.

Damn!

Everyone felt embarrassed; how could someone give such an insincere gift?

They've eaten several meals together, but he hasn't shown any reaction.

Yunfeng thought for a moment and suggested, "The sun is still out and it's still early, why don't we deliver the things over there?"

Otherwise, if we go fishing in the afternoon and come back, it might be dark by then, wouldn't that be inconvenient?
It would be outrageous to delay until tomorrow.

"Sure!" The riverbank was right there, and they could come anytime, so everyone quickly agreed.

The three households each brought different items, with each household having a different focus.

The cigarettes, alcohol, health supplements, and various gifts need not be mentioned; it was Yunfeng who became the focus of the entire event at this moment.

There's no other reason than that the 100 sets of books, which weighed down the car body several degrees, were truly a generous gift!

It's heavy, and it's also very heavy!

Not to mention Qiaoqiao, even Wulan was amazed when she saw it.

In particular, there are several complete sets of large books and periodicals inside. Although they are from the stock, they can still easily cost three or four figures in a bookstore.

Qiaoqiao was already thrilled with this wonderful gift, even though she hadn't seen the contents yet!

He does have e-book resources and courses, but none of them are as impressive as a set of real books.
Song Tan, who had come downstairs upon hearing the exclamations, was also surprised and asked, "Didn't you exceed the weight limit with so many books?"

Seeing how much everyone liked the gift he had prepared, Yunfeng said modestly, "It's alright, it's alright."

The load capacity is heavy, and the fuel consumption has been quite high along the way, but now, we can finally deliver it.

He quickly stretched out his hands: "Where should I put it? I'll move it."

It's totally unnecessary!

Song Tan had already brought two ropes from the warehouse. He wrapped and tied the neatly stacked books together, and then easily lifted more than ten books in each hand.

"Send these to the third floor and put them in Qiaoqiao's study."

Look at her nimble steps and effortless movements, as if she were carrying two wads of cotton rather than a heavy piece of cloth.

As she stepped onto the stairs, Song Tan turned back to look at Lu Chuan again:

"Don't move it, let me do it. This rope might hurt your hand."

Lu Chuan:......

Through long-term training, he can now remain calm and composed.

The people around him were looking at him with strange expressions. Qin Yun and He Kuang were somewhat aware of his current fragility, but the parents had complicated looks in their eyes.

Lu Chuan looked handsome and upright with a sense of responsibility, but who would have thought he'd end up like this?
When I was working before, I clearly saw that he had a lot of muscles. Do you think there are those gyms in the countryside where people just show off their fancy moves?
Looking again at Song Tan, who had already quickly made his way up the stairs, the women sighed inwardly.

Lu Chuan is a very good person; everyone trusts his character.
But no matter how much you trust her, how can this girl develop a "love-obsessed" mentality?
Ugh!
Lu Chuan silently endured everyone's strange looks, acting as if nothing was wrong:
"We estimate that several hundred duck eggs will be delivered from the riverbank. After your midday nap, if you're free, would you like me to take you to the factory up the mountain to make salted duck eggs?"

"There's air conditioning there, and workers doing the work; making salted duck eggs is a bit dirty..."

Oh dear, we're all in the countryside now, who cares about being dirty?

The women exclaimed excitedly, "We'll definitely go!"

It's been so many years since I've made salted duck eggs: "Do you soak them or wrap them in yellow mud?"

This time, without Lu Chuan needing to answer, Qiao Qiao confidently and loudly replied, "Wrapped in yellow mud!"

"I'm going to the mountain to dig up yellow mud this afternoon!"

Ulan heard this and sighed again, "What a silly boy, he doesn't know how to get tired."

Unlike her, she sat on a stool cleaning the fish, and got impatient after cleaning only five or six.

Aunt Lianhua and Grandma Qi also helped clean up, deftly gutting the fish while sighing:
“These small white fish have been selling for a lot of money lately. I heard from the villagers that they were selling for 10 yuan a pound in town the other day.”

"What?!" Ulan exclaimed in surprise, "How can small white fish be worth 10 yuan this season? It's not winter!"

In their local area, raising this type of fish requires stocking a large number of fry to ensure a sufficient harvest, which inevitably increases the cost.

But summer is the time when they grow wildly, and you can easily catch a lot by simply casting a net down.

She muttered to herself, "No matter how much you release it, a white fish is still a white fish. How can it be sold for this price?"

Of course, their family is an exception.

Boss Chang absolutely adores the fish they bring up every time, especially these delicious braised or stewed whitefish—they're so tempting!

…………

Young men are full of energy, and they don't want to rest at all, let alone bask in the sun. They're covered in sweat in this weather.

Not to mention those hundreds of salted duck eggs, Qiaoqiao had to use several large plastic baskets to scoop out the yellow mud one basket at a time, and then carry them to the car by the roadside.

The little girls, however, had a different question: "If the yellow mud is dug down from the mountain, then there won't be any soil left on the mountain, right?"

"Brother Qiaoqiao, I want to go too! Can I go too!"

"My dad bought me a small bucket, a small shovel, and small gloves. Can we work together? I'll help you carry the mud, okay?"

"I want to make salted duck eggs too! But it requires so much yellow clay, what if I get mud on my skin when I eat them?"

Yun Danqing looked at the large plastic crates that Qiaoqiao was pointing to—they were huge!

Qiao Qiao said smugly:
“We’ll dig up the soil from the barren hills first. There are several composting sites there. We’ll then pile up more nutritious and looser humus to give back to them. The soil will not only not decrease, but it will become even better, and the vegetables will grow particularly fast.”

Everyone was having a lively discussion and were already looking forward to how their homemade salted duck eggs would taste.

Lu Chuan tidied up the car and gifts in the trunk, and Song Tan got out again to clear out the books that were the hardest to move.

As for the remaining cigarettes, alcohol, and supplements, there's no need to worry about them. Let Ulan take her time to pack them up; I guarantee she'll be happy while she does so.

Amidst everyone's joy, Qiao Qiao frowned in distress once again: If things continue like this, will he ever be able to finish writing his game plan?! (End of Chapter)