Song Tan's Notes

These buckets of yellow mud were not easy to dig.

It hasn't rained for a while, and although the mountain isn't exactly dry, the soil is rock hard.

Not to mention how much effort it takes to stick a shovel into the ground, even if you bring a hoe, your arm will feel numb and tingly from the impact of each swing.

Doing farm work is quite different from lifting weights at the gym. The three of them struggled to fill the soil container, and they felt a little dizzy.

But to be honest, it's really just three big iron buckets of yellow soil. It would be too embarrassing to say that!

So they all remained silent.

However, as they carried the heavy buckets down the mountain, they realized that the real test had only just begun.

This is a barren mountain, and the paths are all small trails worn down by people walking on them. Going uphill, it doesn't feel like much, but coming down, carrying the heavy buckets, you wobble and stagger, the heavy metal buckets constantly bumping against your knees and shinbones, and you have to watch your step...

Watching Qiaoqiao effortlessly carrying two buckets ahead, even Lu Chuan kindly helped by carrying a few shovels, her steps light and graceful...

What can I say?

The men had no choice but to grit their teeth, sweat pouring down their foreheads, and secretly vowed that they would eat at least two more salted duck eggs tonight!
Although the food was definitely not what they made, it wasn't a complete waste of time, right?

After descending the mountain, navigating around the hillside and pond, along the winding path... by the time we finally made it home, everyone's clothes were soaked with sweat.

Qin Yun looked up at the sky, then sighed, "Are we out of our minds doing this in the middle of the day?"

Ulan was having a good time in the courtyard when she heard him say this, and quickly replied, "Very good, very good."

"At midday, when the sun is shining brightly, spread this yellow mud out at the door to dry. Before using it in the evening, sift it through a sieve. This way, the yellow mud pickled duck eggs will taste even better."

As she spoke, she smoothly carried a large bucket to the door, skillfully poured out the yellow mud, raked it into small pieces, and spread it out in a large area.

Their movements were so fluid and efficient that Qin Yun and the others were too embarrassed to even complain. In the end, they could only wipe their sweat from their brows, give a brief greeting, and then go back.

Sigh, I really embarrassed the city folks today.

As soon as they left, Ulan slammed the rake on the ground and breathed a sigh of relief.
That's what happens when a man likes to show off.

What are you doing in the middle of the day?

With such high temperatures these days, the soil on the mountain is already quite dry. If we just let it dry in the sun for an hour or two after we get back, it will be ready to use. Why would we need to leave it here to dry in the middle of the day?
Even wearing a straw hat, the sun was still scorching hot.

Ulan quickly finished raking the yellow mud and followed them into the house.

But killing time like this isn't without its advantages; at least enough time has passed, and when we get back, everyone can take a good shower and change their clothes.

I lay back down on the bed and slept for a perfect half hour. When I woke up, I could eat my delayed lunch again.

Perfect! Perfect!
Everyone woke up with their big bowls of sauerkraut and pork rib stew, slurping the food down without even looking up. Little Shi, standing nearby, picked up this bone and that bone, practically squealing with happiness as no one was fighting over it.

The only drawback is that this isn't its territory, so it has nowhere to hide its bones.

"Oh dear!" it whimpered, wagged its tail, and gave He Tuoluo a mournful look.

But He Tuoluo really didn't have the energy to look at it.

This stewed pork bone smells so good!

The stir-fried vegetables were glistening with oil and crisp and tender, looking delicious.

Even the fish, the fish head tofu soup and the chopped chili fish head, were one thing, but Dad had already put a huge amount of hand-pulled noodles into the chopped chili fish head soup.

Now, they use chopsticks to scoop it up and put it in their bowl, their lips glistening with oil as they eat.

The closest thing to him was a whole braised fish. It needed to be pan-fried until both sides were golden brown, and then topped with green scallions and cilantro when the sauce was reduced. It was cooked until thoroughly done.

Mom used chopsticks to pick up some soft, mushy scallions and cilantro that were no longer bright green but rather a bit brownish. She mixed them with rice and fish soup. One bite, and even my eyebrows relaxed from the deliciousness!
The mixed aroma wafted through the room, and He Tuoluo was ordered to stand in the corner and watch.

I was drooling just looking at it.

He pursed his lips.

Fortunately, he considered himself a man and therefore refused to cry out loud.

But then I thought about how I was going to eat on the mountain later—humph!

He made up his mind: he would fight back against unfair treatment! He planned to secretly use his smartwatch to set a timer, and in the dead of night, he would run away from home and escape this place!

He's going to wander!
Of course, before they went on their journey, the itinerary that Qiaoqiao had arranged for them still had to be done.

For example, after dinner, everyone can relax in the air-conditioned room for a while. Chatting, talking, watching TV, browsing phones, playing games—anything is fine. They can also share their thoughts on the traditional Chinese medicine treatments they received that morning.

Around five or six o'clock, although the sun was still powerful, it was much milder than at noon. Lu Chuan then came downstairs to greet them.
"It's not sunny now, shall we go collect duck eggs?"

He also reminded them, "Apply more mosquito repellent cream. There are a lot of mosquitoes in the reeds."

Let alone the reed marshes, in this season, anywhere with greenery, the mosquitoes are ferocious, like they want to eat you alive.

Before the mosquito repellent cream was made before the Dragon Boat Festival, every time Chen Chi and Chen Xi went in to collect duck eggs, they would either be fully armed or first pick a bundle of mugwort by the roadside, dry it until it was half-dry, put it in their baskets, and light it.

Despite the smoky atmosphere, at least it provided a brief period of peace and quiet.

But nowadays, the mosquito repellent cream doesn't smell pungent, but mosquitoes buzz around and will immediately stay away when they smell it.

Meanwhile, the number of beneficial insects along the river increased, with toads and frogs opening their mouths wide and growing larger as they ate.

At least the moment Qin Beibei stepped into the reeds, she saw a toad the size of her palm. "Ah!"

The little girl cried out.

She had never seen such a big toad in her entire life—in fact, she had never seen one at all.

But the children weren't scared. Instead, they watched intently for a while as the round, chubby toad squatted there, looking just like the golden toad with a copper coin in its mouth in its mother's shop.

After shouting for a while, the children quickly started chattering and discussing again:

Why doesn't it run away?

Chen Chi peeked out and said, "I know, I know! I've read it on the encyclopedia! The book says that because it has poison glands, it's not afraid of enemies. And when it's quiet, it's more concealed and won't be found by its natural enemies."

"Oh."

The children quickly accepted the answer: "We're not natural enemies, so it's not afraid of us, right?"

Everyone proceeded cautiously and stealthily, and sure enough, the person in charge directed the adults to avoid the toad before disappearing into the tall, green reeds.

The reeds here are the common white reeds found in the countryside, which can grow up to seven or eight meters tall at their peak. As long as there is no drought that causes the water level to drop significantly, they can easily grow to three to five meters.

Once a person crawls inside, they are completely invisible.

The ducks love it here even more.

It's a moist, quiet, soft, and secluded spot, with layers of reeds and fallen leaves forming a natural, soft nest for laying eggs.

This natural environment makes me feel more at ease and comfortable than the farm.

As a result, they have become more and more accustomed to this place.

As a result, not only do the dogs occasionally sneak in to patrol and check, but even Big White and Goose Girl often come to check for water snakes or the like.

Aside from the fact that ducks' eggs are usually hard to find after they've been laid, there are no other drawbacks.

But the ducks didn't care.

They are only responsible for landing; their tiny brains don't consider what happens after they land.

Yun Danqing parted the maze-like reeds, while her mother reminded them not to scratch their faces.

But it won't slide.

The lower-lying reeds here had all been plucked by Chen Chi and Chen Xi while they were collecting duck eggs. The plucked leaves didn't need to be taken out; they were simply tossed aside, and after they withered, an even softer layer would form.

Although it was slightly damp, the bottom was thick enough that the top became even softer, so the ducks weren't afraid at all.

That's why the duck eggs here can't be kept overnight; they have to be collected fresh every day to preserve them.

"When we're collecting duck eggs, won't some ducks be laying eggs and they spot us? Won't they think we're thieves?"

The child's innocent words are quite worrying.

"Will not."

Chen Chi was very confident about this: "The ducks know we're raising them, so they won't think I'm a thief. Besides, they usually finish laying their eggs in the morning; they won't lay any more in the afternoon or evening."

So naturally, you won't encounter it.

Just as everyone was about to get to the bottom of it, they heard He Tuoluo exclaim in a low voice from ahead: "What a huge duck egg!"

Compared to the more common chicken eggs, duck eggs are indeed much larger, with a smooth, round, bluish-green shell. They are now lying quietly in the soft indentation in front of me, which has been pressed down by ducks lying down for a long time.

He Tuoluo reached out and picked it up, holding the big duck egg in his little hand, and then shook it vigorously next to his ear!
He used a lot of force, shaking his arm rapidly, and the sensation of something hitting something inside the duck egg was particularly novel:

"It's like there's a ball inside, bouncing around."

Chen Chi, who was a step behind, saw this and immediately said anxiously, "Don't shake it, don't shake it."

He said regretfully, "Once the yolk and egg white are shaken apart, the duck egg can't be preserved. We have to eat it today. We can't make salted duck eggs."

However, compared to chicken eggs, duck eggs have a slightly fishy smell.

Qiaoqiao followed.

However, he was a natural optimist and didn't feel any regret at the moment—it wasn't like it was broken.

Chen Chi looked quite disappointed, so he picked up three more duck eggs and handed them to the other two children nearby.

"It's okay, as long as we don't break them, we can take them back and fry them with duck eggs. But one isn't enough, you can shake them too."

He handed another one to Chen Chi: "You haven't tried it either, have you?"

Chen Chi's cheeks flushed slightly: "Duck eggs don't taste as good as chicken eggs when fried." Isn't it a waste to shake them like this?

Qiaoqiao said smugly, "When I was learning to cook from Seventh Uncle, I practiced making a lot of dishes. You should try it too! You'll get the hang of it after you've done it."

The adults watched with smiles, ready to say something to educate the child, but Lu Chuan stopped them again.

Then look at the two older children and the three younger children. At this moment, each of them is holding a duck egg and shaking it vigorously, as if they are praying for good fortune and shaking a money box in a temple.

The sight of it making even the adults itch with desire. (End of Chapter)