Song Tan's Notes

To maintain their dignity, anglers have all sorts of ingenious tricks.

The newcomer, a large tabby cat, unaware of the group's strength, boldly followed them by boat. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she quickly found a tree and leaped onto it.

With a huge crowd below, it's guaranteed a full stomach today, no matter what. And when word gets out, its defeated rival, the Orange family, will be green with envy!

snort!
A cat's life also requires adventure to reap greater rewards. Unlike those cats who constantly eat handouts from humans...

Don't cats have any pride?

Snoring snoring...

The big tabby fish was full of anticipation, and the anglers were full of confidence.

One said, "I have to be at the top. I have to be in the lead when I play cards, otherwise I'll lose money."

Another one said, "Actually, I'm fine anywhere, but the direction that's most beneficial to me is this way. Does anyone want to choose this location?"

Others scoffed, "You're too demanding. I'm different; I can find something no matter where I sit. You guys go first."

"There are some aquatic plants growing here, so fish will definitely come here often. I'll stay here, and I won't move no matter who comes..."

Song Sancheng: ...

To be honest, he had visited and practiced in all of these places.

But the result...

Now, after some hesitation and searching online, he finally sat down under a large tree that stretched out over the water.

Song Tan: ...

It would be quite a joke if a group of people couldn't even fill a single fish bucket at night.

Zhang Yanping, on the other hand, was used to it.

“That’s just how they are,” he explained to Song Tan.

"Fishing enthusiasts come in all shapes and sizes, and some even have their fortunes told before every fishing trip."

But that's just how unfair the world is. Some people rack their brains and still can't catch a single one, while others—specifically referring to Qiaoqiao here—can just put two worms in a landing net, let them dangle in the water, and then scoop out a few more with their net hands.

It's just that he's young and doesn't realize how valuable this talent is.

If all the fishing tourists he invites are this good, he might as well close down his guesthouse. He won't even make enough money to pay for Tan Tan's fish every month!
Everyone applied mosquito repellent, got ready, and watched as the river rippled under the shade of the trees, a gentle breeze blowing.

The fishermen cast their lines with unusual seriousness, while Song Sancheng listened to his favorite audiobook with headphones on.

Song Tan shook his head: "Let's go, let's go back first."

On the way back, the sounds of the engine and the waves continued to mingle. Zhang Yanping steered the boat, and neither of them both bothered to raise their voices in conversation. Therefore, it wasn't until after disembarking that Song Tan remembered:
"By the way, Brother Yanping, could you please reserve your best room for me for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday?"

It's supposed to be the best room, but because of its price range, it only costs 200 yuan a night.

Although there are quite a few patients now, it's not quite saturated, so Zhang Yanping agreed.

"I'll talk to Xin Jun later and ask him to lock the room first."

"Oh, right," he also had something to tell Song Tan: "Guo Dong messaged me today, saying that provincial leaders are coming over this weekend and they want me to reserve three nice rooms for them."

Their leader is too low-key, and even when traveling, he prefers affordable accommodations. Zhang Yanping's guesthouse only has five of the best rooms in total, and now they're all booked out.

I just don't know what they're going to do here on the weekend.

After all, Secretary Wang is tight-lipped; lately, whether it's taking care of his health or conducting research in the countryside, he can't easily tell outsiders about these things.

Zhang Yanping, however, was only thinking about the fact that he was the leader: "Should we provide something else?"

Song Tan initially thought it didn't matter, but then, thinking about the village roads and electricity, he changed his mind:
"Then let Master Chai set aside a portion for two or three people each day when he cooks, put it in a small plate, and send it over."

"If they want to eat in the cafeteria, that's fine too."

In short, we have the attitude, but whether they need it or not is up to them.

At this point, Song Tan remembered something else: "Also, please arrange two of your cheap multi-person rooms."

This is the room that fishing enthusiasts love to share. For just a few dozen yuan, you can get a good night's sleep. It's clean and quiet—provided, of course, that your roommates don't snore or talk in their sleep.

But if they go fishing elsewhere, even in a random pond, it would cost them seventy or eighty yuan a day. Here, there aren't many extra costs; they eat well, drink well, and sleep well, so it's not much more expensive in comparison.

Naturally, it is very popular.

Although the fishermen are gone recently, some patients who have come from afar like to share this room with their families.

Economical and affordable.

Now that Song Tan wants it again, Zhang Yanping nodded: "Okay, then I won't book any more rooms, I'll reserve two for you."

Sigh, it was so empty before, I thought the guesthouse was so big! Now it's actually quite popular?
Song Tan knew that this type of room was very popular in the wards, so she smiled and said, "Then there's no need for a discount! I've prepared it to entertain the college students who come to play with Qiaoqiao."

They also want to bring their families, so the boys will stay in one room and the girls in another, which will be just right.

When it comes to business acumen, Zhang Yanping has a wealth of experience.

But aside from playing video games, he can't do any other kind of physical exercise that requires a lot of energy.

Looking at him, Song Tan suddenly asked again:

"Whether you're herding one sheep or two, it's all the same—Brother Yanping, why don't you join us for some exercise? A good sweat in the evening or morning might make you feel better, and after building up your muscles, you might not look so bulky."

Zhang Yanping shook her head instantly, without the slightest hesitation.

Although he often feels aggrieved about his atavistic appearance, he has already experienced the benefits of this look in real life.

First of all, when he says something, the other person listens attentively and rarely dares to raise their voice at him.

Secondly, when you're out and about, you'll no longer have those unpleasant little disputes.

Although he has to show his ID more often when taking the high-speed rail, he still only leaves the house a few times a year.

All things considered, the flaws don't outweigh the merits; it's actually quite good.

Moreover……

He reached out and touched his face again. His expression didn't resemble Gu Ying deep in thought; rather, it was the deep-seated quirk of a triad boss, as if he were about to ruthlessly cause someone's death at any moment.

Song Tan sighed slowly.

Zhang Yanping, however, proudly said, "Guo Dong's hometown has a bad atmosphere. If I look too refined, I'm afraid no one will take me seriously when I go there."

"Even looking like this, I can walk all over them with my head held high. Whatever I say, her mother and her relatives are all the same to me!"

"If I didn't look like this, she wouldn't have even started dating me in the first place!"

Song Tan: ...

She only asked one question: "Do you exercise?" Why go on and on about all that other stuff?
"Whatever you want. But if there are too many people and we need a referee to play together, you can join in the fun."

Young people get so excited when they exercise that it's inevitable that some disputes will arise! With him sitting to the side, everyone would probably behave themselves much more subconsciously.

Zhang Yanping, unaware of her cousin's sinister intentions, modestly said, "Don't just call me Xin Jun, call him Xin Jun! He's the one who needs more exercise, otherwise he'll be exhausted every time he goes back to his hometown!"

The two chatted all the way back and happened to run into Secretary Zhu at their doorstep.

The other person was squatting in the yard, munching on a melon slice, and didn't forget to look up and ask her:

"I heard you're going up the mountain to pick peaches tomorrow? Could you prepare twenty boxes for me?"

Now that she has grandparents, she has to make sure they have all the good things.

Song Tan agreed: "There are plenty of fruits this year, so I'll prepare them all for you as soon as they ripen, don't worry—by the way!" She also needed to inform her about the leader's upcoming visit.

While a grand reception may not be necessary, it's essential to keep that in mind.

Secretary Zhu listened silently, then quickly ate the melon rind to get the white flesh, before turning on the hose and scrubbing his face thoroughly. After wiping it clean, he said, "I've got it."

As for Song Tan saying that he invited a few college students to play ball with Qiao Qiao...

She sighed, "We're still not wealthy here, and there aren't many suitable young people. Otherwise, we could learn from the popular 'village superstar' trend and catch up with the times."

It's a pity that, not only does the village not have a football field, but even if it did, they wouldn't be able to gather enough players.

Fortunately, we're in the same place, following the same development path. Secretary Zhu was just saying it casually; the most important thing to take seriously is the upcoming visit of the leaders.

Logically speaking, she should have rectified the appearance and aesthetics of the village.

but……

These days, satellites can monitor everything, even burning leaves at the door. The pigsty and outhouse that needed repair, as well as the firewood piled up by the roadside, were cleaned up last year.

As for whether the villagers might gossip or say things they shouldn't...

Oh dear, it's the busy farming season, how can we have time for that?

Everyone is busy tending to their own land or Old Song's land every day, making money hand over fist. Who has time to mess around?
Also, compared to the last time the leaders came, their village has added a sports field and a village hall, etc.

On weekends, tourists from the city and patients from other places flock to the village, making it lively and bustling, especially with college students playing ball...

Damn!

Their mental state is absolutely amazing!
She was overjoyed, which greatly boosted her confidence in her future prospects.

……

The men went fishing.

The women and children were also busy.

Everyone was sitting and scrolling through their phones, while the children were jumping around with boundless energy. Seeing this, Lu Jing suggested:

"If you're not afraid of the heat, you can take your kids to Zhang Hong's house to make tofu."

what?
Qin Yun's wife was a little curious: "They run a business, and their children are always making a ruckus. I'm afraid it will affect them."

The dishes they've been eating these past few days often include tofu, which is said to be ground with spring water from Old Song's house, and it certainly feels different.

No wonder people often drive here specifically to buy it.

Now that this has been mentioned, everyone is listening intently.

Lu Jing laughed:

"It's okay. There are many tourists. Many people like to experience this now. Their family has set up a small courtyard and they use a stone mill to make their own soy milk and press their own tofu."

Although the process is very long, many people are satisfied after experiencing only part of it.

Some people don't even need to experience it; just coming over and taking some nice photos is enough for a perfect experience.

Many people bring their children to the village to buy groceries on weekends, and parent-child activities are often held there. As long as there is no large-scale cooking, there is no danger at all.

To be honest, there are risks in everything we do – food, clothing, shelter, and transportation – so we can't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Looking at the children now, Lu Jing noticed that even though He Tuoluo was much quieter, his boundless energy remained unchanged.

With such inexhaustible energy, why not just go and grind grain?

Even if you can't press tofu, you can still make soy milk and tofu pudding, right?

This idea clearly resonated with all the parents!

The adults are posing for photos, while the children are grinding grain – what a perfect combination!
Yunfeng's wife rushed upstairs first: "I brought that tie-dyed ethnic costume. Let me change into it and take pictures!"

"Oh no! I only brought vacation-style dresses..."

Since Lu Jing couldn't offer anything else, she asked the older parents, "Do you want sunglasses? Do you want a scarf?"

Older parents: ...Yes!

After all, some people brought them, and some didn't; some scarves came in this color, and some had that pattern...

Lu Jing immediately laughed: "Then I'll give you mine first. If it's not enough, we can borrow some from Wulan later. She has plenty too..."

"By the way, she's really good at adding effects to tremolo vocals. You guys take lots of videos and photos, and ask her to add the effects for you!"

The older parents were beaming with joy, their eyes brimming with anticipation.

Young parents: ...

That vibrato effect, is it some kind of big head icon spinning and flying from the top left corner to the bottom right corner?

But seeing the expectant looks on the faces of the mothers and grandmothers...

Forget it, every era has its own aesthetics and preferences. When they get old, maybe the younger generation will even look down on them for drinking milk tea all the time!
Everyone was prepared, and then there was the child's eager expression—

"set off!"

The adults and children left together, and Lu Jing turned on the TV series, but felt an emptiness in her mouth.

But she can't eat anymore! All her old dresses need to be two sizes bigger this year! That makes her seem like she doesn't know how to manage her money!

that……

She glanced at the brand-new induction cooker, then remembered the milk Qiaoqiao had brought earlier that day, and hurried to the kitchen.

"Master Chai, have you used the milk? If not, I'll use it to make some milk tea..."

Milk is protein, and tea won't make you fat. Just add a tiny bit of sugar—really just a tiny bit, about 30% sweetness is enough.

Rounding it off, isn't this just pure tea?

It's great for weight loss!

She was full of anticipation.

However, before Master Chai could speak, Master Zhou turned around and stood in front of the refrigerator:

"The milk is already planned! Tonight, tonight..."

Shut up, tell me! You have to make something tonight! Make something, make something, make something...

"I'm making milk-flavored mini steamed buns tonight."

Master Chai said calmly, "I'm going to start kneading the dough now."

Lu Jing: ...

Milk-flavored mini steamed buns, huh? Aren't they a bit too high in starch? But...

It wouldn't be good for people to never eat starch...

She hesitated and was extremely conflicted, but finally raised her index finger: "Then I'll just brew one cup for myself, and the rest should be enough, right?"

Master Zhou was at his wit's end.

He then remembered Lu Jing's induction cooker and relented, "I'll do it. I know how to make milk tea. I'll use my pot to make it for you..."

Did you understand? You're not allowed to use the induction cooker anymore, understand?
This kind of milk is definitely not something an induction cooker can handle! (End of Chapter)