My 1995 Small Farm.

"Fugui, what are you looking at?"

The lynx strolled over from the village, carrying Dundun in its arms.

Seeing so many people on the earthen slope, I walked over out of curiosity.

Chen Ling: "A bee-eater is a bird that digs burrows underground."

The lynx rushed over to look: "Wow, a bee-eater! This bird is beautiful, it only eats bees, what's it doing here?"

As a professional who has been accompanying Professor Han on scientific expeditions for many years, he certainly understands the bird's habits better than Chen Ling.

This bird is rarely seen north of the Yangtze River.

It was available in the old days, but is rare now.

"I don't know either. It's probably because the winters have been warmer these past two years. Professor Han also mentioned that the local climate here changes drastically," Chen Ling offered a brief suggestion.

The lynx nodded: "That should be it."

Then, for some reason, he suddenly burst out laughing: "Fugui, catch a whole nest of these birds and put them in your greenhouse, they can catch bugs for you."

Bee-eaters eat not only bees but also insects.

Otherwise, how could one possibly survive by eating only bees?

After all, there are times when you can't catch a bee.

“No way. Even if this bird can burrow in my greenhouse, I can’t keep it.”

Chen Ling quickly shook his head.

Hummingbirds are really ruthless; you absolutely can't raise them in greenhouses.

Like ants, they eat any insect they see, whether it's a pest or a beneficial insect.

Then your ladybugs and other cute little creatures will suffer.

"Haha, you still value your hydroponic vegetables more than anything else, huh?" Lynx naturally knew what Chen Ling was researching.

It was just a joke.

"Wait a minute, what the heck? These bee-eaters are actually raising their chicks here."

"It's almost December, and they're already breeding here. Are you kidding me?!"

Suddenly, the lynx saw what was happening inside the small burrow and was completely stunned.

Bee-eaters are raising their young here.

Although the chicks have hatched, it's not the right season.

"Wow, Fugui, this place is amazing! You can find all sorts of strange and wonderful things here."

"I saw a finless porpoise a few days ago, and a bee-eater today. Who knows what will appear in a few days? I hope that the yellow catfish will not appear again this winter."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ling quickly waved his hand to interrupt, "You wouldn't dare to talk nonsense..."

Rui Rui squatted on the ground counting holes. After counting for a while, he turned around and shouted, "Dad! I counted thirty-seven holes!"

The brat can already count.

With the guidance of Chen Ling and his wife, and with Wang Zhenzhen teaching him, the chubby boy would also lead him in counting.

They can even count up to two hundred or more.

“Thirty-seven? More than that, look up there.” Chen Ling pointed to the top of the earthen slope.

The earthen slope is not a single layer; there is a cliff on top, and the cliff face is riddled with holes.

Rui Rui looked up, her mouth agape: "Wow, there are so many more up there!"

"Good heavens, there are at least a hundred holes, like the Swallow Caves."

The lynx was also taken aback: "This group of bee-eaters is quite large."

Just then, a bee-eater emerged from the hole, carrying something in its mouth—not an insect, but a dried pine needle.

It flew to the top of the earthen slope and put the pine needles into another hole.

"Uncle Fugui, what are they doing?" Liu Nier and the others couldn't understand.

Chen Ling: "Make a nest, use pine needles as a lining, it's softer than using leaves or the like."

As soon as he finished speaking, a bee-eater flew out of the cave entrance, then swooped down, precisely snatched a passing bee, and flew back to the cave entrance.

On sunny days, when the sun is out and it's warm, you can see bees even in winter.

But clearly, with the bee-eaters around, their timing was off.

This is definitely their natural enemy.

"As for the bees nearby..."

"Holy crap, could that be my bee?"

Chen Ling suddenly remembered that no one in the village kept bees; he was the one who had been keeping them for the past two years.

Other families are simple and straightforward; if they want honey, they go to the mountains to find it themselves. They find so much every year that they can't finish it all in half a year.

Just like Wang Wenchao, who lit a fire in the mountains to find honey back then.

"Damn, it's true! I was wondering whose bees are so active in winter..."

Bee-eaters eat bees; won't his several beehives in the greenhouse suffer?
But then I thought, the greenhouse is covered with plastic film, so the bee-eaters can't get in, and it should be fine.

Moreover, those bees were no pushovers.

Those that come out of the cave are extremely aggressive. If the bee-tiger dares to go there, it will probably come out badly.

In other words, if you're alone, you're likely to be caught and eaten.

When they form a group, they're not easy to bully.

"Uncle Fugui, we got a lot of hawthorns today. Since you didn't go to the mountains today, here's some for you to make hawthorn cakes for Rui Rui and the others."

At this moment, Wang Wenchao and his group came down from Nanshan Mountain.

One by one, they carried their mountain goods and lined up to come down.

"Uncle Fugui, there are so many hawthorns this year, the trees are almost bent over! I've been there so many times, and I still can't pick them all!"

"The birds don't eat much on the basement floor, and we can't collect all the hawthorns. I think instead of selling them to the cannery, we can make hawthorn cakes ourselves..."

Wang Wenchao put the bag on the ground, opened it, and inside were plump, bright red hawthorns that looked very appealing.

Chen Ling grabbed a handful and looked at them: "Yes, these hawthorns have been bearing a lot of fruit in the last two years, perfect for making hawthorn cakes."

“We picked over 200 jin (100 kg), and even after dividing it among the families, there’s still some left over. Here, take this,” Wang Wenchao said.

Chen Ling didn't stand on ceremony and took the hawthorns home with the lynx.

Kids love hawthorn cake.

I hadn't cleaned the buckwheat at home yet, and since buckwheat flour can be used to make steamed rice cakes, I decided to make them together.

Back at the farm.

Li Lianjie looked at the bright red hawthorns: "I heard Rui Rui and the others shouting, what are we making? Hawthorn cake?"

"Yes, and also steamed rice cake."

"Kang Kang Lele, come here quickly! Daddy's going to make hawthorn cake! Don't run away!"

Kang Kang and Lele didn't know what hawthorn cake was, but when they saw their older brother calling them, they followed along with their short legs, waddling like two little ducks.

Back in the courtyard, Chen Ling poured the hawthorns into a large basin, added half a basin of water, and called to Rui Rui, "Come and help me wash the hawthorns."

Rui Rui rolled up her sleeves, reached her little hands into the basin, grabbed the hawthorns and rubbed them around, splashing water all over her face.

Xiao Ming joined in the washing, and the two boys took turns scrubbing each other, having a great time.

Kang Kang squatted by the basin for a while, then reached out to grab it, but Wang Susu scooped him up and said, "Why are you getting involved? Go play somewhere else."

Lele didn't reach out; she just squatted there watching, but her mouth was already drooling. If Wang Susu hadn't been watching her closely, the chubby girl would have already reached out.

Li Lianjie moved a small stool and sat down next to him, watching with great interest: "Brother, you're quite the expert at making snacks too."

"People from the countryside have to know a little bit of everything."

Chen Ling took the washed hawthorns out of the water, drained them, then poured them into the pot, added water, covered the pot, and brought it to a boil over high heat.

Soon, the pot was bubbling and the air was filled with a sweet and sour aroma.

Rui Rui sniffed hard: "It smells so good!"

"What's so fragrant about it? There's no sugar yet, it's very sour right now."

Chen Ling lifted the lid of the pot and stirred it with a spoon. The hawthorns had already softened and the skins had cracked open, with the pulp and broth mixed together, looking bright red. He took a fine sieve and scooped the cooked hawthorns, along with the broth and pulp, into the sieve one spoonful at a time, pressing down with the back of the spoon to let the pulp fall through, leaving the skins and pits in the sieve.

"Dad, can we eat it yet? I can smell the sweet and sour aroma, I really want to eat it."

"What's the rush? You can't rush when you're making food, and you can't be lazy. Food made by being lazy doesn't taste good. You have to be patient."

As Chen Ling spoke, his hands continued moving.

After cooking a pot of hawthorns, I sifted out a large basin of fruit puree, which was bright red and very smooth.

Chen Ling poured the fruit puree back into the pot and started adding sugar.

White sugar and rock sugar, half and half.

You can't skimp on the sugar when making this; otherwise, it won't solidify and won't taste good.

He added the ingredients while stirring, constantly circling the pot with the spoon.

The fruit puree bubbled and simmered in the pot, its color deepening from bright red to deep red, and its consistency increasing.

Rui Rui squatted by the stove, her eyes fixed on the pot, muttering, "Is it ready yet? Is it ready yet?"

"What's the rush? We have to cook it until it's sticky and clings to the spoon."

Chen Ling scooped up a spoonful of fruit puree and poured it down. The puree didn't flow down, but fell down in one piece like a piece of cloth, catching on the edge of the spoon before falling.

"See? This is called 'hanging spoon,' and it's about right when it reaches this point."

He poured the cooked fruit puree into an oiled square pan, smoothed it with a scraper until the surface was as smooth as a mirror.

"Let it cool completely, it will solidify, then you can cut it into pieces."

Rui Rui squatted next to the square plate, staring at it longingly, wishing he could reach out and pry off a piece right now.

Li Lianjie also came over to take a look: "Is this done? It looks just like the ones sold in stores."

"That's not enough yet. There's one last step: let it cool and solidify."

Chen Ling laughed and said, "Now we're going to make steamed rice cakes. They're all rice cakes, so we can make them together since they're different."

The rice cake is made with buckwheat flour.

Chen Ling took out this year's buckwheat, poured it into the stone mill, and began grinding.

The stone mill is an old object; it's always been kept in his backyard. He doesn't use it usually, only bringing it out occasionally to grind something.

Li Lianjie found it fascinating and stepped forward, saying, "I'll push it, you teach me."

“Okay, you grind the grain, and I'll add the grain.”

Li Lianjie gripped the millstone and pushed hard, the millstone making a creaking sound. Buckwheat grains leaked through the mill hole, and gray powder slowly emerged from the gaps in the millstone.

"This job looks simple, but it's actually quite difficult to push."

After pushing the wheel a few times, Li Lianjie's forehead was covered in sweat.

“This is nothing. In the past, grinding grain in the countryside would take all morning.”

Chen Ling smiled as he added buckwheat to the millstone.

After grinding for half an hour, the buckwheat flour was ready. It wasn't very fine and still had a slightly grainy texture.

"Ba Gao (a type of rice cake) must be made with coarse flour; if it's too fine, it won't have any chewiness."

Chen Ling poured the noodles into a bowl, added a spoonful of salt, and then poured water into a pot and brought it to a boil.

Once the water boiled, he held chopsticks in one hand and sprinkled flour into the pot with the other, stirring as he did so, his movements quick and steady.

The dough became thicker and thicker as it was stirred, eventually forming a clump that turned grayish in color and emitted the unique aroma of buckwheat.

"okay."

Chen Ling poured the mixed dough into a bowl, flattened it with a scraper, and then put the whole bowl into a basin of cold water to cool it down.

"The rice cake needs to be cooled down. Once it's completely cooled, slice it, pour on the seasoning, and it's ready to eat."

Rui Rui squatted down beside him, looking at the hawthorn puree in the square plate, then at the rice cake in the bowl, and swallowed hard: "Daddy, how much longer do we have to wait?"

"Look, you're in such a hurry. Haste makes waste. Just wait."

Li Lianjie was patient; he moved a small stool over and sat down next to Chen Ling to chat.

"Brother, I heard that hawthorn cake and steamed rice cake used to be eaten in the palace, right?"

"Forget it, the food in the palace is much more refined than this. This is what ordinary people eat."

Chen Ling shook his head: "But then again, the food that ordinary people eat is the most practical, delicious and inexpensive, and easy to make."

“That’s true.” Li Lianjie nodded. “During my years in Hong Kong, I ate all sorts of delicacies, but in the end, what I missed most were the things I ate in my hometown when I was a child.”

"That's how people are; no matter how far they go, they can't forget the taste of their childhood."

The two chatted for half an hour.

Chen Ling stood up, walked to the square plate, and pressed the surface of the hawthorn cake with his finger. It was very elastic and not sticky.

"Alright, you can cut it now."

He inverted the square plate onto the cutting board, and a whole hawthorn cake came out of the mold. It was bright red, crystal clear, and as smooth as a ruby.

"Wow!" Rui Rui's eyes widened in surprise.

Xiao Ming opened his mouth wide, unable to utter a word.

Li Lianjie also came over and examined it carefully: "With this quality, if you took it to a store, people would be fighting over it even for a dollar."

Chen Ling dipped the knife in water and began to cut.

As the knife fell, the hawthorn cake split open with a sound, revealing a smooth surface and even color that made one's mouth water.

He cut a small piece and handed it to Rui Rui: "Try it."

Rui Rui took it, took a bite, and her eyes lit up immediately: "So sweet! And a little sour! Delicious!"

Xiao Ming also grabbed a piece, stuffed it into his mouth, and puffed out his cheeks like a hamster: "Delicious, delicious!"

Kang Kang and Lele protested, stretching out their hands and shouting, "I want it! I want it!"

Chen Ling cut a small piece for each of the two children, and they grabbed it and stuffed it into their mouths, their faces turning bright red, like little kittens.

Li Lianjie also took a piece, took a bite, and savored it carefully: "Hmm, it's sweet and sour, with a delicate texture, much better than what you buy outside. What secret recipe did you add?"

"There's no secret recipe, it's just that the hawthorns are good, the sugar ratio is right, and the cooking time is just right." Chen Ling ate a piece himself and nodded in satisfaction. "Alright, the rice cake should be ready by now."

He took the bowl out of the cold water, ran a knife around the rim of the bowl, and then slammed it down, dropping the entire piece of rice cake onto the cutting board.

The rice cake is grayish-brown, with a smooth surface, and is shaped like a small round bread.

Chen Ling dipped his knife in water and began slicing, one slice after another, each slice being of uniform thickness, about one centimeter thick.

He arranged the sliced ​​rice cake on a plate and began to prepare the sauce.

Mix minced garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, chili oil, and a spoonful of sesame paste, pour the mixture over the rice cake, and finally sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

"Here, have a taste."

Li Lianjie picked up a piece, dipped it in the sauce, put it in his mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and his eyes lit up again.

"The texture is both smooth and chewy, with a strong buckwheat aroma. Paired with this garlic and vinegar sauce, it's absolutely amazing!"

Rui Rui and Xiao Ming each took a slice, and the two boys ate with slurping sounds.

"Dad, this rice cake is even tastier than hawthorn cake!" Rui Rui exclaimed.

"Each has its own flavor, and they are all good things."

Chen Ling ate two pieces himself and wiped his mouth with satisfaction.

Gao Xiulan came out of the kitchen and saw the hawthorn cake and steamed rice cake on the table. She smiled and said, "Oh, these two are delicious. Only landlords used to be able to eat them."

"Mother, you should try some too." Chen Ling handed over a piece of rice cake.

Gao Xiulan took it, took a bite, and nodded: "Mmm, it tastes just right. Your grandma used to make this, but I never had the inclination to."

This refers to Wang Susu's maternal grandmother.

Wang Cunye also returned from outside. As soon as he entered the yard, he smelled the aroma: "What are you making? It smells so good."

"Grandpa, hawthorn cake, have a taste." Rui Rui ran over with a plate of hawthorn cake.

Wang Cunye ate a piece of hawthorn cake, then a piece of steamed rice cake, and nodded with satisfaction: "Good, this is good. When your grandma was alive, she loved to make this in the summer."

The family sat around the table, eating and drinking, the courtyard bustling with activity. (End of Chapter)