Druid's Country Retirement

When late autumn comes quietly.

The rolling green mountains began to change colors, and the thousand-leaf trees all over the mountains and plains were dyed in colorful colors.

The late autumn sunshine shines on the earth, reflecting a golden light, making people feel extremely warm and comfortable.

The meadow has benefited from the power of the original source, but it is still as green as a carpet.

The children rode horses and strolled by the Qingshui River. The river was gurgling and crystal clear. The autumn leaves from the mountains and forests fell on the water with the autumn wind, like beautiful petals, drifting away with the stream.

Li Hongbing rode Heifeng to protect the children, reminding the children from time to time not to do dangerous actions.

"Sister, I also want to ride a horse, not a bull!!"

Teacher Zhang sat on the back of a female buffalo, looking forward with envy in her eyes and complaining to the sisters beside her.

"That's it! If you weren't horse-sick, I would have ridden with Yijun!" Teacher Li pinched the sister angrily.

After one lap, Li Hongbing resolutely let the horses return amid the protests of the children.

These little bastards are so capable.

I almost fell off my horse several times.

I am running around like a fire brigade. If one falls, how will I tell my family when I get back?

Return to the barn.

After getting off the horse, Li Hongbing took the children directly to the old house.

Everyone in Caogou Village knows that Li Hongbing's house is well built, but the only people who have been here are Dakui, Laogen, Shuisheng and some close villagers, not to mention the children.

Entering the yard, the children all looked nervous and excited, their little eyes darting around.

Woohoo! !

Dahua takes all the animals in the house to welcome the guests.

The moment the three Wanwan sisters saw the animals, they were all confused.

I thought that was all the animals I saw in the meadow, but I didn’t expect that all the more powerful ones would be placed at home.

In addition to the tigers we have seen, there are actually big bears, owls, big crows, many Timons and a few otter-like animals.

"Everyone, sit down quickly. Here are fruits, fruit and honey water." The mother saw a group of adults and children appearing, and knew why her youngest son had such an expression in the morning.

Shan Xing and her two sisters took out the prepared tea, snacks and fruits to entertain them.

Li Hongbing just wanted to rest now, so he took care of them for a while, his head was confused, and he waved to the children.

"Free time, play in the yard, go to the pond and pay attention, Anna will entertain you."

"Yes!" Anna nodded, showed off her big sister's momentum, and led the children to run around the yard.

The adults sat under the old oak tree to rest and drink bear honey water.

"Village Chief Li, your home is amazing! I have never seen such a beautiful yard."

Hearing the praise from the supporting teacher, Li Hongbing smiled and waved his hand, "It's just average, a little worse than Wanwan."

Big stinker! !

The three teaching girls despised him at the same time.

What's worse than Wanwan? A house like Wanwan can be called a luxury villa, but most people can't afford it.

When she learned that the three girls were from Wanwan, her mother looked distressed and said, "Child, do you rarely eat tea eggs there? Auntie will cook more for you later so you can eat enough. Our family is most in need of eggs."

Tea eggs?

The faces of the three girls changed drastically.

I immediately thought that when I first came here, I ate a bag full of tea eggs, farted all the time, and lost all my face for the rest of my life.

From that day on, I never touched eggs again.

When I heard that I was being invited to eat tea eggs again, I stood up in fright and waved my hands repeatedly.

"Thank you, Auntie, we don't like to eat tea eggs, so we asked you to worry about it."

"This kid, why are you so polite now that you've gone home? Just wait!!" The hospitable mother turned and walked towards the kitchen.

The three girls froze in place, looking at Li Hongbing with a grimace, hoping that he could say something.

Li Hongbing, who is famous for helping others, shouted towards his mother’s back.

"Mom, put more tea leaves, use the orchid Longjing I grew, don't be reluctant to put them in."

"!!!" The three girls were speechless.

Sister Cui, who was chatting with her sister and Shan Xing nearby, couldn't stand it and said, "Okay, stop teasing them."

Li Hongbing laughed and said, "I'm going to cook."

Feeding more than thirty children is a big problem.

It’s too late to cook alone, and the plate will be empty before it’s even served.

After thinking about it, Li Hongbing finally decided to make a traditional stew in rural areas. To put it bluntly, it involves mixing various meats and vegetables into a stew. When eating, he puts a full pot on the fire and heats it while eating. The food won't get cold either.

Pork, mutton, and chicken are all ready-made at home, and there are also ready-made vegetables in the vegetable garden. Sweet potato vermicelli, dried vegetables, dried mushrooms, and dried fungus can be soaked in boiling water.

Li Hongbing put on an apron and started working in the kitchen.

The women were not idle either. The two sisters, Shan Xing and their mother were sitting by the well washing vegetables.

It was the first time they saw well water washing vegetables. The three girls from Wanwan curiously tested the water temperature with their hands. The biting coldness made their fingers withdraw like an electric shock. They looked at their pregnant sister in surprise.

"How can you wash vegetables in such cold water? You are still pregnant!"

"What's the point? Rural people are not that delicate." The eldest sister smiled and washed off the dirt from the radish and put it into the basket.

The second sister also echoed, "That's right, in rural areas, pregnant women used to have to work in the fields. I have seen babies giving birth on the edge of the fields."

too horrible! !

The three girls had shocked expressions on their faces.

It's hard to imagine how this could happen.

"Have the dishes been washed?" Li Hongbing stuck his head out and asked loudly.

Shan Xing replied, "Okay!"

Carrying two buckets full of meat, Li Hongbing walked from the kitchen to the open space between the well and the vegetable garden, and rebuilt the earth stove used for cooking crayfish last time.

Put in the firewood, put the chopped pine oil sticks into the firewood, and light it with a match.

Set up a large iron pot with a diameter of more than one meter.

Put three tablespoons of lard into the pot, and then add a few tablespoons of soybean oil.

There was only half a pot of oil, and the three Wanwan girls looked at it secretly. They had never seen so much oil used for cooking in Wanwan, unless it was fried chicken or something like that.

As the iron pot slowly heats up, the oil gradually melts and blends into one body, exuding a tangy oil aroma.

Li Hongbing stirred it a few times with an iron spoon, then threw in a piece of pork to test the oil temperature.

The pork is put into the oil and tumbles quickly, making a crackling sound.

That's almost it.

Two large barrels of meat are poured into the oil pan in batches and stir-fried. Under the heating of hot oil, the moisture of the raw meat is fried out, making it dry, crispy and crispy.

Pick up the fried meat, put it in a basin to cool down, and continue to fry the meat.

After all the raw meat is fried, turn on the fire on the stove, increase the oil temperature, and throw the meat into the pot again to fry again.

The meat is fried only after heating the oil three times.

"Master, Master, Erhei won't let us go to the backyard!" Tiedan came over and complained angrily.

Li Hongbing took off in a hurry and asked casually, "What are you doing in the backyard if you have nothing to do?"

Tiedan replied confidently, "My aunt said there is a hot spring in the mountain in the backyard. Let us take a bath in the hot spring."      Daddy didn't even enjoy it, you stinky girl, but you can make the decision.

Li Hongbing raised his spoon in anger.

"It's a fucking hot spring. You guys have brought your clothes. Just go out and take a dip. Dinner is about to start. Get out of here."

Oh!

Tiedan turned around in despair and went back to convey what he had said. After walking a few steps, he suddenly turned the corner and ran to the basin of fried meat, grabbed a handful of fried meat and ran away.

You bastard, you are so quick! !

Li Hongbing shook his head and laughed, picked up the sieve to scoop up the residue in the oil, and added firewood to the stove again.

"San'er, our house also has a hot spring, why didn't I know about it?" the second brother-in-law asked while washing vegetables.

"Yes, it's in the Bailong Pond in the backyard. I heard Sun Qiang say it's a silicate hot spring. He also said that there are only four silicate hot springs in the country. Counting ours, it's the fifth silicate hot spring." Li Hongbing replied with a smile.

Having been a doctor for decades, the second sister knew something about hot springs. When her younger brother said this, she immediately cheered up and said, "Well, there are only five in the country, and our family only has one. Is it so powerful? What effect does this hot spring have?" ?”

"Let me think!!"

Li Hongbing turned his head and recalled for a moment, "Sun Qiang said that silicic acid hot springs can soften skin cuticles, delay skin aging, enhance skin elasticity, keep the skin smooth, white, and tender, and have the effect of beautifying and nourishing the skin. What is it called beauty soup?"

"It can also increase the trace elements necessary for the human body, and it also has health-care functions for cardiovascular and bone growth. That seems to be it."

Beauty and beauty! !

You don't need to listen to anything else. As long as you hear the four words "beauty and beauty", all the women at the well will light up.

"San'er, can we have sex?" The eldest sister asked the thoughts of all the women present, including my mother.

"Not now, let's cook first!!" Li Hongbing added at the end, "You can have a drink tonight."

Knowing that they can soak in hot springs, the women's enthusiasm immediately aroused.

Even the three Bayan girls rolled up their sleeves and took the initiative to help wash the dishes despite the cold well water.

Wait for the hot oil in the large iron pot to bubble again.

Li Hongbing took out the coriander, onions, and chives that had been prepared in advance and threw them into the pot, fried them until fragrant, then added Sichuan peppercorns, aniseed, and dried chili peppers to enhance the aroma, and finally added the soul sauce Pixian Doubanjiang.

After the three processes, bursts of aroma wafted out of the big iron pot, filling the entire rice field.

Stewing big vegetables, stewing big vegetables, pay attention to the word stew.

After the oil is fried until fragrant, pour the fried meat into the pot, return it to the pot and add the flavor, then stir-fry the fresh vegetables with the meat, so that the vegetables and meat blend together to release the attractive aroma.

Finally, fill up the water, add seasonings, salt, pepper and some special sauce, cover the pot, let the dish simmer over a slow fire, and leave the rest to time.

Under the blessing of the fire, the steam rises in the pot and the aroma overflows.

While waiting, Li Hongbing searched for the children in the yard.

The entire old house is neither big nor small, covering an area of ​​four or five acres. More than thirty children can be placed in it without being crowded.

In the orchard, Li Hongbing saw a man with five or six children climbing up a pear tree, holding a stick in his hand and poking at the few autumn pears on the branches.

"Be careful when climbing trees. Don't pick the pears on the top of the tree. Don't drop them!"

"I beg you, how tall is this tree?" The man continued pouting with an indifferent expression.

With a bang, an autumn pear fell and hit the child who was picking up the pear under the tree on the forehead.

Nanmen directly smashed out a red envelope. The child who was smashed didn't cry or yell. He rubbed it, picked up the pear, took a big bite, and raised his head and shouted heartlessly.

"Brother Scarlet, these pears are so sweet. Poke one more."

"Okay!"

Li Hongbing shook his head. Children in rural areas are tough, but if they were children in the city, they would be crying.

Go around the orchard.

Niu Wazi and five or six children found their usual fishing net from nowhere, and they just fished across the pond.

The frightened fish fled in all directions in the water.

"Master, do you want to eat fish for lunch today?" Niu Wazi clasped a small grass carp with his fingers and ran over.

The grass carp weighing only one pound has a head that begs to be eaten.

Li Hongbing's eyes widened, he raised his hand and threatened, "If you don't want to be slapped, please put the fish back for me."

Oh!

Niu Wazi looked disappointed, having finally caught the fish.

Reluctantly, I carried the fish and put it into the pond. I guess it had been out of the water for too long, and the little grass carp had turned up its white belly.

Li Hongbing grabbed the net and pointed towards the orchard.

"You have nothing to do, right? You go to the orchard to pull weeds and feed the fish. If you don't pull them clean, you won't be allowed to eat."

what! !

The children by the pond were dumbfounded. The man came out of the orchard gnawing pears, gloating over the misfortune.

"Don't laugh either. The pears are delicious. Go and pull weeds for me." Li Hongbing was exposed to both rain and dew, and the maniac could not escape.

Hey!

This time Niu Wazi and the others felt balanced, and happily went into the orchard to pull weeds.

After taking care of these two groups of children, Li Hongbing suddenly felt that it would be a good idea to find something for them to do, so as to avoid running around like rats.

Study! How can you study without working!

The more I thought about it, the more I realized it was a good idea. I broke off a thin branch from the fruit tree and searched for people to work in the yard.

Those who were hiding in the office watching movies were kicked out by their children and went to loosen the soil and weed the vegetable fields.

Children hiding cats in the backyard were caught and driven to drains to fish for dead leaves.

The yard suddenly became much quieter.

In the vegetable gardens, water canals, and orchards, children worked dejectedly with farm tools.

Li Hongbing returned to the well proudly and looked at Sister Cui, "When will the next study be held? If you come to my house for study, I will welcome you with both hands!"

"You welcome students to work for free!" Sister Cui saw through Li Hongbing's little thoughts at a glance.

"What's free? I'm in charge of food and drink, but don't accuse good people wrongly!" Li Hongbing felt guilty and pretended to check the stew in the pot and lifted the lid.

A cloud of steam rose into the sky, enveloping and spreading the fragrant aroma.

Gurgling! !

At this time, the soup in the pot was less than half full, and the spices and ingredients were perfectly blended together. Li Hongbing picked up the iron spoon to scoop up a little soup and tasted the saltiness.

"Myolie, do you want to try it?"

"You are the chef, I won't taste it!" Shan Xing glared at his man in shame, there are so many people here!

Li Hongbing chuckled and nodded, "You can add mushrooms, dried vegetables, and vermicelli!"

In the stew, meat and vegetables play supporting roles, and the protagonists are wild dried mushrooms from the meadow, dried yellow cabbage picked in the forest, and vermicelli made from sweet potatoes.

These three items are full of soup and taste so fragrant that you won’t even need to replace the meat.

Add firewood to the stove.

By the time the stew is ready, the children have finished their farm work.

After weeding, the fruit groves and vegetable gardens became neat and orderly; the vegetable plots and fruit trees that were originally occupied by weeds are now clearly visible, and various vegetables are neatly arranged, as if to show their vitality.

Li Hongbing was very satisfied with the results of the children's work. He had to do these tasks himself, and he would definitely not be able to finish them if he procrastinated for more than a month.

Then it’s bonus time.

He lifted the lid of the pot, threw it into the open space behind him, and scooped up the stew slowly with an iron spoon.

"Dinner!!!"

(End of this chapter)