The Little Life of a Big Landlord

Chapter 96 Project

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(Regarding the fact that wolves don't have sweat glands on their fur and sweat through their tongues, I'd like to clarify something here. Initially, this was somewhat ill-considered and wasn't clearly stated in the novel. It's important to understand that wolves go into heat because they've taken aphrodisiacs. If they sweat during this process, it's abnormal sweating, different from sweating through their tongues. Sweating through the tongue is a natural bodily function, but sweating through pores is forced out by drugs and cannot be considered natural sweating. You could also think of it this way: drugs that take effect in three minutes are very potent and don't affect the wolf's bodily functions. They allow sweat to be excreted through any available space without harming the wolf's body.)

Inside the greenhouse, the fruit trees have grown to a meter tall, looking quite lush and tender, yet they are also very robust. They possess both the delicacy of greenhouse flowers and the strength of superior varieties, which seems quite contradictory.

The melon vines and grapevines have grown quite impressively, creating a lush green expanse under the fruit trees. Tender melons of varying sizes are hidden under the leaves, promising a bountiful harvest. Various vegetables are growing luxuriantly: cucumber trellises, bean trellises, radishes, chives, scallions, and tomatoes and red peppers like red lanterns, arranged in neat rows, looking just like the formations in a National Day parade.

A steaming ditch flows along the edge of the greenhouse, filling it with a misty vapor that helps to keep the greenhouse warm and moist.

"This is mine..." came the arrogant voice.

"What do you mean 'your'? This greenhouse belongs to our family..." Yang Ming's voice came from behind.

"I noticed it first..."

"So what you found is yours?"

"Have you no shame? Stealing from someone else!"

"Who's shameless enough to steal melons from our melon patch!"

Following the sound, everyone found two people squatting in front of a melon vine, fighting over a large, yellowish-white melon.

"How old are you two? Fighting over a melon?" Sun Fangfang's face darkened. "Yang Ming, let go of it! How can you, as the older brother, have such a shameless attitude?"

"Shouldn't the older brother let go? Haven't you learned from Kong Rong sharing pears?" Wei Qingqing retorted.

"Of course we learned about Kong Rong sharing pears. But Kong Rong was just pretending to be generous because he couldn't eat big ones. This is only one melon, and it's not even enough for the two of us to share..." Sun Fangfang rolled her eyes.

"We want to share it too, there are five of us..." Wei Qingqing refused to back down.

"How selfish! Didn't you think of anyone else?" Zhang Yingning walked over and snatched the large melon from their hands. "Anyway, this melon is big enough, let's share it..."

Holding the large melon, Zhang Yingning was secretly surprised. This melon must weigh at least 2 pounds, like a small watermelon. With a gentle squeeze, a fragrance wafted out, and if you listened carefully, you could even hear the flesh making a sizzling sound.

"Hmph, I'll find another one..." Zhang Yang snorted twice and disappeared into the depths of the melon patch.

"I'll go look for it too..." Yang Ming also went into the melon patch.

The two brothers went to find melons, while Liu Nannan led everyone to look after the vegetables in the greenhouse. Xue Hua, Zhang Yingning, and Aunt Pang would occasionally pluck a handful of vegetables from various plants to cook for lunch. Zheng Dabao wandered around, thinking that growing vegetables in greenhouses was a good way to get rich. Wei Qingqing, Sun Fangfang, and Aunt Liu stood at the edge of the field talking.

Perhaps Zhang Yang had some luck with picking them, just like when he stumbled upon wild ginseng. He soon emerged beaming, carrying a melon even bigger than the one he'd just found, showing it off to Sun Fangfang and the others: "How about it? We found another one, right?"

"This is ours..." Wei Qingqing unceremoniously snatched the big melon from Zhang Yang's arms.

"What do you mean 'your family'? This was clearly picked by my husband..." Sun Fangfang was naturally not having it, and she rolled up her sleeves to snatch it back from Wei Qingqing's hands.

"Even if we pick them, they're ours..." Wei Qingqing said, grabbing the melon and running away.

Sun Fangfang naturally couldn't let herself suffer such a loss, so she quickly chased after them, and the two sisters started laughing and joking together.

"What's all this noise about? If you keep making a fuss, get out of here... Look what you've done to the vegetable garden! Qingqing, you've crushed that little wolf cub to death..." Xue Hua's scolding voice rang out. It turned out that the two sisters had gotten carried away and run into the vegetable garden, trampling on many of the vegetables, which made Xue Hua feel a pang of heartache.

The two sisters stuck out their tongues and quietly slipped away.

At 11 a.m., everyone was walking home, chatting and laughing, carrying vegetables and fruits. There was a bundle of chives, weighing about half a pound, two crisp green radishes, and a lot of cucumbers, green beans, tomatoes, and peppers. There were also three large melons weighing two or three pounds each. In one hand, Wei Qingqing was also carrying a wolf cub whose eyes had not yet opened.

Back home, Yang Ming filled a large basin with water and started by washing the melon. The melon hadn't been sprayed with pesticides, so he just needed to wash off the dirt on its surface.

Three large melons were cut into crescent shapes and placed on a large plate for everyone to share.

The soft flesh was sweet and delicious, even sweeter than honey, and had a unique melon aroma. Yang Ming could tell from the first bite that this melon was even more delicious than the melons produced in his own farm space.

He glanced at Wei Qingqing and found that she was also looking at him. Obviously, Wei Qingqing didn't quite understand why the melons grown outside tasted better than those produced in the farm space. After all, the farm space was the most suitable place for crops to grow.

Yang Ming gave Wei Qingqing a wink, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the room. It was a clear signal that they would talk when no one was around. Wei Qingqing understood immediately and began eating her melon in silence.

"Your melons are so sweet..." Auntie Pang said, her face covered in melon seeds as she ate.

"I wonder what Lao Wei and Lao Xia went off to..." Xue Hua said.

"Who cares about them? They're off traveling all over the world. If they can't keep up with the gossip, they deserve it..." Zhang Yingning said.

"Hehe, those two are out of luck. When I first arrived, I saw them going into the mountains with Brother Huang and Brother Liu to catch birds. They won't be back until it's dark..." Zheng Dabao said, munching on a melon.

"I knew it right away, our old Wei is really interested in catching birds and fish," Xue Hua said irritably.

"Hey, our Lao Xia is the same, just like everyone else..." Zhang Yingning was also a little annoyed. If you go into the mountains to catch birds, you should at least tell everyone. You just slipped away without a word. Don't you know your family will be worried?

"People their age are just starting to get interested in this stuff." Sun Fangfang was the most greedy; she was holding a melon in each hand, taking a bite from the one in her left hand, then a bite from the one in her right...

"There are still some melons in the field. We'll pick them for my dad and Uncle Xia when they get back..." Wei Qingqing said.

After finishing their melon, the group of women started cooking. Yang Ming was in charge of tending the fire, while Zhang Yang and Zheng Dabao went to the construction site to watch the construction workers work.

Pick out the chives, wash them clean, cut them into half-inch sections, mix them with the eggs, sprinkle with salt, stir-fry them in a hot pan, and you have a plate of fragrant chive and egg stir-fry.

Shred a large radish, arrange it on a plate, and sprinkle with vinegar and sugar to make a sweet radish salad.

After washing the cucumbers, select seven or eight thick, robust ones, smash them on the cutting board with the flat side of a knife, then chop them horizontally a few times. After arranging them on a plate, sprinkle them with sesame paste, salt, vinegar, and a few cloves of crushed garlic... This is the legendary smashed cucumber...

Cut the remaining cucumber into slices, add eggs and black fungus, stir-fry them together in a pan. The black, yellow, and green colors create another delicious and visually appealing country-style dish.

Green beans can be stir-fried or used in soups. Cut long green beans into short sections about an inch long, add some finely shredded tender pork, stir-fry them in a pan, and you have another delicious country-style dish...

The tender pork was diced and stir-fried in a pot with white sugar until it caramelized. Then water and seasonings were added and simmered over low heat for a while. Xue Hua and Zhang Yingning both loved spicy food, so they also added two large red chili peppers. When it was almost cooked, green beans and glass noodles were added to the pot and simmered over low heat for a while longer...

Tomatoes can be eaten raw or cooked. First, cut the tomatoes into chunks, then put them on a plate and sprinkle a layer of white sugar on top... This is the legendary cold tomato salad, a very famous farm dish.

The bright red tomatoes were first scalded with hot water to remove their skins, then cut into chunks and stir-fried with eggs. The tangy aroma made people's mouths water... Stir-fried tomatoes and eggs is a simple dish, but it's so delicious that people never get tired of it. Especially Aunt Liu, who isn't usually this greedy, was drooling over the stir-fried tomatoes and eggs today, making everyone watching laugh.

At 11:30, Xiao Bao'er and Teacher Zhang Hong returned. Xiao Bao'er was delighted to see the table full of delicious food, especially a plate of stir-fried eggs with wood ear mushrooms... Hmm! Although some cucumber slices were added, the little guy still loved it... The little guy was asked by his mother to help with some small tasks, such as peeling a scallion and a clove of garlic, which he was capable of doing.

Looking at the table full of delicious food, Teacher Zhang Hong frowned, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes. Then she rolled up her sleeves, washed her hands, and began to help with the cooking.

At exactly 12 o'clock, everything was ready, and it was finally time to eat...

When it was time to eat, the construction site also started serving meals. Because the construction period was relatively long, a cook was specially assigned to help with the cooking. Zheng Dabao and Yang Ming, however, brought Huang, the foreman, back with Yang Ming, Aunt Pang's husband, and the five men sitting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) drinking some wine.

A group of women huddled on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), drinking beverages and fresh milk, eating their own food, and talking quietly.

"Brother Huang, how long will it take you to finish building Zhang Yang's house?" Zheng Dabao filled Huang the foreman's glass with baijiu.

The task of pouring the wine was originally supposed to be done by Yang Ming and Zhang Yang, but Zheng Dabao wouldn't allow it; he had something to say to Foreman Huang.

"About... a month. They're building a two-story house, which takes longer than a regular bungalow." Foreman Huang covered his wine glass with his hand. "Not too much, I have to go to the construction site this afternoon to keep an eye on things..."

"Hey Brother Huang, could you speed up the construction process a bit? Try to get them moving in by the end of this year?" Zheng Dabao said, clinking glasses with Foreman Huang.

"That's no problem, but the wages will be higher. I'll need to hire more workers, otherwise I can't guarantee the quality," Foreman Huang said.

"Just from what you said, it shows you're a very particular person..." Zheng Dabao gave a thumbs up. "Our village is planning to develop agritourism, and some areas need to be secured for safety. At the very least, we need to ensure the safety of tourists. This is a big deal, and I'm thinking of asking you to help with the tidying up."

"Oh?" Foreman Huang raised an eyebrow. "What kind of result do you want?"

"It's not about making it look any different. Our village is meant to maintain its original style, but some garbage needs to be recycled, otherwise the village will stink. We also need to put up guardrails on some of the steepest mountain walls..." Zheng Dabao said.

"This project isn't too big, is it?" Foreman Huang said with some disappointment.

"This project isn't that big, is it? You didn't understand? This garbage recycling, besides the designated recycling points for things like plastics, the rest, like human and livestock excrement, our village plans to build a large biogas digester to utilize. And, as more tourists come in the future, there will definitely be more of this kind of garbage, so this biogas digester will either be bigger, or we'll build several... As for the mountain walls, do you know what the mountains here are like? Have you seen my straw hat mountain? Most of the mountains here are like that, with relatively steep walls. Mountains like Huagu Mountain are even more difficult to climb. Nowadays, people are very interested in mountain climbing, so guardrails will definitely be needed," Yang Ming said.

In rural areas, villagers usually pile up their excrement to ferment near their homes. Once fermented, they spread it on the ground as fertilizer. As a result, in the summer, the place becomes incredibly smelly and swarming with flies. If you're going to develop agritourism, this is something that definitely needs to be cleaned up. Plus, with the planned donkey cart project, the animals will be defecating and urinating anytime, anywhere, which is also something to consider.

"That's not all. See that river in the village? There's only a wooden bridge, and cars can't cross it often. My brother said he'll fund the construction of a big bridge for the village, making it easier for everyone to cross," Zhang Yang said.

"Really? We need to build a bridge too?" Foreman Huang immediately became interested.

"Hmm!" Yang Ming took a sip of baijiu and felt a tingling sensation on the tip of his tongue.

"Sure... give it to us, we guarantee it won't be a shoddy project..." Foreman Huang said excitedly.

"Why should we pay for the bridge construction in the village?" Wei Qingqing felt like she was being taken advantage of and couldn't help but interject.

"That's right, the village should raise the funds to build the bridge..." Aunt Liu said, picking up a piece of red tomato and eating it with relish.

Xue Hua and Zhang Yingning were also somewhat dissatisfied. How could they trap someone in this village? A bridge that can accommodate cars, if not a stone bridge, should at least be made of reinforced concrete, which would cost a lot.

"This... was at Zhang Yang's request. He insisted that we build a bridge to connect our two families," Yang Ming said.

"So it was Zhang Yang's scheme? Don't you know that distance makes the heart grow fonder? We don't miss you at all, so there's no need to build this bridge. If you want it built, you can pay for it yourselves..." Wei Qingqing glared fiercely at Zhang Yang.

"Are you still my good buddy? You've got a husband, so you've abandoned your good buddy? Even if you don't acknowledge us as your good buddy anymore, we're still your sister-in-law!" Sun Fangfang said, pinching Wei Qingqing's elbow hard.

"Ouch..." Wei Qingqing cried out in pain, "Sun Fangfang, I'll fight you to the death..."

These two sisters are about to start fighting again while they're eating...

"Alright, alright, you two, eat your food properly..." Xue Hua glared at the two sisters. "Given Fangfang and Yang Ming's relationship, it's not unreasonable for Yang Ming to pay for this bridge. After all, they're practically siblings..."

Xue Hua still remembers that Zhang Shufang's gift to her goddaughter was worth over 100,000 yuan. Considering this relationship, it's not a big deal for Yang Ming to build a bridge.

"That's right... I didn't call you 'brother' for nothing!" Sun Fangfang said proudly.

"So, did you call her sister-in-law?" Wei Qingqing asked.

"You want to hear it?" Sun Fangfang said smugly. "It's okay, you can hear as many lines as you want. After dinner, I'll call you until you get tired of it..."

"Hmph..." Wei Qingqing hummed twice and then fell silent.

"How's it going? How's the bridge going?" Foreman Huang asked somewhat nervously.

He wasn't familiar with these people and didn't know their specific relationships. After listening for a long time, he still couldn't understand what they were saying.

"Okay... I'll take care of it, Uncle Huang..." Yang Ming nodded.

"No problem, just watch..." Foreman Huang became excited. As long as he takes on the bridge project, the profit he earns will be at least three to four times the investment.

"What about what I told you about?" Zheng Dabao asked anxiously. He seemed to have been talking about building biogas digesters and cliff railings in the village.

"Of course I'll take it. If I didn't take on such a big project, I'd have to be crazy," Foreman Huang said hastily.

He could make half his fortune just by building large biogas digesters, so why doesn't he take the job?

"Okay... I wish us a pleasant cooperation..." Zheng Dabao raised his wine glass.

"It's a pleasure working with you..." Foreman Huang also raised his glass.

Yang Ming, Zhang Yang, and Aunt Pang's husband also raised their glasses and joined in.

"Me too, me too, it's a pleasure to work with you..." Xiao Bao'er, holding a glass of fresh milk, also joined in.

"Hahahahaha..." Everyone was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"You silly boy, the adults are talking about serious matters, don't disturb them..." Aunt Liu scolded with a stern face.

"I don't want to play with Mommy anymore..." Little Bao pouted and snuggled into Yang Ming's arms, settling down peacefully in his embrace. "I want to play with Daddy..."

"You brat, I'll get you a belt when we get home..." Aunt Liu glared at her daughter and said.

Little Bao'er has been quite mischievous lately, but he stuck out his tongue at his mother and made a funny face.

Everyone enjoyed a lively meal together.

After the food and drinks, it's time for the main course.

Wei Qingqing, Sun Fangfang, and Liu Nannan went to the outer room and brought in fluffy white steamed buns. They grabbed a few and put them on the plate on the table, while putting the rest on the cabinet below. They also served each person a large bowl of simmering, reddish-brown pork stew with vermicelli.

After everyone finished eating, the men wiped their mouths and sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) chatting idly, while the women cleaned up the table, brewed a pot of fragrant tea, and then sat at the end of the kang to talk.

After listening for a while, Liu Nannan went to the greenhouse, while Zhang Hong and Xiao Bao'er went to the primary school together.

"If you're talking about building bridges and paving roads, that's no problem for me. If you're talking about building a biogas digester, that's also no problem. But if you're talking about building safety railings on a mountainside, that's a complete novice for me. There's a lot of knowledge involved in that, and most people can't do it. But our team's foreman knows a thing or two. Our team's foreman is a top student from Peking University, a 95 graduate, majoring in civil engineering. He's the most capable person on our team. Usually, if we have any problems that we can't handle, we go to him..." Although Foreman Huang had controlled his alcohol intake, he was still a bit drunk and spoke quite loudly.

"The class of '95? That's pretty prestigious..." Yang Ming said.

"Of course, back then college graduates were highly sought after! As soon as they graduated, many large companies were eager to hire them. Unlike now, where even graduate students can't necessarily find a job," said Foreman Huang.

"Speaking of college students, there are quite a few in our village! Yang Ming and Qingqing are, Zhang Yang and Fangfang are, and Wang Duo is too, that makes five. That's quite a proportion of our villagers... This is a sign that our village is about to develop," Zheng Dabao said with great enthusiasm.

Although Yang Ming, Wei Qingqing, Zhang Yang, and Sun Fangfang are not registered residents of the village, they are now considered villagers.

"If you ask me, let's not stay here any longer. Let's go and do some on-site inspections to see which areas need construction," Zhang Yang said.

"That's right, we should take a walk around..." Zheng Dabao's eyes lit up.

"Practice makes perfect; all our eloquent talk here is useless," Yang Ming said.

Aunt Pang's husband and Aunt Pang were two completely different kinds of people. He was a man who didn't like to talk, was a quiet type, and followed the crowd.

So the five of them got off the kang (heated brick bed), put on their shoes, and went outside to conduct a field investigation, while also taking a stroll to digest their food.

"Qingqing, have you fed the wolf cubs? Don't let them starve to death," Xue Hua reminded her.

"Oh! Let me see..." Wei Qingqing said, climbing onto the kang (a heated brick bed), taking out a shoebox, opening the lid, and inside was a little wolf cub that was whimpering.

It turned out that when Wei Qingqing came back, she casually stuffed the wolf cub into a shoebox and put it on the kang (heated brick bed) in the east room.

"I heard that wolf cubs and puppy cubs need to nurse frequently in the first few days after they are born," Sun Fangfang said.

"Isn't it obvious that we're drinking milk? We don't have much else, but we have plenty of milk..." Wei Qingqing shuffled out in her slippers and took a carton of milk from the west room.

Wei Qingqing returned to the east room, took off her shoes, climbed onto the kang (a heated brick bed), and sat cross-legged on the kang.

I pried the straw off and inserted it into the small hole on the milk carton. The straw fit perfectly into the hole, and the milk couldn't leak out at all.

Insert one end of the straw into the wolf cub's mouth, gently squeeze the box, and a stream of fresh milk will flow into the little guy's throat, down his esophagus, and into his stomach.

P.S.: Please recommend and add to your favorites...

(End of this chapter)