Chapter 113

Author's Note:

See you this afternoon!

Chapter 113

After Qing Mengzhu finished inspecting the land, they went home for dinner.

Ming Chunxi looked at the hazelnut and asked, "Are we having hazelnut tonight?"

Qing Mengzhu: "Yeah! Let's have stir-fried bamboo shoots!"

Ming Chunxi mentioned the hazel grouse. "I'll take care of it."

Qing Mengzhu: "Then I'll go ask Brother Zhou if there's anything I should be careful about when stir-frying hazelnuts with bamboo shoots."

Zhou Yan wasn't surprised to receive Qing Mengzhu's call, and simply asked, "What kind of bamboo shoots are you stir-frying? Winter bamboo shoots?"

Qing Mengzhu: "Yes! The bamboo shoots on our mountain are growing well lately, they should taste delicious."

Zhou Yan smiled and said, "I can tell. Then marinate the hazel grouse for about twenty minutes. After marinating, heat oil in a pan and pan-fry the grouse until fragrant. Blanch the bamboo shoots and stir-fry them separately over high heat. Once the grouse is fragrant, add the stir-fried bamboo shoots and seasonings."

Qing Mengzhu: "Thank you, Brother Zhou. I'll try it later."

Following the instructions, Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi cooked the hazel grouse step by step.

Their hazel grouse, I don't know if they've been eating too many bamboo worms and other insects, are getting fatter and fatter now. After a little frying, both sides are coated with a beautiful golden brown.

Combine the pan-fried hazelnut chicken and stir-fried bamboo shoots, sprinkle with green and red peppers, stir-fry over high heat, add good soy sauce and oyster sauce to bring out the aroma of the sauce, then sprinkle with chopped green onions, and plate.

When this dish is ready, the whole yard smells delicious.

The Dharma Protector and Guard jumped around in the courtyard, howling like wolves.

In winter, they grow thick fur, and because they are so big, they look like two semi-trailer trucks when they jump.

Qing Mengzhu, one leg at a time, pushed them away. "Don't get agitated."

Two dogs. "Woof! Woof woof!"

Qing Mengzhu originally only wanted to let them try it, but seeing that they kept barking in protest, she had no choice but to take out a small portion and mix it with the dog food she had mixed earlier, and then make a new batch of dog food for them to eat.

Upon hearing the command, the two dogs immediately stood in front of their bowls and began inhaling the contents like crazy.

Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi went inside for dinner.

It's cold, so unless the sun is shining brightly, they won't eat in the yard; they all eat inside.

The room was relatively enclosed, making the fragrance even more intense inside.

Qing Mengzhu ran to the table and sat down. "Let's eat!"

Ming Chunxi handed him chopsticks. "Eat slowly."

Qing Mengzhu took a bite of the hazel grouse. The hazel grouse bones were crisp and the meat was tender. Every bite was bursting with juice, and the aroma was very rich. She could tell that it tasted even better than before.

It was definitely worth raising them in the bamboo forest.

Qing Mengzhu squinted her eyes contentedly and took another bite of bamboo shoot.

The bamboo shoots were very fresh and fragrant.

What's most special is that it's incredibly crisp and tender, with absolutely no fibrous bits. It's bursting with fresh, juicy flavor, yet unlike typical tender bamboo shoots, it's not bland at all.

Being able to eat vegetables with this texture and flavor in winter made Qing Mengzhu feel like her entire taste buds were instantly awakened.

So fresh and tender.

A look of amazement appeared in Qing Mengzhu's eyes. "It tastes even better than I expected."

Ming Chunxi: "It tastes better than I expected."

Qing Mengzhu: "Yes! I didn't expect bamboo shoots that reached the 'Superior Grade' to be so fresh. They're completely different from the bamboo shoots I've seen before."

Ming Chunxi: "After all, it's a higher grade, so it's normal for the taste to be different."

Qing Mengzhu agreed, "Indeed. It's a pity that there's only one bamboo plant that can reach the 'Superior Grade' grade, and there probably aren't many bamboo shoots that can reach the 'Superior Grade-' grade either."

Ming Chunxi: "When it grows new, should we eat it? Or should we let it grow into bamboo and transplant it later?"

Looking at the bamboo shoots on the plate, Qing Mengzhu considered transplanting them, but was too reluctant. Finally, she said, "We'll see. If we crave them, we'll eat them; if not, we'll let them grow into new bamboo shoots."

The Soil Fertility Restoration Agent was slowly released, and the shrimp and lotus roots in the pond were getting better and better, while a new batch of bamboo shoots sprouted from the bamboo on the mountain.

In fields treated with Soil Fertility Restoration Agent, bamboo shoots sprouted very quickly, and winter bamboo shoots looked like spring bamboo shoots, growing rapidly every day.

The bamboo shoots produced in the bamboo forest treated with the Soil Fertility Restoration Agent tasted amazing. Qing Mengzhu sent a batch to her relatives and friends, ate a batch herself, and sold the rest to the Interstellar Mall.

The Interstellar Mall raised its purchase price for this batch of bamboo shoots, offering a high price of 26 Star Coins per pound. Of course, this is the price for pure bamboo shoot flesh; if the bamboo shoots are in their husks, the Interstellar Mall will offer 12 Star Coins per pound.

This price is already very good. Selling just ten or so kilograms a day would bring in several hundred Star Coins.

Because the bamboo shoots are selling well, Qing Mengzhu's account balance is increasing every day, and it is now close to breaking the 30,000 Star Coins mark.

Qing Mengzhu's career is going smoothly, he's making a fortune every day, and his love life is also very fulfilling. This makes him very happy, and even his complexion has improved a lot. He hums songs while working every day and doesn't feel tired at all.

Looking at his state, Zhao Hexi couldn't understand it. How could someone be so full of energy every day when they were working so hard?

Qing Mengzhu doesn't need anyone to understand her, or even help her with her work.

He now goes up the mountain alone every day, starting with digging through the bamboo forest that has been treated with Soil Fertility Restoration Agent, carefully picking down the winter bamboo shoots that sprout on the mountain little by little.

He would sell the best quality bamboo shoots to the Interstellar Mall, while he would sell the tops of the average quality bamboo shoots to the Interstellar Mall, and the tips would be transported down the mountain, dried, and sold elsewhere, just like before.

That day, Qing Mengzhu was selling bamboo shoots again.

He sat in the bamboo grove, peeling the bamboo shoots and selling only the clean shoot flesh.

While peeling the bamboo shoots, he weighed them in his hand and was surprised to find that out of a pound of bamboo shoots with the shells on, only about three ounces of flesh could be peeled out, and very few bamboo shoots could yield four ounces of flesh.

On average, the fleshy part of the bamboo shoot is only one-third the size of a whole bamboo shoot, yet the price offered by the Interstellar Mall is less than three times that of a whole bamboo shoot.

Realizing this, Qing Mengzhu immediately understood that the bamboo shoot shells might be more valuable than he had imagined.

He wasted so many bamboo shoot shells before!

Qing Mengzhu immediately used the Mall Assistant to scan the bamboo shoot shells.

The Interstellar Mall charges 9 Star Coins per pound for bamboo shoot husks, which is higher than the price of most vegetables!

Qing Mengzhu was immediately heartbroken; what a loss!

The reason he lost money wasn't because he couldn't peel the bamboo shoots before selling them, but because he forgot to sell the bamboo shoot husks.

Selling bamboo shoot flesh and husks separately still results in a slightly higher overall price compared to selling them whole. This might be because selling them separately makes it easier for the Interstellar Mall to absorb the substances inside.

Thinking of this, Qing Mengzhu did not hesitate and immediately sold the bamboo shoot husks she had on hand.

After receiving the Star Coins, Qing Mengzhu went to find the bamboo shoot husks she had peeled off a few days earlier.

He piled the bamboo shoot husks all over the base of the bamboo, intending to compost it.

Winter weather is quite dry. After several days of air drying, the bamboo shoot husks are basically dried out, now withered, yellow, and brittle. He scanned them with the Interstellar Mall and, sure enough, they no longer fetch a good price.

The Interstellar Mall values dried bamboo shoot husks at 0.6 to 2.3 Star Coins per pound, with prices varying depending on the condition of the husks.

Qing Mengzhu sold the pile of bamboo shoot husks that had a higher price, but the remaining husks were too cheap, so he was unwilling to sell them, and he was still unwilling to leave them in the bamboo forest to compost.

He simply carried a basket full of bamboo shoot husks home on his back.

When Ming Chunxi came home from work, she saw a pile of bamboo shoot husks in the yard. "What are these bamboo shoot husks for?"

Qing Mengzhu shook her head. "I just wanted to make use of what I had."

Qing Mengzhu mentioned the prices at which the Interstellar Mall buys whole bamboo shoots and bamboo shoot meat, and also mentioned the weight of the whole bamboo shoots and bamboo shoot meat.

Qing Mengzhu: "The Interstellar Mall didn't accept bamboo shoot husks before, so I had a bit of a preconceived notion and forgot that bamboo shoots now are different from those of the past."

Ming Chunxi: "So you want to bring this pile of bamboo shoot husks back to recycle them?"

Qing Mengzhu nodded. "That's exactly what I mean."

Ming Chunxi: "How should we use it? Make it into a handicraft?"