Chapter 117

Before they even started digging, everyone stood on the edge of the field and began discussing.

Are these lotus roots crisp or starchy? These are quite old; they should be starchy, right?

"It might be crisp lotus root. We have a lot of crisp lotus root here. Isn't their lotus root the old variety we grow?"

"Whether it's a starchy or crisp lotus root, let's see how big it is first. Is it as thick as a thigh? It's been growing for so long."

"The lotus roots grown from lotus seeds are only in their first year; it's probably unlikely they'll grow as thick as a thigh."

People gathered on the edge of the field to watch, two dogs ran around in the crowd, and otters and red foxes hid on the side.

Having spent so much time with Qing Mengzhu and the others, the otter and the red fox are no longer so afraid of people, but they still don't like interacting with people and often prefer to hide on the sidelines.

Qing Mengzhu had already cleaned up the pond; the Spirit Pearl Dregs was mixed with the mud. Despite the large number of people watching from the shore, he remained calm.

He adjusted the rechargeable high-pressure water gun and said, "Walk slowly when digging lotus roots, and try not to disturb the shrimp."

Zhao Hexi: "I know, don't worry. The shrimp are so strong, they'll definitely run faster than us. They shouldn't get hurt by our high-pressure water gun."

Qing Mengzhu smiled and said, "Then let's begin. Be careful when you enter the pond, don't slip and fall."

As she spoke, Qing Mengzhu looked at Ming Chunxi, her eyes asking if there was a problem.

Ming Chunxi nodded, indicating that there was no need to worry.

There were only three of them, and they only occupied a small corner of the pond. Shrimp are usually agile, so they shouldn't die from the high-pressure water cannon.

Qing Mengzhu had previously considered whether to catch the shrimp in advance.

However, they plan to keep these shrimp for breeding purposes, and at most eat some themselves. Catching them would easily damage them, and the mortality rate would be even higher.

Bring your high-pressure water gun directly into the venue. If you accidentally injure a shrimp, just pick it up and put it in a bamboo basket for lunch.

Anyway, since they're killed by the high-pressure water gun, they're freshly killed, so there's absolutely no need to worry about food safety.

Qing Mengzhu has been managing the pond, but after so much time, the silt in the pond is still thicker than before, making it more difficult to walk in the silt.

They were all wearing waterproof jumpsuits, holding high-pressure water guns, and began digging for lotus roots.

Electric high-pressure water guns don't have the same water pressure as diesel ones. When they use the high-pressure water gun to spray water in front of them, they generally don't break the lotus roots. Instead, they can expose the lotus roots just right.

Qing Mengzhu had tried using a high-pressure water gun and was used to farm work, so she was very quick and efficient, and soon dug up the first lotus root.

The lotus roots in his yard weren't particularly thick, only a little thicker than his arm, but they were exceptionally long, looking about 1.5 to 1.6 meters.

The moment he scooped the lotus root out of the water, a gasp of surprise erupted from the onlookers on the bank, and some cheered, shouting, "Beautiful!"

Qing Mengzhu turned her head and laughed, "You're exaggerating. I saw Second Master digging lotus roots the other day, and his lotus roots are much thicker and longer than mine."

Everyone laughed.

Qing Pingdun said, "I only started calling because I heard them calling. Your lotus roots are really beautiful!"

Tan Wenlei said, "The main reason is that your lotus roots were grown from lotus seeds. It's been less than a year, so it's quite impressive that they've grown to this size."

Qing Mengzhu also felt that the lotus roots were better than he had expected, and a smile appeared on his face as well, "That's true, my family uses more fertilizer, so the lotus roots grow faster than those of other families."

Chapter 117

Qing Mengzhu and the others were digging for lotus roots in the pond.

Using a high-pressure water gun to dig lotus roots is much more convenient than the traditional method. They dig lotus roots as if it were a game. Everyone watching from the shore felt a little envious, especially a few Xiao Nian who were eager to try it themselves and wanted to go down into the pond to dig some.

In the end, it wasn't any human who jumped into the pond to dig for lotus roots, but rather the two dogs, the Dharma Protector and the Guard.

They crowded on the shore, watching and running around. Everyone knew they were Qing Mengzhu's dogs, so they didn't chase them away. They just let them excitedly dart around and run from one side to the other.

These two dogs are very intelligent and have a majestic appearance; most people like them very much.

Therefore, when they pushed open a gap between people, everyone instinctively retreated to both sides and did not try to stop them.

The two dogs squeezed to the front and jumped into the water with a "plop".

Those around gasped in surprise.

Hearing the noise, Qing Mengzhu turned around and saw two dogs swimming happily towards them in the perfect doggy paddle.

He quickly turned off the high-pressure water gun and waved to the dogs. "Go back, aren't you cold?"

The two dogs were panting with their tongues out, and the Dharma Protector even barked twice, as if to say that it wasn't cold, or that it wanted to come and play even if it was cold.

The silt in the pond was too deep, making it difficult to move around.

Qing Mengzhu called to Ming Chunxi behind her, "Chunxi, hurry up and drive them ashore."

Ming Chunxi took two steps toward the two dogs. "Okay."

Both dogs were very agile in their dog-paddle posture.

Ming Chunxi tried to shoo them away, but they simply swerved to the side, bypassing Ming Chunxi's outstretched hand, and then swam towards Qing Mengzhu.

Two dogs, tongues lolling out, ears tucked in, and grinning foolishly, approached. Even the coldest-hearted person would hesitate.

Qing Mengzhu had raised these two dogs from puppies to adulthood and couldn't resist their affection. Seeing them coming over, she couldn't bring herself to shoo them away coldly, and in the end, she patted their heads one by one.

The Dharma Protector cleverly swam a few meters towards Ming Chunxi and used its large head to bump into Ming Chunxi's legs, until Ming Chunxi's heart softened.

Ming Chunxi patted the Dharma Protector's big head and said, "They live in the wild all year round, so they should be used to this temperature. Let them stay in the pond."

Zhao Hexi chimed in, "Yes, they've all come down here. It'll be cold up there. Let them stay in the pond. The sun's out today, so it should be fine."

Qing Mengzhu glanced at Ming Chunxi, her eyes silently criticizing his soft heart, then pinched the Guard's paw and said, "Alright, you guys step back a bit, don't get in my way."

The two dogs, tongues lolling out, eyes practically gleaming, barked. "Woof!"

The two dogs had no real ability to dig lotus roots; they were just there to join in the fun.

They swam here and there, circling and chasing the people who were digging lotus roots with high-pressure water guns.

Qing Mengzhu and his team dug up more and more lotus roots, they gained a clearer understanding of the condition of the lotus roots.

These lotus roots are very beautiful, all about the same size, and have a lovely, warm ivory white color.

As they dug out more and more lotus roots, the pond of shrimp was disturbed more and more violently.

Some shrimp couldn't escape in time and were hit by their high-pressure water guns, instantly turning belly up.

At this point, the two dogs would eagerly paddle over, pick up the shrimp, swim to Qing Mengzhu's side, and spit the shrimp into his palm.

Their shrimp are growing very well; they're now longer than the palm of your hand, semi-transparent, and quite heavy.

Qing Mengzhu tossed the prawns into the bamboo basket she had prepared beforehand, intending to take them back later for an extra meal.

Two dogs were catching stunned shrimp all over the pond.

Sometimes, when the stunned shrimp were near Zhao Hexi, the two dogs would swim over and retrieve them.

Zhao Hexi was unconvinced and, holding up the bamboo basket hanging from her waist, said, "I also brought a bamboo basket. If you catch any shrimp, you can give it to me!"

The Dharma Protector turned and glanced at him. "Woof woof!"

After calling out, the Dharma Protector resolutely swam towards Qing Mengzhu using a doggy paddle.

Ming Chunxi said from the side, "They won't even give it to me, let alone you."

Qing Mengzhu loudly. "It doesn't matter who it's given to. Once it's cooked, won't you all eat it?"

Zhao Hexi: "Since that's the case, why don't you persuade them so I can also experience the thrill of a dog bringing back prey?"