Chapter 161 (continued)

Qing Mengzhu: "Okay, while you're at it, check if any new asparagus has sprouted. If so, pick some and we'll make stir-fried asparagus tonight."

Zhao Hexi: "Understood."

After giving his instructions, Qing Mengzhu took his knife and prepared to go up the mountain.

The Dharma Protector and Guard were lying in the courtyard. As soon as he moved, they immediately followed him, walking on either side of him.

Although they might get stung while looking at bees, there were so many fun and delicious things to do up the mountain, so the two dogs were happy to go along.

Qing Mengzhu was used to the two dogs. When he went out, he rode his tricycle and waited for the two dogs to jump into the back of the vehicle before driving the tricycle towards the mountain.

Two dogs stood in the back compartment, their heads peeking out from behind Qing Mengzhu's Qing Mengzhu, one on each side, looking ahead with him, panting in his ears, like two furry guardian beasts.

Qing Mengzhu hadn't Brood-Feeding Honey for very long, so he thought there wouldn't be any honey left. But when he opened the hives, he found that both hives actually contained mature honey sealed with beeswax.

Unable to resist his curiosity, he cut a whole piece of honey from each beehive and broke off a small piece to taste.

Freshly produced honey is thick and sweet, with a very complex floral aroma. Eating it fills your mouth with a rich fragrance, almost like eating a uniquely flavored, high-end gummy candy. The texture and taste are truly magical.

Qing Mengzhu never expected honey to taste like this, and couldn't resist eating another small piece.

This honey is delicious, even better than the honey they get in the orchard.

It really looks like a gummy candy, and it's even flower jam flavored.

Bees flew around Qing Mengzhu, and even when he harvested honey, no bees attacked him.

He didn't hide, but instead took a picture on the spot and sent it to Ming Chunxi, telling him that there was already honey in the beehives on the mountain.

Ming Chunxi: [So fast? It looks tempting, how does it taste?]

Qing Mengzhu: [It's thicker than the honey we've tasted before, and it tastes a bit like a soft candy with rose jam or other flower jams.]

Qing Mengzhu added: [I didn't mean it tastes like rose jam, I meant the feeling.]

Ming Chunxi immediately replied, "[I'm about to leave work now, I'll be right back.]"

Qing Mengzhu sent a laughing emoji: [I'm also preparing to go down the mountain. See you at our house.]

Qing Mengzhu was carrying honey down the mountain when two dogs playing nearby heard the commotion and came running over, barking.

The two dogs were really craving the honey in the bucket, running around it and whining Qing Mengzhu for attention.

Qing Mengzhu couldn't stand it, so she broke off two small pieces and gave one to each of the dogs. "Eat slowly, there won't be any left after you finish these."

The two dogs scratched the ground with their paws, excitedly picked up the honey, wagged their tails, and went to eat it.

As Qing Mengzhu was driving her tricycle home, she happened to run into Zhou Yan driving by.

"Brother Zhou?" Qing Mengzhu stopped her tricycle and asked Zhou Yan, "You were looking for me?"

Zhou Yan also stopped the car. "I was thinking of ordering a batch of goods and came to ask for your opinions. Also, I want to discuss with you in advance whether we should hold any activities for the Dragon Boat Festival. Did you just go up the mountain?"

Qing Mengzhu: "I just harvested two pieces of honey."

Zhou Yan couldn't help but ask, "Didn't you just put the beehives on the mountain not long ago?"

Qing Mengzhu: "Yes, I didn't plan to harvest honey so early. He Xi kept urging me to eat some, so I just went up the mountain to take a look. I didn't expect there would actually be honey."

Zhou Yan: "How does it taste?"

Qing Mengzhu: "It's fantastic, kind of like a uniquely flavored gummy candy."

This was the first time Zhou Yan had heard someone describe honey like that, and he couldn't help but ask curiously, "What does it taste like?"

Qing Mengzhu: "You'll know once you come down and try it."

Zhou Yan didn't stand on ceremony and opened the car door, saying, "Then I have to try it."

Qing Mengzhu broke off a small piece for him, watched him taste it, and asked, "How is it? It tastes a lot like gummy candy, doesn't it?"

Zhou Yan: "Hmm, it's quite peculiar. The texture of beeswax is also quite unique. If it were packaged in smaller portions, it could probably be sold directly as a product."

Qing Mengzhu: "Forget it, we only have two hives on the mountain, we won't collect much honey anyway, let's keep it for ourselves."

Zhou Yan tasted it carefully, finding the honey's flavor incredibly complex. Even with his professional chef's sensitivity, he couldn't pinpoint the exact source of the nectar. He couldn't help but ask, "What kind of honey is this?"

Qing Mengzhu: "It's wildflower honey, right? Besides orange trees, there are all sorts of wildflowers and weeds. I can't tell the difference myself. Anyway, it's honey collected in the bamboo forest."

Their bamboo grove has now grown to a considerable size, thanks to repeated applications of fertilizer, which has made the soil in the grove much more fertile.

With the soil becoming more fertile, more weeds and shrubs suitable for growing under the forest floor appeared, Qing Mengzhu now had no idea what kind of plants were on the mountain.

The only certainty is that there are no poisonous plants on the mountain, and their hazel grouse and cattle graze comfortably on the mountain.

After finishing a piece of honey, Zhou Yan looked thoughtful. "If this honey is wildflower honey, wouldn't the next batch of honey taste different?"

Qing Mengzhu nodded. "It shouldn't be. Flowers bloom differently in different seasons, but the taste should be about the same."

Zhou Yan said with a hint of regret, "It would be great if production could be stabilized."

After thinking for a moment, Zhou Yan added, "There's some batter in the kitchen. I'm planning to make a cake tomorrow. How about I go get some ingredients and we make a cheesecake with honey later?"

Knowing he had found some good ingredients and couldn't resist the urge to cook, Qing Mengzhu smiled and agreed, "Okay, but you have to include some for the little ones too."

Zhou Yan: "Add some, if it weren't for adding these portions, making a chocolate lava honey cake today would be nice too. Honey is so sweet, adding chocolate would definitely create a unique flavor."

Zhou Yan quickly went back to the kitchen to get the batter and other ingredients.

Qing Mengzhu drove home in his tricycle, Zhao Hexi waited for them in the yard, having even lit a mosquito coil that was harmless to pets.

As soon as Qing Mengzhu entered, Zhao Hexi ran up to her. "How is it? Have you got any honey yet?"

While on the mountain, Qing Mengzhu was so focused on talking to Ming Chunxi that she forgot to tell Zhao Hexi. Feeling a little guilty, she said, "I've got it! It tastes pretty good, you should try it. Oh, by the way, I ran into Brother Zhou on the way. Brother Zhou said he'd come over tonight and make us a honey cheesecake."

Zhao Hexi exclaimed with delight, "Then will he cook dinner? I'm not going back; I'm staying at your place for dinner!"

Qing Mengzhu: "Probably, I reckon he wouldn't be able to stand our cooking either."

Zhao Hexi: "For professional chefs, having a few occupational hazard is actually quite good."

After being sent away by Qing Mengzhu to wash her hands, Zhao Hexi happily picked up a piece of honey and tasted it. "It tastes really good. No wonder you cherish your two boxes of bees so much."

Qing Mengzhu: "It's my two hives of bees that make the honey taste so good."

Zhao Hexi didn't understand, but that didn't stop him from eating another small piece of honey. It was delicious!

Ming Chunxi and Zhou Yan returned one after the other.

Zhou Yan indeed took over the task of making dinner, while Ming Chunxi was pulled aside by Qing Mengzhu and given a piece of honey, who was then asked to judge whether it tasted like gummy candy.

Ming Chunxi strongly agreed with Qing Mengzhu's point of view, adding, "It should be like the gummy candy we imagine; real gummy candy isn't that delicious."

Qing Mengzhu: "Yes, real-life gummy candies don't have such a rich aroma. Now I don't even know if it's thanks to the bees or the nectar source."

Ming Chunxi: "We don't care whose credit it is; we won't separate them."

The two spoke quietly in a corner of the yard, while Zhao Hexi could only pet three little creatures on the other side—the red fox was rather stingy and wouldn't let Zhao Hexi pet it with his honey-scented hands.

Zhao Hexi snorted in anger at the red fox, then embraced two dogs on either side of her and placed an otter on her chest, taunting the red fox.