Chapter 201
The two dogs lowered their heads and sniffed at each other. The Dharma Protector picked up a stick and tasted it first, followed by the Guard also picked up a handful.
They really seemed to like this grass; when they ate it, they moved from left to right, and ate the whole blade of grass without spitting it out.
Zhao Hexi stood to the side, a thoughtful expression on her face.
Qing Mengzhu turned her head and glanced at her. "What are you thinking? Are you really planning to send grass to the members? Rye grass is different from mulberry leaves; it can't be used for cooking."
Zhao Hexi: "No. Rye grass is a bit tough, it's not practical for people to eat. I was just thinking, you told me the other day that those big wolfhounds in the orchard like rye grass, the village cats like it, and now the Dharma Protector and the Guard like it too--"
Zhao Hexi paused for a moment, then said, "Since the animals seem to like it, could we develop some pet supplies?"
Chapter 201
Pet supplies are not cheaper than human supplies, so developing rye grass into pet treats might be a good direction.
Qing Mengzhu thought, "It's definitely not possible now. If we're going to do that, we'll have to wait until later."
They obtained their rye grass through a lottery in the Interstellar Mall. The quantity of seeds was limited, and the "Superior Grade" rye grass seeds were expensive, so it was impossible for them to buy them from the Interstellar Mall.
If we want to develop ryegrass into pet treats, we'll have to wait until this year's crop of ryegrass is planted and produces seeds.
Qing Mengzhu glanced at the Dharma Protector and Guard who were happily munching on rye grass, and thought it would be a good idea to transplant some back for the little ones to eat.
The Dharma Protector and the Guard truly love rye grass; they've been feeding it to them non-stop.
After they had eaten for a while, Qing Mengzhu gently patted their bottoms and said, "Go to the back and call Little Fox and Little Otter, see if they want to come and eat."
The Dharma Protector and Guard looked up at Qing Mengzhu. Qing Mengzhu repeated it a couple more times, and they understood. They then ran to the backyard.
Zhao Hexi, seeing how clever the two dogs were, was no longer surprised and simply stood there, continuing to chat with Qing Mengzhu.
Zhao Hexi asked, "Tell me quickly, what do you think of my idea?"
Qing Mengzhu: "Let's talk about it later. The ryegrass has only grown a little bit. Let's wait until it's bigger. Anyway, we can just find a small factory to process it for us; it won't be any trouble."
Zhao Hexi thought about it and agreed, "Then I'll keep an eye out and get the relevant things done."
As they were chatting, the red fox and the otter came running over.
The red fox hadn't seen Qing Mengzhu for several days and seemed to miss him quite a bit. It circled around him and whimpered twice, which softened his heart.
He reached out and touched the red fox, then fed it some rye grass.
Zhao Hexi tried to pet the red fox but couldn't, so he picked up the somewhat dazed otter and petted it instead.
The otter contentedly chewed on the rye grass, not caring who was touching it.
Seeing the little ones enjoying their rye grass so much, Qing Mengzhu couldn't help but feel a little envious. "I'll go make some tea, we can rest too."
Zhao Hexi, who was about to leave, said upon hearing this, "I want to drink too. Where are we having lunch? I'll go with you."
Qing Mengzhu: "How about just having some noodles at home? I'll go pick a couple of cucumbers and a couple of tomatoes later to make side dishes."
Zhao Hexi volunteered. "I'll go pick them now, hang them in the well to soak, and then we'll eat them at noon?"
Qing Mengzhu thought it was feasible, "Let's do it your way."
Now that they've opened a farm, Zhou Yan delivers vegetables over from time to time, and their refrigerator is now filled with many ready-made and semi-finished dishes, mostly meat.
At noon, Qing Mengzhu cooked a batch of noodles, divided them into two large bowls, added cucumber shreds and tomato slices, then ladled in mushroom sauce, sliced the braised meat that Zhou Yan had sent, and finally added two halved hazelnut eggs. The delicious and hearty noodles were ready.
Qing Mengzhu and Zhao Hexi sat under the eaves, each holding a large bowl of noodles, and quickly finished their meal.
After finishing their meal, Zhao Hexi volunteered to wash the dishes, while Qing Mengzhu tidied up the table and went back to her room for a nap.
I've been in the orchard these past few days.
The conditions in the orchard are alright, but it's nowhere near as comfortable as home.
Qing Mengzhu lay in bed, smelling the scent left by Ming Chunxi, hugging the thin blanket, and quickly fell asleep.
As the sun set, he looked up and saw Ming Chunxi's face above him, still feeling a sense of disorientation.
Ming Chunxi reached out and touched his forehead, brushing his hair back. "Are you still sleepy? Why don't you get up, get some fresh air, have some dinner, and then go back to sleep?"
Qing Mengzhu grabbed Ming Chunxi's wrist. "I'm not really sleepy, I just feel listless and can't muster any energy."
Ming Chunxi helped him up. "Sit down and rest for a bit."
After a moment, Qing Mengzhu fully regained her senses, looked at Ming Chunxi, and flashed a bright smile, "Why are you back so early today? Did you miss me?"
Ming Chunxi: "Yes, I wanted to see you as soon as possible, so I left work early and came home."
Qing Mengzhu's smile widened, and she pulled Ming Chunxi down for a kiss.
Perhaps due to his fluctuating emotions, Qing Mengzhu was no longer sleepy after the kiss, and he went out into the courtyard.
It's only a little past six in the afternoon, still a bit early for dinner.
Qing Mengzhu tidied up the yard and swept in the leftover rye grass that the Dharma Protector had eaten.
The Dharma Protector weren't herbivores, and even if they liked it, they didn't finish it all; there was still quite a bit of rye grass left.
The "Superior Grade" rye grass was very rare, Qing Mengzhu couldn't bear to waste it, so he thought of taking it to the mountain to feed the cattle. It just so happened that he hadn't been up the mountain for a while, so he decided to go up and take a look.
The two rode their bikes to the foot of the mountain before carrying the rye grass up the mountain.
At the foot of the mountain, Qing Mengzhu didn't think anything of it, but once he stepped onto the mountain path and saw water seeping from the withered leaves and grass below, he realized, "Has it rained these past two days?"
Ming Chunxi: "It rained last night, a moderate rain. I went up the mountain this morning to check, and the cattle and hazel grouse weren't affected."
Qing Mengzhu: "No wonder, that explains why it's so moist."
They went up to the cowshed, where the cattle and hazel grouse had returned and stirred when they saw them coming.
After checking the cattle and hazel grouse and finding nothing wrong, Qing Mengzhu took some rye grass to feed the cattle.
The cows really loved rye grass. Even though some cows were already drowsy, they still came over and ate the grass leaves with their tongues after smelling the aroma.
After watching the cows and hazel grouse, before it was completely dark, Qing Mengzhu pulled Ming Chunxi down the mountain from the other side.
The road ahead passes by the Gastrodia elata field. Qing Mengzhu wants to see how the Gastrodia elata is growing now.
In addition, it is currently the growing season for hazel mushrooms. If it rains, the mushrooms are likely to sprout, and they might be able to pick a couple to make soup.
With this in mind, Qing Mengzhu Ming Chunxi over, and things indeed went as he wished.
A number of hazel mushrooms have sprouted in the ground, each one plump and tender, untouched by insects or birds, their orange-yellow color a delightful sight.
Qing Mengzhu lifted the hem of her clothes and, together with Ming Chunxi, picked the larger hazel mushrooms. They would wash them later and make a soup.
Looking at the smile on Qing Mengzhu's face, Ming Chunxi asked, "It's been a long time since we went mushroom picking in the mountains. Do you want to go mushroom picking tomorrow?"
Qing Mengzhu hadn't gone mushroom picking in quite a while and had almost forgotten about it. Hearing this, she said enthusiastically, "Okay, let's get up early tomorrow, take the Dharma Protector and Guard, and see if Little Fox and Little Otter want to come along too."
Having agreed to go up the mountain tomorrow, Qing Mengzhu and the others finished their dinner early and went to bed.
The next morning they also got up very early. Qing Mengzhu wore a light long-sleeved shirt and trousers, and a sun hat. Ming Chunxi wore the same style of clothes as him but in a different color. The two of them looked particularly youthful, and because of their outstanding appearance, they were particularly eye-catching on the street.
Many people stopped to ask them what they were going to do. They said they were going to pick mushrooms in the mountains. Everyone enthusiastically pointed out which mushrooms had sprouted and which ones were still a little short of sprouting.
This is all valuable information. Combined with the jungle map that Qing Mengzhu made, we're sure to have a great harvest today when we go up the mountain.
Qing Mengzhu excitedly pulled Ming Chunxi, quickening their pace up the mountain. The four little ones ran around them, looking very excited.