Chapter 205

The oranges tasted really good, sweet and sour, with more sweetness than sourness. The rich juice exploded in her mouth, instantly awakening all her senses.

She couldn't resist going to the study to share it with her daughter.

The vegetable package delivered to members included a recipe, Yin Junning originally wanted to make orange-flavored roasted chicken or orange jelly according to the recipe.

There were only four oranges, but the family shared them and finished them in just a few minutes.

Yin Junning said regretfully to her husband, "That's all, we ate it too fast."

Her daughter took the last half of the orange and divided it between her and her husband, two segments each. "Mom, I still have some."

Her husband picked up their daughter. "Daddy doesn't want any, you two eat them. Let's choose oranges again next week; they should be even sweeter then."

Yin Junning: "Okay, I'll choose now. We'll see if there are any oranges for sale outside when we go for our walk later. If there are, we'll buy some."

Yin Junning doesn't usually like eating oranges, but the oranges Zhuxi delivered this time really whetted her appetite.

After dinner, she bought two pounds of oranges from a fruit shop outside the residential area.

This fruit chain store sells mid-to-high-end fruits with good quality control; however, the oranges she bought were different from those delivered by Zhuxi.

The fruit I bought tasted like sugar water; it was sweet, but it had little aroma and no bursting fruit pulp.

She didn't notice a significant difference when eating Zhuxi's oranges alone, but the difference became immediately apparent when comparing the two types of oranges.

Therefore, before going to bed, Yin Junning couldn't help but chime in when she saw her friends chatting in the group: [Our family also originally intended to use oranges to make some delicious food, but ended up eating them all without realizing it.]

[Right? One after another, you just can't stop eating.]

[I didn't waste the orange peels after eating the oranges; I washed them with salt, air-dried them, and then marinated them in honey, planning to make orange peel tea.]

[Sigh, me too. I marinated them in honey and then slowly baked them at a low temperature. After baking, I used them to make orange peel tea or added them to soda; both are delicious.]

Yin Junning replied: [Is that even possible? I put the peels on the balcony to dry, intending to make dried tangerine peel.]

[It should smell great as dried tangerine peel. I don't cook much, just make snacks.]

Yin Junning: [I've already chosen the vegetable package for next week. I also want oranges next week. I'll try the method from the group chat then.]

[I'm going to make orange jelly next week. I went to a farm the other day and had their orange jelly, it tasted really good. I wanted to try making it today, but I couldn't resist the temptation.]

[Then I'll make orange-scented roasted chicken. I already ordered the free-range chicken, but I couldn't resist and ate the oranges beforehand.]

Where can I buy free-range chicken? I haven't been able to find any good free-range chicken lately.

[In the village where Zhuxi's boss lives, there's a chicken farm that specializes in raising free-range chickens. I saw them when I went to their village on a members' day before; they tasted pretty good, better than most free-range chickens on the market, and they weren't adulterated.]

I know that free-range chicken restaurant, the owner's name is Qing Changhong, right?

[Yes, yes, that's his house. They raise cold-water fish in their village; those are delicious. You can try them if you like.]

Many people from their village have returned to engage in planting and animal husbandry, and the produce seems to be quite good. The vegetables at their farm are too expensive; eating them every day would be too much for my wallet. Sometimes I go to other farms in their town as a cheaper alternative to satisfy my cravings.

Qing Mengzhu was unaware that several member groups were enthusiastically discussing their oranges and the local specialties of their village.

I know he wouldn't care. It's often discussed in the group, and he's already used to it. He doesn't have that much energy to pay attention to it.

Their company has dedicated staff to manage group chats, so generally nothing goes wrong.

Qing Mengzhu is eating canned oranges.

These canned oranges are a byproduct of Zhou Yan's production of dried tangerine peel. In addition to sugar, a little honey is added, making them refreshing and sweet, far superior to any other canned fruit on the market.

Qing Mengzhu scooped up a large piece of orange pulp with a spoon, and after eating it, exclaimed, "We really got our money's worth from buying the orange tree!"

The two dogs nearby, also eating canned oranges, barked loudly!

Qing Mengzhu laughed, "You guys will actually offer your support?"

Ming Chunxi walked over and sat down next to Qing Mengzhu: "There's no need to rush to pick the oranges on the mountain; you can save them to eat slowly."

Qing Mengzhu: "That's what I think too. As long as we don't pick them and leave them on the tree, they can last until next spring. Then we'll always have fresh oranges to eat whenever we want."

It's easier to preserve oranges by leaving them on the tree than by harvesting them. The only downside is that keeping them on the tree consumes some nutrients, causing the orange tree to age prematurely.

However, with so much fertilizer and Spirit Spring Water, cultivating new orange trees would be easy for them, so this little bit of consumption is nothing.

Author's Note:

See you tonight!

Chapter 205

The oranges on the mountain are ready to eat, and whenever Qing Mengzhu goes up the mountain to tend to the bamboo forest, she always makes a detour to check on them.

As time goes by, the dark green of the orange peel gradually fades, slowly transitioning to orange-yellow, eventually becoming more yellow than green, just as the orange absorbs the sunlight, ultimately turning into the color of sunlight.

As the oranges ripen, their peels become thinner and thinner. In some cases, you can even see the segments of fruit inside through the thin peel, making them look very tempting.

However, not only do people want to eat it, but animals are also captivated by it.

There are red foxes and owls around, and there are very few mountain rats and the like on the mountain now; there are more birds now.

Not only do birds build nests in the bamboo forest, but many other birds fly in from other places, peck at the oranges, and then run away.

Qing Mengzhu didn't mind feeding the wild birds a little, but these birds were so careless with their food, taking a bite here and a bite there. Many oranges were pecked off, and when he turned over the branches, there were hardly any intact ones left.

He hastily made some scarecrows and put them there, but it didn't seem to make much of a difference; the wild birds still came.

Qing Mengzhu complained to Ming Chunxi, "It's so annoying now. I asked experienced fruit farmers, and they all said to bag the fruit, but I don't want to. It will affect the sweetness and color."

Ming Chunxi: "What about the orchard?"

Qing Mengzhu: "He Xi said that Old Xu and the others have a few dogs, so we let the dogs out to herd them. We also put the Guard and Dharma Protector in the orange grove, but they're used to running around, so they definitely won't stay in one place."

Qing Mengzhu sighed, "I saw an owl when I came down the mountain today, and I even fed it some dried meat. You didn't see it, I'm so worried that I'm thinking of having it bring a little owl over and settle it in the orange grove, then the wild birds definitely won't dare to come."

Ming Chunxi thought for a moment, "Why don't we chase the hazel grouse over there? Didn't you say last time that hazel grouse are very fierce?"

Qing Mengzhu's heart skipped a beat. "It seems so. I'll take a look tomorrow."

His hazel grouse are becoming increasingly robust and fat, with many adult hazel grouse weighing over a pound.

This weight is nothing for a domestic chicken, but against a wild bird, it would be a complete disaster, since most wild birds weigh less than a pound.

Hazel grouse are also fierce, and they deal with all kinds of creatures in the bamboo forest year-round, from mountain rats and bamboo worms to grasshoppers and earthworms. There is nothing they dare not attack, and wild birds probably can't beat them.

Hazel grouse are also territorial and will drive away other birds that invade their territory.

Qing Mengzhu thought it over and over and it seemed feasible, "I'll try it tomorrow. If they don't eat the oranges, I'll put them in the orange grove to live temporarily."

Ming Chunxi: "Oranges are too big and have a high water content, so they shouldn't be on their diet."

Qing Mengzhu: "I'll find out when I get there tomorrow."

The next day, Qing Mengzhu actually drove some of the hazel grouse over there.

Keeping hazel groves in the orange grove is simple: just scatter a handful of millet, spreading it out a bit. The hazel groves will slowly peck at the millet and then stay and roam in the orange grove.

After leaving the hazel grove, Qing Mengzhu stayed nearby to observe it.