Chapter 216

Ming Chunxi pulled him to sit down on the withered bamboo leaves. "Let's rest for a bit."

Qing Mengzhu didn't mind the dirt on the ground, so she sat down, enjoyed the breeze for a while, and then called Zhao Hexi.

Zhao Hexi didn't answer, so he simply leaned against Ming Chunxi and sent a message to Zhao Hexi.

Zhao Hexi replied quickly: [I'm not eating. I have a cold, my nose is stuffy, I have a cough and a sore throat, I can't eat.]

Qing Mengzhu: [Are you cold?]

Zhao Hexi: [It shouldn't be, Brother Zhou and the others have also caught a cold. I guess it's the flu?]

Qing Mengzhu: [Have you taken your medicine? Should I make you some fresh bamboo sap?]

Zhao Hexi: [Yes! I wanted to drink fresh bamboo juice the day before yesterday, but you guys weren't here, and I was too lazy to go up the mountain to cut bamboo and brew it.]

Qing Mengzhu comforted him, "[Then we'll cut some bamboo down while we're at it. Come over and eat; we'll keep it light today.]"

After Qing Mengzhu finished texting Zhao Hexi, she turned her phone to show Ming Chunxi: "He Xi said he caught a cold, we need to make some fresh bamboo sap."

Ming Chunxi: "I'll go to the cowshed to get a machete."

Qing Mengzhu, "It's good that we cut down the bamboo where we need to build the road; it'll save us from having to cut down bamboo again later."

Ming Chunxi looked at the bamboo forest. "We should cut from the bottom up; it'll be easier to control the cuts that way."

Qing Mengzhu: "Alright, that means we can carry the bamboo a little less distance."

The two men cut down two bamboo stalks, carried them down the mountain, and then drove their pickup truck home.

Zhao Hexi came over and waited in the courtyard.

Qing Mengzhu was a little surprised. "How did you get in?"

Zhao Hexi hugged the Guard: "The Dharma Protector Guard are all here. The courtyard wasn't locked, so I just pushed the door open and came in."

Meeting Qing Mengzhu's gaze, the Guard barked, "Woof!"

Qing Mengzhu smiled and said, "Then sit for a while, we'll go to the backyard to brew some fresh bamboo sap."

Zhao Hexi, with his hands in his pockets, said listlessly, "I'll come too, let's warm ourselves by the fire."

They all went to the backyard, and the two dogs stood up and joined them.

Qing Mengzhu arranged the charcoal, set up the frame, and picked up an axe to prepare to chop the bamboo.

Ming Chunxi was chopping another bamboo pole nearby.

Qing Mengzhu was used to doing manual labor, and splitting bamboo didn't require much skill; all she had to do was aim at the middle and split the bamboo in half.

His hand didn't shake; he chopped very accurately, without hitting any other spots.

Unexpectedly, the bamboo split open with a single chop, and water gushed out, dripping onto the ground.

As soon as Qing Mengzhu saw the dripping water, she instinctively grabbed a bowl to catch it, managing to fill it almost halfway.

Zhao Hexi: "Huh, why is there water inside the bamboo? Did rainwater seep in?"

After the water dripped completely, Qing Mengzhu split the bamboo open. "It doesn't seem so; this is water stored within the bamboo nodes themselves."

Zhao Hexi: "Huh? Bamboo can store water?"

Qing Mengzhu: "Yes, bamboo roots sometimes absorb a lot of water, which is stored in the bamboo nodes. Sometimes, water can also seep out during bamboo respiration and metabolism, and then be stored in the bamboo nodes. In addition, if there is a large temperature difference between the inside and outside of the bamboo, water may condense inside the bamboo."

Qing Mengzhu an intermediate-level skill book on bamboo cultivation and has a relatively clear understanding of bamboo.

Zhao Hexi looked at the clear water curiously. "Is this water drinkable?"

Qing Mengzhu picked up the bowl and handed it over. "Yes, it's all sterile. Would you like some?"

Zhao Hexi nodded, took the bowl, and took a sip.

Looking at his expression, Qing Mengzhu smiled and asked, "How was it?"

Zhao Hexi glanced at Qing Mengzhu, somewhat hesitantly. "I wonder if it's just my imagination? But I feel like this water tastes really good?"

Qing Mengzhu: "Hmm?"

Zhao Hexi took another sip. "It tastes better than well water, sweet and refreshing, very smooth on the palate. After drinking it, it seems like my throat doesn't hurt anymore."

Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi exchanged a glance, then Qing Mengzhu picked up a bamboo section and drank the remaining water droplets from it. "I'll try."

The water droplets inside the bamboo joints, once tasted, were indeed sweet, mellow, and refreshing—quite delightful.

Qing Mengzhu handed the bamboo section to Ming Chunxi: "Why don't you try it?"

Ming Chunxi tasted two drops of water from the spot where Qing Mengzhu had drunk from, and nodded, saying, "It tastes better than well water."

Qing Mengzhu stared at the water droplets, a question arising in her mind—well water is Spirit Spring Water, and the water inside the bamboo tastes better than well water; could its quality be even higher than Spirit Spring Water?

Chapter 216

Everyone stood before the bamboo joints, lost in thought.

Looking at the bamboo tube left after drinking the water from the bamboo joint, Qing Mengzhu's mind raced with a series of thoughts, and she thought of many things in an instant.

Unable to bear the atmosphere, Zhao Hexi raised his hand and said, "Since bamboo water tastes better than well water, why don't we collect some and try it?"

Qing Mengzhu: "Bamboo joint water is not easy to collect; I estimate that there are still few bamboos with bamboo joint water."

Zhao Hexi: "There are some available, why don't we give it a try?"

Qing Mengzhu seemed genuinely interested in the bamboo-joint water, and turned to look at Ming Chunxi, as if asking if she wanted to try it.

Ming Chunxi: "Then let's give it a try."

Zhao Hexi raised her hand. "You guys want to go up the mountain to collect bamboo sap now, and I'll brew the fresh bamboo juice? I've brewed it so many times, I already know how."

Seeing that he had volunteered, Qing Mengzhu readily agreed, "Alright, let's go up the mountain again."

Without further ado, Qing Mengzhu pulled Ming Chunxi up the mountain to start looking for bamboo-joint water.

When you tap a bamboo section that is wet, the sound is different from that of a bamboo section that is dry.

Qing Mengzhu and the others kept knocking, from the foot of the mountain to the mountainside, and they actually found another bamboo that stored water from the bamboo joints.

The two avoided the bamboo nodes that held water and cut the bamboo down.

Once you have the experience, finding bamboo sections with water becomes much easier.

After searching for half an hour, Qing Mengzhu and the others found two more bamboo sections that were still wet.

Together they cut down the bamboo, tied the three bamboo stalks together with bamboo branches, and then carried them down the mountain.

Zhao Hexi had already brewed the fresh bamboo juice and drank a bowl of it while it was still hot; his hoarse voice was much better now.

Upon seeing the two men return in their pickup truck carrying bamboo, Zhao Hexi's eyes lit up, and he waved vigorously. "You found bamboo with water on it?"

Qing Mengzhu: "Found it, bring a clean basin to collect it."

Zhao Hexi dashed into the kitchen. "Could you find a large soup bowl to catch this?"

Qing Mengzhu: "Okay, as long as the basin is big enough."

Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi carried bamboo to the well and pumped water to wash the bamboo.

After cleaning the dust off the bamboo and drying it, you won't bring any impurities into the newly collected water when you fetch water later.

While they were cleaning the bamboo, Zhou Yan and Chu Yanhuan came over with tea, snacks, and strawberries.

Qing Mengzhu planned to use bamboo-joint water to brew tea, and specially invited the two of them to come and drink tea as well, so that they could taste this unique tea.

Both of them were very interested and came over without saying a word.

Chu Yanhuan rushed in carrying a basket of strawberries and said to Ming Chunxi as soon as he saw him, "Senior brother, I don't count as leaving early today, do I?"

Ming Chunxi: "No."

Chu Yanhuan made a heart shape with his hands and said with a grin, "It's so great to hang out with my senior brother!"

Zhou Yan put down the freshly made tea and snacks, walked to the bamboo, and asked in a slightly hoarse voice, "What does the water inside the bamboo taste like?"

Qing Mengzhu recalled the taste of bamboo-joint water, "It's hard to describe, sweet and fragrant, with a smooth texture? You'll know when I take it out, Brother Zhou."

After saying that, Qing Mengzhu turned to look at him and said, "The fresh bamboo juice is ready, Brother Zhou, you should have a bowl first."

Zhao Hexi: "I'll go get it; it shouldn't be completely cold yet."

Chu Yanhuan washed the strawberries and came out, eating them while squatting to the side watching. The sweet aroma of strawberries filled half the yard.

Ming Chunxi gently kicked his foot, signaling him to move away so as not to splash strawberry juice over.

Qing Mengzhu and the others had already collected water from bamboo joints once before, so they were experienced. This time, instead of splitting the bamboo directly, they made a hole at the water-filled bamboo joint and poured out the water.