Chapter 227

As the Lunar New Year approaches, the festive atmosphere in the village is growing stronger.

On the day Qing Mengzhu took Ming Chunxi to have the New Year's Eve dinner, they could smell firecrackers all the way back.

After finishing their reunion dinner, their work for the year was considered complete; the rest of the work would be dealt with after the eighth day of the Lunar New Year.

The farm hasn't closed down; reunion dinners are an important part of its business.

Qing Mengzhu asked Zhou Yan, who, as a master chef and expert manager, said he could handle it and that Zhou Yan Qing Mengzhu and the others didn't need to worry about it.

Qing Mengzhu didn't care.

On the 29th of the lunar year, Ming Lexin finally got a holiday and came to the countryside to celebrate the New Year with them.

Upon meeting, Ming Lexin opened her arms and gave them a hug, then looked around and said, "Long time no see. Why does the yard and house seem to have changed again?"

Qing Mengzhu: "Isn't there road construction going on our mountain? They did some simple renovations on the yard and house, and plastered the exterior walls while they were building the road."

Ming Lexin: "Wow, why haven't I heard you guys mention this?"

Qing Mengzhu: "It was finished in two days. We didn't pay much attention to it during the renovation; we just handed it over to the construction team without saying anything."

Ming Lexin nodded understandingly, then said, "This yard is so beautiful now. You even planted flowers under the wall. What kind of flowers are they? Roses?"

Qing Mengzhu: "I want to make a flower wall."

Qing Mengzhu led Ming Lexin to her room.

Now the guest rooms have carpets, new furniture, and added soft furnishings, giving the whole house a unified style, quite different from the old farmhouse courtyard.

Qing Mengzhu told Ming Lexin to rest first and to wake her up when dinner was served.

Ming Lexin to herself, "I'll take a shower first. I won't go to sleep now; if I sleep too much now, I won't be able to sleep tonight."

Qing Mengzhu noticed that there was a shadow under her eyes, bloodshot eyes, and double eyelid tape on her eyelids. It was probably because poor sleep had affected her eyes, which was why she was paying extra attention to her eye makeup.

Ming Lexin noticed him observing her and smiled, "It's nothing, I'm just busy at the end of the year and have been on several long business trips. I'm getting used to the time difference."

Qing Mengzhu asked, "Are you having trouble sleeping?"

Ming Lexin: "A little, but it's not serious. I'll take good care of myself during the New Year, and it should be fine."

As she spoke, Ming Lexin patted Qing Mengzhu's shoulder. "You two go about your business, don't worry about me, I'm going to lie down after I take a shower."

After being pushed out of the room, Qing Mengzhu thought for a moment and then found Ming Chunxi and told her about Ming Chunxi Ming Lexin's insomnia.

Insomnia is no small matter; it can have a significant impact on health, and Ming Chunxi needs to know this.

Ming Chunxi took out her phone. "Let me see."

Qing Mengzhu was a little puzzled. "What are you looking at? Did you install a surveillance camera on Auntie's phone?"

Ming Chunxi put her arm around Qing Mengzhu and gently pushed his head. "What are you thinking about? Let me check her alternate account. Has she run into any trouble lately? She's not the type to lose sleep over work."

Qing Mengzhu nodded quickly, then whispered, "Wouldn't that be inappropriate? The private information is Auntie's privacy, isn't it? Maybe we shouldn't look at it. Later, I'll go up the mountain and dig up some gastrodia elata to make a soup for Auntie?"

Ming Chunxi paused for a moment. "Alright, we'll ask her when she's ready to talk."

The Gastrodia elata on Qing Mengzhu's mountain has been growing for over a year, and most of them are growing quite well.

Because it was meant to simulate a completely wild environment, Qing Mengzhu planned to wait three years before digging, so she hadn't dug for the past two years.

Gastrodia elata has the effects of protecting nerves, preventing and treating headaches, and improving insomnia. It is suitable to take it as a health supplement on a regular basis. Now that it is Chinese New Year, it is a good time to try it.

The weather isn't very good today; it's only a little past four in the afternoon, and the sky is already a bit foggy.

Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi drove up the mountain to dig for gastrodia elata. Since the road was almost finished, they could just drive up the mountain and park on the side of the road.

The two got out of the car and went into the bamboo forest.

They've been providing plenty of fertilizer and water for the past six months, so not only are the bamboo growing very well, but the weeds in the bamboo grove are also growing very well. As soon as Qing Mengzhu pulled Ming Chunxi over, her trouser legs were covered in beggar-ticks.

Qing Mengzhu used a machete to chop away the weeds by the roadside, muttering, "When spring comes, I'll have to hire someone to clear the weeds."

Ming Chunxi: "Use a lawnmower?"

Qing Mengzhu gestured. "Use one of those portable electric lawnmowers, the kind with a long handle and blades at the end."

Ming Chunxi: "Wouldn't that mean we can't clear away the weeds?"

Qing Mengzhu: "There's no other way; to uproot it completely, we'll have to do it manually."

As they talked, they walked deeper into the bamboo forest and soon arrived at the place where gastrodia elata was grown.

Gastrodia elata and Armillaria mellea live in symbiosis. Armillaria mellea is not visible in winter, and the above-ground parts of Gastrodia elata are not obvious. Qing Mengzhu pushed aside the weeds next to him, dug down along the stem, and soon dug out Gastrodia elata.

Their gastrodia elata weren't very big, only about as thick as a finger, but they had a strong medicinal smell when dug up.

Qing Mengzhu dug out the gastrodia elata from the dark soil, smelled it under her nose, and then let Ming Chunxi smell it.

Ming Chunxi frowned. "The smell of medicine is so strong."

Qing Mengzhu: "Yes, it's now of 'Fine Grade+' quality?"

Qing Mengzhu glanced at it, feeling a bit incredulous, and confirmed again. "Yes, it's 'Fine Grade+' quality. I remember when we planted it, this batch of Gastrodia elata seeds was only 'Good Grade+' quality?"

Ming Chunxi: "So much difference?"

Qing Mengzhu: "Perhaps it grew in a bamboo forest and was affected by the Soil Fertility Restoration Agent and the Spirit Spring Water, or perhaps it was because it was already very close to being of 'Fine Grade' quality at the time, but I didn't realize it then."

Ming Chunxi: "That's also possible."

Qing Mengzhu: "That's unbelievable."

Ming Chunxi: "Let's go, take some back and try it."

Chapter 227

Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi dug up some Gastrodia elata and caught a hazel grouse, planning to take it home to make Gastrodia elata and hazel grouse soup.

On the way down the mountain, Qing Mengzhu went back to her own field and picked a small bagful of strawberries.

Previously, their family would pick strawberries from the company's field, but they found that picking strawberries like that was not profitable. Picking a few occasionally was fine, but picking them every day was inconvenient. So, Qing Mengzhu transplanted some strawberry seedlings to their own field.

He only planted a small plot of strawberries, just enough for his own family to eat.

These strawberries taste even better than the ones from the company; they're big, sweet, and soft, and each bite is bursting with sweet, rich juice.

Now, Qing Mengzhu only eats strawberries from her own garden and won't eat any other strawberries.

Ming Lexin came over today, Qing Mengzhu guessed she would like these soft and juicy berries, so she thought of picking some to take back for her to try.

Ming Lexin hadn't slept. Hearing them return, she went out to greet them.

Upon seeing their hands laden with vegetables, Ming Lexin exclaimed, "Homegrown vegetables are so good! These are incredibly fresh!"

Seeing that Ming Lexin wanted to take the vegetables, Qing Mengzhu handed her the strawberries in her hand. "Auntie, have some strawberries. These are also homegrown and haven't been sprayed with many pesticides."

Ming Lexin: "I heard that strawberries are particularly delicate. Won't bugs eat them if they're not sprayed with pesticides?"

Qing Mengzhu: "We clean out the insect eggs before planting each crop, and we also use insect traps regularly, and occasionally spray some herbal medicine, so it's not a big problem."

Ming Lexin smiled and said, "That's great! I'll go get a pretty plate to put these beautiful strawberries on."

Ming Lexin washed the strawberries and fed one each to Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi, then found a chair and sat down in the yard.

She had wanted to help with making dinner, Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi said it wasn't necessary and told her to rest, so she just sat there.

Ming Lexin had only been sitting for a short while when two dogs, along with a red fox and an otter, came over begging for strawberries.

She wasn't sure if she could give them the strawberries, so she asked Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi first. Only after they said it was okay did she give the strawberries to the little ones.

The little ones were well-behaved; after eating the strawberries, they let you pet them, lying motionless on the side.