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Ming Chunxi: "Okay."

Qing Mengzhu weighed the Solomon's Seal in her hand before putting it in the basket. "When I have more free time in a couple of days, I'll go up the mountain to dig up a batch and try the nine-steaming and nine-drying process. We haven't tried processing medicinal herbs before."

Ming Chunxi reached out and pulled him. "Should we ask someone to?"

Qing Mengzhu: "Go ahead and ask. I heard that we'll need to use some wine. We'll see if we can use our own brewed wine; our wine is of better quality. But both Polygonatum and wine are valuable ingredients, so we need to figure things out before we start making it. We can't waste them."

They had a good harvest of rice this year and brewed a lot of wine, including yellow wine. It wouldn't be difficult to extract some of that wine to distill the Solomon's seal.

Qing Mengzhu led Ming Chunxi through the bamboo forest, and they quickly dug up enough Solomon's Seal.

On the way down the mountain, Qing Mengzhu asked Ming Chunxi to go to the terraced fields where Sichuan pepper was planted, intending to pick some Sichuan pepper and leaves left on the trees to take back and cook.

Before leaving, they picked some lemons, which are excellent for dipping sauces or making drinks; they should come in handy later.

The two returned with baskets full of their purchases. Zhao Hexi had originally thought they had taken a bit too long.

When they came over and saw what was in their baskets, Zhao Hexi reached out and took a piece of Solomon's Seal: "Have the Solomon's Seal grown this big on the mountain?"

Qing Mengzhu: "It's not surprising that it's grown this big after several years."

Zhao Hexi: "Then I'll take it to Brother Zhou to make bone broth. You guys take a rest, it's almost time to eat."

Qing Mengzhu: "Let's go wash our hands and change our clothes."

Everyone was still there, either helping out with the cooking or sitting on the sidelines chatting and basking in the sun.

When Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi arrived, everyone either raised their hands to greet them or gestured with their eyes, but didn't pay much attention to them and quickly continued chatting.

Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi went back to their room to take a shower, changed their clothes, and came out to sunbathe next to Zhao Hexi and the others.

The whole backyard was filled with aromas—the aroma of stir-fried dishes, the aroma of bone broth, the aroma of fried meat. It was incredibly pleasant to bask in the sun amidst these fragrances.

Qing Mengzhu leaned against Ming Chunxi's knees, playing with his fingers, feeling a peaceful sense of happiness.

Soon, the food was ready, and Zhou Yan and the others called out loudly for everyone to come and eat.

Qing Mengzhu's family didn't have enough bowls, and they were too lazy to wash them, so they took disposable bowls and chopsticks to serve the rice, dishes, and soup.

The ingredients that were in the field just a few hours ago have now become dishes in the pot, and the fragrant aroma makes everyone involuntarily sniff the air.

Qing Mengzhu first took a sip of the Polygonatum and Pork Bone Soup: "Delicious and sweet!"

Ming Chunxi also took a sip, without saying a word. He nudged Ming Chunxi's foot with his own, and Ming Chunxi said, "Delicious."

Qing Mengzhu: "Quickly try the stir-fried lily bulbs. Lily bulbs are delicious, and they're also sweet and fresh."

Ming Chunxi ate a piece, her eyes crinkling into a smile, "Mmm."

Zhao Hexi exclaimed from the side, "You guys have to try this pork rib stew with sauerkraut and blood sausage! My goodness, it's so delicious!"

Chu Yanhuan ate heartily. "It tastes a bit like Northeastern Chinese cuisine, but Brother Zhou's cooking is even better; it's so fresh and fragrant."

Zhao Hexi: "This fragrance is so strong it's almost overwhelming."

Wu Yi said slowly, "It's a pity there wasn't enough time, and today's pork stew is rather rustic. Otherwise, if Master had made stuffed pig's trotters, that would have been absolutely amazing."

Zhao Hexi and Chu Yanhuan's eyes lit up simultaneously. "How do you make stuffed pig's trotters?"

Wu Yi gestured. "It's pig's trotters. Pig's trotters are rich in collagen, right? They taste very fragrant, but a bit greasy, and the bones inside are big. My master used to make a stuffed pig's trotter dish, which involved removing the bones, stuffing them with other meat, and then stewing them..."

Wu Yi: "When it's ready to be served, the whole kitchen smells amazing. This dish should be eaten while it's hot. Take a bite of this big pork knuckle, and you'll find the skin is soft, tender, and smooth, and underneath is meat with various textures. It's fatty but not greasy. After taking a big bite, tilting your head back and exhaling, your mouth is filled with fragrance, it's incredibly delicious."

Seeing Wu Yi's blissful expression with his eyes narrowed, Zhao Hexi and Chu Yanhuan were also envious. They asked Zhou Yan, who was standing behind Wu Yi, "Brother Zhou, is it true?"

Zhou Yan: "Pretty much. I haven't had this dish in a long time either. When we get back, I'll have Wu Yi make it for you to try."

Wu Yi then noticed his master standing behind him and wailed, "Master, making this dish will take five hours of overtime!"

Zhou Yan calmly replied, "That's a good opportunity for me to get some practice."

Qing Mengzhu, who had been listening intently with her eyes lit up, immediately raised her hand upon hearing this. "I can sponsor the ingredients!"

Ming Chunxi: "I'll cover the expenses."

Zhao Hexi also raised her hand high. "I, I'll go first and help taste it!"

Chu Yanhuan swallowed the lion's head meatball in his mouth. "Me too!"

Everyone burst into laughter at Wu Yi's sullen expression.

We won't be able to eat Wu Yi's stuffed pig's trotters for now. After killing the pig, Qing Mengzhu and the others will first dry the cured meat.

This time, Zhou Yan helped with the marinating again. There were two flavors: spicy and non-spicy. They used their own spice powder and white wine. Even before drying, the meat had a strong aroma.

Smelling the aroma, Qing Mengzhu said to Ming Chunxi, "This year's cured meat will definitely be delicious."

Ming Chunxi: "Brother Zhou's skills are as good as ever. I'll go up the mountain with you to cut bamboo tomorrow."

Qing Mengzhu jumped onto Ming Chunxi's back. "Let's cut a few more, so we can dry them together with the vegetables later."

It's also the season for making preserved mustard greens now. We harvest the "Fine Grade" mustard greens that have been exposed to frost and snow, score them with crosses, and then hang them on racks to dry.

After being exposed to sunlight and the north wind, their bitterness dissipates and transforms into a sweet and fragrant taste.

When the Lunar New Year comes, we'll collect these dried plum vegetables. They're delicious whether stir-fried with meat, braised pork belly, or simply stir-fried on their own.

As Qing Mengzhu thought this, she remembered the first batch of dried plum vegetables they ate last year.

After the first batch of preserved mustard greens was harvested, he and Ming Chunxi took them to the kitchen and used lard, along with their shredded ginger, minced garlic, and chopped red chili peppers, to sauté them until fragrant. Then they added the preserved mustard greens and stir-fried them over high heat.

The preserved mustard greens, having absorbed the aroma of lard, ginger, garlic, and red chili flakes, are stir-fried until glossy and fragrant with a sweet aftertaste. Before serving, they are sprinkled with a handful of vibrant green garlic shoots and placed on a snow-white plate. The aroma is incredibly appetizing.

Stir-fried preserved mustard greens paired with their own oily and fragrant rice; the spicy and sweet black preserved mustard greens and the snow-white and shiny white rice, the aroma of the two intertwined. Qing Mengzhu ate three bowls of rice by herself. After eating, she had to go upstairs to lift weights for several days in a row to burn off the calories.

With anticipation for the cured meat and dried plum vegetables, Qing Mengzhu took Ming Chunxi up the mountain early the next morning.

As soon as they stepped outside, they saw Zhao Hexi driving up.

Zhao Hexi poked his head out and greeted them, "Are you going up the mountain so early in the morning? To dig for winter bamboo shoots?"

Now, the hazelnuts and cattle belonging to the Qing Mengzhu family have been handed over to a specialist for management, so they generally don't need to go up the mountain.

Ming Chunxi stopped the truck, Qing Mengzhu leaned out to chat with Zhao Hexi: "No, we need to cut bamboo to build racks to dry cured meat and mustard greens."

Zhao Hexi felt a pang of heartache. "Such good bamboo, and you just cut it down to dry things?"

Qing Mengzhu: "We'll always need bamboo, right? After we finish drying everything, we can burn it into bamboo charcoal to use for growing flowers. We need to get a new batch of bamboo charcoal for our plants."

Zhao Hexi: "Okay, your bamboo charcoal makes the flowers look really beautiful."

Qing Mengzhu retorted, "What are you doing here?"

Zhao Hexi: "I'm inspecting the farmland, and I also want to discuss this year's membership with you."

Qing Mengzhu, "You go ahead and inspect the area. We'll come down and discuss things after we've finished cutting the bamboo. If you come back first, make yourself some tea and wait for us while you drink it."

Zhao Hexi listened to his well-organized arrangements and had no objections. "Okay, you guys go ahead, I'll wait for you at home."

Qing Mengzhu goodbye to Zhao Hexi and drove their small truck up the mountain.

Qing Mengzhu knew exactly which bamboo on the mountain could be cut and which couldn't. After they went up the mountain, they easily cut down the bamboo they wanted with a chainsaw.