Joe's Farming

When Qiao Yu heard Gu Feng say there were bamboos on the mountain, she asked him to take her there.

Qiao Yu said, "You cut bamboo and I'll dig bamboo shoots. Winter bamboo shoots start to sprout in this season, and I haven't eaten them for a long time. Let's go quickly."

Gu Feng originally thought that his husband had been setting up a stall every day during this period, and wanted him to have a good rest at home. In the end, he couldn't persuade him anymore, so he had to hold his husband's hand and go up the mountain.

The two walked for an hour before they arrived at the place. The bamboo forest was larger than Qiao Yu had imagined. Because it was sparsely populated, the bamboo forest grew densely.

Gu Feng said seriously: "I will chop here and you dig beside me."

Qiao Yu nodded vigorously, holding the machete and started looking for bamboo shoots on the ground.

Qiao Yu came here purely to relax today, so he was leisurely and not in a hurry. Even if he found a bamboo shoot, he would first grope his way to the bottom and then pull out the whole fat shoot without rashly cutting it. Then he would slowly peel off the thick outer shells of the bamboo shoot skin.

After finding more than a dozen bamboo shoots, Gu Feng had already cut two bamboos and removed the branches and tops. The bamboos were large, so Gu Feng planned to carry two back at a time. When Qiao Yu heard her husband calling, she stood up with a sense of unfulfilled desire.

Gu Feng carried the bamboo on his shoulder with one hand, and Qiao Yu ran over to follow.

Because Qiao Yu was resting today and in a good mood, he looked around as if he was sightseeing on the way back. It was also because of Qiao Yu's extra glances that he found a few shrubs on the sunny hillside halfway along the way. The branches had short thorns, and the bases of the thorns on the twigs were wide, flat and long triangles. The small purple-red fruits were densely hung, and some of the fruits were sunburned and burst, revealing the black seeds inside.

"Ah!" Qiao Yu screamed. He knew that this world even had chili peppers, so how could there be no Sichuan peppercorns? In his own world, Sichuan peppercorns were the native spice.

Gu Feng asked hurriedly: "Qiao'er, what's wrong?"

Qiao Yu walked quickly to the pepper tree and was about to pick some with her hands when Gu Feng grabbed her hand.

Gu Feng: "Qiao'er, don't touch it. This tree is very prickly and it hurts. And the fruit can't be eaten."

Qiao Yu waved her hands and said happily, "I've seen this thing in a book. It's called Sichuan pepper, a spice, just like chili peppers, and it's delicious when used in cooking. Husband, do you believe me?"

"Of course I believe you."

"Then my husband, help me pick some of these, and some leaves too. Watch out for the thorns. We'll go to the creek and catch some crayfish later, and I'll make you some delicious spicy crayfish." Qiao Yu quickly picked a few large leaves nearby and used them as containers for peppercorns. Today's luck is too good. Peppercorns are ripe at this time of year. If they are any later, they will fall to the ground and not only will they be inedible, but the bare pepper tree itself will be unrecognizable. When the new house is built, let my husband dig one and plant it in the yard.

Qiao Yu squeezed the pepper fruit a little, and the aroma was even more stimulating than the Da Hong Pao that she had bought in Shu before. Love it.

Seeing her husband happy, Gu Feng imitated Qiao Yu and started picking fruits. After a while, he picked a small bunch. But Qiao Yu thought it was not enough, so Gu Feng swung his scimitar and cut off a few branches with many fruits.

Qiao Yu estimated that it would not be a problem to eat until winter, so she urged Gu Feng to go home.

With such fresh branches, I will go back and try to propagate them by cuttings. If they survive, I will get more and transplant them to the ground next spring.

Fresh Sichuan peppercorns are very fragrant when fried with sesame oil, and they are also delicious when mixed with vegetables and noodles. People here don't eat Sichuan peppercorns, probably because the local Sichuan peppercorns are more spicy than the ones Qiao Yu knows, and they don't eat them as seasonings. When I make spicy stewed dishes and gradually promote them, Sichuan peppercorns will definitely be accepted by more people.

Gu Feng was happy to see that his husband's mouth was always up and never down. His husband was always so easy to satisfy. Is this pepper really edible? He had tried it out of curiosity before, but his whole mouth was numb. He didn't want to endure the taste again. But he trusted his husband unconditionally. He said he had seen it in a book, so it must be a good thing.

Qiao Yu hummed a song and returned home carrying bamboo shoots and half a basket of peppercorns.

-

When Qiao Yu got home, Lin Da had already sent everyone back home. Wang Jie was helping Wen Ge'er wash the pig's offal in the backyard, while Uncle Wang was in the main room teaching the three children the names of their new playmates.

When the children saw Qiao Yu coming back, they gathered around him and talked for a long time, mainly sharing interesting things that happened in the village. Qiao Xing didn't say much, only adding a sentence or two after Gu Xiaoxue and Gu Xiaoyan had finished speaking.

They should have come back earlier, but the old man had a good temper. Seeing that they were having fun with their new friends, he chatted with other old people at the entrance of the village and waited until they had enough fun and saw Lin Da's ox cart before coming back together.

Wen Ge'er also smiled and said that when he came back, he saw the three children and a group of children in the village having fun. Xiaoyan was the youngest and had always been protected by his older brothers and sisters. Qiao Xing was the best and knew how to play many games, such as hopscotch, hide-and-seek, and statues. He and Qiao Ge'er had never played such games before.

Qiao Yu touched the heads of each of them, and then asked them if they wanted to go catch crayfish with their daddy.

When the three children heard this, their eyes lit up. They quickly told the old man that they would learn later and ran after Gu Feng.

Wang Jie was a little confused after hearing this and looked at Wen Ge'er: "What is a crayfish? A crayfish?"

Wen Geer smiled and said, "Yes. Qiao Geer is really good and his crayfish are especially delicious."

Wang Jie also laughed: "Everything Qiao Ge cooks tastes good."

Wen Geer whispered: "What about what I did?"

Wang Jie immediately said, "Brother Wen's cooking is also delicious. All the guests praised it today."

Brother Wen said with a little pride: "That's Brother Qiao's recipe is good."

-

After washing the pig's offal, Wang Jie said he was going home and brought over the tofu he would use tomorrow. Qiao Yu paid Wang Jie 40 wen for today's work and told him that he would help build the house tomorrow. Wang Jie kept saying yes, looking at Wen Ge'er, hesitant to say anything, and finally left without saying anything.

Qiao Yu asked Wen Ge'er curiously, "Is there something going on between you two?"

Brother Wen buried his head almost in his neck and whispered, "What's going on? I don't understand."

Qiao Yu grabbed Wen Ge'er's hand and asked directly, "Is that boy interested in you?"

Brother Wen was stunned and stammered, "Don't...don't talk nonsense. He didn't say anything."

Qiao Yu touched Wen Ge'er's head and said with a smile: "Why are you scared? It's nothing. What's important is what do you mean to him?"

"I... I don't know." Wen Ge'er said uneasily. He had never met a man like Wang Jie, passionate and direct. He only knew that he didn't dislike him, and even liked working with him. But he wasn't sure if he liked him.

Qiao Yu had just picked all the peppercorns and was about to cut some branches for cuttings, so he asked Wen Ge'er to hold them for him. Then he asked Wen Ge'er, "Do you know the two sons of the village chief?"

Wen Ge'er imitated Qiao Ge'er and inserted the diagonally cut pepper branches into the soil. He replied puzzledly: "I know him, what's the matter?"

Qiao Yu interrupted and said, "Are you interested in them?"

Brother Wen said loudly, "Why would I be interested in them? I have no interest in them."

"Hahaha, then think again, what is the difference between your attitude towards Wang Jie and them?" Qiao Yu watered the grafted seedlings again before pulling Wen Ge'er up.

"Will you work with other men? Will you be mean to other men? Will you mention someone's name unconsciously when you talk?" Qiao Yu asked three times in a row, which made Wen Ge'er dumbfounded. Wasn't he like this to Wang Jie? So this was why he was interested in him?

Wen Ge'er pinched his fingers and asked sincerely: "What should I do?"

Qiao Yu was happy: "You two are both unmarried, so of course you should let nature take its course and wait for him to propose. You are still young, so you can focus on your career first and then get married. You can also observe him more. It won't be too late to talk about this in two years."

Wen Ge'er: "But I'm already sixteen this year, and I'm the only one in the village who hasn't got an engagement. I'm a little scared."

It was the first time that Qiao Yu saw Wen Ge'er so listless. In his heart, although Wen Ge'er was relatively introverted, he was his first friend in this world. He had a kind character and seemed to have endless energy every day. He was a little sun that radiated positive energy at all times.

Now seeing that Little Sun’s eyes have dimmed, I realize that not every guy of this era is as lucky as him.

Qiao Yu said gently, "Don't be afraid. I think Wang Jie is a reliable person, and Aunt Shi's family is easy to get along with. If you really want to get married soon, I will go and find out what his family is saying. You are my best friend, and I hope you live a happy life. But you see, you earn more than any man in the village every day now, and it will increase in the future. By then, the people who want to get engaged to your family will definitely line up all the way to Taoyuan Town. Don't you really want to consider it two years later?"

Wen Ge'er shook his head shyly, "I don't know why I became a different person when I was with Wang Jie. I talk a lot when I'm with him. When I work with him, time seems to pass very quickly, as if we have to separate after just a short while together. Now I know, this is love. If he likes me too, I'm lucky. Many girls don't know what their future husbands will be like before they get married."

This was probably the first time that Wen Ge'er said so many words in a row. Qiao Yu looked at him and his face turned red like an apple: "Don't worry, I'll take care of it. As long as you don't regret it." After all, in Qiao Yu's previous world, sixteen years old was really too young, and he didn't want his good friend to have any regrets.

Wen Ge'er's eyes were firm: "I know what I want."