My village can't be like this

Chapter 656: Mountain Food
Taoist Priest Zhang’s full name is Zhang Renli, and he is a legitimate member of the Zhang family.

However, Zhang An had never seen this elder, because when he was born, Taoist Zhang had already passed away.

In the past, he had heard from the elders of the tribe that this elder had lost his father when he was young and his mother remarried very early.

Only the three-year-old boy was left behind, and was eventually accepted as a disciple by the senior Taoist priest.

Sanqing Temple is just a small Taoist temple in the mountains, and it is not as popular as those famous temples.

Therefore, the disciples in the temple have always been passed down from one line to another. In the earliest times, disciples could even be selected.

Later, after great changes in the mountains and rivers, he even lost the qualification to select disciples. It was all thanks to the previous master who, by chance, adopted some abandoned children as disciples to carry on the sect's incense.

It is said that this has been the case for almost all the recent generations of disciples, up to Zhang Yixing's generation.

The reason why we only adopted one person was because life was really difficult in the past, and adopting one person was already the limit.

The former Taoist priest Zhang was also a man of martial arts skills. In that era when bandits were rampant, he was considered the patron saint of Changqing Village.

Because of his presence, people in the village were rarely robbed by bandits coming down the mountain.

In addition, they are both descendants of the Zhang family and have the same blood passed down from their ancestors flowing in their bodies. Therefore, the people in the village have always respected him very much.

Therefore, Zhang Yixing, who was later accepted as a disciple by Taoist Master Zhang, also adhered to the tradition of his master and helped the villagers solve their problems today.

It was not until the new society, when everyone's lives stabilized and had new guarantees, that Zhang and his party began to travel.

Therefore, rather than being a Taoist temple in Changqing Village, Sanqing Temple is more like an ancestral hall of the Zhang family in Changqing.

Zhang An came to the tomb of Taoist Zhang and found that the area around the tomb had been cleaned up. The traces of the cleaning were very recent, and it seemed that someone had just been there today.

Although Zhang An didn't know whether Zhang and his party had come to pay their respects, it was certain that many people from the village had come.

Because there are already several white paper banners on the grave.

In front of the tomb there were smoking incense sticks and candles that had been blown out by the mountain wind. There were some firecracker debris left in the open space next to it.

Speaking of which, Taoist Master Zhang has passed away in the West District for many years, and this tomb is just a small mound of earth. After all, people's living conditions were like that in the past, and even if someone wanted to build a better tomb for Taoist Master Zhang, they were powerless to do so.

However, even though it is just a small mound, people who come here to worship will add soil and repair it every year.

To this day, this small mound-like tomb has not collapsed, just like before.

Zhang An followed custom, added a handful of new soil, and then placed the offerings.

After lighting the incense and hanging the paper, he knelt down respectfully and kowtowed several times.

Finally, just before leaving, I lit the firecrackers I brought with me, and didn't leave until they were over.

When Zhang An returned home, Uncle Zhang had already told everyone that the whole family had decided to go to the mountains for dinner today.

No one had any objection to this, and instead they started discussing it with great interest, because no one had been to the mountains to eat for several years.

"Uncle, there's nothing for us to do at home anyway, why don't we go to the mountain first? I plan to lead a sheep over to pay tribute to Xiao An's grandparents today."

Although it is still early, Zhang Jianguo has already planned to take some people to the mountain to make preparations.

Even when he went to the mountain in the past, the most he would do was kill a few chickens for worship. But today, Zhang Jianguo not only wanted to kill a few roosters, he also planned to slaughter a sheep.

Compared to killing chickens, slaughtering sheep is definitely a troublesome task, so you need to go to the mountain early to prepare.

Whether it is digging an earthen stove or boiling water and slaughtering sheep, it will take a lot of time.

"Why don't we just forget about it this year and wait until next year."

Upon hearing this, Mr. Zhang did not agree directly, but instead tried to persuade Zhang Jianguo.

It's not that he disagrees to lead the sheep, but the main reason is that everyone has worked together during the Qingming Festival, and they didn't mention leading the sheep when they discussed it yesterday, so only they can provide the sheep.

So Mr. Zhang thought that he would wait until next year and discuss it in front of everyone, so that everyone could have a share.

"Second Grandpa, we don't have to wait until next year for this. It's just a sheep. We have so many at home, and we don't sell them normally, so we can't eat them all."

Before Zhang Jianguo could speak, Zhang An started talking with a smile.

In his heart, he agreed with his father's idea very much, but he had never thought of it before and didn't think of it for a while.

Moreover, there is a mountain spring stream near the graves of Zhang An’s grandparents.

To slaughter a sheep there, you just need to jump over and boil the water. It's very convenient.

"Since both of you have said so, then let's do it this way."

The two people who were in charge of the family had spoken now, and Mr. Zhang stopped talking.

So Zhang An went home to lead the sheep, and several uncles and aunts took the rooster and the iron pot, and quickly took some things to the mountain.

Of course, there are still some people left at home to wash and cut the necessary ingredients and then take them to the mountain later.

Although there is water there, many things are still more convenient to do at home.

When they arrived at the mountain, some people started digging an earthen stove, collecting firewood and fetching water, while the others went to hang paper for Zhang An's grandparents.

Half an hour later, the paper hangings were completed for the two elders, and the rooster and sheep they had brought had been slaughtered.

After a while, the water on the fire was boiling and it was time to start cleaning up the sheep and a few roosters.

There is no need to worry about the rooster, as everyone present will take care of it. However, the sheep can only be handed over to Zhang An’s second uncle Zhang Jianjun.

Because in this whole family, he is the only one who can clean up this thing.

After the sheep were processed, Zhang Jianzhong brought a group of people to the mountain, carrying the ingredients prepared at home, including oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, etc.

There were only a few people left at home at this moment. They were waiting for school to finish and then bring the children to the mountain together.

"Hey, you guys are quite quick. You finished it so quickly. Leave the rest to me."

Looking at the big fat sheep that had been cleaned and gutted, Zhang Jianzhong became interested. This is the most basic respect a chef has for the ingredients.

The reason why Zhang An insisted on slaughtering a sheep was because he had a very skilled chef at home.

Afterwards, Zhang Jianzhong took a knife and cut the sheep into pieces, and then handed it to Zhang An's aunts to slice and cut into pieces.

Three stoves were dug in the dam below and enough firewood was collected.

He took one bite for himself and used it to cook the mutton. Wang Fang and a few sisters-in-law had already started cooking for the remaining two bites.

It was only three o'clock in the afternoon. At the current speed, it would be basically done by four or five o'clock. By then, the children would be here after school, so it would be just in time for dinner.

In the spring, the mountains are quiet with fewer insects and birds singing. But today is Qingming Festival, and the mountains are much more lively. You can hear the sound of firecrackers coming from other places anytime and anywhere.

At this moment in the valley, in addition to the sound of firecrackers that came and went, there were also bursts of tempting aromas of cooking.

"The water in the bucket is gone. Go get some people to fetch some water."

The people who were busy cooking found that the water they had just brought was used up, so they shouted to the people who were doing nothing and setting up the Dragon Gate Formation nearby.

"Got it. Let's go now."

There is no doubt that Zhang An will speak first.

After all, you are young and of a younger generation, so you should do more.

The others were also some of the younger uncles among Zhang An.

Soon, pots of dishes were cooked and all put into the basin.

We are all family, so there is no need to use any plates or large bowls.

And in the mountains, using basins is the most convenient.

At this time, little Siqi had already smelled the scent and ran over to find his grandparents.

You know what, he was quite happy, taking a bite here and there. Even before mealtime, he was already eating with gusto.

Half an hour after school was over, Zhang Tie and his group of kids also arrived.

Just in time, all the dishes were ready, even the big iron pot of mutton stewing on the fire was emitting a rich aroma, proving that it was cooked through.

"Okay, our family is here, let's get ready to eat."

Uncle Zhang looked at his large group of nephews, nieces, and grandchildren in the dam, and the smile on his face never stopped for a second.

After the old man's suggestion, everyone gathered around two or three tables.

At the beginning, Zhang Tie and his friends were planning to set up a table by themselves.

But because they were all children, the aunts were worried that they might cause trouble, so they went over to look after them.

"Mom, I want to eat mutton."

At the children's table, one of Zhang An's cousins ​​was the first to shout.

Facts have proved that Zhang An's aunts were very foresighted. If they hadn't been there to watch over them, this group of naughty kids would have started fighting over the food and wouldn't have been as disciplined as they are now.

"Eat, eat, eat. All you do is eat all day long. You don't study hard, and your test scores are not good. Can you improve your grades like Zhang Tie? Remember to kowtow to your great-grandfather and great-grandmother later, and ask them to bless you to get better test scores."

As the saying goes, there is no gap without comparison. Zhang An's aunt was really disappointed with her son. When she talked about the boy's academic performance, she gritted her teeth.

All the children from the family are present today. Even if they don’t want to compare at this time, they have no control over what they think in their minds.

"Oh, his aunt, don't worry about this. The child will become smart as he grows up. Our Zhang Tie was like this before, but he suddenly became smart later."

Once upon a time, Zhang Tie, who was naughty and had the worst grades, has now become the "other people's child" in the eyes of adults.

In the past few years, Zhang Tie was in the same position, and he had to give instructions every time.

But now, Zhang An's uncle and aunt can't remember how long it has been since they last taught their children a lesson.

At this time, they can truly understand what those relatives who had persuaded them before felt.

Zhang An's table was full of men, and they ignored the chatter of their wives and children. They ate and drank while talking about various things.

"Wow, your house is so lively here."

While everyone was enjoying their meal, a family from the village who had just returned from hanging paper in the mountains came over and greeted everyone with a smile as they looked at the bustling scene in the dam.

"Hahaha, I made time to come here late today. Don't rush back, come and have something to eat with us."

Mr. Zhang Er and Mr. Zhang Si were talking to each other's elders, and the young people were also greeting each other.

"No, no, if we eat our fill here, we won't have enough to eat when we go back. If we had known earlier, we would have done the same as you and brought it to the mountains to cook."

Seeing Zhang An and his family eating happily in the mountains, the other party felt a little envious.

Although there was some sunshine at noon, they were still worried about rain, so they decided to stay home.

It's too late to regret now because it's almost evening.

There are many people like them who have returned from the mountains. Basically, when they pass by here, they will say hello. It is very lively here.

"By the way, Anzi, if you have any good ideas for this year, please give us some advice."

When the meal was almost over, someone suddenly asked a question, and after hearing it, the others also stopped and looked at Zhang An.

Over the years, each family in their lineage has been doing pretty well thanks to Zhang An's overt and covert support.

So as long as Zhang An has some ideas or something, they will definitely listen.

"There are not so many good ideas. The orchards you have now are actually pretty good. You don't need to think about anything else. The most practical thing is to focus on taking good care of the fruit trees you have."

Seeing all the uncles and aunts looking at him, Zhang An shook his head and said.

He did know some ways to make money, but they were not suitable for the people in his family.

In fact, so far, the annual income from their kiwi fruit orchard alone, as long as it is managed well, can exceed that of most people, so they don’t have to worry about anything else.

"Xiao An is right about this. Compared to before, things are much better now. Not only can we eat well, but we can also save a lot of money every year. We are just starting out, so we should not think too much about other things. It is better to work hard on the business at hand."

Mr. Zhang Erye agreed with Zhang An very much. They saw clearly how each family had changed in recent years.

In the past, I could barely get enough food to eat and couldn’t afford to buy clothes all year round, but now eating meat every day is no longer a luxury.

But now that one or two families have just started to live a good life, they are already thinking about making more money. This is a bit like thinking about running as soon as they learn to crawl.

Although he is old, he can see that the income from the orchard is far more than that, but he needs to be down-to-earth and calm down to take care of it.

The old man said this because they are all his nephews and nephews. If it were anyone else, he would not say a word.

(End of this chapter)