Rebirth in 1984, starting from beekeeping in the mountains

Chapter 100: Taking my father-in-law to the mountains to dig wild honey!
The shocking effect brought by the big catfish and half a basket lasted until late at night.

In fact, it is more direct than those two big baskets of birthday gifts.

Fang Hongan had been traveling for most of the day, helped in the kitchen, and even caught clams and fish at night...

Although I took a nap in the afternoon, it took a lot of effort to hold my breath when catching that bigmouth catfish.

By the time I got back to the big red brick and tile house, I felt tired and sleepy.

I didn't hold on for long and then fell asleep.

In the 1980s, in the Xiaonan area, a son-in-law was not allowed to sleep in the same room with his wife when he returned to his father-in-law's house.

Therefore, according to the arrangement of his mother-in-law, Fang Hongan had to share a bed with his brother-in-law Lan Jianhui.

Fang Hongan didn’t know how long he slept.

Until I was awakened by the urge to pee.

When I woke up, I found that my brother-in-law Lan Jianhui was still sitting at the desk in the corner of the room, reading a book with a candle lit.

Fang Hongan thought it was still early at first.

When I asked subconsciously, I realized that it was almost one in the morning.

When he got up, he found that Lan Jianhui was reading the English-Chinese dictionary that he had given him during the day.

The young man looked at it with particular concentration, perhaps because he could not suppress his joy at having found a treasure.

The focused and serious attitude made Fang Hongan feel that this book was worth giving.

However, Lan Jianhui must be tired after coming and going all day.

When it comes to studying, Fang Hongan can't say he has any experience.

But we still need to remind ourselves to combine work and rest.

After calling out to Lan Jianhui to go to bed, Fang Hongan, holding his urge to pee, walked lightly to the toilet.

In the houses of this period, the toilets and living quarters were separated.

Fang Hongan's father-in-law's outhouse was in the backyard. Fang Hongan went down to the first floor and had to pass by the main room before he could open the back door to go to the backyard.

Fang Hongan was worried about disturbing others, so although he was anxious, he still took light steps.

Unexpectedly, when I just entered the main hall, I saw that the lights in my brother-in-law Lan Jianjun's room were still on.

The door was not closed tightly and was half open.

Fang Hongan had no habit of eavesdropping on other people.

He walked over quickly, deliberately avoiding suspicion.

I deliberately didn't listen carefully.

But unfortunately, my brother-in-law Lan Jianjun's voice was too loud.

A lot of information still reached Fang Hongan's ears.

From what he said, it seemed like the couple were having a late-night chat in bed.

Instead, the eldest brother-in-law was still enthusiastically recounting how his third brother-in-law had accomplished the feat of catching a giant catfish in the stream.

……

Originally, Fang Hongan thought this was quite outrageous.

But when I walked to the backyard, I found that the lights in my father-in-law and mother-in-law's room were still on.

Looking at the shadows reflected on the window grilles, the old couple were talking about something.

Walking further, I suddenly heard mumbling voices coming from the water tank where the bigmouth catfish was kept.

At first Fang Hongan thought someone was targeting the big fish.

When I got closer, I found that Lan Guihai and Yang Huaping, the two brothers-in-law, were not in the room with their wives. Instead, they pulled up a bench and sat beside the big water tank, looking at the big fish and looking forward to going up the mountain tomorrow.

When he saw Fang Hongan coming out, his eyes lit up and he wanted to pull Fang Hongan over to chat.

It was already this late, and Fang Hongan was no longer in the mood to chat with the two men late into the night.

He went into the toilet, quickly urinated, and then returned to Lan Jianhui's room.

When Fang Hongan returns.

The candles in the room were still lit.

However, my brother-in-law Lan Jianhui had already fallen asleep on the bed.

It wasn't long before the young man was probably too tired after the whole day, so he fell asleep as soon as he hit the bed.

But I guess it’s due to calcium deficiency, which causes some teeth grinding.

This made it difficult for Fang Hongan to fall asleep.

I don't know how long I tossed and turned before I fell into a drowsy sleep.

Wait for Fang Hongan to open his eyes again.

The sunshine outside the window is already quite bright!

Judging from the situation, it should be late.

I listened carefully and heard all kinds of noisy sounds outside the house.

When Fang Hongan got dressed and came to the first floor, he ran into Lan Jianjun walking back from the yard outside the door carrying an tin basin.

Seeing Fang Hongan woke up, he greeted him warmly.

Fang Hongan responded with a smile and looked into the tin basin.

It contained river clams that had been opened.

In the fire room at the back, Lan Guihai and Yang Huaping were one making the fire while the other was washing the pot.

When he heard that Fang Hongan had woken up, he immediately came out and asked Fang Hongan to come in and make this river clam dish.

Fang Hongan responded and was about to go to his wife Lan Wenxiu to get toiletries when his wife Lan Wenxiu came out.

The toothpaste has been squeezed onto the toothbrush and the cup is filled with water.

I squatted down at the edge of the yard with toothpaste in my hand and brushed my teeth, then took some water to wash my face.

Fang Hongan came to the fire room and prepared to make the braised river clams. When he walked in, he found that the whole fire room was crowded with people.

Not only Lan Jianjun, Lan Guihai and Yang Huaping were present.

Including Xue Fen, Lan Wenhui, Lan Wenjuan, and even mother-in-law Luo Dongqing.

Moreover, Xue Fen still held the spatula in her hand, with no intention of giving it to him at all.

Seeing Fang Hongan was a little stunned, Lan Jianjun smiled and told him their arrangements.

It turns out that they changed their minds.

Instead of letting Fang Hongan do it himself, he was asked to teach on the spot.

So, Fang Hongan gave the instructions, and sister-in-law Xue Fen was responsible for following Fang Hongan's instructions, while the others watched and learned...

Not only was the fire room, which was not big to begin with, packed with people, but they were all staring at him eagerly.

At first, Fang Hongan was a little uncomfortable with this situation.

But the pot was already smoking, and sister-in-law Xue Fen's eyes were still fixed on Fang Hongan's face, as if to say, "I won't do anything unless you speak."

Fang Hongan smiled helplessly and could only speak:

"First add oil, let's use lard, and a flat spatula will do..."

"It's time to add ginger slices. Ginger can remove the fishy smell. You can add more!"

"Put the clams in there. Don't overcook them. About two minutes... Oh no, just count to 100 in your mind!"

"Give me some peppers, two will be enough..."

"Alright! Alright! It can be served right after a while..."

……

Xue Fen hits wherever he points.

Fang Hongan gradually adapted to it.

After getting into the state, I also mentioned some basic cooking principles.

When farmers cook, they basically rely on their experience.

Many people have been cooking for their entire lives and only know that it should be done this way, but they can’t explain why it should be done this way.

In his previous life, Fang Hongan had watched many food documentaries.

I have accumulated a lot of knowledge about things like the Maillard reaction, non-stick cooking pans, and how to make fish soup white.

I'd like to use this dish as an opportunity to provide some scientific knowledge.

Of course, what he said was all plain language, the kind that you can understand at once.

When these words fell into the ears of the crowd, they were naturally amazed again.

Braised river clams are not complicated to make, and it becomes even simpler with Fang Hongan's step-by-step instruction.

It only takes about twenty minutes. When you open the lid of the pot, the fresh aroma rises with the hot steam.

“It smells so good.”

Everyone in the fire room couldn't help swallowing.

By the time Xue Fen took the food out of the pot in a large bowl, Lan Jianjun and a few others had already impatiently gathered around the dining table.

The children, son-in-law and daughter-in-law are all here.

For this big family, breakfast is also regarded as a main meal.

By the time the braised river clams were served, the table was already filled with other dishes.

There were leftovers from yesterday’s banquet, and a few new meat dishes were also cooked.

But obviously none of them are as tempting as this braised river clams.

As soon as everyone sat down at the table, Lan Zhenshan and Luo Dongqing came out.

After they sat down, Lan Zhenshan saw all the eyes looking at him and felt a little strange at first.

After seeing them looking at themselves one by one, then at the braised river clams, they kept swallowing their saliva.

The family boss, who had just celebrated his birthday, realized that these people were waiting for him to pick up his chopsticks so that they could rush towards the braised river clams.

He couldn't help but smell it, and it was indeed more fragrant than the river clams he had made at home before.

For a moment, he couldn't help but look at Fang Hongan again.

"Eat it!"

Lan Zhenshan picked up the chopsticks and picked up a piece of river clam meat. Then he remembered something and said to Lan Jianhui on the side, "Young man! Go to the room and open a bottle of wine. Pour it for your brothers-in-law. Let's have a drink!" After he said this, he turned the chopsticks and put the piece of river clam meat into his mouth.

As soon as you put it in your mouth, you can immediately taste the obvious difference.

The clam meat is obviously fresher and more fragrant than any other I've ever eaten before, and the texture is also fatter and more delicious.

I feel like... it's perfect as a side dish for drinking.

Finished the meal with great enjoyment.

Lan Zhenshan was about to reach out for the wine on the table.

In a blink of an eye, I realized that Lan Jianhui opposite me didn't even go to get the wine.

At this moment, he and Lan Jianjun, Lan Guihai, Yang Huaping and a few others were picking up the clam meat in the bowl like whirlwind.

"Jianhui!" Lan Zhenshan showed displeasure, "Didn't you eat and bring your ears today? Didn't I ask you to get some wine?"

"Wine?" Before Lan Jianhui could say anything, Xue Fen on the side waved her hand and said, "Dad! You can't drink this morning! You drank too much last night, so take some rest this morning. We already told you this yesterday, you have to listen to us! Even if you are happy, you can't wait until noon to talk about it!"

"I……"

Lan Zhenshan then remembered that this was the case.

He had some stomach problems some time ago, so he went to the county town to see a doctor, who advised him to drink less.

So after coming back, alcohol was regulated.

Only drink once a day at most!
Yesterday was my birthday, and I was allowed to have an extra meal as an exception.

"Okay! I won't drink it if I don't want to! Then... just take it out and drink it!"

Lan Zhenshan took a step back. To be honest, his desire to drink this time was really different from his usual alcohol addiction.

Mainly because he was looking at the people at the table, all so harmonious and warm, he felt happy and couldn't help wanting to have a few drinks.

especially……

I couldn't help but want to have a few more drinks with Fang Hongan.

But since he was not allowed to drink, Lan Zhenshan thought of settling for the next best thing, which was to let them drink with each other. He would feel happy watching from the side.

"No! No! We won't drink it either!"

As soon as Lan Zhenshan made this proposal, a decisive rejection was immediately heard.

This time, it was no longer Xue Fen, but Lan Jianjun.

He waved his hands and rejected his father's proposal righteously: "Hongan will take us to the mountains to hunt wild animals later. We have agreed that we can't drink today! Otherwise, we will miss the important things!"

"Going up the mountain to hunt wild animals?"

When Lan Zhenshan first heard his reckless eldest son refuse, he bulged his eyes and was ready to get angry, but when he heard the second half of the words, he was stunned.

He looked at Fang Hongan suspiciously, and when he saw Fang Hongan nodded, the anger on his face disappeared immediately, and he nodded: "Is that so! Then I won't drink it!"

……

I was probably thinking about what to do next, going up the mountain, so I ate breakfast very quickly.

There is no doubt that the bowl of braised clam meat was eaten up early.

As soon as Fang Hongan put down his chopsticks, Lan Jianjun beside him asked about going up the mountain.

At this time, it was actually almost noon. If it were Fang Hongan and Wang Tong, if everything went well, they would have already dug two nests on the mountain by now.

However, the weather is still quite good today, it is a cloudy day.

The weather is not hot and the sun is not shining.

It’s quite appropriate to go up at this time.

"Let's go once we've packed our things!"

Fang Hongan responded.

Immediately, he suggested to those who were going to go up the mountain with him that they should wear straw hats, carry bamboo baskets, put on rubber shoes, wear gloves and wear long-sleeved clothes.

As for tools, a hoe, a crowbar, a sickle, etc., one each is enough.

After saying this, Fang Hongan thought about it and remembered something. He came to Lan Jianjun and asked him to look for any broken wooden barrels or drawers that he didn't want...

If you have one, you'd better bring one with you!
When they heard that this was what was needed, the few people who came over and listened attentively couldn't help but feel curious.

However, he did not question it too much and went back to prepare immediately.

Fang Hongan also followed Lan Wenxiu back to her sleeping room.

Lan Wenxiu took out a few bee-proof nets and handed them to Fang Hongan.

This bee-proof gauze was invented by Lan Wenxiu herself some time ago.

The main thing is that it has changed the previous practice of sewing the gauze directly on the hat to make a one-piece bee-proof hat.

The bee-proof screen is made into a detachable type.

When not needed.

A bamboo hat is a bamboo hat!
Anti-bee screen is anti-bee screen.

When needed, put the bee-proof mesh on the hat to make a bee-proof hat with exactly the same function as before.

The main feature is portability and convenience.

It also effectively avoids the waste of bamboo hats.

Fang Hongan was quite surprised when he saw it for the first time.

At the beginning, there were some problems with the bee-proof mesh made by Lan Wenxiu.

For example, when the anti-bee mesh is hung up, it is sometimes unstable and may occasionally fall off.

Also, the sizes of bamboo hats vary, but the original bee-proof mesh can only fit one size of bamboo hat...

Despite this, Fang Hongan still highly praised his wife's innovation.

At the same time, based on his experience in his previous life, he continued to think about and try various optimization methods with his wife.

After a period of exploration, the current portable bee-proof screen is the latest version 5.0.

In Fang Hongan's opinion, stability and adaptability have already reached a fairly perfect level.

It is indeed much more convenient to use than the previous one-piece type.

So, when he came to his father-in-law's house this time, he naturally brought two with him.

As for why Lan Wenxiu handed over several more than she had brought, it seemed that after she knew last night that Fang Hongan was going to take Lan Jianjun and the others up the mountain today, Lan Wenxiu and Luo Dongqing rushed to make a few more overnight.

Although the level of refinement is definitely not as good as the two brought here.

But in terms of functionality, there shouldn't be any problems.

After taking the bee-proof net, when Fang Hongan returned to the main room, Lan Jianjun and others were already waiting on the yard outside the house.

Each of them had brought the outfit Fang Hongan mentioned, and were waiting for Fang Hongan with grins and shining eyes.

"go!"

Seeing their high morale, Fang Hongan couldn't help but cheer up.

With big strides, he led the four-member team that had picked river clams with him last night, and walked out of the archway in a mighty manner, heading in the direction where Fang Hongan had come yesterday.

While traveling yesterday, Fang Hongan was taking care of his wife while observing the terrain of the mountains and nectar-producing plants along the way.

According to his observation, the mountain range close to Lanxi River that he pointed out last night not only has suitable terrain and vegetation, but also has a large number of nectar-producing plants such as rapeseed, tangerines, and osmanthus planted nearby.

When passing by a rapeseed field, Fang Hongan took the opportunity to look for it along the field while taking a break.

I actually found quite a few bees busy collecting honey.

There are bees, which means there are bee colonies and beehives nearby.

According to Fang Hongan's experience, the most likely area for the existence of this beehive is undoubtedly on the mountain he had chosen last night.

However, when I was swimming last night, the mountain seemed to be close to Lanxi River.

But if you go there from this side, you have to go around and cross the bridge. According to Lan Jianjun's introduction, it will probably take about half an hour.

The group crossed the bridge along the same road Fang Hongan took to enter the village yesterday, turned into a path between fields, and walked upstream along the Lanxi River.

Since most of the equipment was taken by other people, Fang Hongan just wore a bamboo hat, carried a bamboo basket with a few bee-proof nets, and became the one who had the easiest time.

He originally wanted to help carry a hoe or something, but Lan Jianjun waved his hand and refused firmly.

This brother-in-law had previously had a heated argument with Fang Hongan and almost came to blows.

At the moment, he has become Fang Hongan's number one supporter.

The key is--

People like Lan Guihai, Yang Huaping and Lan Jianhui didn’t find it strange or abrupt at all!

Seeing that they were almost at the foot of the mountain, Lan Jianjun finally couldn't suppress his curiosity, so he came over and asked what the wild animal Fang Hongan had said he wanted to hunt last night was.
He asked this!

The others also came closer with their ears perked up.

They actually wanted to ask about this yesterday.

But Fang Hongan fell asleep soon after he came back. When he asked Lan Wenxiu, she didn't say anything!
Several people were curious because they had been holding back their curiosity all night.

Fang Hongan just remembered that he hadn't told them about the honey digging yet, so he smiled and was about to tell them.

A voice suddenly came from behind me.

"Hey! You guys! Wait for me!"

The voice sounded a little old, yet familiar.

Several people were stunned for a moment at the same time, and then... when they turned around, their expressions froze.

Lan Jianjun rubbed his eyes vigorously: "Old man, why did you follow me?"

"Maybe... he also wants to see how Hongan hunts wild animals!" Yang Huaping couldn't help but say, trying not to laugh.

"This……"

Looking at the father-in-law who was walking towards me quickly, carrying a bamboo basket on his back and holding a sickle.

Fang Hongan couldn't help but be dumbfounded.

What!

Look at the meaning.

This time, the jungle team going up the mountain will also include a father-in-law!

But Uncle Li said it.

The team is too big to lead!
(End of this chapter)