Rebirth in 1984, starting from beekeeping in the mountains

Chapter 120: Royal jelly that burns your throat! Go to the county again!

I saw the surprise of the two people.

Fang Hongan cleared his throat and said to the two of them: "The purpose and advantage of specialized breeding lies in high yields!"

"This is the first time these two boxes of bees have been harvested for honey. By the third and fourth times, when the bee colonies are fully adapted to the live-frame environment, the honey yield will be even higher!"

"Under normal circumstances, during this period of heavy honey flow, it is not a problem to produce twice as much honey as a wild honey comb of the same size!"

After some explanation, seeing that the two were so happy and eager to try, Fang Hongan simply waved his hands at them and said, "Okay! The rest is up to you guys. I'll help you watch from the side!"

"Uh-huh!"

They both nodded in unison.

First pour out the honey in the honey shaker barrel.

Next, they both returned to the thatched hut and first selected a beehive. According to what Fang Hongan had taught them yesterday, they first selected honey combs that could be used to extract honey. Next, they used a palm brush to remove the bees, a scraper to cut the honey caps, and then put them into the honey shaker...

Although the whole process seemed somewhat awkward to Fang Hongan, the key points and the standardization of the operations were all remarkable and there were no problems at all.

Two people worked together, and after one round, four nest frames were in place.

After shaking, the depth of the honey shaken out is almost the same as the first time.

In this way, two boxes are taken at a time, and basically two pieces of honey are taken from two nest frames in each box.

The two repeated the operation six more times.

Finally, before noon, all fifteen boxes of honey were shaken.

The shaken-out bees were packed in plastic bags and put into baskets, filling four baskets in total.

Just counting the weight of the honey, it is a little more than the twenty nests of wild honey yesterday.

After carrying the honey back home, the three of them rested for an afternoon. They poured out the honey they had dug yesterday from the jar and packed it in plastic bags.

Put them one by one in the basket.

Next is beeswax, which, after a period of accumulation, weighs more than 150 kilograms.

This thing is the easiest to store.

However, in order to demonstrate his professionalism, Fang Hongan customized two molds specifically for condensation from Carpenter Yang when he came back from the county town last time.

After pouring the beeswax into the mold and cutting it after solidification, you can get beeswax blocks about the size of a palm.

Each piece weighs about half a pound. After being neatly stacked, they are placed in cartons for storage.

With this appearance, if it is sent to the medicinal materials factory purchasing station, there will be absolutely no fault to find.

After packing up these, Wang Tong hurried back to Shanmuling Village.

About an hour later, Wang Tong arrived.

News came that the Jiefang truck had just delivered the goods to the village primary school in Shanmuping Village before he returned.

Wang Tong has already discussed with the master that the master will stay at their home tonight and will come to Shiwan Village to pick them up tomorrow morning.

Yes.

After the Jiefang truck delivered the goods to the old carpenter and before it left with Liao San, Fang Hongan and the others happened to learn that the master would deliver goods to the village primary school in Sangmuping Village today.

It was for this reason that Fang Hongan chose to start making royal cell wax cups six days ago for producing royal jelly.

Royal jelly needs to be stored at low temperatures. Once the temperature is high, the active substances in it will become ineffective within a short period of time.

In later generations, it was generally stored directly by freezing.

But right now, freezing is obviously impossible without electricity.

What Fang Hongan wanted to do was to shorten the transportation and storage time as much as possible.

What I had been thinking before was whether I could look for a nearby village and see if there was a cargo truck coming up one day so that I could be prepared in advance and take the truck directly to the county town.

But I waited and waited, but never got the chance.

Unexpectedly, Liao San brought a surprise when he came over last time.

Last time I gave the driver two bottles of honey, and he actually agreed.

Now that it has been confirmed that the truck has arrived.

That night, Fang Hongan, Wang Tong and Fang Chengtao moved directly into the wooden house at the apiary.

Although the construction of the expanded part of the wooden house has not yet started, the interior has undergone another renovation. The number of wooden beds has been increased to two, and stools and tables have also been added.

It's not a problem for three people to stay for one night.

It gets dark quickly in the mountains, and by around eight o'clock in the evening, it was already pitch black.

The three of them went to bed early.

They fell into a deep sleep until a loud crowing of a rooster was suddenly heard outside the house, and the three of them woke up almost at the same time.

In an era without alarm clocks, Fang Hongan had to find another way and made a biological alarm clock.

The crowing rooster was brought from Fang Chengtao's home.

It is said that it crows at around 4 a.m. every day, which is quite accurate.

It was put in a cage and placed outside the wooden house.

This crowing is equivalent to an alarm clock.

I got up and looked outside, but the sky was still pitch black.

If you prick up your ears, besides the sound of the wind, you can faintly hear the crowing of roosters coming from the village.

It seems that this alarm clock chicken should perform accurately again.

"gone!"

After stretching, the three of them walked into the apiary, each holding a flashlight.

Open the beehive, find the movable frame containing the queen cell wax cup, and take it out directly.

Fang Hongan had checked the situation in the royal jelly cup of the queen cell the day before yesterday when he was teaching Wang Tong and Fang Chengtao the daily management of the beehive. At that time, the royal jelly in the wax cup was almost full.

After more than a day of accumulation, it now appears to be completely full.

They took out the boxes one by one, and after all sixty movable frame king platforms were taken out, the three of them returned to the wooden house again.

After lighting a few candles to illuminate the entire wooden house, the three of them took the wooden strips stained with the Wangtai wax cups off the movable frame.

Then, in front of the two of them, Fang Hongan explained while operating:

"After the royal jelly is full, the worker bees will continue to seal the wax cup with wax so that it can be capped later to promote the queen insect to pupate!"

"And this extra beeswax will affect our extraction of royal jelly, so the first thing we need to do is scrape off this excess wax! The specific operation is similar to cutting off the honey cap!"

"After scraping off the excess beeswax, we must first take out the queen insect inside. This step is the same as moving the insects back then, and it's even simpler!"

"After taking out the worms, the entire wax cup is filled with royal jelly!"

"To extract the royal jelly, we need to use this small bamboo piece. First, insert it into the wax cup along the edge, scrape the bottom, and then scrape it out directly..."

While talking.

Fang Hongan scraped the bamboo stick in his hand, and a paste-like milky white substance was scraped out by the bamboo stick in the spoon.

This is royal jelly.

Fang Hongan waved to Wang Tong, who immediately opened a kettle on the table and handed it to Fang Hongan.

Taking the kettle, Fang Hongan scraped the royal jelly off the bamboo slips into the kettle.

This kettle was bought in the county town last time specifically to preserve royal jelly.

There is a layer in the kettle, into which you can put cold water or boiling water, which mainly serves the purpose of keeping warm.

Fang Hongan and his team had tested this before. They put cold water in the interlayer and in the kettle.

The water in the kettle is still very cold when poured out half a day later.

At the moment, Fang Hongan plans to put all the extracted royal jelly into the kettle first.

Before setting off, go to the well in the village and fill the mezzanine with cold well water.

In this way, even when arriving at the county town, the royal jelly in the kettle will remain at a low temperature.

So as not to lose the effectiveness of royal jelly.

To be honest, this method of keeping warm was also taught to Fang Hongan by the old herbalist at the herbal medicine purchasing station.

The kettle capacity is not large though.

But adding a pound of royal jelly is not a problem at all.

After Fang Hongan taught it twice, Wang Tong and Fang Chengtao quickly got the hang of it.

The technical content of this kind of work is not high. It just requires scraping one by one under the condition of limited tools and maintaining enough patience.

After all, these Wangtai wax cups still need to be recycled.

After trying it a few times, they quickly mastered the tricks to increase the strength and speed.

Seeing that the two of them were getting up quickly, Fang Hongan asked Wang Tong to open the remaining two kettles.

If the sixty frames of royal cell wax cups are almost all full, according to Fang Hongan's experience, even if the output of royal jelly is less than three kilograms, it should not be much different.

The old herbalist only needs one kilogram a month, and Fang Hongan plans to keep the rest.

Royal jelly has a good antioxidant effect and is rich in nutrients, making it especially suitable for middle-aged and elderly people.

The only pity is that it is not suitable for pregnant women.

But it can be given to Carpenter Yang, Aunt Hong, Wang Tong's parents and Fang Chengtao's parents.

Each of the three people was given a kettle, and the pace increased again.

I don't know how long it took, when the three of them picked out the royal jelly from the last few royal cell wax cups and put them into the kettle. I moved my butt off the chair, and felt my whole body numb. I stretched my body and looked out the door of the wooden house. I saw a fish belly white in the sky.

After summer comes, the day breaks quickly.

Fang Hongan clapped his hands at the two people who were still stretching and said, "Pack up and get ready to go down the mountain."

After he finished speaking, Wang Tong and Fang Chengtao immediately started to work, reassembling the wooden strips onto the movable frames. They arranged the movable frames neatly and placed them in the storage compartment in the corner of the wooden house.

Turning around, I saw that Fang Hongan had already packed up the three kettles, leaving only the small bowl filled with half a bowl of royal jelly on the table.

This bowl of royal jelly was what was left after the three of them filled up the kettle.

Wang Tong subconsciously walked over, picked up the small bowl, and said to Fang Hongan: "Brother! Don't you want to eat this royal jelly?"

"Me?" Fang Hongan shrugged, "I don't really like it!"

"Oh? Did you eat that nest?" Wang Tong grinned.

These days, the production of royal jelly is very low.

But it has a great reputation, and there are many exaggerated statements about its effectiveness.

In addition, Fang Hongan said that if the royal jelly is not placed in a kettle, its shelf life will be very short.

Regardless of whether the benefits are exaggerated, Wang Tong was reluctant to waste it at a price of twelve yuan per pound.

"Eat it!"

Fang Hongan nodded, thought about it, and reminded: "But, be prepared! Does this thing have a strong smell?"

“It smells strong?”

When Wang Tong heard this, he became even more curious.

These are all produced by bees, and the queen bee will eat them all her life. Even if they are not as sweet as honey, the taste should not be too bad.

Driven by curiosity, Wang Tong directly picked up the bamboo strip used to scrape the royal jelly as a spoon. He scraped a spoonful and put it directly into his mouth without thinking too much.

Put it on your tongue and take a sip. In an instant, a sour, astringent, spicy and unpalatable taste rushes straight into your throat.

"I……"

Wang Tong opened his mouth and was about to spit it out, but thinking about the price of twelve yuan per pound, he closed his mouth and swallowed it in one gulp.

"How is it? Is it delicious? Hei Zai!"

At this time, Fang Chengtao had also packed up the living frame he had moved over, came over, and asked subconsciously.

He didn't pay attention to Wang Tong's expression, his eyes were directly on the small bowl.

When he asked this, Wang Tong's expression instantly changed, and he pretended to enjoy it: "Yeah! Yeah! I think... it's not bad!"

"Really? Then I'll try it too! I heard that this thing is very good for people with anemia! Last time I went to the hospital, the doctor said that I was a little anemic!"

Fang Chengtao didn't think much about it. He picked up a piece of bamboo, scooped a spoonful and put it directly into his mouth.

next moment.

"Oh! Ah! This..."

Fang Chengtao opened his mouth with a look of pain on his face, wanting to vomit.

"Don't spit! Don't spit! Don't waste it!"

“It’s good for anemia!”

"Twelve yuan a pound! This bite of yours must cost at least twenty cents!"

Wang Tong stopped him with a smirk on his face.

"I……"

It made sense, so Fang Chengtao gritted his teeth and forced himself to swallow it.

Then he picked up his water bottle and drank half of it in big gulps.

After taking a breath, Fang Chengtao still felt a strange burning sensation in his throat. He couldn't help but mutter:
"How come this thing tastes so bad! And it's boasted so well!"

"Good things taste bad!" Fang Hongan blinked, "Besides, the way you eat it is wrong!"

"Is the method of taking it wrong? Can't this be eaten directly like honey?" Wang Tong was a little puzzled.

"If you want the best effect, just take it sublingually!" Fang Hongan said, "If you want it to taste good, mix it with honey! Although the effect is slightly worse, the taste is much better!"

"Like This!"

Wang Tong nodded, immediately found a jar of honey and mixed it in.

After I scooped up a spoonful and tasted it, it tasted much better.

Wait until the two of them finished the small bowl of royal jelly.

Fang Hongan carried the three bottles of royal jelly down the mountain and first went directly to the well to fill them with cool water.

When we got back to the earthen house, the Jiefang truck happened to drive over.

Knowing that Fang Hongan and the others were going to the county town today, Lan Wenxiu got up early and a sumptuous breakfast was already prepared on the table.

I invited the truck driver to have breakfast together.

After loading the prepared honey, beeswax and luggage onto the truck, Lan Wenxiu watched as the truck started and drove out of the village faster and faster...

……

This is a Jiefang brand truck with a strong sense of age.

After hitting the road.

The bumpy feeling is quite strong.

The three of them chose to share the good and the bad. No one sat in the passenger seat, but instead sat in the back bed of the truck.

Although the ride was so bumpy that my butt bounced frequently, it was much more comfortable compared to the discomfort I felt last time on the bus.

Moreover, while enjoying the extra-large skylight, the three of them can also observe the surrounding area along the way and rely on their experience to find mountains where there may be bee swarms.

Looking back along the way, I actually found quite a few targets.

Judging from various conditions such as nectar-producing plants, mountainous terrain, landforms, etc., the possibility of the presence of bee colonies is very high.

Even if there are no bees, it is also suitable to release beehives into the wild.

The only regret is that these places are quite close to Shiwan Village and Sangmuling Village.

Thinking of this, Wang Tong couldn't help but sigh: "Taozi! Brother! I wish we could have a car like this one someday. Then we can drive to distant mountains to dig honey, and it will also be convenient to transport things to the county town!"

"Yes!" Fang Chengtao also sighed.

However, he immediately shook his head: "This iron thing is too expensive! I heard that this old one costs more than 10,000 yuan. We have to wait until the end of time to be able to afford it!"

After he finished sighing, Fang Hongan's voice suddenly rang out: "No need to wait until the Year of the Monkey! You can afford it next Year of the Ox!"

The voice was calm, but convincing.

"Ok?"

Wang Tong and Fang Chengtao turned their heads abruptly and looked at Fang Hongan, with disbelief written on their faces. They asked in unison, "Really?"

"Yes!" Fang Hongan nodded and said seriously, "By next year, we must have a transport truck. Otherwise, the honey won't be able to travel far like it is now! When winter comes and the bee farm is not so busy, you two must find time to go to the county town to get a driving license! After we buy the truck, I'll let you two drive it!"

"I... let's open it!"

"hiss!"

The two looked at each other and gasped at the same time!
Fang Hongan calmly waved his hands at the two of them and said, "Don't just be surprised! When you have time, think more about the future. Don't always look at the small piece of land in front of you. Broaden your horizons and be bolder.

Take this type of truck for example, we will not only buy it for transporting goods, but also for beekeeping!"

“Truck beekeeping?”

When they heard this, their eyes widened again.

He looked at Fang Hongan with a question mark on his forehead.

Fang Hongan just smiled and pointed at his head.

The two of them scratched their foreheads.

Fang Chengtao first thought of something and asked doubtfully, "Could it be that they put the beehives on the truck bed, and then drive the truck to a place with lots of honey flowers to graze the bees like cattle?"

"Not bad!" Fang Hongan gave him an approving smile.

Although this sounds incredible, in fact, mobile beekeeping in box trucks has been quite common in the entire beekeeping industry since the beginning of the 21st century.

In another thirty years or so, there will even be specialized mobile apiaries designed specifically for mobile beekeeping. Not only can hundreds of beehives be installed on the vehicle at one time, but it will also have various automated functions such as ventilation, bee releasing, bee luring, and honey collection.

One person and one car can become a mobile apiary, which can chase flowers and honey across the country according to the nectar season, so that you can enjoy the nectar flow season all year round.

However, Fang Hongan mentioned this deliberately, not to say that he was planning these things in a hurry.

I just want to use this new thing in the future to inspire these two people to broaden their horizons.

After all, living in this mountain.

These two people are no more troublesome than he is, having lived two lives.

Under the shackles of information blockage, the vision and perspective of both of them will inevitably be trapped by the obstacles of this mountain.

In this era, perhaps we can make up for it by hard work, but in the new century, it is an era of information explosion.

If you don't keep up, you will soon be left behind.

Of course, on the other hand, Fang Hongan was not only inspiring the two of them, but also constantly reminding himself.

Since we have the advantage of 40 years of foresight, we must do our best to grasp this advantage.

Vision, we must look further and longer!
(End of this chapter)