Rebirth in 1984, starting from beekeeping in the mountains

Chapter 88 What kind of dog is a single dog?

"This this……"

"Did you guys really dig up that nest of ghost wasps?"

After staring at the dug-up hive of black bees with a dull look for a long time, Fang Chengtao shifted his gaze to Fang Hongan and Wang Tong.

His eyes were full of surprise and disbelief.

Then, he thought of something and stared at Fang Hong from head to toe again. Seeing that the two men were sweating profusely and there was no sign of being stung by the ghost-headed bee, he was even more surprised:

"How did you dig it? How did you dig it? Didn't the ghost-headed bees sting you?"

“Hehe!” Seeing his dazed expression, Wang Tong grinned with joy and tilted his head, “Want to know? Just watch!”

After saying that, he picked up the scoop net on the ground and walked quickly towards the pile of beehives.

"Watch here first!"

Fang Hongan patted Fang Chengtao on the shoulder and followed him.

The two men waved the bee net and cooperated tacitly towards the flying ghost bees. It didn't take long before they invited the ghost bees into the wine barrel to take a wine bath.

"Here I come! Taozi... come and give me a hand!"

After confirming that all the ghost bees around had been cleared away, Fang Hongan waved to Fang Chengtao.

"coming!"

Fang Chengtao responded hesitantly and walked over quickly.

At the moment, he only saw the scenes of Fang Hongan and Wang Tong skillfully catching ghost-headed bees.

But looking at the layers of hives of black bees that had been dug out on the ground.

The doubts in his mind became even deeper.

Just copy it like this?
Such a small number of more than ten is okay.

But this is a nest of ghost wasps!
There must be at least more than a hundred of them!

Can this be copied?

With curiosity, he had walked to the vicinity of the stacked nests.

His eyes swept across the seven-layered nest filled with white bee pupae. Under the strong visual impact, the expression on his face once again turned into shock.

Just look at these seven layers of nests and these bee pupae...

There are more than a hundred ghost bees in this nest...

Can this be dug?

Fang Chengtao was stunned for a moment again, until Wang Tong picked up two layers of the nest houses and gave him a wicked grin. Only then did he wake up as if from a dream and quickly helped to pick up the two layers of the nest houses.

The nest is very heavy and feels weighty when you hold it in your hand.

At this moment, the bee pupae in the cell are still twisting occasionally.

Some people may find this scene disgusting and uncomfortable.

But for Fang Chengtao, who was used to finding food in the mountains, he couldn't help swallowing when he recalled the delicious roasted bee pupae he had eaten before.

This thing is even harder to get than the rat snake he caught!

I followed Wang Tong all the way until we came under the shade of the big pine tree. I looked at the hoe, crowbar, beehive, bamboo basket and other tools placed on the ground.

Fang Chengtao's eyes widened again.

It turns out... all the tools are here!

As his eyes lit up, he was soon attracted by the two huge pieces of clothing hanging on the tree.

Following Wang Tong's example, he put down the two layers of beehives in his hands and quickly walked to the two bee-proof suits to take a look.

First he pulled at the sleeves, then the lining, then the hat, the mask...

The more I looked at the expression on his face, the more amazed I became.

"So, you guys are wearing these clothes to dig out this nest of ghost wasps?"

He widened his eyes, and after receiving Wang Tong's affirmative nod, he couldn't help but exclaim again: "You guys are too awesome!"

"hey-hey!"

Wang Tong smiled proudly.

Fang Hongan also nodded at him: "Just in time! Come over and help if you can!"

As he spoke, Fang Hongan had already taken out a handful of thinly shaved bamboo sticks and a small bamboo basket from the bamboo basket.

First, he moved a layer of bee hive with bee pupae and placed it in front of him.

Then, he found a stone to sit on, took two thin bamboo sticks, picked up the cover on the nest cell, and gently picked out the bee pupae in the nest cell.

After throwing the still twisting ghost bee pupa into the small bamboo basket, Fang Hongan stretched the bamboo stick in his hand to the next nest cell.

Seeing that Wang Tong next to him had also sat down and followed suit, he picked up the bamboo sticks and started to act.

"Okay! Here we come!"

Fang Chengtao quickly responded.

He moved a layer of beehive over, picked up the bamboo sticks and started picking them up.

Although Fang Hongan thought the action of picking up the bee pupa was very simple, after he tried it, Fang Chengtao found that it was not the case at all.

First of all, bamboo sticks are very thin and are not as easy to use as chopsticks.

Another thing is that the nest cells are not big to begin with, and the pupae of these ghost bees are very plump, fleshy and quite soft. It is not easy to pick them up with bamboo sticks, and even after picking them up, I dare not use too much force for fear of breaking the pupae.

Fang Chengtao was used to doing farm work, and his job was not bad, but it took him a long time to pick up the fruit safely.

Looking at Fang Hongan who was moving very quickly beside him, Fang Chengtao's face was filled with frustration.

Fortunately, after he glanced at Wang Tong on the side, he found that his hand movements were also awkward, and beads of sweat had appeared on his forehead. He didn't look much better than himself.

Only then did Fang Chengtao feel much more balanced.

At this time, Fang Hongan also noticed the embarrassment of the two and whispered, "Don't hold the bamboo sticks so tightly in your hands. Relax a little. When the sticks enter the nest, stick to the edge of the nest and clamp it naturally!"

As he spoke, under the gaze of the two, he slowed down his hand movements and taught the whole thing twice.

"Oh!"

The two looked at the details demonstrated by Fang Hongan and nodded at the same time.

Then, I tried it again by following the same method.

Although the movements were not as smooth and spontaneous as Fang Hongan's, they were already greatly improved compared to the previous situation.

This also greatly boosted the confidence of the two.

They repeated the key points Fang Hongan said, and after repeated clamping, their movements became more skillful.

that's it.

With the wholehearted efforts of the three.

About half an hour later, all the bee pupae in the seven-layer beehive were clamped out.

Most of them were packed in that small bamboo basket.

But some of it was put into a small film bag.

The reason why they have to be packed separately is because the development levels of the bee pupae in the two are different.

The small bamboo basket was filled with bee pupae that were still in pupa form.

What's contained in the small film bag are bee pupae that have already transformed and are beginning to show signs of emerging from their nests.

Strictly speaking, they are all bee pupae.

But it is said that the taste and texture are quite different.

Take the fried book.

The former is crispy and bursting.

The latter has a bit more fleshiness.

Of course, Fang Hongan also heard these from others.

As for Fang Hongan himself, he could only accept that he was a bee pupa in the pupa state.

This is totally unacceptable for the bee pupa that has already taken shape and is about to emerge.

Without personal experience, everything is just hearsay.

However, in my previous life, I found that many people did prefer to eat bee pupae that were close to emerging from their shells.

Therefore, Fang Hongan deliberately placed the two states of bee pupae separately.

Fang Hongan threw the beehive with the pupae directly into the thorny moss, and picked up the small bamboo basket and film bag full of bees. He already had an estimate in his mind.

There were no less than eight kilograms of bee pupae in the small bamboo basket.

And there are at least three kilograms in the film bag.

In other words, the pupae in this seven-story beehive weigh more than ten kilograms.

Plus the hundreds of adult bees in the beehives and wine barrels!
If the profit from this trip was before Fang Hongan was reborn, it would have been at least 1500 yuan.

Given the traffic conditions in 84, it might not have been convenient to sell these bee pupae.

But the wine made from these ghost bees sells better than that in later generations.

After Fang Hongan inquired about the prices at the ghost market in the county town, he found that the prices were quite attractive.

It can be said that the income from digging this nest of black bees is no less than digging honey for a day.

"Let's go! Let's go back and eat first!"

After resting for a while and packing up all the tools such as bee-proof clothes and hoes, Fang Hongan waved his hand and called Wang Tong and Fang Chengtao to prepare to go down the mountain for dinner.

"okay!"

Wang Tong responded quickly with his white teeth bared.

Fang Chengtao on the side felt a little at a loss.

After the help just now, he was already full of anticipation and excitement for the life like Fang Hongan and Wang Tong who brought all the equipment to the mountains to dig for ghost bees.

He also vaguely guessed that the rumor that Fang Hongan's uncle, who was on state-funded food, helped him deliver rice was indeed a rumor.

He had heard before that Fang Hongan and his cousin Heizi had been going up the mountain to dig kudzu roots recently.

Now that I think about it, what we dug up was not Pueraria root at all.

It's clearly a ghost-headed bee!

The reason why Fang Hongan was able to get so much rice must be related to his beehive digging.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help blurting out the desire to join them several times. But then he thought that he knew nothing about this and if he joined, it would be just a drag, so he felt embarrassed and held back.

Now that Fang Hongan called out to him, he felt a little torn.

Deep down, he naturally wanted to follow Fang Hongan to their house. It was not because he wanted to have the meal, but mainly because he was very curious to see how Fang Hongan and the others would deal with these bee pupae and ghost-headed bees.

But emotionally speaking, although they are all good friends, after all, I came back suddenly and did not join them at the beginning.

Now he is not sure whether Fang Hongan and his team still need him on this path.

If I go there rashly, it would be like saying openly that I want to join them.

He knew Fang Hongan well. If he asked for it, Fang Hongan would most likely bring him in.

But he was afraid that he would add burden to Fang Hongan, and he didn't want to be a mere money-dealer.

"Let's go!"

Just as he was struggling, Fang Hongan came over and put his arm around his shoulders with a smile, "Let's go to our house for lunch first, have a good rest after lunch, and then we'll go to your house in the evening!"

Talk to your dad about the bet! And by the way...see if he's willing to let you join us!"

"hiss!"

Fang Chengtao took a breath and raised his head suddenly: "Hongan... do you need me to join?"

"What?" Wang Tong also came over and deliberately rolled his eyes at Fang Chengtao, "You don't want to work with us?"

"Yes! Yes! Of course I did!"

Fang Chengtao's eyes lit up, and his grin was even wider than Wang Tong's...

……

……

When the three of them returned to the village, it was already past dinner time.

Outside the earthen house, Lan Wenxiu was leaning against the door, as if waiting for Fang Hongan to come back.

Although Fang Hongan gave her many instructions before he left, telling her not to worry, he also showed her the bee-proof clothing and tested it in front of her to prove that the bee-proof clothing could indeed prevent stings.

But Fang Hongan and the others were digging out ghost-headed bees.

Lan Wenxiu was still somewhat worried.

He stood there with his eyes wide open, not knowing how long he had been standing there.

It was not until the turning intersection that Fang Hongan and the other two appeared.

Lan Wenxiu's face immediately showed a smile.

At the same time, I couldn't help but come out to greet him.

Afraid that Fang Hongan would force her not to wait outside the house next time, she rubbed her nose and said casually, "I was just about to see when you guys would come back, and I saw you as soon as I went out the door!"

"Haha! Sister Xiu! This is called telepathy! You sensed that my brother is coming back!"

Wang Tong grinned and responded happily.

"This is called tacit understanding!"

Fang Chengtao on the side also echoed.

Fang Hongan saw through his wife's thoughts and looked at her with a pout: "Next time, put a bench by the door before I go out!"

"Well..." Lan Wenxiu blinked her bright eyes, "Okay!"

"Bench?"

Wang Tong, who was standing at the side, looked at Lan Wenxiu with a confused look on his face, "What are you doing putting the bench there?"

"..."

Lan Wenxiu, who was already feeling a little shy, blushed even more when asked this question.

I didn't know how to answer the straight man's questions.

"Taozi, do you know why?"

Wang Tong looked at Taozi.

"I do not know!"

Taozi was also confused, and subconsciously said: "Bench is for sitting!"

"Just sit down! You don't have to leave it alone at the door!"

Wang Tong scratched his head, still a little confused, "Put it next to the door and block it, how inconvenient!"

"Yes!"

Fang Chengtao expressed his confusion about this.

"Brother?" After getting the approval of his good brother, Wang Tong could only turn his gaze to Fang Hongan, with a thirst for knowledge that was determined to get to the bottom of things.

"Don't ask!" Fang Hongan interrupted him directly, "We are two single dogs, you won't understand even if I tell you!"

"Two...singles?"

"What kind of dog is a single dog?"

Wang Tong was even more confused and started asking subconsciously.

"That..." Fang Chengtao seemed to have come to his senses and patted Wang Tong on the shoulder, "Heizi! This single guy, he seems to be talking about us!"

"us!!!"

Hearing this, Wang Tong finally reacted and wailed in dissatisfaction: "Brother! Even if I'm not married, you don't have to say this to me, right? Have you become a dog?"

"dog?"

Fang Hongan rolled his eyes: "A dog is pretty good!"

"If you don't believe me, go back and ask your mom! If you don't find a boyfriend this New Year, she'll probably hate you more than she hates a dog!"

"This……"

Wang Tong and Fang Chengtao looked at each other, their faces twisted into bitter expressions, and their expressions were quite hurt!

……

……

The lunch prepared by Lan Wenxiu was already quite sumptuous.

A bowl of pork rib soup and a dish of stir-fried meat with chili sauce.

I also copied a bowl of water celery.

Seeing that Fang Chengtao had come, she went back to the stove, fried three eggs and cooked a bowl of noodles.

By the time Fang Hongan and the other three had showered and cleaned up, the food, dishes and chopsticks were already on the table.

This was the first time Fang Chengtao saw the food on Fang Hongan and his family’s table since returning from the blacksmith shop.

When he glanced at it, his eyes widened.

This food...

You may not even be able to eat it during the Chinese New Year.

He knew that Fang Hongan and Lan Wenxiu were not the kind of people who would not worry about the next meal after eating the previous one.

To be able to prepare this kind of food, it must be due to the family's conditions, which means they already have the foundation.

But it wasn't long ago that there were rumors that Fang Hongan wanted to borrow grain...

This made Fang Chengtao even more eager to join Fang Hongan and his friends.

"Come here! Taozi! Try my sister-in-law's craftsmanship. I guarantee you'll eat it up!"

Receiving Fang Hongan's signal, Wang Tong had already skillfully pushed Fang Chengtao into his seat.

Four people, four dishes, a big bowl of noodles, and a pot of rice...

Lan Wenxiu left the table after eating for a while, leaving the stage to these three close brothers.

These three people also fully demonstrated the eating abilities of young people of this era.

The pots, pans and noodle bowls were all scraped clean.

I also ate up both the eggs and the bowl of vegetables.

As for the two meat dishes, although Wang Tong and Fang Chengtao both enjoyed them very much, after tasting them, they both obviously reduced the frequency of adding more food to their dishes.

It’s not easy to get some meat and vegetables in the mountains.

For people like them, they have known their parents and elders since childhood. When they go out to visit others, no matter how much they want to eat, no matter how delicious the meat is, they just need to taste it and not be too greedy.

Have to leave some for the host.

In this era, a meat dish often serves more than one guest.

Of course, this only applies to the situation when you visit someone's home.

If it is a pig slaughtering banquet, wedding banquet or funeral banquet...

That's another situation.

"That's polite!"

"Then I'll divide the tasks!"

Seeing what the two were thinking, Fang Hongan simply took over the chopsticks and without saying anything, picked up pieces of ribs and meat for the two people.

"Let's go to Taozi's house tonight and have a good meal! We won't eat this meat anymore, it won't last long!"

With one sentence, he shut up the two men. He took the lead in picking up a piece of pork ribs and started to chew it in big mouthfuls.

"Ok!"

Wang Tong knew his cousin's temperament, so he nodded and started eating as well.

This is a scene full of passion.

While Fang Chengtao felt warm in his heart, he couldn't help but feel secretly grateful.

It’s a good thing that I didn’t keep this snobbish cousin.

Otherwise, working alone in a county town where I am unfamiliar with the surroundings...

There is no such warmth as there is now.

The three of them enjoyed the lunch very much both physically and mentally.

Take a short break while chatting.

Fang Hongan stood up and took the two of them to the backyard to start processing today's bountiful harvest...

(End of this chapter)