Rebirth in 1984, starting from beekeeping in the mountains

Chapter 89 How to eat bee pupae! Invite Taozi to join the group!
The first thing to deal with is the ghost wasps in the beehive.

More than two hundred black bees were densely packed in the bamboo beehive.

These gregarious insects will not kill each other in such a crowded space.

But the weather is hot and the temperature is high. If not dealt with in time, the hornets inside will die in large numbers within half a day.

The dead hornets are of no use other than feeding chickens.

It is easy to deal with the ghost wasp, just soak it in wine.

In total, I only borrowed twenty kilograms of wine from the old carpenter's house.

He opened a new wine jar and poured in the barrel of wine soaked in ghost bees that he had brought to the mountain today.

There are ten kilograms of wine in the barrel. After being brewed for such a long time, the ghost bees inside have all died.

After putting it into the wine jar, add another ten kilograms of wine into it, and then cover the jar with a wooden lid with a round hole in the middle.

This wooden cover was custom-made by an old carpenter according to the size of the beehive's entrance.

After the wooden cover was put on, the beehive was turned upside down with the buttons facing downwards, and Wang Tong was asked to hold the beehive with gloves on.

Fang Hongan began to untie the string that tied the cork. When the string was almost untied, he told Wang Tong to get ready.

Then, Fang Hongan pulled open the wooden cork, and Wang Tong quickly took the beeper and put it on the round hole on the wooden lid of the wine jar.

Put the opening of the beehive into the round hole.

"Clap! Clap! Clap!"

Wang Tong kept slapping the beehive, causing the ghost bees in the beehive to gather towards the exit, and then enter the wine jar through the exit.

There is no other skill involved in this whole process, all it requires is patience.

The follow-up of this work was handed over to Wang Tong and Fang Chengtao.

Fang Hongan picked up the bee pupae, went into the fire room, and began to process the bee pupae.

Heat oil in a pan. Those that have formed their feathers can only be fried.

As for those in pupa form, Fang Hongan fried half of them and heated an iron pan over low heat for the other half. He then put the bee pupae in the pan and slowly roasted them.

It is fried until crispy and delicious.

The roasted fruit loses its crispness but has a more dry fragrance and a unique burnt aroma, which gives it a unique flavor.

The bee pupae waiting to be roasted in the fire room have been almost processed.

Wang Tong and Fang Chengtao were already waiting outside the fire room, smelling the fragrance and swallowing their saliva.

A plate of fried and a plate of baked bee pupae were handed to the two of them.

Fang Hongan came to the wine-making room.

After a quick look, I confirmed that all the ghost bees in the beehive had been driven into the wine jar and the lid of the wine jar was tightly closed.

Fang Hongan also came out into the main room.

At present, the bee pupae have been processed.

But soaking in wine is not the end of the story.

Next, you have to wait until all the ghost bees in the wine jar are soaked to death before you can order more wine.

When the three of them were enjoying their meal, Lan Wenxiu, who had gone to the village to find someone to grind rice flour, came back.

Seeing that it was a bee pupa, Lan Wenxiu was afraid to eat it at first.

But she listened to Fang Hongan's advice and thought about the baby in her belly.

He first frowned, then closed his eyes and ate two.

Then, after getting a taste of it, I got used to it.

These two plates of bee pupae are just a small part of today's harvest, after eating them.

Fang Hongan divided the remaining bee pupae into three parts.

Keep one copy for yourself.

The other two were packed in bags and prepared for Wang Tong and Fang Chengtao to take back.

After cleaning up these, they estimated that the ghost bees in the wine jar should be almost gone, so the three of them came to the wine-making room.

First, he carefully opened the wooden block covering the round hole on the wooden lid of the wine jar, took a look inside with a flashlight, and made sure that all the ghost wasps had fallen into the wine before he completely opened the wooden lid.

then……

Fang Chengtao was responsible for lighting the lamp, while Wang Tong held a bamboo stick and counted the dead ghost bees one by one.

Fang Hongan went to the old carpenter's house again and borrowed thirty kilograms of wine.

When we came back, the counting work had been completed and the total number of ghost bees was 536.

The ratio is to soak twenty bees in one pound of wine.

That means nearly 27 kilograms of wine.

There were already 20 kilograms of wine in the jar, so Fang Hongan weighed out another 7 kilograms and poured it in.

It's better to seal it.

This time, the wooden lid with a round hole was not used, but the original wine jar lid was used instead.

After sealing it, Fang Hongan placed the jar of wine in a cool corner.

At this point, the jar of Kitobee wine is ready.

It takes at least half a year to soak the ghost head bee wine before you can drink it.

If you want the medicine to be more effective, the older the better.

Of course, if you want to sell it, you don’t have to wait so long.

In its current state, if you sell it in the ghost market, there will be many people who want to buy it.

After all, the custom of hoarding wine is not unique to the Xiaonan region.

Looking across the country, this is a fairly common phenomenon.

Busy.

By the time the three of them had packed up, it was already past four in the afternoon.

Fang Chengtao thought that there would be a big show in the evening, so he went home first to make preparations.

Fang Hongan and Wang Tong took a rest, took the piece of meat left over from the morning, and went to the thatched house again to lure the ghost wasps.

This time, the two waited for nearly half an hour but failed to lure any bees.

No disappointment whatsoever.

Fang Hongan felt relieved instead.

Eliminated the threat of the hive.

Next, the two did not move to another location to lure the ghost bee.

Instead, he took a bee hat and a bee bag and went up to Mashiling. Before nightfall, he collected two nests of bees.

……

……

the other side.

Not long after leaving Fang Hongan's house.

Fang Chengtao returned to his doorstep.

In his hands, in addition to the portion of bee pupae that Fang Hongan had left, there were also thirty kilograms of rice.

This was naturally the rice that Fang Hongan was returning to their family that he had borrowed last time.

Along the way, Fang Chengtao was thinking about how to explain to his parents.

Oh no!

In fact, explanation is not the point.

Fang Chengtao was mainly thinking about how to convince his parents, or more precisely, how to convince his father, to agree to let him join Fang Hongan in the team.

He was determined to work with Fang Hongan.

But he was troubled by how to convince his tough father.

Especially after what happened in the blacksmith shop.

After all, it was because of the girl on that blind date that she would rather marry a hard laborer in the city than marry a rich peasant in the mountains.

Fang Chengtao was so excited that he wanted to go to the city.

Later, he heard that his cousin who ran a blacksmith shop in the county town needed an apprentice, so he was so excited that he decided to be an apprentice in the blacksmith shop and escape from the mountains.

At that time, his father Fang Hongjiang was not very willing for him to go.

I warned him at that time that he was not close to this cousin's family.

This cousin, a blacksmith, was a rather snobbish person and was afraid that Fang Chengtao would suffer and learn nothing there.

But Fang Chengtao was full of confidence as he was determined to move to the city. His father could not persuade him, so he swallowed his pride and carried a large load of local specialties to the city to beg his cousin for help. Only then did his father accept him.

But Fang Chengtao was not happy with his life in the blacksmith shop in the city.

Especially this cousin, who always made him do hard and tiring work and had no intention of teaching him as an apprentice.

Later, when the cousin's nephew arrived, Fang Chengtao could no longer stay.

With no other choice, he returned to Shiwan Village in disgrace.

Regarding this matter of coming back, his father Fang Hongjiang didn't say anything to him.

But Fang Chengtao knew that he was very disappointed.

Therefore, he took the initiative to agree with his father to stay at home and farm with him in the future.

But it’s only been a few days.

So I told him I changed my mind again.

Fang Chengtao could imagine that when he mentioned this to his father later, his father would glare at him, slam the table and yell at him!
Moreover, Fang Chengtao knew very well that his father was actually very opposed to the way of making a living by going out to the mountains and hunting.

Last time, I insisted on going to Fang Hongan's house with him, and I accidentally let the secret slip.

Not to mention, this is the even scarier-sounding ghost-headed bee...

that's it.

Fang Chengtao frowned and thought hard all the way, and before he knew it, he had stepped into the threshold.

At this time, his mother Wang Ying was carrying a slaughtered old hen and preparing to pluck it at the gate.

Looking at the sack in Taozi's hand, he asked curiously, "Taozi! What are you holding?"

"Oh!" Fang Chengtao thought about it and said, "This is the thirty kilograms of rice that Hong An returned! I had lunch at his house at noon, so I took it back!"

"I asked you to invite them over for dinner, but instead you stayed at their place for lunch first!"

"And this rice... It's only been a short time since I borrowed it, why is it being taken back now?" Wang Ying looked at Fang Chengtao with a complaint, "You are too rude!"

"Mom!" Fang Chengtao retorted, "Hong'an's family is not short of food now! If he wants to come back, just come back! We have such a good relationship, why should we be polite to each other!"

"You!"

Wang Ying had already arrived at the door and put the basin with the chicken on the ground. She was about to turn around and fetch some hot water to scald the chicken. When she heard Fang Chengtao's indifferent tone, she couldn't help but say again:

"He's already grown up, but he still doesn't understand the ways of the world! Hongan's family has rice now, but I heard that this rice was given by his uncle who lives in the city and eats government-funded food!

Don't listen to those nonsense that Fang Hongan is going to make a comeback. This is something given by others, even if he is your uncle, how long can it last?

Right now, Hong An can only get through this difficult time temporarily. What really counts as him is whether he has the ability to make a living on his own!

Isn't he going to go hiking? Why don't you wait until he is stable before letting him come back? "

Fang Chengtao didn't actually feel anything after being scolded by his mother.

When it comes to social etiquette, his mother is quite particular and she had scolded him a lot in the past, so he has gotten used to it.

But when he heard what his mother said, he knew that she was completely wrong.

At that moment, Fang Chengtao couldn't help but explain: "Mom! The rice sent by Hongan's family last time has nothing to do with his uncle who eats state-funded food. This is all earned by Hongan with his own ability!"

"Did you earn it through your own ability?"

After Wang Ying heard this, before she could even exclaim in surprise, the surprised voice of Fang Chengtao's father Fang Hongjiang could be heard from the other side of the room.

Afterwards, he even limped out and asked Fang Chengtao in surprise, "How did he earn it? Did he hunt in the mountains and find something valuable?"

Seeing his father staring at him with sharp eyes, which seemed to be full of questioning, Fang Chengtao initially regretted having explained so much.

But he immediately changed his mind and thought, wouldn't this be a good opportunity to pave the way for him to join the group later?

It just so happened that Fang Hongan said that they could tell his parents about their excavation of the ghost bees.

After pondering for a while and sorting out his thoughts, Fang Chengtao nodded: "Well...right! Hongan and his cousin have been digging in the mountains recently. They should have made a lot of money!"

"Digging?"

Hearing this answer, Fang Hongjiang couldn't help but become even more curious.

When hunting in the mountains, isn't it either setting traps or chasing dogs and shooting?
How did it become digging?

Looking at his father's curious face, Fang Chengtao felt refreshed.

He deliberately didn't say it directly, just to arouse his father's curiosity so that he could talk about joining the gang later.

"Duo!"

Fang Chengtao was thinking proudly, but suddenly he felt a flash in front of his eyes.

Immediately afterwards, a sharp pain came from my head.

Then, his father Fang Hongjiang held two fingers together in front of his eyes and said, "You have made it, haven't you? You are keeping me in suspense!"

"I……"

Fang Chengtao scratched his head, looking really caught off guard.

"Tell me! What did you dig?" Fang Dajingang raised his eyes, not even looking at his son's face that pretended to be aggrieved. After shaking his hand, he raised it high again.

"Yes! Yes!" Fang Chengtao quickly protected his head and confessed, "Ghost-headed bees! Hongan and his friends are trying to make money by digging out ghost-headed bees these days!"

His father's iron chestnuts have been eating into his head since he was a child, and they have really left him with a trauma.

"Ghost Head Bee!"

The expression on Fang Hongjiang's face froze.

Then he suddenly slammed the table and shouted, "This is nonsense! How can you dig this thing!"

"Dad! Don't be in a hurry! Don't be in a hurry!"

Seeing his father standing up and preparing to go to Fang Hongan's house to scold him, Fang Chengtao quickly stood up as well and explained hurriedly, "Hongan and the others are safe. I saw it with my own eyes. They have special clothes for digging bees!
Hong An said, that's called bee-proof clothing! I touched it, it's strong and thick! Even the ghost bees can't penetrate it at all!"

After Fang Chengtao said this, Fang Hongjiang really stopped walking. The expression on his face relaxed a little, and he stared at Fang Chengtao's face back and forth, obviously trying to judge the credibility of his words.

Wang Ying, who was listening, couldn't help but say, "Do you have clothes like this?"

"Yes!" Fang Chengtao nodded decisively, "Hongan said! They went to the county to find someone to make it specially!"

After he finished speaking, he felt his father's gaze on him suddenly become serious and fierce: "So... you didn't come back at noon today, so you went with Hong An and the others to dig for ghost bees?"

"Well..." Fang Chengtao suddenly broke out in sweat on his back, and he explained with a stiff face, "It's not like I followed them! I just happened to run into them after they finished digging! Help them clean up the bee pupae!"

"The specific situation is as follows..."

Fang Chengtao immediately told the whole process of how he met Fang Hongan and his friends in the afternoon, how he went to his house for dinner, and how he made the wine and processed the bee pupae.

Of course, he still didn't dare to mention the matter of joining the gang and deliberately omitted it.

"..."

After listening to the whole process, Fang Hongjiang's frowning face obviously relaxed again.

Obviously, he was convinced by Fang Chengtao's words.

Wang Ying, who was standing at the side, blinked a few times and couldn't help but sigh: "They collected more than 500 bees from one nest, soaked more than 20 kilograms of wine, and there are more than 10 kilograms of bee pupae? This is too much!"

"Mom, don't disbelieve me! I brought back two kilograms of bee pupae! Here, they are right here!"

Fang Hongan raised the bag in his hand and handed it to his mother.

Wang Ying then saw clearly that the bag seemed to contain bee pupae. After opening the bag, a fried aroma wafted into her nose.

"Dad!"

Wang Ying opened the bag in front of Fang Hongjiang. The two looked at each other with surprise on their faces.

The bee pupae in this bag alone weigh more than two kilograms!

Taozi said that they had already eaten two plates and divided them into three portions.

Then these ten kilograms of bee pupae are definitely available!
With so many bee pupae, there must be a lot of ghost bees as well. It is entirely possible to soak more than 20 kilograms of wine.

More than twenty kilograms of Kitobee wine!

That is completely different from this bee pupa.

Bee pupae are just a snack to replenish nutrition.

But that Kitobee wine can really be sold for money.

Fang Hongjiang knows this best.

Don't be fooled by his majestic appearance, but after doing this job for 20 years, his legs, feet, waist and arms are covered with old injuries.

In the past, whenever we planted fields, harvested rice, or threshed beans, we had to rub our joints with medicated wine every night.

He didn't know how to prepare medicinal wine, so he bought the medicinal wine from the old doctor in Shanmuling.

Just this time, when I sprained my foot, I went to the old doctor and bought a bottle of ghost bee medicinal wine.

A half-pound bottle cost one dollar and eighty cents.

Originally, the old doctor was reluctant to sell it to him, but he finally agreed because he led the Eight Vajra Team.

After I brought it back and used it, I found that the ghost bee medicinal wine was really effective.

Half a pound costs only one dollar and eighty cents, and twenty-seven pounds, that’s almost a hundred dollars!

This is equivalent to how many times he has carried the coffin...

No wonder Fang Hongan was so confident in making a bet with me.

In just a few short periods of time, they obtained several hundred kilograms of rice, and the rumor spread throughout the village.

Although Fang Hongjiang remained silent, the expression on his face fully revealed his excitement and shock at the moment.

Seeing this scene, Fang Chengtao knew that the time was ripe. He made up his mind and said decisively: "Dad! I want to work with Hongan and the others!"

(End of this chapter)