Chapter 110 – Site Selection
They reached the terraced fields, where a few plots still held late-season rice.
Most of the other fields had either been harvested, leaving only rice stubble and loaches and eels in the water, or they had already been tilled and planted with winter vegetables like radishes and mustard greens.
As they walked further up the mountain, before they even reached their own rice fields, they heard the sound of water trickling from a nearby stream, its cool flow gliding over rocks.
The water in the irrigation channels was flowing into the rice fields, then draining out through outlets, cascading down the slope.
When Xia Lu Nong approached their rice field, he immediately noticed several fish gathered near the outlet, nibbling on the duckweed and insects carried by the current.
These fish weren’t afraid of people. Even as Xia Lu Nong’s shadow fell over the water, the fish kept lazily opening and closing their mouths, continuing to feed. It was quite an adorable sight.
“They’re a bit small,” Xia Lu Nong squatted by the field’s edge and measured them with his hand, muttering, “Their bodies are only as wide as four fingers, at most half a pound.”
Kong Zhi bent down to look. “Fish in rice fields don’t grow very big; this size is about right.”
With swift hands, Kong Zhi reached into the water and caught several fish in just a few tries, putting six carp into the basket.
Though the carp looked small, they were plump, with round, bulging bellies.
Suddenly removed from the water, the fish flapped vigorously in the basket, making loud slapping sounds as they struggled—full of life.
Kong Zhi was about to catch more when Xia Lu Nong grabbed his wrist, smiling. “That’s enough! Just enough for one meal; any more and we won’t finish them.”
Kong Zhi nodded, pulled his hand back, and plucked some wild grass stems growing nearby.
With a few quick twists, he formed a bundle, threading it through the fish’s gills and out their mouths, tying them up.
Xia Lu Nong lifted the string of carp, estimating they weighed over three pounds. After cleaning, there would still be more than two pounds left to cook.
After catching the fish, they checked the rice.
The rice heads were already turning yellow, but when Xia Lu Nong squeezed one of the grains, the liquid inside was still milky. It would be some time before they could harvest the rice.
Xia Lu Nong figured they would finish harvesting the wheat before it was time to cut the rice.
Kong Zhi, after checking the rice, turned his attention to the loaches and eels in the field, catching over two pounds of loaches and a few eels.
The eels were harder to find, and most of them were caught after Kong Zhi dug into the dirt embankments with his hands to find their hiding spots.
With a bucket full of loaches and eels jumping around, the two headed back.
Xia Lu Nong said, “It would’ve been great if we had brought a bucket. They’ll probably dry out by the time we get home.”
Kong Zhi: “Should I fly back?”
“No need to go to such trouble just for a meal.” Xia Lu Nong smiled. “We can just walk back at a leisurely pace.”
The two walked down the path along the rice paddies.
The mountain breeze blew through the bamboo forest, brushing against their bodies and causing their clothes to flutter.
Xia Lu Nong spread his arms, letting the autumn wind wash over him, a smile on his face.
Kong Zhi silently followed behind him, not rushing him.
They returned to the vegetable garden and picked up the vegetables to head home.
Xia Huo Qu and Yan Xi Nian hadn’t returned yet. It wasn’t even 11 o’clock.
Kong Zhi put down the things and said, “I’ll go to the vegetable garden to pull out some weeds and come back later.”
“No rush.” Xia Lu Nong grabbed his wrist, “We can go together tomorrow. Let’s make lunch first.”
Kong Zhi wasn’t the type to enjoy being around people too much, often finding it overwhelming, but today he was more than willing.
Though Xia Lu Nong didn’t say it aloud, he also felt uplifted when they were together, lightly humming a tune all the while.
Kong Zhi’s mood improved too.
Most of the songs Xia Lu Nong sang, Kong Zhi knew how to sing as well. Sometimes he would join in, and other times he just listened quietly.
Xia Lu Nong would occasionally switch to foreign songs, and Kong Zhi could mostly keep up.
Kong Zhi descaled and gutted the six carp, cleaning them thoroughly before handing them to Xia Lu Nong. “Do you want to marinate them now?”
“Yes.” Xia Lu Nong took the bowl with the fish and began to add chili powder, salt, cinnamon, and peppercorns, massaging the spices into the fish.
Once he was done, he didn’t let the fish marinate in a dish but instead took some straw from the pile, threaded it through the fish’s mouths, strung them together, and hung them on a pepper tree outside.
Xia Lu Nong stood on tiptoe, making sure to space out the fish so that each one could get enough sunlight and wind.
Kong Zhi crossed his arms. “What’s the purpose of this?”
Xia Lu Nong: “Let them air dry a bit. This way, when we eat them, the meat will be firmer, like garlic cloves. The texture will be similar to salted fish but without the overwhelming saltiness, making it even more flavorful.”
In terms of cooking, Kong Zhi was far behind Xia Lu Nong. After hearing this, he asked, “Do we need any special ingredients?”
“No, just chop up some green and red chili peppers finely. We’ll use the rendered pork lard and crispy pork bits to make the dish later.”
As Xia Lu Nong finished speaking, something nearby moved. He turned his head and saw that it was Xia Hua Jiao (the pepper plant).
Xia Hua Jiao had just woken up, stretching its branches and draping one over Xia Lu Nong’s shoulder to greet him.
Xia Lu Nong checked its condition and saw that it was growing well. It seemed eager to break free from the soil and play. He pressed down on it, “Stay planted for a few more days, or you won’t grow tall enough.”
“Shhh—” Xia Hua Jiao rubbed its branch against Xia Lu Nong’s wrist, acting coy.
Xia Lu Nong remained firm. “Acting cute won’t help. If you don’t stay put, I won’t give you any powers for a few days.”
“Shhh.” Xia Hua Jiao let out a weak sound, drooping its branch in disappointment.
As Xia Lu Nong was cooking, Yan Xi Nian and Xia Huo Qu returned.
The sun was shining brightly outside, and both of them were drenched in sweat. The first thing they did after coming back was head over to Yan Xi Nian’s place to wash up and change clothes.
It was hot at noon, so the windows of both houses were open. As soon as they stepped out, they were hit with the rich aroma of food.
Yan Xi Nian, now refreshed in shorts and slippers, came over and asked, “What’s for lunch?”
“Carp,” Xia Lu Nong replied. “Kong Zhi caught them.”
“Mmm, sounds like a good meal.”
“Brother,” Xia Lu Nong glanced at his older brother who had just walked in and greeted him before asking, “How’s the credit currency system discussion going?”
Leaning against the door frame, Yan Xi Nian replied, “We’re still discussing it. To push forward with the credit currency, we need enough resources as a backup. The resource management committee didn’t have enough supplies at first, but it’s getting better now. We plan to introduce the credit currency in the cafeteria first, replacing meal tickets.”
Xia Lu Nong asked, “Will it be tied to precious metals like gold?”
Yan Xi Nian shook his head. “Of course not.”
He continued, “It’s just an internal credit currency system for the base. If we tied it to precious metals, it would be too vulnerable to external shocks. We’re still figuring out the details, and we’ll also have to talk to Old Liu and the others to get their thoughts.”
He then informed them, “We’ve tentatively scheduled a meeting for the night after tomorrow. You and Kong Zhi should attend.”
Xia Lu Nong nodded.
After briefly discussing the base’s affairs, Yan Xi Nian asked, “Are we going to plant the honeysuckle this afternoon?”
“Yes, and we need to cut some grass to feed the cattle.” Xia Lu Nong replied. “Tomorrow we’ll check the market and see if there are any pasture seeds.”
Yan Xi Nian: “I already asked around, but there aren’t any for now. Pasture seeds are rare, and most people don’t pay attention to them while collecting supplies. I’ve spread the word, so let’s see if anyone can find some.”
Looking at the pot of simmering fish, Xia Lu Nong felt a headache coming on. “That’s all we can do for now. This afternoon, we can plant some soybeans and mix them with the grass as feed.”
Yan Xi Nian said, “No rush, worst case, we can hire someone to take the cattle out to graze each day.”
Xia Lu Nong replied, “But most people can’t ensure their own safety out there. Anyone capable enough to stay safe would rather be out collecting supplies than herding cattle.”
“Growing pasture would be more convenient. Plus, in a couple of months, it’ll get cold, and the plants will wither. It’ll be hard to find suitable pasture outside, so we’ll need to start storing feed in advance.”
“True,” Yan Xi Nian agreed. “What kind of pasture do you want? Grass species or legume species?”
Xia Lu Nong was confused. “What’s the difference? Which is better for the cattle?”
Yan Xi Nian shook his head. “I’m not too sure either. Grass species like rye grass or brome can be cut repeatedly and grow quickly. Legume species, like alfalfa, are said to taste better.”
Xia Lu Nong said, “If we can find them, why not plant both? There’s plenty of land outside the base. Planting one kind or two kinds makes no difference.”
Yan Xi Nian laughed, “I’ll let them know and have them search for more. Any variety is fine, the more the better.”
“Exactly! That’s what I mean!”
As the two chatted, the sauce in the pot thickened.
Xia Lu Nong plated the carp on a large porcelain dish, piled finely chopped green and red chili peppers on top, then ladled the sauce over it and sprinkled chopped scallions.
The rich aroma filled the entire house.
Yan Xi Nian could no longer leisurely lean against the door frame. He quickly walked over, grabbed the bowls and chopsticks, rinsed them in hot water, and set them out for the meal.
The main dish for lunch was the braised carp.
Everyone sat at the table, and the first thing they did was reach for the fish.
Xia Lu Nong took a piece of the fish skin first.
Ordinarily, fish skin can be quite fishy, but today’s carp skin had no such smell at all. Drying and frying it beforehand had turned any trace of fishiness into a fragrant aroma.
The skin had soaked up the sauce, becoming soft and tender. With one bite, the flavors of chili, wine, and soy sauce spread across his mouth, so delicious that he felt like he could swallow his tongue.
After finishing the fish skin, he took a few bites of the fragrant and oily rice. Only with big bites of food did he feel truly satisfied.
Once he finished the fish skin, Xia Lu Nong moved on to the fish meat.
In most dishes, fish meat tends to fall apart, and a light touch with chopsticks would cause it to scatter.
However, the carp he dried didn’t fall apart at all.
Instead, when he picked it up, it came out in a single clove-like, snow-white piece of fish.
He lightly dipped the fish in the sauce, then took a bite.
The fresh flavor of the fish was maximized, bursting in his mouth immediately. The unique texture of the dried fish was even more irresistible, and combined with the rich sauce, it was impossible to stop eating.
Everyone dug in with fervor, showing their utmost respect for the dish through their actions.
There were several dishes on the table, but they devoured everything, hardly leaving any bones behind.
After the meal, they sipped hot tea and then moved to the living room to eat watermelon.
The watermelon had been grown in their courtyard, and there weren’t many left.
Xia Lu Nong and Kong Zhi had picked a watermelon in the morning and chilled it in the water jar. Now it was perfectly cold and refreshing. One bite, and all they tasted was the fresh, crisp fragrance of the fruit.
Yan Xi Nian closed his eyes in bliss, “Good thing we’re so active these days, or we’d all get fat from eating like this.”
Xia Huo Qu kicked Yan Xi Nian, who had finished his watermelon, to go wash the dishes. He then turned to Xia Lu Nong and asked, “Are we heading out this afternoon to plant the honeysuckle?”
“Yeah. We’ll cut some grass, too.” Xia Lu Nong asked, “Brother, what do you think about planting the honeysuckle on that piece of land just below the base? The big area on the left side where we drive out.”
Xia Huo Qu thought for a moment. “It’s too close. It might alarm the people in the base. Let’s keep looking.”
