The Little Life of a Big Landlord

Chapter 42 Telephone

In rural areas, grasshoppers are generally prepared in two ways: stir-fried or deep-fried.

Stir-fried grasshoppers are made by pouring marinated grasshoppers and the brine used for marinating them into a hot pan and cooking until the brine evaporates. The resulting grasshoppers are crispy and crunchy.

Fried grasshoppers are made by taking marinated grasshoppers out of salt water, putting oil in a hot pan, and frying them until they turn a deep reddish-brown color. While they aren't as crispy as stir-fried grasshoppers, they are very fragrant and have a unique, refreshing taste. If they have eggs inside, they are even more delicious.

Aunt Liu has been quite busy these days, picking corn during the day and peeling it at night. Her meals have become irregular. Adults can endure this kind of life, but children can't. Xiao Bao'er has been eating at Yang Ming's house these days.

After the couple busied themselves preparing the meal, they served it on the table, along with two cans of drinks and two bottles of beer. They turned on the TV, and dinner began.

Zheng Bao'er was still just a child. Upon seeing the delicious food, she had long forgotten all her unpleasantness and was fighting with Wei Qingqing for the few fried grasshoppers left on the plate. This was the kind of Zheng Bao'er that Yang Ming and his wife wanted to see. Children should be carefree and happy.

"You two, leave me some..." Yang Ming saw the grasshoppers on the plate decreasing rapidly at a visible speed and immediately reached out with his chopsticks to pick them up.

"Didn't you say that eating too many grasshoppers causes mouth ulcers?"

"When faced with delicious food, who cares about anything else? I'd eat it even if it gave me hemorrhoids."

Canker sores? Hemorrhoids?

Wei Qingqing's gaze towards Yang Ming changed. For the first time, she realized how disgusting this person was, especially since he was eating right now.

Yang Ming finally managed to pick up a big grasshopper with a round belly. Just as he was about to put it in his mouth, he accidentally picked up the grasshopper's thigh. Not only do fried grasshoppers easily lose their legs, but even live grasshoppers are prone to losing their legs. This big, red, oily grasshopper fell onto the kang table. Wei Qingqing was quick-witted and picked it up, happily eating it.

"You can eat it, we'll take some more from the plate." But when Yang Ming looked at the plate again, there was only a pile of grasshopper legs left. The little girl, Zheng Bao'er, was chewing on it, with a grasshopper leg still sticking out of her mouth.

"You... gluttons..." Yang Ming sighed helplessly and could only launch an attack on the other dishes.

"Hmph, who told you to be so disgusting?" Wei Qingqing, with a victor's smile, triumphantly placed the two large grasshoppers into Yang Ming's bowl.

"Hehe, Uncle, what are hemorrhoids? Are canker sores also called hemorrhoids?" Zheng Bao'er giggled and put two big grasshoppers into Yang Ming's bowl.

It turned out that both of them had a habit of hiding food. Yang Ming felt depressed, but also warmed up. Both his wife and Bao'er were thinking of him.

Xiao Bao'er's words made Wei Qingqing laugh: "If we have mouth ulcers, we call them mouth ulcers. If your Uncle Yang has mouth ulcers, we call them hemorrhoids."

"Eat, eat. If you eat, you'll get hemorrhoids..." Yang Ming ate in silence.

After dinner, Wei Qingqing and Zheng Bao'er watched TV together on the kang (heated brick bed). The straw mat had long been removed and replaced with a soft quilt. The kang was warm and cozy, and whether lying on it or sitting on it, a warm breeze would blow up.

Yang Ming cleared the table, poured the leftover food together, and took it out to feed the dogs. After about a month, the puppies were almost half-grown. In addition to the 18 spotted puppies, there were a total of 27 puppies running around in the yard. Yang Ming had already planned that once these puppies were all half-grown, he would release them all onto the mountain. At the very least, there would have to be dogs watching over the hot spring pool and the greenhouse.

As for the greenhouse, the seeds planted have now sprouted and emerged. The seedlings are growing quite well, but the weather is gradually getting colder, so they need to be covered with plastic sheeting at night. Otherwise, the fruit seedlings can withstand the cold, but the vegetable seedlings and melon vines will freeze. However, this work is a bit troublesome, as it needs to be covered every day. Yang Ming has been working on it for two days and is already feeling overwhelmed. He is already planning to hire a few people to help.

The irrigation water is actually warm water drawn from the hot spring pool's outlet pipes. When soaking in the hot spring, there's no need for soap or shampoo, and the water that flows out can be reused.

"The phone is ringing... The phone is ringing..." Yang Ming was tidying up the kang table when his cell phone, which was placed on the kang headboard, rang.

Wei Qingqing picked up her phone and saw it was Zhang Yingning's number. "It's Aunt Zhang's..."

Yang Ming quickly took the phone and went to the outer room to answer it, while Wei Qingqing took over tidying up the table.

"Aunt Zhang?" Yang Ming asked.

"It's me, isn't it Xiao Yang?" Zhang Yingning's voice came through the receiver.

"It's me, have you eaten?" A greeting with Chinese characteristics.

"I just ate, what about you guys?"

"We just finished eating and are clearing the table. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"It's nothing. It's almost Mid-Autumn Festival, so Auntie wants to wish you a happy Mid-Autumn Festival in advance."

"Aunt Zhang, I also wish you a happy Mid-Autumn Festival and a joyous family reunion."

"Xiao Yang, let me tell you, I have a grandson. This little guy was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He's never suffered much since he was a child and has become quite spoiled. He often gets into fights with the other kids at kindergarten, which gives me quite a headache. I heard you and Qingqing moved to a small mountain village, so I thought I'd take advantage of the National Day holiday to have his mother bring him to stay with you for a few days so he can get some education..." Zhang Yingning said.

"This..." Yang Ming hesitated. He didn't really want outsiders to come to his home.

"If it's inconvenient for you, then forget it."

"It's alright, it's alright. I was just thinking that since Qingqing and I are getting married on October 1st, I'm afraid we won't be able to take care of them."

"Oh! So Xiao Yang is getting married on October 1st? You're really not being fair. You don't treat your aunt like a friend. You didn't even tell your aunt about such a big event as getting married," Zhang Yingning said reproachfully on the phone.

"Hehehe, Auntie owns a hotel. October 1st is a national holiday, which is a busy time for her. How could I possibly bother her?"

"Your words are becoming increasingly unpleasant to hear. You're getting married, and even if I have something important to do, I have to make time to attend your wedding, Xiao Yang. Have you decided on the venue for the banquet yet?"

"Not yet. We plan to have a wedding ceremony in my hometown first, inviting relatives and friends, and then another one in the city."

"October 1st, right? Let me tell you, I have to attend both of your weddings. You absolutely must pick me up then, or I'll never forgive you."

"Yes, yes, yes, I'll definitely treat you," Yang Ming said quickly.

"It's settled then about my grandson. If you guys are taking care of him, what's the point of him getting any education? He'll just treat it like a vacation."

The two chatted for a while longer before hanging up. Yang Ming went straight into the inner room, threw the phone on the kang (a heated brick bed), and then took off his shoes and got on the kang himself.

"What did you say?" Wei Qingqing asked.

"Aunt Zhang wanted her grandson to come to our house for a few days to experience mountain village life on October 1st. Then I mentioned that we're getting married on October 1st, and she said she wanted to attend our wedding... I always felt that she was acting a little strange," Yang Ming said.

"There's definitely something going on here," Wei Qingqing asserted.

How can you be so sure?

"A woman's intuition..." Wei Qingqing said, then hugged Zheng Bao'er, and the two of them watched TV with great interest.

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