A small plot of land in a mountain village

Chapter 72 Qingming Fruit

The frog eggs in the pond have all hatched. During the day, a group of tiny tadpoles waddle around the pond's edge. Zhang Niu, watching from the bank, smacked his lips, thinking that he'd have frog legs to eat later.

Many of the peach blossom buds at Happy Cottage have already blossomed. The pink ones are particularly vibrant. A large number of bees have followed. Behind them are dozens of snow-white plum trees.

The peach blossoms around the large tiled house have slowly bloomed, but there is still no reaction on Maotou Mountain, with only a few flowers blooming. It seems that the fruit trees irrigated with the space water are blooming particularly early.

It's been drizzling all day during the Qingming Festival. A light breeze makes it a bit chilly, and Zhang Niu, who was huddled at home, walked home with an umbrella. In the afternoon, his family makes something common for the Qingming Festival – Qingming cakes.

Qingming cakes are only available around the Qingming Festival. They sell for five or six yuan per jin (500g) outside. They're entirely green. Don't mistake this for fruit; it's actually a sweet treat made with glutinous rice. Depending on personal preference, those who like it sweet can add lotus seed paste, while those who prefer it savory can add shredded meat and lettuce. It has a unique flavor.

In early April, a type of wild grass grows on the barren hillsides. It's covered in fuzz and very short. It has small yellow flowers, and the material used to make this dish is this wild grass that can be found everywhere by the roadside.

This year there's been an unusually heavy rain, and the fragrance of the flowers is much weaker. The Qingming cakes we make aren't as good as in previous years. But many people in the village start making them around this time and take them to town to sell. Business is pretty good.

Walking along the alley, listening to the dripping water from the eaves, I felt a sense of nostalgia for the water towns of Jiangnan. My pace slowed considerably.

"Hey! What are you thinking about?" A startled voice exclaimed.

A crisp voice rang in his ears. He turned around and saw Xiaohua standing next to Zhang Niu, holding an umbrella. "Nothing, I just remembered something."

"Lying is not good. Every time you lie, the corners of your eyes slant upwards," Xiaohua said sweetly, pouting her little mouth.

"Really? How come I didn't know?" Zhang Niu asked with some doubt.

After hearing this, Xiaohua covered her mouth and laughed, "It was just a joke. You actually believed it? You're still as silly as ever."

When Xiao Hua said that, Zhang Niu remembered the times when Xiao Hua used to tease him. He didn't expect that she would still do the same thing now that she was all grown up.

"You seem to be doing quite well taking care of yourself at home. You look much better than when you first came back." He looked at Xiaohua's slightly blushing face.

"Really? The neighbors said so too. Did I look terrible when I came back?"

Zhang Niu wouldn't be so stupid as to say he wasn't pretty in front of girls. "Well, I can't really say."

Xiao Hua glared at Zhang Niu a few times after hearing this. "I'm ignoring you. It's just asking me to make a statement, it's not like I'm going to eat you up."

"Are you free? My mom's making Qingming cakes today. Why don't you come over and have some? My mom will be so happy to see you."

"Okay! I really miss Auntie's cooking." She even made a cute face.

As she entered the house, her younger sister, who was waiting for food in the kitchen, spotted Xiaohua. She ran up to Xiaohua excitedly and exclaimed, "Sister Xiaohua, you're here!"

"Niu Niu, come and let your big sister see how big you've grown." She touched her little sister's face.

"Your sister is so beautiful. Niu Niu should learn from her when she grows up." She couldn't resist adding a compliment.

Listening to Zhang Niu next to me, I was sweating bullets... He's so young and already thinking about the future, isn't he thinking way too far ahead?

"Little Flower's here. Your mom said you haven't been feeling well lately, is that right?" asked the old woman who came in with water.

"It's nothing, I'm just feeling a little unwell. I'll feel better if I just stay still."

"You brat, why don't you take your little sister Hua inside for a while? The kitchen is such a mess," he said to Zhang Niu.

"It's alright, it's the same wherever you are," Xiaohua said politely.

Not long after entering the kitchen, the bamboo basket placed on the large iron pot began to emit a fragrant aroma. Removing the lid revealed a circle of small, green, vegetable-sized Qingming cakes arranged inside, with a faint scent of wild grass wafting through the air.

Little Flower took a gentle sniff and exclaimed, "It smells so good! Auntie's cooking is getting better and better!"

"Look at your mouth. You'd better eat more later," Mom said with a smile, holding a Qingming cake between her fingers.

We entered the lobby. Dad was sitting there watching a play. He noticed Xiaohua coming in and said, "Xiaohua, when did you get here?"

"I just came in to see you."

"Little Flower used to be an ugly duckling, but now she's a beauty. I wonder which family is so lucky to have her," Dad joked from the side.

Hearing this, Xiaohua's face flushed even more, and Zhang Niu stared intently. Her blushing was even more impressive than Zhang Niu's. Hehe.

Steaming hot Qingming cakes were placed in the bowl. Zhang Niu had already eaten several. Xiao Hua was still eating them in small bites. She seemed rather refined, or perhaps it was because she was sick! Zhang Niu, watching from the side, came to a conclusion.

After finishing his meal, Zhang Niu escorted Xiao Hua home, carrying a few Qingming cakes for Xiao Hua's mother to try.

"Your aunt is so kind. I'm so full." She stuck out her little tongue.

"It's delicious, so we should eat more."

"I heard you've contracted some mountain land in the village to grow fruit, and that you've built a bamboo house or something, is that true?" Xiaohua asked with a smile as she walked by.

"Yes, you know that little hill, Maotou Mountain. Everyone lives there now. You can come up and take a look if you have time," he replied.

"Yeah, I'll come visit you sometime. Staying at home is pretty boring these days... It's better to go for a walk." She stretched out her little hand to catch the falling raindrops.

After sending Xiaohua home, Zhang Niu quickly returned to Happy Little House.

As soon as the weather cleared up, many tourists drove to Zhangjia Village to take pictures of the peach blossoms. It was only after the standard of living improved that year that people from the county or other places would come to the village every year to "collect and photograph" the scenery.

Zhangjia Village has a great location, flat and open, with peach blossoms covering the hillsides, both homegrown and wild. They're all in full bloom, and the newly opened azaleas make it even more vibrant. My younger sister picked quite a few red azaleas a few days ago and put them in a vase.

The azaleas on this cow's side are all red. Now, many kids pick them and eat them raw. They're sweet, but you can't eat too many, or you'll have to spend some time in the outhouse.

I didn't expect the people coming down for field research to arrive so early this year. It seems there are quite a few people here this time. The villagers seem used to it, busy with their own things as usual.

This time, it was a group of young people who came. They were all a bit surprised by the changes in the village, and they even took a detour to get here.

The men and women who got off the bus carried their cameras and walked towards the back of the mountain. There were many peach blossoms in the back of the mountain, and there was a stream at the foot of the mountain, which gave it a feeling of a small bridge, flowing water and a family home.

A group of men and women stood on the hill behind the house. The lights shone brightly as they snapped photos of the beautiful scenery.

Many men and women standing on this side of the mountain saw the vast expanse of peach blossoms on the opposite side of Zhangniu. "Old Wang, look, aren't those bamboo houses with a Yunnan feel to them? And there are three of them. That's quite an achievement."

This remark drew the attention of those around them. The old man, known as Old Wang, chuckled and said, "Yes, that place wasn't even here two years ago. It's changed so much in just one year. Why don't we take them there to take some pictures?"

Old Wang's words were met with unanimous agreement.

First update. I misspelled the title yesterday. Sorry.