Chapter Seventy-Three Everyone Leaves

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  "Big brother, why don't you keep the big snow sculpture?" Little Loli said discontentedly as she watched Chu Jiaqiang let the snow sculpture fly into the sky.

  Chu Jiaqiang smiled: "Hehe! It shouldn't move anymore."

  "How did you know it wouldn't leave? It seemed to have flown into the mountains." said Wan Guoliang.

  Chu Jiaqiang spread his hands and said: "I feel the same, I'm not sure either." He didn't guarantee it, and if he insisted on it, others would have doubts.

  Before long, Xueying really flew back again, with a wild rabbit in its claws and another one in its mouth. Catching a wild rabbit was a trivial matter for Xueying, as Chu Jiaqiang had seen it fight a giant snake the size of a water bucket without falling behind in the Shanhe Map.

  The people present were amazed, and the snow sculpture seemed to be true, throwing the wild rabbit on the ground and flying up to the old dragon eye tree to close its eyes and nourish its spirit.

  "This snow sculpture is really not going anywhere, it's great!" Wan Wei Ling immediately ran into the room, took out her camera and snapped a burst of photos at the snow sculpture. The others' faces were also filled with surprise and delight, especially Lao Li, Wu Shu Gong and other eagle enthusiasts.

  "Little brother, where are you going again?" Wan Guoliang asked as he saw Chu Jiaqiang walking outside.

  "Find an old carpenter, have him make a wooden house for the snow sculpture, and when it's done, put it in the tree so it can live inside. Those two wild rabbits will be stewed soon!" Chu Jiaqiang said.

  The old carpenter had learned a good skill, and the tables, chairs, beds, cabinets, doors and windows in the village were all made by him. Whatever involved wood, he was meticulous about it. The older generation liked to call him "stupid wooden head" because he rarely spoke, and could stare at a piece of wood for half a day. Chu Jiaqiang and others called him "Wooden Head Master".

  When Chu Jiaqiang arrived at his home, he saw him carving a wooden sculpture with a focused expression. Chu Jiaqiang also remembered the things from his childhood, often a group of children running to Muzi Gong's house, asking him to carve various animals.

  Chu Jiaqiang didn't disturb him and just waited on the side. His wife couldn't bear to see this, so she called his soul back. Mùtóu Gōng glanced at Chu Jiaqiang and asked what was going on. Chu Jiaqiang immediately explained his purpose for coming.

  "Snow sculpture? Alright, I'll take care of it. Let's go and see that snow sculpture." Mu Tou immediately put down the work in his hands and hastily followed Chu Jiaqiang away.

  Let Zhu Jiaqiang cry and laugh, Xiao Loli in order to please Xue Yīng, even his own snacks all come out. But Xue Yīng is unmoved, still closing her eyes to cultivate her spirit, as if the outside world has nothing to do with herself.

  "Big brother, Big Snow doesn't eat my things." Little Loli said anxiously as soon as she saw Chu Jiaqiang return.

  Wan Lao and the others couldn't help but laugh, having already explained to Xiaoyao earlier that Xueying was proud and would never eat food given by others, except for what her master fed her.

  The Chu family was in a state of great excitement, looking at that pile of things, what were they?! Melon seeds, dates, apples, potato chips, and even the popsicles hidden in the fridge were brought out.

  "Taoyue doesn't eat these snacks, understand?" Chu Jiaqiang explained.

  "What does it eat then? I'll go find out." Little Loli still wouldn't give up, it seems Snow Sculpture's charm is quite considerable, appealing to both old and young, but this guy is just too arrogant.

  Mute Wood looked for a while, then silently left. Having come here for over ten minutes, he didn't say a single word, truly worthy of being the acknowledged stupid mute wood of Chu Family Village.

  This time, even Little Gold hid and didn't dare to come out. It was terrified of the snow owl on the tree, which not only was the king of flying birds but also the archenemy of almost all reptiles.

  Two wild rabbits were a bit insufficient for so many people, so Chu Jiaqiang went to Er Yi's house and caught a chicken. Wan Guoliang then went behind the house and caught some large crabs. The things in the ditch were easiest to catch, especially the crabs, which everyone loved.

  Wan Guoliang and Wan Weiling originally wanted to eat braised rabbit meat, but Chu Jiaqiang told them that using wood ear fungus and bamboo shoots to stew the rabbit meat would be beneficial for the patients, so they gave up on the idea.

  Braised rabbit meat is indeed delicious, and Chu Jiaqiang had not eaten less of it before. Wild rabbits may be found in the fields, and there are many hills nearby, but they are rarely seen deep in the mountains, unless it's a mountain with plenty of grass.

  Kill a good rabbit, cut it into pieces of suitable size, and add some salt, cooking wine, and ginger. Heat an appropriate amount of vegetable oil to 90% heat, stir-fry the bean paste, Sichuan peppercorns, and crushed ginger until the oil is reddish and fragrant. Then add the rabbit meat and stir-fry for about 7-8 minutes. Add a moderate amount of water or broth, covering the rabbit meat, followed by soy sauce, a small amount of sugar, some spices (such as star anise, cinnamon, and cassia bark), garlic, scallions, and dried chili peppers. Then simmer over medium heat.

  In fact, the braised rabbit meat with mushrooms and bamboo shoots is also delicious, it's just that it has its own unique flavor compared to the red-braised version.

  Soak the dried tofu and black fungus in clean water, wash them clean, cut the dried tofu into segments; wash the ginger slices and red dates clean; wash the rabbit meat clean, cut it into pieces. Heat oil in a pot, add ginger slices, stir-fry the rabbit meat, add an appropriate amount of clean water, add black fungus, dried tofu, and red dates, simmer over low heat until cooked through, season to taste.

  This way of eating has medicinal value, can invigorate the spleen and nourish blood, cool blood, and has significant therapeutic effects on patients with shortness of breath, laziness, and dull complexion due to qi and blood deficiency.

  Seeing the little loli eating big mouthfuls of food, these adults were delighted. In the past, the little girl always ate snacks and didn't want to eat meals, every meal was a laborious effort for everyone. Now, her beady eyes kept scanning the dinner table, and she ate very full at every meal. Not only the little loli, but others also felt that their appetite had increased significantly after coming to Chujiazhuang, even the elderly people were eating two big bowls per meal.

  After finishing their meal and resting for a while, Wan Guoliang and the others were about to leave. After all, they still had things to do and couldn't be as idle as Chu Jiaqiang, who spent his days lounging around like a landlord. Little Loli also wanted to stay behind, but was dragged away by her parents. The little girl was a kindergarten student and school was about to start.

  Those people left, and the old house became quiet again. Mainly because those chattering children who were like magpies all day had gone.

  Under the big tree, there was another chessboard. Wan Lao was also a chess enthusiast, but his skills were far from those of Li Lao and Yan Lao. However, he was on par with Yan Tianzhi, and when they played together, it was a fierce battle.

  Xu Xiu and Old Lady Wan did some household chores together. When they had free time, they would chat with each other about their families, and their conversations were also very lively.

  It turned out that Chu Jiaqiang was still the same, with a lazy snake-like appearance, sleeping under a big tree. When it was almost dark, Mù Tóu Gōng had built a beautiful wooden house and carried it over with his son. Chu Jiaqiang asked about the price, and Mù Tóu Gōng casually said 100 yuan.

  Chu Jiaqiang didn't hesitate and paid the money immediately. In fact, 100 yuan was obviously not enough, just the materials alone were more than that.

  This wood is peach wood. Some people may say that peach wood is also everywhere and not precious. In fact, it's not true. Peach trees are many, but wild peach woods are few, especially the successful wild peach wood is rare.

  The wood of the peach tree is fine and smooth, with a clear fragrance. The peach tree has an extremely important position in our country's folk culture and beliefs. The peach tree is also known as "Dragon-Subduing Wood". It is used most widely for exorcising evil spirits and ghosts.

  Legend has it that Kuafu chased the sun, and before his death, he threw out the divine wood, which transformed into a peach forest. The earliest spring couplets in our country were made of peach wood boards, also known as peach charms. For thousands of years, peach wood has been said to have the power to ward off disasters and evil spirits, and is called divine wood.

  To this day, people still believe that peach wood products can drive away evil spirits and ward off evil. In the Han Dynasty, peach wood seals were hung on doors, known as peach seals. Peaches symbolize longevity, and when giving birthday wishes to the elderly, a plate of peaches is presented to wish them good health and longevity. The reason why peach wood and its products have such spiritual power lies in the ancient people's mystical concept that peach trees are feared by hundreds of ghosts. It has the connotation of blessing peace and auspiciousness in people's hearts.

  It seems that this old carpenter also loves snow sculptures very much, otherwise he wouldn't have brought out all his treasures. This peach wood has a history of over ten years, and it is said to be the wood that was found by Wood Public on the top of Jiangfeng Peak. Jiangfeng Peak is the highest peak in Chujia Village, and few people have climbed to the top, not because it's too high to climb, but because the road is difficult to walk, or rather, there is no road to walk at all.

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