Volume 1 Chapter 22: Spiritual Bamboo Rat

  Chu Jiaqiang didn't follow the crowd, he went to the valley to take a look, preparing for the opening of the land reclamation tomorrow. Weeding and plowing are very necessary. The valley is a gentle slope, sunny on one side and shaded on the other, making it a suitable place for growing fruit.

  Chu Jiaqiang found that the whole place was covered with a type of grass that only grew to be about one finger long and had a very long growth cycle. Even in winter, this type of grass would not wither.

  Seeing this, Chu Jiaqiang changed his mind. Anyway, this grass won't affect the growth of the fruit trees. With the spiritual water, he isn't afraid of them competing for nutrients. Leaving it also has its benefits: firstly, it's aesthetically pleasing, looking like a green carpet; secondly, it can maintain the ecosystem and prevent soil erosion.

  He plans to dig a hole in the place where fruit trees are needed after tomorrow, loosen the soil in that small area, and then directly plant the seedlings, which is both labor-saving and worry-free.

  "Plant grapes all around, build a circular grape arbor corridor, and plant other fruits in the middle." Chu Jiaqiang muttered to himself.

  After making up his mind, Chu Jiaqiang didn't stay any longer. On the way back, he found another problem. Because the mountain valley was on the other side of the reservoir, to get to the mountain valley, one had to go around the reservoir, which was very troublesome. He looked at the small island in the middle of the reservoir and had another plan in mind.

  "Alas! It seems like money is needed to get things done! " Chu Jiaqiang thought that his own money was not enough, and the idea of building a wooden bridge over the reservoir seemed impossible for the time being.

  The wooden bridge was built from the riverbank to a small island, and then from the small island to the mountain valley. In between, the water surface is over 100 meters wide, so a lot of wood is needed. Moreover, in the deeper parts of the reservoir, it's as deep as five or six meters, making it difficult to drive piles.

  Actually, building a wooden bridge is not only for convenience, but also for sightseeing and reasonable development of the small island. When the time comes, building several pavilions on the small island will be breathtakingly beautiful.

  "Come on slowly! One mouthful won't make you fat." Chu Jiaqiang comforted himself, now there were already many things to worry about, no need to look for more trouble. The matter of building a bridge was left for later, and now he had the heart but not the strength.

  Back home, it was past five o'clock, and Second Uncle and the others had not returned yet. Chu Jiaqiang took charge of household chores, this being his first time cooking since returning to his hometown.

  It was almost six o'clock when the people who went into the mountain returned, one by one, looking like they were loaded with goods, with big bags and small packets on their backs. They all gathered at Second Uncle's house, still buying first, feeling more at ease after getting the money.

  Uncle Two's family of three picked up more than 20 kilograms in total, basically all by Uncle Two and Auntie Two. Chu Jia Yan that girl initially thought it was novel, but later she disappeared without a trace, it's hard to expect much from her.

  Others are not few, with more than thirty kilograms and less than ten kilograms, it can be seen that the shell of bamboo mountain is rich, and it is unknown how many years have been accumulated. Of course, it cannot be piled up for too long, after all, sun exposure and rain erosion, it is easy to corrode.

  Finally, after counting, there were more than 600 catties, which filled up a whole room. The original 20,000 yuan that was supposed to be given to Chu Jiaqiang was left with only around 3,000 yuan. Those who got more received 700-800 yuan, and those who got less also had 200-300 yuan. It greatly exceeded their expectations, and they all left with joy, planning to get up early the next day and go to the mountain again. This kind of good thing was too cool, easy and stable earning.

  Second Uncle was frightened and asked Chujiaqiang three or four times if this thing was really valuable and whether it could be sold. If it couldn't be sold, that would be a disaster. In Chujiazhuang, one or two hundred thousand is not easy to mix, without two or three years it's hard to accumulate.

  "Big brother! I heard you're planting fruit trees the day after tomorrow. That mountain valley isn't small, I'll go help out too!" Chu Jiaxiong left the bill to his wife and chatted with Chu Jiaqiang instead.

  "Haha! I was just looking for someone to help, you're here just in time. However, the salary I can offer isn't high, it's only 100 yuan a day. You won't be able to earn as much as picking up empty shells!" Chu Jiaqiang said with a smile.

  "Big brother! What's our relationship? Talking about money with me, isn't that hurting feelings? Just taking care of meals is enough, if I were to take money, what would others say about us? We can't even get by ourselves." Although Chu Jiaxiong has a strong body and simple mind, he values loyalty greatly, which is also one of the points that Chu Jiaqiang appreciates.

  "Alright, don't say anything else. Normally I wouldn't bring up money, but coincidentally it's related to the cicada shell incident. I reckon everyone can still make a few days' worth of it. It's not good for me to take you in as free labor either. And besides, we're close brothers, let's settle accounts clearly! Listen to me and don't go wrong, it's best if you mention this to your parents."

  Chu Jiaxiong didn't say a word, thinking to himself that he wouldn't take the money even if it was offered. This guy is also stubborn as an ox, refusing to accept his brother's money, and would rather die than take it. He had already discussed this with his family before, and his parents were in agreement. However, his family members thought more deeply about it, believing that Chu Jiaxiong was a man who did great things, and following him would definitely be the right choice.

  "Brother! Look at this bamboo rat, it's so cute! It's actually yellow, I've never seen one before." Chu Jia Yan caught a yellow bamboo rat and walked over. This girl had been chasing the bamboo rat all afternoon, finally scaring it into a hole where it didn't dare come out. Chu Jia Yan immediately gathered a group of kids and used smoke to force the bamboo rat out.

  Chu Jiaqiang was surprised at first glance. This bamboo mouse is bigger than usual, about the size of a rabbit, with two round ears that twitch from time to time, and its bulging eyes reveal a hint of spirituality. A large incisor protrudes from the front, shining brightly, and its entire body is covered in yellow fur. At first glance, it looks like an exquisite handicraft.

  The bamboo mouse, which had been struggling desperately, suddenly calmed down after seeing Chu Jiaqiang and curiously sized him up with its two eyes.

  "Oh no! Brother, this little thing isn't even afraid of you!" Chu Jia Wan exclaimed in surprise.

  "Hmm! This bamboo mouse is very precious and has a lot of spirit. Most bamboo mice are gray, and golden ones are extremely rare, let alone those with spiritual qualities like this one. Have you heard of the treasure-seeking mouse? It's referring to this kind of mouse." Chu Jiaqiang reached out and stroked the bamboo mouse.

  "Be careful, brother, this thing is no joke. If it bites you, your finger will be broken off." Chu Jiaxiong reminded him immediately. When Chu Jiayu caught the bamboo mouse, he also helped, and saw with his own eyes that this little thing gnawed on bamboo like eating rice.

  The bamboo mouse, however, seemed to be enjoying Chu Jiaqiang's touch and even closed its eyes. This scene shocked the people around them, who couldn't understand how Chu Jiaqiang had tamed this bamboo mouse.

  "Brother! How did you manage to do it? This bamboo rat is fierce, it bites people at sight, strangely, why didn't it bite you?" Chu Jia Yan tilted her head in contemplation.

  "Haha! This bamboo rat is spiritual, as long as you don't have any malicious thoughts towards it, it can sense it and naturally won't bite people. Let it go! It's a pity to stew such a rare creature." Chu Jiaqiang said.

  His words made all the adults present feel difficult to understand, but Chu Jia Wan understood Chu Jia Qiang's intention and obediently released the bamboo mouse. Who knew that this bamboo mouse did not run away, but instead ran to Chu Jia Qiang's feet, squatted down with its hind legs, stood up with its body, looked at Chu Jia Qiang, and chirped as if talking to him, only no one could understand.

  "Big brother, this little thing seems to be sticking with you and won't leave." Chu Jiaxiong stared with eyes as big as cow's eyes.

  "Whatever!" Chu Jiaqiang sighed bitterly.