Chapter Twenty: Building a Melon Trellis

  Thanks for the reward from this certified brother!

  After returning, Chu Jiaqiang first soaked the seeds in water to let them sprout. Then he leveled the ground that was turned over yesterday and divided it into neat long strips. He didn't rush to plant them, but instead let the seeds germinate first.

  The next morning, Chu Jiaqiang discussed with his second uncle for a while and prepared to go up to Zhushan Mountain to cut some bamboo back. Later, they could build a melon shed or make a fence.

  Chu Family Stockade has two bamboo mountains. The mountain is full of Nanzhu, which locals call Mǎo Bamboo. This kind of bamboo is yang in nature and likes warm and humid weather, but cannot tolerate cold temperatures.

  Its growth process is a wonder of nature. The bamboo does not grow at all in the five years before planting, and when the rainy season arrives in the sixth year, it suddenly grows upwards at a speed of 6 feet per day for about 15 days, finally growing to about 90 feet high and becoming the tallest in the bamboo forest.

  What's even more bizarre is that during the days it was growing, other plants within a radius of over 10 meters around it stopped growing, and only regained their growth power after its growth period ended.

  This bamboo is very popular among the people of Chu Family Stockade and has great practical value.

  In the spring, there are many bamboo shoots. Boiling them with pickled vegetables for one or two hours results in a very good flavor. The bamboo shoots can remove the salty taste of the pickled vegetables, while the pickled vegetables can help keep the bamboo shoots fresh and tender, complementing each other perfectly.

  In addition, people can also cut bamboo to make brooms and other commonly used farm tools. The most popular water pipe in rural areas is also made from it. Because bamboo is very tall, one bamboo pole can be used for a long time. The top of the bamboo is made into a tobacco pipe, the middle is broken into strips like packing tape, woven into brooms, etc., and the bottom is made into fences.

  This bamboo is too tall and can't be used much, Chu's family strongly requested only five roots, mainly for the main support of the melon shed. The main material for building a melon shed is not it, but the Qingpi bamboo by the river, also known as drying clothes bamboo, high bamboo, shed bamboo, and Za Mei bamboo. It has a wide range of uses, but the shoots of this bamboo are not edible.

  Chu Jiaqiang and Second Uncle went up the mountain together, while Second Aunt was with cousin Chu Jiayuan cutting green bamboo by the river.

  "It's been a long time since anyone came to Bamboo Mountain, right? The path is almost gone." Chu Jiaqiang walked ahead and used his knife to cut down the plants that had grown onto the mountain road. If he didn't do this, these plants would be the biggest obstacle when carrying bamboo later on, and it would be very tiring.

  "Hehe! Except during the Spring Equinox when people come up to dig a few bamboo shoots to taste the freshness, who else would venture into this place? In the past, some people would also come up here to find materials for making bamboo pipes, but now that bamboo pipes are being phased out, only old rural smokers still want them." Second Uncle sighed.

  Arriving at the edge of Bamboo Mountain, Chu Jiaqiang took a look inside and was shocked.

  "So many tortoise shells, I've seen people collecting them, they say it's a kind of medicinal material." Chu Jiaqiang said.

  The cicada shell is the shed skin of a cicada nymph when it molts to become an adult, often harvested in summer and autumn. It is a valuable medicine widely used in clinical treatment.

  In traditional Chinese medicine, cicada molting is sweet and salty in taste, cool in nature, and enters the lung and liver meridians. It is used to treat a variety of diseases including dispersing wind-heat, relieving cough and asthma, treating external contraction of wind-heat, measles that do not erupt properly, rubella with itching, infantile convulsions, red eyes, ptosis, boils and carbuncles, tetanus, etc.

  "Has anyone received it? Never seen it before, no one in the village has ever mentioned it." Second Uncle was stunned.

  "I'll go check, this thing seems quite expensive." Chu Jiaqiang took a look at the cicada shells scattered all over the ground.

  The two of them found five old water bamboo stalks on the edge of Bamboo Mountain, each as thick as an arm. They removed the bamboo branches and sawed them into two segments. Chu Jiaqiang found a few strips of tough rattan nearby and tied the bamboo into two bundles.

  Second Uncle took the initiative to carry a heavy one, Chu Jiaqiang didn't bother, knowing that the weight wouldn't be a problem for Second Uncle. He carried another one, very easily.

  Back to the old house, put the bamboo shoots in the orchard. Chu Jiaqiang and two others had a sip of tea, rested for a while, then headed towards the river bank, carrying back the bamboo that Er Shu and the others had cut down.

  "That should be enough, if it's not enough, cut more." Chu Jiaqiang said.

  Back in the orchard, Chu Jiaqiang and Second Uncle first pounded the bamboo stakes into place, then crossed and stacked the green bamboo to make it more secure. Second Aunt and Chu Jiawen helped tie down each bamboo pole with twine. The four of them worked for a whole day before finally completing the frame.

  After dinner, Chu Jiaqiang went online to check and found that it was a medicinal material, which seemed to be in high demand. It was mainly used for dispelling wind, and the price was generally around 30-35 yuan per kilogram. The webpage left contact information of the buyer, and Chu Jiaqiang dialed the number.

  "Hello! Welcome to Changchun Pharmacy! How can I help you?" a sweet female voice came over.

  "Hello! I saw on the internet that you acquired Zhile Shell, and I'd like to learn more about it." Chu Jiaqiang smiled.

  "Cicada shells? Ah! Yes, our store buys a large quantity of them. The price depends on the quality, ranging from 30 to 35. How many cicada shells do you have? If it's a lot, we can send someone to collect them directly. If not, you can bring them to our Changchun pharmacy in this city. We have pharmacies set up in cities all over the country." The woman explained immediately.

  "I'm not sure about the exact amount, let me put it this way! I'll collect them first and then give you a count!" Chu Jiaqiang said after a moment of contemplation.

  Chu Jiaqiang hung up the phone and searched online for a while again.

  The next day, Chu Jiaqiang was just about to tell his uncle about the tortoise shell when the old village chief arrived. He had a document in hand, which was the contract he had gone to town to process for Chu Jiaqiang yesterday.

  "Alright! The procedures are done, just sign your name, press your fingerprint, and then pay the 10-year contract fee. The reservoir and those 38 mu of riverbank will be yours. The price of the reservoir has increased by 1,000 yuan compared to before, the town government said this is the latest national regulation, can't be changed. The riverbank is not very valuable, so it's only 2,000 yuan per year. In total, it's just 60,000 yuan, can you afford it? If not, Village Chief Grandpa will lend you some first."

  "No need, thank you Village Chief! It's 600,000 yuan. Wait a minute, I'll go get the money." Chu Jiaqiang walked into the room. The money had been prepared long ago, and this time he had almost emptied his pockets to pay off the 600,000 yuan, leaving him with very little left over.

  The old village chief saw Chu Jiaqiang take out six stacks of cash and couldn't help but smile bitterly: "You little scoundrel, you really are bold! Putting so much money at home." He counted it clearly in front of him, confirmed that there was no mistake, and then had Chu Jiaqiang sign and fingerprint.

  "Alright! From now on, the right to use the reservoir and riverbank will be yours for the next 70 years. Tonight, we'll have a short meeting at Shai Gu Ping to discuss how to use this money, so please arrive on time." The old village chief said.

  "I won't have to go then? It's enough if Second Uncle attends!" Chu Jiaqiang rubbed his nose.

  The old village chief glared at him and said: "You've already divided the family property, from now on when there's a meeting, you little scamp don't think about running away."