allonlinenovel Chapter 483 Vole
Chapter 483 Vole
Inside the cave.
This mine has been mined for more than a month. The deeper you go, the harder it is to dig. This should be because the saltpeter ore is of a higher purity.
Chen Sanlin hung the iron nails to fix the torches on the wall below. Torches are the most wasteful in mining.
But my wife said that even if the torch is wasted, it doesn’t count.
This purified saltpeter can be sold at a very high price even if it is sold individually.
What's more, Xu Wenyan grows a lot of soybeans, so it's still cost-effective even if he buys only pine oil.
"Old Chen, how long do we have to dig? I think it's Xiaoman." Luo Sanyuan took off his helmet and slumped down in the mine to rest.
"Put on your helmet, it's unsafe."
This helmet was specially made by Xu Wenyan at the blacksmith's request. Compared with the helmets worn by soldiers on the battlefield, Xu Wenyan's helmet has a cushioning layer.
In addition, it is also rounder. Xu Wenyan is afraid that the stone on top will fall off. If it hits his head directly, he will be stunned.
Luo Sanyuan reluctantly took it again: "It's suffocating in this cave, and we are still holding torches. Why don't we hire someone to dig it out.
Isn't Lao Xu related to that Lin...Zhuangyuan? Why should we do it ourselves? "
The weather outside the Great Wall is different. Even in autumn after summer, it is still extremely hot.
There are only two seasons here, summer and winter.
The presence of Spring and Autumn is really too weak.
The cave is a closed environment and it is extremely hot.
"Brother Luo, if you are tired, let me take over." Xiao Luo who was guarding the entrance of the cave said. This entrance of the cave is the coolest place, and a little breeze can blow in occasionally.
"You kid should take a rest."
After hearing what Luo Sanyuan said, Chen Sanlin also felt that he could now find workers directly.
He has a very good relationship with the villagers. Xu Wenyan is the only doctor in the village and no one can do without him.
Even if it was for his own benefit, he would not betray Xu Wenyan. Even if we take a step back, there were people in the village who really couldn't stand Xu Wenyan making money and reported him.
The highest-ranking official in Lan County is the Magistrate of Lu County, but the magistrate has Lin Zhengjie with him, so it is impossible for Lin Zhengjie to punish Xu Wenyan.
Moreover, if we recruit more people, we can work more efficiently.
What's more, Chen Sanlin didn't want to leave Xu Wenyan for too long.
"After we finish this trip, we'll discuss it with Wen Yan."
Hearing what Chen Sanlin said, Luo Sanyuan instantly became excited: "That's right, it's not that I'm lazy, it's just that we are too slow.
In the afternoon, Chen Sanlin and Luo Sanyuan took bows and arrows to the place where the trap was set.
This is the only interest that men of this era have.
"Hey! Old Chen, I've got a rabbit." Luo Sanyuan lifted up the two ears of the gray rabbit and showed them to Chen Sanlin.
The gray rabbit was already dying. Although it was still moving, it no longer had much strength left.
"Tie his legs and see if we can catch him alive."
Chen Sanlin searched the surroundings carefully and soon found several rabbit holes nearby.
It was pretty much the same rabbit hole as back then at the shelter.
Chen Sanlin put one foot at the entrance of the cave and asked Luo Sanyuan to go back for the baskets. In addition to the rabbits, Chen Sanlin also saw several mice.
It's just not very big.
After Luo Sanyuan came back with the things, Chen Sanlin sealed a cave, and then he and Luo Sanyuan each guarded a cave.
There were several holes on the ground, which should be connected. I lit pine needles and hay on fire and smoked them at the entrance of one of the holes.
Soon, rustling sounds were heard inside.
Feeling the collision sound in the backpack, Chen Sanlin quickly stood the backpack up, then grabbed the other furry creature that wanted to escape with his big hand.
Chen Sanlin sealed the hole with his feet again. What he was holding in his hand was not a rabbit.
These are two sandy yellow mice, about twenty centimeters long, but they don’t look like mice.
It has short limbs and a short tail, and looks a bit chubby.
"Oh my god, Old Chen, what kind of rat is this? It's not even half the size of the ones we have in Dianzhou." Luo Sanyuan held one in each hand, and there should be some in the backpack too.
Chen Sanlin looked at the fat rat struggling desperately in his hands with a puzzled look on his face.
He calls this small?
Afterwards, the two caught some more, a total of eight big ones and ten small ones.
Although they didn't catch the rabbit, they should be able to eat these mice. They will be going back tomorrow anyway, so Chen Sanlin plans to bring them back to let Xu Wenyan see them.
In the evening, all the rabbits that Luo Sanyuan caught were roasted, but none of them could be bred.
It took three days to walk.
Five little mice died in the basket.
"Xiaoman! Lao Xu, I miss you so much." As soon as Luo Sanyuan got off the carriage, he hugged Xiaoman who came to greet him.
"You came back quite early this time." Xu Wenyan handed a cup to Chen Sanlin, which contained watermelon juice chilled with saltpeter.
Although the current varieties are not very sweet, they are still a rare delicacy after being chilled.
Xu Wenyan already had the idea of selling this semi-sweet watermelon juice, and it was time to open the entire store in Lan County. He asked Mula about it a long time ago.
A store here costs only 30 or 40 taels and is in a good location.
There is no way. Lan County is too big and has too few people.
"There's more in the room, go get it yourself."
Looking at the backpack that Chen Sanlin took down, Xu Wenyan leaned over and said, "Huh? Where did you get the field mice? There are so many of them?"
Luo Sanyuan held a glass of watermelon juice in his left hand and two glasses in his right hand and gave them to Xu Dashan and Xiao Luo.
After taking a sip of the cold watermelon juice, he felt like he was alive again: "This is called a field mouse? There are so many of them over there in the grassland. I can't catch them all if I want to."
Xu Wenyan had heard that this thing was edible, but he had never tasted it himself.
"You guys should tidy up the pen and try raising them." Xu Wenyan picked up six voles and came to the river.
Luo Sanyuan said if there are still more, we can catch them later. We have to taste the saltiness first.
Xu Wenyan first invited them to take a hot bath and then have a full body massage, and the voles' skin became white, tender and clean.
Then take out the head and marinate for a while.
The heads and internal organs of wild animals are the dirtiest, and Xu Wenyan will not eat them unless it is necessary.
It can be put into the river to feed the small fish. Speaking of this, Xu Wenyan has only seen fish fry in this small river, and has never seen any big ones.
"Lao Luo, when are you going to make a fine net to see if there are any bigger fish in this river?"
Luo Sanyuan came to Xu Wenyan and squatted down: "There must be some, but I think it's mostly loaches and whitebait, maybe crucian carp too, this river is too small."
"Loach is delicious too."
After marinating it for a while, Xu Wenyan grilled it on the iron rack. This meat must taste good when grilled.
What's more, Xu Wenyan has also heard the saying "eating one rat is equivalent to eating three chickens", which means that the nutritional value of field mice is three times that of chicken.
Especially in Guangdong, this little thing suffers a lot, but it is a pest and no one cares if it is eaten.
Brush it with sesame oil and the fragrance of the vole will immediately come out.
Xiao Luo helped Xu Wenyan make a fire. This was the first time he had seen oil used in this way. Even County Magistrate Cheng’s meals did not use so much oil.
There are also seasonings like salt, but it is really fragrant.
"How about trying it." Xu Wenyan gave Xiao Luo a freshly roasted vole.
"Ah? Brother Xu, I'll just eat a little."
Xu Wenyan knew that the child was shy: "We'll each have one, and you can just eat yours."
Afraid that the child would refuse again, Xu Wenyan called Luo Sanyuan over and gave him one as well.
Regardless of the heat, Luo Sanyuan pulled the rat leg and said, "I'm not saying anything, Old Xu, but you'll taste good even if you make it into tree leaves."
"Thanks for the compliment, what does it smell like?"
"The meaty quilt is quite firm and juicy."
Seeing how they were eating with relish, Xu Wenyan also tried it. It tasted really good, better than rabbit meat and not dry at all.
"They taste pretty good. Catch a few more next time and keep these for later use."
"Oh, by the way, Lao Xu, we have something to tell you."
"Just tell me."
Chen Sanlin sat next to Xu Wenyan, and Xu Wenyan fed him a bite.
"It's about the saltpeter mine."