On the day after planting soybeans, Tao Yougui got up early and went into the mountain with the dry food and water prepared in advance to top the buds of the Camellia oleifera trees.

The Cao family wanted to go with him to help, but this time Tao Yougui did not object.

Camellia Mountain is far away from the village, and it takes a lot of effort to come back and forth, Tao Yougui and Cao's family do not come back at noon, and when they leave, they will tell the pomegranate flowers to send them rice.

Pomegranate Hua casually made some soup cakes and Tao Tianbao for breakfast, then cleaned up the house as usual, cleaned the yard, finished the work at home and went to the field to pick some fresh vegetables and vegetables back, and then watched the hour to make lunch.

Since the last time the apricot blossoms came, the family has never seen meat, pomegranate flowers used some lard when stir-frying, so that the fried vegetables will be more fragrant, and the color is more green and beautiful.

The meal was ready, and Tao Tianbao also returned.

The sister and brother ate in a hurry, and the pomegranate flower told Tao Tianbao to wait for her to come back, and then put the food and water into the bamboo basket and carry it to the back mountain.

The mountains behind Taojia Village are not strange and steep peaks and ravines, but continuous hills, evergreen all year round.

Walking out of the back of the village for more than a mile is the intersection into the mountain, and some people come out of it one after another, all of them go home to eat after working in the camellia forest.

Not long after the pomegranate entered the mountain pass, she saw Jinbao in the distance.

Jinbao looked at both sides of the road as he walked, as if he was looking for something, and did not notice the pomegranate flowers.

"Brother Jinbao, what are you looking for?" Pomegranate raised her voice to greet Jinbao.

When Jinbao heard someone calling him, he raised his eyes and saw that it was a pomegranate flower, grinned, and quickly ran forward and said, "Pomegranate flower, what are you doing in the mountains at noon?" ”

Pomegranate Hua picked up the bamboo basket and showed it to Jinbao, and said with a smile: "My father and mother are branching the camellia tree on the mountain, and I will bring them food." Brother Jinbao, have you beaten the branches of your camellia tree? ”

"My family has a lot of labor, and that little work has already been done. I'm here to try my luck in the mountains today, catch two snakes and sell them in the town. Jinbao said, handing the coarse cloth bag he was carrying to the pomegranate flower.

The pomegranate flower's face suddenly changed drastically, and she retreated in horror.

Jin Bao was stunned, and then remembered that the pomegranate flower had only been bitten by a snake last year, so he hurriedly retracted his hand behind him, and comforted him apologetically: "Don't be afraid, the snakes I caught today are not poisonous, and the bag is firmly tied, so I can't keep it." ”

Pomegranate breathed a sigh of relief, but still didn't dare to come closer.

Jin Bao was a little annoyed by his carelessness, and hurriedly said: "Pomegranate flowers, go and deliver food, uncle and aunt have worked hard all morning, don't let them go hungry." ”

The mountain path is narrow, and Jinbao retreats sideways to let the pomegranate flower pass.

"Brother Jinbao, you should go back to eat quickly!" Pomegranate Flower hurriedly walked past Jinbao with the bamboo basket, and then moved quickly.

Jinbao watched the pomegranate flower walk out of a section, suddenly thought of something, and ran quickly to catch up, gave the bamboo stick in his hand to the pomegranate flower and instructed: "Pomegranate flower, remember to follow the road along the way, don't be greedy to go to the deep grass and shady place." Now that it's hot, snakes are crawling everywhere, so you have to be careful when you walk. ”

Pomegranate Flower was stunned when she heard this.

Jinbao said: "Snakes generally don't come to the main roads that people often walk, you can hold the bamboo stick just in case." ”

Pomegranate Hua clenched the bamboo stick and nodded solemnly: "I remember, Brother Jinbao, go back quickly!" ”

Jinbao replied with two more words of pomegranate flowers, and then turned around and walked in the direction of the village.

As the saying goes, "Once bitten by a snake, ten years afraid of the well rope".

The pomegranate flowers trembled along the way, but whenever there was a little movement in the grass on the side of the road, they were frightened, but fortunately, they had a bamboo stick in their hands so that they would not be timid.

Tao Yougui and Cao Shi had worked all morning, and the water they brought had already been drunk, so they would be tired and thirsty.

As soon as the pomegranate flowers came, the two put down the flower scissors, first picked up the water and drank it, then sat on the ground and began to eat.

This Camellia oleifera forest has an area of more than two acres, with abundant fruits, uniform size, and gratifying growth.

Tao Yougui and his family ate, and the pomegranate flowers walked around the camellia forest without incident, and saw that the camellia trees on the side grew better and the fruits bore more, so they walked over there.

Several hills on the edge of the Camellia oleifera forest are barren forests, overgrown with wild grasses more than one person tall and many unusable miscellaneous trees and shrubs, full of vitality and verdant.

In the previous life, pomegranate flowers were engaged in geology, and it was clear at a glance that the soil on those hills was also suitable for growing camellia, but I don't know why the villagers let them be barren.

With questions, Pomegranate returned to the place where Tao Yougui and his family were eating, and asked, "Dad, mother, whose family are the mountains on the edge of our camellia forest?" Why not plant Camellia oleifera? ”

Cao had finished eating and was drinking water to rest, when he heard the words of the pomegranate flower, he replied disapprovingly: "That is the Gongshan in the village, reserved for the families who settled in the village later." ”

Tao Yougui added: "If the camellia tree is planted, it will take at least three or five years to harvest, in case someone comes to settle in our village, the mountain must be returned, and whoever has more money to burn will come to do this." ”

"I see." Pomegranate felt a little sorry in her heart, those mountains have hundreds of acres, so it's too wasteful.

She remembered that she heard Tao Yougui and Cao's talk about selling camellia seeds last year, and the family collected a total of more than 700 catties of dried camellia seeds, eight cents a catty, and sold more than six taels of silver.

According to this calculation, a hundred acres of camellia forest can earn at least three hundred taels a year, and there is a surplus in the yards like the two next door, and the camellia tree is planted, and don't worry too much, at most it takes some labor, it can be said that it is a good year to be lucky and benefit a lifetime.

Thinking of this, Pomegranate Flower asked reluctantly: "Then if you buy all these lands, will the village sell them?" ”

Tao Yougui laughed: "As long as the price can be afforded, how can the village not sell it, the question is who has the money not to buy the high-quality paddy field, and to buy it not only for a few years, but also to take the money into the barren mountain." ”

Cao Shi also smiled: "If I had that money, I would buy dozens of acres of high-quality paddy fields, and the rent collected for a year would be enough for us to eat and drink at home." ”

Pomegranate pouted, understanding that the two of them were probably the same as other villagers, they could only see the square inch in front of them, they were satisfied if they could eat and dress warmly, live in a spacious and clean mansion, and live a better life, which in their eyes was tantamount to a fool's dream.

After Tao Yougui finished eating, Pomegranate Hua packed up the dishes and chopsticks, and went home with a bamboo basket.

On the way, she pondered that she should find an opportunity to transform the idea that these two people are content with the status quo, after all, it is a bit difficult to make a fortune on their own, and if the family can work together, it will definitely get twice the result with half the effort.

When I got home, the courtyard door was hidden, but I didn't see Tao Tianbao's figure.

Fortunately, the matter of pulling a green onion and carrying a vegetable in the village often happens, and the person who really dares to go to other houses to steal things has not yet appeared, because the village rules and township covenant are there, once the thief is caught, he must first take off the skin before sending it to the official investigation.

The dishes and chopsticks for the noon meal were still on the table, and the pomegranate flowers were taken into the stove room to be washed together.

After that, she sat on the threshold of the hall and continued to conceive of her great business of making money, but before she could figure it out, she couldn't resist the onset of fatigue and dozed off.

In the evening, the sunset hangs on the top of the west mountain, like a big red fireball, and the fields and villages, mountain peaks and plants are shrouded in a bright light, which is particularly beautiful and charming.

Pomegranate went to the vegetable field to water and came back, and found that the nest of chicks that automatically entered the cage before the sun went down was still spinning outside today.

The hen's whole body exploded and cooed at the mouth of the cage, as if there was something in it that made it fearful.

Could it be that a weasel came to steal chickens?

Pomegranate grabbed the bamboo stick given by Jinbao, approached the chicken coop lightly, and when she got close, she squatted down and looked inside, and suddenly screamed "ah" and sat down on the ground.

There was a big snake with black and yellow patterns coiled in the bamboo cage, its body was thicker than the arm of the pomegranate flower, and its gloomy eyes were staring at the person in front of him.

"Pomegranate, what's wrong with you? What happened? Dow's voice came through the wall.

Pomegranate Hua was paralyzed, and she couldn't speak, and replied with a crying voice: "Aunt, in my yard....... There's a snake, a big snake, I'm ...... I'm scared. ”

"Pomegranate, don't be afraid, come here." Dow's voice revealed concern and anxiety, followed by the sound of the courtyard door opening.

The pomegranate flower was wrapped in a strong sense of fear, and the snake in the cage seemed to be ready to come out and attack at any time, she wanted to get up and run away, but she was so weak that she couldn't stand up, so she could only move back little by little.

Dow soon came into the hospital, she picked up the pomegranate flower, patted the dust off the pomegranate flower, looked around, and asked, "Where is the snake?" ”

The pomegranate blossom shrank in Dow's arms, her face turned pale, and she pointed to the bamboo cage and said tremblingly: "There, inside the cage." ”

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, this snake should be here to eat chicks." Dow caressed Pomegranate's back to comfort her, but she was also a woman after all, and she was also afraid of cold reptiles like snakes, so she didn't dare to rush forward to check on them.

Pomegranate gradually calmed down under Dow's comfort, and suddenly remembered that on the way to deliver food at noon, she met Jinbao looking for a snake to catch, and the strength of her whole body returned, so she explained to Tao, and then ran to find Jinbao.

Jinbao's house was not too far away, and the pomegranate flower ran wildly all the way, shouting Jinbao's name loudly before entering the hospital.

Jinbao happened to be at home, and immediately came out of the house when he heard the shout, and when he saw Pomegranate Flower, he looked anxious, and hurriedly asked, "Pomegranate Flower, why are you in such a hurry to find me." ”

"Brother Jinbao, come with me to the house." The pomegranate didn't have time to explain, so she stepped forward and grabbed Jinbao's hand and dragged it out.

Jinbao followed behind Pomegranate Flower with a question mark on his face, and his mother was sitting at the door of the stove room choosing vegetables, and when she saw this, she smiled happily.

When the two came to the pomegranate flower's house, Tao was still there, holding a bamboo stick in front of the cage, and the hen and the chicks shrank under the courtyard wall.

When Jinbao learned that there was a snake in the cage, he first cautiously squatted down from a distance to observe, and when he saw it clearly, he was happy, and stepped forward to reach out and pinch the snake's neck, and pulled the big snake out at once.

Pomegranate and Dow hurriedly hid to the side.

Jinbao was even happier when he saw the movements of the two.

The snake was unwilling to be restrained, and twisted its body around Jinbao's arm, Jinbao was not afraid at all, and cleaned up the snake in three or two strokes.

Seeing that the big snake was not moving in Jinbao's hand, Pomegranate Flower mustered up the courage to get closer and asked, "Brother Jinbao, what kind of snake is this?" Why aren't you afraid at all? ”

"This is a big yellow snake, it is not poisonous, and it usually likes to feed on young birds, and it is estimated that your chicks attracted it." Kimble replied.

Hearing Jinbao say that this snake is not poisonous, Pomegranate and Tao were relieved.

"This snake is at least more than two catties, and it can be sold for dozens of dollars." Jinbao asked Pomegranate Flower to find a cloth bag to hold the snake, and Ming'er was the day of the big market in the town, so it could be sold at a good price.

Pomegranate went into the house and rummaged through it, and chose a sturdy coarse cloth pocket to come out.

Jinbao helped Pomegranate put the snake in a cloth bag and tie it tightly, so that Ming'er would get up early and go to town with him.

The pomegranate didn't want to go, the snake was caught by Jinbao, and it should be given to Jinbao, but thinking that the last time I went to the town was a year ago with Tao Yougui to buy New Year's goods, the weather was cold, and I came and went in a hurry, and I didn't see everything about the town.

If she and Jinbao go to the town this time, maybe they will be lucky enough to find a way to make money.

Thinking so, Pomegranate agreed.

Tao heard that the two were going to the town tomorrow, and asked Pomegranate to help bring something to Tao Hengling.

Pomegranate flowers should be down, and Jinbao and Dow went to their respective homes.

Tao Yougui and his wife came back and heard about the snake in the courtyard, and there was not much surprise, the countryside is generally a yellow mud courtyard wall, and it is not surprising that occasionally a snake crawls in along the mouse hole under the root of the wall.

It's just that Cao heard that Pomegranate Blossom said that he was going to sell snakes in the town with Jinbao, so he took out the eggs that the family had recently saved and ordered them to take Pomegranate Flower to replenish his body.

As a result, there are many things to do in the town.