CHAPTER 137: CHAPTER 137: EXCITED CROWD

It was rare for everyone to be so happy tonight, and it wasn’t until nearly midnight that they washed up and went to bed.

But no matter how late they slept, the next morning, they still had to get up early, especially Jiang Hu and Jiang Yu.

When they left, Jiang Hu not only took the sugar syrup but also that old turtle.

Such a big old turtle, you shouldn’t eat it all by yourself, it’s too nourishing.

This old turtle weighs at least ten pounds or so, and with all the children at home, over-nourishment could be problematic.

And he and his second mother especially didn’t need it; life had improved over the past few years, and they often ate meat, so there was no need for extra nourishment.

Just eating one more bite of eel soup already made him feel full of energy.

"Looks like it’s going to rain, Brother Hu, be careful on the road."

As the second mother saw the father and son off, she frowned at the sky; the bright moonlight was obscured by gloomy clouds, making the road quite dark.

Jiang Hu held up a torch, stretching his arm out to the side to light the way for the Big Water Buffalo.

The cattle shed was made of straw, so he didn’t dare insert the torch directly into the shed for fear of fire.

Jiang Yu dashed out, holding something in his hands.

"Dad, I brought a raincoat for you. Put it on first. It’s still a bit chilly this early morning, and it won’t make you too warm."

Originally, Jiang Hu wanted to say it wasn’t necessary, but he didn’t want to refuse his son’s goodwill, so after a pause, he took it and had the second mother hold the torch while he donned the raincoat.

Catching the opportunity, Jiang Yu also grabbed a raincoat. If it rained in the afternoon, he’d have to wear it back home.

"Alright, it’s getting late. Second Mother, you should head back to rest for a bit. We need to go now, and Liu Hai must already be waiting."

Although Liu Yang didn’t need to go to town, every day he would still ensure Liu Hai got to the roadside on time to wait for Jiang Hu’s ox cart.

Leaving Liu Hai on his own—not to mention whether Liu Hai dared to walk the road at night—Liu Yang simply wouldn’t be at ease.

Indeed, as the second mother had said, halfway through, raindrops began to fall, extinguishing the torch.

Luckily, by then the sky had already brightened considerably, so they could still see without the torch.

At the academy, Liu Hai and Jiang Yu both put on their raincoats; from the entrance to the classroom, they’d have to brave the rain for a short while.

"If the rain is too heavy this afternoon, don’t rush home. Go to Tongfu Restaurant and wait for me to pick you up, okay?"

"Got it, Dad. You go deliver the vegetables. I know what to do."

"I remember too. Thank you, Uncle Jiang."

The summer rain comes suddenly, without any warning, but when it leaves, it goes quite quickly as well.

As for whether or not the kids would get picked up in the afternoon, that would depend on the heavens.

If it didn’t rain, they could walk back on their own, treating it as exercise, given how much fieldwork there was; Jiang Hu couldn’t pick them up every day.

Yet, just as Jiang Hu was driving the ox cart from the academy to the restaurant doorway, the rain actually stopped!

Bright sunshine broke through, and even the sky looked much cleaner.

"Brother Jiang, you’ve finally come! Master Zhang has been waiting eagerly for you."

Little Ding’s eyes lit up when he saw Jiang Hu, and he immediately yelled into the courtyard.

"Master Zhang, Brother Jiang is here!"

The shopkeeper laughed as he walked out from the counter: "Today, Old Zhang was so eager he lost interest in tea and food."

Jiang Hu felt a bit embarrassed: "It rained on the way, the ox cart moved slowly, so I’m a bit late."

Saying this, he took a large vat off the cart first.

Before he could enter the restaurant, Master Zhang’s characteristic booming voice rang out.

"Jiang Hu, brother, you’re here? Is that the syrup? Brother Jiang Hu, is that syrup in your arms? Did you bring it all?"

As he was speaking, he was already in front of Jiang Hu.

He took a deep breath first, the sweet aroma piercing his nostrils through the bamboo sieve on top.

Then his eyes lit up as he directly snatched the large vat from Jiang Hu’s arms.

"Good stuff! Absolutely good stuff!"

Fortunately, they all did physical labor; after all, it takes strength to stir fry and toss the wok.

This large vat, a beast weighing some fifty pounds, was cradled steadily in his arms, without a single wobble.

If it was the shopkeeper or the little assistant, they couldn’t have managed it at all.

Little Ding and the shopkeeper were already drawn in close, while Jiang Hu shook his head, turned around, and pulled out a wooden barrel from the cart.

To prevent the wooden barrel from bouncing around on the cart, Jiang Hu had deliberately nestled it in a corner, unnoticed by the others busy with the bamboo baskets.

At this time, Master Zhang had already uncovered the sieve to see the caramel-colored syrup inside.

"Quick, bring a small spoon and a small bowl over."

Master Zhang was already swallowing back saliva; if it weren’t for his professionalism, he was ready to use his fingers directly.

The shopkeeper didn’t know much about syrup quality, but smelling the aroma and seeing Master Zhang’s expression, he knew it was no ordinary syrup.

"I never thought sorghum stalks could be boiled down into such good syrup. I’m seeing this for the first time."

The shopkeeper was full of surprise, and Little Ding had already brought the spoon and bowl, quickly running back.

"Normal sorghum won’t do; I discovered this by accident. By the way, Shopkeeper, Master Zhang, I don’t plan to sell the sorghum to the grain depot or the constable this year. If you have relatives or friends who want the seeds, they can buy them from me."

Jiang Hu, although not aspiring to virtuous acts of great benevolence, wasn’t the kind of person to hog resources either. After all, you can’t finish the sorghum; it has to be sold anyway.

Better to sell it to farmers than to the grain depots, so everyone can fill their bellies.

The shopkeeper pondered for a moment.

"Brother Jiang Hu, if I remember correctly, you said before that this new sorghum you discovered matures two or three months earlier than normal sorghum and can even grow in winter?"

Previously, it was just hearsay; after all, the shopkeeper had never seen such miraculous things, nor had he heard of them.

After all, both animals and plants have their specific growth cycles and environmental needs; changing them isn’t something that just happens.

Even though Jiang Hu said it, the shopkeeper hadn’t paid much attention before, until he saw this syrup made from sorghum stalks, and it suddenly reminded him of it.

"Wait..."

"Hold on, Shopkeeper, did you say it matures three months earlier than regular sorghum? It can be grown in winter? No way, how’s that possible!"

A middle-aged man eating porridge and buns nearby had been paying attention ever since Little Ding shouted for Master Zhang.

Seeing Master Zhang’s exaggerated expression hadn’t moved him at all.

It wasn’t until the shopkeeper suddenly mentioned sorghum that he couldn’t resist anymore; he jumped up, leaving his meal, and ran over.

Grabbing the shopkeeper’s hand, he exclaimed, "Are you serious? There really is cold-resistant sorghum?"

His expression was particularly excited.

The shopkeeper replied, "You’d have to ask..."

"Top quality! No, exquisite!"

Master Zhang exclaimed at the same time.

"Brother Jiang Hu, this is absolutely the best syrup I’ve ever tasted. Next year, you..."

"Wait, Brother Jiang Hu, what’s that you’re holding?"

"Heavens! Why didn’t you tell us you had such a big turtle!"

"It’s practically a spirit!"

The hall suddenly became lively; not only did the few people nearby, but the dining guests and busy assistants all gathered around Jiang Hu.