CHAPTER 171: CHAPTER 171: DELICIOUS BUT NOT CHEAP

With Second Aunt watching nearby, using smoke to fumigate them became even more convenient.

The caught bamboo rats were tied by their hind legs and hung on tree branches to prevent them from biting through the vines and escaping.

By the time Jiang Hu had dug out several bamboo poles, they had already caught four bamboo rats.

Seeing the gray, little creatures being dangled in his wife’s hand, Jiang Hu’s eyes widened.

"Aren’t these cogon rats? These little fellows run really fast and hide at the slightest noise, and they rarely come out during the day. How did you catch them?"

Hand in hand, Xiao Xue and Xiao Mi walked behind Second Aunt. Hearing their father’s words, Xiao Xue asked in surprise, "Does Dad know what these are? But Brother Ze said they’re called bamboo rats."

Jiang Hu scratched his head, "Aren’t they called cogon rats? I’ve heard they like eating cogon grass roots."

He had seen them in town before, but it was his first time seeing them himself.

Xiao Xue looked at Liu Ze, and Second Aunt also glanced at him.

Liu Ze thought for a moment, "We did find them under the cogon grass, but there were a lot of bamboo shreds at the entrance. The books also say they’re bamboo rats, so maybe that’s it. People call them different names."

This is quite possible, as dialects vary everywhere.

Jiang Hu nodded, "Maybe that’s it."

He then happily added, "You’re all amazing. I’ve cut bamboo here many times and have never seen such a thing, but you managed to catch them."

He had seen them at Tongfu Restaurant, sold there by someone else, but the meat wasn’t expensive. What was pricey was the fur, which was thicker and more expensive than rabbit fur.

Second Aunt also laughed, "The kids are smart. They didn’t catch them by themselves. They chased the bamboo rats out, and then let Xiao Hei and Xiao Mi catch them, always catching them with precision."

All of this is from regular practice.

Jiang Hu finally noticed Xiao Mi and Xiao Hei beside them, proudly displaying their demeanor.

"You’re all fantastic, and Xiao Mi and Xiao Hei are great too."

As if understanding Jiang Hu’s praise, Xiao Hei barked, "Woof," and Xiao Mi meowed, sounding even prouder.

"It’s getting late. Let’s head back. The kids said you’ll be taking them up the mountain this afternoon?"

Jiang Hu had dug up Liu Liu’s bamboo, cutting off half from the top, leaving a sturdy bamboo stick, with roots the size of a basin, still wrapped in a clump of mud.

Jiang Hu handed the basket to Second Aunt to store the bamboo rats, and hoisted a bamboo pole, as a few of them made their way down the mountain together.

"Yes, once the sun dries up a bit, the ground won’t be slippery anymore. Let’s not go to the field today. We’ll take the kids out to play."

Strictly speaking, it’s been almost three years since they came to Fuan Village, and Jiang Hu has been continuously busy, even during the New Year, constantly worrying about the chickens, pigs, and rabbits.

Now, with the eldest starting school, the house almost completed, stockpiles of grain at home, and quite a bit of silver, it’s time he relaxed a bit.

Second Aunt nodded, "Iron Egg won’t be going. I’ll stay home and watch Iron Egg."

Upon hearing this, Iron Egg was dissatisfied, "No, no, I want to go up the mountain with Dad. I haven’t been yet!"

Jiang Hu took a breath, "Yes, let’s all go. We’ll call Qi Xi, leave a note for the eldest, and have a picnic tonight!"

"Great! Thank you, Dad!" Xiao Mi and Xiao Xue jumped around excitedly, but the next second, "Ouch!"

The sisters both fell flat on their butts, startling Second Aunt.

"Why were you so careless, did you hurt yourselves anywhere?" She picked them both up at once, checking them over carefully.

Thankfully, the ground had plenty of leaves and branches, so they weren’t harmed.

The sisters giggled, saying they were fine.

It’s a picnic, their first time! How exciting and thrilling!

Even the path down the mountain felt easier to walk, and they all ran ahead quickly.

When they got home, Qi Xi had already taken the Big Water Buffalo up the mountain. Knowing the afternoon plans, he picked up a hoe and started digging holes.

Jiang Hu pointed out a spot for him to dig holes and plant bamboo.

Second Aunt was now puzzled over the four bamboo rats.

"Where should we keep these? They eat bamboo, so wouldn’t a wooden fence be impossible to keep them confined?"

The four bamboo rats had already bitten through the grass vine on their hind legs and were now squeezed together in a heap in the basket.

The place for the chickens and rabbits were all enclosed with bamboo fences; domesticated ones wouldn’t run, but these...

"Mom, they definitely can’t chew through stone. We can surround them with stones."

Xiao Mi hung over the edge of the basket, increasingly fond of what she saw, a large hairy bunch that looked particularly sturdy.

Second Aunt said, "It seems that’s the only way. Xiao Mi, Iron Egg, you keep an eye on them here while I go prepare."

Iron Egg mimicked Xiao Mi’s posture, tiptoeing over the basket.

Probably because he was weak at birth, though he had recovered, he was still shorter than Xiao Mi.

"Sister, is this tasty?" After running around the mountain, he only remembered that these critters were edible.

Xiao Mi shook her head, "I don’t know. It should be tasty, right? Otherwise, it wouldn’t be so expensive."

In her past life, she had known about farmed bamboo rats, which were quite expensive; Liu Ze had also mentioned before that these aren’t cheap.

Thinking about it, they must be tasty, right?

Iron Egg was already drooling, "I wonder if it’s tastier than rabbit, Sister, can we eat this today?"

He looked hopefully at Xiao Mi.

Xiao Mi gave him a light tap, "What are you thinking? We need to keep them for a while until they have babies and multiply before we eat them."

Liu Ze and Xiao Xue went to help Second Aunt, moving stones from a pile behind the house to the front to set up an area right under the eaves.

The eaves and the yard, though not paved with clean blue stone slabs like other houses, were still firm, unlike the fields and slopes.

Even if these bamboo rats were skilled diggers, it would not be easy for them to dig a hole and escape.

A square stone habitat was built, and Second Aunt dug up a bunch of cogon roots, cutting two sections off the bamboo Jiang Hu had brought back to toss inside.

The bamboo rat den was now ready.

When the four bamboo rats were dumped inside, they made noises of ’clucking’ and ’whooshing’, clearly still quite scared.

Luckily, once they burrowed into the cogon roots and covered themselves, they began to calm down, one after another.

Xiao Xue, drawing on her experience, commented, "Once they’re raised for a while, they certainly won’t be scared anymore."

Second Aunt nodded, "Right, just like the wild chickens before, now they go out and come back with the rest and have no thoughts of escaping."

However, the feathers still need clipping when necessary.

With these tasks done, it was getting late, and time to prepare lunch. With the outing in the afternoon ahead, everyone was filled with anticipation, whether cooking or preparing other items.

Even Liu Ze had already written a note for Jiang Yu early, leaving it on the kitchen table for him to see as soon as he returned.